The News Matrix: Tuesday 21 June 2011

Government failing young offenders

The Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, has criticised the Government after the results of a two-year study showed that one in six young offenders ends up back behind bars within a month of their release. MORE

Ocean species at serious risk

The world’s oceans are facing an unprecedented loss of species comparable to the great mass extinctions of prehistory, a major report by leading marine scientists suggests. The seas are degenerating far faster than predicted. MORE

Officer in Tomlinson death to stand trial

PC Simon Harwood, 44, who is accused of killing newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson, 47, at the G20 riots, is to stand trial at the Old Bailey on 17 October for manslaughter.

Scandal-hit care home to close

A Gloucestershire care home at the centre of allegations of abuse of vulnerable adult patients is to close on Friday. Avon and Somerset Police have arrested and bailed eight men and three women in connection with the case. MORE

Ben Ali put on trial for embezzlement

Former president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, whose ousting triggered a series of uprisings, was put on trial in absentia five months after he went into exile. Tunis Criminal Court is hearing embezzlement, money laundering and drug trafficking cases. MORE

Ruling duo cagey about Kremlin future

The Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has told the Financial Times that he wants to stand for a second term in the Kremlin, but would not run against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The cryptic comments will keep the pundits guessing about which one of Russia’s ruling duo will in fact stand in the polls next year. MORE

Court blocks Wal-Mart sexism lawsuit

The US Supreme Court has blocked a massive sexual discrimination lawsuit which would allow as many as 1.6 million female employees of the retail giant Wal-Mart to sue the firm over its employment practices. MORE

President Obama to start tweeting

President Barack Obama is going to start tweeting in person. He already has 8.69 million followers – making him the third most-followed Twitter user – but most of his tweets are written by staff. Now, all the tweets signed “BO” will be penned by the President himself.

Hang up a hammock for sweeter dreams

Scientists in Geneva have discovered how a gentle rocking motion affects brain waves and soothes us to sleep. The findings, published in the journal Current Biology, showed a “dramatic boosting” of certain types of sleep-related brain waves associated with rocking.

Electronics giant sues “geeky” rivals

Careful who you call a “geek” – you might get sued. The US retailer Best Buy, which sells electronics, claims legal ownership of the term. Its lawyers have pursued at least a dozen individuals and firms over what it says are exclusive rights to call employees “geeks”. MORE

Beloved centenarian flag-raiser dies

A 107-year-old Greek woman who raised the country’s flag every day for nearly half a century has died. Vasiliki Lambidou lived in the same house a few dozen metres from the Greek-Turkish border along the Evros river since 1962, and was much-loved in Greece for her daily act of patriotism.

‘Jackass’ star is killed in car crash

Ryan Dunn, a cast member of the TV stunt show Jackass, died yesterday in Philadelphia. Authorities said speed may have been a factor in the car accident. Dunn was best known for his part in the MTV show and spin-off films, which saw actors put in dangerous situations for laughs.