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The News Matrix: Monday 23 May 2011

Monday 23 May 2011 00:00 BST
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Salmond in London for talks on powers

Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, is to meet with senior government ministers in London today to discuss strengthening Holyrood’s economic powers. Talks will also focus on job creation and developing green energy.

Woman arrested over driving video

A Saudi woman who created a Facebook and Twitter campaign demanding that the country’s women be given the right to drive has been arrested. Her video making the case for the right to drive has been viewed more than 600,000 times. MORE

MS Society launches UK national database

A new database for information on multiple sclerosis has been launched. The UK-wide register from the MS Society will allow patients to enter information about their condition in the hope that the data will lead to improvements in care and research.

Ambassadors flown out of embassy siege

The British and US ambassadors to Yemen were held against their will in the UAE’s embassy in Sana’a yesterday after gunmen loyal to president Ali Abdullah Saleh surrounded the building. They were freed after a helicopter flew in to rescue them. MORE

Feminists rally over Strauss-Kahn row

French feminists held a vigil in Paris yesterday in protest at remarks by those sympathetic to Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF chief accused of attempted rape in the US. MORE

North and south face off over oil region

Sudan was on the brink of civil war once again last night after forces from the north of the soon-to-be-split country took control of the disputed oil region of Abyei. Calling the move an “act of war”, the South appealed to the international community to intervene. But while Western diplomats condemned the move they showed no sign of acting. MORE

Games bosses issue warning over touts

Olympics fans have been warned by the Games’ organisers to be “extremely cautious” about ticket touts. A Sunday Times reporter managed to buy tickets from a German agent, while British applicants are yet to hear about their ticket allocations.

A537 is UK’s ‘most dangerous road’

A12km road through the Peak District National Park has been found to be Britain’s most dangerous road. The A537 from Macclesfield to Buxton in Derbyshire, dubbed the “Cat and Fiddle”, has seen crashes rise by 62 per cent in three years. MORE

Investigation show returns to ITV

Thirteen years after axing its award-winning series World in Action, ITV is to return to investigative journalism with new documentaries to challenge Panorama on the BBC. Exposure will be a series of hour-long films on Sunday evenings, which will include undercover and overseas reporting. MORE

Astronaut struggles with nuts and bolts

A spacewalking astronaut ran into trouble while trying to lubricate a mechanical joint in the vital solar power system of the orbiting International Space Station yesterday, losing one bolt and getting a washer stuck in a crevice. “Bummer,” radioed his partner.

Apocalypse not quite now

Harold Camping, the 89- year-old preacher who predicted that the world would end on Saturday, was seen speeding away in a white SUV after realising that not all had gone to plan. Rumour has it he went to Hawaii or his childhood home of Colorado to avoid the inevitable awkward questions.

Pakistan ‘fugitives’ found closer to home

Authorities in Delhi have been forced to admit to an embarrassing mistake after several individuals included on a “most wanted fugitives” list handed to Pakistan were found to be actually living in India. MORE

Our kids are weaker than they used to be

Children are less able to carry out physical activities than those born 10 years ago. A study has found that children’s arm strength has dropped by 26 per cent.

TV star O’Grady to give home to lamb

Television presenter Paul O’Grady has offered a home to a lamb found in a wheelie bin in Manchester last month.

Lady Gaga to live in Martha’s Vineyard

Lady Gaga is building a multimillion-pound home in Martha’s Vineyard, a summer colony which has long been a playground for the rich and famous. The eight-bedroom eco-friendly beach-front mansion will be built on the small, sleepy island of Chappaquiddick.

‘Tree of Life’ wins top prize

US director Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life was the winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes yesterday. The film, which stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is his first entry since 1979. The shy director wasn’t there to collect the accolade. MORE

Cheshire keen to get rid of WAG tag

Business leaders in Cheshire are launching a campaign aimed at focusing on the area’s “world class business credentials” in a bid to rid it of its association with the high heels and big hair of the typical footballer’s wife or WAG.

Thief steals woman’s hair

A thief cut off and stole a woman’s hair while she waited at a bus stop in the central city of Goiania in Brazil. Police say the hair will probably be sold for the production of wigs.

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