The News Matrix: Monday 26 March 2012

I will block third runway, vows Boris

Boris Johnson has insisted he will not allow a third runway to be built at Heathrow Airport, amid speculation that senior Tories want to revisit the idea. The Conservative Mayor of London, fighting for re-election in May, said the move would be an "environmental disaster". MORE

Supreme Court to tackle 'Obamacare'

The US Supreme Court will today embark on three days of hearings into President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms that could upend the 2012 election campaign. The country's highest judicial authority will rule whether "Obamacare" is constitutional. MORE

President Obama's warning over rocket

US President Barack Obama made his first visit to the tense border between South and North Korea yesterday, before returning to Seoul to giving a clear warning of real consequences if Pyongyang presses ahead with plans to launch a long-range rocket next month. MORE

Man stabbed as he walked near Thames

A man is in critical but stable condition in hospital after he was stabbed in an apparently unprovoked attack while walking alongside the River Thames. The 41-year-old Canadian was close to Southwark Bridge when he was stabbed in the chest around 12am on Friday.

Woman in court for 'Cowell burglary'

A 29-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated burglary after allegedly breaking into the house of music mogul Simon Cowell. Leanne Zaloumis will appear at West London Magistrates' Court today.

Bounty offered for Trayvon's killer

Militant activists belonging to the New Black Panther Party have announced a $10,000 (£6,300) reward for the "capture" of the black teenager Trayvon Martin's killer. At a protest in Sanford, Florida, where Trayvon died, the bounty was publicly placed on the head of George Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer who followed and then shot the unarmed boy. MORE

Regime accused of using human shields

The Syrian regime was accused yesterday of using civilians as human shields, as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pledged his nation's full support for Kofi Annan's plan to end the turmoil in the country, saying it might be the "last chance" to avoid a long and bloody civil war. MORE

Lorry driver dies in hospital

The driver of a lorry that crashed into a stationary bus on the M5, leaving one bus passenger dead and another critically ill, has died in hospital. The 65-year-old haulier from Somerset died shortly after 9pm on Saturday at a Birmingham hospital, police have confirmed. MORE

Payments made to massacre victims

US officials have made "aid and support" payments to the Afghan families of the victims of the massacre allegedly committed by Staff Sergeant Robert Bales. The relatives have received around £31,500 for every person killed and £6,300 for every person wounded in the shooting. MORE

Deposed ministers go on hunger strike

Ministers being held by the junta which took over in a coup last week have begun a hunger strike, Tiegoum Boubeye Maiga, the brother of Mali's former foreign minister, said yesterday. Among those held is the former Prime Minister, Modibo Sidibe.

Army on standby to drive petrol tankers

Hundreds of soldiers are being lined up to stand in for petrol tanker drivers threatening strike action next month. The army and police are on standby to ensure fuel deliveries do not grind to a halt if members of the Unite union walk out.  MORE

Newlyweds enjoy life in Helmand

A newlywed couple are enjoying a novel start to married life – with a honeymoon in Helmand. Squadron Leader Rachel and Lieutenant Commander Gareth Mawdsley wed last year just before training began for their six month tours of Afghanistan.

Fake Word War II bomb sparks alarm

Authorities admitted raising a false alarm in Stuttgart after they discovered what they thought was a suspected World War II bomb. But the "bomb", found in a park, turned out to be a cast-iron pipe that had not been marked on the city's map.

Some of my awards are ugly, says Gary

Gary Oldman admits some awards he has won are too "ugly" to go on show – he didn't say if they included the Best Actor award for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy he won in London last night.

Navy ship crew not insured for battle

The navy's newest ship, the offshore support vessel Skandi Bergen, cannot be sent to war because its civilian crew are not insured for battle, the defence ministry says.