The News Matrix: Tuesday 2 September 2014

Skin cancer rise ‘due to new GP guidance’

A dramatic rise in the number of people admitted to hospital with skin cancer is largely down to a change in GP practice, scientists have said. A study by Public Health England found a 41 per cent rise in the figure in the last five years, after family doctors were issued with new guidance on treatment.

Darling fears poll booth ‘carnage’

Alistair Darling has called for a meeting with Scottish police amid fears of “complete carnage” outside polling booths on referendum day. The No camp’s concerns have been sparked by the increasingly aggressive behaviour of SNP campaigners.

Gang’s £8m stash of fake pills seized

Two men have been arrested in London in a Europe-wide crackdown on a gang selling fake medicines, including slimming pills. British, Hungarian and Austrian police have seized more than £100,000 in cash and around one million fake pills, worth about £8m.

Raphael painting warped in heat

The Deposition, a Renaissance masterpiece by Raphael, has warped because the air conditioning in a Rome museum has not worked for six months, raising questions over Italy’s ability or willingness to look after its precious cultural heritage.

Campaign to stop Wedgwood sale

The Wedgwood Collection of 80,000 ceramics, papers and artworks from the golden era of British pottery may be sold off unless £2,7m is raised in the next three months. The Art Fund yesterday launched a public appeal. Wedgwood went into administration in 2009.

McEwan: ‘Amazon should pay tax’

Amazon has come under fire from author Ian McEwan, who said the company should “pay its taxes”. McEwan admitted using Amazon to shop himself – an experience he equated to a ‘delicious drug’..

Police clash with protesters

Islamabad plunged into further chaos yesterday as demonstrators stormed the offices of the state television channel, and forced it from the air briefly. Clashes between protesters and police resumed, with security personnel firing tear gas.

Rescuers search for miners in landslide

Rescuers hoped for a miracle yesterday as they cautiously dug through mud, rocks and clay in search of at least four men missing since late last week when a landslide trapped them in a gold mine in Nicaragua.

Bercow announces job search ‘pause’

Speaker John Bercow has announced a “modest pause” in the recruitment of a new head clerk and chief executive for the House of Commons amid rising criticism of the selection of Australian Carol Mills for the post.

Police pepper spray democracy activists

Hong Kong police used pepper spray to disperse pro-democracy activists yesterday as the Asian financial centre braces for a wave of disruptive protests against China’s decision to rule out full democracy for the region.

Ambassador stands out from the flock

The US Ambassador to the UK needs to broaden his palate, according to leading British chefs, after he said he was fed up of eating “lamb and potatoes”. In an interview with Tatler, Matthew Barzun said he must have had the dish “180 times” since taking up the post last year.

Web tycoon’s Maori party alliance

Kim Dotcom, an eccentric web tycoon who leads the Internet Party, has entered an alliance with the Mana Party, led by a Maori activist, to form Internet Mana. Bankrolled with £1.5m of his own earnings, it is thought to be a move that will boost his own political clout.

Purley diving board gets listed status

English Heritage has attached Grade II listings to five sports structures in London – including a diving board to a lido which no longer exists. The multi-level concrete diving stage at the Purley Way Lido, Croydon stands in a garden centre and was once was an example of modernity.

Got a face that could stop traffic?

In a novel bid to deter speeding, authorities in Antwerp, Belgium, are asking people to upload selfies to be used as traffic signs. Citizens are being invited to upload happy and disapproving faces which will be flashed at motorists. The system is already used elsewhere in Belgium.

Geckos sent into space have died

Five geckos sent into space on a Russian satellite so that scientists could study the effect of weightlessness on their sex drives have died. The lizards set off on their voyage on 19 July on board the Foton-M4 capsule, which successfully landed back in Russia yesterday.

Fan fined for taking free kick

A fan “bent it like Beckham” when he ran on to the pitch and took a free kick during a Premier League match, a judge said today. Jordan Dunn, 22, became an internet sensation during a West Ham match last month. He pleaded guilty to a charge under the Football Offences Act 1991.

Fruit cuts risk of heart disease by 40%

Eating fruit every day can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 40 per cent, a study has found. Daily consumption also cut the risk of death by nearly a third in at-risk people, said researchers in one of the first studies to focus on the benefits of fruit independent of vegetables.

Workers spend week fighting huge fatberg

A “fatberg” the length of a Boeing 747 jet has been removed from a sewer in west London. Thames Water workers spent a week clearing the stinking blockage. The mass of festering food fat, wet wipes and sanitary products could have sent raw sewage into nearby homes.