The News Matrix: Wednesday 13 June 2012

Split family children to get stronger rights

Children whose parents divorce or separate will have stronger rights to see both their mother and father under new proposals announced today. Family courts must now work on the presumption the child is best served by being involved with both parents.

Thousands protest against Putin's rule

Thousands of Russians marched through Moscow yesterday amid a stream of banners demanding President Vladimir Putin step down. They were challenging new laws designed to curb protest against his strongly centralised rule while chanting: "Russia without Putin!" MORE

Google faces fresh investigation

In a fresh investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office, the search engine Google has been urged to reveal what data has been collected by cars taking pictures for its Street View service.

Gove's adviser says plan spells trouble

One of Education Secretary Michael Gove's expert advisers says plans to prescribe a list of words that children must be able to spell at a particular age are "too narrowly prescriptive for the real world". Meanwhile, a new study claims children globally are learning second languages earlier. MORE

Dingo baby mother is finally cleared

Some 32 years after a 9-week-old infant vanished from a campsite in a case that bitterly divided Australians the nation welcomed a ruling that finally closed the mystery. A coroner concluded yesterday that a dingo had taken Azaria Chamberlain from her parents' tent near Ayers Rock.

John Major tells of Murdoch pressure

Rupert Murdoch told the Conservatives that unless they changed their policy on Europe, his newspapers would not support the Government in the run-up to the 1997 general election, Sir John Major claimed yesterday. The former Prime Minister's evidence at the Leveson Inquiry yesterday contradicts Mr Murdoch's statement that he had never asked a Prime Minister "for anything". MORE

'Saudi Arabia and Qatar arming rebels'

Members of the Free Syrian Army are being armed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar according to an Ankara-based Western diplomat – a move that threatens to inflame a fragile regional power struggle which is now concentrated on the 15-month long conflict. MORE

Tight Y-fronts can reduce baby chances

Ditching tight underpants could improve men's chances of having a baby, scientists have claimed. Smoking, drinking alcohol and using recreational drugs have been listed as factors likely to harm male fertility, but wearing tight Y-fronts can reduce healthy sperm. MORE

Soldier guilty of killing roommates

A US soldier has been found guilty by a court-martial in the 2010 murders of two roommates in Iraq. Prosecutors had said Neftaly Platero shot and killed the men hours after he complained about their room being messy.

Kate Moss tells us to cover up in summer

Supermodel Kate Moss has bemoaned the way British people dress during the summer, claiming our inexperience with hot weather leads to sartorial disasters. Ms Moss suggested that rather than flaunt their bodies, Britons should "put it away". Critics pointed out the model has posed nude numerous times.

Twitter row over comments on Jews

A woman given the chance to briefly take over Sweden's official Twitter account has stirred controversy after posting comments about Jews. Sonja Abrahamsson, who describes herself as a "low educated" single mother of two, provocatively asked what makes a Jew, used crude language and joked about Jewish circumcision.

Foul-mouthed face $20 fine for swearing

Residents in a town outside Boston are to decide whether to make people pay fines for swearing in public. Officials insist the proposal to impose a $20 fine was not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead to crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teenagers and young people. MORE

BBC promises 'an even stronger' Voice

BBC One controller Danny Cohen has promised that talent show The Voice will return "even stronger" next year. Audience data revealed it was the channel's most successful entertainment launch in at least ten years, averaging 9.2 million viewers. However, ratings fell spectacularly, dipping to 4m for the semi-final.

NME settles Morrissey lawsuit

The NME has publicly apologised to Morrissey over an article in 2007. The singer believed the article suggested he was racist. The two parties reached a settlement without legal costs or damages. The original article quoted Morrissey as saying: "The higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears."