The News Matrix: Friday 25 January 2013

Kicked ballboy's Twitter boast

The ballboy kicked by Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard when he refused to hand over the ball had boasted about timewasting before the match. Charlie Morgan, 17, told his Twitter followers he would be doing his bit to ensure Swansea emerged victorious. MORE

Home of Lagarde's ally Tapie is raided

Anti-fraud police have raided the home of French tycoon Bernard Tapie, a close associate of IMF chief Christine Lagarde, left. The raid was part of an investigation into "embezzlement" in 2008. MORE

Al-Qa'ida's deputy leader dies

Al-Qa'ida's second-in-command in Yemen, Said Ali al-Shehri, was reported last night to have died from injuries he sustained after being wounded by Yemeni security forces in November. The death was not confirmed by al-Qa'ida.

More snow today before rain resumes

Britain should brace itself for a final blast of snow today before the week-long freeze is replaced by wet weather. Up to a foot of snow may fall over the Scottish Highlands, with up to six inches possible in northern England.

Briton who exposed tax fraud to be sued

A British hedge-fund magnate who exposed the officials behind a £150m tax fraud in Russia faces being sued for libel in London. Major Pavel Karpov, one of 60 officials named by William Browder as being behind the scam, has launched libel proceedings in the High Court. MORE

Pyongyang warns US is missile target

Pyongyang's top governing body warned yesterday that the regime will conduct its third nuclear test, saying its long-range rockets are designed to carry satellites and warheads aimed at striking the US. Experts say North Korea does not yet have such a capability.

Simple measures could cut stillbirths

The simple use of a measuring tape could save up to 600 stillborn babies every year, a study has claimed. The biggest risk factor is foetal growth restriction but researchers said with better recognition of the problem, the stillbirth rate could be cut by 20 per cent. MORE

Earth has 'only' five million species

There are only five million species of animals and plants on Earth, scientists have claimed. Previous researchers estimated that there were as many as 100 million. Scientists identify about 17,000 new species a year. Researchers hope most species may eventually be identified. MORE

Army 'executed rebel sympathisers'

France yesterday defended its allies in the Malian army after two human rights organisations confirmed reports of summary executions of suspected rebel sympathisers by Malian troops. The Malian government issued a statement telling the army to respect human rights. MORE

Soldier's plight leads to diplomatic row

The fate of a British army sergeant involved in the fatal shooting of a Kenyan civilian has embroiled the UK in a diplomatic row with the African nation. The soldier, named in Kenya as Sergeant Madison, has been unable to leave Kenya for more than seven months.

Gang-rape victim was top student

The Delhi student raped and killed in a brutal attack that shocked India had passed her final exams with flying colours, her college revealed yesterday. The victim had been enrolled in a physiotherapy course. College officials said they planned to return her fees to her family. MORE

Cameron warns MPs over EU vote

David Cameron will force the resignation of Conservative MPs who campaign for Britain to leave the European Union in the planned referendum, the Prime Minister has told his Cabinet colleagues. Mr Cameron said they would be bound by the rules of collective responsibility if he recommends that the public votes to stay in the EU. MORE

Earl of Cardigan cleared of assault

An aristocrat has been acquitted of assaulting one of his family estate's trustees. The Earl of Cardigan, one of whose ancestors led the Charge of the Light Brigade, was also cleared of criminal damage. The Earl, 60, was accused of beating a man in a row over ancestral portraits.

Kim Jong-un 'did not have plastic surgery'

Rumours that leader Kim Jong-un went under the surgeon's knife in a bid to look more like his grandfather have been decried as "sordid hackwork by rubbish media" by the country's Central News Agency. "The false report... released by enemies is a hideous criminal act," it said.

Subway's foot-in-mouth problem

Two men in New Jersey have filed a lawsuit against Subway, claiming the sandwich chain short-changed them by selling them "foot-long" baguettes that were less than 12 inches in length. They claim that sandwiches from 17 different branches came up short.

Future teachers fall short in geography

A large number of Belgium's future secondary school teachers struggle with basic geography, politics and history, a study shows. Among final-year teaching students, one in three could not identify the United States on a map and almost half did not know where the Pacific Ocean was.

Escaped crocodiles on the loose in river

About 15,000 crocodiles escaped from a South African reptile farm in flood waters this week and were said to be on the loose in and around one of southern Africa's biggest rivers, the Limpopo. Only half of the escaped reptiles have so far been recaptured.

Twitter launches video platform

Twitter has launched its own video capture service, with an app that will let users post short films using their mobile phones. Vine will allow users to take videos up to six seconds long and embed them into tweets. The app is available free for the iPhone but not yet for other platforms.

Man's best friend may not be happy

One in four dogs is unhappy, according to a new survey. Pet owners told researchers of the Healthy Happy Hound Report that one in 10 never socialise with other dogs, while a quarter have never eaten a bone. But just 1 per cent said they believed their dog was depressed.