The News Matrix: Monday 16 January 2012

Britain 'won't pick up until 2013'

Britain is already in the grip of a double-dip recession and the economy will not pick up until 2013, two reports say today. The findings from two of the country's most respected forecasters warn than unemployment will increase and interest rates will stay onhold until 2016. MORE

Man is arrested on suspicion of murder

A man was arrested on suspicion of murder after his partner and her eight-year-old daughter were found dead in a house in Leeds. The suspect was named locally as John Miller, 36. The victims have been named locally as Sarah Laycock, 31, and her daughter, Abigail. MORE

Romney fits the bill for supporter at rally

Mitt Romney, frontrunner in the Republican presidential nomination race, handed around £40 in cash to an unemployed female supporter at a rally after she complained she could not pay her electricity bills. MORE

Sarkozy silent over credit downgrade

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has vowed "urgent" economic reform but made no mention of the country losing its AAA credit rating. Socialist François Hollande, favourite to win spring's elections, said: "It is not France that has been downgraded but the policies [of Sarkozy]". MORE

Action on 'Scotland's Stephen Lawrence'

Scotland's top law officer is to meet the family of an Asian man murdered more than 13 years ago, dubbed "Scotland's Stephen Lawrence". Surjit Singh Chhokar was stabbed to death outside the home he shared with his girlfriend in Overtown, Lanarkshire, on 4 November 1998.

Army, Navy and RAF will lose 30,000 jobs

Thirty thousand jobs will have to go across the Army, Royal Navy and RAF, as sweeping cuts in the number of soldiers are announced today. Commanders say the redundancies, which will mark a fundamental restructure of Britain's armed forces, will protect most units needed for the frontline. Gurkhas and the Army's Parachute Regiment are among those in line for cuts. MORE

Hopes fade for five members of crew

Hopes were fading last night for the safe return of five men missing after a trawler sank off the west Cork coast. A 21-year-old student from Clonakilty, County Cork, who was interested in taking up a career at sea, is thought to have been one of those on board when the vessel went down close to Union Hall harbour.

Taliban leader 'killed by US drone'

The leader of the Pakistani Taliban is believed to have been killed by a US drone strike near the Afghan border, Pakistan officials told Reuters yesterday. A senior military official said there was no official confirmation that the Pakistani state's deadliest enemy had been killed. The Pakistani Taliban has denied the report.

Warm feelings for shepherd's pie

Shepherd's pie is Britain's most popular winter comfort food, according to a YouGov survey. Some 60 per cent of people voted for the traditional dish of mince and mashed potato, followed in second place by lasagne — which was named as the most popular cold-weather comfort food by young people aged 18 to 35.

Throat spray to spot cancer

A fluorescent "throat spray" that highlights abnormal cells could help doctors spot early oesophagus cancer, research has shown. The disease can easily be missed or wrongly diagnosed in its early stages. Scientists say that the new technique highlights the exact position of the developing disease, which could potentially save many lives.

Pilots escape as jets collide during drill

Saudi and French fighter jets collided in mid-air during joint air force drills in the Gulf kingdom on Saturday, Saudi Arabia's state news agency reported. But no one was injured. The Saudi pilot and two French airmen ejected and then parachuted to safety after a French Mirage and a Saudi F-15 jet collided.

Bank vault reveals a chequered history

An $800 cheque written by President Abraham Lincoln to "Self" on the day before his 1865 assassination has been rediscovered in a bank vault in Columbus, Ohio. Around 70 others signed by the likes of George Washington, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens and Thomas Edison – unseen since 1983 – were also in the haul.

Big names backing gongs for animals

A campaign to honour the animal stars of Hollywood was under way at the Golden Globes yesterday, with Uggie, the Jack Russell in silent film The Artist, yet to receive any official recognition. Steven Spielberg and actor James Cromwell have backed calls by website Movieonline to honour animals at the Oscars. MORE