The News Matrix: Thursday 11 April 2013

Call to end blocking of organ donations

Relatives should not be able to over-ride the wishes of individuals who have elected to become donors before their death, the chair of the UK Organ Donation Taskforce has said. Elizabeth Buggins added that it should be mandatory for doctors to refer potential donors to the NHS Transplant service if their names appeared on the NHS Organ Donor register. MORE

South expecting missile launch soon

South Korea said yesterday there was a "very high" probability that North Korea, after weeks of threats of war, would test-launch a medium-range missile at any time as a show of strength. South Korea has asked China and Russia to intercede with the North to ease the tension. MORE

Workers who lose job can't pay mortgage

One in three workers would not be able to pay for their home for more than a month if they lost their job, housing charity Shelter has claimed. A further 18 per cent of people wouldn't be able to pay their rent or mortgage at all if they found themselves without work. MORE

Twenty activists held near F1 circuit

Human Rights Watch said police had arrested 20 activists in towns near Bahrain's Formula One circuit ahead of the Grand Prix next week. The government denied any arrests had taken place. HRW said the apparent intention was to prevent a repeat of last year's protests. MORE

Midwife is sorry for abortion comment

A midwife who told a woman who was miscarrying she could not have an abortion in Ireland because it was a "Catholic thing" has apologised. Ann Maria Burke said she made the remark to Savita Halappanavar, who later died, "in kindness" and not "in a hurtful context". MORE

190-million-year-old dinosaur eggs found

The remains of some of the oldest dinosaur embryos ever found have been unearthed. The 190-million-year-old Lufengosaurus embryos were preserved at different stages, shedding light on life inside the eggs.

Hollande gets tough on financial crimes

The French President François Hollande is setting up a new prosecutor for financial crimes and is demanding that French banks release lists of all their affiliates around the world. He is also requiring all cabinet members to release details of their income and assets. MORE

Record grants for universities

British universities received record funding from philanthropists last year. Of the £774m extra that institutions received, the largest donation came from the venture capitalist Michael Moritz, who gave Oxford University £75m. MORE

Police commissioner is victim of theft

Dorset's first Police and Crime Commissioner became the victim of theft while attending a meeting about crime in the community. "The irony of this incident has not been lost on me," said Martyn Underhill after finding his pool car broken into and his satnav stolen. "We all know Boscombe does have a crime issue."

Shot elephant on road to recovery

A circus elephant injured in a drive-by shooting in Mississippi should make a full recovery, a vet said yesterday. The 39-year-old Asian elephant was resting in an enclosure outside the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo when it was shot in the shoulder. A reward for information leading to an arrest has climbed to $21,000.

FPO spokesman is dismissed by party

Austria's rightist FPO party has dismissed the spokesman of its Vienna branch for allegedly posting excerpts from a battle song of Hitler's elite Waffen-SS units on Facebook. The party says Stefan Gotschacher has been terminated "with immediate effect" while the FPO investigates the claims.

Imposter is guilty of 1985 murder

A Rockefeller imposter was found guilty yesterday of murder in the death of a man whose bones were found buried beneath a Californian home. Christian Gerhartsreiter was tried 28 years after the disappearance of John and Linda Sohus. He had masqueraded as an heir to the fabled oil fortune for 20 years.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs say no, no, no

It's commonplace to watch a gig through a camera phone rather than enjoy the music in the moment, but one rock band has had enough. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have banned smartphones at their concerts, putting up a sign saying: "Please do not watch the show through a screen on your smart device/camera."