The News Matrix: Thursday 18 October 2012

Man arrested over alleged bomb plot

The FBI has arrested a man allegedly plotting to bomb the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with a 1,000lb device. The suspect, who is believed to be a Bangladeshi national, was arrested in a sting operation on Tuesday after reportedly driving a car containing what he thought was a bomb to the Lower Manhattan location, police disclosed.

Depression sufferers 'feel ostracised'

The stigma attached to depression means sufferers are ostracised by their friends and partners, according to a new study. A survey of 1,000 sufferers showed levels of discrimination were similar to those for schizophrenia revealed in a similar study three years ago. MORE

'Dirty tricks' claim by Galloway

Scotland Yard has placed a senior counter-terrorism officer on restricted duties following allegations from the Respect MP George Galloway that he entered his home without his knowledge and sent fake emails as part of a "dirty tricks" campaign.

Barrister to oversee Savile investigations

The Government has appointed a barrister to offer "independent oversight" over four separate investigations into Jimmy Savile's alleged abuse of hospital patients when he worked as a volunteer. It was announced that Kate Lampard will oversee the probes.

Pope backs church over Pussy Riot case

The Pope has "expressed his solidarity" with the position of the Russian Orthodox Church in the case against the punk band Pussy Riot, who were jailed after staging an anti-Putin protest in Moscow's main cathedral earlier this year, a note posted on the Russian church's website says.

Obama lands blow as debate turns nasty

The race for the US presidency became white-hot on Tuesday evening after a second televised debate between the candidates saw President Barack Obama furiously reassert himself as a candidate.

Zuma tells mining bosses to freeze pay

Following a series of violent wildcat strikes at several mines over recent months, President Jacob Zuma has asked executives at mining firms to take a year-long salary freeze and called on workers to return to their jobs in an attempt to allow the industry to be "normalised".

Duggan case jury fails to reach verdict

A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case of Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, who was accused of supplying a handgun to Mark Duggan minutes before he was shot dead by police. It was Mr Duggan's death which sparked the Tottenham riots last year.

UK urged to halt aid amid atrocity claims

Pressure was mounting on Britain yesterday to withdraw its £16m aid package to Rwanda after a damning UN report said the country was running an armed rebellion guilty of massive human rights abuses in neighbouring DR Congo. MORE

Dozens of Spitfires to be excavated

A deal has been signed to allow a British aviation enthusiast to excavate of dozens of Spitfire fighter planes buried in Burma by the British almost 70 years ago. David J Cundall discovered the planes, which were hidden from invading Japanese troops by British forces during the Second World War.

$10k for BBQ sauce? He's a basketcase

A man who once owned a McDonald's restaurant in North Dakota has sold a 20-year-old container of McJordan barbecue sauce to a buyer in Chicago for $10,000 (more than £6,000). The sauce had been used on limited edition McJordan Burgers, named after the basketball star Michael Jordan.

Lifeguards sacked for spoof rap video

Fourteen Californian lifeguards fired for making a parody of the "Gangnam Style" video by Korean rapper PSY while in uniform at poolside have been reinstated, according to local media. City officials say the workers had violated employee standards. The lifeguards said they were not working at the time.

Harding's parting shot at controller

Radio 2 presenter Mike Harding has hit out at the channel's controller, Bob Shennan, after being fired from his weekly folk-music show. Harding said he "never had a single phone call from Radio 2 to say I was doing a good job" in his 15 years as presenter, and insisted he was "not leaving the show of my own volition".

Hoax fear over sperm bank story

This Morning host Phillip Schofield has said the show is carrying out "ongoing investigations" amid fears it was the victim of a hoax over a story about a celebrity sperm bank. The presenter told viewers that an interview on the ITV1 show on Tuesday with a businessman called Dan Richards, claiming to run the "first celebrity sperm donor service" was under review.