The News Matrix: Thursday 25 August 2011

Social-networking sites resist restraints

Social-networking sites are expected to resist tough new measures cracking down on their use during civil unrest at a summit between ministers, police and industry leaders today. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, will seek a compromise with executives during talks in London. MORE

Strike threat to Channel trains

Channel Tunnel train services face the threat of strike action by French unions over the bank holiday weekend. Eurotunnel has stopped taking further bookings for journeys for Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday Monday. But the company said it still hoped to run a full service. MORE

Clegg seeks new party funding limits

Nick Clegg is to try to break the deadlock between the Conservatives and Labour over how Britain’s political parties are funded. The deputy prime minister is considering ideas including a £50,000 cap on individual donations to parties so they do not rely on rich backers. MORE

Lib Dem MP said to be ‘unfit for office’

Liberal Democrat John Hemming, who made a name for himself by saying things in Parliament which could not legally be said anywhere else, has been accused of being unfit for public office. Labour MP John Mann says Mr Hemming should be made to leave Parliament. MORE

Eto’o strikes it rich with Dagestan move

What was it that attracted Samuel Eto’o to Anzhi Makhachkala in Dagestan? The team’s glorious history? Er, no. The chance to play alongside great players? Er, no. Was it the near- £9m-a-year pay cheque, then?

Cameron sponsored Andy Coulson’s pass

David Cameron sponsored a House of Commons pass for his former communications chief, Andy Coulson, which the former News of the World editor obtained without disclosing any ongoing payments and benefits worth hundreds of thousands of pounds from Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, including health insurance, a company car and two years’ salary. MORE

Policeman held for murder of journalist

A former senior policeman was arrested yesterday over the murder five years ago of the anti-Kremlin journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Dmitry Pavlyuchenkov is suspected of organising the criminal group that carried out the murder as well as obtaining the weapon. MORE

No serious damage after earthquake

It caused the White House and the Pentagon to be evacuated, it made air traffic control at JFK and Newark airports to close airspace and closed Times Square. But otherwise, the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the the US on Tuesday evening did almost no other damage.

Speed cameras have mixed success

The mixed record of speed cameras at preventing road accidents was disclosed as figures were published by the Department for Transport. While casualty rates at some speed camera sites have worsened since their installation, one in Cambridge almost eradicated all accidents.

‘Evidence’ of mass graves in Sudan

A group, which set up satellite monitoring equipment over Sudan, claims to have evidence of new mass graves in the Nuba mountains region – the scene of heavy recent fighting between government troops and rebels. MORE

Russian rocket fails just after take-off

An unmanned space rocket launched in Russia yesterday is believed to have crashed five minutes into its flight. The Progress supply ship had been due to deliver food and fuel to the International Space Station but did not reach orbit.

Students get all their want-ins at Pontin’s

Edge Hill University in Lancashire is offering its students accommodation at a Pontin’s holiday camp. The university moved this year’s intake to the Southport resort when it filled its campus rooms. One popular review site described the “squalor” of conditions at the Pontin’s camp.

Ferry captain gets that Helsinki feeling

A Finnish ferry has run aground while its captain was stuck in the bathroom. A member of staff managed to slow the island-hopping tourist ferry down, but the vessel, with 54 passengers on board, slammed on to a rock near Helsinki, the Finnish coastguard has reported.

Doraemon opens his own museum

The small, blue robot cat from the future – Doraemon – now has his own museum on the outskirts of Tokyo. Fans of the cartoon character will be able to view a collection of 50,000 items relating to him.

Metal thieves foil each other

A man who was stealing metal from a disused hospital spent five hours hiding in an air duct from what he thought were police officers coming to arrest him, to find out later it was a fellow thief. Police arrested the men at the hospital, in Tiverton, Devon, on Tuesday night.

Autumn makes early arrival in Britain

Autumn colours are appearing on trees several weeks early due to a hot dry spring, the Royal Horticultural Society says. The unusually early colour seen particularly on leaves in the middle of trees, which they can lose without stopping much photosynthesis, is due to dry soils.

90-year-old woman gives burglars stick

A feisty 90-year-old German woman chased away three would-be burglars from her rural farmhouse with her cane, police said on Monday. The retired farmer was moving around her house with the help of a walking frame and spotted the intruders – two men and one woman.

Orang-utan towels down like humans

An orang-utan is on its way to becoming a web sensation after a video of the primate washing itself just like a human emerged online. During the two-minute clip, the orang-utan, which is housed at Tokyo’s Tama Zoo, dips a towel into water in order to freshen up in the 30C heat.