The News Matrix: Tuesday 1 February 2011

Army in ‘no force’ pledge to protesters

Egypt’s army said last night that it would not use force against demonstrators seeking to oust dictator Hosni Mubarak after more than 30 years. The statement appeared to mark a significant blow to Mubarak’s hopes of clinging to power. MORE

Website reveals crime by the street

England and Wales today become the first countries in the world to release street-by-street information on every crime and act of anti-social behaviour reported to police. A new website (www.police.uk), which goes live today, allows anyone to search for a postcode or address and find what crimes have been committed – to a level of detail down to 12 houses. MORE

Concessions break Lords deadlock

A 15-day stand-off in the House of Lords over the Government’s constitutional reform plans appeared to be at an end last night after the Coalition announced a “package of concessions” to break the deadlock. The Government had threatened to take the historic step of guillotining discussions on the Bill if agreement could not be reached in time. MORE

News website’s HQ is burnt down

The building housing a website that criticised the Sri Lankan authorities has been burnt down, in what activists say is an assault on media freedom. Staff said the attack followed threats after the website published an article that questioned court evidence given by the country’s defence secretary – who is also the president’s brother. MORE

Yard set to demand more NoTW emails

Lawyers suing The News of the World over alleged phone said a trove of “lost” emails between senior executives could prove vital to their cases. Scotland Yard is expected to ask to see messages sent between key figures at News International. MORE

Clinton summons envoys for crisis talk

Hillary Clinton has summoned more than 260 envoys from across the world for a week of brainstorming as the sprawling US diplomatic machine faces crises on several fronts, including recent revelations in diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. MORE

Rush on universities before fees rise

Record numbers of students have applied to start university this autumn – the last year before rises in tuition fees could see them paying as much as £9,000 a year for their courses. The figures from UCAS, the admissions service, show that so far 583,501 people have applied, up 28,062 on last year, suggesting thousands will give up gap years. MORE

Zebrafish could hold key to healing hearts

A small tropical fish popular as a pet could revolutionise heart disease treatment. Scientists say the zebrafish’s ability to regenerate its cardiac muscle might lead to treatments that allow a damaged human heart to heal itself. MORE

Hackers to hit back after arrests

Anonymous, the collective of hackers behind a series of pro-WikiLeaks cyber attacks, has urged supporters to fight back following the arrest of five of its members in the UK. It vowed to retaliate using attacks it hopes will cripple government websites. MORE

Barcelona removes last Franco statue

Almost 72 years to the day after Nationalist troops swept into Barcelona at the end of the Spanish Civil War, the city’s last monument to the dictator General Franco has finally been taken down, watched by a small crowd of about 200. MORE

The world’s first ‘dark sky island’

Shunning the 21st century has led the Channel Island of Sark to be designated the world’s first “dark sky island”. Starry nights are glorious on the island, where there is no street lighting and cars are banned. Sark has been recognised by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

‘Anti-revolutionary’ sushi eating ruling

The ruling African National Congress has decreed it is “anti-revolutionary” to eat sushi off the body of a model in a bikini. The fish-on-flesh question has raged in South African media following reports of the practice at parties of wealthy businessmen and socialites.

FBI boss stumped by Justin Bieber’s hair

Pop star Justin Bieber’s hair is worrying FBI director Robert Mueller. Speaking about the plethora of YouTube videos, he told the New York Post: “Most of them feature someone by the name of Justin Bieber. I have to wonder who the heck is this kid, and why can’t he get a haircut?”

Council falls foul of dog mess filming

A city council at the centre of a media storm when it was disclosed 20 dogs were encouraged to foul a street for a TV programme plans to introduce strict new dog control orders. The BBC took the pets and their owners to Preston, Lancashire, to film a series about the impact of council cuts.

Chuckle Brother to open school

One of the Chuckle Brothers wants to open a school in his home town in South Yorkshire. Barry Elliott, 66, starred alongside his brother Paul, 63, in the popular children’s TV show, Chucklevision. He hopes his son’s teacher girlfriend, Charlotte Blencowe, will be head of the school.