The News Matrix: Wednesday 12 November 2014

Pushchairs versus wheelchairs battle

A bus operator’s policy of “requesting but not requiring” passengers with pushchairs to vacate a space if it is needed by a wheelchair user has come under scrutiny at the Court of Appeal. Doug Paulley, of Wetherby, West Yorkshire, previously won £5,500 in damages from First Bus Group after a passenger refused to move a pushchair when he attempted to board a bus.

3.5 million people fear winter cold snap

About 3.5 million elderly people fear they will not be able to keep warm this winter. At least 25,000 older people in England and Wales do not survive the cold each year, amounting to 206 deaths a day, or one every seven minutes, Age UK said. The UK has the oldest houses in the EU.

E-cigarettes poster promotes tobacco

An advert for electronic cigarettes has been banned for indirectly promoting tobacco smoking. The poster for Neo e-cigarettes featured an image of a woman using the device and blowing vapour into a man’s face. The headline read: “Smoking, redefined.”

RAF Tornado crews leave Afghanistan

The Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, paid tribute to the “professionalism” of RAF Tornado crews as they left Afghanistan for the final time. Jets from 31 Squadron departed from Kandahar airfield yesterday after more than five years of service in the country.

We can stop Ebola, says survivor

A US doctor who has been declared free of Ebola said he was living proof that early detection and isolation can stop the spread of the virus. Dr Craig Spencer called for a better focus at the centre of the outbreak in West Africa as he was released from Bellevue Hospital in New York.

Scottish MP attacks homophobic trolls

The Scottish Conservative Party leader has denounced internet trolls who have subjected her to a barrage of homophobic abuse. Ruth Davidson said she wanted to make sure young gay people who followed her on social media did not think it was acceptable to put up with such abuse.

Sugarhill Gang rapper dies aged 57

A member of the Sugarhill Gang, who released the first mainstream hip-hop record “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, has died at 57. Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson reportedly suffered from kidney disease.

Police kill 11,000 people in four years

Police killed more than 11,000 people across Brazil between 2009 and 2013, an average of six a day, according to a study by the Sao Paulo-based Brazilian Forum on Public Safety. It described the action as “abusive use of lethal force to respond to crime and violence”.

Bellingham’s Oxo ad in Christmas tribute

An Oxo advert featuring the late Lynda Bellingham is to be screened on Christmas Day as a tribute to the actress, who died of cancer last month. The gravy and stock cube maker said hundreds of thousands of people had contacted it to ask for the 1984 “My Christmas” campaign to be shown again.

Cyclist rockets into the record books

A French cyclist rode his rocket-propelled bicycle into the record books by reaching 207mph. François Gissy hit his top speed in 4.8 seconds at the Circuit Paul Ricard track, near Marseille. Gissy, who hopes to raise funds for another high-speed run, predicted that he could reach 250mph on the machine.

Google to move into Star Trek hangar

An aircraft hangar used as a set in the 2009 film Star Trek is to be Google’s new home. The internet giant has signed a 60-year lease on part of a former naval air base in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley, including the massive Hangar One, which the firm intends to renovate for use in robotics and space exploration.

Police issue ‘positive tickets’ to children

Police have begun rewarding young people who do good things for their community. Officers in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, hand “positive tickets” to young people for good deeds – including crossing the road safely or picking up litter. Rewards on offer include free hamburgers and cinema tickets.

Mistakes led to Joan Rivers’ death

Joan Rivers’s daughter is said to be “outraged” by a report which said mistakes during routine surgery at a New York clinic contributed the comedian’s death. Officials have given Yorkville Endoscopy until January to correct deficiencies after it “failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention”.