The News Matrix: Wednesday 5 June 2013

House products may harm unborn babies

Pregnant women could be at risk if exposed to particular chemicals used in food packaging, cosmetics and even household furniture, leading UK experts have warned. Research by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found that food in plastic containers and products like moisturiser could cause harm to unborn babies. MORE

Terrorism threat ‘will last for years’

Dissident republicans will continue to pose a severe threat despite recent security successes, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has warned. In an interview with i, Ms Villiers forecasts continued terrorist attacks but was optimistic about Northern Ireland’s prospects. MORE

Victims to get more say in prosecutions

Victims of crime are to be given the right to appeal against decisions not to prosecute their case under plans announced today. The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC, said: “The criminal justice system historically treated victims as bystanders and gave them little say.”

Government attacks Panorama show

The government of Fiji has reacted angrily over the country’s depiction in an undercover investigation that led to the resignation of MP Patrick Mercer. BBC1’s Panorama on Monday, was attacked by Fijian authorities for presenting an “astonishing ignorance” towards the country. MORE

Interpreters to get UK citizenship

Up to 600 Afghans who worked as interpreters or in other dangerous roles supporting allied forces in Helmand will be allowed to settle in the UK. The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said they would be able to enrol on training courses and be given severance packages.

Galliano rant ‘worst thing I have said’

John Galliano, the designer who lost his job at Christian Dior after an anti-Semitic rant in 2011, has given his first ever sober interview. He said the drunken outburst was “the worst thing I have said in my life”. MORE

Deputy PM ‘sorry’ for police violence

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister apologised for the use of “excessive violence” by police to quell protests which continued across the country for a fifth day yesterday. Police have used tear gas and water cannon to subdue the protests, which began in opposition to the destruction of trees in Istanbul’s Gezi Park, but soon grew into a series of anti-government demonstrations. MORE

Hacker: Manning did not try to help enemy

A one-time computer hacker who told authorities that a US soldier was giving information to WikiLeaks has testified that the army private never said he wanted to help the enemy during their online chats. Bradley Manning is on trial for giving hundreds of thousands of documents to the secret-spilling website WikiLeaks – by far the biggest release of classified material in US history. MORE

Foster finches solve nature/nurture row

The question of nature v nurture has been answered, according to a study that found personality is the result of surroundings rather than genetics. The research, which focused on the behaviour of zebra finches, showed foster parents had a greater influence on the personalities of offspring than genes inherited from birth parents.

BBC to remove clock with wrong time

The BBC is to remove the clock from its website after being forced to admit that it did not necessarily display the right time. The corporation acted yesterday after its Editorial Standards Committee upheld a user’s complaint that the analogue-style clock, which ticks away on the top left-hand corner of the page, was inaccurate.

Woman to sue hotel over prostitute row

A woman is suing a Miami hotel for gross negligence after she was attacked by a group of prostitutes in the lobby. Anna Burgese says the women thought she was a competitor infringing on their territory. The lawsuit accuses the hotel of negligence, saying it offered a “prostitute-friendly environment”.

Yosemite rock fall kills British doctor

The parents of a Briton killed in a climbing accident in Yosemite National Park, California, paid tribute to their “beautiful” son. Dr Felix Kiernan, 28, of Gospel Oak, north-west London, was hit by a falling granite boulder loosened by his climbing partner as they scaled the sheer El Capitan rock face on Sunday.

Drama llama ding-dong

Four llamas are recovering after being involved in a road accident yesterday. A trailer with four of the animals on board overturned after its driver hit a truck in bad weather in Charlotte County, Florida. One llama with an injured leg was taken to a vet’s on a spinal board but the other three were just badly shaken, police said.