The News Matrix: Monday 25 April 2011

Heavy shelling ends Misrata celebrations

Libyan rebels’ celebrations at pushing government forces out of the key western city of Misrata were cut short yesterday by renewed heavy shelling. Gaddafi claims his forces are retreating so that local tribes can resolve the situation. MORE

Division in Coalition widens over AV

The Coalition’s split over AV further threatened links between the parties after Nick Clegg made his strongest attack yet on the No campaign. Insiders believe the scars from the referendum battle mean the relation will never be the same again. MORE

Adele regains UK album chart top spot

Songstress Adele is back at top spot in the album chart with her album 21, after the Foo Fighters pushed her off the number one position for a week. Her debut album, 19, is number three.

Family of murdered couple ‘devastated’

The family of an elderly couple found murdered have spoken of their “devastation”. Giuseppe and Caterina Massaro, 80 and 77, were found at their home in Woden Road, Wolverhampton, on Friday night. A murder inquiry is underway.

Police hunt on after family found buried

Police hunting a father suspected of killing his family issued a Europewide alert at the weekend. Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès was last seen six days before the bodies of his family and their dogs were found buried in their garden in Nantes. MORE

President to depart but protests go on

President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s promise to depart office in 30 days has failed to quell protests in Yemen. Protesters, sceptical about whether he would keep his promise, chanted “No negotiations, no dialogue – resign or flee” as they marched through the streets of the country’s cities yesterday. MORE

Firms under fire for sanction-busting

A group of European companies including Swarovski has come under fire for investigating new trade links with Burma. The companies are accused of trying to seize on Aung Sun Suu Kyi’s release to skirt continuing EU sanctions. MORE

Boy, 11, killed in zip-wire tragedy

An 11-year-old boy has been killed falling off a zip-wire ride at a forest theme park. North Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched a joint investigation after the boy fell from the ride at the GreenWood Forest Park in Snowdonia yesterday.

They really really want Spice Girls show

A Spice Girls musical looked more of a West End reality last night as the director was announced. Viva Forever will be produced by Judy Craymer, who also produced Mamma Mia!, featuring music from Abba, in association with Universal Music, Simon Fuller and the Spice Girls.

Women soldiers get kit made to fit – at last

The US military has finally provided female soldiers with gender-specific uniforms after they endured years of wearing reworked versions of male kit. The lack of a female-specific uniform led to increased musculoskeletal disorders and made it hard to urinate without disrobing. MORE

New York-to-LA cab journey costs £3,100

Two friends have paid their taxi driver a $5,000 (£3,100) fare after he drove them from New York to Los Angeles. The journey, which was sparked by a determination to prove one of the duo’s father wrong when he said that it could not be done, took them six days to complete.

Escaped cow takes a dive in local pool

An escaped cow narrowly avoided death by diving into a swimming pool. The animal was on the run from a farm in Graz, Austria. Authorities were preparing to shoot it in case it caused property damage before it ran into a street, jumped a fence and landed in the pool.

Organiser defends Cultural Olympiad

The director of the Cultural Olympiad, a series of arts events to accompany the London Olympics, has defended her organisation of the series of events and installations. Ruth Mackenzie’s comments came amid criticism that the programme should be more transparent. MORE