The News Matrix: Monday 29 August 2011

Clegg faces party conference rebellion

Nick Clegg is facing an embarrassing rebellion by grassroots Liberal Democrats over stringent security measures that have been brought in for the party’s annual conference in Birmingham next month. The Deputy Prime Minister has been warned by activists that a security clampdown on his party’s biggest event of the year could breach human-rights laws. MORE

First day of Carnival passes peacefully

The 5,000 police officers on the streets for the Notting Hill Carnival helped the event pass peacefully last night, with only 33 arrests were made before the 7pm finishing time. Over one million people are expected to attend the carnival, which continues today. MORE

UK cancer patients fare best in England

English cancer patients get better access to life-saving drugs than cancer patients from Wales and Scotland, a study has revealed. The government’s flagship cancer drugs fund allows patients in England to access potentially life-extending drugs approved by doctors. MORE

Paraglider dies after beach accident

A man died yesterday afternoon in a paragliding accident at a Welsh beach. The 43-year-old was injured at Newgale in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. He was airlifted by RAF rescue helicopter to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, but later died of his injuries.

Workers in mass faint at factory

Nearly 300 workers passed out in a clothing factory last week in a spate of mass fainting, attributed to poor working conditions, prompting a probe by the clothing chain H&M. In two incidents, 284 workers fainted while making knitwear at the factory near Phnom Penh. MORE

‘Holocaust’ comment causes outrage

Football pundit Tony Cascarino sparked outrage yesterday by saying a player was having a “holocaust” of a game. He made the remark on Sky Sports News when discussing the defender Armand Traore’s performance during Arsenal’s 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.

Protester ends fast with coconut milk

An anti-corruption protester has ended his 13-day hunger strike, in a protest that sparked huge rallies across the country, exposed a weak government and ushered in a new middle-class political force. MORE

MP among 28 killed in Baghdad attack

A suicide bomber killed at least 28 people, including a member of parliament, in a blast at a Sunni mosque in Baghdad last night. Among the dead was Khaled al-Fahdawi, an MP for the Al-Iraqiya bloc. Thirty-seven people were wounded in the explosion, which came at the end of Ramadan.

Comic Frank Carson has cancer operation

Frank Carson known for his “it’s the way I tell ‘em” catchphrase has had surgery for stomach cancer. The 84-year-old’s spokesman said that he was “fine” after the operation. The Belfast-born comedian was due to appear in Blackpool this week for a stage version of The Comedians.

President orders release of journalists

Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has ordered the release of six Sudanese journalists, saying that Khartoum respects freedom of expression. The announcement came when Mr al-Bashir attended a journalists’ function.

Driver dies in crash on finishing line

A driver has died after his car crashed as he crossed the finishing line of a drag race event, police said. The man, believed to be 23, had finished the race at York Raceway on Melbourne Airfield, East Yorkshire, when his car rolled and caught fire.

Olympic VIPs to get special traffic lanes

Olympics officials and sponsors will speed past thousands of ordinary Londoners in special lanes during next year’s Games.BMWs will transport IOC members and executives from top sponsors such as British Airways, Coca-Cola and Visa across London. MORE

Branson pulls out of £1m charity swim

Sir Richard Branson will not take part in a charity swim across the Irish Sea as he deals with rebuilding his Caribbean home destroyed by fire. The Virgin boss was due to be a celebrity participant in the 56-mile swim on Wednesday, which aims to raise £1m for Cancer Research.

Off-course penguin is on his way home

A wayward emperor penguin who found himself in the media spotlight after washing up on a New Zealand beach, thousands of miles off course, is finally heading home. The bird, nicknamed Happy Feet by staff at Wellington Zoo, will leave today on a research ship heading south. MORE

Reality stars top the pop charts

Reality TV stars are dominating the music charts with former X-Factor contestant Olly Murs securing the number one spot yesterday with “Heart Skips A Beat” while Pop Idol winner Will Young tops the album chart.

For many Britons, lunch is ten minutes

One and a half million Britons spend ten minutes or less on their lunch break, a study has found. The average lunch break of 30 minutes is taken by 15 million workers, YouGov discovered. Women are likely to spend the time online or shopping, while men prefer some form of exercise.

Blogging site closes down some accounts

With Facebook and Twitter banned, Chinese social networking site Weibo has provided an outlet for 200 million users. But after a request from the Communist Party, Weibo is cracking down on “false rumours” online, closing down the accounts of those that originate such reports. MORE

New Zealand braced for bad behaviour

Bar staff at New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup matches will refuse to serve “intoxicated patrons” and have been instructed to open beer cans to lessen the risk of them being used as missiles. The latest restrictions have emerged as the event turns into a public relations fiasco. MORE

Men’s pyjamas are back in a big way

They are sported by Mad Men’s Don Draper so, of course, they’re a trend – men’s pyjamas are back in fashion. High street shops have reported a surge in sales of sleepwear for men. The trend has led to the development of the next stage for male pyjama lovers – an all-in-one man-gro.