Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

The News Matrix: Tuesday 17 December 2013

 

Tuesday 17 December 2013 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Lord accused of wrongful claims

The Conservative peer Lord Hanningfield was last night facing accusations of claiming £300 for spending less than an hour at the House of Lords without taking part in any votes, discussions or meetings. An investigation by The Daily Mirror alleged that Mr Hanningfield, 73, claimed as much as £5,700 over the course of one month this year.

A generation will rely on inheritance

The children of the 1960s and 1970s will only be better off than the previous generation when they retire due to inheritance, an economic think-tank has found. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said people born these decades will be less likely to own a home than their parents.

‘Give ex-drug addicts key roles in court’

Reformed drug addicts should be encouraged to become magistrates, an influential think tank says today. Policy Exchange calls for ex-offenders to be given a key role in the justice system, following an overhaul of the composition of magistrates’ benches. MORE

NSA phone ops ‘likely to be illegal’

The US government’s gathering of Americans’ phone records is likely to be illegal, a judge ruled yesterday and ordered suspension of the collection of data on two phone company customers who sued the Obama administration. The decision is on hold pending a government appeal. MORE

English/Mandarin school gets go-ahead

Plans for the UK’s first English/Mandarin bilingual primary school were announced last night. The school, which will open in Barnet, north London, in September 2014, has been given the go-ahead under the Education Secretary Michael Gove’s free-schools programme.

Styles wins in bid to stop harassment

Harry Styles, 19, has won a court order stopping paparazzi from harassing him. The One Direction star, left, applied to the High Court after failing to persuade a number of photographers to stop their behaviour.MORE

Prosecutors close in on last Nazi suspects

As prosecutors look to finalise an investigation that is expected to lead to the prosecution of the last Nazi war criminals in the country, some of them have been tracked down to be confronted with the allegations. The hunt was instigated by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. MORE

Officer accused of plotting a coup

Security forces yesterday surrounded the home of a high-ranking officer accused of plotting a coup. By evening Col Marcel Ntsourou, once considered a close ally of the country’s president, was under arrest and is expected to face charges today. It is unclear what he will be charged with.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in