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The News Matrix: Wednesday 03 July 2013

 

Tuesday 02 July 2013 22:25 BST
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Ethnic groups miss out in BMI measure

Body Mass Index, known as BMI, may be leading to ethnic groups missing out on treatment for weight-related conditions, according to new research. The "one size fits all" obesity measure, which divides a patient's weight by their height, does not take into consideration certain groups' higher susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and other conditions. MORE

Video shows Chinese lantern starting fire

CCTV footage has been released of the moment a Chinese lantern landed in a West Midlands recycling plant, sparking a fire that caused £6m of damage. The blaze took 200 firefighters days to put out and caused a 6,000ft column of smoke. Politicians are joining calls to ban the lanterns.

Crowds put pressure on Morsi to quit

With a military deadline for intervention getting closer, protesters seeking the ousting of President Morsi put on another massive display of people power. Mr Morsi was also facing pressure from within his own party after several ministers resigned. MORE

British security guard among blast victims

A Briton killed in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan yesterday was named last night as security contractor Mark Duffus, 41, from Moray, Scotland. He was reportedly one of five security guards who died in the blast at a Nato supplier's compound in Kabul early yesterday morning.

Minister: arming rebels is stupid idea

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister has hit out at Britain for moving to arm rebels fighting against President Assad, saying the idea of giving rebels weapons is "stupid" and will mean more death. Faisal Mekdad said armed forces were gaining ground against the rebels. MORE

Earliest evidence of funeral flowers

The earliest evidence of flowers being used in funerals has been found in ancient graves unearthed in Israel, archaeologists said yesterday. Impressions of stems and flowers were discovered in four graves, between 11,700 and 13,700 years old, at a burial site in Mount Carmel.

Cashier says: hang up or I won't serve you

A checkout girl in Crayford, southeast London, made a stand for manners on Monday, refusing to serve a customer until she got off her mobile phone. The woman making the call, Jo Clarke, complained of the "rude" assistant and Sainsbury's apologised, but online reaction following the incident largely went against her.

Snail trail fails to lead to France

They may be the classic French delicacy but most of the snails in the country's restaurants have actually been plucked from the fields of eastern Europe. Snail farmers have called for a boost for their home-grown industry after it emerged that up to 95 per cent of them sold in France are actually gathered abroad.

Fairground games rigged, BBC claims

Staff at one of Britain's largest amusement parks have been caught using "underhand tactics" to rig fairground games, according to a BBC investigation. It said "tricks" at Thorpe Park included distracting people as they threw balls, and using wax to increase surface friction. The owners deny the games were manipulated. MORE

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