The US government has announced it will be providing $1.5m to help the US state of New York deal with the fallout from the recent wildfires.
The money will be used to help the state's emergency management agency, the New York State Emergency Management Agency (NYSEMA), with the costs of dealing with

The discharge of black smelly wastewater at the base of Niagara Falls has prompted calls for a criminal inquiry.

Article: Yet this is the messaging service which could soon be banned by the British government because its use of encryption makes it too private for the security services to access. That at least was the story repeated in several newspapers in recent weeks, and frequently denied by Downing Street.
But this morning even the Financial Times seemed to back it up. In an article about the battle between governments and corporations over access to encrypted messages it says this: "David Cameron, UK prime minister, has proposed a complete ban on strong encryption 'to ensure that terrorists do not have a safe space in which to communicate'."
WhatsApp is just one of the services that uses strong encryption for their messages, along with Apple's iMessage and Skype's internet calls. Both the US and UK governments have expressed growing concerns that criminals and terrorists are making use of such services to communicate, knowing that they are completely private.
So does the prime minister really want to ban them? The idea first arose in a speech he made in January which posed this rhetorical question: "In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which even in extremis, with a signed warrant from the Home Secretary personally,  that we cannot read?" His answer was no.
That was seen as a clear signal that the government would demand that corporations like Facebook, Apple and Microsoft - which owns Skype - should either provide a backdoor to their encryption or stop using it completely. The government insisted that this was an over-interpretation of his remarks, and everything went quiet for a while.
Then after the election it became clear that a new and comprehensive communications data bill would clarify and extend the access of the police and security services to data held by the internet companies.  That brought more speculation about a ban on end to end encryption.
That was reinforced when in a response to a question from a Conservative MP, the prime minister used a very similar form of words...

Summary: Eight hundred million people around the world use WhatsApp to communicate, we learned this week from its owners, Facebook.
###
Article: The top-level figure - that Scotland's population has grown to a record high of 5.37m - is no surprise. It's been growing steadily since 2000 and NRS statisticians predict it will continue to do so until at least 2039.
But beneath that top number is a huge amount of other data, contained in almost endless spreadsheets, which is published each year as part of the review.
The statistics paint a fascinating and occasionally surprising picture of Scotland - the state of the nation, as the NRS puts it.
Births, deaths and marriages are the bread and butter of the NRS's annual review.
1. The figures tell us there were 55,098 births and 57,579 deaths registered.
2. There were also 29,691 weddings and 1,671 of them were same-sex marriages.
3. Only 64 couples opted for a civil partnership last year - 33 of them male couples and 31 female couples.
4. Of the deaths, 1,150 were related to alcohol.
5. 147 men died in transport accidents, compared to 44 women.
6. There were 504 adoptions - the highest figure for 10 years
7. In 2014, there were 433,235 people in Scotland aged over 75.
8. NRS statisticians predict this figure will grow to more than 800,000 by 2039 - an increase of 85%.
9. If you were a woman aged 50 or 51 last year, there were more of you than anyone else.
10. Your life expectancy at birth in Glasgow was 73.4. In East Dunbartonshire, it was 80.7.
11. The average age at death last year was 76.9.
12. The area of Scotland with the fastest growing population over the last 10 years is East Lothian - up 11.1%.
13. Argyll & Bute and Inverclyde are the fastest shrinking - both down 3.8%.
14. 24 is the most common age for people to leave Scotland. The destination for 2,060 of you last year was elsewhere in the UK, with 1,011 going abroad.
15. If you're aged 90 or more and moved to Scotland from overseas last year, there are seven others who did just that.

Summary: The National Records of Scotland (NRS) has published its annual review of the country's population statistics in 2015.
###
Article: The announcement from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) comes in the run-up to crucial local elections in August - and in the aftermath of violent protests in the northern province of Limpopo in which more than 20 schools were torched.
"As the SABC, we are very clear that we are going to cover protests that are happening and we are going to make sure that we are going to do that without fear or favour," its statement said.
"When we are covering those protests where there are people destroying the property, we are not going to show that footage on our television. If there is sound that will encourage that behaviour then we will not use that sound on our radio stations."
South Africa has a history of violent demonstrations, going back to the days when people protested against white minority rule under the violent apartheid system.
The school burnings over the past month were prompted by villagers angered that moves to include their neighbourhoods into a new municipality would delay efforts to get them better housing and water.
The education ministry says hundreds of school children may miss their mid-year exams.
The government has provided more than 76 mobile classrooms but teaching has not yet resumed.
The SABC's ban has ignited wide condemnation from free-speech advocates, including the South African National Editor's Forum (Sanef).
"We would like to urge the SABC to review that decision because there is no evidence at the moment to prove that the broadcast of such incidents fuels them," Sanef chairman Mpumelelo Mkhabela said.
"Until such time that there is such research and concrete proof, I do not think such a drastic decision should be taken by the SABC."
Opposition parties, which regularly complain that the public broadcaster has turned into a state broadcaster, also weighed in.
Inkatha Freedom Party's parliamentary whip Liezl van der Merwe accused the SABC of flouting the Broadcasting Act.
She said the SABC, sometimes referred to by its critics as Fawlty Towers after the British sitcom...

Summary: South Africa's public broadcaster has come under fire for its decision to ban the broadcast of footage showing the "destruction of property" during violent protests.
###
Article: The Niagara County Legislature voted in favour of asking New York's attorney general to investigate on Thursday.
The local water authority said the colour was caused by residue from black carbon filters used to clean the water.
The water authority says July's treatment process was necessary and the discharge within "permitted limits".
An inky and foul-smelling cloud of water appeared at the base of Niagara Falls on 29 July 2017.
Some initially suspected an oil spill, but the Niagara Falls Water Board (NFWB) said it was caused by a "routine" water treatment and apologised for causing alarm to residents and tourists.
In a statement the board said the "inky water" was the result of a "necessary and short term change in the waste water treatment process" at its plant near the city of Buffalo.
Officials say the plant had the correct paperwork to release the discharge - which came from one of its five sediment filtration basins and was being flushed out over the weekend in preparation for contractors to begin upgrade work.

Summary:


A new study has found that the number of sheep killed by dogs has increased by more than 50% in the past decade.
The study, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, found that the number of sheep killed by dogs has increased by more than 50% in the past decade.
The study, which was

Reported incidents of livestock worrying have risen by 55%, according to police.

Article: The funding is compensation for fresh produce which will not be sold. Instead it will be distributed free to schools, hospitals and other institutions.
Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, grapes and pears are included in the scheme.
Russia has banned many food imports, angry at EU-US sanctions over Ukraine.
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted on Monday that the EU sanctions must stay in place "in order to show how serious we are" on the Ukraine crisis.
She was speaking in Latvia, an EU member state with a large ethnic Russian minority. Its Baltic neighbour Lithuania is especially hard hit by the Russian import ban.
EU and US sanctions are targeting top Russian officials and key economic sectors, such as energy and finance, as Western leaders accuse the Kremlin of destabilising eastern Ukraine by supporting the pro-Russian separatists there.
The first round of Western sanctions came after Russia annexed Crimea in March.
Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday he did not think the Russian ban would push up food prices, but he added: "I hope these measures won't last very long".
The embargo would encourage competition, giving Russian farmers more market access, he argued. He criticised "a situation where all the apples, for example, come from Poland or some other products - say fish is an example - all from Norway".
In the EU the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and nuts to Russia were its neighbours Poland (339m euros) and Lithuania (309m euros) in 2013. They were also the biggest for fresh vegetables (Lithuania - 340m and Poland - 173m).
Last week the Commission announced plans to pay peach and nectarine growers for 10% of their crop, and the new funding expands that aid to many more producers.
The crops affected by the EU compensation scheme are those in full season now, with no storage option for most of them and no immediate alternative market available, a statement from Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos said.
"All farmers of the concerned products - whether in producer organisations...

Summary: The European Commission has announced emergency EU funding of 125m euros (£100m; $170m) for fruit and vegetable growers hit by Russia's ban on most imported Western food.
###
Article: As Wimbledon warms up, University of Sussex researchers say they have found the pitch of grunts can help predict who will win a match.
Footage was analysed from 50 matches featuring some of the world's top 30 players and showed grunts were higher pitched in matches they lost.
Researchers said they could often predict the match winner from listening to players' grunts.
Grunts from both male and female players were measured during serves, backhand and forehand shorts by researcher Jordan Raine, together with mammal communication experts Professor David Reby and Dr Kasia Pisanski.
They recorded at what stage of each match the grunts were produced, as well as whether the players won or lost the match.
While the pitch generally increased as matches progressed, the study, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, found the likely match outcome was often apparent from the outset.
Mr Raine, who is also university tennis team captain, said this suggested shifts in pitch may reflect longer term physiological or psychological factors, including a players' "previous encounters, form, world ranking, fatigue, and injuries".
But he added it could be something many players have tuned into for a long time, with the form of non-verbal communication linked with an animalistic display of dominance.
When a selection of the athletes were played short clips of other players' grunts with no other information, they could tell which of two grunt sequences produced by the same player came from a match that the player lost.
Mr Raine added: "Male red deer use the roars of competing males to assess their size, and therefore who is likely to emerge from conflict victorious. Humans are no exception."
He said that because "anatomy and physiology affect the vocal apparatus of all mammals in the same way", the noise animals made inadvertently gave others clues about their "physical attributes and internal state, whether dog, deer, or Novak Djokovic".
Grunting has been a controversial part of tennis for a number of years, the 1990s Yugoslav...

Summary: A low-pitched grunt is a winning giveaway in tennis, a study has shown.
###
Article: The Food and Drug Administration said the ban would prevent under-18s from using sunlamp tanning beds, which have been linked to increased rates of skin cancer including of melanoma.
Tanning beds typically expose the users to 12 times more UV rays then the sun.
Market research firm IBIS World estimates the US tanning market to be a $3bn industry.
According to a 2013 study, 1.6 million minors used tanning beds in America.
"Today's action is intended to help protect young people from a known and preventable cause of skin cancer and other harms," said FDA acting commissioner Stephen Ostroff in a statement on Friday. He added that under-18s were at "greatest risk" for these adverse effects.
A study by the American Academy of Dermatology found that people who use tanning beds are 59% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never used them.
The FDA also proposed requiring new safety standards including requiring emergency shut-off switches, making warning labels easier to read and improving protective eyewear.

Summary: US health officials have proposed a ban on tanning beds for minors to help address the risk of skin cancer.
###
Article: There were 70 reports during the lambing season earlier this year compared with 45 over the same time last year.
Police Scotland said the crime, which involved dogs chasing farm animals, had previously been under-reported.
It said 60% of this year's incidents were detected and the dogs' owners reported to the procurator fiscal.
Most of the offences reported were in Aberdeenshire, Highlands and Islands and Lanarkshire.
Sheep were the most common animal affected. Other animals involved included horses and cattle.
In 79% of incidents, livestock were killed or injured, and on average this involved two or three sheep per incident.
Most incidents - 70% - involved only one dog and in 73% of cases the offending dog was local to that area, with more than half of all incidents involving a dog roaming free and where no owner was present.
Insp Jane Donaldson, Police Scotland's rural crime co-ordinator, said the rise in reports followed a campaign encouraging farmers and crofters to contact police about livestock worrying incidents.
She said: "Livestock worrying has previously been under-reported.
"Farmers were often reluctant to report incidents to police, particularly where there was a 'near miss' and no physical damage was done to their livestock.
"A significant part of the spring campaign was to get this message out to farmers and encourage them to report all incidents and I think that this is reflected in the increase in reported crimes.
"More accurate reporting has improved our understanding of the problem, increasing intelligence about the how, where and why these incidents are occurring."
Anne Gray, policy officer with Scottish Land and Estates, said: "We are very pleased with how successful this year's campaign has been and we will continue to support the initiative going forward.
"It is vital that livestock worrying incidents are reduced.
"No-one wants to see this type of completely unnecessary suffering and the higher the profile of these incidents the more, we hope, it will prompt the small minority of...

Summary:

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bicycle designed for one person.
Giving a backie is illegal under the terms of the 1998 Road and Traffic Act. Offenders can be fined up to Â£200.
The mayor, whose

Boris Johnson "should have known better" when he gave his wife a "backie" on his bike while cycling in London, safety campaigners have said.

Article: The US president signed the executive order to stop federal money going to international groups which perform or provide information on abortions during his first week in office.
Known as the "Mexico City Policy", or global gag rule by critics, it was no surprise that he reinstated it. First introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984, it has been become a game of policy ping pong between Republican and Democrat presidents.
Supporters of the ban say it protects the fundamental right to life.
But some health workers in Africa say when it was last put in place under George W Bush in 2001, it had far-reaching consequences.
"Women could not have access to contraceptive services and so they were getting unintended pregnancies and that increased the number of unwanted pregnancies and as such they went to the backstreet to do unsafe abortions," says Kenyan gynaecologist Dr John Nyamu.
The policy blocks US funding to overseas organisations that "support or participate in the management of a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation".
It even affects countries like Kenya - where abortion is illegal unless a mother's life is at risk - as some family planning clinics or organisations get their funding from US pro-abortion groups.
The Trump order goes even further than previous Republican administrations, which only targeted reproductive health services, by extending the ban to cover all global health assistance provided by all departments or agencies.
"By removing funding from organisations that also deal with malaria and other child health issues, the policy could threaten progress on many fronts, including efforts to reduce HIV-related deaths and new infections, and decrease childhood mortality through malaria prevention and treatment initiatives and immunisation programs," Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement.
The medical charity does not receive US government funding - so is not affected by the policy - but it fears that women's lives could be endangered.
Unsafe abortion is one of the five...

Summary: Donald Trump's pro-abortion funding ban has infuriated many global health organisations as they say it will unintentionally lead to more abortions and more deaths in Africa.
###
Article: He said the UK government was opening negotiations over a £1bn tidal lagoon energy project in Swansea, and on an infrastructure "city deal" for Cardiff.
Severn Bridge tolls - currently £6.50 for cars and £13.10 for vans - will be cut in 2018 to £5.40 for both.
However, Wales' Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the "devastating impact" of austerity cuts was set to continue.
Giving his sixth Budget speech in the House of Commons, the chancellor hailed "a truly national recovery" and record levels of employment.
It was Mr Osborne's final chance to woo floating voters ahead of the general election on 7 May.
He insisted that deficit reduction remained his top priority, but also unveiled measures to raise the tax allowance to £10,800 next year and the starting point of the 40p tax rate to £43,300 by 2017.
The chancellor also announced plans to scrap annual tax returns and replace them with "digital tax accounts", allowing people to manage their affairs using smartphones or computers.
Other measures include:
The National Farmers' Union welcomed a promise that farmers will be able to assess their income for tax purposes across five years as "fantastic news".
The Wales Air Ambulance service has also been promised a share of an extra £10m funding.
Some of the plans in Mr Osborne's statement are likely to depend on a Conservative victory on 7 May - whoever wins the election is likely to set out another Budget later this year.
Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, a fellow Conservative minister, hailed it as "a Budget to help secure Wales' future".
"It is a Budget that will cement the economic recovery in Wales, that backs business in Wales and that will make a real difference to the lives of hardworking people right across our nation," he said.
The Labour Welsh government's finance minister Jane Hutt said the Budget would result in an extra £18m coming to Wales in 2015-16 under the Barnett formula, but that would be overshadowed by the Treasury's wider cutbacks.
"The UK Government's austerity programme during this Parliament has...

Summary: Chancellor George Osborne has said more power is being given to Wales, as he delivered his Budget speech.
###
Article: Although the solitude provided by the surrounding seas and oceans has been - at times - the UK's greatest defence, it can also pose the greatest threat to the estimated three million people that live within its coastal reaches.
The danger of the sea was brought home for thousands of people in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK during the night of 31 January 1953.
A massive storm surge swept into unsuspecting, sleeping communities, claiming the lives of 2,551 people, damaging almost 50,000 properties and killing tens of thousands of livestock.
Described as one of the UK's worst natural disasters in modern times, the Great North Sea Flood inundated 1,000 miles of coastline and left 380 square miles of land submerged under seawater, ruining vast areas of valuable farmland.
"1953 exposed the weaknesses of the east coast flood defence system in a dramatic and tragic manner," explained Phil Rothwell, head of flood and coastal risk strategy for the Environment Agency.
"Following on from that, there was significant investment in the weak points and where the problems were likely to be greatest."
He told BBC News that it led to a re-evaluation of defences around the entire coastlines of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
One of the outcomes from the process was the design and construction of the Thames Flood Barrier, which began operating in 1984.
"Although we tend to think of the 1953 flood as a South-East event, the impact was felt all along the [North Sea] coast," he explained.
While 307 people in England died in the flood, 19 people in Scotland also lost their lives.
'Extreme storm surge'
Chris Hughes, a researcher at the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Liverpool, explained that a storm surge referred to a rise in sea-level on top of the tide.
"Storm surges of some kind happen every day," he told BBC News.
"It only gets unpleasant for people when you have an extreme storm surge, which is what we are seeing at the moment.
"This requires a combination of usually low atmospheric...

Summary: The United Kingdom is an island nation with more than 11,000 miles of coastline.
###
Article: The mayor of London has been criticised for pedalling his barrister wife Marina Wheeler through the capital on Thursday on a bicycle designed for one person.
Giving a backie is illegal under the terms of the 1998 Road and Traffic Act. Offenders can be fined up to Â£200.
The mayor has apologised, saying he did not know he was breaking the law.
Sam Jones, from cycling charity CTC, said his actions were "very naughty".
Mr Jones said: "We wouldn't encourage other cyclists to carry passengers in such a fashion. We would never encourage cyclists to break the law."
The footage of Mr Johnson and his wife, obtained by the Sun newspaper, was shot by passengers in a passing car as the couple cycled along a road in North Kensington.
It shows Ms Wheeler sitting on the saddle, without a helmet, holding her handbag as her husband stands on the pedals.
After the passengers informed the mayor he was breaking the law, Mr Johnson stepped off the bike and said: "Night, night," to them.
They can be heard in the video asking the mayor: "Mate, you all right? Saddling, that's a good one, eh?" Another says: "You're not allowed to do that, mate."
Section 24 of the Road and Traffic Act states: "Not more than one person may be carried on a road on a bicycle not propelled by mechanical power unless it is constructed or adapted for the carriage of more than one person."
The mayor, whose responsibilities include London transport, is a keen cyclist and cycles available for public hire in London have gained the nickname "Boris bikes".
Mr Johnson's official spokesman said: "The mayor wishes to apologise for offering his wife a short-lived lift on the back of his bike!
"He was unaware that he was apparently in contravention of the Road and Traffic Act. He wasn't intending to ride all the way home from North Kensington to North London with Marina on the back; rather he was attempting to transport his wife to a main road, from where they hailed a black cab for her.
"As everyone knows the mayor is a huge supporter of cycling, and an even bigger...

Summary:


California is in the grip of a severe drought, with the state's water supply in danger of running out.
The state's water board said on Thursday that the drought was "unprecedented" and that it was "unprecedented" that the state had been in such a situation for four years.
The

Cities in California cut water use by 31.3% in July, exceeding a state-wide mandate of 25% to combat a record four-year drought there, officials say.

Article: The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said members will walk out from 21:30 GMT on 7 March to 03:59 on 8 March.
The union claims the type of breathalyzer used did not account for people with diabetes.
London Underground said the man was dismissed for failing two breath tests which were unaffected by the condition.
It said the case had gone through a full disciplinary hearing and appeals process, as well as a separate independent director's review.
The transport authority said it had explored in detail the suggestion that diabetes could affect the breathalyser result, but concluded that the type of test it used was not affected by acetone, which is produced in the bloodstream of people with the condition.
Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said there had been a campaign of "misinformation and smears" against his organisation.
He said: "This action is the first stage as part of a rolling programme of industrial action and I urge all RMT London Underground train operators and instructor operators to stand firm together against this and any future injustices against RMT members."
Nick Brown, chief operating officer of London Underground (LU), said: "This indefensible strike is about one RMT member dismissed for failing two alcohol breath tests.
"We will not be swayed by it as we will never compromise on the safety of our customers and staff. You wouldn't let someone who had been drinking alcohol drive your family in a car, and we don't let people who have been drinking alcohol drive people's families in Tube trains.
"For the RMT leadership to announce a strike regardless shows how completely out of touch they are, just as the timing demonstrates that they know they have very little support from their members on this issue."
Members voted by 299 votes to 221 to take action. The turnout was 42%.
LU said the number of drivers who had voted to take strike action represented 8% of all drivers.
In December, RMT workers held a 24-hour strike on the Northern line over the same issue.

Summary: Drivers on London Underground are to go on strike over the sacking of a colleague for failing an alcohol breath test.
###
Article: The Liberal Democrats, Greens, UKIP, DUP and UUP have all said they'll stand aside in at least one constituency.
There won't be national deals though. Co-operation will be limited to local agreements. And it's difficult to be sure how big the impact will be.
Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system means that lots of MPs are elected on fewer than half of the votes cast in their constituencies.
At the last election, 333 out of 650 winning candidates received less than 50% of the vote.
Those MPs could have been defeated if all the people who voted against them had gone for the same alternative candidate.
Clearly, that would never happen everywhere. But parties who agree on some of the main issues potentially have a lot to gain if they can co-ordinate their supporters.
One option is to encourage tactical voting. A more direct approach is to enter some sort of alliance or pact which sees parties choosing not to put forward candidates in certain seats.
Even without an agreement, parties can try to affect the result simply by choosing not to contest some constituencies.
There's going to be more co-ordination of this kind in 2017 than we've seen at previous elections.
As a strategy, though, it does rely on voters being prepared to vote for a candidate from a party which would not have been their first choice.
One part of the country where electoral deals have been used before is Northern Ireland.
In 2015, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) agreed a pact not to stand against each other in four constituencies: Belfast North, Belfast East, Fermanagh & South Tyrone, and Newry & Armagh.
The deal was pretty successful. The unionist candidate won in three of the four seats. And the Sinn Fein majority was halved in Newry and Armagh.
This year, the UUP have said they won't put up candidates in Belfast North, Belfast West and Foyle. And the DUP won't stand in Fermanagh & South Tyrone once again.
The parties have held discussions about the possibility of extending the pact but without...

Summary: The 2017 general election looks set to see more co-operation between political parties than ever before.
###
Article: The University of Exeter's art and history faculties have combined to use the historic artefacts to prompt discussions about "difficult topics".
The objects are kept in the vaults of the Science Museum in London and are not normally on public display.
Now they are going on show in Exeter as part of the new teaching programme.
The scheme, Sex and History, is aimed at school pupils aged 14 to 19.
It was developed with the help of a group of sixth form students from Exeter College, who used illustrations of the objects as a basis for exploring ideas around sex and sexual relationships.
The academics behind it believe that it offers "a safe environment" for young people to discuss how sexual practices and conventions have changed through history, and give them opportunities to examine their own views and concerns about sex.
The team was led by Exeter's professor of history Kate Fisher, and Rebecca Langlands, a classicist.
Prof Fisher said the "intriguing artefacts from ancient cultures act as a productive and challenging stimulus, but they also provide a safe distance to discuss sensitive subjects without embarrassment."
"They were talking about history, about places and times far away," she said.
"It was no longer sex education or about putting them in the spotlight, but it was about broader cultures."
Dr Langlands believes the objects were a perfect catalyst for discussion.
"They immediately kick-started conversations with young people in a way that is usually very difficult to achieve in a classroom context," she said.
"Traditionally sex education can be uncomfortable for teachers and pupils alike, and the availability of internet pornography poses new challenges.
"Young people are often well aware of the biological facts of reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases and contraception, but lack the opportunity for discussion of important wider social issues such as body image, love, consent, and intimacy."
Laura Kerslake, a lecturer in Ethics at Exeter College, where the scheme was piloted, said the objects...

Summary: Objects including a chastity belt, Roman phallic amulets and an entwined ivory couple from China are being used to teach sex education to teenagers.
###
Article: It shows Californians are starting to understand "that we are in the drought of our lives," state water regulator official Felicia Marcus said.
It is the second month in a row the state has exceeded emergency conservation regulation.
California has been dealing with record low water levels for four years.
California Governor Jerry Brown imposed the state's first mandatory water restrictions four months ago, ordering a 25% reduction in all towns and cities.
In June, the state used 27% less water than it used in the same period of 2013, when the drought emergency was first declared.
This saving rose to 31.3% in July, with a cumulative saving for both months of 29.5%, the State Water Resources Control Board reported on Thursday.
Felicia Marcus, who chairs the board, praised the "millions of conscientious Californians" who she described as "the real heroes here".
She said record rain in July had played a role, as well as better enforcement, including warnings and penalties, and messaging by the water agencies.
But, she warned, "this isn't your mother's drought or your grandmother's drought, this is the drought of the century".
Drought monitors say 92% of California is currently in severe drought or worse, down from 94% at the start of the year.

Summary:


A man who sexually assaulted a woman in her 50s has been jailed for more than 20 years.
The woman, who was in her 60s, was attacked in her home in the early hours of the morning in September last year.
She was left with a broken nose, a fractured cheekbone and a fractured

A paedophile, branded "calculating and predatory", has been jailed for 15 years for a string of sex attacks on girls as young as six years old.

Article: Mr Turnbull told journalists at No 10: "We move quickly. Australians are fleet of foot. We don't muck around. We're very simple. So we will move as quickly as the UK will move."
Ahead of the Downing Street talks, the two leaders visited Borough Market.
Two Australians died in June's van and knife attacks in south-east London.
During a Downing Street press conference, Mr Turnbull said Australia "had been the first on the phone" to call for a free trade agreement with the UK following Britain's decision to leave the EU.
He said Australia stands "ready to enter into a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom as soon as the UK is able to do so - so once that Brexit has been achieved, then we look forward to speedily concluding a free trade agreement".
Mr Turnbull said he hoped the EU deal could be finalised before the expected date of Brexit in March 2019.
He said a UK agreement could follow swiftly: "My government's position is very simply this: economic prosperity has been demonstrated to be delivered by free trade and open markets - that is one of the major reasons why Australia has had 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth."
He said Mrs May's vision for post-Brexit Britain "is one filled with optimism". "It's not a counsel of despair as some people have said."
Turning to the PM, he added: "I know Theresa that you believe passionately that the British people can do anything, can achieve anything and that your post-Brexit Britain will be a Britain with big horizons, big opportunities, free trade, open markets.
"You're right, that is the future. That's where our prosperity has been delivered and I know that it's where your prosperity will come."
Mrs May said a trade deal with Australia was a "priority" for the UK after Brexit, to expand on the Â£14bn-worth of trade between the two nations.
"We've both made clear our intention to continue to deepen our trade and investment relationship as the UK leaves the EU," she said.
"Our Brexit negotiations have started well, and I have made clear to prime minister...

Summary: Australia is "very keen" to secure a trade deal with the UK post Brexit "as quickly as possible", Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull has said.
###
Article: The independent inquiry is looking in detail at historical abuse of children in residential care in Scotland.
The inquiry has been separated into a series of phases, the first of which continues on 31 October.
Phase two starts on November 28 with a study of homes run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.
Applications to appear in relation to this case study are now open, with a particular focus on Smyllum Park in Lanark and Bellevue House in Rutherglen. The deadline for applications to appear, for people with a direct or substantial interest in the hearings, close on 4 September.
Further case studies will be announced in due course.
More than 60 institutions including several top private schools and church bodies are being investigated as part of the probe, which is chaired by Lady Smith and is due to report no sooner than October 2019.
The inquiry states its purpose as being "to investigate the nature and extent of abuse of children whilst in care in Scotland", while considering "the extent to which institutions and bodies with legal responsibility for the care of children failed in their duty", in particular seeking any "systemic failures".
However, it does not cover children who were abused while living with their natural or adoptive families, while using sports and leisure clubs or attending faith based organisations on a day to day basis. The inquiry will also not examine allegations of children being abused in non-boarding schools, nursery or day-care centres.
The evidence given at hearings will supplement written statements taken from witnesses in advance, and the inquiry is continuing to take statements from survivors of abuse in private sessions.
The first phase of hearings, which began in May, heard apologies from groups who said they "deplored that physical sexual abuses could occur".
The inquiry, which had cost more than Â£7.8m as of 30 June, is taking place at Rosebery House in Edinburgh.

Summary: The second phase of hearings in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is to open with a case study centring on care establishments run by a Catholic order.
###
Article: Sandy Cooper, 72, was one of three people chosen to represent Elgin City North ward. He stood as an independent.
He tendered his resignation in a letter to the council's chief executive.
Completed forms for new nominees must be lodged by 12 June. The by-election will be held on 13 July, with the count the following day.

Summary: Nominations for potential candidates in a Moray Council by-election have opened after a new councillor resigned just five days after being elected.
###
Article: Andrew Hocking, 57, of West Sussex, sexually assaulted four girls, aged between six and 12, from 1976 to 1990 in Gloucestershire and Hampshire.
He was found guilty of one count of rape and six indecent assaults following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.
Sussex Police said Hocking showed "no genuine remorse" for his actions.
"Hocking stands out as cold, calculating, predatory and ruthless," said Det Con Chris Smith.
"Despite the strong evidence against him, he put the victims through the ordeal of having to recount their episodes of abuse."
Detectives discovered records of allegations of indecent assaults on a seven-year-old girl at his home in Alveston, Gloucestershire in 1976 and 1977, while they were investigated him over the making of indecent images of children.
Police were contacted by three woman claiming they had been attacked, when they were aged six, seven and 12, by Hocking at his address in Fareham, Hampshire, in the 1980s and 1990, following an appeal for information.
Following a trial, Hocking was convicted of one count of rape and six indecent assaults and cleared of one indecent assault.
The 57-year-old admitted making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography at an earlier hearing.
He was ordered to be put on the sex offenders register for life.

Summary:


The US Department of Justice has announced that it will not prosecute the man who shot Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.
The US Department of Justice has announced that it will not prosecute the man who shot Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.
The decision was made after a review of the case by the US Department of Justice's National

Delta, United and American Airlines have banned the shipment of big-game trophies on flights after the illegal killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

Article: The think-tank expects the US economy to grow just by 2% this year and 2.8% next, down from its November forecast of 3.1% and 3% respectively.
It blamed the cut on "transitory disruptions", including a strong dollar and bad weather early in the year.
It also cut its global growth forecasts for both this year and next.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development expects the world economy to grow 3.1% this year and 3.8% in 2016, down from its prediction six months ago of 3.6% and 3.9% growth respectively.
It blamed the cut on an unexpectedly weak first quarter, with world growth its lowest since the financial crisis.
"The global economy is expected to strengthen, but the pace of recovery remains weak and investment has yet to take off," OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said.
Overall, the OECD said the economy's "B minus" grade equated to just "muddling through".
And it said to accelerate world growth, both businesses and government needed to invest more.
"By and large, firms have been unwilling to spend on plant, equipment, technology and services as vigorously as they have done in previous cyclical recoveries," it said.
The OECD said many governments had also delayed investing in infrastructure, negatively affecting jobs and living standards.
The think-tank also expects China to grow more slowly than it last predicted in November, expanding 6.8% this year rather than 7.1%.
But the OECD hiked its growth forecasts for the eurozone economy, crediting bolder-than-expected monetary easting by the European Central Bank for the increase.
It now expects growth in the euro area to rise by 1.4% this year and 2.1% in 2016, up from 1.1% and 1.7% respectively.
Overall the OECD said the global recovery since the 2008 economic and financial crisis had been "unusually weak".
"To move from a 'B-minus' grade to an 'A' means boosting investment in order to create jobs and stimulate consumption," said OECD chief economist Catherine Mann.

Summary: The OECD has slashed its US growth forecast for this year and next and given the global economy a "B minus" in its bi-annual assessment.
###
Article: The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published its assessment of the Smith Commission's plans, saying that "big issues have yet to be resolved".
Its main concern is with the calculation of the UK Treasury's block grant to the Scottish Parliament.
As more powers are devolved to Holyrood, it means the grant funding formula will have to be adjusted.
The IFS calculates the share of taxation under Holyrood control or assigned to it as a share of UK tax take would rise from 13% to more than 50% under the plans.
It says the changes to the block grant should be "relatively easy" in the first year. But in subsequent years it becomes more difficult to calculate what should happen if Westminster raises tax to pay for shared provision, such as UK debt reduction, but Scotland does not.
"Inflation and economic growth mean that the amount raised from a tax or spent on a particular area tends to grow over time," according to David Phillips, author of the IFS report.
"The Smith Commission recognises this, by stating that these block grant reductions or additions should be 'indexed appropriately'. But what does this rather cryptic phrase mean?"
One challenge it identifies is to find a balance between giving Scottish ministers the autonomy to adjust tax rates and benefit from growth in the tax base, while also providing UK protection against sudden shocks.
Another problem the IFS sees with the Smith Commission plans, published last month, is that there is supposed to be compensation between Westminster and Holyrood when a taxation decision has an impact on each other. This could be to compensate for loss to each other's treasuries, or as a penalty for harming one another.
But this is seen as very hard to calculate, and also hard to get to a common understanding of how this should be calculated.
"The Smith Commission has provided a set of proposals for further devolution of taxes and spending, agreed by the five main Scottish parties. This is a significant achievement," reports the Institute.
"But many difficult issues...

Summary: The cross-party agreement on devolving more tax powers to Holyrood may not be feasible or fair, it has been claimed.
###
Article: Anyone who earns interest on a savings or current account will no longer have 20% tax automatically deducted by their bank or building society.
They will instead be subject to a new Personal Savings Allowance (PSA), allowing them to earn up to £1000 a year tax-free.
As a result of the changes - announced in last year's Budget - the government says that 95% of us will no longer have to pay any tax on savings.
In total, individuals will benefit by more than £1bn - the cost to the Treasury in 2016/17.
Investors who rely on income from share dividends also face a new tax regime; some will gain, while others will lose heftily.
All bank and building society accounts; unit trusts; open ended investment companies; investment trusts; credit unions; government and corporate bonds; peer-to-peer lending.
Essentially all savings accounts and funds which do not make direct dividend payments.
Basic rate taxpayers (20%) will be allowed an annual income of £1,000 in interest before they pay any tax. Those on the higher rate (40%) will have an allowance of £500 in interest.
Those on the top rate (45%) will have no allowance at all.
In the meantime those who earn less than £17,000 (including their savings income) will not have to pay any tax at all.
This follows a change in April 2015, which meant that anyone earning less than their personal allowance plus £5,000 does not have to pay tax on savings income.
While many people may not have claimed for this - as they would have had to fill out an R85 form - they will now automatically benefit from all savings interest being paid tax-free. (See table below).
As long as you earn less than £1000 in annual interest (£500 for higher rate tax-payers), you don't need to do anything. The bank or investment fund will pay your income without tax deducted.
If you exceed your PSA, you will have to pay either 20% or 40% tax on the difference. But you don't necessarily have to complete a self-assessment tax return. This is because HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be told by the bank that you...

Summary: From 6 April, millions of savers in the UK will see a radical change to the way their nest-eggs are taxed.
###
Article: The airlines announced that they would no longer transport lion, rhinoceros, leopard, elephant or buffalo remains.
They have not, however, given official reasons for their announcements.
Delta flies direct to a number of African cities and was subjected to an online petition to ban such shipments.
American Airlines and United fly to fewer sub-Saharan cities than Delta, but United said in a tweet its decision to stop carrying trophies was "effective immediately".
United spokesman Charles Hobart said: "We felt it made sense to do so."
Cecil was shot illegally in July by US dentist Walter Palmer of Minnesota. Zimbabwe is seeking his extradition and that of a doctor from Pennsylvania, named as Jan Casimir Seski, who is suspected of killing a lion in April.
Mr Palmer is believed to have paid about $50,000 (Â£32,000) to hunt Cecil, a major tourist attraction in the Hwange National Park.
He says he thought the hunt was legal and was unaware Cecil was protected, but the killing triggered a huge online backlash.
Delta would not answer questions from journalists as to why it made its decision on Monday, nor would it detail how many hunting trophies it has transported in recent years.
"Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight," the company said in a brief statement.
Its announcement came as several other airlines indicated that they are - or soon will be - stopping the transport of all trophy-hunting kills.
As recently as May, Delta said it would continue to allow such shipments.

Summary:


A man has been charged with the murder of a man who was found dead in a car in Inverurie.
The man, who is in his 20s, is accused of killing Craig Grant, of Inverurie, in August last year.
The man, who is in his 20s,

A man was limp "like a teddy bear" after he was restrained by bouncers on the ground outside an Aberdeen bar, a murder trial has heard.

Article: Dr Gethin Thomas, a coaching science lecturer, also believes children should be split by ability as young as possible.
The Irish and Welsh rugby unions suggest starting scrums at under-nine level; they start at under-10 in England and under-11 in Scotland.
But Dr Thomas said children should not be in scrums until they are 13.
The call comes after World Rugby's chief medical officer, Dr Martin Rafterty, said changes could be made to tackle laws in order to reduce the risk of concussion.
When it comes to tackling, the home nations are almost unanimous in the way they introduce it to young players.
They all begin with tag rugby and bring in tackling at under-nine level, except for Ireland, where they start contact a year earlier.
Dr Thomas, who lectures at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, recently worked with the Rugby Football Union in England.
He said: "I wouldn't introduce scrums until 13 or 14 years old and when I spoke to a number of elite coaches, they agree.
"The same goes with lineouts - there's no reason to begin lineouts unless you can lift and individuals aren't strong enough to lift."
Last month, Wales and Worcester Warriors forward Jonathan Thomas was forced to retire from rugby on medical advice, after he was diagnosed with epilepsy thought to have resulted from multiple head traumas.
Wales wing George North also suffered from concussion in the run up to the World Cup, after suffering four blows to the head in a five-month period last season.

Summary: Banning scrums in children's rugby could help cut the number of injuries in the game, an academic has said.
###
Article: The aim of the redundancy scheme is to cut around 3,000 civil service jobs.
The first 1,200 civil servants are due to leave on 30 September.
But that is now uncertain due to the Stormont Executive's continuing disagreement on welfare reform and the budget.
Dr Malcolm McKibben told a Stormont committee on Wednesday that "we can't go past the end of August in terms of confirming if they're leaving or not.
"People clearly have plans made if they are allowed to exit," he said.
The voluntary redundancy scheme was part of the Stormont House Agreement. It was struck between the Executive parties and the British and Irish governments in December.
The scheme allowed the Executive to borrow up to Â£700m to fund 20,000 redundancies across the wider public sector.
But with the welfare reform part of the agreement collapsing it is doubtful if the redundancy scheme can proceed as planned.
More than 7,000 civil servants expressed interest in the scheme and 1,200 of those have been told they can leave, depending on funding.
If the Executive is not allowed to borrow the money it would have to pay for the scheme by making cuts to day-to-day departmental spending.
Dr McKibben raised the prospect that there could be negotiations with the Treasury to allow the scheme to proceed as planned, even if the rest of the Stormont House Agreement is not implemented.
"If the welfare reform issue isn't sorted out in the near future clearly we're going to have to engage with the Treasury to see if access to this money can be maintained.
"Whether or not they will allow that to be pulled out of the Stormont House Agreement I don't know."

Summary: The head of the Northern Ireland civil service has set an August deadline for deciding whether the first tranche of voluntary redundancies will go ahead.
###
Article: Ms Dugdale received 90% of the support from constituency Labour parties who nominated a candidate.
She is also backed by 80% of the local councillors who nominated a leadership candidate, and 10 trade union and affiliate groups.
She is standing against Ken Macintosh in the contest to replace Jim Murphy.
MSP Richard Baker has secured the most constituency Labour party nominations in the contest for deputy leader.
Ms Dugdale, a Lothians MSP, is supported by 30 of her fellow parliamentarians, while Mr Macintosh, currently the party's social justice spokesman, is backed by seven and the Scottish Co-Op group.
He has 10% of the support from constituency Labour parties, and 20% of the support from councillors.
Following the close of supporting nominations, Ms Dugdale said: "To have the support of the overwhelming number of local party members, councillors and trade unions is an honour.
"I take nothing for granted and will work hard to change this support into votes when the ballot opens a week on Monday.
"The support I have received so far shows I am winning the argument amongst party members, but the real task is to win back people across the country."
Mr Macintosh has previously said he offers "a change in direction" for the Scottish Labour party.
He said: "I want to break up the party machine and put the members and supporters in charge of this party."
Mr Baker secured 20 constituency Labour Party nominations, compared with 18 for rival deputy leader candidate MSP Alex Rowley and 11 for Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson.
Mr Baker said: "I'm grateful to members across the country who have put their trust in me through constituency nominations.
"My platform is clear: I want us to be a strong, united party in next year's election, with policy formed by members across Scotland."

Summary: Kezia Dugdale has secured the majority of supporting nominations in her bid to become Scottish Labour leader.
###
Article: Kiel Hauley, 33, Jonas Marcius, 23, and Adrian Morley, 33, deny assaulting and murdering Craig Grant, of Inverurie, outside the Galleria shopping centre in August last year.
Witness Shaun Wheeldon said he saw Mr Grant being held on the pavement.
He said he was "shocked" to see Mr Grant's face was light grey.
Mr Wheeldon told the High Court in Aberdeen he could see two men restraining Mr Grant on the ground outside Tonik and stopped to speak to a bouncer.
He said:  "He just said he had been in the club and he was highly drunk."
Mr Wheeldon said there was "quite a commotion" outside the bar with a lot of people standing outside.
Advocate depute James Keegan QC asked: "How did you react when you saw his face?"
He replied: "I was shocked at the colour of him. He was light grey."
Mr Keegan asked: "When you saw the colour of him what did you think?"
He replied: "That he was in a bad way."
He said Mr Grant's friends were trying to intervene when police arrived at the scene because he had shown no response on the ground.
He told the court police took over and tried to sit him up.
He said: "They sat him up like a teddy bear. It wasn't a recovery position."
Mr Keegan asked: "When you say a teddy bear what do you mean by that?"
He replied: "Because he was limp."
The trial continues.

Summary:


The Conservatives are determined to make this election about Brexit and how a vote for the Tories means a vote for her to have a "strong hand" at the negotiating table with the EU.
### Article: The Conservatives are determined to make this election about Brexit and how a vote for the Tories means a vote for her to

Nye Davies of Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre profiles the Welsh Conservative campaign

Article: Their numbers had plummeted in the last 100 years because of hunting and a lack of prey.
Writing in the
          Journal of Wildlife Management
, researchers say the cougar is now spreading far outside their traditional western habitats.
But they say the return of the big cats raises important questions about how humans can live with these predators.
Such has been the decline of the cougar in some parts of the United State that the US Fish and Wildlife service declared the eastern cougar
          extinct
 just last year.
For decades mountain lions were seen as a threat to livestock and humans and many States paid a bounty to hunters for killing them.
Their habitats were restricted to the areas around the Black Hills of Dakota. But in the 1960s and 70s the animals were reclassified as managed game species, so hunting was limited and numbers started to grow.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that mountain lions started to spread far and wide during the 1990s - this perspective was confirmed last June when a young male was hit by a car and killed in Connecticut.
Genetic analysis indicated that the animal originated from the Black Hills and had travelled approximately 2,900km (1,800mi) via a number of States.
Now researchers have published the first scientific evidence that cougars have returned to the mid-west and are now to be found as far south as Texas and as far north as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba.
They say that limits on hunting and the return of elk and mule deer that cougars prey on have been key to increasing the overall population which is now said to number around 30,000.
And as the populations have grown, the territorial instincts of the big cats have forced them to conquer new ground. Michelle LaRue from the University of Minnesota, is one of the authors of the paper.
"What's happening is that, as the young males are moving out of the areas they were born in, they are coming into contact with other young males and they don't have anywhere else to go so they're kind of being...

Summary: The American mountain lion or cougar is now re-populating parts of the US, scientists say.
###
Article: Mr Holliday said there was an opportunity "to come back with some serious suggestions".
Last week's Queen's Speech appeared to water down commitments to a price cap.
Instead it said ministers were "considering the best way" to protect those on the poorest-value tariffs.
Before the election, the government had proposed intervening in the energy market to help millions of domestic gas and electricity customers by cutting around £100 off their energy bills.
Last year, a landmark investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority concluded that many households on standard variable tariffs were paying too much for their energy.
It calculated consumers were overpaying by up to £1.2bn a year and recommended a price cap for households using pre-payment meters.
Several large suppliers have questioned the findings. But they have come under increasing political pressure for their treatment of loyal customers on standard tariffs.
Mr Holliday, a former chief executive of National Grid, said the energy industry's reaction to the idea of a price cap was mixed.
He was speaking at the launch of the Energy Institute's annual barometer, which gathers the views of industry members.
The survey, completed by 466 members across the energy sector, indicates that that some see merits in a price cap to tackle affordability and poverty.
But most respondents were against a cap. "There were lots of people identifying the negative impact on investment, decarbonisation and on competition in the supply industry" said Mr Holliday.
"When you looked across the whole of the participants here... more than half were not in favour of a price cap," he added.
The Energy Institute's barometer for 2017 also identified Brexit as a "material concern" to the energy sector.
Members of the institute were concerned about uncertainty around energy policy, the availability of skilled labour, future trading arrangements, energy costs, security of supply and investment.
"The stakes are high for the UK's energy economy", said Mr Holliday.
"Sound policy...

Summary: Energy suppliers have a "window of opportunity" to address government proposals for a cap on energy prices, according to Steve Holliday, the vice president of the Energy Institute.
###
Article: The Hampshire force tweeted: "Officers assisted driver on driving test who took wrong turn off roundabout and ended up on M27. Test abandoned & driver failed."
On the same motorway, on the same day, police also stopped a driver for watching YouTube on a smartphone.
Another driver was pulled over for using an iPad.
The road policing unit said the learner driver ended up on the eastbound carriageway at junction seven for Hedge End.
A spokesman said the learner and the instructor pulled the VW Passatt on to the hard shoulder before officers assisted the vehicle off the motorway.
A provisional licence does not allow learner drivers to use motorways.

Summary: A learner driver took a wrong turn and ended up travelling on a motorway in the middle of a test, police have said.
###
Article: There is no doubt what this election is about for the Conservatives. Theresa May has repeated "strong and stable" and it does not seem as though she will stop any time soon.
The prime minister is determined to make this election about Brexit and how a vote for the Tories means a vote for her to have a "strong hand" at the negotiating table with the EU.
An added dimension to this election is the potential for the Conservatives to make significant gains in Wales.
Recent polling data from the Wales Governance Centre suggests the Conservatives may be on course to become the largest party in Wales, a huge electoral breakthrough which would see the Labour Party losing its position as the dominant party in Wales, which it has held since 1922.
The significance of this was not lost on the Conservatives.
Almost immediately after the first piece of polling data suggested a Tory breakthrough, Theresa May held an event in Bridgend, a constituency high up in the party's targets in Wales.
As noted by Prof Laura McAllister, losing Bridgend would be a symbolic blow for Welsh Labour as it is the assembly seat of First Minister Carwyn Jones.
In order for the Conservatives to win seats like Bridgend, the party is determined to push the narrative of May vs Corbyn.
The opinion polls do not reflect favourably on Labour's leader in Wales and Mrs May will be repeating mantras about "strong and stable" leadership and Mr Corbyn's potential "coalition of chaos".
The repetition of these phrases is likely to draw groans every time they are used, but Mrs May is determined to hammer home the point that the choice is between her and Mr Corbyn on 8 June.
This is being done to the extent that Welsh Conservative election posters focus on Theresa May and do not focus much on "Welsh" Conservatives.
As well as attacking Mr Corbyn, this election is also being campaigned on Brexit.
The mantra of "strong and stable leadership" in Brexit negotiations will appeal to those who want to see a tough stance towards the EU and it has already seen votes...

Summary:


A man has been jailed for two years and eight months after admitting supplying Class A drugs to a cat.
The court heard that the cat, named "Sox", was found in a car in the city's Kirkton area in March making unusual noises and suffering from hypothermia.
The court heard that the

A female cat which died after being found in distress in Dundee had been poisoned with antifreeze, the Scottish SPCA has confirmed.

Article: Ahead of 5 May, here's a guide to what is allowed and what is not allowed.
If you're considering voting early, you can do so in your pyjamas if you want. Basically anything that would not be considered indecent is acceptable, except overt political clothing. Voters dressed in political party T-shirts or displaying party emblems would not be able to enter the polling station as it may be intimidating. More general, historical figures, such as a Che Guevara t-shirt, would be considered OK.
The only people permitted to wear a rosette are the candidates and their polling agents. The rosette must be plain and not refer to the candidate or bear a slogan.
While in the rest of the UK it is acceptable to wear clothing such as a hoodie or burka that covers the face, as photographic ID needs to be shown in Northern Ireland this does not apply.
If you're particularly pleased with how you're dressed and how you've voted, can you take a selfie inside the polling station?
There's nothing in the law that specifically bans taking photos, but the Electoral Commission very strongly discourages any photography inside a polling station, primarily because of the laws about maintaining the secrecy of the ballot. It's illegal to reveal how someone else has voted, which could happen inadvertently via a selfie.
Taking a photo of a ballot paper's unique identification number is against the rules. The key is a law against releasing any information "obtained in a polling station", which is in order to protect the integrity of the poll.
So if someone wants to highlight the fact they've just voted, they're advised to take any pictures outside the polling station.
The Electoral Commission warns against tweeting inside the polling station, even if it's about your own vote. Outside the polling station you are free to publicise your vote.
However, as with selfies, there are strict laws against revealing someone else's vote, including influencing whether they publish it themselves. It is a criminal offence to communicate information about the...

Summary: With the assembly election rapidly approaching, it's worthwhile to know what you can and cannot do in Northern Ireland's polling stations.
###
Article: Aberdeen, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire councils want "greater fiscal freedom" from the Scottish government.
The authorities split from Cosla and formed the Scottish Local Council Partnership (SLGP) in April 2015.
The government said it was committed to delivering more powers to communities.
The plea from the SLGP comes as MSPs begin an investigation into the impact of funding cuts on councils.
The Holyrood administration came under fire last year when its then finance secretary, John Swinney, announced a 3.5% cut to local government revenues.
Jenny Laing, the convener of the SLGP, said councils had suffered the biggest budget cuts in a generation and there was "worse to come".
She insisted that greater fiscal freedom was needed from the Scottish government, allowing local authorities to raise money and drive their own "economies".
Ms Laing added: "Tax-raising powers for business rates, a tourism levy and giving us the money from air passenger duty are just three ways we could offset the Tory-style austerity measures being imposed on us by the first minister and her team.
"Devolve tax-raising powers to councils now so we can shape and drive our own futures."
However the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said local authorities should be helping struggling high streets rather than looking for more powers to raise business rates.
Just one council has used a new local discretionary rates relief power since it was enacted last October, according to SRC director David Lonsdale.
"Instead of raising taxes on businesses, already suffering after this year's Â£60m raid on medium and larger sized firms, councils and government should be focused on reducing rates to promote growth in the Scottish economy," he said.
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "Ministers have already stated a firm commitment to delivering more powers for local communities, and believe that assigning a share of income tax to councils can be an incentive to grow their local economies.
"We have recently devolved a wide power for local...

Summary: Four breakaway Scottish councils are demanding new tax-raising powers in a bid to alleviate the impact of funding cuts.
###
Article: Claire Johnson, 41, failed to call an ambulance when daughter Natasha, 21, collapsed after taking heroin in 2013.
A medical expert told Leeds Crown Court had Johnson sought assistance, Natasha's chances of survival would have been "extremely high".
Johnson, of Market Way, Scarborough, was jailed after she pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence.
Daniel Kedge, 41, who gave Natasha the heroin, was jailed for 16 months after being found guilty of supplying Class A drugs.
Kedge, of Carlton Terrace, Halifax, was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence.
The court heard Natasha, who was not a heroin addict, had collapsed and begun struggling for breath immediately after injecting the drugs in May 2013.
Rather than call for help, Johnson put her daughter in the recovery position and went to bed.
The following day she noticed Natasha's body was cold and covered her with a towel but later realised she was dead.
Johnson has never given a proper explanation as to why she didn't get help, police said.
Det Sgt Jonathan Sygrove said: "Claire Johnson had a duty of care to Natasha which she quite clearly breached when she failed to call an ambulance for her when she collapsed after taking heroin.
"This was a tragic end to a young life which could most probably have been avoided if the person who was with Natasha in her hour of need had acted in a correct and responsible manner."

Summary: A mother who left her daughter to die from a drug overdose has been jailed for two years and eight months.
###
Article: Sox was discovered under a car in the city's Kirkton area in March making unusual noises and suffering from hypothermia.
Her owner took Sox to the vet but the cat died the following day.
A post-mortem examination by the animal welfare charity revealed that the three-year-old cat had been poisoned.
Scottish SPCA inspector Robert Baldie said the charity was aware of a number of potential cat poisonings in the area over the past few months.
He said: "The owner in this circumstance reacted in the right way by taking Sox directly to the vet.
"Unfortunately, Sox had already suffered significantly and was in a coma with hypothermia before she then sadly passed away.
"We had suspected poisoning was the cause of Sox' condition and now the results of the post-mortem confirm it was antifreeze.
"It is essential that everyone stores antifreeze out of reach of cats and other animals as it can have devastating effects, as can be seen by the sad outcome of this incident."

Summary:


The UK's top court has ruled that the government must release the names of the people who were involved in the 2012 police-led protest against the Iraq war.
The High Court ruled that the government must release the names of the people who were involved in the protest, which was organised by the anti-war group No

A police officer has been sacked over press leaks about the "plebgate" affair, becoming the third Met PC to be dismissed over the row.

Article: Representatives of the movement and Afghan officials signed the accord in a ceremony shown live on TV.
The deal grants immunity to the group's leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Islamist warlord accused of numerous atrocities.
He was not present at the signing, which is intended to pave the way for him to return from hiding to Kabul.
Mohammad Amin Karim, head of the insurgent delegation, was present at the ceremony.
He said: "This is not just a peace deal between Hezb-e-Islami and the government of Afghanistan, it is a beginning of a new era of peace all around the country."
Under the terms of the deal, Mr Hekmatyar agrees to accept the constitution and abandon violence. He must still sign the accord with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for it to come into force.
The two sides have still to agree when and where that will happen.
Mr Hekmatyar is a former Afghan prime minister, warlord and one of the most controversial figures in the country's modern history.
He was one of seven anti-Soviet faction chiefs who led a large number of mujahideen fighters in the war against Soviet occupation in the 1980s. He received significant Western aid and funds during the Cold War.
But he is remembered mostly for his role in the bloody civil war of the 1990s, when the Hezb-e-Islami clashed violently with other mujahideen factions in the struggle for control of the capital, Kabul.
The Hezb-e-Islami was blamed for much of the terrible death and destruction of that period, which led many ordinary Afghans to welcome the emergence of the Taliban.
The civil war also led to Mr Hekmatyar's fall from grace - he quickly became one of the most reviled men in the country and he and his men were forced to flee Kabul when the Taliban swept into power in 1996.
In 2003, the US state department designated him as a terrorist, accusing him of taking part in and supporting attacks by al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
It is still too early to tell if the deal will last. Mr Hekmatyar has a history of shifting allegiances.
Hezb-e-Islami has played a minor role in...

Summary: The Afghan government has signed a peace agreement with Hezb-e-Islami, the country's second largest militant group.
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Article: Mrs Foster set up the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme in 2012 but an overspend could cost taxpayers £400m.
Martin McGuinness said he was concerned that "credibility of the political institutions is being undermined".
But Mrs Foster replied that she would not be stepping aside and "does not take her instructions from Sinn Féin".
Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are in a power-sharing coalition and they hold joint office in the roles of first and deputy first minister.
The statement from Mr McGuinness follows similar calls for Mrs Foster to step aside by the Ulster Unionist Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
Mrs Foster became leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) a year ago this week and has been first minister of Northern Ireland since January.
She was responsible for introducing the RHI scheme in her former role as minister for enterprise, trade and investment.
However, overgenerous offers of fuel subsidies and a lack of cost controls meant the scheme overspent by hundreds of millions of pounds.
Mr McGuinness said the RHI allegations included claims from former DUP minster Jonathan Bell that there was "corruption".
Martin McGuinness' call on Arlene Foster to step aside has moved things on to a different level.
Sinn Féin and the DUP are now saying very different things.
Sinn Féin is probably under pressure and some of its supporters will be asking - why are you propping up these people?
They feel that they must be seen to be doing something.
Sinn Féin could side with the opposition in Monday's no confidence motion, which would be extraordinary, but it would be symbolic as it would need cross-community support in the assembly.
Mr Bell claimed some DUP special advisers (SPADs) attempted to "cleanse the record" by removing references to Mrs Foster and her department from documents linked to the scheme.
The ex-DUP minister also alleged some SPADs prevented him from closing down the most expensive part of the scheme last autumn.
"Taxpayers' money wasted in this...

Summary: Stormont's deputy first minister has called on Arlene Foster to "stand aside" as first minister while the 'cash-for-ash' scandal is investigated.
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Article: Currently, judges are able to grant a smaller reduction in such cases.
The Sentencing Council said its plans - now being consulted on - would encourage early guilty pleas and spare more victims the trauma of a trial.
The Ministry of Justice said no decisions had been made.
Under the new draft guidelines, the sliding scale for sentencing reductions would be:
No reduction in sentence would be offered to someone pleading guilty to murder where the judge determines they should receive a whole life jail term.
The Sentencing Council said it recognised that making a one-third reduction mandatory for all offenders pleading guilty as soon as possible was "controversial" and could be seen as an "erosion of judicial discretion".
"There is an understandable reluctance to provide those who are guilty with a 'reward' for pleading guilty, especially when they have little or no prospect of being acquitted," it said.
"However, it is important to recognise that the guilty plea reduction is in place to provide an incentive and not a reward.
"For it to work effectively, it is important that it is a clear and unqualified incentive to the defendant."
The council said the new guidelines provided "a much tighter framework" and "much less scope for offenders to 'play the system' and still receive the maximum discount".
Chairman Lord Justice Treacy said: "We want those who have committed crimes to admit their guilt as early as possible.
"When they do, it means victims and witnesses can be reassured that the offender has accepted responsibility for what they have done and that they are spared having to appear at court to testify.
"It also means that the police and Crown Prosecution Service can use their resources more efficiently to investigate and prosecute other cases."
The council stressed that nothing in the new guidelines "should be taken to suggest that an accused person who is not guilty of an offence should be pressured to plead guilty".
Mark Fenhalls QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said "clarity and consistency"...

Summary: All criminals who plead guilty at the earliest opportunity could have their sentences cut by a third, even if the evidence against them is overwhelming, under new plans in England and Wales.
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Article: PC Gillian Weatherley was dismissed for "gross misconduct", Scotland Yard said.
She was sacked for leaking information about the 2012 argument between police officers and MP Andrew Mitchell.
PCs Keith Wallis and James Glanville have already been sacked for gross misconduct, with two more officers yet to face such hearings.
Mr Mitchell was accused of calling officers plebs during the argument at the gates of Downing Street - an allegation he has denied.
The Conservative MP resigned as chief whip in the wake of the controversy.
A panel chaired by Commander Julian Bennett found PC Weatherley had breached professional standards in relation to "honesty and integrity; orders and instructions; confidentiality; discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct".
The Met said it had brought the gross misconduct case after the Crown Prosecution Service decided in November that criminal prosecution was not appropriate.
PC Weatherley was on duty at the Downing Street gates on the night of the dispute, 19 September 2012, and the Met said she had exchanged several messages with PC Glanville over the next three days.
It added that she had subsequently given "inaccurate and misleading statements" to detectives from Operation Alice - the investigation into alleged misconduct by officers.
Scotland Yard said it "would not disclose" how information was leaked to the press by PC Weatherley or to whom.

Summary:


A man has been jailed for five years after he was found guilty of causing the death of a man by driving while under the influence of alcohol.
The court heard that on the evening of June 24, 2011, a man was driving a car in the direction of the A1(M) in the town of B

Tata Steel has been ordered to pay £1m after it exposed five people to toxic substances at Scunthorpe Steel Works.

Article: Simon Pringle, former head of Brinsworth Manor Junior School in Rotherham, was found guilty of "unacceptable professional conduct" by a misconduct panel.
He produced false data that showed pupils attainment was "good" prior to a visit by inspectors in 2014.
Mr Pringle was prohibited from teaching indefinitely, but can appeal.
The school said it suspended the teacher in April 2015. He resigned in September 2015.
More on this and other South Yorkshire stories
The National College for Teaching and Leadership panel heard Mr Pringle had "admitted that he drafted false lesson observation feedback for some teachers" including some "observation feedback for teachers he had never observed".
The report also found that in emails and staff meetings "Mr Pringle gave staff clear encouragement to err on the side of generosity in assessing attainment".
In a statement, Vicky Helliwell the executive head of the school said Mr Pringle had not been in contact with any member of staff or pupils since he was suspended.
"I became aware of issues in the reporting of school data after I took up post as executive head at the school in April 2015," she said.
"I suspended Mr Pringle and reported the issue to the local authority.
"I want to assure parents and carers that there has been no adverse impact on children's education or teaching."

Summary: A head teacher has been banned from the profession for falsifying students' progress records.
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Article: But the island is changing, according to the first Sri Lankan to present her own design at London Fashion Week's Esthetica - the hub of London's ethical fashion industry - into a fashion destination in its own right.
"I personally see a massive change in the industry in Sri Lanka," Charini Suriyage told the BBC Sinhala service.
"At one point Sri Lanka was only a manufacturing destination, but I see a lot of fashion schools and universities coming up and also I see most of the companies having a design section."
Ms Suriyage, winner of the Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 Ethical Fashion Designer for lingerie, is launching her own lingerie collection at the event.
The collection is described as "luxury,Â hand-crafted, timeless, vintage design with a contemporary twist" - a far cry from any sweatshop image many might have of Sri Lankan apparel.
"It is great to take part in London Fashion Week," she says.
"It has given me such a great opportunity to be amongst all those international brands who have made their name in the industry.
"It has also given me so much exposure in terms of press and it has been amazing the kind of response so far from all those international buyers."
Ms Suriyage is a graduate of the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka and currently studies at London College of Fashion.
She has undergone an intensive mentoring programme on ethical fashion, designing under international designers Orsola de Castro, Filippo Ricci, Elizabeth Laskar and Claire Hamer.
She was also inspired, she says, by the work of the late Alexander McQueen and Issey Miyake.
"An ethical designer should be aware of the environment as well as the planet," she says.
"But it is a broader concept, where you think of the wellbeing of the people who are involved in the manufacturing process, the sorting process or the people who wear your product."
Ms Suriyage's aim is to promote Sri Lanka's cotton and hand-woven silk production - crochet as well as traditional handlooms, such as the Beeralu lace-making industries - to international...

Summary: Sri Lanka has long been known as a manufacturing location for the international garment industry.
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Article: Earlier this year, Helen Carmichael became the first woman to be elected the city's provost in the 600-year history of the civic role.
She will attend the 400-year-old kirking on Sunday.
The annual event involves a procession through Inverness and a special service at the Old High Kirk.
Starting at 10:45, the procession of about 200 people will be led by the pipes and drums of the Royal British Legion Inverness Branch and City of Inverness Youth Pipe Band.

Summary: The oldest event in the history of Inverness - the Kirking of the Council - will for the first time be attended by a female provost.
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Article: The firm admitted releasing a quantity of benzole, exposing five workers to risk of death from flammable vapours coming off it, in June 2011.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation showed it failed to take appropriate safety measures.
Tata Steel was fined £930,000 and ordered to pay costs of £70,000, at a hearing at Hull Crown Court.
At a previous hearing, the company pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
More stories from around East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire
The HSE said two of the workers involved in the incident were exposed to the chemical and suffered coughing and breathing difficulties. They were sent to hospital and discharged the next day.
It said the release of benzole could have caused serious injury or death had it been ignited.
HSE inspector Stephen Hargreaves said: "It was extremely fortunate no one was seriously affected by this incident. Had the flammable vapour cloud ignited this could have resulted in multiple fatalities.
"This incident highlights the need for all duty holders to implement and address all concerns and potential risks which have been identified.
"Tata's failure to do so in this case put a number of workers at risk of serious harm."

Summary:


A man who claimed he was abused at an East Yorkshire Catholic school has lost a legal action for compensation.

Article: Masters champion Danny Willett, US Open winner Dustin Johnson and Open victor Henrik Stenson tee off at 18:45 BST on 28 July at Baltusrol, New Jersey.
Rory McIlroy is in a trio featuring Australia's world number one and defending champion Jason Day and Open runner-up Phil Mickelson (13:30).
Injury again rules out Tiger Woods.
It means the 40-year-old American, who won the last of his 14 majors in 2008, will not have played in any of this year's four majors.
Americans Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson will play alongside Sergio Garcia of Spain.
England's Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, who became a cult figure at The Open, is out at 17:35, while Justin Rose begins at 18:35.
The final major of the year has been brought forward from its traditional slot in August to the last weekend in July to avoid a clash with the Olympic golf tournament in Rio.
Selected tee times (all BST)
Thursday, 28 July
Hole one
12:00: Mark Brown (US), Patton Kizzire (US), Bradley Dredge (Wal)
17:35: Scott Piercy (US), Alex Noren (Swe), Andrew Johnston (Eng)
18:25: Sergio Garcia (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US), Bubba Watson (US)
18:35: Justin Rose (Eng), Patrick Reed (US), Charl Schwartzel (SA)
18:45: Danny Willett (Eng), Dustin Johnson (US), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
18:55: Graeme McDowell (NI), Webb Simpson US), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)
Hole 10
13:10: Brandt Snedeker (US), Brooks Koepka (US), Lee Westwood (Eng)
13:20: Keegan Bradley (US), Adam Scott (Aus), Jamie Donaldson (Wal)
13:30: Phil Mickelson (US), Rory McIlroy (NI), Jason Day (Aus)
A full list of tee-times are available on the US PGA Championship website.
The BBC Sport website will have live text commentary on each round of the tournament.
We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.

Summary: The winners of this year's Masters, US Open and Open will play together for the first two rounds of the final major of 2016, the US PGA Championship.
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Article: The AU lobbied intensely for the 50-year-old Gambian, endorsing her candidature in June after repeatedly accusing Mr Moreno-Ocampo - an Argentinian whose nine-year term expires next year - of selective justice by only investigating atrocities in Africa.
"Frankly speaking, we are not against the ICC. What we are against is Ocampo's justice," AU commission chairman Jean Ping said earlier this year.
"What have we done to justify being an example to the world? Are there no worst countries, like Myanmar [Burma]?"
The appointment of Mrs Bensouda, who has been Mr Moreno-Ocampo's deputy throughout his tenure, was unanimously approved at a meeting of the legislative body of the ICC, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), in New York on Monday.
Mrs Bensouda, a former senior legal adviser at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which is trying key figures responsible for the 1994 genocide in the Central African state, got the job ahead of three other short-listed candidates.
They were Andrew Cayley, the British co-prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal in Cambodia; Tanzania's chief justice Mohamed Chande Othman; and Canadian war crimes specialist Robert Petit.
"The AU has been adamant that an African candidate would be selected, and they got their wish," writes UK-based law blogger Mark Kersten on the Justice in Conflict blog.
He says the AU's hand was strengthened by the fact that African countries form the largest bloc in the ASP. Yet the ICC's various organs -  including the presidency and registry - were headed by people from other continents.
"Bensouda clearly satisfied all of the political and merit-based criteria to become the ICC's chief prosecutor," Mr Kersten says.
Born into a polygamous family - her father had two wives - Mrs Bensouda is married to a Gambian-Moroccan businessman. They have three children - one of whom is adopted.
"I come from a big family, let's say it that way," she said in an interview earlier this month with the AFP news agency.
She told the BBC's Newshour programme that her...

Summary: With the African Union (AU) having been a fierce critic of outgoing International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, it will be hoping for a better relationship with his successor, Fatou Bensouda - the first African to hold a top post at the ICC.
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Article: Detlev Guenzel, 56, strangled and dismembered the 59-year-old at a small bed-and-breakfast run by Mr Guenzel in eastern Germany in 2013.
Guenzel was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail.
Prosecutors could not confirm that he had actually eaten the victim, but some body parts were never found.
Lawyers representing the family of the murdered man - 59-year-old Polish-born Wojciech Stempniewicz - sought a 15-year sentence for Guenzel, the father of three adult children described by neighbours as affable, warm hearted and courteous.
Guenzel went on trial in August for killing Stempniewicz at his home, a bed-and-breakfast inn in the town of Hartmannsdorf-Reichenau in the Erz mountains near the border with the Czech Republic.
He was accused of cutting the body into small pieces and burying them in his garden, making a macabre home video in the process.
The pair met in October 2013 on a website for slaughter and cannibalism fantasies which described itself as the "#1 site for exotic meat" with more than 3,000 registered members, correspondents say.
Guenzel, who had served in the police for 30 years, retracted a confession he initially made to detectives soon after Stempniewicz's killing in which he said that he had cut his throat.
The defence argued that Stempniewicz had a death wish and had already hanged himself in Guenzel's cellar "S&M studio" before he took a knife, then an electric saw, to the gagged-and-bound man.
Investigators have been unable to determine the cause of death definitively because of the poor condition of the corpse.
They have, however, been able to ascertain that the pair had extensive contact online and by telephone before finally arranging their date on 4 November 2013.
The video Guenzel made was played during the trial, at one point showing him covered in blood while mutilating the corpse. "I never thought I would sink so low," he can be heard murmuring.
The defendant is reported to have broken down when the footage was shown, telling presiding judge Birgit Wiegand that he had made a...

Summary: A former German policeman has been convicted of murdering a businessman he met on a website for cannibalism fetishists.
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Article: He is one of 249 men suing the Catholic Church over alleged historical sexual abuse at St William's residential school in Market Weighton.
Only one man out of five initial cases heard at the High Court in Leeds has been awarded compensation.
In December, a judge ruled in favour of one claimant and ordered the church to pay Â£14,000 in damages.
At the same hearing, His Honour Judge Gosnell dismissed three other claims.
More on this and other East Yorkshire stories
In January 2016 the former head of St William's James Carragher was jailed for the third time after he was found guilty of sexually abusing boys.
Carragher, 75, had already been sentenced to 21 years in prison for sexually abusing boys and was jailed for a further nine years in January.
He was jailed for seven years in 1993 and a further 14 years in 2004 for offences he committed at St William's, which closed in 1992.
Co-defendant Anthony McCallen, 69, a former chaplain at St William's, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a series of historical sex offences.
He was acquitted of eight other charges at the same trial.
The De La Salle Brothers, a Christian order of lay teachers, which ran the school in conjunction with the Diocese of Middlesbrough, has apologised "unreservedly" for the abuse.
Another set of compensation claims is expected to be heard in late 2017.

Summary: