The number of cattle slaughtered in Great Britain in 2014 because of bovine TB has fallen by more than a third, according to new figures.
The number of cattle slaughtered in Great Britain in 2014 because of bovine TB has fallen by more than a third, according to new figures.
The number of cattle

The government has unveiled new tools and advice for farmers as part of a fresh campaign to tackle bovine TB.

Article: The social mobility and child poverty commission said Scotland had lost its position as the country with the lowest levels of child poverty in the UK.
However, Scotland had a lower level of relative poverty after housing costs.
The report called on the Scottish government to widen access to higher education for disadvantaged pupils.
The Scottish government should have a target of 10% of the most deprived school pupils getting places at the most selective, "ancient" universities, the commission recommended.
The State of the Nation 2014 report is the second annual publication from the commission, which was established under the Child Poverty Act 2010.
Its findings showed there were 180,000 children in relative poverty in Scotland - 30,000 more than last year - while 200,000 children were in absolute poverty - also up 30,000 on the previous year.
The report also pointed to a forecast from think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which suggested 50,000 more children could be in relative poverty by 2020.
The authors defined relative poverty as living in a household with less than 60% of the contemporary median income, while absolute poverty applied to households with less than 60% of the median income as it stood in 2010-11.
Despite the increase in the numbers living in poverty, the report said that "progress in Scotland has been more rapid than elsewhere in the UK, particularly when looking at poverty after housing costs".
Scotland has a lower level of relative poverty before housing costs than Wales and Northern Ireland, but about the same as England.
After housing costs Scotland had a lower level of relative poverty than the other UK nations.
Scotland also had a lower level of absolute poverty before housing costs than England, Wales or Northern Ireland and "a considerably lower level of poverty after housing costs".
The proportion of pupils entering higher education from the most advantaged areas was 32.5%, compared to 9.7% in the most disadvantaged areas.
The percentages entering the highly selective...

Summary: The number of children in Scotland living in poverty has risen by 60,000 over the last year, according to a new report.
###
Article: Data from the US city shows that officers are making about 45% fewer arrests than comparable times in previous years.
Meanwhile, local media have reported that May has turned out to be the deadliest month in the city since 1999.
The police department has not explained the decline in arrests.
The police department has been under scrutiny since the death of Freddie Gray in April set off weeks of protests and unrest.
Two homicides on Monday brought the total number of killings for the month to 35, and 108 for the year, according to the Baltimore Sun newspaper.
Arrest data made public by the city government and reviewed by the BBC showed that Baltimore police made 791 arrests from 1 May to 16 May - the most recent data available.
This marks a decline of over 55% from the same periods in 2013 and 2014.
Emails to the police department and the police union requesting an explanation for the change were not immediately returned.
Gray, 25, suffered a severe spinal cord injury in police custody and died a week later.
During the incident, Gray repeatedly asked for medical assistance but was denied.
His death sparked weeks of protests and later riots and looting in Baltimore.
Government officials imposed a mandatory curfew and dispatched the national guard in an effort to restore order.
Six police officers involved in Gray's arrest have been charged in his death.

Summary: The number of arrests made by Baltimore police in May has plummeted as shootings and homicides have dramatically increased.
###
Article: A new website has been launched for farmers to find practical advice on dealing with the disease on their land.
A five-point biosecurity action plan and poster campaign are also included in the initiative.
The measures are being promoted by organisations such as Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the National Farmers' Union.
Recommended actions include asking for a herd's TB history before buying cattle, and taking steps to minimise wildlife access to cattle, their feed and housing.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire, Farming Minister George Eustice said "good progress" is being made to  eradicate TB in England.
However, he said reducing the risk of disease entering a farm is a "crucial element" to end the "devastation" it causes for farmers and rural communities.
"There are simple and practical ways for farmers to reduce risk to their herds and neighbouring businesses from bovine TB which are set out in this new action plan approved by vets and farming experts," he added.
Mr Eustice encouraged all cattle farmers to visit the new website and "think about the actions they could take to make a difference to improving the security of their herd".
Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease of cattle and is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), which can also infect and cause TB in badgers, deer and other mammals.
Badgers, which some claim transmit TB to cattle, have been subjected to culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire for three years running. A pilot cull in Dorset is also being held this year.
According to Defra, about 30,000 cattle were slaughtered in Great Britain in 2014 because of bovine TB.

Summary:


The Russian government has banned the Levada Centre, a respected independent pollster, from conducting any work linked to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The move comes two weeks before the country's parliamentary elections, which are widely expected to be a tight contest between the ruling United Russia party and the opposition.
The Levada Centre

Russia's leading independent polling agency has been labelled a "foreign agent" by the justice ministry and says it cannot now work.

Article: Andreas Schleicher said international evidence suggested that selection was not linked to improving schools.
He said bright pupils in England were not getting enough opportunities, but grammar school tests were not reliable.
"Any kind of one-off test is likely to favour social background over true academic potential," he said.
Education Secretary Justine Greening has published plans calling for more selective schools in England, and a Department for Education spokesman said any new grammars would "prioritise the admission of disadvantaged pupils".
Mr Schleicher, the think tank's education director, was presenting the OECD's annual report comparing education systems across the industrialised world.
He said there was no relationship between increasing selection and how well school systems performed.
And countries such as Germany and Switzerland, where selection was widely used, were not more likely to produce high-achieving students.
"You might expect that where you have more grammar schools, you will have more of the really top students, that's not what we've seen," said Mr Schleicher.
The OECD education expert said access to selective schools was often unfairly biased towards wealthier families - and that contradicted the aim of stretching the most talented.
"I can see the case for introducing more meritocracy in the school system. Bright students here don't always have the educational opportunities they deserve," said Mr Schleicher.
"But what happens in most European systems is that academic selection becomes social selection.
"Schools are very good at selecting students by their social background, but they're not very good at selecting students by their academic potential."
When admission to school was based on a one-off test, he said, "wealthy parents will find a way through it".
But there were Asian school systems, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, that seemed to be more effective in how they selected pupils.
"They are selective, but they seem to be very good at figuring out how good students really are,"...

Summary: Grammar schools are likely to benefit wealthy families without raising overall standards, says the OECD's head of education.
###
Article: Photographer Richard Nicholson took a look inside that box, capturing those who have helped bring the silver screen to life.
"When I first stepped into a projection box, I was struck by the claustrophobic atmosphere," says Nicholson.
"It was a dark, cramped space, and, as the projector whirred into motion, it became increasingly hot and noisy.
"As I watched the projectionist wrestle with a giant spool of film, the scene reminded me of a railwayman shovelling coal into a locomotive."
Working with The Projection Project, Nicholson's pictures are accompanied by the thoughts of the projectionists, many of whom are experts on the history of cinema.
Nicholson usually works on a large-format film camera - but, paradoxically, for this project, he shot the images on a digital camera.
Following a test shoot, he realised he would require a vast amount of lighting to work on film, whereas a digital approach allowed him to use smaller flashguns to light the projection boxes.
With cinemas across the country still under threat from redevelopment and closure, it is perhaps the perfect time for this project.
"I think it's a wasted opportunity if you go to a cinema and it's just a blank screen, and no curtains, with some feeble lighting, and it just sort of starts," said projectionist Peter Howden.
"I remember going to the cinema and the lights would change colour and the organist would come up out of the floor. It's simple and it's effective and it would be a pity to lose that.
"I think it's part of the magic of going to the cinema. Putting on a show rather than just showing a film."
The projectionist is the final step between the film and the public. And, for many, that flickering light that pierces the darkness of the cinema is still magical.
"When I used to go to the cinema with my mother, I was never looking at the film, I was always looking to see where it came from," said projectionist Rachel Dukes.
"In those days everybody used to smoke. And so when the beam of light was coming down, you'd have these pretty patterns of...

Summary: At the start of the decade, many of Britain's cinemas made the switch from analogue projection to digital, changing forever the role of those inside the projection box, with many films now projected by a computer.
###
Article: The Levada Centre surveys political opinion among Russian people.
Its director, Lev Gudkov, said the move, which comes two weeks before parliamentary elections,  amounted to "political censorship".
Laws require all NGOs receiving any overseas funding to register as foreign agents and so face restrictions.
The Levada Centre cannot now conduct any work linked to the election campaign.
Mr Gudkov told Agence France-Presse news agency: "The consequences of such a decision for us are devastating - with such a label, we won't be able to work.
"This practically means the imposition of political censorship and the impossibility of independent polls. It's the typical behaviour of this repressive regime."
The other main pollsters are state-controlled.
The justice ministry said Levada had been "included in a register of non-commercial organisations that fulfil the functions of a foreign agent" following an unannounced document check.
Legislation passed in 2012 has designated as foreign agents a number of rights groups,  including Memorial, and the independent election monitoring group Golos.
The Moscow Times said the latest move followed a complaint by the pro-Kremlin Anti-Maidan movement over alleged US funding of Levada.
In May 2013, Levada had said it was being targeted for branding as a foreign agent and had suspended foreign funding.
The Russian authorities say the law is needed to protect Russia from outside attempts to influence internal politics.
But critics say it could be used to prevent NGOs denouncing vote-rigging and other abuses.

Summary:

Article: {{document}}

Summary: ||| {{target}}


The US Supreme Court has refused to hear a case that could have seen the death penalty reinstated for a man who killed a police officer in a drunken rage.
The court said the case was "not ripe" for review.
The case, which was brought by the family of a man who was shot dead by a

The wife and adult children of late actor Robin Williams have agreed to meet outside of court to try and resolve a dispute over his belongings.

Article: "I do not want, nor will I accept the Republican nomination," he said.
Mr Ryan's name was floated as a late contender if there is a contested convention in July, as doubts persist over the strength of the candidates.
If none of Donald Trump, John Kasich and Ted Cruz can win 1,237 delegates, the convention will be contested.
The state-by-state primary contests, which come to New York next week, determine the number of delegates pledged to a particular candidate.
Mr Trump is still well ahead in the number of delegates accumulated but may fall short of the magic number required.
In 1886 former civil war general William Sherman set the gold standard for disavowing interest in serving as US president. "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected," he bluntly stated.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan may not reach Shermanesque levels of certainty with Tuesday's statement, but the move should put the latest round of rampant speculation and rumour-mongering to rest.
The Ryan presidential boomlet was largely a result of growing desperation among Republicans who see a presidential ticket headed by the epically unpopular Donald Trump as an unmitigated disaster and by absolutist Ted Cruz as only a slightly mitigated disaster.
Mr Ryan won't be their establishment-friendly "white knight", however, and there are few others out there with the stature to pull off such an unlikely convention coup.
Former candidate Mitt Romney? Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? At this point, anyone other than Mr Cruz or Mr Trump - the two men who have slogged through the presidential season and won the votes and delegates - appears to be pure fantasy.
How does a contested convention work?
Five ways Republican bloodbath could end
Profile: House Speaker Paul Ryan
At a contested convention, the delegates are free after the first ballot to back whom they want, opening the door for Texas Senator Mr Cruz or even the third candidate in the race, Mr Kasich.
Some in the party had hoped Mr Ryan would emerge as a candidate at that stage,...

Summary: US House Speaker Paul Ryan has officially ruled out making a late attempt to become the Republican presidential nominee.
###
Article: Around 1.5 million devotees have turned out for a huge annual Roman Catholic procession in Manila.
Each year, a centuries-old wooden statue of Jesus Christ, called The Black Nazarene, is paraded through the Philippine capital.
This year, police and foreign embassies advised attendees to be on alert for possible terror attacks.

Summary: Images from agencies
###
Article: A judge has instructed lawyers to take eight weeks to work out disagreements over money and property, including clothes, photographs and movie awards.
Widow Susan Schneider Williams wants the contents of her home to be excluded from items left to his three children.
They were married for five years until the actor's suicide in August 2014.
Schneider Williams filed court papers in December claiming some of her husband's personal items had been taken from the home they shared in Tiburon, California. without her permission.
However his daughter Zelda Williams said in a post on the blogging site Tumblr that she and brothers Zachary and Cody - Williams' children from previous marriages - had not visited the address since their father's death or removed anything from it.
Schneider Williams is seeking items including the tuxedo her husband wore to their 2011 wedding and art and furniture that were wedding gifts.
There is also a dispute over allowances to maintain the house, where she still lives.
Other items under discussion include clothing, watches, photos taken prior to Williams' marriage and memorabilia - including his 1998 Oscar for Good Will Hunting.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Cheng told lawyers for both sides to meet before 10 April and enlist the help of a mediator if necessary before returning to court on 1 June.
One of the trustees for the estate, Andrew A Bassak, told the judge that the comedian had decided to establish trusts for his heirs and had never meant for a list of possessions to be debated over in public.
Schneider Williams' attorney, James Wagstaffe, told the judge: "We're amicable and no one is raising their voices. It's just that there are 1,200 items on a long spreadsheet which we saw in final form only last week."
Outside court Wagstaffe told reporters: "Robin Williams didn't mean for the house to be gutted, furniture removed and art taken off the walls.
"This is a normal process and there's nothing unusual about this. If the estate is a lake, what Susan is seeking is a...

Summary:


The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that it will investigate the match-fixing scandal that has rocked Italian football.
The FIGC said it had received a number of reports of match-fixing in the country's Serie A and B leagues.
The federation said it had also received reports of match

Police have arrested more than 50 people as part of an investigation into suspected match-fixing in Italian football.

Article: A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report praised the trust for outperforming targets for non-urgent calls.
SCAS is the first ambulance trust in England to receive a "good" rating.
The CQC said "improvements are needed" over issues including higher-than-average call waiting times.
Chief executive of the service Will Hancock said: "This is fabulous news for our organisation as we are the first and only ambulance trust to get a good rating across ambulance trusts in England."
"Good" is the CQC's second highest of four rankings - showing a service is performing well and meeting its expectations.
The CQC report was based on inspections carried out in May. The trust provides ambulance services to Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.
All ambulances in the UK are supposed to respond to at least 75% of Red 1 calls - when someone becomes unresponsive and has a life-threatening condition like a cardiac arrest - within eight minutes.
The same target is set for Red 2 calls - when a person has a potentially life-threatening condition such as a stroke.
SCAS responded to 73.67% of Red 1 calls within eight minutes and 71.53% of Red 2 calls in May 2016.
Deputy chief inspector Professor Edward Baker said: "Through no fault of the ambulance services, its vehicles are often facing prolonged delays at some acute hospitals' emergency departments.
"For people needing an urgent response, the consequences can be serious."
In June it was reported that ambulances were forced to queue at some hospitals in the region due to lack of space at hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments.
The CQC reported that at times, 16 ambulances were stacked up at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, a third of the overall ambulances in the Hampshire region.

Summary: South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) has been rated "good" by the government health watchdog, despite missing response targets for critically-ill patients.
###
Article: More than 700 people at 17 councils are employed on the contracts, which allow authorities to hire staff but with no guarantee of work, the BBC has found.
The Labour group on Gloucester City Council, where 23% of workers are on zero-hours contracts, called it a "blight on the workforce".
The council said many zero-hours workers were employed for events.
The BBC used Freedom of Information requests sent to 18 councils in the west of England to determine how many people were employed on zero-hours contacts. One did not reply.
Gloucester City Council leader, Conservative councillor Paul James, said the authority runs many "popular events" during the year.
What are zero-hours contracts?
"With such a programme to maintain, it is inevitable that we will need more people to help run them than we need to keep on our permanent establishment," he said.
But Kate Haigh, who leads the Labour group in Gloucester, said the council should set an example to its partners who provide services to the council.
"People on zero hours often suffer from the inability to plan financially and predict income," she said.
"There are some services where work is seasonal or specialist, but nonetheless we ought to offer a minimum fixed number of hours to staff who are providing the public with services."
Wiltshire Council, which has the highest number of zero-hours workers, said many were employed in the authority's leisure centres. The contracts offer flexibility, it said.
Joanne Kaye, from Unison, said the overall number of zero-hours workers may be higher because of the increased use of contractors.
But she believed the public backlash against zero-hours work would lead to more services coming back in-house.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) said 583,000 people reported they were on a zero-hours contract in the period October to December 2013.
This is more than double than in the same period in 2012.
The ONS said the changes were likely to have been influenced by increased awareness of zero-hours contracts following media...

Summary: Councils in the West have been criticised for employing hundreds of staff on zero-hours contracts.
###
Article: Those detained include players and directors from around 30 clubs from Italy's third and fourth divisions.
More than 70 people are also under investigation in the inquiry led by prosecutors in the southern town of Catanzaro.
Police said that some of those charged had links to mafia organisations.
Catanzaro prosecutors said they had uncovered an alleged network between club presidents, coaches, players, and some management members.
Those arrested are suspected of "conspiracy to commit sporting fraud", ANSA news agency said.
Police said they were studying suspicious results in dozens of matches.
Reports say that the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate is believed to be behind some of the match-fixing.
The syndicate is a network of clans in Calabria - in the 'toe' of Italy - that dominates the country's cocaine trade.
Local media said that one police officer was also involved in the scandal.
It is not yet clear whether Tuesday's police inquiry is linked to a previous anti-match-fixing operation.
Police had already placed more than 100 people under investigation for suspected match-fixing since 2011.
But prosecutors in the cities of Cremona, Bari and Naples had been focusing on Serie A and B matches.

Summary:


The Royal Marines Museum has been given a £13m grant to help it move to a new home.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy has been given a £13m grant to help it move to a new home.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy has been given a £13m grant to help

Plans to move a statue depicting a Royal Marine in the Falklands conflict away from Portsmouth seafront have been criticised.

Article: The company has announced the price of most post sent within the islands and to the UK will rise from 7 April.
Low Value Consignment Relief ended on 1 April 2012, but had allowed some items to be sent VAT-free to the UK.
Boley Smillie, chief executive, said the freeze aimed to help "an industry under significant pressure".
The price of a local letter will increase by 1p, from 40p to 41p, while the price of a letter to the UK will stay at 55p.
Other changes include rises for certain weights of large letters and packets sent to the UK with full details due to be released on the Guernsey Post website on Friday.
Mr Smillie said: "It's been another challenging year for Guernsey Post, but we believe we have been successful in keeping any increases to our postal tariff to a minimum.
"We are also confident that our prices remain competitive in comparison with the UK and Europe.
"As an example Royal Mail will be increasing the price of a letter for UK customers by 2p to 62p. By freezing the UK letter price in Guernsey at 55p, our rate is 7p cheaper."

Summary: The postal prices for flower exporters have been frozen by Guernsey Post in a bid to help the industry after the loss of UK tax relief.
###
Article: John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), warns that "tawdry political tactics" could deflect from important issues facing the UK economy.
Such a focus, he wrote in a letter to Westminster leaders, had "been sorely lacking in political discourse".
The BCC represents thousands of firms.
"For many businesses, both small and large, one of the greatest sources of challenge and uncertainty in 2015 isn't the state of global markets, but home-grown politics," Mr Longworth cautioned.
He further decried politicians who "race between television studios and events to undercut their rivals' policy pronouncements, to proclaim themselves most 'in touch' with the needs of the people".
"You must focus on the causes, not the symptoms, of the challenges that face our United Kingdom," he said.
The UK's public spending, and wider economic matters affecting the country, will be among the most hotly contested issues in the run-up to the next general-election, scheduled for May 2015.
In his letter - addressed to PM David Cameron, deputy PM and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, and Labour leader Ed Miliband, as well as other party leaders - Mr Longworth outlined some of the policies on the BCC's wish list.
He said the organisation wanted those in power to support UK companies that are "brave enough to sell products and services across the world," as well as help with training opportunities and new jobs for both the young and old.
The BCC also called for greater devolution across the UK, with more decisions made locally, and an end to what it termed "crushing input taxes".
"Maintaining corporation tax at 20% would be a sound beginning," Mr Longworth added.

Summary: The head of a major UK business group has called on politicians to rise above "point-scoring" in their general election campaigns next year.
###
Article: The Yomper statue is currently located in front of the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy has started consulting over a proposed move to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Campaigners insist it is a local memorial to the conflict and "belongs" at Eastney.
The Yomper statue was created by Philip Jackson, depicting a royal marine marching across the islands during the 1982 conflict and was unveiled by former prime minister, Lady Thatcher, in 1992.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) is planning to relocate the Royal Marines Museum from Eastney to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as part of a Â£13m lottery funded project and wants to take the statue with it.
An online petition against moving the statue has attracted more than 1,800 signatories, saying it was "now considered as our local Falklands War Memorial".
Sheila Mackie who set it up said: "The imposing scale of The Yomper needs space and adequate distance to be fully appreciated, and the visualization of the part in the major campaign that the statue represents couldn't be achieved in an interior space."
Conservative-led Portsmouth City Council also voted to express a "clear preference" that the statue remain where it it is.
Its motion stated: "The Yomper statue has graced the seafront for many years, serving as a reminder of both the Falklands War and of the Marines' historical association with Eastney."
NMRN director Jon Rawlinson said the new museum site would potentially have 750,000 visitors a year, compared to 40,000 at the current museum.
"He would be seen by far more people at the historic dockyard, but of course he was built for here [Eastney] and is part of here. "
He said no decision had been made and it would consider all comments submitted to its public consultation.

Summary:


The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The bill passed easily with a 252-161 vote, but it was not the first time the House had voted to approve the project.
However, the latest vote stands the best chance in six years of making its way to

The family of an off-duty police officer who died after being hit by a bus in Swansea say her death has left a hole that can never be filled.

Article: A future Labour government would widen access to the arts, says Mr Miliband.
Schools would not be graded as "outstanding" unless offering a wide range of arts subjects and "cultural opportunities", says Mr Miliband.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said that arts subjects have already been made more "rigorous".
Mr Miliband says he wants to put "policy for arts and culture and creativity at the heart of the next Labour government's mission".
The need for creative education would be prioritised for inspections.
"Schools will only be able to receive an 'outstanding' rating if they offer creative subjects and cultural opportunities within a broad and balanced curriculum," said Mr Miliband.
There would also be an expectation that creative industries and arts institutions would offer more apprenticeships, "in return for direct grants or major government contracts".
The arts had an important impact on individual lives and on the country's economy, the Labour leader said, in a speech to the Creative Industries Federation.
"The creative industries are our second biggest sector," Mr Miliband said.
But he warned there was insufficient access to the arts in school, pointing to evidence from last week's Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Values.
The report from Warwick University warned that creative subjects were at risk of being squeezed out of schools.
It found that between 2003 and 2013 there had been a 50% drop in GCSE entries for design and technology, 23% for drama and 25% for other craft-related subjects.
And it found that the number of arts teachers in schools had fallen by up to 11%.
The Department for Education had responded to the report by saying that arts subjects were already statutory in primary schools and up to the start of GCSEs.
A spokesman said that the number of pupils taking music and art and design GCSE had risen between 2013 to 2014.
"We are clear that arts education should be every bit as rigorous as the rest of the school curriculum, and we have strengthened the national curriculum in...

Summary: Labour would use Ofsted inspections to put a greater emphasis on art in schools in England, says the party's leader Ed Miliband.
###
Article: The legislation will now be put to a vote in the Senate next week, where its prospects are unclear.
The 875-mile (1,408km) pipeline would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to the US state of Nebraska where it joins pipes running to Texas.
President Barack Obama is said to take a "dim view" of the legislation, but has not directly threatened a veto.
The project has pitted Republicans and other supporters, who say it will create much needed jobs, against many Democrats and environmentalists, who warn the pipeline will add to carbon emissions and contribute to global warming.
A state department report raised no major environmental objections in February, but the final recommendation was delayed amid a court battle over the project in Nebraska.
The state department is involved because the pipeline would cross an international border.
The Keystone XL pipeline aims to carry some 830,000 barrels of heavy crude a day from the fields in Alberta to Nebraska.
The oil would then be transported on existing pipes to refineries in Texas. The southern section of the project was finished last year.
"At some point, President Obama has to realise that his blockade of the Keystone XL pipeline is forcing American consumers to depend on volatile oil-rich regimes and is hurting our diplomatic relationship with our top trading partner - Canada," House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Ed Royce said in a statement.
The bill passed easily with a 252-161 vote, but it was not the first time the House had voted to approve the project.
However, the latest vote stands the best chance in six years of making its way to Mr Obama's desk.
The bill's sponsor, Louisiana Representative Bill Cassidy, is facing a run-off election against incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu for her seat.
Ms Landrieu - among the pipeline's Democratic supporters - successfully pushed the Senate to hold the vote on the measure on Tuesday.
Supporters of the measure say they are confident they have the 60 votes, including several Democrats, needed for...

Summary: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
###
Article: Sgt Louise Lucas, 41, was airlifted to hospital but later died. Her daughter Olivia, eight, was also injured in the incident on The Kingsway on 31 March.
Her family described her as "an outgoing, hard working and loving person."
A coroner has called on Swansea council to address safety concerns on the road.
In a tribute they wrote: "Our family is absolutely devastated at the tragic accident, which took Louise from us all last week.
"We've lost a beautiful loving wife, mum, daughter and sister who will never be forgotten.
"Louise was an outgoing, hard working and loving person. An incredible hole has been left in our family which can never be filled."
The family thanked staff at Swansea's Morriston hospital who treated the mother-of-three and her daughter.
They also paid tribute to police, members of the public and staff from the Principality building society who looked after Olivia after the incident.
After the crash, Swansea council said it would install temporary barriers along the central reservation of the road.
It has already dropped the speed limit to 20mph following concerns from residents that the road was unsafe.
In a letter to the council, Swansea's acting senior coroner Colin Phillips said the road had a "serious design issue", which "must be addressed".
Mr Phillips issued the report as part of his investigation into the death of Daniel Foss, 37, who died after being hit by a bus on The Kingsway in September 2013.

Summary:


A man who was late for work and driving at almost twice the speed limit has been jailed for three years and banned from driving for seven.
A jury at Birmingham Crown Court found the 62-year-old, of Woolton, who has played in the city centre for more than 30 years, guilty of one count

A bagpipe-playing busker has been convicted of duping people in Liverpool into thinking he was collecting for a Hillsborough charity.

Article: The month-long amnesty comes ahead of Wiltshire Council's crackdown on tenancy fraud.
A council spokesman said the cost of placing a family in temporary accommodation is Â£18,000 a year and the fraud stops genuine people in need.
Those found guilty of tenancy fraud can face up to two years in prison.
"They also risk an unlimited statutory fine and will have to pay back any profits they have made," the spokesman said.
"Social housing tenants may be prosecuted for not occupying their home as their main residence and illegally subletting parts or the whole of their home.
"Anyone who returns their keys at reception at the Wiltshire Council offices in Salisbury or Trowbridge before 10 February will not face legal action," he added.
At present there are more than 17,500 social housing properties in Wiltshire, with 5,319 of those owned by Wiltshire Council.

Summary: People illegally subletting their council-provided homes are being offered the chance to hand in keys with "no questions asked".
###
Article: Gurpreet Sandhu hit Horace Downes as he crossed Brassington Avenue, Sutton Coldfield, to go to place a bet.
Mr Downes died of an infection four months after the November crash.
Sandhu, 27, of Church Lane, Handsworth, who previously admitted dangerous driving, was jailed for three years and banned from driving for seven.
He was driving about 56mph in a 30mph zone when he hit Mr Downes, West Midlands Police said.
Mr Downes, known as John to family and friends, suffered a life threatening head injury but was moved from hospital to a rehabilitation centre just over a month after the collision.
But he died as a result of infection after being readmitted to hospital in February this year. A post-mortem examination did not establish a link to the collision.
His family have since allowed footage of the crash to be released in the hope it will deter others from driving at speed.
Mr Downes's daughter Janet Turner described her father as "the heart and soul of the family".
Reading a statement at Sandhu's sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, she said: "It is not possible to put into words the pain and distress felt by the family."
Sgt Adam Green, from West Midlands Police, said Mr Downes's family had endured suffering because of "the selfish actions of one individual".
"Gurpreet Sandhu was late for work on the day of the collision. He drove at twice the speed limit in heavy rain, in an area where the likelihood of pedestrians being present was high.
"In allowing the graphic CCTV footage to be released, John's family hope that people will realise the impact of speeding and it will prevent another family suffering the same consequences."

Summary: A man who was late for work and driving at almost twice the speed limit has been jailed after he knocked down a 91-year-old man, who later died.
###
Article: Angus Carpenter, of Liverpool, who has played in the city centre for more than 30 years, denied three counts of fraud.
The 62-year-old was found guilty of one count when he played with a Hillsborough Justice Campaign banner draped on his bagpipes in April 2015.
He was cleared of the two other counts by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
Sgt Chris Gaynor told the court during the two day trial that Carpenter, from Woolton, gave the impression he was collecting cash for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
In his defence, Carpenter - who usually wears a kilt and piper's regalia when he performs - said he had piped for the charity in the past but on this occasion he was simply busking.
Kenneth Derbyshire, chairman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said he had given Carpenter permission to design and display a banner featuring the eternal flame and the word justice.
But he said he had made it clear he was not use it to collect funds for the charity.
Carpenter told the court the banner was a tribute to the victims, not an attempt to deceive anyone.
He also told the court he was a familiar face on match days at Anfield and known as a busker to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
He will be sentenced in January.

Summary:


The BBC's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace is a sweeping victory for the BBC.
The drama, which stars James Norton, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Rea, James D'Arcy and Rebecca Front, has been made by the BBC in collaboration with The Weinstein Company and will premiere on Lifetime

The first episode of the BBC's new costume drama War and Peace was watched by more than six million viewers.

Article: John Moody, 45, of Kerrison Avenue, Norwich, repeatedly stabbed 39-year-old Karen Brown and Kenneth Snell, aged 65.
The couple's bodies were found at Mr Snell's home in Cringleford, Norfolk, on 31 October 2009.
Moody denied murder at Norwich Crown Court but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He will be sentenced on Friday.
Moody and Ms Brown, who had been in a violent 12-year relationship which ended in 2008, used to run the sandwich shop Baguette Express near Norwich Market.
Moody murdered Ms Brown and Mr Snell after being told of their relationship earlier that day, the court heard.
The prosecution said their deaths were caused by "an angry and jealous man".
But the defence urged jurors to accept Moody was suffering from an abnormality of the mind.
The court heard that Moody "lost his self-control" and drove to Mr Snell's home armed with a hammer and knife.
He smashed through the front door and attacked Ms Brown in the back garden with the weapons, while repeatedly shouting: "Why did you lie?"
The jury was played recordings of the 999 calls made by Ms Brown and Mr Snell.
In the call made by Ms Brown, at 2100 GMT, she is heard to say: "I have got an intruder who is violent, who is aggressive. I don't know who it is."
She then shouts the name "John Moody" twice and is heard to say: "You don't want to do this, do you? Not really."
As the call continues, Moody is heard to ask: "Tell me why you lied?" more than 50 times as groaning sounds and yelps of pain are heard in the background.
Post-mortem examinations showed Ms Brown sustained 13 stab wounds and 31 other injuries.
Several wounds on her forearm suggested she had put her arms up to protect herself, the court heard.
Mr Snell, who sustained seven stab wounds and 38 other injuries, died after being stabbed in the heart.

Summary: An "angry and jealous man" has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner and her new boyfriend.
###
Article: However, a documentary called Tickled shines a spotlight on those who take part in it, when a TV reporter from New Zealand, David Farrier, uncovers not just a quirky sport, but a whole industry, and an underworld with allegations of cyber bullying.
Two years ago, Farrier, known for his "and finally" news pieces at his local TV station, discovered what was described as "competitive endurance tickling" videos online.
They featured young men in professional sportswear tickling each other.
A US-based company, Jane O'Brien Media, was producing the videos and offering substantial fees for anyone selected to take part in the shoots in Los Angeles.
"Right in the beginning I thought it was entirely innocent, perhaps with a subtext," explains Farrier.  "I thought it was someone's idea of a funny strange sport, as it was in a photography studio, a professional space. All the men were wearing sportswear so I thought it was someone's odd idea of a tickling league."
"I was intrigued and thought about doing a two-minute feature on it for my show, "he adds, "so I got in touch with them. Really, a short feature was all I was aiming for."
In response however, Farrier, who is bisexual, says he received emails stating that the company did not want to deal with "a homosexual journalist".
"I was a little upset but part of me thought it was funny," he adds. "I didn't understand why a company that makes men-only tickling videos would say that."
"Instinct, intrigue and fascination" drove him and his co-director Dylan Reeve on to find out more about the videos, despite representatives of the company flying to Auckland to threaten legal action. Farrier successfully raised the money for a documentary using the crowd-funding platform, Kickstarter.
"We probably did go into it quite naively," he believes.
"We never expected to find what we did. If you watch the film you'll find it's not really about tickling - it's about power.
"We were interested in the psychology of what made these men take part in the videos, and it was mainly guys who...

Summary: Of all sports that are unlikely to be considered for the next Olympics in Tokyo, "competitive endurance tickling" might be at the top of the list.
###
Article: The drama, which stars Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton, has also won rave reviews.
The adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel averaged 6.3 million viewers, peaking at 6.7 million.
It was up against ITV's Endeavour and spy drama Deutschland 83 on Channel 4, which averaged 4.4 million and 1.2 million viewers respectively.
War and Peace picked up 25% of the audience share, against 19% for Endeavour, 6% for Deutschland 83 and 4.1% for My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles on BBC Two.
The costume drama has been written by Andrew Davies, who is best known for his 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth.
'Sweeping victory'
In the Daily Telegraph Serena Davies gave it four stars, calling it "an excellent adaptation" and "smart storytelling on a truly epic scale".
Christopher Stevens in the Daily Mail called the opening hour-long episode "nothing less than a sweeping victory".
While The Guardian's Viv Groskop said: "It's hard to imagine how the BBC could have done a better job."
Downton Abbey star James plays Natasha Rostov in the drama, with Dano - who starred in 12 Years a Slave - as Pierre Bezukhov and Grantchester star James Norton as Prince Andrei.
The classic novel follows the three as they experience love and loss against the backdrop of Russia's wars with Napoleon.
It also stars Gillian Anderson, Rebecca Front and Stephen Rea, who were also praised for their performances.
The show has been made by the BBC in collaboration with The Weinstein company and will premiere on Lifetime, A&E and History channel in the US on 18 January.

Summary:


A new study has been launched looking at the comedy sketch show Monty Python's "lasting appeal".
The study, led by Aberystwyth University, is looking at the impact of the show on the public's perception of the UK.
The study is being carried out by Dr Kate Egan, a

A custody sergeant who dealt with a man who died after having a heart attack in a police cell followed procedures "in almost every respect", a court has heard.

Article: Aberystwyth University researchers are asking people what they enjoy about the programmes and films.
Monty Python is considered one of the enduring icons of British popular culture in the 1970s and 80s and is still popular now.
But Kate Egan, leading the study, said that "doesn't tell us what people really enjoy about them".
"Clearly, and after nearly 50 years, Monty Python's popularity has continued to grow," she said.
"What is it that different people most remember and value about their encounters with Python - whether on television, at the cinema, on stage, or in front of the record player?
"Whether people love them, like them, are entertained or irritated by them; whether their views on Python have changed or stayed the same; whether they first discovered them in 1969 or only recently, I'm interested in people's thoughts, experiences and memories."
The surreal comedy group gained prominence in 1969 with its sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, 45 episodes were broadcast over five years.
Monty Python went on to produce feature films including The Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life, live stage shows, albums, books and musicals.
In 2014, the Monty Python team were reunited on stage at London's O2 arena.

Summary: A new study has been launched looking at the comedy sketch show Monty Python's "lasting appeal".
###
Article: Infrastructure Secretary Ken Skates has updated requirements for the foreign-owned firms hoping to win the contract and create the £600m South Wales Metro.
The existing contract did not contain specifications for "rolling stock".
Mr Skates said some of the trains in service were nearly 40 years old and "simply not up to the task".
Abellio, Arriva, KeolisAmey and MTR all hope to secure the next Wales and Borders franchise, due to be awarded in 2018.
The successful bidder will have to reinvest a portion of its profits in the railway and will be responsible for delivering a major upgrade to the rail network in and around Cardiff as part of the Metro scheme.
Transport for Wales, a Welsh Government-owned company, is assessing the bids.
Mr Skates said: "It is important that high quality rolling stock which meets passenger expectations is delivered as part of the next rail service contract."
The newest trains in service at present are more than 20 years old and this new demand for bidders comes after a public consultation in which people said they wanted to see a number of improvements.
Bidders must "minimise the impact" new rolling stock has on the environment.
In the meantime, the minister also said he was working with current operator Arriva Trains Wales to increase capacity on busy services.

Summary: Firms competing to run rail services in Wales must provide new trains which "meet passenger expectations and demands", a minister has said.
###
Article: Thomas Orchard, 32, died in October 2012 after being arrested in Exeter.
But Bristol Crown Court heard custody sergeant Jan Kingshott, 44, "did his best" despite the outcome.
Mr Kingshott and civilian detention officers Simon Tansley, 38, and Michael Marsden, 55, all deny manslaughter.
Patrick Gibbs, for the defence, said: "What Mr Kingshott did was straightforward and professional and, in almost every respect, standard procedure.
"You will not find any anger, any sudden movement or over-reaction at Mr Orchard's behaviour, or any brutality.
"What you will find is force. We need to be straight with ourselves about the practical realities of force."
Mr Gibbs described Mr Orchard - who had schizophrenia - as "angry and aggressive" when he arrived at the custody centre.
Mr Gibbs said: "It was not Mr Orchard's fault that he was behaving the way he was behaving. Mr Orchard was not at fault but it doesn't mean force was unnecessary.
"It was not obviously unnecessary to look to the equipment which they had been given and had been trained to use."
Church caretaker Mr Orchard was handcuffed, held down and had an emergency response belt put across his face to restrain him, the court previously heard.
Mr Gibbs said: "Mr Kingshott does not pretend that everything was perfect or there is nothing that could have been improved.
"But he is not a computer. What he did not know was how this would turn out."
He told the court Mr Kingshott "did his best" and "he was a good custody sergeant, a decent person and a good witness".
Mr Orchard was pronounced dead seven days after the incident in hospital.
The trial continues.

Summary:


A man has been charged with the murder of a man who was found dead in a car in Lincolnshire.
The body of a man was found in a car in the city on Friday.
Police said the man was in his 30s and had been in a relationship with the woman.
The woman was arrested

Instructions for a hoist involved in the death of a hospital patient were not comprehensive, a court has heard.

Article: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has notified Highland Council of its plan to potentially submit a formal planning application for HMP Highland.
The proposed site is next to homes built for Scotland's Housing Expo, which was held in 2010.
HMP Highland would replace 112-year-old Inverness Prison, also known as Porterfield, near the city centre.
The jail is one of the smallest and oldest in Scotland.
The 103-prisoner-capacity Victorian-era building has had problems with overcrowding and the SPS said there was no room to expand the site.
It has proposed a family help hub and community integration facility for prisoners as part of the new "fit-for-purpose" prison.
Milton of Leys is a large southern suburb of Inverness. The area and proposed site has close access to the A9.
The housing expo at Balvonie Braes at Milton of Leys was held to promote new designs in housing. Most of the properties were later sold, or rented.
SPS announced about seven years ago that it planned to build a new prison in Inverness.
In 2010, SPS was told it could not build a new prison on land at the Inverness Campus.
The SPS had been in discussion with landowner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) about constructing the jail at the Beechwood site.
HIE said the plan was given serious consideration but it did not have "a strong strategic fit" with its vision.

Summary: A new prison has been proposed for an area of land at Milton of Leys in Inverness.
###
Article: However, the DUP leader and first minister Arlene Foster has said it will not happen.
Mrs Foster said: "I will sit where I sit, I'm sure Sinn Féin will continue to sit where they sit and there will be no change.
"I won the election."
She said Stormont was not Westminster and added that "unionism was with her on these matters, in terms of having a good strong stable, government for Northern Ireland".
Sinn Féin also said that they were against any change to where MLAs sit in the assembly.
"As far as Sinn Féin is concerned there will be no change in the seating arrangements in the assembly chamber," said Michelle O'Neill.
"If this is the best suggestion Mike Nesbitt can come up with as his first act in opposition it shows how much of a political irrelevance he and his party have become."
At Stormont, the DUP and Sinn Féin face each other across the chamber even though they are in government together.
In Westminster, the government is one one side of the House of Commons, with the opposition on the other.
"If they [DUP and Sinn Féin] don't want to sit side by side, why are they sitting side by side as partners in government," Mr Nesbitt said.
"And I think if they don't agree to changing the seating arrangements, if they have a sort of embarrassment or reluctance to sit together in the chamber then I don't think we are in for a very progressive five years."
Mr Nesbitt told BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme he had been tempted by the thought of taking ministerial office, but there was "no doubt" in his mind and the minds of the UUP MLAs' group "that the right thing to do was to go for opposition".
He said it was up to the other parties to "make their minds up" on whether they wanted to join the UUP in opposition.
Earlier, the Ulster Unionist Party's (UUP) former leader David Trimble said its move to form the Northern Ireland Assembly's first ever opposition was a "sign of confidence".
Mr Nesbitt announced the party's decision in Thursday's first sitting of the new assembly.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness...

Summary: Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, has called for seating arrangements in the Northern Ireland assembly chamber to change to reflect his party's decision to go into opposition.
###
Article: John Biggadike died when he fell while in the hoist and was impaled on a metal post at Boston Pilgrim Hospital.
At Lincoln Crown Court, the prosecution alleged hospital staff were not adequately trained and had wrongly removed a knee support pad.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust denies breaching health and safety regulations.
Mr Biggadike was receiving physiotherapy at the hospital ahead of being discharged in April 2012 when the incident happened.
More stories from around Lincolnshire
The defence suggest Mr Biggadike's death was not caused by failings in training, but by a failure to act after a previous "serious incident" with a hoist at a hospital in Leicester in 2007.
Jurors heard evidence from Sarah Vincent, representing the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Mrs Vincent admitted the Leicester incident was "serious" but conceded the subsequent MHRA investigation was limited to questioning the hoist manufacturer's own investigation and making sure the hospital trust had instructions for using the hoist.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust denies breach of health and safety regulations by exposing non-employees to risk by failing to train, supervise and monitor its employees in relation to the safe use of the lifting hoist on dates between July 2001 and April 2012.
The trial continues.

Summary:


The British supermarket giant, the world's third largest retailer, has been looking to dispose of its loss-making US food chain for some time.
Around 4,000 of Fresh & Easy's 5,000 employees are to transfer to the new business as part of the deal.
Fresh & Easy, which operates 200

Tesco has agreed to sell 150 of its Fresh & Easy stores to the investment company Yucaipa Companies.

Article: No surprise there, as the SNP and pro-independence Greens have a majority at Holyrood.
But the power to call a poll lies with Westminster - so the Holyrood parliament can press only for the start of negotiations about a date.
The parliament has endorsed the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's preferred timetable suggesting a referendum would "most appropriately be between the autumn of 2018, when there is clarity over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, and around the point at which the UK leaves the EU in spring 2019".
The timing would have obvious advantages for the SNP - Theresa May would be distracted by Brexit and UK government departments would have little time to work on research designed to dent or destroy the economic case for independence.
The prime minister and her advisers are all too aware of this - so what happens if Theresa May continues to dig her heels in and not only repeats "now is not that time" but suggests 2019 won't be the time either?
Senior SNP sources dismiss the idea that, under these circumstances, Nicola Sturgeon will attempt to organise a 'consultative' referendum without Westminster agreement which would have no constitutional standing.
So they will attempt to maintain pressure for a properly constituted, legally watertight referendum through sophisticated social media campaigning and - they hope - headline grabbing initiatives, such as declaring the economic case for independence is no longer reliant on oil revenues.
According to her public statements, Nicola Sturgeon is suggesting there should only be a little bit of wriggle room on the timing of that referendum - "a bit beyond" Brexit.
The reason for this is that the party's strategists have been conducting focus groups amongst those who firmly voted against independence last time. And they find that the timing argument is particularly resonant with those who voted No in the 2014 referendum and Remain in 2016.
Hence you will hear Nicola Sturgeon use phrases such as having a vote "before it's too late" to appeal to this...

Summary: The Scottish Parliament has voted to back a second independence referendum.
###
Article: But experts say many other factors could be at play and people should not stop taking supplements.
University of Auckland researchers analysed 23 studies involving more than 4,000 healthy people.
The UK government recommends children and over-65s take a daily supplement.
The New Zealand research team conducted a meta-analysis of all randomised trials examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density in healthy adults up to July 2012.
The supplements were taken for an average of two years by the study participants.
Bone mineral density is a measure of bone strength and measures the amount of bone mineral present at different sites in the body. It is often seen as an indicator for the risk of osteoporosis, which can lead to an increased risk of fracture.
The trials took place in a number of different countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Holland, Finland and Norway.
Although the results did not identify any benefits for people who took vitamin D, they did find a small but statistically significant increase in bone density at the neck of the femur near the hip joint.
According to the authors, this effect is unlikely to be clinically significant.
Prof Ian Reid, lead study author, from the University of Auckland, said the findings showed that healthy adults did not need to take vitamin D supplements.
"Our data suggest that the targeting of low-dose vitamin D supplements only to individuals who are likely to be deficient could free up substantial resources that could be better used elsewhere in healthcare."
Writing about the study in The Lancet, Clifford J Rosen from the Maine Medical Research Institute agrees that science's understanding of vitamin D supports the findings for healthy adults, but not for everyone.
"Supplementation to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults is not warranted. However, maintenance of vitamin D stores in the elderly combined with sufficient dietary calcium intake remains an effective approach for prevention of hip fractures."
The Department of Health...

Summary: Healthy adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements, suggests a study in The Lancet which found they had no beneficial effect on bone density, a sign of osteoporosis.
###
Article: The British supermarket giant, the world's third largest retailer, has been looking to dispose of its loss-making US food chain for some time.
Around 4,000 of Fresh & Easy's 5,000 employees are to transfer to the new business as part of the deal.
Tesco said in a statement that this is an "orderly and efficient exit from the US market".
Under the terms of the deal, Tesco will loan the new business around Â£80m.
Fresh & Easy, which operates 200 stores across California, Nevada and Arizona, has lost money since opening in 2007.
Tesco did not specify which stores are being transferred to Yucaipa, but it is understood the remaining 50 shops will be closed.
It will cost Tesco Â£150m to dispose of the Fresh & Easy brand, but part of that is a loan which may be paid back.
Also, if Yucaipa is sucessful and the business becomes profitable, Tesco has the option to buy a stake.
Yucaipa is a Los Angeles based private equity company focused on supermaket and restaurant businesses and is run by billionaire investor Ron Burkle.
In April of this year, Tesco reported its first fall in annual profits for 20 years.

Summary:


The number of people killed by police in England and Wales has fallen by more than a third in a decade, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.
The number of people killed by police in England and Wales has fallen by more than a third in a decade, according to figures released by the Office for

The chief constable of Humberside Police has written to schools asking for the children of officers to be given holiday leave during term time.

Article: Officers will be able to take swabs from drivers' mouths to test for any of eight prescription or eight illegal drugs after a change in regulations.
The new rules run alongside the existing law where it is an offence to drive when impaired by any drug.
Drivers face prosecution if they exceed limits set for the tests.
The existing penalties mean drug drivers already face a fine up to Â£5,000, up to six months in prison and a minimum one-year driving ban.
Those using prescription drugs within recommended amounts will not be penalised.
The All Wales Summer Anti-Drink and Drug Drive Campaign begins on Monday and runs for a month.
North Wales Police is leading the new campaign.
Sgt Alun Davies said: "This summer will be the first campaign with the new drug testing kits to help detect cannabis and cocaine as well as standard kits for alcohol testing, so we are better equipped than ever to detect and penalise those who take this very dangerous risk."
New legislation came into force in March 2015 which measures how much of a substance - both illegal drugs and prescription medications - motorists have in their system while driving.
In north Wales, police have conducted their own drugs tests with 18 out of 61 proving positive between March and May.
During last summer's drink-drive campaign across Wales, 15,485 breath tests were carried out with 358 being positive.

Summary: Motorists will be tested for cannabis and cocaine for the first time during an anti-drink and drugs campaign by the four Welsh police forces.
###
Article: Researchers from Abo Academy University in Finland say that violence in early human communities was driven by personal conflicts rather than large-scale battles.
They say their findings suggest that war is not an innate part of human nature, but rather a behaviour that we have adopted more recently.
The study is published in the journal Science.
Patrik Soderberg, an author of the study, said: "This research questions the idea that war was ever-present in our ancestral past. It paints another picture where the quarrels and aggression were primarily about interpersonal motives instead of groups fighting against each other."
Motives for murder
The research team based their findings on isolated tribes from around the world that had been studied over the last century.
Cut off from modern life and surviving off wild plants and animals, these groups live like the hunter gatherers of thousands of years ago.
"They are the kind of societies that don't really rely on agriculture or domestic animals - they are primitive societies," explained Mr Soderberg.
"About 12,000 years ago, we assume all humans were living in this kind of society, and that these kind of societies made up about for about 90% of our evolutionary path."
Using the modern tribes as an analogy for earlier society, the researchers looked at cases where violent deaths had been documented.
They found 148 such deaths but very few were caused by war.
"Most of these incidents of lethal aggression were what we call homicides, a few were feuds and only the minority could be labelled as war," Mr Soderberg said.
"Over half the events were perpetrated by lone individuals and in 85% of the cases, the victims were members of the same society."
Most of the killings were driven by personal motives, he added, such as family feuds or adultery.
The researchers admitted that modern communities were not a perfect model for ancient societies, but said the similarities were significant and did provide an insight into our past.
Mr Soderberg said: "It questions the idea that...

Summary: Primitive society was not driven by war, scientists believe.
###
Article: Justine Curran said the force had to restrict leave during summer and Christmas for operational reasons.
Head teachers in England can only grant absence during school time in "exceptional circumstances".
Ms Curran has asked head teachers to use their discretion to "fully consider" holiday requests.
In her letter, Ms Curran wrote: "I fully support the notion that every child needs to attend school regularly and absences should be minimised wherever possible."
She said that over the summer Humberside officers would be helping to police the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Nato Summit in south Wales.
Paul Yeomans chairman of the Humberside Police Federation, which represents junior officers, said his members supported the chief constable's call.
"They're not able to take their leave during the peak times and it is not their fault," he said.
If parents in England and Wales fail to ensure their children attend school, they may be issued with penalty notices of £50 to £100. Prosecution can result in a fine of up to £2,500, a jail sentence of up to three months or a community sentence.
In a letter to Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Education Secretary Michael Gove said the Department for Education guidance to head teachers "does not specify what constitutes exceptional circumstances".
He added: "Neither have we said that leave of absence can or cannot be granted to families of certain occupations."
John Killeen, head of South Cave Primary School and local representative of the National Association of Head Teachers union, said there was "inflexibility in a lot of professions".
"We have sympathy with the police service but it would make the head teacher's position untenable with the rest if the parent body if they started making exceptions."

Summary:


A man has been jailed for six years after admitting causing grievous bodily harm to a man in a drunken brawl.
The court heard that the victim, who was a friend of the defendant, was walking home from a pub in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on the evening of 10 August 2014.
The

A man accused of punching a groom when two wedding parties clashed at a hotel has denied hitting anyone but admitted "grappling" on the floor.

Article: The watchdog was called in after allegations of a hardline Muslim takeover of schools in Birmingham and has now inspected 21 schools.
It put six schools in special measures and said five had not done enough to protect children from extremist ideas.
But Park View Educational Trust said Ofsted had found no evidence of a plot.
The "Trojan Horse" row began with an anonymous letter, made public in March, alleging that a group of Muslims was attempting to usurp school governing bodies in Birmingham.
It has led to investigations by Birmingham City Council, the Department for Education (DfE), the Education Funding Agency and the schools watchdog Ofsted.
Ofsted is set to publish its 21 reports at 1400 BST on Monday.
The government confirmed that five schools that had previously rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted had now been rated inadequate in the reports.
In a statement David Hughes, Park View Educational Trust's vice chairman, confirmed that Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen had all been placed in special measures by Ofsted - and said it would be challenging the reports.
"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot," he said.
"The Ofsted reports found absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools."
He said the school stood as a "beacon of hope against a tide of isolation, poverty, drugs, crime and yes, potential extremism".
"Park View is part of the solution, not part of the problem," he said.
However, a leaked draft report by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) - which has carried out a parallel investigation - said the Park View trust schools had "taken the Islamic focus too far".
It found girls and boys had been segregated in some classes.
In other developments:
The prime minister is set to ask Ofsted to bring in snap inspections for schools in England following the allegations.
Currently, schools can be inspected without...

Summary: A trust has denounced the decision to put three schools in special measures, as Ofsted prepares to publish reports on the alleged "Trojan Horse" plot.
###
Article: The Welsh government wants Welsh speakers to be able to express their health needs in their first language.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) has said the Welsh language should not be a priority when delivering health care.
The strategy is being launched by the Welsh government on Wednesday.
The BMA said it was in favour of the Welsh language but felt that money spent on the NHS should be spent on health care.
Concerns have also been raised that targeting Welsh-speaking staff could hinder recruitment.
But Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh government wanted to make sure patients and their families felt they were "able to use Welsh when being assessed and receiving treatment or care".
"We all feel more comfortable discussing personal health and emotional matters in our first language," she said.
• Creating a systematic approach to Welsh language services as an integral element of service planning and delivery
• Building on current best practice and planning, commissioning and providing care
• Increasing the capability of the workforce to provide Welsh language services in priority areas and language awareness among all staff
• Creating leaders who will foster a supportive ethos within organisations, so that Welsh speaking users receive language sensitive services as a natural part of their care
• Providing education, learning and development programmes which reflect the services' responsibility to plan and provide Welsh language services
• Ensuring that all national strategies, policies and leadership programmes mainstream Welsh language services
SOURCE: Welsh government
"This framework is a key step to increasing not only the physical and mental wellbeing of Welsh speakers who need access to health and social care services, but also their emotional wellbeing."
Gwenda Thomas, deputy minister for social services, said many Welsh speakers could only express their care needs effectively in Welsh.
"For example, people suffering from dementia and people who have a stroke often lose a grasp of...

Summary: Moves to strengthen the use of the Welsh language in health and social care - previously criticised by a doctors' group - are being unveiled.
###
Article: Glen Evans was left with a broken nose and his bride Georgina was punched at Fanhams Hall Hotel in Hertfordshire, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Lee Doyle, 37, of Houghton Regis denied punching the groom. He and Gary Hutson, 46, of Luton, both charged with affray, were guests at another wedding.
Both deny affray on 10 August 2014.
The court heard an argument broke out when Mr Doyle and Mr Hutson asked Mr and Mrs Evans and their friends to move away from a fireplace.
The newly married couple and their group were having drinks at the hotel following their own reception at another hotel.
Mr Evans said the two men and the other groom confronted him, saying the area was reserved, although his party had been put there by bar staff.
He said the two men hit him, and he was kicked and punched by others who joined in the attack. Mrs Evans was then also punched, leaving her with bruising to the head.
However, Mr Doyle told the court he was trying to defuse the situation, which he described as "volatile".
He admitted pushing Mr Evans and "grappling" with him as he thought he was going to attack Mr Hutson.
Mr Doyle described Mr Evans as "irate and aggressive" but denied hitting him.
Earlier this week Mr Evans denied allegations that he had thrown the first punch and had been "aggressive".
The trial continues.

Summary:


The High Court has ruled a Cornish seaside town will keep its ban on new-build second homes.
The ruling was made after a challenge by a group of residents.
The group argued the policy was an attack on the town's two main industries - tourism and construction.
The High Court has ruled the

A police force has apologised after its officers made a sandcastle "crime scene" featuring a naked dead woman.

Article: The term describes the disruptive influence that storms at the surface of the Sun can have at Earth.
The worst of these events can disturb satellites, power grids and radio communications.
As with terrestrial weather, the Met Office, at its HQ in Exeter, has been asked to co-ordinate operational forecasting.
It has been doing this now for a number of weeks, working with experts across the UK and in the US, which has had a prediction service for many years.
Wednesday's event, led by the Science Minister Greg Clark, formally inaugurated the British centre of excellence.
"The Prime Minister (David Cameron) and the President of the US (Barack Obama) paved the way for the launch of this operational service in their bilateral discussions in 2011," the minister explained.
"Space weather is a serious threat, with the potential to have a very significant effect on society and the economy of our two countries."
Solar storms are now listed as one of most serious threats facing the UK on its National Risk Register, along with flu and volcanic eruptions in Iceland.
The government has ordered contingencies be put in place.
Space weather has long been recognised as an issue, but experts say our increasing dependence on technology has made 21st Century society more vulnerable.
Explosive eruptions from the Sun can have a wide range of effects on modern infrastructure.
The magnetic fields in the biggest outbursts can induce currents in electricity networks that overload equipment and cause power outages.
Mark Gibbs, the head of space weather at the Met Office, told the BBC: "We're working with critical national infrastructure operators to protect UK PLC. Our forecasts will help those operators take measures to mitigate the risks, so that hopefully we don't see major problems occurring."
The National Grid is already using the service.
It believes its network's architecture makes it inherently robust, but the director of safety sustainability and reliance, Chris Train, said the new Met Office service was invaluable.
"It's...

Summary: The Met Office has opened a new forecast centre dedicated to so-called "space weather".
###
Article: In May more than 80% of residents in St Ives voted to reserve new homes for full-time residents.
A Penzance architectural firm challenged Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum to go ahead.
The High Court has ruled the vote, which said new homes should be occupied as "principal residences", was lawful.
More on the St Ives ruling, plus other Devon and Cornwall news
The vote was part of a wider housing plan for the town.
Under the government's 2011 Localism Act, if more than 50% of voters support a neighbourhood plan it carries "real legal weight" and the local planning authority must bring it into force.
Supporters of the vote said that one in four properties in the town are second homes or holiday lets and after years of being priced out of the market, the community had spoken.
RLT Built Environment Ltd argued the policy was an attack on the town's two main industries - tourism and construction.
Chris Tofts from Stephens Scown Solicitors in Truro said: "Our client's challenge was based on whether Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum on the St Ives neighbourhood plan to go ahead was compatible with human rights legislation. "
The High Court has ruled the policy is compatible with human rights legislation.
Cornwall Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, Edwina Hannaford said: "This is a hugely important judgement for Cornwall, St Ives Town Council and for the residents of St Ives who wanted to ensure that any new homes in the town would be the resident's sole or main residence.
"We also know a number of other local communities, both in Cornwall and across the rest of the country, are interested in including similar policies in their own Neighbourhood Plans and have been  watching this case with interest."

Summary: The High Court has ruled a Cornish seaside town will keep its ban on new-build second homes.
###
Article: The sculpture, depicting a sprawled murder victim surrounded by police tape, was crowned winner of the Cornwall Beach Games sandcastle competition.
But Devon and Cornwall Police was criticised after boasting officers tweeted about their victory.
Labour councillor Hannah Toms said some would find it "very offensive".
The force said it was a "fun event" and officers had not intended to cause any offence.
Ms Toms acknowledged officers had intended to be "light-hearted" but said the sandcastle "somewhat misses the mark and is in a bit of poor taste".
"I like a joke as much as the next person but this is a family beach event," she said.
"As a parent I would not be very happy to explain to my child what it was all about.
"It's trivialising quite a serious matter."
Ms Toms added: "I think there's a level of sexual stereotyping with the large bottom and the large breasts. Police have been working really hard to break down barriers on reporting sex crimes and I don't think this image really helps their cause."
Reaction on social media was mixed, with some defending the sandcastle.
Hazel Jago said on Facebook: "So it's a team of police officers representing the type of work they deal with. What's the problem!? There is always someone that will whinge about something."
Lorraine Lardon said: "People need an injection of humour."
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "If any offence has been cause by the nature of the sculpture, this was never intended and we apologise for that."

Summary:


The number of rapes recorded by police has fallen by more than a third in England and Wales, according to a new report.
The number of rapes recorded by police in England and Wales has fallen by more than a third in the past two years, according to a new report.
The report, published by the multi

A Kent council claims it is being "forced into a corner" as proposed cuts to government grants could leave a shortfall of more than £500,000.

Article: The feature means the devices can stream footage to the internet with up to 720p high-definition resolution.
Users will need to pay EE for the required 4G connectivity.
Models sold by the sector's bestselling brand, GoPro, do not offer internet broadcasting as standard, although there are add-on apps and kit that make it possible.
The mobile network said that its 4GEE Action Cam was the first in a range of own-brand connected devices that it planned to release this year.
"We understand our customers not only want superfast coverage, they want products that give them the very best experiences, coupled with the most innovative and exciting ways in which to share them," said EE chief executive Olaf Swantee.
One industry watcher said the camera should appeal to a young audience accustomed to being able to "instantly share" self-generated videos and photos, but added that it was probably not destined to become a bestseller.
"This is basically a niche product," said Francisco Jeronimo, from research company IDC.
"But EE's goal is not to dominate the action-cameras segment, it's to make users aware they can share moments straight away with friends if they have a connection.
"It will be very happy if in a year's time it doesn't have to make the hardware itself because GoPro has started to provide an action camera of its own with a Sim card.
"What EE's doing is very similar to what operators did with own-branded 3G and 4G handsets when the networks first launched and there were not devices affordable enough for most users."
GoPro's filings state that it shipped 5.2 million action cameras in 2014, an increase of 35% on the previous year.
GoPro dominates the action-camera market, despite attempts by other tech companies, including Garmin, Xiaomi, HTC and TomTom to sell rival products designed for use during adventure sports and other activities.
GoPro's cameras can be used to broadcast live footage, but this requires them to be wirelessly linked to a smartphone running Livestream's third-party app or plugged into the...

Summary: The British mobile phone network EE is to sell its own action cameras with built-in 4G.
###
Article: The proportion of suspects charged with rape in 2014-15 has been falling - and is as low as 6% in one area, it shows.
One in four rape cases involving a child victim led to a prosecution, and one in eight involving an adult victim.
Officials said the data was a starting point to allow people to scrutinise how rape is dealt with in their area.
The investigation by the multi-agency Rape Monitoring Group and published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), brings together data from 42 police force areas.
It found that there were 19,316 rapes against adults and 9,949 against children reported to police during the year 2014-15.
Some 12% of reported rapes of adults in England and Wales resulted in a suspect being charged or summons being issued.
The rate is almost double when the alleged victim is a child, with 23% of reported rapes resulting in criminal action.
However, there were significant regional variations, possibly reflecting different approaches by police and prosecutors, the report said.
In Humberside, for example, 35% of child rape cases led to criminal proceedings for rape; in Nottinghamshire the figure for adults was 6%.
Since the Jimmy Savile affair, in October 2012, the number of rapes recorded by police has gone up substantially, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.
But that has not been matched by the number of cases which result in a charge of rape, he said.
For the first time, the report incorporates data on how many reported rapes are transferred to other forces to be investigated, or cancelled as they were recorded as rape "in error", as police subsequently determined that a crime did not take place.
Previously, these cases would have fallen into a category formerly known as "no crimes".
The Gwent Police force had the highest number of adult rape cases "transferred or cancelled" at 13%, whereas Warwickshire had none.
Wendy Williams, chair of the Rape Monitoring Group, said the figures should be treated with some caution as they incorporated data collected in different...

Summary: The way police and prosecutors deal with rape allegations varies widely across England and Wales, according to an Inspectorate of Constabulary report.
###
Article: Thanet District Council said it was considering a 2% rise in the authority's part of the council tax.
Councillor Rick Everitt, cabinet member for finance, said the council had seen a 28% reduction in government funding over the past two years.
"Further cuts to the council purse are really unwelcome," he said.
The council said figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government showed the council was likely to be left short of £580,000 for the next financial year.
Mr Everitt said: "Having already suffered a reduction of 28% in government funding over the past two years, resources are stretched to the absolute limit.
"This additional reduction of over half a million pounds has forced us into a corner."
From Monday, the council will be asking for residents' views on which services should be a priority.
The council said final figures were expected in December and would be debated at a meeting in January.

Summary:


A man has been arrested after he allegedly fired a gun at a Secret Service agent in the White House.
The incident happened on Tuesday, when the man was questioned by agents after taking a video of the president in the lift.
The man was immediately sacked by his supervisors, who arrived on the scene shortly after the

President Barack Obama rode in a lift with an armed security contractor who had assault convictions, in another security lapse.

Article: Belfast City Council pulled funding of about Â£1,000, some of which was to be used for a children's fun day at Sandy Row on Tuesday.
One of the organisers said local people had been told the council had expressed concerns about the height of the nearby bonfire.
The council said discussions were ongoing in relation to the funding.
Sandy Row's children's fun day and bonfire celebrations have been taking place on the eve of the annual Twelfth of July commemorations, which mark the victory of William III at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The bonfire, that contains hundreds of wooden pallets, is in a car park near a hotel.
One of the organisers of the street party, John Cameron, said he believed the bonfire builders had complied with the council's policies.
He added that there was a lot of disappointment in the area that the council had pulled its support for a children's party at such short notice - but that the event had gone ahead with the support of local businesses.
"Children don't understand that, so the community has got together, along with local businesses, and they have managed to pull together a fun day," he said.
"It's a real tribute to the people of Sandy Row to make sure that it goes ahead."
An MLA for the area, Christopher Stalford, was among those who criticised the council's move and is seeking an explanation.
In a letter to council officials, the DUP MP said Sandy Row residents were "absolutely aghast at the decision that has been taken and feel very saddened and offended".
Mr Stalford asked: "If the issue is related to the bonfire in Sandy Row, why is the event which is held hundreds of yards away being penalised?"
Mr Cameron said the Sandy Row bonfire had been in the news for weeks and those responsible for building it had tried to abide by the advice of the council.
The police and the council are holding separate investigations into the alleged theft of hundreds of wooden pallets that had been placed in storage on council-controlled land in advance of Eleventh Night bonfires.
Mr Cameron said...

Summary: A loyalist community in Belfast has expressed anger that council funding has been withheld for a street party.
###
Article: The ruling conservative Liberal Party has promised to hold a plebiscite on the issue if it returns to power at this weekend's election.
But questions remain over whether the party would abide by a result in favour of same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile a video has emerged of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten praising the idea of a plebiscite.
Mr Shorten last week slammed the government's plan as a "platform for homophobia" and advocated a parliamentary vote to decide the issue.
But he told a Christian lobby forum in 2013 that he would rather let the public vote on same-sex marriage than leave the issue to MPs.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is tipped to hold power at the election on Saturday and is aiming to hold a public vote on same-sex marriage by the end of the year.
But the result of the vote would be non-binding and MPs would need to pass further legislation to make it law.
Two senior Australian ministers have refused to say if they would support same-sex marriage in parliament.
In an interview, Treasurer Scott Morrison refused six times to say how he would vote.
"My view is, if the plebiscite is carried nationally, then the legislation should pass," Mr Morrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"If the plebiscite is not carried, then I think that settles the matter."
The treasurer - an evangelical Christian who worships at a Pentecostal megachurch - refused to give a straight answer when challenged for "clarity" on the issue.
In a separate interview, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop echoed the treasurer's comments, refusing to be drawn on the "hypothetical" issue.
"I would take my electorate's view into account, but I would also take into account how the plebiscite played out across Australia because, for example, a referendum gets up if it is a majority of states, majority of people in the majority of states," she said.
Meanwhile the video of Mr Shorten telling church leaders in 2013 that he was "completely relaxed" about a plebiscite on same-sex marriage has undermined his attack on the government.
Mr...

Summary: Same-sex marriage has become a front-page issue in the final days of Australia's election campaign.
###
Article: It happened on 16 September when Mr Obama visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The incident came to light on Tuesday, hours after the boss of the Secret Service was grilled by Congress about a security breach at the White House.
A Secret Service official confirmed the incident but declined to comment.
The incident contravened a protocol that only members of the Secret Service are allowed to carry weapons in the presence of the president.
Tuesday's revelations led to calls from one senior US congressman for a "top-to-bottom" review of the agency.
The gun was found when the man was questioned by agents after taking a video of the president in the lift.
He was immediately sacked by his supervisors, who arrived on the scene shortly after the incident, reports said.
November 2009: A Virginia couple filming a reality show make it past Secret Service checkpoints into a dinner for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without an invitation.
November 2011: A man parks a car directly south of the White House and opens fire with a rifle, striking the residence at least seven times. Secret Service supervisors fail to realise the White House has been struck for four days - until a housekeeper discovers the damage.
April 2012: Eleven Secret Service employees preparing for the president's visit to the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Columbia, bring sex workers back to their hotel. An altercation ensues when one agent reneges on an agreement to pay $800 (Â£500) for the night, one woman tells a newspaper. Investigators later reveal agents violated protocol by "consuming excessive amounts of alcohol and patronising questionable local establishments while off duty".
November 2013: A senior supervisor on the president's protective detail starts a row after demanding access to a woman's room at the Hay Adams Hotel overlooking the White House. He leaves behind in the room a bullet from his service weapon.
March 2014: Three agents on the elite counter assault team are sent home from the...

Summary:


The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for late Thursday into Friday for the Western and Northern Isles, Highlands and Argyll.
The warning also applies to parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire.
The Met Office said: "The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to

Storm Abigail, the first storm to be officially named by the Met Office, is set to bring winds of up to 80mph to parts of Scotland later this week.

Article: It also found a shortage of suitable skills at middle career level.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland said skills training has some elements that perform at least as well as the rest of Britain
But it concluded that training for those aged 16 and over is not focused on current or future demand.
The think tank has challenged Scots to look beyond comparison with the rest of the United Kingdom if it is to compete economically.
Its report, Jobs and Skills in Scotland, found 118,000 jobs were created between 2010 and 2015, when the economy was struggling to recover from recession.
However, the jobs recovery has been weaker than the rest of the UK, and Scotland's employment rate has gone, in those years, from being higher than the UK average to being lower.
Jobs growth in Scotland has been in lower-skill sectors while losing jobs in higher skill industries - including financial services, down by nearly 10% in Scotland between 2010 and 2015.
There has been more of a balance in Scotland between manufacturing and the service sector than across the rest of Britain, where 87% of new jobs have been in services.
The gap between Scotland and the rest of Britain on average pay and productivity has been narrowed, but largely because the wider UK economy has seen productivity stall.
Among the particular problems of the Scottish jobs market is the lowest rate in Britain of career progression from low-skill to higher-skill employment. British career progression is low by international standards.
There is also a mismatch of job vacancies in Scotland with middle-level skills at early career level, with around 29,000 too few people qualified to fill them.
IPPR Scotland recommends reform which links funding and effort more strongly to career progression, productivity and tackling in-work poverty.
It urges better integration of employer needs with engagement of young people. A new regional regime is recommended, combining budgets.
The think tank also recommends that skills training should be directed towards...

Summary: Scots in lower-skilled jobs are less likely to progress to higher-skilled ones than in the rest of the UK and much of Europe, a report has found.
###
Article: Some 590,000 voters were registered to cast ballots for a 50-seat parliament, choosing from about 250 candidates.
The party of Mr Bainimarama, who quit as military chief to contest the polls, is expected to win the most seats.
The polls are being keenly watched by the international community, which has been urging a return to democracy.
After voting ended, election supervisor Mohammed Saneem said the day had gone smoothly.
"We haven't received any reports of any altercations in any of our polling stations and, as such, we can say, from the current information available, that there was no violence," he told reporters.
The Fijian Elections Office said counting of the votes had begun.
Earlier on Wednesday, long queues formed at polling stations with reports of voters dressed in their Sunday best eager to cast their ballots.
Will poll bring democracy?
"This is a historic election," Suva taxi driver Anil Kumar told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm excited that I will be able to cast my vote. I'm looking forward to it."
Fiji experienced four coups between 1987 and 2006.
Mr Bainimarama has ruled Fiji since ousting elected leader Laisenia Qarase in the most recent of them.
Mr Bainimarama says he wants to end tensions between indigenous Fijians and ethnic Indians at the heart of the political unrest.
To that end he has reformed the electoral process, ending the race-based communal voting system.
But in the past eight years he has also ruled with an iron grip, clamping down on free speech, compromising the judiciary and imposing media censorship.
In a recent report, rights group Amnesty International accused him of creating a "climate of fear" in Fiji through his use of draconian laws, and intimidation and harassment of government critics.
Critics also suggest that Mr Bainimarama, whose FijiFirst party is one of seven contesting the polls, has enjoyed a campaigning advantage because of the lack of any formal political opposition.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa), led by indigenous Fijians, is seen as...

Summary: Voting has ended in the first election in Fiji since former military ruler Frank Bainimarama took power in a coup in 2006.
###
Article: A yellow "be aware" warning has been issued for late Thursday into Friday for the Western and Northern Isles, Highlands and Argyll.
The warning also applies to parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire.
Earlier this year the Met Office asked the public for suggestions for names for storms.
Storm Abigail could bring gusts of 60 to 70mph, potentially rising to speeds of up to 80mph in exposed areas.
The warning is in place from 18:00 on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.
In its warning, the Met Office said: "The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to transport. In addition, large waves may give rise to local over-topping along some coasts.
"A vigorous depression is expected to pass just to the northwest of Scotland on Thursday night bringing a swathe of very strong winds on its eastern and southern flanks.
"There remains some uncertainty regarding the exact extent and timing of strongest winds and the extent of impacts and this warning will be kept under review."
Sea swell charts produced by South Devon-based surfing website Magicseaweed.com suggest swell reaching heights of 10-11.5m (36-38ft) on Friday.
Meteorologist Dr Eddy Graham, who lectures at Lews Castle College UHI in Stornoway in Lewis, said people should stay indoors if the weather deteriorates.
He said: "The Met Office have issued the first high wind warning of the season for this Thursday and Friday for most of northern and western Scotland.
"Winds are expected to reach over 70mph, possibly touching 80mph in the strongest gusts. Winds of these speeds are dangerous when outdoors - stay safely indoors when conditions deteriorate."

Summary: