The News Matrix: Saturday 4 August 2012

Bee swarm delays Pittsburgh flight

A beekeeper had to be called to capture a swarm of thousands of bees that settled on the wing of a Delta Air Lines aircraft due to fly from Pittsburgh to New York. Swarms can contain up to 30,000 bees and form when a queen leaves the colony to create a new hive.

Scottish students in exam result blunder

Thousands of Scottish students were given an early glimpse of their exam results. Students seeking a place at St Andrew's were able to log on to the university's website and find out their results four days early, fuelling a row over whether they had gained an advantage in seeking a university place.

Boy dies after fall from block of flats

A three-year-old boy has died after falling from a window at a block of flats in Dundee. Emergency services were called at 2.30pm yesterday, and found the boy had sustained a serious head injury. He was taken to Ninewells Hospital where he died a short time later. Tayside Police are investigating the incident.

Digital album sales pass 100 million

Hits by Adele and Ed Sheeran have helped sales of digital albums top 100 million in the UK. Adele's second album, 21, and Sheeran's, +, have sold more than 250,000 copies online already and take the top two places in a chart of the best-selling digital albums ever in the UK.

Duggan family still in dark over death

The family of Mark Duggan say they remain in the dark about the circumstances surrounding his fatal shooting by police, one year on from the events that triggered four days of rioting across Britain. The police watchdog is continuing its inquiry into Mr Duggan's death. MORE

Scottish students in exam result blunder

Thousands of Scottish students were given an early glimpse of their exam results. Students seeking a place at St Andrew's were able to log on to the university's website and find out their results four days early, fuelling a row over whether they had gained an advantage in seeking a university place.

Oil tankers renamed to dodge sanctions

In an effort to avoid sanctions, Iran has rechristened many of its oil tankers with English names such as Freedom, Truth, Honesty, Justice and Leadership. Others have been named Brawny, Valour and Mars. But with most identified by their serial numbers, experts expect the ruse to fail.

Rise in unemployed despite job creation

President Barack Obama found hope for the US yesterday after data showed 163,000 new jobs were created in July. But Republican challenger Mitt Romney pounced on a slight rise in the country's unemployment rate to 8.3 per cent, calling it a "hammer blow" to middle-class families.

Students choose books over trainers

University students are no longer the party animals of long repute. Research by Milkround shows they would give top priority to paying their bills rather than going out for an evening's fun – and would be more likely to buy a key textbook than a new set of trainers.

UN Assembly denounces violence

The UN General Assembly denounced Syria's crackdown yesterday and demanded the locking up of its chemical weapons. The vote came as the Security Council has been deadlocked by Russian and Chinese vetoes on sanctions on Syria. MORE

Poor families to lose council tax benefit

Plans to slash council tax benefit payments could see low-income families lose out on hundreds of pounds a year. Councils must decide which of the six million people currently assisted should lose the money. Council chiefs have denounced the reductions. MORE

Fast-track trial for murder accused Gu

The murder trial of Gu Kailai, accused of poisoning the British businessman Neil Heywood, will start next Thursday in Hefei, in east China. The expediting of Gu's trial is a sign that the politically sensitive case is advancing before China's once-a-decade political transition.

Mourners pay tribute to Binchy

Mourners from the worlds of arts, journalism and politics paid their respects at the funeral of novelist Maeve Binchy yesterday. Father William Stuart told the congregation in her native Dalkey in Dublin: "There isn't a person here or beyond here who cannot recall her infectious personality."