The News Matrix: Monday 6 August 2012

Heatwave kills thousands of fish

More than 40,000 of fish have died as the hot, dry summer evaporates rivers in some states and causes water temperatures to hit 38C.

Gunman kills six at Sikh temple

A shooting at a Sikh temple in the United States yesterday left seven people dead, including the gunman, and three seriously injured, officials said. Four people were shot inside the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and three outside, including a gunman killed by police. MORE

Ofqual moves to end exam grade inflation

There are fears that pupils could be held back from reaching the highest grades in this summer's GCSE and A-level exams, with exam boards asked by the regulator Ofqual to fix pass rates and grades. The move looks set to end decades of year-on-year rises in pass rates. MORE

Man drove with children on bonnet

A man in Indiana has been sentenced to 18 months of home detention for driving drunk with four young children strapped to the bonnet of his car.

Dictator hosts Clinton human rights event

Former US President Bill Clinton, left, sits on the board of directors of US charity, Leon H Sullivan Foundation, which is to hold its biennial human rights conference in dictator-run Equatorial Guinea in Africa. MORE

Giffords accused 'to admit shootings'

The man accused of wounding politician Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people in 2011, will plead guilty in a Tucson court tomorrow, according to reports. Jared Loughner, 23, is charged with 49 offences, including first-degree murder. MORE

Kindle books outsell printed editions

The internet retailer Amazon.co.uk sells more Kindle books than printed ones. It has sold 114 Kindle titles for every 100 print books. MORE

Hunt's Murdoch chat is laid bare

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he was just being "polite" when he was seen chatting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch at the Olympics on Friday.

President Obama plays golf on birthday

President Barack Obama celebrated his 51st birthday this weekend with a round of golf and plans for a quiet weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat, taking a break from campaigning three months before Election Day.

Coalition backlash continues to grow

Labour's lead is now the biggest since in the general election, according to the latest poll of polls for i. Support rose to an average of 42 per cent last month, nine points ahead of the Conservatives on 33 per cent. The Liberal Democrats slipped back to 11 per cent. MORE

Stolen ice-cream leads to deportation

A man jailed for 16 months after taking a single lick of an ice-cream stolen from a shop during last year's riots is facing deportation and a 10-year ban from Britain. Anderson Fernandes has been told he will be sent back to Portugal where he only spent a few years as a child. MORE

Trawlers are wrecking wrecks

Urgent action is needed to protect shipwrecks from damage by fishing trawlers, archaeologists say, calling for "red lists" for wrecks of major international importance. MORE

Battle rages for deserted Aleppo

Syrian forces threatened yesterday to mount a "decisive battle" for Aleppo even as rebels clawed back towards the city's ancient centre under intense bombardment and strafing from warplanes. In the areas affected by fighting, the last remaining families were forced to leave their homes to the mercy of shells and mortar fire as the fled the violence. MORE