US Secretary of State John Kerry has diverted his homebound flight from the Middle East for hastily arranged talks in Paris on the Ukraine crisis with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The decision came after President Vladimir Putin spoke to President Barack Obama by phone late on Friday.
Mr Obama has called on Russia to pull its troops back from Ukraine's border.
Mr Lavrov told Russian TV on Saturday that Moscow had no intention of sending troops into Ukraine.
Several thousand Russian soldiers are reported to have been stationed near Ukraine's eastern borders.
The two foreign ministers are due to meet in Paris on Sunday evening.
Reports say Mr Kerry was flying home from the Middle East on Saturday when he abruptly changed travel plans and instructed the plane's crew to fly to France.
There were festivities in the Crimean capital Simferopol late on Saturday when the clocks were moved forward two hours at 22:00 (20:00 GMT) local time to align with Moscow time.
However, representatives of the peninsula's Tatar minority, who largely opposed Russia's annexation, voted in favour of "ethnic and territorial autonomy".
The delegates at a congress convened in the town of Bakhchisaray left open the form this autonomy would take and how it would be achieved.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's interim authorities have been pressing ahead with plans for elections due on 25 May.
Boxer and leading political figure Vitaly Klitschko pulled out of the race for president on Saturday, declaring his support for billionaire chocolate tycoon Petro Poroshenko.
"The only chance of winning is to nominate one candidate from the democratic forces," he told supporters of his Udar (Punch) party.
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who was freed from jail when Viktor Yanukovych was ousted as president last month, has also said she will stand.
After Mr Yanukovych fled Ukraine, pro-Russian forces moved in to take control of the Crimean peninsula. Moscow then annexed the Ukrainian region after a referendum condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly.
In an interview with state TV channel Rossiya 1 on Saturday, Mr Lavrov said: "We have absolutely no intention of - or interest in - crossing Ukraine's borders."
He added that Russia was ready to protect "the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, using all available political, diplomatic and legal means".
After the interview was broadcast, it emerged Mr Lavrov had spoken by phone to Mr Kerry, in a conversation that Russian officials said was initiated by the US.
That call followed an hour-long phone discussion late on Friday between the US and Russian presidents. Mr Putin had contacted President Obama, according to US officials.
The White House said in a statement. that the US was keen to de-escalate the crisis.
"President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," it added.
The US proposal, described as a "diplomatic off-ramp", has been developed in consultation with Ukraine and several EU countries,
It is thought to involve halting the military build-up near Ukraine's border, the deployment of international monitors in eastern Ukraine to protect the rights of Russian speakers, and the return of Russian troops in Crimea to their bases there.
The Kremlin said that the Russian president had drawn Mr Obama's attention to "the continued rampage of extremists" in Kiev and various regions of Ukraine.
Russia's reported troop movements near Ukraine's eastern border - described by Nato as a "huge military build-up" - have triggered fears that Mr Putin's interest in Ukraine is not limited to Crimea.
Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said on Saturday Russia was trying to create an "instability belt" in Ukraine's south-eastern regions.
"If you look at the map, there are plans to destabilise the situation in... particularly in Odessa, which would give the Russian Federation a pretext for creating a corridor between Russia [and] Crimea," Mr Deshchytsya said.


Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan insists he is staying to oversee the club's five-year plan after a second successive year of profit.

The club recorded a small profit of £8,813 for the financial year ending in September 2016, up nearly £5,000 on the previous year.
Khan said he is "thoroughly enjoying" his job and that speculation suggesting he is going to quit should be ignored.
"I am certainly not looking to move anywhere," he told BBC Radio Leicester.
"I am loving being part of the club. We have a fantastic board who get right behind and support me.
"We still have a lot of work to do but the past two years have been fantastic."
Between 2012 and 2014 Leicestershire had three successive years of losses, totalling in excess of £500,000.
But Khan said ground development, a naming rights deal for Grace Road, sponsorship and the work on the commercial side - including an Elton John concert - had helped turn things around.
"We put a very clear five-year plan together in January 2015 of where the club needed to go," Khan added.
"We needed radical change, which we had. We have done a lot of work over the last two years to get this club back on track."


Sheffield Wednesday held off a spirited Brighton side to reach the Championship play-off final at Wembley on 28 May.

Lewis Dunk put the hosts ahead when he volleyed in a set-piece from Anthony Knockaert, who also hit the post during a dominant first-half display.
But Ross Wallace, who scored in the Owls' 2-0 first-leg win, saw his cross drift in for the equaliser that secured a 3-1 aggregate win.
Wednesday, out of the top flight since 2000, will now face Derby or Hull.
The Tigers take a 3-0 lead into their home second leg of the semi-final on Tuesday.
No team had previously overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit to reach the final of the second-tier play-offs - and Brighton made every attempt to create a bit of history.
Boosted by the availability of both Knockaert and Dunk after injury and suspension respectively, the Seagulls made a lightning start and could easily have been in front in the tie by the time Dunk netted from close range.
Knockaert struck the woodwork with a curling free-kick and also headed wide from five yards before crossing for Dunk to halve Brighton's deficit.
Any momentum from that opening goal quickly disappeared, however, as Wallace's cross beat everybody in the penalty area and nestled in David Stockdale's far corner.
The goal was allowed to stand, despite protests by Dunk that he had been pushed by Gary Hooper as the ball was played into the box.
Wednesday, undoubtedly second best in the first period, were rarely threatened after half-time as Brighton fell to a third Championship play-off semi-final defeat in four seasons.
Wednesday - who finished sixth in the Championship table, 15 points behind Brighton - are one win away from returning to the top flight for the first time in 16 years.
Since their relegation in 2000, the Owls have spent four years in League One and had only registered two top-half finishes in the second tier before this season.
Dejphon Chansiri targeted Premier League football within two years when his consortium took control of the the South Yorkshire club in January 2015.
And, having supported head coach Carlos Carvalhal heavily in the transfer market this season, the Thai businessman could get his wish ahead of schedule.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal: "It's been a long time for Sheffield Wednesday and it's very important for the club.  Now we can wake up the giant.
"Let me give a word to Brighton and their manager. They had a fantastic season, they fought until the last minute to get promotion. They deserve promotion.
"But that doesn't mean we don't deserve it. We have grown up together like a team."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Brighton manager Chris Hughton: "It's always difficult in the second leg to be 2-0 down, even at home, but we had great belief we could turn it around.
"We should have been at least one up before we got the goal. But things have gone against us in the last few weeks, and their goal was a foul on Dunk.
"That makes it tougher - at 1-1 they have motivation. That was really frustrating. The disappointment is massive."
Chris Sutton, ex-Blackburn striker on BBC Radio 5 live
"I really feel for Brighton, but credit to Sheffield Wednesday for their second-half performance.
"They were extremely comfortable. They had the strokes of luck with Brighton missing chances and a couple off the line in the first half.
"Over the two legs, Brighton haven't had the luck and it's Sheffield Wednesday who are celebrating.
"Glenn Loovens and Tom Lees were terrific at centre-half for Sheffield Wednesday, Keiren Westwood was commanding in goal and they are one game away from the top flight."
Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Attempt missed. James Wilson (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kazenga Lua Lua.
Foul by Lewis Dunk (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the right following a fast break.
Attempt blocked. Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is blocked. Assisted by Fernando Forestieri.
Corner,  Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Jeremy Helan.
Attempt saved. Lewis Dunk (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Liam Rosenior (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Anthony Knockaert (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Jack Hunt (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Anthony Knockaert (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Lewis Dunk with a headed pass.
Attempt missed. Kazenga Lua Lua (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Lewis Dunk.
Foul by Bruno (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Glenn Loovens (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Tom Lees.
Attempt missed. Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Barry Bannan.
Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Beram Kayal (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday).
Attempt missed. James Wilson (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Beram Kayal.
Foul by Jiri Skalak (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Bruno (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Bruno (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Sam Hutchinson.
Kazenga Lua Lua (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Kieran Lee (Sheffield Wednesday).
Corner,  Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Steve Sidwell.
Foul by Liam Rosenior (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Liam Rosenior (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday).
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Liam Rosenior replaces Gordon Greer.
Attempt missed. Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Kieran Lee with a cross.
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Jiri Skalak tries a through ball, but Steve Sidwell is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Kazenga Lua Lua (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Jiri Skalak (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


A concert pianist was strangled by her husband because of his jealousy over her successful career, a court heard.

Natalia Strelchenko, 38, was found with fatal head injuries at their Manchester home on the couple's second wedding anniversary last August.
Her musician husband John Martin, originally from Norway, is on trial for her murder, which he denies.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court heard the jealousy was made worse because his career had not taken off.
Russian-born Ms Strelchenko, also known as Natalia Strelle, moved to Manchester in 2009 after the breakdown of her first marriage three years earlier.
She made her debut at the age of 12 with the St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, and performed at New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Wigmore Hall.
Her relationship with Mr Martin, also known as Jon Skogsbakken, was "marked with tensions", prosecuting counsel Rob Hall said.
"He was very jealous if she was out without him... They would also argue regularly about such matters as financial affairs and who should keep the house clean," Mr Hall explained.
Mr Martin, 48, would physically restrain her sometimes from leaving their home and police had been called over previous arguments between the pair, Mr Hall said.
In 2013, police were called to their Newton Heath home when Mr Martin tried to force his way through the front door after a row on the phone, the court heard.
In early August last year, he threw Ms Strelchenko out of the house because he was not prepared to pay her mobile phone bill any longer.
He then texted her music publicist, saying: "She drives me crazy and must be stopped when it happens."
Ms Strelchenko temporarily moved back in three days before her death on 30 August - ahead of a new post in France the following month.
Mr Martin was said to be "very upset" on the day before his wife's death, when he found she had advertised the address on a property exchange website, the court heard.
Ms Strelchenko died following another argument after her friends came over.
A Polish violinist friend of Ms Strelchenko, who was staying over, said she saw Mr Martin throw Ms Strelchencko and himself down the stairs before he strangled her.
The friend ran to a neighbour's house and raised the alarm, the court heard.
When police arrested Mr Martin, he repeatedly shouted: "Kill me."
The court heard Ms Strelchencko was so badly beaten that part of her face was severed.
Mr Martin later told police that he had no memory of the attack.
At an earlier hearing, he pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder, also on 30 August, of a male youth who cannot be named.
The trial continues.


At least 15 people have been killed and 30 hurt after a car bombing at the Jalozai refugee camp near the Pakistani city of Peshawar, officials say.

One report suggests people were lining up for food at the time of the blast.
The camp houses people fleeing unrest in the tribal districts bordering Afghanistan, where many Taliban- and al-Qaeda-linked militants shelter.
But police say the camp is also used as a hideout by some militants. No group has said it carried out the attack
Attacks on refugee camps in Pakistan are extremely rare, although there have been concerns over the years that militants would try to infiltrate Jalozai and other camps.
The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad  points out that  last week, people linked to one of those groups, Lashkar-e-Islam, were taken into custody by a government-backed tribal force. Police suspect Thursday's bombing may be a response to that.
Live television footage showed ambulances taking victims of the blast to hospital. The bomb left a crater and police are sifting through the wreckage of mangled cars to collect evidence.
The police official responsible for security of the camp, Fuad Khan, told the AFP news agency that the bomb exploded in a car parked near the administration office where refugees were lining up to get rations and new arrivals were being registered.
"I saw about 20 casualties around me as the smoke and dust cleared," he said.
Pakistan on Wednesday announced that elections will be held on 11 May in what will be the first democratic transition between an elected civilian government to another. However concerns about security are casting a shadow over preparations for the vote.
Our correspondent says that the campaign will be the first time that political parties are allowed to contest the vote in the tribal areas, a reform introduced by the outgoing government in a bid to fight militancy.


The completion of a £150m children's hospital in Edinburgh will be delayed for months after construction firms entered administration and provisional liquidation.

The new Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh was due to open in autumn 2017.
However NHS Lothian now expects the date to be pushed back to spring 2018.
Dunne Group entered administration, followed by JB Brickwork going into provisional liquidation.
Both firms have temporarily stopped work at the site and the health board said further delays have been caused by "unfavourable winter weather and unavoidable technical construction problems".
The consortium building the hospital, IHS Lothian, has increased the workforce and working hours in order to offset delays and has also altered construction methods.
Jim Crombie, NHS Lothian acting chief executive, said: "We will continue to work closely with IHS Lothian Ltd to ensure that our state-of-the-art new hospital is delivered as soon as possible.
"Projects of this scale and of this nature are very rarely straightforward and bring with them many complex and sometimes unavoidable challenges.
"It is important to note that these alterations to the construction timetable will not result in any additional costs to NHS Lothian.
"Whilst this change is frustrating for our patients and staff, we must not forget that construction of this impressive new building is continuing and that much work has already been achieved.
"In addition, the project has already created a host of new entrant jobs for local people, including apprentices and graduate opportunities."
Work continues on the site while NHS Lothian awaits a revised building schedule.


A 23-year-old has been arrested and charged with attempting to blow up a bank in Oklahoma City, the FBI says.

Jerry Drake Varnell allegedly told undercover investigators that he hoped his actions would "cripple the government" and cause a "revolution".
The criminal complaint alleges that shortly after midnight on Saturday he attempted to set off a fake bomb.
Speaking to undercover agents, he cited the film Fight Club and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing as inspiration.
The FBI says that on 12 August Mr Varnell drove a cargo van - which he believed to be stolen and loaded with 1,000lbs (453kg) of explosives - to BancFirst in downtown Oklahoma City.
Days earlier, he recorded a message to be posted online after the attack, telling an undercover informant that it was important to have a statement ready to post to social media in order to prevent other groups such as the so-called Islamic State from claiming credit for the attack.
On Saturday, he parked the van in an alley beside the bank, and then attempted to dial a number with a mobile phone, thinking that would trigger the explosion, the FBI said.
FBI officials say the device was inert, and there was never any danger to the public.
"I can assure the public, without hesitation, that we had Varnell's actions monitored every step of the way," said Kathryn Peterson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oklahoma.
Mr Varnell is charged with attempting to use explosives to destroy a building in interstate commerce and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Anti-government extremist Timothy McÂVeigh's 1995 bombing on a federal building in Oklahoma City left 168 people dead.
The attack is considered the deadliest homegrown domestic terror attack in US history.


A MP has said there is "no magic bullet" to prevent the possible loss of steel jobs in Scunthorpe.

Tata Steel is expected to announce 1,200 UK job cuts next week.
The firm is expected to significantly reduce the workforce at its Scunthorpe plant, which employs 4,000 people and is one of the UK's biggest.
Andrew Percy, Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, said he had spoken to the prime minister about support for the steel industry.
The company declined to confirm the job cuts, but said it had been facing challenges in the UK such as a surge in steel imports, and the relative strength of the pound.
A spokesman said: "We've made a number of structural changes to our UK business over the last months and years to make us more competitive.
"Like all companies we continue to review the performance of our business."
Mr Percy said that many of the problems facing the steel industry were "subject to decisions elsewhere, be that in the EU or indeed internationally".
"There are actions the government can do to help," he said. "But as Tata has made really clear even if the government does everything that's asked of them, that is no magic bullet and that does not solve the issues.
"So I can assure them [steel workers] that where the government can act here, myself and other local MPs and the local council will push to the absolute  maximum on that."
Tony Gosling,  a steelworker in Scunthorpe and a Labour councillor, said the job cuts would be "absolutely devastating".
"This area is still heavily dependent on the steel industry - a lot of the other small manufacturing companies all rely on it," he said.


Cheltenham opened up a four-point lead at the top of the National League as they earned a fourth consecutive win by beating in-form Kidderminster.

Daniel Wright opened the scoring for the hosts as he sliced home a penalty following a handball from Tyrone Williams shortly after the break.
James Rowe then teed up Dan Holman, who slotted home from the edge of the six-yard box to ensure victory.
It ended a recent revival by Harriers, who are nine points adrift of safety.


We are so fond of the word 'historic' in Welsh politics that it is increasingly used to describe something vaguely interesting that hasn't happened before.

So when I suggest that new Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will make history on Sunday, I'm not comparing his task to walking on the moon or finding a cure for the common cold.
Mr Cairns will become the first serving cabinet minister to run the London Marathon. Others have run it but either before or after their cabinet career.
Indeed, his recent promotion to the cabinet has had a major impact on his training for the 26.2 mile event, where the Vale of Glamorgan MP, the fastest in MP in last year's race, initially hoped to break 3 hours and 30 minutes.
"There's been a bit of a diversion over the last few weeks as well as an injury," he admitted. "So I'm not sure  I'll become the champion again of the MPs. And there is serious competition from Dan Jarvis, an ex-para, so I'm getting my excuses in early."
Mr Cairns is running his 5th marathon for two charities: Breast Cancer Now and The Brain Tumour Charity.


Hollywood's ageist attitude to actresses is "antiquated, backward and discriminatory", Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard has said.

She was speaking after Maggie Gyllenhaal revealed she had been told she was "too old" at the age of 37 to play the lover of a 55-year-old man.
"It's up to all of us to be vocal about it, speak out and work together towards solutions," Howard, 34, told the BBC.
She added she had not experienced discrimination in the industry herself.
"I haven't yet experienced ageism - not that it's inevitable, but I hope [the problem] shifts and shifts quickly," she said.
"Like any business there are things that work so well and are incredibly functional and very inspiring. And then there are... elements to this that are antiquated and backward and discriminatory.
"Kudos to Maggie for speaking out because we need to end that - [her experience] is absolutely absurd."
Howard, the daughter of director Ron Howard, has generally appeared opposite male leads in her own age bracket.
She previously starred in 50/50, alongside 34-year-old Joseph Gordon-Levitt; and 2009's Terminator Salvation opposite Christian Bale, who is 41.
Her other roles include Oscar-nominated drama The Help and franchise films Spider-Man and Twilight.
The actress will next be seen in the Jurassic Park sequel - opposite 35-year-old Chris Pratt - due in cinemas next week.
The issue of ageism against women in Hollywood has been the subject of numerous studies in the past few years.
A 2013 study by Vulture looked at 10 A-list Hollywood stars - including Tom Cruise, Liam Neeson, Harrison Ford and George Clooney - and plotted the age gaps of their notable love interests over the course of their career.
It concluded while male stars were allowed to age into their 40s, 50s and 60s, female actresses remained generally under 40.
Media and technology website Vocative also analysed the 25 top-grossing films where the leading actor had a clear love interest, from 2010-15. It found as the actor grew older, the age gap between the stars and their leading actresses increased.


Two men have been arrested by police investigating two shootings in Newry, County Down, last month.

Two men were shot in the legs during attacks on Sandy Street and Armagh Road in the city on 17 September.
Police searched a house at Churchill Park in Portadown on Tuesday night and arrested two men aged 34 and 20.
The 34-year-old is being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, as well as the possession of firearms and class A drugs.
The 20-year-old was arrested for possession of firearms in suspicious circumstances and possession of class A drugs.
Three guns and a quantity of suspected drugs were seized during the search.
Last month, a 26-year-old man was charged with two counts of attempted murder, kidnapping and possession of a firearm with intent over the two shootings in Newry.
In the first incident, a man called at a house in Sandys Street and, after an argument, shot the occupant in the leg.
A short time later, another man, was taken from a house at Ardfield Avenue, Warrenpoint, by four masked men and driven to the Armagh Road in Newry, where he was also shot in leg.


Prime Minister Theresa May has defended the delay on whether to give the go-ahead to Hinkley Point.

Mrs May said it was down to "the way I operate", and she wanted to look at the evidence for the Â£18bn nuclear plant in Somerset.
The review comes amid concerns about the high cost of energy from the proposed plant and security implications of Chinese involvement.
A decision is expected to be announced later this month.
Mrs May was speaking at the G20 summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
The prime minister is due to discuss the project with China's President Xi Jinping amid heightened diplomatic tensions over her perceived concerns about Chinese involvement in Hinkley Point.
Asked whether the National Security Council would be examining the project, in which the state-owned China General Nuclear would take a one-third stake, Mrs May said: "I'm going to be looking at all the evidence around this issue. The way I look at this, I don't just take an instant decision.
"I actually look at the evidence, take the advice, consider it properly and then come to a decision.
"I have been very clear that I will be doing that and taking a decision some time this month."
Mrs May will meet Chinese president Xi Jinping after the G20 summit in Hangzhou concludes on Monday.


Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court has rejected an appeal by Khmer Rouge jailer Duch and increased his sentence to life imprisonment.

Duch, born Kaing Guek Eav, was jailed in 2010 for his role in running a notorious prison where thousands of inmates were killed.
He had appealed on the grounds that he was a junior official following orders.
But judges rejected his claim and increased his sentence from 35 years to life.
Duch - the first senior Khmer Rouge official to face charges before the court - was convicted of crimes against humanity in July 2010. He appealed against the verdict in March 2011.
The 69-year-old was the commander of Tuol Sleng prison, where at least 15,000 men, women and children deemed enemies of the regime were tortured and then executed in "killing fields" outside Phnom Penh.
He had argued that he should never have been tried, claiming that he was a junior official following his superiors' orders on pain of death.
By Guy De LauneyBBC News, Phnom Penh
The judges had warned that clapping and cheering would not be tolerated inside the courtroom. But people found it hard to contain their emotions.
Dozens of young Cambodians had gathered in the outdoor cafe which serves as an overflow area, following proceedings on big screens. They cheered as the judges brought the hearing to a close, sending Duch to prison for the rest of his life.
There was also delight on the faces of those who were old enough to have lived through the horrors of the Pol Pot era. One woman told the BBC that she had been too nervous to sleep the night before the hearing. But she thought the life sentence represented justice, and renewed her optimism in the UN-backed process.
There are dissenting voices. Theary Seng, who leads the Association of Khmer Rouge Victims, saw the life sentence as an attempt to make Duch the sole scapegoat for all the atrocities committed by Pol Pot's government.
Others will share her concern that even though the trial of the three most  senior surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge is under way, the frail old men may die before the end of the process.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that his sentence was too lenient. Many survivors were outraged when he was sentenced to 35 years, because he could be free in 18 years given time already served.
The appeal court judges ruled that the initial prison term did not "reflect the gravity of the crimes".
"The crimes by Kaing Guek Eav were undoubtedly among the worst in recorded human history. They deserve the highest penalty available," Judge Kong Srim said.
Duch showed no emotion as the verdict was delivered. But prosecutors praised the ruling.
"We can say that justice has now been served after more than 30 years," Chea Leang said. "To us and to the victims, this is a great success."
Hundreds of survivors gathered at the Phnom Penh court to hear the final verdict.
Duch's case is the first to be concluded by the court against perpetrators of crimes committed during four years of Khmer Rouge rule in the late 1970s.
The regime attempted to create an ideal communist society by forcing city residents to work as peasants in the countryside, and by purging intellectuals, middle class people and any supposed enemies of the state.
Up to two million people - about one-third of the population - are believed to have been killed or died of over-work and starvation.
The three most senior surviving leaders of the regime were put on trial for genocide and crimes against humanity in November 2011. Their trial is ongoing.
The cases against them have been separated to speed up proceedings as the defendants are all in their 80s.


Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has become the second cabinet minister to say he would vote for Britain to leave the EU if a referendum were held now.

But, like education secretary Michael Gove, he said David Cameron must be given a chance to bring powers back from Brussels before deciding.
Mr Hammond told BBC Radio 5live it would be "defeatist" to leave the EU without attempting reform.
Mr Cameron has pledged to hold a referendum in 2017.
"If the choice is between a European Union written exactly as it is today and not being a part of that then I have to say that I'm on the side of the argument that Michael Gove has put forward," said Mr Hammond in an interview on Radio 5live's Pienaar's politics.
Earlier, Mr Gove became the most senior Conservative to date to publicly contemplate backing Britain's exit from the EU, although "friends" of the cabinet minister have previously told a newspaper that is where he stands.
"I am not happy with our position in the European Union but my preference is for a change in Britain's relationship with the European Union," said Mr Gove.
"Life outside would be perfectly tolerable, we could contemplate it, there would be certain advantages."
Tory backbenchers have tabled an amendment to the motion welcoming the Queen's Speech regretting the absence of legislation paving the way for a referendum in the government's plans for the year ahead.
Mr Gove described this as "letting off steam".
And he said he planned to abstain if there was a Commons vote on the amendment.
"My own view is let the prime minister lay out our negotiating strategy, make sure he has a majority, which I am convinced he will secure at the next election, and let's have the referendum then."
Home Secretary Theresa May also said she would abstain in the Commons vote, which will be held on Tuesday or Wednesday if it is called by Speaker John Bercow.
Mr Hammond said: "I believe that we have to negotiate a better solution that works better for Britain if we are going to stay in and play a part in the European Union in the future,  but let me be absolutely clear: I think it is defeatist to sort of say we want to leave the European Union.
By Chris MasonPolitical correspondent
Michael Gove managed to flash a saucy amount of Eurosceptic leg, , whilst simultaneously promising to do as he is told and abstain, if there is a vote demanding that the government introduce legislation guaranteeing a referendum.
For years, Mr Gove has been a strident critic of the European Union - and the UK's current relationship with it.
But his remarks are indicative of a broader trend. The centre of gravity within the Conservative Party at Westminster on the issue of Europe has shifted from where it was 20 years ago.
The Sunday Telegraph's headline today, "Tories in Europe turmoil", could very easily have appeared in countless editions of the paper over the past two decades.
But being openly Eurosceptic, and willing to consider withdrawal from the EU if negotiations with Brussels are deemed insufficient, is now a mainstream view among Conservative MPs.
There are far, far fewer keepers of the European flame on the Tory benches than there used to be and those keepers tend to keep their heads down.
"We should say no, this is a club that we are members of, and before we talk about leaving it, first of all we're going to try and change the rules and change the way it works and change the objectives that it has in order to make it something that works for Britain."
David Cameron has promised an in/out referendum in 2017 - if the Conservatives win the next election.
A group of Conservative backbenchers, led by John Baron, have been campaigning for him to firm up this commitment by legislating in the current Parliament for a referendum.
The rebel MPs wanted the legislation to be included in last week's Queen's Speech setting out the government's plans for the year ahead.
Mr Cameron has said he was prevented from doing so by the Lib Dems.
So the rebels have taken the unusual step of tabling an amendment to the Queen's Speech debate, raising the prospect of government MPs voting against their own programme. It is thought about 100 backbench MPs could do so.
The amendment, tabled by Mr Baron and fellow Eurosceptic Peter Bone, expresses regret that the government has not announced an EU referendum bill.
It is highly unlikely to be passed, as Labour, the Lib Dems and many Conservatives will vote against it or abstain but Mr Baron has said it will keep the issue in the spotlight.
The furore has been seized on by Labour as a sign that Mr Cameron has lost control of his party.
The Conservatives say Mr Miliband is unwilling to give the public a say on a vital issue.
Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan programme, shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "I don't think we should set our face against consulting the British people."
He said Labour would back a referendum if there was "any proposal to change the powers between Britain and the European Union which would take powers away from Britain".
But he said the party would not make a commitment to a referendum at a time when there was a push to reform the EU as it would be "destabilising" and not "statesmanlike".


The United States' men's basketball team thrashed Serbia 96-66 to win the final gold medal of the 2016 Olympics.

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The Americans led 52-29 at half-time on their way to winning the title for the 15th time in 19 stagings.
Kevin Durrant, part of the victorious American team at London 2012, scored 30 of his side's points.
Spain, beaten finalists at the past two Olympic Games, won the bronze medal in Rio as they defeated Australia 89-88 in a thrilling finish.
The US' winning margin was the biggest in a men's Olympic basketball final since they beat Croatia 117-85 in Barcelona in 1992.
Team USA finish top of the medal table with 46 golds, 37 silvers and 38 bronzes in an overall total of 121.
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Sadiq Khan is to request funds from the government to buy taller firefighting appliances following the Grenfell Tower fire, the BBC understands.

The mayor of London has asked London Fire Brigade (LFB) Commissioner Dany Cotton to draw up a list of devices to upgrade the service.
Sources said her requests include three new aerial platforms which could cost up to Â£3m.
The tallest device currently owned by LFB can only ascend up to 32m (105ft).
Why were taller fire platforms not used?
The highest appliance in the UK can reach up to 42m (138ft) and was borrowed from Surrey Fire and Rescue to help battle the blaze.
But it was unable to reach the top floors of the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, which stands at nearly 70m (230ft).
Current aerial platforms owned by LFB were chosen for their manoeuvrability and size so they could fit in London's tight, congested streets.
But Ms Cotton previously told the BBC it was "one of my priorities" to get taller fire trucks and "early conversations" had already been held with City Hall.
"Technology has changed, there is lighter equipment... that will allow us to have taller aerial platforms," she said.
Sadiq Khan said the brigade "will need additional resources from central government to pay for the additional machinery that the LFB needs".
It is understood the request for funds will be made to the government in the next few days.


Barnsley have signed midfielder Otis Khan following his release by League One rivals Sheffield United.

The 20-year-old's arrival on an 18-month contract follows a trial at Oakwell last week.
He only made two substitute appearances for United, but played eight games for Barrow during a loan spell earlier this season, scoring four goals.
"This is a great opportunity for him to kickstart his career," boss Lee Johnson told the Barnsley website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Peter Weatherson netted a brace as Annan recorded only their second win in eight matches.

The visitors raced into a three-goal first-half lead at Hampden.
Weatherson opened the scoring with an unstoppable 15th-minute free-kick, and he made it 2-0 in the 27th minute.
Matt Flynn made it 3-0 six minutes later with a fine finish.
Queen's pulled a consolation goal back in stoppage time through John Carter.


A man apprehended by police in an east London shop did not swallow a controlled substance before he died, the police watchdog has said.

Rashan Charles was followed by officers in Dalston on 22 July and became ill after putting an object in his mouth.
His death sparked a number of protests, including one which turned violent.
An item removed from his airways was not a controlled substance, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has found.
It did not reveal what the item was but said it was awaiting the preliminary results of a post-mortem examination, which was carried out on Monday.
"The IPCC has now received results of forensic analysis of an object that was removed from Rashan's airway by paramedics," a statement said.
"The object did not contain a controlled substance."
Mr Charles's family has been informed.
Officers had followed the 20-year-old on foot after attempting to stop a car on Kingsland Road.
CCTV showed Mr Charles entering a shop pursued by a uniformed police officer, after which there was a struggle on the floor.
In the footage, he appeared to put his hand to his mouth and became ill shortly after.
A force medic provided first aid at the scene but Mr Charles died later in hospital.
The IPCC said it was continuing to collect and analyse evidence, including "police body worn footage" and other CCTV.
The statement added: "We will independently examine the circumstances of this incident, we will follow the evidence, we will consider whether there is an indication there may have been misconduct or criminality and we will seek to answer the questions that Rashan's family and the community of Hackney understandably have".


A school which took at least 40 pupils out of lessons for refusing to remove a Marie Curie symbol from their blazers has lifted its ban on charity badges.

Students at Grange School in Runcorn were asked to take off the charity's yellow daffodil badges on Friday as they breached the school's dress code.
Those who refused to comply were segregated from their classmates.
Head teacher Barry Carney said he had now suspended the ban on charity pin badges after discussions with pupils.
Mr Carney has written a letter to parents and carers stating he has "suspended the rules for now" and the dress code policy is to be reviewed because it was "not in the best interests of the pupils at this time".
He said 70 pupils wore the cancer charity's badge but many had removed them when asked.
A "small number" of those who refused were kept in separate classrooms, he said.
Pupils who were kept in classrooms disputed this claim, and told the BBC the actual number isolated was about 120.
Marie Curie UK have yet to comment.


The most-edited Wikipedia pages of the year have been revealed and the top 20 includes "Deaths in 2016", "Vincent Van Gogh" and "Donald Trump".

Other pages related to the US election were also in the list, according to the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation behind Wikipedia.
The site was a "marvel" but not always right said author Dan Gillmor, a friend of Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
Van Gogh's page received 3,551 edits during the year.
This was because it was rewritten by four Wikipedia editors in order to achieve "featured" status - a mark of high quality.
"[Van Gogh has been] an artist misunderstood for decades, constantly being misinterpreted, reinterpreted, studied, re-studied, yet seemingly always escaping a clear understanding of his true nature," said one editor using the name Modernist.
The high-profile individuals to have died in 2016 include David Bowie, Prince, Muhammad Ali and Fidel Castro.
The "Deaths in 2016" page had 18,230 edits in total, making it by far the most-edited article on the site.
"We also found that Wikipedians' drive to provide free knowledge brings topics outside the time span of this year back to the forefront," said a spokeswoman for the Wikimedia Foundation.
"Bailando 2015, an Argentinian dance show where dancers compete on live television, made it into the top 10 for the year, for instance."
In August, "Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics" received 1,578 edits - after Team GB won 67 medals, including 27 golds at the Rio Games.
While data for the month of December is of course not yet complete, the page for reality show Bigg Boss 10 currently has the most edits - but is closely followed by "Fake news website".
Mr Gillmor, who invests in Mr Wales's private company Wikia, said: "I would say the vast majority of people contributing, including by the way my students who I require to contribute, do so because they see value to the community."
He added that while the site had potential to spread misinformation, he thought it had probably done more to safeguard facts online - but readers still needed to approach it with critical-thinking skills because pages are sometimes vandalised.
"I think people who use Wikipedia who are researching or looking for information just need to recognise how it works and what a pitfall might be," he told the BBC.
Many thousands of human editors maintain Wikipedia's pages but they are assisted by large numbers of bots - automated computer programs - that also make changes to articles.
Earlier this year, the Wikimedia Foundation revealed the most edited articles of all time.
The top spot was taken by the page for George W Bush with 45,862 edits. It was followed by "List of [World Wrestling Entertainment] personnel" - with 42,836.


Barnet Council may face a legal challenge into the blunder that led to some voters being turned away from polling stations on Thursday.

Incomplete lists were delivered to all 155 stations and many of those trying to vote before going to work were unable to do so.
The council later sent out the correct versions and urged would-be voters to return.
It has promised a "thorough investigation".
Labour's Andrew Dismore has held the Barnet and Camden London Assembly seat with a 16,240 majority over the Conservative candidate.
Go to BBC London Live for the latest election results, reactions and news
The council offered emergency proxy votes to residents who were turned away and unable to return.
They included the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis.
Candidates and voters can challenge the result of the elections in London by lodging a petition with the Royal Courts of Justice.
Grounds for the appeal include claiming the successful candidate was not duly elected, or the election was invalidated by corrupt or illegal practices.
Sophie Walker, the Women's Equality Party (WEP) mayoral candidate, registered a complaint with the council as well as the London Assembly.
A WEP spokeswoman said: "We are waiting for more information before we decide what our next steps are."
The Labour leader on Conservative-controlled Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings, told the Guardian the first set of lists delivered to polling stations contained only the names of people who had registered since January.
"It would have been 10% the size of the proper list. They should have spotted it."
A Barnet Council spokesman said: "We cannot comment any further on the impact of the issues with the electoral registration lists yesterday. We will begin a thorough investigation into the cause of the problems once results are declared."


Cardiff City's transfer embargo has been lifted by the Football League.

The club has not been able to buy players since January this year after breaching Financial Fair Play rules.
The news came the day after the club removed Russell Slade from his position as manager to take up a new role as the club's head of football.
Slade will be in charge of the team for the last time when they play their final match of the season against Birmingham City at home on Saturday.
The sanction will be lifted after the game, and means the club can start looking at potential summer recruits with the transfer window due to open on 10 June.
Chief executive Ken Choo insisted the club would not rush appointing Slade's replacement.
"We will take our time - we need to get the right person into the role," he said.


Growth in the world's second largest economy, China, beat expectations in the second quarter, but it was still the weakest showing since the global financial crisis.

The economy grew 7% from a year ago - matching growth in the first three months of the year, which was the lowest since 2009 when it fell to 6.6%.
A weaker property market and factory production have hampered growth.
But, Beijing has rolled out a series of stimulus measures amid the slowdown.
The central bank cut interest rates for the fourth time since November last month to boost economic activity.
Economists are, however, continuing to call for more easing despite the better-than-expected numbers as volatility in the stock markets has sparked concerns of financial turmoil in the country.
Growth was expected to dip below the 7% mark and come in at 6.9% for the April to June quarter.
Sure, the data may well be massaged, manipulated and to some extent made up.
And critics of the whole concept will argue that attempting to sum up three months' worth of Chinese economic growth in a single number is as futile as trying to sum up the political events of the past three months in a single word.
But if seen as simply the best estimate that China feels comfortable publishing then it is useful, both in terms of the trend and in terms of what it may tell us about government thinking.
The 7% figure is certainly confirmation that growth remains flat at best, unchanged since the first quarter, but coming in slightly above what many had been expecting, could it be a little more rose-tinted than usual?
A point or two added as perhaps another stock-market boosting measure?
Of course, it's too early to tell if those market woes are yet impacting the wider economy. Except, analysts suggest, in one small but surprising way; second quarter growth may actually have been boosted slightly by the huge brokerage fees earned on all that frantic, panicked trading.
China's stockmarket slump - explained in 60 seconds
Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economic research at HSBC expects more fiscal and monetary easing in the coming months in order for China to achieve sustainable growth.
"Stimulus measures rolled out over the past nine months are beginning to show some traction. But work remains to be done," he told the BBC. "The sell-off in the stock market will likely necessitate further easing in the coming months."
The mainland's benchmark index, the Shanghai Composite, had lost almost a third of its value in the three weeks from mid-June.
The positive growth figures failed to excite investors with the index closing down 3% at 3,805.70, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended 0.3% lower at 25,055.76.
On a quarterly basis, the economy expanded 1.7% from April to June, compared to the 1.4% revised figure in the first quarter.
The government has also had to respond to suggestions that the better data may have been "inflated".
The National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday that the data reflecting the positive changes in the economy was "hard won", and accurate.
Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economist at Capital Economics said that while actual growth is "almost certainly" a percentage point or two slower than the official figures show, it does point to signs of a stabilising economy.
"More broadly, with the drag from the structural slowdown in property and heavy industry now easing, we think that growth is on track to slow only gradually over the course of the next few years," he said in a note.
Industrial production and retail sales in June were all above forecasts, while fixed-asset investment, a major driver of the economy, also beat expectations in the period.


Six people have been killed in a rescue helicopter crash in a mountainous area of central Italy, officials say.

The aircraft came down in thick fog near the Campo Felice ski station after picking up an injured skier.
The rescue was not related to last week's avalanche that engulfed a hotel nearby, killing at least 15 people.
Rescue teams reached the wreckage "and they found the bodies of the six deceased in the snow", a police spokesman told the AFP news agency.
The helicopter was taking the injured skier to hospital in L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo province.
Some witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before it crashed.
Gianluca Marrocchi, mayor of the nearby town of Lucoli, said he saw the helicopter flying very low. "After that it disappeared in the fog," he told RAI state TV.
Campo Felice is a small skiing resort popular with day-trippers from Rome, which is 120km (75 miles) to the west.
It is on the other side of Italy's 3,000m Gran Sasso mountain range from the four-star Hotel Rigopiano, which was engulfed by an avalanche on 18 January triggered by a series of earthquakes. Fourteen people remain unaccounted for there.


The final launch of the US space shuttle Atlantis marks the end of an era.

The shuttle, which will be commanded by just four astronauts, is due to lift off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday if the weather is suitable.
The web is alive with space bloggers, some of whom plan to join the crowd at Kennedy Space Center to say goodbye. Here they share their thoughts on what this last journey means to them.
Christy Roberts is a 45-year-old married mother of two. She met her husband while working for Nasa at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
"We have a fair number of Nasa employees in our area due to our proximity to Goddard, and I'm obviously a Nasa fan - I have been since long before going to work for them.
My first position at Nasa involved providing tracking data to the ground stations around the world that track the space shuttle during launch, orbit, and landing.
I think the strongest emotions I feel about the final shuttle launch are nostalgia and a bittersweet regret.
The folks who have supported the shuttle over the years have a very emotional attachment to the vehicle and the program. In part this is because they take their obligation to the crews that fly aboard them very personally, and also because they've witnessed the vulnerability of the craft through the two associated disasters.
There's a true sense of family for those who work for Nasa and on the shuttle in particular. The space coast in Florida is going to take a tremendous hit from the end of the shuttle programme - it already has.
My regrets are for the lost astronauts, although I'm not sure you can separate that level of risk from space travel. And regret that the shuttle was a bit of an albatross once it was clear it wasn't going to live up to its hype as easy, reliable access to low Earth orbit. I believe it was still a worthwhile endeavour for the lessons learned and technologies gained, but it gets a bad rap from the naysayers.
While it has never become routine to launch a space shuttle, we've had the satisfaction as a country of knowing that the capability was there. I don't love the idea of relying on a [Russian] Soyuz to reach the ISS [International Space Station]. I see the need to move on from the shuttle, but it was a big part of my young adult and early married life, and I've been surprised by how emotional I've felt about it all ending.
My husband, kids and I are flying down to Florida on Thursday.
I had seen a launch from this location with my husband just before we were married in 1992, and it was important to me for my kids to see one if at all possible. It's a truly incredible experience.
We won't be close enough this time to see it lift off the pad, but even from 8 or so miles away, it will light up the sky and roar away from Earth. We learned from the last launch that driving will be a mistake on launch day. It was a nightmare then, and that's nothing compared to how it is going to be this time. We will stick to bikes to navigate the chaos.
I have very vivid memories of the first shuttle missions. I was 15 when Columbia first lifted off. Based on those impressions and having an aptitude for science and math, I knew when I graduated from high school that I wanted to be a part of the space program.
Boldest memory? Unfortunately, the one most seared in my mind is the explosion of Challenger. I was a college student studying physics with hopes of working for Nasa in a couple of years. I remember walking through the student centre on my way to the physics building and seeing masses of students standing in front of the televisions watching in disbelief. It was one of those events that shakes the psyche of a nation. When I went to work for Nasa, it was just after the Return to Flight HST [Hubble Space Telescope] mission, and things were back on track, but my Nasa friends who were on console that day are still haunted by it.
I think the end of the shuttle program is like any other chapter we close in our lives or careers. We take what we've learned and move on to the next thing. I guess it can be debated whether manned flight to Mars or elsewhere outside low Earth orbit is of immediate value to humankind, but I have to believe it will be eventually, and it's no small task, so we better get cracking.
Fingers crossed for a break in the predicted thunderstorms at just the right moment or for a clearer shot on Saturday."
Lofty Ambitions focuses on aviation and spaceflight, science of the 20th Century and beyond. Anna Leahy, a poet, and Doug Dechow, a science librarian, write the blog as a couple.
"We're really sad to see the space shuttle programme end. It's not undeserving of criticism, but it's an amazing machine and amazingly complex machine. It's something we appreciate even more, having seen two not-launches and a launch in person. It represents human potential.
That said, the future wasn't possible while the space shuttle was still actively doing its work. The end of one programme allows for the beginning of a new era.
We've had media credentials for all three of the final missions and we'll watch the launch from the News Centre which is about 3.1 miles (5km) from the launch pad. It's just about as close as any spectators can get.
We'll be standing next to that countdown clock everyone sees on TV. Some reporters there have been covering the space programme for decades, and they are a wonderfully quirky and knowledgeable bunch with whom to follow this last mission.
We were born just as the space race got going, so our lives and US manned spaceflight span the same timeframe. Doug's first memory is of the black-and-white televised images of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon's surface.
We were in college when the Challenger accident occurred, so that was the first national tragedy we experienced as adults. When we moved to the Washington, DC, area, our first outing was to the National Air and Space Museum. We're really fascinated by how Apollo and the space shuttle work as historical and technological moments, and that stems from our childhood curiosity.
When we started looking at the space shuttle programme in depth, we hadn't realized what an accomplishment the International Space Station is, both in terms of the science that's been done there and will continue to be done over the next several years and in terms of the global nature of the effort. A lot of countries - the United States, Russia, countries in Europe, Japan, and Canada - collaborated on the ISS, and it can serve as a lesson for future positive collaborations without leaving terra firma.
The best launch, of course, was that of STS-134, Endeavour's last launch. It's the best because that's the one we saw in person. We live in southern California; that's where the orbiters were built, and Endeavour is coming home to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
We knew the launch would be loud, but what's amazing is how you see the exhaust billowing out before the sound was able to travel the three miles to where we stood. Considering it was that far away, the sound was very loud. Within 800 feet of the launch pad, the sound alone can kill you. There was low cloud cover for Endeavour's last launch, and it looked as if the cloud reached down to suck the spacecraft in. And then we felt the heat from the lift-offâ€”at three miles away.
The end of the space shuttle program does not mean the end of space exploration by the United States. Nasa has unmanned missions ongoing, the Russians are able to ensure human travel between Earth and the ISS, and the private sector is actively working on the future of manned spaceflight, with surprising success thus far. We should remember that there was a lag between Apollo and the space shuttle too. This summer is not the end of everything in space for the United States. In fact, it invites global collaboration in maintaining a human presence in space."
Mike Doornbos created the Evadot website. It is focused on sustainable and pragmatic access to space exploration for everyone worldwide.
"I feel relieved that this is the final launch for Atlantis. The shuttle programme has been a barrier to long-term sustainable exploration. While an interesting and complex experiment, it did not accomplish the lower-cost, more frequent access to orbit it was built for. The program should have been replaced in the 1990s with a craft more suited for that original goal.
I've only been alive since shortly before the shuttle was first launched. When I was young, it seemed like we were poised for human exploration of the solar system, and as I've gotten older, it seems like we're just keeping a program in place to keep politicians re-elected and keep jobs in place even at the expense of progress.
I vividly remember the Challenger disaster. Not only because of the tragedy, but because we spent time getting to know our explorers. We felt like we knew those people. Their hopes, dreams, fears, and experiences. Today we've dehumanised space and as a result the average person doesn't pay attention.
I'm hopeful for an opportunity for open access to space. The government's role should be to assist its citizens to create a commercial industry in space. I will probably watch this launch on Spacevidcast.com."


The rise of the smartphone and new forms of car mobility are forcing change at a rapid pace.

The current economic climate presents significant challenges to all businesses, but is also a catalyst for innovation across many industries.
As consumers change the way they behave, they will push industries in unforeseen directions.
For our market sector, the response to such trends centres on attitudes to car ownership and the impact of smartphone technology.
The West has had a love affair with the car since the 1950s, but in the richest cities and especially in their centres, car ownership and use is declining.
Over the last 20 years, more and more people are living in cities, so the density of the city centres has been increasing rapidly. People now prefer to live in multi-use areas that combine residential, office, shopping and schools in close proximity.
In London, 40% of households do not own a car, according to a 2012 report by Transport for London.
The decline in car ownership is particularly evident in the capital's fall in multi-car households, which dropped from 21% in 2001 to 17% in 2007.
Instead of the traditional focus on cars and driving, people are mixing and matching their transport choices - using what they need when they need it - and the radical advances in technology are making such "smart mobility" possible.
Mobile apps can make travelling by different modes of transport seamless. It is now easy to combine air, rail and car travel in new ways to reach a destination.
Londoners can access Boris bikes, the Tube, rail networks, taxis, car sharing schemes, car rental and even hire practical vans for visits to B&Q - all via their smartphones.
Both car ownership and vehicle-kilometres driven in cities in developed countries may be reaching saturation, or even be on the wane, according to a recent report by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
People no longer automatically associate mobility with owning a car.
Instead, many of them want access to as many transport options as possible.
It is vital for companies in the motor industry, whether carmakers or rental car firms, to keep in step with and respond to these changing trends around smart mobility.
Car ownership, with all the costs involved, is not necessarily the right model for city dwellers any longer.
In the mature European market in particular, we are seeing multi-car households cut back to own just one car.
This has increased demand for solutions such as hourly car sharing schemes, as well as for a far wider range of cars for hire at all price points.
Car sharing is particularly attractive to younger consumers, whose attitude to ownership has been compared to dating.
People get to try out different cars, different lifestyles, and different identities. For them, owning a car feels like being tied down.
The ownership shift is made possible by the widespread availability of smartphone technology and mobile apps.
Accessibility is now 24/7 and everything can be done on the mobile phone or a tablet. Find a vehicle nearby, reserve it, pay for it, change destinations and drop-offs, and access guides and navigation.
Smartphone apps also now enable users to find a taxi in less-trafficked parts of the city, thereby increasing utilisation of the taxi fleet, or they can use their handsets to find parking places and walking routes.
Such spontaneity means travel and transport providers have to be increasingly flexible and reactive to their consumers' needs.
We cannot expect loyalty; we have to earn it.
Speed of response and customer service is what sets businesses apart, as people base their decisions upon ease and value.
Amidst all this technology, it is vital that customers can still interact with companies directly and face-to-face.
Convenience must also be balanced with a good customer experience. Companies simply cannot afford to lose that human element.
As car ownership continues to decline in many Western cities, we will see a higher adoption of electric vehicles - including both bicycles and cars, city-centric cars and other forms of compact motorised vehicles not yet seen.
Electric mobility has a critical role to play in achieving the goal of sustainable transport, and we - along with others in the motor industry - have a responsibility to help reduce emissions.
Electric vehicle adoption has started slowly as infrastructure of charging networks are still being built up.
But as these networks reach critical density, the rate of uptake will pick up.
China in particular has focused its strategic plan on using electric vehicles as way to provide a cleaner, more sustainable transport option.
Shenzhen stands out as a city that has deployed several hundred all-electric taxis, all-electric municipal buses and a charging station network.
In London, meanwhile, electric taxis are expected to be trialled in 2013.  It has been claimed this could eliminate 20% of the capital's exhaust pollution caused by its 22,000 black cabs.
In Rome, holiday-makers and commuters travelling into the city by train can now continue their journey using electric vehicles based at the two main stations at a cost of just 8 euros ($10.60; Â£6.50) an hour. We see this model spreading throughout Europe.
We, and some of our rivals, are partnering with city authorities and electric infrastructure providers worldwide to make electric vehicles in cities a viable option.
This is already happening in London, Oxford and Paris.
Hiring alternative fuel cars without having to worry about infrastructure is a great way of making people more comfortable with this technology and tackling worries such as range anxiety.
Many city mayors are implementing car sharing and electric vehicle schemes for these purposes, while we see more corporations asking for electric and petrol-electric hybrid models in their fleets to support their corporate sustainability targets.
Innovation, whether in terms of embracing new technologies or tapping into consumer trends, or both, is critical in many market sectors to drive a successful future in a still uncertain economy.
In my industry, we need to adapt to new modes and patterns of transportation. Sustainable mobility needs to also offer choice, convenience, flexibility and value.
This is why we are focused on smart mobility; you need to be smart in the current market to remain competitive.
Michel Taride is president of Hertz International and executive vice president of Hertz Corporation.
The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by the BBC unless specifically stated. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Links to external sites are for information only and do not constitute endorsement. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.


Tablets, computers and phones have advanced super quickly in the last few years, and are a huge part of our daily lives.

But how does today's technology compare with that from 30 years ago?
We sent Ricky to the Centre for Computing History to try out some old school tech with some local kids.
Take a look at how they got on.
Released in 1981 the top end model of the BBC Micro had 128KB of memory, to put that into perspective you would need almost 8,000 Micro Computers, to equal the same memory as an average smartphone today!
The memory was so small you couldn't even fit one photo taken from today's smartphones on there.
The BBC Micro Computer was hugely popular, and was in around 80% of school classrooms in the UK at the time.
However, they stopped making the it in 1994, when it couldn't compete with the more advanced models.
Check out what these kids thought of it...
The Apple Newton was one of the first touch screen tablet devices made by Apple, and was released in 1993.
The only way you could make the touch feature work, was by using a pen called a stylus.
One of its main features was it's ability to recognise handwriting, however many people said it was a bit rubbish and it got it wrong - a lot!
The Newton was stopped five years later because it was very expensive, and not very popular.


Police are searching for witnesses to an armed robbery at a convenience store in Usk, Monmouthshire, on Sunday.

A man armed with a small knife and metal bar approached staff as they opened the One Stop Shop at 06.00 GMT.
Officers said he took a substantial amount of money from a safe.
They want to speak to a witness who told an officer they saw a car leaving the car park at speed, and a female customer who went into the shop shortly after the robbery.
The armed man is described as 5ft 10in (1.78m) tall, of slim build and wearing grey or white jogging bottoms, black shoes, a camouflage jacket with the hood up and a scarf over his face.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101.


Wales have named an unchanged starting team and bench to face Ireland in the Six Nations on Friday.

Coach Rob Howley has resisted calls to bring in fresh faces following defeats by Scotland and England.
Dan Biggar has held off Sam Davies' challenge at fly-half and George North remains on the wing with Ross Moriarty preferred at eight to Taulupe Faletau.
Ireland's starting XV also stays the same with Tommy Bowe replacing injured winger Andrew Trimble on the bench.
Howley said: "There is a lot of experience in our group. You don't become a bad team overnight.
"As coaches we discussed possibly giving the side a chance to redeem themselves for the second half performance [against Scotland].
"There were too many forced and unforced errors in that game, I thought we were dominant for the first half against Scotland and that was off the back of one of the best games in the Six Nations against England for 75 minutes.
"This is a good team and we've got the opportunity to go out in front of our home supporters and deliver a performance the players are proud of and it's equally important for the supporters to support that.
"It's going to be a huge game on Friday night."
In the build-up to the announcement, Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards said North had been warned about his form.
Open-side flanker Justin Tipuric will win his 50th Wales cap. He has also played once for the British and Irish Lions.
Howley had been expected to change his back row and second row, with Bath pair Faletau and Luke Charteris tipped to start.
Howley said the fact Faletau played for Bath against Wasps in the English Premiership was factor in the decision to retain the number eight on the bench while Charteris is named among the replacements despite the fact he is still undergoing return to play protocols after taking a blow to the head in that match.
"It would have been a six-day turnaround, they both played on Saturday and the pitch at Bath is pretty heavy," added Howley.
"Luke had concussion, he came off in that game. He's gone through the HIA (head injury assessment) process but wasn't able to train Saturday and Sunday.
"Luke passed the HIA on the day, he's done checks up until this point [Wednesday], he's just got his contact protocol to go through and he'll be fine."
Wales beat Italy in their opening game, but defeats by England and Scotland have meant a drop to seventh in the World Rugby global rankings.
A loss to Ireland and another against France on 18 March could mean Wales going into May's 2019 World Cup draw in ninth position and facing another "group of death" in Japan having endured similar circumstances in 2015.
On that occasion, Wales beat hosts England on their way to the quarter-finals, but lost to eventual finalists Australia in their pool game.
Halfpenny, North, Davies, S William s, L Williams; Biggar, Webb; Evans, Owens, Francis, Ball, AW Jones (capt), Warburton, Tipuric, Moriarty.
Replacements: Baldwin, Smith, Lee, Charteris, Faletau, G Davies, S Davies, Roberts.


A boy who sent a naked photograph of himself to a girl at school has had the crime of making and distributing indecent images recorded against him by police, the BBC has learnt.

The boy, aged 14, who was not formally arrested or charged, could have his details stored for at least 10 years.
The information could also be disclosed to future employers, his mother said.
The Criminal Bar Association said the case highlights the dangers of needlessly criminalising children.
The schoolboy, who lives in the north of England, told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme he took the naked photo of himself in his own bedroom.
He then sent it to a girl from his school using Snapchat - an app which deletes direct messages within 10 seconds.
However, before the image disappeared, the girl saved it on her own phone and it was then sent to other pupils at the school.
The matter was brought to the attention of a police officer based at the school and it has now been officially recorded as a crime.
If he had been aged over 18 he would have been the victim of so-called "revenge porn" and those who distributed the image prosecuted.
However, his mother was told her son's details - along with those of the girl involved and another teenager - had been added to a police intelligence database and could be stored for at least 10 years.
She said the school police officer said the incident could be flagged up in an advanced CRB check, if her son ever wanted to get a job working with children.
She the Today programme her son has been "humiliated", saying he was "at best naive" and at worst was just being "a teenager".
Many children at the school now take part in so-called "sexting" as a form of "flirting", she said.
The boy, who has asked to remain anonymous, said he felt "embarrassed and a bit intimidated" by the way the incident had been dealt with by police and his school.
He said he knew some people at the school  still had the image.
Asked about the consequences of the incident, he added: "It is just annoying really.
"Something that I did when I was 14 that could reflect badly in the future."
The school said there was no aggression or intimidation during his questioning and that the boy admitted what he had done straight away.
It said all students are taught about the dangers of sexting in assemblies and in class.
The boy's mother said police had only recently started filing crime reports about similar incidents, something her son says he was not aware of.
However, the school said all students were informed about the recent change in policy.
BBC Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the case raises "important questions about the role of the police in dealing with disputes arising from social media".
Olivia Pinkney, Sussex Police's assistant chief constable and the National Police Chief Council's lead on children and young people, said if a school chose to take an incident to the police, then officers must record the crime.
She said the boy would be able to appeal against the decision before it was disclosed to future employers, saying she did not believe it would ever "be disclosed".
Mark Fenhalls, the chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, said most people would be "pretty astonished that a boy who's done this has ended up with material on a police computer".


The right of council tenants to buy the homes they rent at discounted rates will be abolished in Scotland.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the government's decision to end the scheme on a visit to a housing association in Glasgow.
Margaret Thatcher's Tory government introduced the scheme in 1980.
The Scottish government has already scrapped "right to buy" for new tenants and it will be abolished altogether in 2017.
Since the opportunity to buy was introduced, 455,000 Scottish properties have been sold.
The Scottish government said that had reduced the number of homes available for cheap rent and increased the waiting lists for properties of this type.
Ms Sturgeon, during a visit to Queens Cross Housing Association, said the move would "safeguard social housing stock for future generations".
She added: "It is absolutely vital that people can access social housing when they need it most. Social housing is under significant pressure and so too are the budgets that support it.
"The Scottish government is doing everything possible to maximise our investment in housing and deliver on our target of 30,000 new, affordable homes over the lifetime of this parliament.
"But, given the pressure on both the housing stock and budgets - and with 400,000 people on waiting lists for social housing - we can no longer afford to see badly needed homes lost to the social sector."
By Glenn CampbellBBC Scotland news
"Two thirds of residential properties in Scotland are now owned by their occupiers. But there is a big shortage of homes for rent, particularly social housing.
It is mainly for that reason that the Scottish government has restricted the 'right to buy'.
In March 2011, it was scrapped for new tenants and new social housing. From 2017, it will be abolished altogether.
This is in marked contrast to policy in England. In this year's budget, the UK government increased the discount available to tenants in London.
The Chancellor also promised to reduce the qualifying period from five to three years to widen access.
Devolution continues to increase the policy differences between Scotland and other parts of the UK."
In November last year, a Scottish government consultation revealed that a majority of Scottish councils wanted the right to buy policy scrapped.
The report also showed that many tenants and social landlords wanted it to end.
An opponent of the move is former Scottish Conservative Party leader Annabel Goldie.
She told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that the policy was "arguably" one of the most "socially liberating" policies to be introduced in Scotland and across the UK.
Miss Goldie added: "I can still remember the days when people lived in monolithic council house schemes - that is what they were called - and they were afflicted by a postcode prejudice.
"They were apprehensive about disclosing their address because they felt it would negate their chance of getting a job or even being accepted for an interview.
"By offering a tenant the right to buy, you did two things - you first of all introduced a freedom to the individual to make a choice about how they wanted to live, and secondly you stopped them being trapped in that environment - because that is exactly what they were."
She went on: "Right to buy freed people from the environmental prison they were in."
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations welcomed the Scottish government's announcement.
Its membership manager said: "Right to buy has had its day and has no place in 21st century Scotland.
"It has been beneficial to a relatively small number of individuals, but clearly a loss to the greater public good. Half a million social rented homes have been lost in the 30 years of this policy in Scotland, very often the better stock in the more popular areas."
Although the right to buy policy will come to an end in Scotland in 2017, it continues to exist elsewhere in the UK.


A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of another man in Dundee.

A 34-year-old, believed to be a Polish national, was found badly injured in the early hours of Wednesday morning at flats in the city's Thurso Crescent.
He was taken to Ninewells Hospital but was pronounced dead a short time later.
Detectives described the death as "suspicious" and launched a major investigation.
A mobile command unit has been set up outside the flats.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said a knife had been recovered.
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said a man had been arrested over the killing but had not yet been charged.
She said: "Police Scotland can confirm that a 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the suspicious death of a 34-year-old man following an incident at Thurso Crescent, Dundee."
She added: "Police Scotland attended at a common close in Thurso Crescent, Dundee at around 03:00, following a report that a man had been found with serious life-threatening injuries.
"He was taken immediately by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital, where he sadly died.
"Inquiries into his death are continuing and police are treating the circumstances as suspicious."


The Euro 2016 football tournament and the weakened pound have contributed to a bumper year for Paddy Power Betfair.

The firm has raised its forecast for underlying earnings in 2016 to £390m-£405m, a big upwards revision from its original forecast of £365m-£385m.
The weakened pound contributed to that, by adding £28m to the value of overseas earnings converted back into pounds.
A "strong conclusion" to the Euro 2016 football tournament also helped, according to Paddy Power.
In morning trade, shares in Paddy Power were the best gainer on the 100 index, rising more than 3%.
In February, Paddy Power merged with Betfair in a deal worth £5bn and it said the process of combining the two firms was "ahead of plan".
"This was another good quarter for Paddy Power Betfair," said Breon Corcoran, the chief executive of Paddy Power Betfair.
"Work is underway to combine the best of Betfair and Paddy Power's technology into a multi-brand, multi- channel, multi-jurisdictional platform that will start to unlock the full potential of the group's scale and will lead to increased pace of development and faster roll out of new products," he said.
Sales in the third quarter rose 25% to £404m and underlying operating profit rose by two thirds to £95m.
The company owns 600 betting shops in the UK and Ireland, two of Europe's biggest online betting operations, and significant businesses in Australia and the US.


A 53-year-old man suffered a serious facial injury after being attacked outside shops in Irvine, North Ayrshire.

The man's attacker is believed to have used a sharp weapon in the assault which took place on the town's Caldon Road at about 19:15 on Thursday.
The victim was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock but has since been released.
Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
DC Ainsley Sweeney, from Saltcoats CID, said: "At this point it is unclear how the victim came about his injuries and inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances.
"It appears that he was injured with some sort of sharp implement during an altercation, however it is important that any witnesses come forward to assist with the investigation."


There are frequent and regular meetings between British prime ministers and American presidents, but few will have been as significant as the visit to Washington this week by Theresa May.

It is not just an occasion for old allies to renew vows of friendship. These two new, uncertain leaders need concrete achievements and not just gestures.
The two could not be more different. Mrs May is serious-minded, steely, attentive to her briefing books, insular, dependent on a tightly-wound inner circle.
Donald Trump is brash, abrasive, instinctive, revelling in his newly won power to change America.
One of them is a vicar's daughter; the other a star of reality TV. Both of them are in office because of a people's revolt.
So what will be on Mrs May's agenda as she becomes the first foreign leader to meet the new president?
British leaders tend to attach more importance to the special relationship than the US. But with Britain about to divorce from the European Union, the long-standing link with Washington has assumed more importance. It is an anchor in a less certain era.
Mrs May will stress that the relationship between the two countries helped forge the "modern world" and, by implication, can do so again. The White House has indicated that it would welcome the closeness of the Thatcher/Reagan years.
President Trump needs to demonstrate that he has the seriousness to be the leader of the West and that he has command of the issues. The American audience will be watching.
Theresa May needs to tread carefully. There is much she needs from America, not least a trade agreement, but many in the UK would question deepening a "special" relationship with a president they intensely distrust.
The prime minister has promised to be "frank" in her discussions, but Britain outside the EU needs a close ally in Washington and Donald Trump is likely to get his invitation to visit Britain and stay in Buckingham Palace and risk the demonstrations such a visit may spark.
For the UK, trade is the centrepiece of the visit.
With the UK leaving the EU and its single market, Britain will need new trading relationships. Already trade between Britain and the US is worth £150bn ($188bn). What the prime minister is looking for is a "bold and ambitious free-trade agreement" with the US.
Such a trade deal cannot be concluded while the UK remains part of the EU but preparatory work can begin so that a trade agreement can be in place shortly after the UK leaves the EU in 2019.
There will be discussions about reducing existing tariffs and making it easier for American and British citizens to work in each other's countries.
Progress surely will be made but there are deep underlying differences. The president's core policy is "America First". Theresa May's slogan is "Global Britain". Donald Trump has spent this week signalling he is pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and bent on re-negotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Britain outside the EU, on the other hand, needs an open global trading system. Theresa May has to be an advocate for free trade in the house of a leader determined to protect first and trade second.
Downing Street will also know that a deal with the US will strengthen its hand in its negotiations with Brussels.
During the election campaign Donald Trump caused consternation in Europe and in the foreign policy establishment in Washington when he declared Nato "obsolete".
On one level it was an expression of American frustration that its European allies refused to share the burden of defence. Theresa May will surely support the president in calling on Europe to spend 2% of GDP on its military.
But May will be looking for much more. She wants to hear the President commit to Nato's Article Five, that an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all.
For her, Nato is part of the post-war international order. Britain outside the EU needs Nato more than ever. In the future it will be Nato that will be the UK's link to its European neighbours.
One of the ironies of the visit is that Theresa May will fight for the EU. It will be a case of a divorcee speaking up for a former partner.
Europe has been shocked by Donald Trump's comments about Europe breaking up, about the EU being a "vehicle for Germany". For the first time since the Treaty of Rome was signed 50 years ago, Europe does not have a friend in the White House who shares the mission and belief in European integration.
So Theresa May has an opportunity to win friends in Europe's capitals by standing up for the EU. It is not in Britain's interest, as she has said, for the European Union to unravel. "It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed," she believes.
A global Britain needs a strong international order and part of that is Nato, the EU, and open trade. In the past it has been the US underpinning this global order. Theresa May will need to be the great persuader.
The UK views Moscow and Putin differently from the new administration in Washington. Donald Trump has signalled that he can open a new era with Russia.
The UK remains deeply suspicious of the Kremlin. It is not just a question as to whether sanctions should be retained against Russia for its military actions in Crimea and Ukraine.
The UK and US have the strongest intelligence-sharing relationship in the world. The UK will want reassurance that any tilt towards Russia does not compromise its intelligence assets.
Regarding the Middle East, Donald Trump has made it clear that Israel will have his full support. Already, Israel has taken heart from its new friend in the White House by announcing the building of new settlements in the West Bank. Donald Trump has suggested he may move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Theresa May's words will be scrutinised closely. In seeking a close relationship with Donald Trump, will there be any change in emphasis in supporting a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians?
The British prime minister will also want to talk about energy and her commitment to the Paris agreement on reducing global warming.
In the end it is in both Britain and America's interest to forge a close relationship. Theresa May has spoken of "renewing our nation's ties".
Outside the EU, the UK needs the American embrace. The Trump administration brings opportunities. Donald Trump remains an enthusiast for Brexit. He wants Brexit to succeed and has promised to give his backing to a trade deal.
But many of his policies are opposed by Theresa May and many British voters. She cannot risk getting too close to a man despised by many in the UK.
Her priority will be trade but what she wants from the 45th president is a commitment to supporting the post-war international order without pulling away at the threads that bind it.
On a personal level they are unlikely allies, but self-interest may yet rekindle the Reagan-Thatcher alliance.


It is one of the most addictive video games in the world, with millions of users playing it for hours on end.

Now schoolchildren in Northern Ireland will be playing Minecraft in their classrooms as part of a project devised by Londonderry-based innovation festival CultureTECH.
Minecraft allows players to create their own world which they are then free to explore.
Secondary-schools will use MinecraftEdu, a special version appropriate for the classroom, in lessons to help teach traditional subjects such as history and art.
CultureTECH chief executive Mark Nagurski said the overwhelming response to Minecraft events at last year's festival sparked the idea.
"We spent a couple of months talking with the MinecraftEdu guys who showed us the content that could be produced, so we decided to take a punt," he says.
"We need more kids getting into STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and coding if we are to build a pipeline to meet the increasing demand for jobs in the technology sector, and this is a great way for children to get into that."
So, how can playing a video game during class-time benefit children?
St Joseph's Boys' School in Derry has been running a pilot of the scheme as part of a collaboration between its history and IT departments.
The game was offered to the school for free and history teacher Darren Currie says that made it "an opportunity we couldn't resist, especially when school budgets are so tight".
His pupils are using the game to construct virtual replicas of Plantation period sites such as Brackfield bawn outside Derry and Monea Castle in County Fermanagh.
"The Plantation period is a part of history that can be quite dry, so anything that helps pupils take it in better has to be a good thing," he explains.
"The boys create these structures, label them and then work out and explain why, for example, this house was fortified, why these gun turrets are positioned where they are, and gain an understanding of the period as a result."
An assessment is the summer will determine whether the scheme has been a success, but Mr Currie says the benefits are already beginning to show.
"I work with a mixed ability group and this has helped with their motivation. Pupil engagement has increased and there is a collaborative and competitive element to it, too.
"The pupils work in groups to build the best bawn, and that will over time help with their employability skills - not only are they gaining computing and programming skills, but this is also team-building."
Mr Currie is encouraging other schools to follow St Joseph's lead.
"What we are doing is just the tip of the iceberg - there are so many different applications for different subject areas.
"There does have to be a structure and outcomes must be clear, and that way pupils will take over the learning themselves."


Campaigners on behalf of victims of child sexual abuse at the Shirley Oaks children's homes in south London have said they received allegations that 32 paedophiles were involved.

Three people were convicted of child abuse which took place at the homes in the 1970s and 80s.
Abuse survivors believe there are other offenders who were never prosecuted.
They have compiled testimony which will be handed to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse.
Fifty-two houses on the 70-acre Shirley Oaks site, near Croydon, looked after children in care between the ages of eight and 14 from the 1950s to 80s.
The Shirley Oaks Survivors' Association launched a campaign video on Wednesday featuring accounts of adults who were brought up there.
Former resident Raymond Stevenson said the video "will enable victims to tell their story through a medium that cannot be tampered with or edited".
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, chaired by Justice Lowell Goddard, announced in November that child abuse in Lambeth children's homes, including Shirley Oaks, will be among the first investigations it will carry out.
But Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a member of the Home Affairs Committee whose constituency is home to several survivors, called for the government to allocate specific funding for the police to investigate child abuse and for councils to be given money to pay compensation to victims.
Mr Umunna said he was concerned the inquiry could generate up to 30,000 cases, putting pressure on police resources.
Former residents said they were preyed upon, sexually abused and tortured for decades, some committing suicide.
They have called Shirley Oaks the "largest children's home in the world, with the largest paedophile ring".
There have been long-running accusations of a cover-up and survivors recently called for an investigation into a boy's death in 1977 to be reopened.


Prosecutors have begun questioning the controversial chief minister of India's Tamil Nadu state, Jayaram Jayalalitha, in a corruption case against her.

She is accused of amassing huge amounts of wealth during a previous term as chief minister between 1991 and 1996.  She denies the allegation.
The case was transferred from Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu to Bangalore, capital of neighbouring Karnataka state, to ensure a fair trial.
Security was tight for her appearance.
Known as the "empress of the south", Ms Jayalalitha led her AIADMK party to a spectacular victory in state elections earlier this year. It is her third term as chief minister.
But she is accused of amassing $13.6m (£8.5m) between 1991 and 1996, during her first term as chief minister.
In what is known as a "disproportionate assets" case, prosecutors allege that this sum exceeds what she should have earned once all legally held assets and sources of income were taken into account.
Ms Jayalalitha had asked to be exempted from making a personal appearance citing security concerns but the court rejected her request.
The Supreme Court ordered authorities to ensure tight security for Ms Jayalalitha who has been a target for Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka because of her tough stance towards them. The rebels were defeated by the Sri Lankan army in 2009.
She arrived in a cavalcade at the court on Thursday morning where more than 1,000 policemen were on security duty.
"The security is unprecedented. Lawyers too are not being allowed inside," a police officer told the BBC.
A former actress, she is one of India's most colourful and controversial politicians.


Wales will play Welsh Premiership side RGC 1404 at Parc Eirias on 2 June.

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The game is part of a six-day training camp in north Wales before Wales fly to the southern hemisphere to play Tonga on 17 June and Samoa on 24 June.
The Test against Tonga will be staged in another country, due to concerns over the the stadium in Nuku'alofa.
Forwards coach Robin McBryde will lead the trip while Warren Gatland and Rob Howley are involved in the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
Wales trained at the Colwyn Bay ground in preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup while Wales Under-20 have played there in the Six Nations.
"We are delighted to be heading to north Wales this summer," McBryde said.
"The facilities are great at Parc Eirias and will provide us with the exactly what we are looking for in terms of a training camp.
"Not only will the match be hugely important for the squad off the field, it will be a great spectacle to see RGC line up against the Welsh side and a huge opportunity for all those players."
McBryde will be joined on the tour by regional coaches Danny Wilson, Matt Sherratt and Stephen Jones who will be part of his backroom staff.
Apart from any Lions who are selected, Wales will field a full strength side against RGC 1404, who are fourth in the Premiership table and knocked holders Llandovery out to reach the Welsh Cup semi-finals earlier in March.