A man was questioned by police over reports he was carrying a dead body in the boot of his car - which turned out to be dog bedding.

An officer came to the home of Chris Richmond, 30, after he had visited a petrol station in Fakenham, Norfolk.
As reported in the Eastern Daily Press, police had been called by a "distressed member of the public" who thought they had seen a body wrapped in a duvet.
Mr Richmond said he explained the duvet was for his pet dogs when in the car.
LIVE: Updates on Norfolk news
When police visited him at his home, near Well-next-the-Sea, they realised there was no body hidden in the duvet.
Mr Richmond said: "The police officer did say himself it was bit of an odd call.
"I'm not criticising them for doing their job.
"If I was daft enough to go out with a dead body in my car in the middle of the day, they could have got a good lead."
Mr Richmond said he had been filling cans for his strimmer and putting diesel in his Land Rover Freelander at the fuel station.
He said the boot was open the whole time and another car had pulled in behind him.
Mr Richmond said he was "annoyed at first" when he was questioned by police.
"But I see the amusing side now that everyone else sees," he said.
A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: "We were called at 13:55 BST to reports of suspicious circumstances where a member of public thought they saw body in boot of car.
"A check made at the home address of the registered owner.
"He has shown the officer the boot of the car where a dog bed is located. No further action was taken."


A 116-year-old woman in Arkansas in America is now the world's oldest living person, according to Guinness World Records.

Gertrude Weaver was born in 1898 and lives in a nursing home in the city of Camden.
She celebrates her birthday on 4 July, but it's unclear whether she was born on this date as there's no record.
Ms Weaver is a fan of President Barack Obama and she's hoping he'll join her to celebrate her 117th birthday.
In an interview with CBS, Ms Weaver said her secrets were trust in the Lord, working hard, and loving everyone you meet.
She's outlived all but one of her four children, Joe, who turns 94 this month. He visits regularly along with other family members and friends.
The announcement comes after the previous record holder, Misao Okawa from Japan, died a few weeks after her 117th birthday.
Ms Weaver has a few years to go to beat the oldest person ever to have lived - Jeanne Calment from France lived until she was 122 years and 164 days old.
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Five-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan says he no longer has any interest in being snooker's "top man" but has not retired.

The 39-year-old Englishman has not played in a competitive match since the World Championship quarter-finals in April, and has not entered next week's UK Snooker Championship.
"I do want a place within the sport, and I'm trying to fathom what that place is," he told Eurosport.
"I'm trying different things."
O'Sullivan also opted not to defend his title at last week's Champion of Champions in Coventry, which Neil Robertson won.
He is currently playing exhibition matches.
"It's been tough at times but I truly feel I have a good idea of what it is I want," he said. "I don't want the pressure of being the top man in snooker any more. I feel that should be left to the new generation of players.
"It's funny really. I'm actually enjoying my practice more then ever. I play for fun now. I still try to be the best I can be, but I don't have to be so serious about being so committed to it.
"Me and my mates play a lot these days."


This was a tough night at the office for Carwyn Jones.

There were times in the middle period, on the economy and EU aid, when it felt that Nigel Farage was dictating the terms of the debate.
The first minister regained some ground in the question and answer sessions but his punchy quick-fire style, followed up by a question, gave plenty of airtime to the UKIP leader who was more than happy to use it as a platform to launch yet another attack on the EU.
Did we learn anything new? Well if we didn't know already, we learnt how difficult it is for an opponent to land a blow on the UKIP leader in a debate like this.
There were potential opportunities for the First Minister over concerns expressed by firms like Airbus, and there was a moment when he appeared to have Mr Farage in trouble early on by repeatedly asking him to back up his claim that more than 70% of British laws are made in the EU.
Was this the moment the former barrister would have the former financier on the ropes?
Well not exactly as the blows were not landed fully. Instead Nigel Farage was beginning to dish it out himself as he rubbished claims that farming would be decimated by a withdrawal, and that Airbus would pull out, sarcastically claiming that planes need wings to fly (this is the reference to the wing-making factory in Flintshire.)
It was breathless stuff at times. The two men, who were clearly pumped up, got into full flow remarkably quickly.
They had very different styles. Carwyn Jones had an unflashy bread and butter approach in which he relied on his experience in his job speaking to potential inward investors and big business in Wales, who all told him that they want the UK to remain in the EU.
The basis of his argument was risk. The fear-card was played repeatedly as he questioned why anyone would risk jobs and aid with a withdrawal.
And he also questioned why there needed to be the choice of an in or out in the first place, as he tried to convey a sense of ease at being Welsh and being part of the UK and the EU.
Nigel Farage's argument revolved around the familiar theme of sovereignty and being prepared to "take back our birthright."
One of the livelier exchanges was about the steel industry. Mr Farage claimed that if the UK was set free from the EU it wouldn't allow dumping by the Chinese steel producers, making it more likely that Tata would be investing in Port Talbot, rather than a sister plant in Holland.
And on agriculture, he effectively dealt with concerns about the loss of EU subsidies, saying that farming existed well before the setting up of the EU in the 1970s, and a British system of support would easily be devised.
It was all engaging stuff, and largely good natured. If the rest of the EU campaign is anything like this it'll be a lively affair.


World champion Lizzie Armitstead heads the women's field for the British Championships in Stockton-on-Tees.

Armitstead, 27, will defend her road title against Olympic track champion Dani King and junior world champion Lucy Garner in the 26 June race.
Dame Sarah Storey and Emma Pooley will compete in the women's time trial.
Former world and British champion Mark Cavendish goes up against Team Sky contenders Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift in the men's road race.
Alex Dowsett will attempt to win a record fifth British time trial title, with both the men's and women's events taking place on 23 June.
Boels Dolmans rider Armitstead will first face Olympic champion Marianne Vos in the Aviva Women's Tour, which begins in Southwold on Wednesday, 15 June.
British Cycling has announced an eight-rider Great Britain team for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships taking place in the Czech Republic from 29 June-3 July.
Under-23 cyclo-cross world champion Evie Richards is in the women's category alongside Beth Crumpton, while Iain Paton represents the under-23 men.
Grant Ferguson, 22, will participate in the elite men's race.
Will Gascoyne, Cameron Orr, Sophie Wright and Emily Wadsworth make up the juniors line-up.


The former head of Burundi's army has been shot dead outside his home in the capital Bujumbura.

Col Jean Bikomagu, who led the armed forces during the country's civil war, was gunned down as he drove through the gates of his house.
His daughter was badly injured in the attack, a family member told AFP.
It is the latest in a wave of killings across Burundi, since President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for - and won - a third term of office.
The civil war was fought along ethnic lines with mostly Hutu rebels fighting against the politically dominant Tutsi minority.
Col Bikomagu led the Tutsis, while Mr Nkurunziza was a member of the a Hutu rebel group.
A peace deal led to him becoming president in 2005. But his third presidential bid in July led to unrest across the country, with opposition parties and voters claiming it was unconstitutional.
Tensions there have forced more than 100,000 people to flee this year.


A 24-year-old man has been found guilty of the "brutal" murder of an 85-year-old woman in her Edinburgh home.

Robert Buczek killed Eleanor Whitelaw, known as Norah, by stabbing her seven times in the neck with a pair of scissors at her house in Morningside.
The pensioner died in hospital 17 days later.
After the verdict it emerged Buczek already had a previous conviction for assaulting and robbing another pensioner - when he was only 14.
Sentence on the Polish national, who had denied murdering Mrs Whitelaw in her home on Morningside Grove on 11 July last year, was deferred until next month.
The jury of 10 men and five women returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
Judge Lord Matthews told Buczek: "You have been found guilty - frankly unsurprising given the evidence - of the brutal murder of a vulnerable, elderly woman in her own home.
"This was a revolting crime."
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC told how in 2005, Buczek knocked over an 82-year-old woman in Poland and took her handbag containing money.
Mr Prentice said Mrs Whitelaw's death had left her family "deeply distressed".
The advocate depute said: "She leaves her husband, children and wider family.
"They have explained that this death was particularly painful in that it occurred in the house where they grew up."
The court had earlier heard how Mrs Whitelaw fell to the ground fracturing her skull during the attack.
Labourer Buczek then dragged her along the hallway and dumped her in another room.
He then prowled round the house rummaging in cupboards and drawers before leaving with an envelope of stamps and a box containing spoons.
The trial heard from forensic experts who found DNA matching Buczek's on a pair of bloodstained scissors and a water bottle.
Giving evidence last week, the 24-year-old told the jury he had never been to the house and had "no idea" why the scissors and bottle with his DNA were found there.
"I've never been there in my life and I never attacked that woman in her house," he said. "I've never in my life hurt a woman."
Det Ch Insp Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland, said: "This was a brutal and sustained attack on an elderly lady in her own home and our dedicated enquiry team worked tirelessly to trace the perpetrator.
"Now that Robert Buczek has been convicted, I hope the family of Eleanor Whitelaw will be left with some closure."


A prisoner who sexually assaulted a fellow inmate and two members of staff at Glasgow's Barlinnie jail has had his sentence extended by 21 months.

Rashad Maliki, 29, who is originally from Iraq, admitted five charges between May and August last year.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard these included making sexual gestures and physical and sexual assaults.
The new sentence will begin when his current jail-term ends. Maliki was also placed on the sex offenders' register.
Sheriff Paul Crozier told Maliki: "Your conduct whilst in custody has been deplorable."
The court heard that the first of the sexual assaults occurred in June last year when Maliki inappropriately touched a fellow prisoner while in a cell.
He carried out a similar attack the following month when a prison officer was in his cell.
In August, Maliki sexually assaulted another prison officer in the hallway of the jail and grabbed the man by the throat.
He also admitted making sexual gestures at a female nurse at the jail and physically pinning her to a chair.


Drug and alcohol abuse is fast becoming an area of concern in India, which according to UN data has 2 million people who use opiates.

The Indian state of West Bengal has been identified in the National Health Survey as one of the pockets with the highest use in India. Although there are treatment centres dotted around the country, there is a gap between the number of centres and the prevalence of drug abuse. Many who seek treatment end up lapsing back into addiction.
Photographer Ronny Sen documents the struggles of some recovering addicts in the city of Kolkata (Calcutta) in West Bengal.
All images and stories have been used with the permission of the subjects.


Two powerful men need each other, and then one of them becomes more powerful, and doesn't need the other anymore.

The understanding which they had comes to break down, recriminations follow, and sometimes, full throttle revenge.
But the roots of the embarrassment that has sent social media into overdrive in the last day were laid before Twitter was invented.
In fact, the origins of the spectacular parting of ways are fifteen years ago.
Notwithstanding the stink the allegations former Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft makes in his new book about David Cameron's high jinks at university, the stories are the final, and maybe inevitable end of a tortured relationship that has dogged the Conservative Party for many years.
And although Lord Ashcroft denies it, it looks a lot like revenge.
While Downing Street does not want to "dignify" the more salacious claims which may have more impact in the public's minds, what may prove trickier in the long run is what Lord Ashcroft claims about his tax status.
David Cameron came into politics making, as new leaders tend to, all sorts of claims about how he wanted to clean things up; he wanted a new kind of politics (just in case you'd been wondering, Jeremy Corbyn wasn't the first).
But he inherited a tricky situation from his predecessor, William Hague - a relationship with an extremely wealthy and eager backer, Lord Ashcroft, who after concerns in the Civil Service about his tax status made this promise to the-then Tory leader back in 2000.
"The undertakings I gave were confirmed in a memorandum to William Hague dated 23 March 2000.
"These were to 'take up permanent residence in the UK again' by the end of that yearâ€¦ In subsequent dialogue with the government, it was officially confirmed that the interpretation in the first undertaking of the words 'permanent residence' was to be that of 'a long term resident" of the UK.
"I agreed to this and finally took up my seat in the House of Lords in October 2000'."
That deal was not publicly known, and after David Cameron took over in 2005, with his promises of new, more transparent ways of doing things, questions about Lord Ashcroft and his tax affairs continued.
The Conservatives needed him, as all political parties need money, and between 2002 and 2011 he gave more than Â£5m.
But the scrutiny over his affairs was a headache that refused to disappear.
Some Conservative MPs at the time wondered privately if the relationship was really worth it.
Labour, despite their own woes over party funding, asked again and again about Lord Ashcroft's finances - was he paying tax in this country as he ought to as a member of the Lords?
Those questions in the end led to the peer and the Conservatives publishing the details of his non-dom status just before the election in May 2010.
And the focus on Lord Ashcroft probably led to changes in the law around non-doms.
But the attention and embarrassment of the whole affair meant, for some Conservatives, that Lord Ashcroft was seen as tainted.
His money had certainly been useful, but there was no way he could be given a major role in government if and when they won.
As is clear from his account of events published today, the job he says he was offered after the 2010 election was seen as derisory, not fitting a donor of his stature.
But once the Conservatives were in government, the political baggage that came with his cash meant it was perhaps no longer worth keeping him close.
David Cameron won't be able to avoid answering again similar questions to those he had to back then.
When did Lord Ashcroft tell him about his tax affairs? How could he really not have known?
Did he really never ask until just before their publication in 2010?
But Downing Street's hope is that the former peer's agenda is so clear, that the pressures pass.
But with more to come from Lord Ashcroft's book, there'll be nerves too about what comes next.


Football fans thought to have stolen road signs celebrating legendary manager Brian Clough have been asked to return them.

Five of the 20 signs along Brian Clough Way - a 15-mile stretch of the A52 - have gone missing.
The road was named after Clough in 2005 as it links Nottingham and Derby, where he managed two football teams.
Clough fan Kal Singh Dhindsa pleaded for the signs to be returned, adding Cloughie would not have been happy.
Mr Singh Dhindsa , who previously campaigned for a statue of Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor at Pride Park Stadium in Derby, said the signs were part of the region's history and heritage.
"As much of a fan of Brian Clough as I am, I would never consider stealing them," he said.
"In my opinion, if you are such a big fan of Brian Clough, you should just leave them there for other people to appreciate."
"If Mr Clough was here today I think he would probably give someone a good telling off," he added.
Signs are missing from Stapleford in Nottinghamshire and Risley, Borrowash and Ockbrook (two) in Derbyshire.
Erewash Borough Council, which is responsible for four of the missing signs, said it was looking in to the matter but "at this current moment in time" had no plans to replace the signs.
Broxtowe Borough Council, which manages the other missing sign, has not yet commented.


A hoverfly so rarely seen it is known as 'the Phantom' has been spotted on the Chiltern Hills in Bedfordshire.

The insect was discovered at Ivinghoe Beacon by National Trust entomologist Peter Brash.
He believes it is the first recorded sighting of the species in the Chilterns.
The rare sighting of the fly, which is listed as a priority for conservation action, fulfils a decades-long ambition for the insect expert.
"Nobody knows much about this enigmatic hoverfly," he said.
"I first saw a picture of the Phantom hoverfly 23 years ago and immediately wanted to see it.
"Some say it only survives for around 10 days as an adult, whilst others say that it stays in the tree canopy and only descends to the ground to breed."
The Phantom is rare to Britain because its preferred habitat of scrub near woodland on chalk is uncommon.
Mr Brash said perfect conditions for the insect had been created at the trust's Ashridge Estate.


West Ham United have signed Manchester United's Ravel Morrison for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, was the subject of a rejected bid from Newcastle United earlier in the month.
BBC Sport understands the deal does not include a buy-back option.
The highly-rated youngster, whose Old Trafford contract would have run out this summer, was part of United's FA Youth Cup winning side last year.
But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson recently branded Morrison's contract demands as "unrealistic".
Ferguson handed the Wythenshawe-born player his senior debut in the Carling Cup in 2010 against Wolves, but the youngster has also had a chequered history off the pitch.
Two days after winning the 2011 FA Cup Youth final, the 18-year-old was fined £600 by a court for throwing his girlfriend's mobile phone through a window during an argument.
And Ferguson is hoping a change of scenery will help Morrison put his off-field problems behind him.
"In the case of Ravel it's been quite well documented," said Ferguson. "I think he's better out of Manchester.
"He's got a great talent but it's how to deal with it that is important."
Morrison told the Hammers website: "I'm really pleased to have signed. The move has happened very quickly and I'm looking forward to hopefully moving up to the Premier League with West Ham soon.
"I'm an attacking player and I'm hoping to get the fans on their feet."


The Duchess of Cornwall has viewed an exhibition by Angel of the North sculptor Antony Gormley on a roof in East Sussex.

The 60 life-size cast iron human figures of Critical Mass, one of Gormley's best-known works, are on show at Bexhill's De La Warr Pavilion.
The Duchess, president of the pavilion, visited the Grade I listed building for its 75th anniversary.
She also toured the Tomok Takahashi Introspective Retrospective exhibition.
Vice-chair of the Pavilion, Sara Stonor, told the Duchess in front of the invited audience: "It was the vision of the 9th Earl De La Warr to create a people's palace in Bexhill. He chose the best architects of his day in Mendelsohn and Chermayeff.
"We continue to this day in choosing the very best international exhibitions and performances to fill this remarkable space."
The pavilion was commissioned by the ninth Earl De La Warr, designed by Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff, and opened in 1935.
The Duchess  sat down to speak to 100-year-old George Korner, a cousin of Mr Chermayeff.
She then visited Chailey Heritage School for disabled children and young adults in North Chailey, Lewes and met children, staff and volunteers.
Principal Sylvia Lamb and head teacher Simon Yates showed her facilities including the multi sensory studio and horse riding area.


A new book telling the story of the Beastie Boys, to be written by surviving members Mike D and Ad Rock and reflecting the death of bandmate MCA, is to be published in 2015.

The book will trace the rap crew's origins as a New York high school punk band through to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Band member MCA, real name Adam Yauch, died from cancer aged 47 in May 2012.
Publishers Faber & Faber said the book was "a landmark acquisition".
"Beastie Boys have entertained us for years with classic albums like Paul's Boutique and Hello Nasty," said Faber's Lee Brackstone.
"They will now entertain us on the page, in this book which celebrates the 30-plus years of their unique story and influence."
Initially a hardcore punk band called the Young Aboriginals, Yauch and co-founders Mike D, aka Mike Diamond, and Ad Rock, real name Adam Horowitz, met in high school in Brooklyn.
They switched to hip-hop, renamed themselves the Beastie Boys and, in 1986, launched their debut album Licensed To Ill.
Its hit singles included (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) and No Sleep Till Brooklyn.
Although the music was acclaimed, the band's brash and bratty personas earned them more than their share of negative headlines.
Their penchant for wearing Volkswagen badges around their neck was also blamed for a rise in car vandalism.
But subsequent albums such as Paul's Boutique and Ill Communication are considered classics of the genre and cemented their reputation as one of America's most popular and enduring rap outfits.
In 2009 the band delayed their release of their album Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 following news that Yauch was suffering from cancer of the salivary gland.
Although Part 1 was delayed indefinitely, the album's second part was released by the band in 2011.
The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Yauch died just a few weeks later.
Musicians from across the spectrum paid tribute, with electronic DJ Moby calling him "a wonderful, generous, remarkable and inspiring man and friend".
The new book, to be compiled by hip-hop writer Sacha Jenkins, will include contributions from writers exploring Yauch's musical legacy.


A coalition of charities has urged Northern Ireland's finance minister to reject a proposal that charity shops should begin paying rates.

Rates are the property taxes paid by households and businesses.
Currently, charity shops are exempt but an official consultation has questioned whether that exemption should continue.
Robin Osterley, chief executive of the Charity Retail Association, said the imposition of full rates would cost the charity sector up to £5.5m.
He said this would mean that money "would no longer be available to charities to fund their vital life-saving and life-changing work".
Elsewhere in the UK, charities have their rates reduced by 80% leading the consultation to ask if Northern Ireland charities should "pay some rates".
The consultation has now closed and no decisions are expected until after the Northern Ireland Assembly election in May.


Army bomb disposal officers have carried out a controlled explosion during a security alert in Dundonald, on the outskirts of east Belfast.

It follows the discovery of a suspicious object in the Millreagh housing development earlier on Wednesday night.
Police are also at the scene of the alert.


Pedigree bulls from around the country have been going up for auction at the Stirling Bull Sales.

The auction, which runs on several days through the start of February, stems from the world-famous Perth Bull Sales, which were established in 1865.
It now takes place at the new United Auctions headquarters in Stirling and was renamed in 2012.
Among the breeds on sale are Aberdeen-Angus, Beef Shorthorn, Charolais, Simmental and Limousin.
Auctioneer David Brown said: "The spring sales offers no less than 342 vendors of high-quality bulls and females.
"Entries come from the four corners of the UK - from Shetland and Orkney to Somerset, Southampton, Portsmouth and from Northern Ireland, Swansea and Wold in Wales, to Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire - highlighting the national importance of this event."


A level crossing once branded one of the most dangerous in the country could be replaced with lifts or a subway.

The Wareham station crossing is due to be shut over safety concerns and is part of a national programme of closures.
Network Rail said it was also looking at other options including installing ramps to the existing footbridge.
It comes after plans for a new footbridge were rejected by Purbeck District Council in September.
The alternative to the level crossing is a station footbridge, which poses difficulties for the elderly, disabled or parents with prams.
A shared footway and cycleway along the A351 Wareham bypass or automatic barriers are also being considered.
A Network Rail spokesman said: "Every time a footpath or a road meets the railway, there is a risk - we know the safest level crossing is a closed one."
The rail operator said the crossing had more than three times the number of incidents than any other crossing in the South West area.
CCTV released in 2009 showed a mother pushing her baby in a pram while an oncoming train headed their way.
In 2010, manually operated gates were installed at the railway crossing in the centre of the town as a temporary solution.
But Network Rail said even with flashing warning lights, sounding alarms and the presence of the attendants there were still "reported incidents of non-compliance and near misses".
The ideas are due to be discussed by Dorset County Council's cabinet in May.
A date for closing the level crossing is yet to be confirmed.


A man inadvertently captured proposing to his girlfriend has thanked the photographer, who tracked him down via social media.

Emma Gordon took several photos of Peterborough's Christmas tree on Thursday, and later noticed they showed two strangers' romantic moment.
Ian Peasgood came forward after seeing a Facebook appeal to trace the couple.
"It's absolutely fantastic," Mr Peasgood said. "I didn't get a photo at the time, so this is perfect."
Mr Peasgood, who lives in Leicester, had decided to pop the question to his girlfriend Anita Robson, from Whittlesey, during a late night shopping trip to Peterborough.
"I'd bought the ring 20 minutes earlier and had planned to go to the cathedral," Mr Peasgood, 45, said. "But I was drawn to the tree - it's really nice.
"I was shaking like a leaf as I asked her."
Ms Robson, 44, said yes and the couple plan to marry in 2017.
"As we walked off I thought 'I should have taken a photo of the tree so we had a momento'," Mr Peasgood said.
Five days later Mr Peasgood said his fiancee was checking her phone when she spotted a picture of the Peterborough tree.
"She scrolled up and saw us!", said Mr Peasgood, who made himself known after the Peterborough Telegraph linked to the photos.
"It's such a good photo. Anita wants it framed and on the wall.
"We'll keep it for as long as we live."


Bayern Munich need one more win to secure a fourth Bundesliga title in a row as Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa scored to beat Hertha Berlin.

Chile midfielder Vidal struck early in the second half when his 20-yard shot was deflected past keeper Thomas Kraft.
Brazil winger Costa made sure of victory with a spectacular shot into the top corner 11 minutes from the end.
That would have made Bayern champions had Borussia Dortmund lost, but Thomas Tuchel's side won 3-0 at Stuttgart.
Shinji Kagawa, Christian Pulisic and Henrik Mkhitaryan scored for Dortmund, who trail Bayern by seven points with three games each to play.
Vidal's goal brought a redemption of sorts, after he was criticised heavily for diving in midweek.
The midfielder dived to win a penalty as Bayern beat Werder Bremen 2-0 in their DFB-Pokal semi-final on Tuesday night, with the referee who awarded the kick later apologising for his error and even manager Pep Guardiola admitting that it was the wrong decision.
Guardiola rested captain Philipp Lahm with Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg trip to Atletico Madrid to consider, but still put out a strong side.
Hertha, seeking to qualify for next season's Champions League, threatened the leaders' goal only rarely, with former Bayern forward Mitchell Weiser seeing a first-half penalty appeal rejected as his shot struck Serdar Tasci on the arm.
After Vidal's opener, Kraft made a superb save to deny Robert Lewandowski, but was helpless to do anything about Costa's effort.


A police investigation into the killing of a gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo after a three-year-old fell into an enclosure will focus on the boy's parents.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said the police would later "confer with our office on possible criminal charges".
The zoo says it had no choice but to kill the gorilla, and has defended its safety measures around the enclosure.
Animal activists have accused the zoo of negligence.
Stop Animal Exploitation Now, a Cincinnati-based animal rights group, said it had filed a federal complaint against the zoo with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The police said that their review of the incident "is only regarding the actions of the parents/family that led up to the incident and not related to the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo."
The parents of the boy, who suffered minor injuries in the incident, have also faced heavy criticism on social media.
Cincinnati Police on Tuesday corrected earlier statements which had given the boy's age as four.
The case report provided by police states that witnesses said the gorilla at first appeared to be protecting the boy, but then grew agitated due to screaming onlookers. It then began to drag him.
The child fell into the enclosure of 17-year-old Harambe, an endangered western lowland gorilla, on Saturday.
Video footage showed the boy being dragged through shallow water by the animal. Zookeepers shot Harambe soon afterwards.
The zoo on Monday defended its actions, saying it had no choice but to shoot the gorilla as tranquilisers would not have worked in time to save the boy.
It also said its Gorilla World exhibit was safe and exceeded required protocols.
But Michael Budkie, of Stop Animal Exploitation Now, said the USDA should fine the zoo for having an exhibit that the public could access.
"What happened this weekend made it very clear that the physical barriers at the Cincinnati Zoo are not adequate to keep people out of the enclosures, obviously," he said, adding that the enclosure was reported to be over 30 years old.
He also said the zoo had been criticised back in March after two polar bears were able to wander out of their pen into a service hallway.
Michelle Gregg, the mother of the boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure, has become the victim of online abuse.
People were quick to take to social media after zoo officials defended the decision to shoot the animal.
Eddie Whrnbrg wrote on Facebook: "...the zoos aren't the problem. It's the idiotic parents."
On Twitter @blxxm83 wrote: "So lazy parents can't control their wild kids and a beautiful endangered animal gets shot and killed because of it? #Harambe #RIPHarambe"
In another tweet @brittrosenthal wrote "Sad thing is it looked like #Harambe was protecting the kid more than the parent was. #CincinnatiZoo"
Some even called for Ms Gregg to be dismissed from her job.
Ms Gregg, posting on Facebook after the incident, said her son was "able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes... no broken bones or internal injuries".
She also had this to say to her critics: As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes of of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen but I am thankful people were in the right place today."
Her Facebook page has since been deleted.
About the same time as she made her comments, a Facebook group called Justice for Harambe was set up.
An online petition signed by more than 300,000 people was also created, calling for her to be held accountable for Harambe's death.


The pilot of a Turkish F-16 fighter jet has been found dead after the aircraft crashed near Turkey's border with Syria, reports say.

The plane was flying over the Amanos Mountains in the southern province of Osmaniye on Monday when it lost radio contact, Anatolia news agency said.
The pilot reportedly sent a message saying "I'm jumping" before contact was lost.
Rescuers found his body near to the wreckage of the aircraft.
Osmaniye Governor Celalettin Cerrah had earlier announced that a cockpit window and some other pieces of the aircraft had been found in the Caksir area.
The jet, which is based at the 5th Main Jet Command in the northern province of Amasya, had been performing an operational flight.
The Turkish military said it had lost touch with the aircraft at 14:15 local time (11:15 GMT).
People living around the village of Yarpuz, about 25km (16 miles) north of the Syrian border, said that they had heard a loud bang like an explosion, according to local media
A Turkish fighter jet was shot down by Syria over the Mediterranean in June 2012, after Syrian forces said it had entered the country's airspace.
It was not immediately clear what caused Monday's crash.


Girlguiding is planning a huge overhaul of its programme, with classic badges replaced by new ones with titles liable to puzzle older generations.

So far, 15,000 girls have put forward ideas for new badges, including App Design, Vlogging and Upcycling.
Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, one of several "inspirational women" involved, suggested a Resilience badge.
And Lil, aged nine, wanted a Gymnastics badge as: "I enjoy doing it and I can do lots of tricks."
Has Girl Guiding stood the test of time?
Girlguiding might be more famous for less adventurous badges like Homemaker and Hostess but they also have a long tradition of groundbreaking badges, including:
More recently, in the 1980s, there was a Radio Communicator badge, and the 1990s girls could do a Canoeist badge.
The current set of badges include Survival, Circus Skills and World Issues.
Parents and the general public are now being invited to contribute ideas for the new programme on social media, using the hashtag #BadgeGoals.
Girlguiding has more than 500,000 members aged five to 25 and 100,000 volunteers.
It runs Rainbows for five to seven-year-olds, Brownies for seven to 10-year-olds, Guides for 10 to 14-year-olds and Senior Section for 14 to 25-year-olds.
As well as Vlogging, App Design and Upcycling, potential badges suggested by members include:
Elena, 17, said: "A Chemist badge would be brilliant as girls could find out about acids and alkalis and have a go at conducting experiments.
"It would be a fantastic way to engage girls in chemistry."
Mihika, eight, said her top choice would be a Zip Line Badge, "because it is very fun and cool".
Sophie, 20, wanted a Video Journalist badge: "It would give girls the opportunity to learn about making vlogs and other video news pieces and understand how to harness one of the most powerful communication mediums available."
Beth Tweddle said her proposed Resilience badge would "give girls the chance to build their mental wellbeing".
She said resilience was a "valuable skill" which had helped her handle "the pressures of competing in gymnastics".
"A Resilience badge would help to tackle the stigma around mental health from a young age by empowering girls to talk confidently about these issues and equipping them with the skills they need to be resilient throughout their lives."
Girlguiding says the new programme, starting next year, will mark "the biggest investment in girls' futures outside the school system in the UK".
The aim is to equip hundreds of thousands of girls "with all the skill and experiences they will need to thrive, succeed, make change and be happy in the modern world", it adds.
In 2014 the Scout Association carried out a similar move, introducing 19 new badges after a 10-month consultation with its 12,000 scouts.
Among the new badges was geocaching - a modern take on orienteering where participants use GPS technology to find hidden treasure boxes.
Beth Tweddle is among several prominent women awarded honorary "I Give Girls a Voice" Guide badges for being role models for girls and young women.
Other recipients include fellow Olympians Lizzy Yarnold, Dame Kelly Holmes and Hannah Cockroft, as well as entertainer Kimberly Wyatt, campaigning journalist Bryony Gordon and adventurer Anna McNuff.


The family of a woman murdered by a violent re-offender have called on MSPs to allow judges to use whole of life sentences.

Isabelle Sanders was stabbed 37 times by Paul McManus during a robbery at her home in Glasgow last year.
The 20-year-old was told he must serve a minimum of 26 years in prison before he can apply for parole
Holyrood's petitions committee said it will ask the Scottish government to consider the issue.
McManus forced his way into Ms Sanders' home in Crookston on 9 April 2014, attacking the 51-year-old and her partner Norman Busby, 86.
He was jailed for a minimum of 21 years for murder and 14 years for the attempted murder and two other robbery-related stabbings.
During the trial it emerged McManus had a "significant" criminal record, which included convictions for theft, assault and robbery and the use of weapons, and had been released from serving a previous sentence five weeks before the murder.
At the moment, the charge of murder is required by law to carry a mandatory life sentence, made up of a minimum jail term and an indeterminate period during which the prisoner remains in custody if necessary for the protection of the public.
James Dougall, Ms Sanders' brother, told the committee statistics show about 5% of life prisoners who are released by the parole board go on to reoffend.
He said: "The offender received a minimum sentence of 26 years. He was 19 when the offence occurred and will be released when he's 45 - assuming that he gets through the parole board - the same age as me. In fact, six years younger than Isabelle when she was murdered in her own home.
"This individual has already been given the opportunity to reform, how can you be sure, if we do release him, that he won't offend again? How can we be sure that he is not one of the 5%?"
Mr Dougall suggested Scotland follows the English sentencing model which allows judges to impose whole life sentences, and provides guidelines when this may be appropriate.
Scots law already allows the minimum period of custody set by a judge to exceed the prisoner's life expectancy, but this must be specified in years and months.
Mr Dougall told MSPs the only case he could find where this had been applied was that of Angus Sinclair, who was convicted of the 1977 World's End murders of teenagers Christine Eadie and Helen Scott in 2014.
Sentenced to a minimum prison term of 37 years, Sinclair would be 106 years old before being eligible for parole.
MSPs agreed to write to the Scottish government to ask if the issue could be considered by the new Scottish Sentencing Council.
The council is due to be established by October this year to provide clear sentencing guidelines for Scotland.
They also said they would write to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson to establish how often a sentence which was manifestly longer than the offender's life expectancy had been imposed by judges.
Speaking after the evidence session, Mr Dougall said the family's campaign has public backing, with almost 1,000 signatures supporting the petition, and support from social media.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Scottish courts have the power to impose the equivalent of a whole life tariff in any given case.
"The independence of Scotland's judiciary is a fundamental part of the Scottish legal system. As such, sentencing is a matter for judges who operate independently of Scottish ministers and it is for our courts to decide what sentence to impose in each case before them.
"The Scottish government has previously announced the creation of a specific Scottish Sentencing Council which will promote consistency and transparency around sentencing and encourage better understanding of sentences across Scotland, as well as producing sentencing guidelines for the judiciary."


A man was found with 38 mobile phones stuffed down his trouser legs at a Libertines concert, police say.

West Midlands Police said the man was spotted at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Wednesday evening with his trouser legs taped at the bottom.
He and another man, who also had his trouser legs taped have been arrested on suspicion of theft.
Police said there had been reports concert-goers were targeted at the band's performances in Manchester too.
More on this story and other updates from Birmingham
Anyone who thinks they may have had their phone taken on Wednesday should contact police.
The band performed in Manchester on 23 January.


Theresa May has defended her changes to the Tory social care policy, as critics called it a "manifesto meltdown".

The PM told the BBC "nothing has changed" and said rival parties had been "trying to scare" elderly people.
It came after she said earlier that there would be a cap on how much people paid for care - a change from the original policy which included no cap.
She did not say what level the cap would be set at but said it would be in a post-election consultation.
Labour and the Lib Dems said the Conservative social care policy was "in meltdown".
Since the publication of the Conservative manifesto last week, much attention has been focused on reforms to the way care for elderly and vulnerable adults is funded.
The manifesto did not mention an overall cap on costs, instead proposing a £100,000 "floor" beyond which people's assets would be protected.
Speaking to activists in Wales earlier, Mrs May said the package would now include an "absolute limit" on the money people would have to pay - triggering accusations that she had made a U-turn.
In her interview, with the BBC's Andrew Neil, Mrs May denied this and said the principle the policy was based on remained absolutely the same".
Analysis
By BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg
Suddenly, only four days after the Tory manifesto was published, Theresa May has added one rather crucial proposal to her social care plan - a limit, or a cap, to the amount of money one individual could be asked to pay.
She is adamant that she is not budging on her principles, and was clearly irritated by questions after her speech that said she was backtracking.
But the manifesto did not include the notion of a cap, and just yesterday ministers publicly rejected such an idea.
Read more from Laura
The whole package will be put out to consultation, Mrs May said, adding that people had been "worried" by the Labour Party saying her reforms could mean they would have to sell their homes to pay for care.
Including an overall cap would mean the Tories were "protecting people for the future," Mrs May said.
"We are providing a system that provides sustainability in our social care for the future and we have got an ageing population. We need to do this otherwise our system will collapse."
Since the manifesto launch on Thursday, ministers had been saying the idea of a cap - as proposed by a government review in 2011 - had been rejected.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said at the time that it was "completely explicit" that the idea of a cap had been dropped.
Currently anyone with savings and other assets worth more than £23,250 is expected to pay the full cost of their residential care and the value of their home can be taken into account. But this does not apply to those receiving care in their own home.
Under the Conservative plans, this would change and the value of a person's homes could, in future, be factored in. However, the money would not be taken until after the person - or their surviving partner - had died and £100,000 from that estate would be protected.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mrs May's announcement was a "triumph of spin over reality" and the policy had changed very little.
Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said Theresa May had suffered a "manifesto meltdown" but had still not provided certainty to families about how much they would have to pay for domiciliary care.
In the interview with Andrew Neil, Mrs May also said her cabinet backed her pledge to cut immigration below 100,000, contrary to the claims of ex-chancellor George Osborne - and that a strong economy would help fund the Tories' £8bn NHS pledge.
She also said an extra £10bn would be spent on NHS buildings and infrastructure, as recommended in a recent government review, with the money to be raised from a "variety of sources".
The PM refused to rule out future rises to National Insurance contributions for the self-employed but said the issue was "off the table" and that it was her party's  intention to reduce taxes for businesses and working families.
Get the latest election news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning


Knowsley Council's chief executive is stepping down as part of a move to find £26m savings which will also see 200 jobs lost over the next two years.

Sheena Ramsey is to take voluntary redundancy at the end of the month.
A management restructure will also result in the loss of "several senior manager posts" to "realise more savings", the authority said.
The council said the review had only just started and that it could not say how many senior roles would be axed.
In a statement, Knowsley Council said: "One of the ways in which we plan to achieve savings is by further reducing our senior management costs.
"In view of this, Sheena Ramsey has decided to step down from her role as chief executive and take voluntary redundancy.
"We will also be looking to restructure our senior management arrangements resulting in a loss of several senior manager posts to realise more savings, as well as reducing our workforce by 200 jobs."
Ms Ramsey, who earns a salary of between £175,000 and £192,000, has worked at the authority for nine years.


Manchester City clinched an emphatic win over West Brom to move back up to third place in the Premier League with one game remaining.

A point in their final game at Watford on Sunday will now be enough to guarantee Pep Guardiola's side a place in the top four and Champions League football, while a win would see them finish third and go straight into the group stage.
This was as straightforward a victory as City could have anticipated at this stage of the season, as two goals in two first-half minutes put them in control against a Baggies side that lacked ambition and did not seriously threaten until the final stages.
First, Sergio Aguero's flick fed Kevin de Bruyne, who burst into the left-hand side of the area before squaring the ball to give Gabriel Jesus an easy tap-in.
One minute and 46 seconds later it was 2-0, thanks to a brilliant first-time finish from De Bruyne after Aguero's attempt to tee up Jesus was cleared into the Belgian's path on the edge of the area.
Yaya Toure made it 3-0 after the break, exchanging passes with Aguero as he marched into the area to slot past Ben Foster.
West Brom managed a late consolation when substitute Hal Robson-Kanu turned in Allan Nyom's low cross.
Media playback is not supported on this device
With the points all but secured by Toure's goal, attention for many City fans switched to Pablo Zabeleta's big send-off.
After nine years with City in which he won every domestic trophy, the 32-year-old Argentina defender is leaving the club at the end of the season.
He started on the bench but the home fans sang his name from kick-off, gave him his first standing ovation of the night in the first half and then exploded into noise when he began warming up.
The ground rose to applaud him on to the pitch when he replaced David Silva on the hour mark, and then cheered every time he touched the ball.
Zabaleta ended the game wearing the captain's armband after Vincent Kompany was substituted and West Brom's belated fightback never threatened to ruin his night.
After an emotional farewell speech at the final whistle, when he was joined on the pitch by his wife and young son, Zabaleta was given a guard of honour by his team-mates as he and his family departed down the tunnel.
Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero were also strong candidates but the in-form Belgian edged it thanks to his assist for City's first goal and particularly his finish for their second. De Bruyne's form dipped in mid-season but he currently looks near to his best.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who was hoping for a City slip here to allow his team back into the top four, had accused mid-table teams of being "on holiday" before the game.
If those comments were designed to sting the Baggies into life, they did not work.
West Brom's form has dropped off the proverbial cliff since they beat the Gunners at the Hawthorns at the end of March, and they never looked like reversing it here.
You could not accuse Tony Pulis' side of not trying at Etihad Stadium, but their effort was mostly defensive - even after they fell behind.
Defeat stretched their winless run to eight games, a run in which they have scored only three goals and picked up two points.
They also drop one place to ninth - slipping below Southampton on goal difference - and the end of the season can seemingly not come quickly enough for them.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola: "It is in our hands to finish third so it is the best thing.
"To finish in front of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, it means a lot. Maybe next season hopefully we can do better."
West Brom manager Tony Pulis: "They deserved to win tonight. Once they got their noses in front, they're a difficult team to pull back.
"The two quick-fire goals killed us. When the third one went in, you're looking down the barrel."
Media playback is not supported on this device
City finish their season against Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday (15:00 BST), at the same time West Brom wrap theirs up with a trip to Wales to play Swansea.
Match ends, Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Second Half ends, Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 1.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Nicolás Otamendi (Manchester City) because of an injury.
Corner,  West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov.
Goal!  Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 1. Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nyom with a cross.
Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).
Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Ben Foster.
Attempt saved. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernandinho.
Attempt missed. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Leroy Sané.
Substitution, Manchester City. Fernando replaces Yaya Touré.
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Hal Robson-Kanu (West Bromwich Albion).
Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross.
Substitution, Manchester City. John Stones replaces Vincent Kompany.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Jonny Evans.
Leroy Sané (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Nyom (West Bromwich Albion).
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Craig Dawson.
Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Hal Robson-Kanu replaces Salomón Rondón.
Leroy Sané (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.
Leroy Sané (Manchester City) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Foul by Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City).
Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Ben Foster.
Attempt saved. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernandinho.
Foul by Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. James Morrison replaces Jake Livermore.
Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Claudio Yacob (West Bromwich Albion).
Attempt missed. Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by James McClean with a cross.
Substitution, Manchester City. Pablo Zabaleta replaces David Silva.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Salomón Rondón.
Attempt missed. Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Nyom.
Goal!  Manchester City 3, West Bromwich Albion 0. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sergio Agüero.


The beauty of Northern Ireland's north coast made Portrush the go-to choice for family holidays for decades.

But in recent years it, like many other seaside towns, has struggled.
The advent of cheap flights abroad and a recession meant the County Antrim town was forced to reinvent itself from its 1950s heyday.
And while the weather this year has been as unstable as the political landscape, neither seem to be putting tourists off spending money, with more visitors from the Republic of Ireland providing a welcome revenue stream.
Visitors to the north coast traditionally come from other parts of Northern Ireland, said Naldo Morelli, managing director of Morelli's Ice Cream.
"But this year, I suppose with Brexit and the pound weakening a little bit we've noticed more customers from the Republic of Ireland, so that helps too," he said.
"The Northern Ireland public are very used to having four seasons in one day, so thankfully for us they eat ice cream no matter the weather."
Portrush's reinvention seems to be doing the trick for traders.
"Business is up 5% to 10% across the board, certainly the restaurants have been busy," said Ian Donaghey, the president of the Causeway Chamber of Commerce.
While the weather is not always kind, this is sometimes actually good for local businesses, added Mr Donaghey.
"If the weather is too good it keeps people on the beaches and they don't spend money in the town," he said.
"What some of the traders would tell you is that they like a sunny morning and a drizzly afternoon because it drives them into Barry's [amusement arcade] and the restaurants and bars."
Portrush's much loved amusements and bucket-and-spade shops are still there, but now their neighbours are trendy coffee shops, restaurants and bars.
The town may not have completely shaken off its traditional image, but those who visit do not seem to mind.
Business owners hope a mixture of nostalgia and new attractions will keep people visiting the north coast for the rest of this summer season, and for many years to come.
It seems that come rain or shine, holidaymakers will always have a soft spot for Portrush.


Qatar has reportedly deployed troops to Yemen for the first time, according to the Doha-based al-Jazeera news.

One-thousand ground troops, supported by armoured vehicles and helicopters, are reportedly headed for the province of Marib.
Last week, 60 soldiers from the Saudi-led coalition were killed at a base in Marib.
The missile strike by Houthi rebels killed 45 UAE, 10 Saudi and five Bahraini soldiers.
The troops died after an ammunition depot was hit in the town of Safir.
Following the attack, Emirati warplanes launched airstrikes on targets across Yemen.
The Houthi rebels described the attack as revenge for "crimes" committed by the Saudi-led coalition, which has carried out months of air strikes in Yemen.
The coalition is trying to restore the exiled president, who left as the Houthis gained control over much of the country.
The UN says some 4,500 people - including at least 2,110 civilians - have been killed in fighting on the ground and by coalition air strikes since late March.
Coalition countries are thought to have sent several thousand troops to Yemen in an effort to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to power.
They helped southern militiamen opposed to the Houthis retake the southern port city of Aden in July and have since advanced northwards.
Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe
Who is fighting whom?
Meeting the Houthis and their enemies


People in the north-eastern Spanish region of Catalonia head to the polls in an early election on 25 November.

Regional leader Artur Mas has promised that if re-elected, he will organise a referendum on whether Catalonia should break with Spain and become an independent state.
The central government in Madrid insists a Catalan referendum would not be in line with the Spanish constitution introduced in 1978 after the death of the authoritarian ruler, General Francisco Franco. These Catalans gave their views to BBC News.
What happened in Catalonia? How did supporters of independence, a small minority only five years ago, became a majority today?
It is not simply because of a strong Catalan sense of identity, nor is it because of the frustration many people felt with legal decisions that impeded Catalonia's moves towards greater autonomy. It is because of the financial crisis.
The crisis has been the most valuable prop to nationalists. They used economic arguments to win the support of those Catalans who have roots in other parts of Spain. It started with a real fiscal imbalance.
They have spread the idea - simple but effective - that all of Catalonia's problems stem from Spain, a Spain that "steals" and "pillages" the Catalans' wealth.
In this sense, Catalonia is not too different than Scotland, Flanders or the north of Italy, territories where the idea of "fiscal egoism" is becoming more popular. The Catalan nationalists are promising their supporters a new state in the European Union.
There is no guarantee of this happening. But their movement goes against the European principle of solidarity, and it undermines the whole project of European political union.
I hope the parliament of Catalonia can go ahead with organising a referendum. I hope that the Catalans can vote in peace without being threatened by the Spanish government.
It would be nice if the Spanish central government and the Catalan autonomous regional government could come to an agreement, as the British and Scottish governments have done.
At the same time, I do not think we can expect Madrid to make such a gesture. Spanish politicians are not used to listening, negotiating or allowing secession, if it comes to that.
The legacy of Gen Franco weighs heavily on Spanish politics. Even if the Spanish government does not cede sovereignty to the Catalan parliament, I hope that Artur Mas and the pro-independence parties fulfil their promises to organise a referendum quickly.
I hope they are wise enough to look to Europe for support. Europe cannot turn its back on a people who have democratically expressed their desire to be a new state within Europe.
For work reasons I travelled all over Spain during the 1980s and 90s.
I quickly understood that it would be very difficult to continue being Catalans inside Spain. Spain has historically been built as the Castillian state, with Madrid being the metropolis, and any attempt at opening it to other Iberian nations has been rejected with violence.
Historically for Castille, Catalonia belongs to Spain by right of conquest. We need a state by our side and not the opposite. Too many times, Spain has preferred not to invest in Catalonia even though this is detrimental to Spain.
With this in view, I would like the Catalan nation to exercise its right of self-determination in a referendum. That is why on 25 November I will not vote for any party that denies us this right.
In spite of the threats from Madrid, I believe that eventually Spain will have to allow Catalonia the referendum. Why would it be allowed in Scotland and not in Catalonia?
Also, I think the European Union would not allow Spain to use force against European citizens to stop them from doing something so democratic as voting. If the EU collaborates with Spain, or is an accomplice to the Spanish nationalists' threats and coercion, it will sow the seeds that may even lead to the destruction of the EU.
In a short time, Catalan independence has been transformed from an impossible goal to something now perceived as more or less inevitable, but we can only foresee the first stages.
This November, Catalonia will be left in a situation where at least two-thirds of the [Catalan] national assembly members will have been elected, having promised a referendum in their election manifesto. The Catalan national government will find itself in direct opposition to Madrid, duty-bound to carry out the promises which gave it a large mandate.
Then the really interesting questions begin. How far will Spain go to accommodate Catalonia? Will the Catalan leader be stripped of his powers, or even be imprisoned, as some have called for in the Spanish press?
Will they send in the military, to stop the democratic process? Each one of these issues, covered extensively in the international media, would be toxic for Spain, a country that is falling apart both economically and in terms of its own territory.
These questions would also strengthen the sense of a divorce between Spain and Catalonia, with a tax drain on finances and the systematic failure of investment, feeding the contempt for its culture and identity. The ranks of people in favour of independence have not stopped swelling in recent years, whether it is for reasons of the heart, or the purse.
On 11 September, the national day of Catalonia, it was clear [with the demonstrations] in the street that people wanted their own state.
After November's elections, it will be the same inside parliament. Convergence and Union now  campaigns for an independent state. There is a new unity between voters and politicians on the issue. This unity legitimises the process and makes it unstoppable.


A hacker from the Bahamas has pleaded guilty to stealing data, including scripts and private sexually explicit material, from 130 celebrities.

Alonzo Knowles, 23, made his plea to a court in New York on Monday and now faces up to 10 years in prison and six years of supervised release.
Knowles was arrested after trying to sell 15 scripts for $80,000 (Â£55,400) to undercover agents in New York.
The stolen data also included social security numbers.
As part of a plea deal, Knowles agreed to give up $1,900 and 25 unpublished scripts and music tracks found in his DropBox account.
One of the scripts he had offered to sell to agents was for All Eyez on Me - the forthcoming biopic about rapper Tupac Shakur, who died in a 1996 shooting.
"Alonzo Knowles targeted and hacked into the private emails of celebrities in entertainment and in professional sports," said Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara.
"His crimes did not end with this frightening invasion of privacy, as Knowles then sought to sell what he stole, including unreleased movie and television scripts, to the highest bidder.
"Thanks to the terrific work of the Homeland Security Investigations agents and prosecutors in my office, this story of cybercrime meets celebrity stalking ends well, with the perpetrator caught and convicted."


The careers of three of Leeds Rhinos' notable players have been celebrated in the city following the club's Super League Grand Final success.

Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield and Kylie Leuluai ended their careers and left the club after beating Wigan Warriors at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The win followed success in the League Leaders' Shield and Challenge Cup to complete a domestic treble.
The trio were honoured at a celebratory event at the First Direct Arena.
Speaking after winning the Grand Final, former England captain Peacock said: "It's a bit difficult to sum up. I'm lost for words.
"I just feel fortunate to be in a great team. It's a team sport and that's why rugby league is such a great sport."
Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said: "It has been another amazing season for the Leeds Rhinos and [the event] is an opportunity for supporters to congratulate the team on their efforts and also say a big thank you to legends Kevin Sinfield, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai."
"We are extremely proud as a city of the Rhinos, whose commitment, dedication and achievements on the field - coupled with the work they do in our communities - is simply fantastic.
"They are undoubtedly fully deserving of an event such as this."
Leeds Rhinos chief executive, Gary Hetherington, said it would be a "spectacular live show" with performances from The Pigeon Detectives showing appreciation for the three retiring stars.


A new body is being set up by Welsh ministers to collect taxes from 2018.

The Welsh government is taking over the setting and collection of landfill tax and a replacement for stamp duty, to be called the Welsh Land Transaction Tax.
The new tax collection body will be known as the Welsh Revenue Authority or WRA, Finance Minister Jane Hutt said.
Stamp duty raises around £168m a year in Wales with landfill tax raising £51m.
Ms Hutt said she wanted a "smooth transition to the new taxes in 2018, with as little disruption for taxpayers as possible".
"My priority is making sure Welsh taxes - which from 2018 will be a small but significant part of the overall funding available for public services in Wales - are collected safely and securely," she said.
"I also want arrangements that will enable taxpayers to comply with their obligations as straightforwardly as possible and these arrangements will need to be value for money."
The WRA will work with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to collect the property tax and with Natural Resources Wales to collect the landfill charges.


A brandy-drinking councillor made sexual remarks about a woman dressed as an elf, a misconduct hearing has heard.

Stoke-on-Trent City councillor Richard Broughan said he wanted her to "sit on his knee" at the family Christmas event in Abbey Hulton, the panel was told.
It ruled that he had brought the authority into disrepute.
Carmaine Whitehouse, investigating officer for the council, said: "A councillor should behave in a statesmanlike manner."
The panel concluded he must have training on the code of conduct.
It accepted evidence given by police community support officers that Mr Broughan had put brandy in his coffee at the gathering in November 2015 - in what was an alcohol-free zone - and that he made the sexual remarks about the woman, who was dressed as a Santa's grotto elf.
Following the hearing, Mr Broughan, a City Independent councillor, said he respected the decision, but added: "I don't think I would be doing my residents any kind of service if I did stand down."
The leader of the City Independents now has has six weeks to report back to the council about whether he as a party leader wishes to impose any punishments.
See more stories from across Stoke and Staffordshire here


UK engineers are developing a system to harpoon rogue or redundant satellites and pull them out of the sky.

It is a response to the ever growing problem of orbital junk - old pieces of hardware that continue to circle the Earth and which now pose a collision threat to operational spacecraft.
The harpoon would be fired at the hapless satellite from close range.
A propulsion pack tethered to the projectile would then pull the junk downwards, to burn up in the atmosphere.
"Space has become a critical part of our infrastructure - from weather forecasting and Earth observation, to GPS and telecommunications," said the harpoon's designer, Dr Jaime Reed, from Astrium UK.
"Space junk poses a real threat to these vital services if we do nothing about it, and so it's very important we develop capture technologies to remove some of this material.  Studies have shown that taking out just a few large items each year can help us get on top of the problem."
Dr Reed's proposal is for a barbed spear about 30cm in length.  It would be mounted on a "chaser satellite" that would edge to within 100m of a junk object.
Pictures sent to the ground would then be used to assess the target, before the chaser was moved to within perhaps 20m to take a shot.
Once the harpoon is hooked through the skin of the rogue satellite or rocket stage, the chaser could either pull on a trailing polymer cord itself or deploy a separate thruster unit to do the job of dragging the aimless drifter towards Earth.
This is research in its very early stages. The BBC has filmed firing tests of a prototype harpoon at Astrium UK's Stevenage base.
The company, the largest space manufacturer in Europe, is also pursuing other ideas at its centres in France and Germany.  These concepts involve nets and robotic grappling devices.  All systems have their pros and cons.
Harpoons could deal well with a satellite that is tumbling, for example, but the approach has its critics because of the fear it could actually add to our problems in space.
"Historically, one of the great sources of debris has been the explosion of fuel tanks in spent rocket stages," explained Dr Reed.
"We obviously don't want to be the cause of that, so our harpoon has a crushable cylinder.  It's like a piston, and as soon as the harpoon hits the satellite wall, it rapidly decelerates, ensuring we don't travel right through the spacecraft, puncturing the tanks."
More than 50 years of space activity have left a huge quantity of redundant hardware in orbit.
This includes not just whole satellites and the upper-stages of the rockets used to put them there, but also that debris from fuel tank explosions.
Today, it is said there are more than 22,000 objects actively being tracked.
These are just the big, easy-to-see items, however. Moving around unseen are an estimated 500,000 particles ranging in size between 1-10cm across, and perhaps tens of millions of other particles smaller than 1cm.
All of it is travelling at several kilometres per second - sufficient velocity for even the smallest fragment to do a lot of damage if it strikes an operational space mission.
Two events have really focussed the mind on this issue.  The first was China's deliberate destruction of a decommissioned weather satellite using a missile in 2007.  The second was the accidental collision in 2009 of the Cosmos 2251 and Iridium 33 satellites.
These two incidents produced hundreds of thousands of new fragments, negating all the mitigation gains that had been made over the previous decades.
Prof Richard Crowther is the UK Space Agency's chief engineer.  He says there is a short window of opportunity to get on top of the issue before the number of collisions starts to increase and the problems associated with junk and debris begin to cascade.  But he warns that any proposal for satellite removal requires international agreement because these systems could also be viewed as aggressive developments - as space weapons.
"If you've watched James Bond films over the years, you know that anything with a harpoon, with a laser, with a net in space has the potential to grab another spacecraft and destroy it," he told BBC News.
"So, we need to build reassurance within the space community and demonstrate that the systems being proposed are peaceful in their nature but also peaceful in the intent and the way in which they are going to be used."
The Astrium UK harpoon concept is being presented to the 63rd International Astronautical Congress in Naples on Wednesday.


Jos Buttler said his record-breaking century in England's one-day win over Pakistan was "a long time coming".

The wicketkeeper hit England's fastest one-day hundred, off 46 balls, in Dubai three weeks after being dropped from the Test side.
Buttler finished with 116 not out off 52 balls as the tourists won the fourth ODI by 84 runs to take the series 3-1.
"I got dropped at this ground, so to come back and have a good day here is really satisfying," he told BBC Sport.
"You sit there and wonder why today it's clicked. You still train the same whether you get runs or you don't.
"If I knew the answer I'd be a lot more consistent."
Buttler has now scored the three fastest one-day hundreds for England, after a 61-ball effort against Sri Lanka at Lord's in 2014 and a 66-ball ton against New Zealand in June.
That innings at Edgbaston was the last time he reached 50 in international cricket, a run which led to his omission for the final Test.
Buttler, who made an unbeaten 49 to help seal victory in the third ODI, was promoted two places up the order to number four by captain Eoin Morgan in Dubai.
Buttler said: "Just as I got my pads on, there was a wicket, so I was straight out there - no time to think about it, just go and play and that confidence the captain has given me has fallen over into the innings."
Buttler went from 50 to 100 in only 16 deliveries, and struck 10 fours and eight sixes in total.
Morgan told BBC Sport: "I said before he went out that he's the only one of us who can score a 60-ball hundred, and he's done it in 46.
"We watch him do it in training week in, week out. It was an unbelievable innings."
England amassed 355-5, featuring Jason Roy's 102 - his maiden international century - and 71 from Joe Root - before bowling Pakistan out for 271 with 9.2 overs unused.
Victory secured only their third one-day series win since February 2013, but Morgan said England were "a long way off perfection".
He said: "With the ball, we've a lot to work with, and tonight summed that up - we continued to take wickets but couldn't stem the flow of runs.
"We've learned a great deal, and the most satisfying thing is that we're winning along the way."
England coach Trevor Bayliss said Buttler's innings was one of the best he had witnessed.
"I'm not sure if I've got the words to describe it," said the Australian.
"There was some very clean hitting, no slogging, good cricket shots, and shots not necessarily in the coaching manual."
Bayliss, on his first overseas tour since being appointed in May, was also delighted with how they turned the series round after heavy defeat in the opening match.
"To come back shows not just the skill but the character this team has as well," he said.
"But they've still got some improvement in them, which is a good thing.
"Their skills are starting to show on a more consistent basis.
"I'm sure this young group of players will have their bad days; we saw that in the first game of the series. As time goes by, that consistency will get better."


Great Britain's Sonar crew won their third world title with victory at the Para World Sailing Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas beat their Australian rivals by a single point.
It adds to the silver won by Skud duo Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell on Wednesday.
"We've missed out a few times over the last few years so this year's been a lot of hard work," said Robertson.
The Great Britain crew, who are three-time Paralympians, won World golds in 2005 and 2006.
But they faced an anxious wait for confirmation of their third success, as the Australians unsuccessfully sought to overturn a jury decision from earlier in the week.
The trio must now wait to see whether they have secured selection for next year's Rio Paralympics.
"We sat down and said we wanted to win a gold medal at the Worlds and we've delivered on that," said Thomas.  "Selection is still in the balance but hopefully we've done enough for that, and we're a strong unit.
"We're getting stronger and stronger, which is going to put us in good stead for Rio."
Elsewhere, Paralympic champion Helena Lucas, who has already been selected for Rio, missed out on a medal in the 2.4mR event as she finished fourth overall, one place ahead of team-mate Megan Pascoe.


NHS Wales must continue to "learn from its mistakes", says its chief executive in his first annual quality report.

There has been a fall in hospital infections while vaccination levels are at a record high.
Dr Andrew Goodall said the NHS was also "working hard" to improve after a review criticised the care of elderly patients at two hospitals.
He said patient "dignity and respect" was very important and action had to be taken when this did not happen.
The statement lists the areas where the NHS has made improvements as well as challenges ahead.
Those difficulties included waiting times and action taken following the investigation into the care of elderly patients on some wards in the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend and Neath and Port Talbot general.
Dr Goodall, who took over a year ago, also said the NHS is bringing in changes in how it deals with complaints.
Assembly members last August warned of a "lockdown culture" over the issue.
"Our underlying principle is that we must learn from our mistakes," said Dr Goodall.
"NHS Wales must continue to improve so it can provide you and your family with high-quality care when you need it most."
He added: "We are committed to putting things right if we get them wrong."
The number of MRSA deaths have fallen again, with 19 in 2013, compared to a high point of 109 a decade ago.
Although there have been improvements in hospital infection rates, Dr Goodall admits they were still too high and there was "still some way to go".
His priorities for the next year include:
There will also be more spot checks on hospitals and the results of inspections inside all mental health wards and units in Wales are expected to be released later this week.
ANALYSIS from Owain Clarke, BBC Wales health correspondent
It's a service that is constantly under the spotlight and under pressure and when things go wrong in the NHS there is understandably a huge amount of concern.
The recent scandal at the now closed, Tawel Fan ward at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd demonstrated clear and disturbing examples of inexcusable care for the most vulnerable mental health patients.
Relatives said patients on the mental health ward, which was shut in 2013, were treated like animals in a zoo.
Before then care failings involving older patients at Princess of Wales hospital in Bridgend caused worry and anguish.
But the NHS in Wales, according to its chief executive, is doing a lot to learn the lessons.
Dr Andrew Goodall said all health bodies across Wales now have to publish annual reports about safety and quality.
His report highlights "excellent work" and projects from across the country. In a nutshell he says there is a lot to be proud of.
"Overnight kidney dialysis for patients in Abertawe Bro Morgannwg is one example where staff on the ground are not just focused on quality but trying to innovate in what is still quite a difficult day-to-day environment for them," he said.
Patients generally appreciate the care they experience; around 90% say they are very satisfied.
Opposition parties have for a long time complained that performance is not  up to scratch in several areas; some targets have not been hit in many years.
In response, Dr Goodall said his priorities for the next 12 months include tackling treatment delays - not only in A&E but also delays in referring patients from their GPs for hospital tests and treatment.


Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice as Paris St-Germain established a 24-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with victory away to St Etienne.

The Sweden striker opened the scoring at full stretch from six yards before scoring his 19th league goal of the campaign in the closing stages.
Paris St-Germain have now recorded a club record 13 straight wins.
In addition Laurent Blanc's side have equalled Nantes' 20-year-old record of 32 league games without defeat.
PSG require a maximum 22 points from 15 matches to be crowned champions of France for the fourth successive season.


The murder of a woman by her ex-husband could not have been predicted, a safeguarding report has found.

The body of Chinese student Mingzi Yang, 29, was found at her house in Sincil Bank, Lincoln, in June, 2014.
She had been battered to death by Wai Hong Tsang, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder.
A Lincolnshire Community Safety Partnership review found "it would have been difficult for any organisation to have taken steps to prevent it".
Tsang, from Scartho, near Grimsby, was originally interviewed by police as a witness.
More on this and other local stories from across Lincolnshire
He was jailed for life in January 2015 after being convicted of his ex-wife's murder.
During his trial, Tsang was described as a "cold and calculating man".
On the day of the murder, he claimed he left his home in Grimsby early in the morning and drove to Sherwood Forest where he went mountain biking.
But police were able to prove he had travelled via Lincoln, stopping off for more than two hours in a secluded lay-by on the edge of the city - giving him enough time to cycle to Ms Yang's home, kill her and cycle back to his car.
The report found that although there was a history of domestic abuse, the couple had divorced in 2012, and were in new relationships when she was murdered.
However, it found evidence of domestic abuse dating back to when the couple married in 2007.
There were three reported incidents in Humberside in November 2009, November 2011 and December 2011.
Tony McGinty, Independent Chair of the Review Panel, said part of the review looked at how organisations responded to previous incidents involving the couple.
He said that although procedures were followed, agencies were sometimes limited because "the nature of the abuse suffered was often coercive control".


Brazil secured a dramatic penalty shootout win against Chile to reach the last eight and set up an all-South American quarter-final against Colombia.

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Goalkeeper Julio Cesar was the hero, making two crucial spot-kick saves, to thwart a relentless Chile side who were denied victory themselves by the woodwork with seconds to spare in extra time.
"Howard Webb got the handball absolutely spot on. It is a great decision but I don't see how Webb could see it from his position. He's got the decision right but he can't see it. He got lucky.
"Brazil won't win the World Cup because their centre-forward is not good enough."
That the hosts came close to making an unexpected exit in Belo Horizonte had a nation of more than 200m people holding its breath.
Cesar, who made just one appearance for Queens Park Rangers last season and went on loan to FC Toronto, redeemed an error he made which cost Brazil dear in the quarter-finals against Netherlands in 2010.
He saved from Mauricio Pinilla and Alexis Sanchez as Brazil went on to win a tense shootout 3-2.
Gonzalo Jara hit a post with the decisive spot-kick to prompt wild celebrations inside the Estadio Mineirao - and across the rest of this football-mad nation.
David Luiz and Marcelo had converted their efforts for Brazil, but with Willian and Hulk missing theirs, it fell to the hosts' star striker Neymar to step up under intense pressure and calmly slot home what proved the winning kick.
"Brazil have got away with it. They have not reached the level they can but they keep getting the luck.
"Going forward, apart from Neymar, it is a weak point for Brazil. They are reasonably solid defensively but struggle in attack."
Luiz had earlier put the hosts in front, only for Alexis Sanchez to equalise. Hulk then had a strike disallowed for handball by English referee Howard Webb - fairly, but much to the anger of the home fans.
Pinilla also hit the crossbar for Chile in the final minute of extra time.
A high-tempo and high-quality first half, was followed by a poor second period which always suggested extra time might follow.
And what drama the penalty shootout produced. Brazil's fans roared with relief while Chile were defeated, yet with their reputation as one of the game's most dangerous sides significantly enhanced.
Having never lost to La Roja on home soil and having beaten them on all three of their previous World Cup meetings, Brazil arrived with history on their side.
Chile earned a 2-2 draw at the same venue last year but that was one of only two encounters in which they avoided defeat since last beating Brazil 14 years ago.
The noise in the stadium before before kick-off was astonishing, swathes of yellow dominating the pockets of red, and the atmosphere only intensified when Fernandinho went in late on Charles Aranguiz, and the Chile midfielder and team-mate Gary Medel responded in kind by wiping out Neymar.
After Webb turned down a penalty appeal at either end, Brazil soon took control and were rewarded for their pressure when Neymar's corner was flicked on by captain Thiago Silva and steered into the net by what appeared to be a combination of Luiz and Chile defender Jara.
Brazil's main threat was once again Neymar, the 22-year-old dragging a shot wide after racing towards goal and then being sent flying by Arturo Vidal's reckless challenge.
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had warned his side they could not afford to make any mistakes in the knockout stage and he would have been furious with the way Chile were allowed back into contention.
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Hulk's poor control from Marcelo's throw-in gifted possession to Eduardo Vargas and he quickly found Sanchez in the penalty area to drill a low finish across Cesar.
Brazil worked hard to regain the lead but the half ended with the hosts frantically scrambling to deny Aranguiz after carelessness from Luiz Gustavo.
The second half felt comparatively subdued until Webb's big call arrived, with Hulk judged to have controlled a pass with his arm before beating Bravo. It was a tough and unpopular decision but seemed, on the basis of television replays, to be the correct one.
A period of Chile pressure ensued as Cesar superbly denied Aranguiz from close range.
Former Manchester City striker Jo replaced Fred to a warm welcome - he now plays for local side Atletico Mineiro - and might have made a quick impact, but failed to connect with Hulk's cross.
Bravo did well to repel a Neymar header and Hulk's powerful strike, before again thwarting the much-improved Hulk in the first period of extra time.
Scolari played his final card by introducing Willian for a disappointing Oscar, but the weary Chileans - for whom the excellent Medel was carried off on a stretcher in tears - switched from an aggressive 3-1-4-2 formation to a defensive 5-1-3-1 and appeared intent on holding on for penalties.
They could, however, have snatched the most incredible of winners when substitute Pinilla rattled the bar powerfully in the final minute.
Penalties would be needed and Brazil held their nerve to make the last eight.


Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has left for China on a five-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with the country's largest trade partner.

Ms Gillard said the trip "reflects the importance" of Australia's "evolving relationship" with the country.
She is scheduled to meet newly-installed Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and will visit Shanghai, Beijing and Hainan island.
This is Australia's most high-level delegation to China, officials say.
"The timing of this visit so soon after the new leadership has entered into office is deliberate and reflects the importance of our rapidly evolving relationship with China and our high-level political oversight of that relationship," Ms Gillard said on Thursday, ahead of her trip.
Ms Gillard is expected to discuss energy-related matters with Chinese leaders, among other trade issues.
Talks between both countries are also expected to touch on education and regional security.
Ms Gillard's delegation includes Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr and Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten, among other senior Australian officials.
This is her second visit to the country in two years.


Glasgow Warriors and Scotland full-back Sean Maitland will miss the rest of the club season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

But the 26-year-old is hopeful of being fit in time for the Rugby World Cup, which starts in September.
It means that Maitland has played his last game for Glasgow as he is joining London Irish next season.
Maitland picked up the injury during Warriors' 20-15 European Champions Cup defeat by Bath in January.
Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: "Sean Maitland, who has worked really hard during his rehab, got some tough news last week when it became clear that his shoulder would require surgery.
"The operation at Spire Murrayfield Hospital was a success and he's targeting to be back for the Rugby World Cup.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Sean for his contribution to the club.
"He's been an excellent player for us and we wish him well at the Rugby World Cup and also next season at London Irish."
Maitland, who has 15 Scotland caps, had initially hoped to return to action during the Six Nations campaign but broke down during training.
Glasgow lead the Pro12 table with four games remaining and he will miss the play-off semi-final and final should Warriors progress.
The New Zealand-born back, who can also play on the wing, has made 40 appearances for Warriors and scored 10 tries since joining from Canterbury Crusaders in 2012.


A baby born 12 weeks early has finally gone home to his parents and five sisters in Swansea.

Reuben Lawrence weighed just 3lbs (1.3kg) and spent 105 days in special care at Singleton Hospital after his mother Claire went into labour at seven months.
She had to have an emergency Caesarean section, followed by a hysterectomy. She also received 29 pints of blood.
But Reuben now weighs 9lb 3oz (4kg) and his family has thanked hospital staff.
Mrs Lawrence and her husband, Andrew, have written to Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board to thank staff.
Mrs Lawrence said: "The care I had was exemplary.
"[They] kept my family updated and explained carefully what needed to be done in to order to save my life.
"We just want all them all to have a pat on the back, they deserve it."
He is still being tube-fed and receiving oxygen to help his breathing.


Irish women are live-tweeting Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny their menstrual cycles to highlight the country's restrictive abortion laws.

Comedian Grainne Maguire began tweeting Mr Kenny on Monday to raise awareness about a campaign to repeal the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution.
The amendment equates the life of the foetus to the life of the mother and criminalises abortion in Ireland.
Irish women soon joined Ms Maguire, with #repealthe8th trending in Ireland.
Changes to the constitution can only be made through a referendum.
A coalition of pro-choice groups is calling for a referendum to repeal the amendment and more than 47,000 people have signed a petition by the UK-based human rights group Amnesty International  urging Mr Kenny to change the law.
Ms Maguire argued it was only fair to share such details with Mr Kenny since "we know how much the Irish state cares about our reproductive parts".
Women from all over Ireland chimed in with contributions about their menstrual cycles.
Others shared how abortion laws have affected them personally:
Mr Kenny is yet to respond.
In June, a report by Amnesty claimed pregnant women risk putting their health and lives in danger if they remain in Ireland.
"The human rights of women are violated on a daily basis because of a constitution that treats them like child-bearing vessels," said Amnesty's Secretary General, Salil Shetty.
"Women who need abortions are treated like criminals, stigmatised and forced to travel abroad, taking a serious toll on their mental and physical health.
In February a proposed change to the abortion law to legalise terminations in fatal foetal abnormality cases was rejected by the Irish parliament.


A 55-year-old woman has died after a couple became trapped under rubble when a coal lorry ploughed into a house in Fairlie, Ayrshire.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Main Road, where the A78 Largs to Seamill road was closed to traffic.
The woman's 60-year-old husband and the lorry driver, 54, were rescued and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The building is split into five homes and the couple had been watching television in their bottom-floor flat.
One other man who was in the building at the time was evacuated unhurt.
Another resident Callum Calvey had been out at work when the lorry struck the building at about 13:45.
"My bathroom has been wiped out," said the 21-year-old tree surgeon, who lives directly upstairs from the the couple.
"There are five flats and none of the other residents are about, but I believe the couple's dog got out as well."
Photographer Arlene Foster, who works for Anna Conway Photography, was quickly at the scene from her local shop.
"The lorry is literally in someone's front room," she told BBC Scotland.
"The lorry seems to have been going towards Ardrossan but hit the building on the opposite side of the road.
"Fortunately, it was quite quiet at the time - school kids could have been affected as well if it happened later."
Police are urging drivers to stay away from the area, with southbound traffic being diverted at Largs onto the A760 at Hayley Brae and northbound traffic being diverted at the Hunterston Roundabout.
The local community had been pressing for a widening of the main road to Hunterston power station and Clyde Port.
Steve Graham, chairman of Fairlie Community Council, said: "This was an accident waiting to happen.
"There have been a number of near misses, but nothing on this scale. It is a very narrow road with premises adjacent to the road.
"We in the community council have been complaining about the weight of traffic coming through the A78, which it's not built for. It would not meet current standards for a trunk road."
A Strathclyde Police spokesman added: "The ground floor of the building has been seriously damaged and has been deemed structurally unsound."


All 4,000 pieces of the UK's largest find of Anglo-Saxon objects have been brought together for the first time since their discovery.

The Staffordshire Hoard, which is valued at Â£3.2m, attracted worldwide attention when it was found in 2009.
The collection is normally displayed across four sites, at the Potteries Museum, Lichfield Cathedral, Tamworth Castle and Birmingham Museum.
However, it came together for a two-week research project.
Deb Klemperer, principal collections officer at The Potteries Museum, said the pieces were researched in Birmingham.
She said: "You could see how all the pieces fitted together. It was absolutely fantastic.
She said broken fragments were joined to reveal new objects including sword fittings and various types of Saxon and reused Roman glass were identified.
Stoke-on-Trent City councillor Adrian Knapper said: "This breathtaking collection of exquisite gold, silver and garnet craftsmanship continues to dazzle and aid our understanding of such a little known, yet clearly incredibly artistically advanced period in our country's history.
"This is the first time every one of the thousands of detailed artefacts have been laid out in a fully cleaned state and, like the oldest and most expensive jigsaw puzzle, they are revealing a bigger picture that in this instance is helping answer questions that have remained unknown for centuries about our ancient ancestors."
The original hoard was found by Terry Herbert with a metal detector. The artefacts have been dated to the 7th and 8th Centuries.
Specialist analysis of the hoard is due to be completed in May.


England's world number one Laura Massaro will face Nour El Sherbini in Saturday's final of the Women's World Squash Championship in Malaysia.

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Massaro was taken to a final-game tie-break before beating Egypt's third seed Raneem El Welily 11-2 7-11 11-9 6-11 12-10 in a dramatic semi-final.
Massaro, 32, will look to emulate her 2013 success when she beat Egypt's El Sherbini to become world champion.
El Sherbini beat compatriot Nouran Gohar 11-5 11-5 11-5 in the last four.
The 20-year-old, who knocked out Malaysia's eight-time champion Nicol David in the quarter-finals, is attempting to become the first Egyptian woman to win the world title.
She has an 18-1 win-loss record this year, including a win over Massaro in the Windy City Open semi-finals in Chicago last month.
Speaking about her 61-minute semi-final win over El Welily, Massaro said: "She played well in patches, I played well in patches and in some ways it's a fair result.
"I've played two World Championship semi-finals on a tie-break against her so I guess that was going through my mind because, if I had done it before, I knew I could do it again."