A company which pestered people with "abusive" nuisance calls has been fined £20,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

The ICO said it received scores of complaints about Advice Direct Ltd, including "false and misleading statements" made to householders.
The Lancashire firm claimed to help people seek compensation for hearing loss caused by workplace noise.
No-one from the Blackburn-based company was available for comment.
ICO received complaints from people who received multiple calls from Advice Direct - which traded as National Workers Office - on the same day and that "some of the callers were abusive or threatening".
ICO Enforcement Manager Andy Curry said: "People told us false and misleading statements were made about records held by the company which indicated that household members had worked in a noisy environment.
"Some of the callers also appeared to have given the false impression that the company was offering a government-backed scheme."
One person who complained said: "According to the caller they had a record that someone in my household had worked in a noisy industry and would be eligible for compensation.
"This is absolute nonsense, I am an 87-year-old single retired solicitor and I have lived alone... at the same address for the last 43 years."
Fifty-seven people complained the company ignored their requests to stop calling them even after it was pointed they had registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to prevent unsolicited calls.
ICO said the firm never responded to a single complaint from the 160 referred to it by TPS.


Year 6 pupils across England are sitting Sats this week, but are children feeling the pressure?

The tests have been controversial with many parents claiming they make children feel stressed and anxious.
Here, parents reveal how their children are coping with the test.
"She is a bit apprehensive as they are a set of tests, and yes, they are allegedly a bit harder this year."
"But she will do her best despite a bad throat and the recent warm weather hindering sleep."
"She knows the tests are a fact of school life and that they were coming up - she has been prepared quite well and her school has been supportive."
"Teachers don't make light of the tests but they try to make them as fun as possible by including art and making things."
"I do simple maths quizzes or spelling tests with my daughter during a car journey, for example, to encourage her to work out things in the practical sense."
"The media have hyped it up - on Monday morning there was the news of children doing Sats - my daughter didn't need to hear that before breakfast to add stress on her."
"Throughout most modern history there has been some sort of exam at this age, be it the 11 plus, Sats or just end-of-year exams."
"My attitude is that if our children stand a chance of getting on in life, exams are something they are going to have to live with."
"Children need to get used to performing under pressure for exams, interviews, etc in the future - they should not be wrapped up in cotton wool."
"But the tests are not the be-all and end-all."
"I'm a strong believer that tests are good for children to see how they are doing at school and where they might need help."
"However, it's the insane pressure that's put on the children that I am against."
"Sats, in my opinion, are too hard and the children have been pushed and hounded to learn all they must to pass."
"My son has spent weeks and weeks doing practice paper after practice paper."
"I've told my son not to worry and try to keep him as relaxed as possible."
"But when he comes home from school I can see he is under pressure and is worried about not getting things right."
"In the latest newsletter from the school, I was shocked to read that parents must bring their child in even if the child is ill, just to do these tests."
"Our children forced to sit at school while sick for the benefit of what? Not for the benefit of the child."
"I feel we are not educating our children, just teaching them to pass these tests."
"These tests are purely for the school not for the children."
"As a parent of two Year 6 children, I am appalled by yet another unsurprising twist in this farce."
"I sat one of the mock Spag (spelling, punctuation and grammar) tests myself last night and I found it challenging, to say the least."
"Many of  the questions are set to catch children out at every turn."
"I am a primary school teacher and so is my husband and we have had concerns about these tests for some time."
"I have given up hope with the current regime completely."
"I am glad about the NUT stance on this - as I have been telling my children all the way through, this has very little to do with them and what is important is their learning."
"The trouble is that vulnerable 10-year-olds are in the middle of this and I feel that we are failing them in our duty to give them a rounded, challenging and creative education."
"I think we do need some sort of assessment but these tests go too far - the curriculum is difficult and the testing is over-rigorous.
"My husband and I try not to let our children feel any of the pressure - we don't buy them extra books or go over things all the time."
"We're able to leave a barrier there because of our understanding of the school system but we see the whole picture."
"The tests are in the interests of the school and government, not the children."
Compiled by Andree Massiah


No matter what your fitness ability or interest, there is an activity out there for you.

We've created a list of popular activities with helpful tips, links and information to get you started.
Browse our fully-inclusive collection and get inspired to try something new today:
Adventure Sports
Adventure Snow Sports
Adventure Watersports
American Football
Archery
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball & Softball
Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Bowls
Boxing
Canoeing
Climbing
Coaching
Cricket
Curling
Cycling
Dance
Darts
Disability Sport
Diving
Equestrian
Exercise at Home
Fencing
Figure Skating
Football
Gaelic Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Handball
Hockey
Horse Racing
Hurling
Ice Hockey
Korfball
Lacrosse
Luge
Martial Arts
Mass Participation Events
Modern Pentathlon
Motorsport
Netball
Nordic Combined
Orienteering
Petanque
Roller Sports
Rounders
Rowing
Rugby League
Rugby Union
Running
Sailing
Shinty
Shooting
Short-Track Skating
Skeleton
Skiing
Sled Sports
Speed Skating
Squash
Snooker & Pool
Snowboard
Swimming
Table Tennis
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Volunteering
Walking
Water Polo
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Yoga
Want to know about an activity that isn't listed here? Get in touch with us via twitter or email getinspired@bbc.co.uk.


Following Lewis Hamilton's historic Formula 1 triumph in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Press Association photographer David Davies reveals in pictures the moment the British-born racer became World Champion for the second time.

I've always enjoyed covering Formula 1. In fact, it's where my interest in photography started. However, for one reason or another, I have never covered a Championship decider. But that all changed in Abu Dhabi last weekend.
I have covered an F1 race at the spectacular desert racetrack before - back in 2009 - so I already knew a little about this great venue. I was obviously keen to get back out there, but also conscious that I had a huge responsibility to capture another possible great British triumph in F1.
In the end it all turned out perfectly. Lewis became champion and I managed to deliver some nice snaps.
The weekend starts on Thursday with the drivers' press conference, which normally features one or two of the main players.
For obvious reasons this week, both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg attended and a rather contrived photo of the two shaking hands was set up before the press conference.
Thanks to Hamilton straightening his t-shirt, the shot, which appeared in media outlets around the UK, looked to be a rather hesitant Lewis contemplating whether to shake Nico's hand or not. This picture portrayed a tension between the two men which many felt had been underlying all season.
This is one of the practice sessions and shows Hamilton heading out of the Mercedes garage.  It's a fairly standard pit lane action shot, but a little tricky to get spot on.
Shot on a wide angle zoom at about 1/15th of a second, the idea is to give the impression of speed but at the same time keeping the driver's helmet sharp as the focal point of the picture.
With the pit lane in half shadow, the background bleaches out to give a high contrast effect.  I'm very pleased with this.
Each team at the end of the year produces a photograph which includes the entire team's operation from mechanics to chefs.
Surprisingly Mercedes chose Sunday morning for their picture - Championship decider day. This was great for the photographers, as it gave us a chance to get an early picture of Hamilton and Rosberg together and find out the kind of mood they were in.
From this side position you get a strong grasp of the body language between the two and the very apparent lack of eye contact.
Up to this point, the start is by far the biggest moment of my day.
There had been much speculation as to whether there would be some sort of coming together at the first corner or if the third placed Williams might get between the two Mercedes.  As it played out, Lewis made the perfect start and was clear into turn one.
It always makes for a nice picture when all of the cars approach the first corner. Especially when the start-finish bridge is seen in the background - in this case branded with Abu Dhabi putting the picture in situ.
Saying that, Alonso locking his brakes also adds an extra piece of drama to this particular picture.
As the race develops Hamilton creates a big lead thanks to great driving and some misfortune for his team mate.
I know I need a picture of him during the intensity of the race and a little track knowledge always helps. I make sure I am positioned to capture a clear shot of Lewis turning into one of the chicanes where each car's front wheel is often a little airborne.
Shot on a 500mm telephoto lens I can get right into the cockpit to see the driver fighting the wheel in the desert heat.
The race is won and Lewis Hamilton is World Champion.  As soon as he gets out of his car he heads straight for girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and his brother Nicholas.
I chose a high vantage point on the photographers' platform to have an overview of the whole area.
As he jumps into his family's arms, I can see both Nicole's and Nicholas' face either side of his helmet as they hug - a very touching moment.
From the exact same spot as the last image I am able to get a clean view of the podium, a must-have for such a historic moment in British sport.
Here I capture Hamilton lifting the winner's trophy, but I also get some shots of his tears during the National Anthem and the post-presentation champagne ritual.
After I have wired the podium and parc ferme images back to PA's newsdesk in London, I head down to the front of the garage for the official team celebration picture.
I know this is where it could all go wrong, but thankfully Mercedes organise it beautifully.
A huge scrum of photographers gathers as Lewis poses for the camera, surrounded by his family.
Despite Mercedes' best efforts to organise the photo call, once Lewis is lifted on to his mechanics' shoulders, draped in the union jack, many photographers can't help themselves and an almighty scrum ensues for the best position.
This sort of shot makes for a great atmospheric picture if you can get it.
During moments like this you rarely get any chance to compose your picture or even see what you are taking. In fact at this point I held my camera above my head and pointed the lens in the direction of Hamilton, focusing the picture with my thumb on the back of the camera.
Out of the 100 or so shots that I managed to rattle off, I finished up with about six useable ones. Personally, I think the other cameras add atmosphere to the scene, giving an idea of chaos on the ground, in contrast with the serenity of Lewis sitting aloft as Formula 1 World Champion.


Manager Dean Keates hopes to sign up to 14 players this summer as he rebuilds Wrexham's squad.

The north Wales club have released nine players following a disappointing season which saw them finish 13th in the National League.
"Recruitment is going to be key and massive throughout the summer," Keates told BBC Radio Wales.
"With the ones that we've already got we're probably looking at adding at least another 13 or 14."
Keates added: "It's getting the right people in the building with the right work ethic.
"I've been making phone calls over the last number of weeks and it's going to be even more of a busy period now.
"It's all hands to the pump to get the players in the building."
Midfielder Paul Rutherford has agreed a deal he was offered in February with Mark Carrington having already signed a new contract.
Keates has offered new deals to goalkeeper Chris Dunn and midfielder Russell Penn and said he was "fairly confident" they would sign.
He also wants to extend the stay of defender James Jennings, who joined the club on loan from Cheltenham Town in January.
"James is still contracted to Cheltenham," Keates said.
"That's something I've chatted with James about and obviously what develops with that over the next few weeks regarding what happens with him at Cheltenham."
Curtis Tilt, Hamza Bencherif and John Rooney will not be returning to the north Wales club having finished the season on loan at other clubs.
Iffy Allen, Khaellem Bailey-Nichols, Anthony Barry, Rob Evans, Shwan Jalal, Izale McLeod, Callum Powell, Martin Riley, Jordan White have been released.
"It needed to be done as soon as possible," said Keates, in his first managerial role after succeeding the sacked Gary Mills in October 2016.
"I came to the decision it was best to do it face to face and be open and honest as I could with the players.
"For me to take the club forward, difficult decisions needed to be made."
Club captain Evans was among the players released and Keates admitted it had been a difficult decision to let go of the 21-year-old Wrexham-born midfielder
"That was by far the hardest," Keates said,
"I've known Robbie from playing here and watched him come through the youth team and establishing himself in the first team.
"It was a difficult decision regarding Robbie."


The fossilised remains of the largest flying bird ever found have been identified by scientists.

This creature would have looked like a seagull on steroids - its wingspan was between 6.1 and 7.4m (20-24ft).
The find is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The 25m-year-old fossil was unearthed 30 years ago in South Carolina, but it has taken until now to identify that this is a new species.
Daniel Ksepka, curator of science at the Bruce Museum in Connecticut, said: "This fossil is remarkable both for the size, which we could only speculate on before the discovery, and for the preservation.
"The skull in particular is exquisite.
"And given the delicate nature of the bones... it is remarkable that the specimen made it to the bottom of the sea, became buried without being destroyed by scavengers, fossilised, and then was discovered before it was eroded or bulldozed away."
The researchers believe this huge bird surpasses the previous recorder-holder, Argentavis magnificens - a condor-like bird from South America with an estimated wingspan of 5.7-6.1m (19-20ft) that lived about six million years ago.
Scientists have called the new giant Pelagornis sandersi. They believe it would have been twice the size of the wandering albatross, the largest living bird.
Like the albatross, it was a seabird, spending most of its time swooping above the ocean, preying on fish and squid.
Despite its scale, it would have been an elegant flier.
While theoretical models suggest that it would be tricky for a bird of this size to stay airborne by flapping its wings, researchers believe it used air currents to soar above the ocean.
Its long, slender wings and light, hollow bones would have made it a powerful glider.
"It would have been fast and very efficient," said Dr Ksepka.
"Computer models suggest that it had high lift-to-drag ratios, which would allow it to glide for a very long distance for every unit of altitude it could attain.
"It could likely glide at speeds over 10m per second - faster than the human world record for the 100m dash."
On land, though, the seabird was probably far less graceful.
"The long wings would have been cumbersome and it would have probably spent as little time as possible walking around," Dr Ksepka explained.
Taking off would also have been an ungainly affair.
Computer models reveal that the bird could not have taken off by simply standing still and flapping its wings.
Instead, scientists think P. sandersi might have had to waddle downhill and hope to catch a gust of air.
Huge birds like this were once common, but they vanished about three million years ago.
Scientists do not yet understand why these giants of the skies died out.
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A man has been charged with three offences under the Terrorism Act.

The 24-year-old from Huddersfield was arrested on 1 June following an investigation by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.
He is charged with engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism and possessing a record of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.


The Philippines and Indonesia have settled a maritime border dispute after 20 years of negotiations.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said this was a "good example" of how to resolve sovereignty issues without force.
Meanwhile, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said his country wanted to end maritime issues through legal and peaceful means.
The deal comes amid increased regional tension over territorial disputes.
Deadly riots erupted in Vietnam last week, after China's decision to move a drilling rig into disputed waters in the South China Sea.
The foreign ministers of Indonesia and the Philippines met in Manila to sign the agreement, which defines maritime borders in the overlapping exclusive economic zones of the Mindanao and Celebes Seas in the southern Philippines.
Mr Yudhoyono is currently in the Philippines for a state visit and for the World Economic Forum on East Asia.
"This indeed is a model, a good example, that any disputes including maritime border tension can be resolved peacefully - not with the use of military might which [may] endanger stability and peace in our region," Mr Yudhoyono said.
For his part, Mr Aquino said: "It serves as solid proof to our steadfast commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue the peaceful and equitable settlement of maritime concerns."
Many of the territorial disputes involve the South China Sea, which is considered a strategic shipping lane and may hold vast reserves of natural resources.
The Philippines has taken China to international court over its conflict in the area.
In 2012, a tense stand-off involving boats from both countries lasted for weeks, leading to protests and angry rhetoric on both sides. Manila has recently accused China of building an airstrip on a disputed reef there.
Aside from the Philippines and Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also have competing claims with China over various islands, reefs and shoals in the region.
Separately, relations between China and Japan are also currently under strain over a territorial row involving islands in the East China Sea.


Clashes have taken place over the NHS between Labour and the Conservatives as general election campaigning continues.

Labour called health policy, which is devolved to Welsh ministers, a "real dividing line" between it and the Conservative Party.
Labour said it would use funds from a tax on expensive UK homes for 1,000 extra medical staff in the Welsh NHS.
But the Conservatives said Wales was the only part of the UK where health spending had been cut.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Ed Miliband has no plan to grow our economy - that's why he will put the future of our NHS at risk, just as Labour have done in Wales."
Labour Welsh government Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: "The NHS is a real dividing line between Labour and the Tories this May.
"With Labour you get additional funding, more frontline staff and a promise that we'll never privatise our health service.
"The Tories are staying quiet because they've already begun the privatisation agenda in England, and they know that it's something they can use to tempt Nigel Farage into a post-election deal."
Despite being a devolved issue, the NHS has featured prominently in the election campaign so far.
Earlier this week, Conservative Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb said voters were not interested in whether the service was run from Cardiff or Westminster.
Darren Millar, the Conservative shadow health minister in the assembly, said: "Ed Miliband has held Wales up as an example of what he'd do and the facts speak for themselves - longer waiting times for tests and treatment, poorer ambulance service performance and higher hospital death rates.
"The truth is that Welsh Conservatives are the only political party consistently voting against cutting the health budget in Wales."
Welsh Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Cardiff Central, Jenny Willott, said Conservative spending plans would damage vital public services.
"The Tories still haven't said where they would find the money the NHS needs, unlike the Lib Dems. With their plans to cut and keeping cutting the budget throughout the next five years, they will have to take the money from other areas, damaging our precious public services.
"Unless and until the Conservatives show how they plan to pay for their promises, the Liberal Democrats will remain the only party to make a real, credible commitment to funding the NHS.
"The Liberal Democrats are the only party who has committed to giving the NHS the Â£8bn it needs, which means millions of pounds extra for Wales' health service, and we have set out how we will pay for it."
Plaid Cymru candidate for Arfon, Hywel Williams, said the Westminster parties had used health as a political football for too long.
"This is doing nothing for the morale of hard-working staff and the patients who rely on our Welsh health service," he said.
"Plaid Cymru is interested in solutions. We have unveiled detailed, costed proposals to train and recruit an additional 1,000 doctors in Wales, and outlined plans to integrate health and social care to address the growing problem of bed-blocking."
Nathan Gill, UKIP's MEP for Wales, said his party believed in "a National Health Service, not an International Health Service, unlike the other parties who seem happy for British taxpayers to pay for the healthcare of anyone who can afford the airfare to Heathrow".
He said: "The biggest issue facing the NHS is not a lack of funding, but bad spending decisions.
"Between paying GP's salaries up to Â£0.5m, paying thousands of pounds per day to private healthcare providers because of basic staff shortages, and paying six figure salaries to managers, it is no surprise the NHS is in crisis.
"Only UKIP is prepared to scrap PFI, cap senior salaries and reduce the numbers of managers."


Northwich Victoria, who reached the second round two seasons ago and the third round in 2006, will face local rivals 1874 Northwich - a breakaway club formed five years ago - in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup.

A total of 737 clubs have entered the 2017-18 competition, with 370 of those starting their campaign on the weekend 5-6 August when 185 extra preliminary round ties will be played.
The extra preliminary round is the first of six qualifying rounds before the first round proper on 4 November.
The two Northwich teams will be also face each other in the North West Counties Premier Division next season.
Northwich Victoria were beaten 3-0 by Premier League Sunderland at the Stadium of Light 11 years ago.
There are 18 clubs taking part in the FA Cup for the first time this season, including Whitchurch Alport.
The Shropshire club was formed in 1946 and boasts former Northern Ireland striker Jimmy Quinn among its former players.
Friday's draw took place 41 days after Arsenal beat Chelsea in the 2017 final at Wembley.
All extra preliminary round winners will receive £1,500 in prize money.
Click here for the full FA Cup extra preliminary round draw


Swansea City manager Paul Clement says midfielder Leon Britton's connection with supporters is reminiscent of the bond John Terry has with Chelsea fans.

Britton suggested Swansea's players pay for the fans' tickets at Sunderland and also provided his teammates with inspirational DVDs.
"Leon, what an affinity he has with the fans, it's unbelievable," Clement said.
"I think that's why it's so great to have players that have spent years and years here."
He continued: "I have (experienced it before) with John Terry and Frank (Lampard) as well at Chelsea.
"Ultimately, the goal is to bring someone through, someone from the city, who has come from your academy, because then you get that real connection, like with John's example at Chelsea."
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Clement believes Britton has set an example to the rest of the squad with his conduct, having made no protests despite taking a long time to carry favour with his new manager, having missed over three months of action before being recalled for the April win over Stoke City.
"The environment we want to create here is about giving your best to your team, giving your best to your team-mates, giving your best for this club," Clement said.
"The players are aware of that, even the players who have not played so much.
"Leon is a great example. He waited, waited and waited. He trained hard, he got behind his team-mates being a fantastic professional and then when he came in and he got his chance he took it. It was impossible for me not to play him again and again and again. It is all about teamwork."
Clement says he is hopeful that defender Alfie Mawson will continue his progress when he travels with the England Under-21 squad this summer.
The former Barnsley man has played in all but one game since Clement took charge and is being tipped for full international honours.
"I don't know (about him playing for England), I'm just pleased he's taken on board some of the stuff we've asked him to do," Clement added.
"He's training really hard, he's focused, and it's showing in his performances. That's all he can do, do his best for his club and his team-mates and see what happens in the future.
"(He's) got to be looking at finishing off well for us before going away with the Under-21s in the summer to the European Championships. That's the next step for him and he will go for there."


Stoke have rejected a bid from West Ham for forward Marko Arnautovic.

The Press Association reports the offer was worth £20m, with the 28-year-old handing in a transfer request earlier this week.
Arnautovic, who joined Stoke from Werder Bremen in 2013, is 12 months into a four-year contract.
The Austria forward scored seven times in 35 games last season and is with the Stoke squad in Switzerland for a pre-season training camp.
Meanwhile, French striker Anthony Modeste, who was reportedly the subject of a club-record bid by West Ham last month, has left Cologne for Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian.


The chief executive of NHS Grampian, which has been embroiled in a staffing controversy, has announced his early retirement.

Richard Carey said he was disappointed the relationship between some senior medical staff and senior management appeared to have broken down.
His departure date is being finalised.
It follows NHS Grampian chairman Bill Howatson announcing his resignation just over two weeks ago.
Malcolm Wright, chief executive of NHS Education for Scotland, has been appointed as the interim chief executive.
Accident and emergency consultants have been warning staffing shortages at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary could put patients at risk.
In a letter to staff, Mr Carey said: "Recent months in NHS Grampian have not been easy.
"It is clear that a cohort of senior medical staff no longer have confidence in the leadership of the organisation, both at board and executive level.
"This has been a source of great disappointment to me. When confidence and trust break down it is difficult to move forward collaboratively.
"I have reflected very carefully on what would be best for the organisation going forward and have reluctantly decided that the time is right for someone else to take over as chief executive.
"This has been a difficult decision to take but I hope it is the right one."
Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "I would also like to thank Richard Carey for the years of dedicated service he has provided to NHS Scotland and wish him well for the future."
In September, casualty consultants raised concern about staffing shortages at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, with one medic describing the situation as a "perfect storm".
It was the second time doctors had voiced concern, after saying in June they would not be able to provide the safe care of patients because of staffing levels.
At the time NHS Grampian bosses said they were working hard to resolve the situation.


The jury in the trial of ex-New Zealand cricket captain Chris Cairns has retired to consider its verdict.

Cairns, 45, has denied charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice at the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Cairns is accused of falsely declaring under oath in a libel case in 2012 that he had never cheated at cricket.
He is also accused of perverting the course of justice by inducing a fellow cricketer to give a false statement.
In the 2012 libel case - England's first Twitter libel trial - Cairns won damages of $130,000 (Â£90,000) by successfully suing Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi over a tweet in January 2010 which accused the cricketer of match-fixing while playing for the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League in 2008.
The prosecution at his current trial argued that Cairns lied when he promised during the earlier trial that he had never cheated.
During his trial Cairns has repeatedly denied allegations that he tried to coerce former teammates into fixing matches.
Cairns is also accused of perverting the course of justice by inducing fellow cricketer Lou Vincent to give a false witness statement in a Skype call.
Lou Vincent told the court that Cairns had approached him suggesting he deliberately play badly for the Chandigarh Lions and said he helped fix matches under "direct orders" from Cairns while playing for the Lions. Cairns denied the suggestion.
Cairns's former adviser, Andrew Fitch-Holland, is also accused of perverting the course of justice. He denies the charge.
The trial has heard evidence from a host of cricketers, including ex-Australia captain Ricky Ponting and current New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who said Cairns had approached him with a "business proposition" about match-fixing.


Former England captain Alastair Cook was out for 14 as Middlesex dominated Essex with bat and ball at Lord's.

After Sam Robson (149) went early, caught behind off Jamie Porter, a 149-run stand from Stevie Eskinazi and John Simpson saw the hosts declare on 507-7.
Essex's reply started poorly when Cook edged behind off Toby Roland-Jones and Steven Finn bowled Tom Westley (31).
Nick Browne made 47 but fell lbw to spinner Ollie Rayner as Essex closed on 120-4, trailing by 387 runs.
Robson added just five runs to his overnight score for the county champions as the Essex seamers finally managed to make the ball swing under a mix gloomy and sunny conditions.
An inswinger from all-rounder Ravi Bopara caught Dawid Malan off guard as the 29-year-old chopped on before Adam Voges also fell cheaply when Porter trapped him lbw.
However, Middlesex got back on top with the fifth-wicket partnership between Simpson and Eskinazi who, having shrugged off being hit on the head by Neil Wagner, reached his third first-class century off 198 balls, only to be bowled by Westley's next delivery.
The home side declared after spinner Simon Harmer had Simpson stumped for 90. Then, after losing both Cook and Westley, Browne's watchful innings looked to have steadied the ship for Essex. But his LBW dismissal, followed by that of nightwatchman Porter, left Middlesex well on top.
Middlesex batsman Stevie Eskinazi told BBC Radio London:
"It's a reasonably good wicket but when Neil Wagner dug it in some kept a bit low.  It was a good piece of bowling by him.
"He bowls it really well. It woke me up a little bit because I got into the ball a bit better after that. I misjudged the length.
"I lost a bit of rhythm after getting to 50. But, as soon as we went past the 110-over mark, I felt I was hitting the ball a lot better."
Essex's Jamie Porter told BBC Radio Essex:
"I thought I bowled in decent areas. That light shower of rain before play gave a little life to the pitch.
"And, with the cloud cover, it was also swinging. But then it went back to the same story as Friday.
"It was a shocking decision to give Nick Browne out.  I don't think it was hitting another set. He was in and looking good."


Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says his side need six victories from their last eight games to win the Premier League.

The Blues are seven points ahead of nearest rivals Tottenham after a 2-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday.
"Tottenham could win eight games. For this reason to win the title we need 18 points," said Conte.
Meanwhile Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said his side are capable of winning all their remaining games and will fight to the end.
Tottenham scored three late goals to come from behind and win 3-1 at Swansea.
"If you compare Chelsea and Tottenham over the last 10 years, it is true Chelsea won more titles," Pochettino said.
"We believe and never give up, we always try and we were always pushing. I believe that we can win every game if we play like today - and then we'll see."
Tottenham have not won the league since 1961.
Their remaining eight games include a north London derby at home to Arsenal on 30 April and a visit from Manchester United on 13 May.
Chelsea still have to go to United on 16 April and Everton on 30 April.
Conte, in his first season as Chelsea boss, added: "We must be focused and try to win six games and take three points. If we are able to do this, we will win the title.
"Otherwise it will be a good season, but not a great season. We will remember this season if we win."


Two teenagers accused of murdering a mother and daughter have appeared in court.

Elizabeth Edwards, 49, and Katie, 13, were found dead at a house in Dawson Avenue, Spalding, on 15 April.
The teenagers, a boy and a girl who cannot be named because of their age, did not enter pleas at Lincoln Crown Court.
They were remanded into secure accommodation until 5 September while psychiatric reports are prepared.
More on this and other local stories in Lincolnshire
Ms Edwards worked as a dinner lady at St Paul's Community Primary School and Nursery, in Spalding.
Following her death her colleagues described her as a "very well-respected member of our staff".
In a statement released by Sir John Gleed School, in Spalding, where Katie was a pupil, the school described her death as a "tragic loss".


Leicester's new signing Daniel Amartey is determined to make an impact at the club following his move from Danish side FC Copenhagen.

The 21-year-old Ghana international, who can play in defence or midfield, signed a four-year deal for a fee of up to £6m on 22 January.
"I have strong confidence in my ability to play in the Premier League," Amartey told BBC Sport.
"And I believe I can make a strong contribution to Leicester City."
He added: "I don't want to make any promises now but to be judged by my performance when given the opportunity.
"As a professional footballer I am mentally prepared and ready to challenge for a place in the first team."
Amartey realises it will be difficult to break into the starting XI of a Leicester side that sits at the top of the Premier League table but is clear about what is required.
"I saw the game against Stoke [a 3-0 league win on 23 January] and I also had a chat with the manager and technical staff too, so I have a very good idea of their expectations," he said,.
"The Premier League is one of the best leagues if not the best so the first key will be to work extremely hard because the team is flying right now.
"It's every player's dream to have the opportunity to play in the Premier League not to talk about the high possibility of being champions.
"So joining Leicester at this particular time is just awesome but I have to earn my spot among the stars in the team."
Amartey has won six international caps and played in all the group matches for Ghana at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Black Stars finished as runners-up.
Has also played in the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League.


Young people are to be asked whether 16 year olds should be allowed to vote in Welsh assembly elections.

Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler has questioned why people can join the armed forces, pay taxes and get married at 16 but not cast their ballot.
In the Scottish independence referendum, in September, 16 year olds were given the vote for the first time.
But the voting age for local council, assembly and general elections remains unchanged at 18.
"It seems to me that 16-year-olds can be asked to contribute to their country's wealth without being able to have a say in how that money is spent," Dame Rosemary said.
"Last week, the Westminster government announced that they would legislate to allow 16 year olds in Wales to vote in any future referendum on the devolution of tax-varying powers to Wales.
"Would it not therefore follow that they should be able to vote in all elections?"
"That's why today I am launching a national conversation with young people to find out what they think."
The consultation with 11 to 25 year olds is being launched on Thursday to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Young people from schools across Wales took part in a youth debate in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday.
Dylan Williams, a 17-year-old sixth form pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, near Caerphilly, told BBC Wales he did not "see in school the interest in politics" to justify lowering the voting age.
"Every time we have a lesson about politics everyone sighs - it's their least favourite topic," he said.
"There's just a lack of interest in the whole year."
But fellow pupil Megan Lewis, 16, said this was not an argument against allowing her to vote.
"Personally, I don't know much about politics but if I was given the vote I would do a lot of work to find out... what politicians I should be voting for," she said.
Young people will be able to complete an online survey at the 'Your Assembly - your say, your way' website.
Assembly teams will also visit youth groups as part of the six month consultation and produce information packs to help young people hold their own debates.
An assembly "youth day" in July will consider the results and what to do next.


Two Australians were killed in the London Bridge terror attack, the nation's government has confirmed.

South Australian nurse Kirsty Boden, 28, was confirmed to have died on Tuesday.
The other victim has not been named.
"The Australian government is deeply saddened to confirm that two Australians have been killed in the London terrorist attack," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The Australian government has remained in close contact with the families who have requested privacy."
Ms Boden was from a town called Loxton, about 250km (155 miles) from Adelaide, and had been working in the UK as a senior staff nurse in Theatres Recovery.
Her family said she died after running towards the danger to help victims on the bridge.
"Kirsty was loved and adored by her family, friends and boyfriend," their statement said. "She was the most outgoing, kind and generous person who loved to help people.
"We are so proud of Kirsty's brave actions which demonstrate how selfless, caring and heroic she was, not only on that night, but throughout all of her life. Kirsty - we love you and we will miss you dearly."
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said Ms Boden's death was heartbreaking.
"We all know someone who could have been innocently wandering through London last weekend," he said.
"It is the random nature of this heinous crime which makes it so hard to fathom."
Two more Australians, Candice Hedge from Brisbane and Andrew Morrison from Darwin, were among the injured, after both being stabbed.


A former Catholic monk accused of abusing boys at a Highlands boarding school is eligible for extradition to Britain, according to a magistrate in Australia.

The decision whether to send Father Denis Chrysostom Alexander back to Scotland for trial now rests with Australia's attorney general.
Fr Alexander denies the claims relating to the Fort Augustus Abbey school.
The defence raised no objections to the Sydney magistrate's ruling.
A challenge can be made in court if an individual's extradition is sought for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing them on the basis of race, sexual orientation, religion, or political opinions - none of which apply in this case.
Fr Alexander's barrister, Houda Younan, said there was limited scope to argue against an extradition before a magistrate, so instead she would focus her efforts in submissions to Senator George Brandis, Australia's chief law officer.
He will decide if the former Catholic monk will be handed over to British authorities, although the defence can seek a judicial review if the decision goes against the former priest.
Ms Younan told the BBC that those documents could be lodged in a month's time.
Wearing a green prison uniform and using a wheelchair, Fr Alexander said nothing during the 30-minute hearing, where he appeared frail and detached from the proceedings.
He was arrested earlier this year and has always denied allegations of sexual abuse at the former Fort Augustus school, dating back to the 70s.
He has been refused bail and remanded back into custody in the hospital wing of Long Bay jail in Sydney.
His lawyer refused to comment on his medical condition, although a previous court hearing was told he was suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
The attorney general's department has stated that Australia's extradition laws ensure that "criminals cannot evade justice simply by crossing borders" and prevents "Australia from becoming a refuge and safe haven for persons accused of serious crimes in other countries".
Fr Alexander was returned by the Catholic Church to Australia in 1979 after allegations of abuse were made by a Fort Augustus Abbey pupil, and continued working as a priest for a further 20 years or more.
It is four years since BBC Scotland confronted him at his home in the Sydney suburb of Campsie as part of a documentary into alleged abuse by monks at the school, which prompted a major police investigation.
He was stripped of his priestly faculties shortly afterwards.
However, he appears ready to fight attempts to send him half way around the world to face his accusers in Scotland.
While a magistrate has ruled he is eligible for extradition, this case is far from over, and many months of legal wrangling almost certainly lie ahead.


A man who drove a tractor into the path of a train has been ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work.

No-one was seriously injured when the passenger train hit the tractor at a level crossing near Flaxby in North Yorkshire in May 2015.
Andrew Doney, 22, of Moorside Drive, Ripon, had pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of rail users.
British Transport Police said the incident had caused significant disruption to the rail network.
Read more about this and other stories from across York and North Yorkshire
Ch Insp Glen Alderson of British Transport Police said: "It is astounding that no-one was seriously injured or killed in this incident."
He said the crash had closed the railway and adjacent roads for several hours and the incident cost Northern Rail £114,000 and Network Rail £3,660.
York Crown Court heard Doney had opened the gate at the Oakwood Farm Crossing at Flaxby on 14 May without following correct procedures.
He had then driven the tractor into the path of the Harrogate to York service.
The train was travelling at 65mph (105km/h) and had 66 passengers and three train crew onboard.
The driver, who had applied the emergency brake after seeing the tractor, suffered whiplash and back injuries and had been unable to work for more than five months due to the psychological trauma he had suffered.
Doney was also ordered to pay £300 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.


A "fantasist" posing as a police officer who killed a man he met on a gay dating website has been found guilty of murder and arson.

Peter Fasoli, 58, was terrorised and killed in his London home by Jason Marshall in January 2013.
Marshall, 28, later set fire to the bungalow in Northolt to cover up the murder.
Mr Fasoli's death was thought to be an accident until his nephew found CCTV of the murder stored on his hard drive.
The harrowing footage found by Christopher Murgatroyd showed the victim bound and naked on his bed, begging for his life and complaining he could not breathe before Marshall wound cling film around his head.
The trial had heard how former male escort Marshall stalked victims on gay dating website Badoo.
He went to Mr Fasoli's flat in Northolt, west London, on the evening of 6 January 2013 on the pretext of bondage sex, dressed as a law enforcement agent complete with handcuffs, police utility belt, holster and latex gloves.
He "arrested" Mr Fasoli "for being a spy" and during his fake interrogation he threatened to cut his tongue with a large hunting knife to extract his PIN numbers.
After setting the flat alight, Marshall used Mr Fasoli's bank cards to buy a flight to Rome, where he continued his violent spree, killing a second man and attempting to murder a third within weeks.
He evaded justice for Mr Fasoli's death for nearly two years.
Commenting on the attack, neighbour Layla Light said: "We was all very shocked because he [Mr Fasoli] kept himself to himself, no-one really knew him, and we knew he had a lot of electrical equipment so we just assumed it was an electrical fire.
"It's quite scary because it's come out that the guy has killed other people and he died and was tortured to death while we were sleeping."
Marshall, from East Ham, east London, who is already serving 16 years for the attacks in Italy, showed no reaction as the verdicts were delivered on Wednesday.
The case has raised questions about why the original investigation failed to spot that Mr Fasoli's bank cards were used after his death or that his murder was caught on CCTV.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell likened the case to that of gay serial killer Stephen Port and said he was "shocked and surprised" the Independent Police Complaints Commission was not investigating.
Stephen Port was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of murdering four young men he met on dating websites by poisoning them with lethal doses of a date rape drug.
Mr Tatchell said: "This case has echoes of the serial killings by Stephen Port. There appears to have been missed opportunities and serious failings of the police investigation."
After the footage emerged of Mr Fasoli's killing, a pathologist found that asphyxiation also contributed to his death, although he was still alive but unconscious when the fire started.
While on the run in Italy, Marshall strangled Vincenzo Iale, 67, with electrical flex in his flat and made off with his bank card and car on 26 January, 2013.
Just over a week later, he posed as a British embassy official, armed with a holster, utility belt, pistol, pepper spray and truncheon, when he met Umberto Gismondi, 54, for sex.
He bound and gagged Mr Gismondi as he demanded cash but fled after the victim managed to alert his neighbours.
In July 2014, Marshall was found guilty of murder and attempted murder and was jailed for 16 years.
Under cross-examination on Wednesday, he admitted he got pleasure from dominating naked men while pretending to be a policeman.
Asked by Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC if he had been trying to "terrify" Mr Fasoli, he said: "Yes, my lord, with the prospect of torture."
Marshall was remanded in custody on Wednesday to be sentenced on a later date.


Maggie Gorman works as a human resources administrator, but she is about to take on a very exciting new role.

She is not changing jobs, however.
In her spare time, Maggie acts with Belfast's Belvoir Players amateur drama company.
But this year, she'll be one of the stars in the Royal Shakespeare Company's touring production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
"I think it's the biggest opportunity I'm ever really going to get," she said.
"I'm not looking to make this my big career in life - I like the slow pace of amateur dramatics - but this is the one big chance to bring some excitement into it, and some real professionalism."
In all, six actors from Belvoir Players have been chosen by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for the roles of 'the mechanicals' in the play.
They are an integral part of the comedy, as they gather to rehearse a play in honour of a royal wedding.
When a fairy called Puck discovers their rehearsal, he casts a spell and all manner of mischief results.
Most of the laughs are at the expense of the character of Nick Bottom, who is played by another amateur from Belfast, management consultant Trevor Gill.
"Not in our wildest dreams have we ever said to ourselves that one day the Belvoir Players amateur theatre company from Belfast would stand toe-to-toe with the professionals of the RSC," he said.
"Not in a million years did we think we'd have this opportunity, it's really quite amazing."
The local cast are one of 14 amateur groups across the UK chosen to join the production in 2016 as it tours the UK to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death.
They are the only participants from Northern Ireland to take part, but they are getting expert help ahead of their time in the spotlight.
RSC Associate Director Kimberley Sykes has travelled to Belfast for rehearsals, and they are also getting advice from the professional members of the cast via videolink.
Ms Sykes said it was the chance of a lifetime for amateur actors, giving them the chance to perform alongside some of the finest stage actors in the world.
"Some of them have said it's a death bed moment.
"The moment you remember the birth of your children, your wedding day, and the moment you played on the RSC stage in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
"It's probably one of Shakespeare's more well-known plays, as a lot of people have studied it at school so they'll recognise some of the characters," said Ms Sykes.
"It's a play about love, about celebration, about festivities, so there's something in there for everybody."
The local cast will join the RSC on the stage of the Grand Opera House in Belfast from 31 May - 4 June.
They then move across the Irish sea for three performances in July.
"Just to put the cap on it," said Trevor Gill, "we will then go to the RSC's theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon."
"When you think of some of the actors who have set foot on that stage, like Laurence Olivier or Judi Dench, for us just to be there as members of the cast is absolutely amazing."
The local actors will work intensively for the next few months to be ready for their big roles, but Trevor admits there is only one slight downside to what lies ahead.
"It's sometimes difficult to get on with your day job, because you think to yourself 'Blimey, in five months time I'm going to be acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company."
"How did that happen?"


One man has died and another is in a serious condition in hospital following an avalanche on Creag Meagaidh in the western Highlands.

The avalanche was spotted by other climbers and rescue teams in the area.
Four mountain rescue teams attended the scene, 25 miles north east of Fort William, at about 15:15.
No other people were involved in the incident and the search has been stood down.
Insp Donald Campbell: "Police Scotland would like to thank all rescue personnel involved in today's rescue for the rapid response and determination displayed in very challenging conditions.
"Sadly, one man succumbed to his injuries and his climbing companion remains in hospital."
A helicopter was diverted from a search on Ben Nevis for two missing climbers. That search has been suspended.


A series of shocking incidents in a privately run residential nursing home in Cornwall has been secretly filmed by the BBC.

20 November 2016 Last updated at 00:10 GMT
The Panorama undercover film shows a nurse saying she will give morphine to a resident "to shut her up".
The footage was recorded by a reporter posing as a care assistant.
The home where the incident took place, Clinton House in St Austell, is being closed.
The Panorama team raised safeguarding concerns with the local authority.
The Morleigh Group, which runs the home, has suspended the nurse pending an investigation.
The group said it had already dismissed the home's manager before it became aware of Panorama's investigation.
Panorama: Nursing Homes Under Cover will be broadcast at 20.30 GMT on BBC One on Monday 21 November.  If you miss it you can catch up online.


Church leaders in Lincoln have said a city-wide ban on so-called legal highs has compounded the problem in other parts of the city.

Last April, Lincoln became the first place in the UK to introduce a ban on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and alcohol consumption in the city centre.
Incidents involving legal highs have dropped from 402 to 259 in a year.
However, one city centre church reported cases of people collapsing and fitting on its premises.
More on this and other local stories from across Lincolnshire
Jeremy Cullimore, a priest at St Mary le Wigford Church, said the problem had moved to other parts of the city, including the church.
He said the church had experienced a number of issues with people camping out in the grounds.
"We were getting somebody fitting, or collapsing, at least twice a week, and were having to call out ambulances," he said.
"There was a very real fear people were going to die."
He said despite problems at the church the council was doing its best, and was unable to bring "peace on earth and goodwill to all men".
There have also been further reports of people camping out in a graveyard on Beaumont Fee and taking legal highs, close to the city's police station.
The number of incidents involving NPS in the city increased from seven to 820 between 2010 and 2014.
Sam Barstow, from the authority, said while there had been a reduction in the use of new psychoactive substances "there is more work to do".
He said: "We were always conscious that this was never going to eradicate the issue entirely, but we've had in excess of 30 successful prosecutions under the order.
The Psychoactive Substances Act makes it an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, or possess on custodial premises.


Ion Trewin, the Man Booker Prize literary director, has died aged 71, the award's trustees have announced.

Trewin had untreatable cancer, with which he had been diagnosed in October.
But he had been determined to continue working and was involved with the judges for this year's title winner - the UK's top book accolade.
Trewin devoted his life to literature and had had several high-profile roles within the industry, including literary editor of the Times.
He also had an illustrious career at publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson, rising up to become editor-in-chief until his retirement in 2006.
His long and respected experience within the literary world led to his having many leading authors as friends.
He was also an author himself and wrote the biography of the late politician Alan Clark.
His work for the Man Booker Prize was well-established and he had held a number of roles, including chairman of the panel of judges in 1974.
Jonathan Taylor, chairman of the Man Booker Prize foundation trustees said Trewin would be "sadly missed".
"His calm, courteous and avuncular demeanour masked a sharp intelligence, shrewd diplomatic skills, a great sense of humour and huge knowledge of and affection for books and book people.
"He helped guide the Man Booker Prize through evolution and development while ensuring stability, continuity and, most important, an effective, efficient, independent  judging process."
Trewin's death follows that of Martyn Goff, the previous Booker Prize administrator, who died on 25 March at the age of 91.
Trewin leaves a wife and two grown-up children.


Parts of Yorkshire could be run by a London-style directly-elected mayor if new plans are proposed in the government's Autumn Statement.

South and West Yorkshire would both control some tax and spending if local councils devolve powers to new combined authorities run by a mayor.
Under the proposals, strategic planning, transport and economic regeneration powers would be handed over.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, could announce the plan on Wednesday.
The five West Yorkshire councils - Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield - joined the neighbouring City of York in North Yorkshire to form a combined authority six months ago.
Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils have created a similar South Yorkshire body.
The existing councils would continue to run services such as education and waste management individually.
Under the current agreement one of the council leaders is chosen by the others to chair the combined authority.
The chancellor's idea takes this on much further with extra powers for the combined authority to control social welfare policy, raise tax and control public spending. In return leadership would be given to a new generation of "metro mayors" wielding considerable executive powers.
Councillor Peter Box, Labour leader of Wakefield City Council and current chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said he would welcome any extra power and budgets but totally reject a regional executive mayor.
Wakefield, Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield all rejected individual city mayors in referendums just two years ago.
"Just a couple of weeks ago the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was in Leeds and told us that we could have the devolved powers without having to accept an executive mayor," said Mr Box.
"Go on any street and it becomes clear the public will simply not accept another elected politician."
Andrew Carter, leader of the opposition Conservative Group on Leeds City Council, voted against creating a local executive mayor in the 2012 referendums.
"But, a metro mayor is a completely different proposition," he said.
Support for the idea has come from two of Bradford's MPs.
Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, who was leader of the city council before being elected to parliament, says West Yorkshire has to follow the Manchester lead or it will see potential investment and economic growth being sucked over to the other side of the Pennines.
George Galloway, Respect MP for Bradford West, said he believed that West Yorkshire could reap the same benefits that have resulted from the strong leadership of London's mayors.
"We have had two now, both of them bigger-than-life figures, who have clearly made a difference to London," he said.
The individual councils would not enter into a formal merger. A similar arrangement has been announced for Greater Manchester's 10 councils.
"I am a great believer in the power of our cities to be big forces in the world," Mr Osborne said as he signed the deal with the Greater Manchester councils in November.
"Great cities like Manchester don't quite have a strong enough voice. And I want to improve that. I think you do that by having a directly elected mayor. I think that has worked in London".


The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge have attended the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

It was the first time Prince Charles and his son Prince William have attended the event at Edinburgh Castle.
The annual Tattoo is currently in its 68th season.
This year's event recognises 2017 as being the Year of the Royal Navy and comes ahead of the official naming of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales later this year.
It is also marking Scotland's Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology with a second "Splash of Tartan" theme.
As well as attending the Tattoo, the royals viewed a short performance beforehand on the forecourt at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Charles, known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, and William, who takes the title the Earl of Strathearn when north of the border, attended the Tattoo around halfway through its August run.
This year's performance involves a cast of more than 1,200 people from across the globe.
The line-up includes more than 250 pipers and drummers, five UK military bands and the event's first Japanese act, as well as major contingents from France, India and the United States.
The first Edinburgh Tattoo took place in 1950, with the first overseas regiment taking part in 1952.
Since then, 48 countries from across six continents have been represented at the Tattoo.
It attracts an annual audience of around 220,000, meaning that more than 14m people have attended the Tattoo since it began.


Emerson Hyndman believes interim Rangers boss Graeme Murty deserves huge credit for the job he has done.

Under-20s coach Murty has been in charge for three Premiership matches following Mark Warburton's departure.
And his side responded to defeats at Dundee and Inverness CT by beating St Johnstone 3-2 at Ibrox for his first Premiership win in charge.
"He's been brilliant," said midfielder Hyndman, who scored the late winner again Saints on Wednesday night.
"It's always a tough position as a kind of interim manager, especially with the way things have gone," on-loan Bournemouth midfielder Hyndman added.
"But I credit him for coming in and establishing what he wants us to do. I think the boys got behind him quite well.
"The results didn't really show what he was doing and how good he was but it was nice to give him that positive feeling on Wednesday night."
Rangers are expected to appoint a new head coach next week, after Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final at home to Hamilton Academical.
And with the Premiership gap between third-placed Rangers and second-placed Aberdeen now cut to six points, USA international Hyndman says there is still plenty to play for this term.
"Of course there is," he said. "We saw the Aberdeen result the other night (1-0 defeat at Hamilton) but we're just focused on ourselves at the same time.
"We need to get ourselves right and I think we took our first step against Saints. It was about the three points, it wasn't about how we got it.
"After recent results we've had it was very important we got three points on the board and thankfully we did that."
Fellow loan player Jon Toral, who joined Rangers from Arsenal in January, was also keen to praise Murty.
"It was massive for Graeme on Wednesday," said the Spaniard. "He has put a lot of effort into the other games as well, he has really helped us and for us to give him that first league win was crucial.
"At the minute we are just thinking about the cup tie on Saturday and then whatever happens happens. If a new manager has until the end of the season to work with the players and then to kick on next season it would be great for the club."


Two more men have been arrested in connection with the death of a pensioner targeted during a "violent burglary" at his home in Kent.

Roy Blackman, 73, was found dead at the house in Headcorn Road, Biddenden, on 21 March. Tests revealed he died from multiple blunt force injuries.
Two 36-year-old men, from the Cranbrook area, were detained in the early hours on suspicion of murder, police said.
A 49-year-old man arrested last week has been bailed until 28 April.
Officers believe the break-in took place sometime between 01:00 and 03:00 GMT on the day Mr Blackman's body was found.
Detectives said "a vulnerable man" had been targeted in what appeared to have been "a violent burglary".
They have been trying to locate a safe missing from the property, and searched a disused business park in Sutton Valence as part of their inquiries.


Too many children are starting school in England unable to speak in simple sentences or control their behaviour, a study says.

The Early Intervention Foundation's analysis found a fifth of children lacked the expected personal, social and emotional development by age five.
A quarter of children were unable to communicate at the level expected for their age, it added.
The government said it recognised the importance of early years investment.
And this was why it had raised spending by Â£1bn a year.
The report is based, in part, on analysis of pupils' results in the latest Early Years Foundation Stage profiles of children at the end of their Reception year.
These goals covering personal, social and emotional development expect children to be able to manage their feelings and behaviour, show confidence in trying new activities, and to speak in a familiar group, among other things.
Expectations on communication and language include being able to listen attentively, express themselves effectively and follow instructions.
Children who are not school-ready will struggle to make relationships with other children, they will find it difficult to play co-operatively and take turns.
They might not be able to follow the class rules or adjust their behaviour for different situations and may not understand that there are consequences to poor behaviour.
They may not be able express themselves very well and may not have grasped the difference between past, present and future tenses, for example.
They may struggle to tell stories about their own experiences and may find it difficult to respond to questions.
The report also cited figures indicating large average differences in behaviour and emotional health between the poorest and richest children.
These were apparent as early as age three and persisted until age 11, it said.
The foundation's chief executive, Carey Oppenheim, said: "Too many children arrive for their first day at primary school lacking the broad range of skills they need to reach their full potential.
"This can have damaging consequences which can last a lifetime - especially as children with strong social, emotional and communication skills developed in childhood have a better chance of getting a good job and being healthy, than those who are just bright or clever.
"The gap in the development [of] social and emotional skills between children growing up in poor and rich families begins at the age of three.
"Seeking help as a parent must not be seen as a sign of failure."
The call comes as the government is about to introduce new baseline assessments for Reception children.
The foundation called for any baseline assessment to give the same weight to social, emotional and physical development as literacy and numeracy.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We are committed to making sure every single child starts school ready to learn - that is why we have increased spending on childcare and the early years by around Â£1bn per year.
"Families can now access a record amount of free early years education for two-, three- and four-year-olds. The latest research has also shown the quality of these providers is improving, meaning that more children will get the start they deserve. Getting the basics right early on is essential, so that all children can fulfil their potential.
"We agree that parents deserve a more complete picture of their child's development. That is why we are introducing a joined-up health and education review for two-year-olds and have supported the launch of a parent's guide on learning and development up to the age of five."


Formula 1 reconvenes after its summer break at Belgium's magnificent Spa-Francorchamps track this weekend with the season finely poised - on many different levels.

On the face of it, this race and the one a week later on the equally historic Monza track in Italy gives Lewis Hamilton a chance to gain back some ground on Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the championship, after the German's carefully controlled victory in Hungary at the end of July.
And there are a number of other pressing matters - particularly the resolution of the 2018 driver market and McLaren's engine supply - that will guarantee an intriguing few weeks as a backdrop to the title fight.
With four wins each so far in 11 races, it is hard to pick a favourite out of Vettel and Hamilton, at least when it comes to a potential champion.
This weekend at Spa, though, might be a different matter. Although Mercedes and Ferrari have generally been closely matched this season, there have been outlier tracks where one has had a bigger advantage than normal, and the 4.3 miles of magnificent asphalt that swoops around the Ardennes mountains is expected to be one of them.
With a collection of largely long-duration, medium- and high-speed corners, Spa could have been made for the standard-setting aerodynamic efficiency and horsepower of this year's Mercedes car - in much the same way as one could have said of Silverstone, where Hamilton dominated.
The same, for slightly different reasons, goes for Monza and as such these two races give Hamilton a golden opportunity to reduce Vettel's 14-point lead. And he needs to, because Singapore, two weeks after Monza, is as close to a Ferrari 'gimme' as you can get.
As such, Hamilton needs to have located his A game over the summer break - something that has eluded him too many times this season, after disappointing performances in one way or another in Russia, Monaco, Austria and Hungary this season.
Four races out of 11 in which he has failed to get the best possible result for his car is too high a ratio for Hamilton to win the championship against opposition as strong as Vettel in this year's Ferrari.
Spa has been a mixed hunting ground for both title contenders - each has won there only twice.
And Vettel has his own concerns - Spa is his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's favourite track and the Finn could well be Ferrari's pace-setter this weekend.
In such circumstances, Vettel would be glad for Ferrari's clear - if unspoken - philosophy of favouring the four-time champion in pretty much every possible way, a strategy Mercedes are choosing not to follow with Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Elsewhere, there will be interest in how close Red Bull can get to the front-runners on a track that exposes the power limitations of their Renault engine but where the chassis can be expected to excel around the succession of demanding sweepers that make up the middle sector of the lap.
And McLaren - after a rare weekend as best of the rest in Hungary, delivering Fernando Alonso a sixth-place finish and an unexpected fastest lap - will be steeling themselves for another difficult weekend.
A Honda engine upgrade is due in Spa - at least that's the word; Honda have not yet publicly said it will be there. Will it amount to much?
It needs to, not least because McLaren are leaning heavily towards dropping Honda for next season and switching to a Renault customer deal. If this update is underwhelming or late - and the last one was both - could it be the end of the road for the McLaren-Honda partnership, and by extension Honda's latest sojourn into F1?
Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer
Lewis Hamilton looked cool in Cuba...
Daniel Ricciardo preferred some outdoor adventures in Los Angeles...
And Renault's Jolyon Palmer casually climbed the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Early weather forecasts for Saturday and Sunday in Spa are bleak, with thunderstorms and showers predicted.
Rain at Spa? That sounds tasty...
Most of us are familiar with the Muscles from Brussels, aka Mr Jean Claude van Damme.
But did you know Oscar winner and screen beauty Audrey Hepburn - or Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston - was also a Belgian native?
You're welcome.
BBC Sport has live coverage of all the season's races on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus live online commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobile app - including audience interaction, expert analysis, debate, voting, features, interviews and video content.


A university professor has been hacked to death in Bangladesh, in an attack police say is similar to killings of secular bloggers and atheists by suspected Islamist extremists.

AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, was a professor of English at Rajshahi University in the country's north-west.
He was attacked with machetes as he left home to go to work.
So-called Islamic State militants say they killed him for "calling to atheism" in Bangladesh.
The claim was made by IS-linked Amaq Agency, cited by US-based SITE Intelligence Group which monitors jihadist groups.
However, Siddique's colleagues earlier said that he had not written anything controversial and was not an atheist, unlike previous victims.
Police believe that he may have been targeted by suspected Islamist extremists because he was involved in cultural activities.
The BBC's Dhaka correspondent Akbar Hossain says hardline Islamist groups dislike anyone involved in the cultural field.
Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes.
Who is behind the Bangladesh killings?
Attacks send shockwaves through Bangladesh
The threat of small-scale terror attacks
Siddique had founded a music school and edited a literary magazine, his family told the BBC.
Deputy police commissioner Nahidul Islam told AFP news agency that the music school was in Bagmara, a former bastion of outlawed Islamist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Members of JMB were arrested over an assault on an Italian Catholic priest late last year.
Siddique's wife, Hosne Ara, said she had no idea why anyone would want to kill her husband.
"As far as I know, my husband didn't have any personal enmity with anyone. I can't believe that he has been murdered," she told the BBC.
Hundreds of students at Rajshahi University are reported to have protested on campus against their teacher's death and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
Siddique is the fourth professor at the university to be have been killed in the past 12 years. It is not clear why they have been targeted and no culprits have been punished.
Earlier this month, a Bangladeshi law student who had expressed secular views online died when he was hacked with machetes and then shot in Dhaka.
The four bloggers killed last year had all appeared on a list of 84 "atheist bloggers" drawn up by Islamic groups in 2013 and widely circulated.
There have also been attacks on members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus.
Several men are under arrest for last year's killings, including some attached to a hardline group called the Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Muslim-majority Bangladesh is officially secular but critics say the government has failed to properly address the attacks.
Last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued a stern warning to anyone who criticised religion: "I don't consider such writings as freethinking but filthy words. Why would anyone write such words? It's not at all acceptable if anyone writes against our prophet or other religions."


A street in New Zealand has been officially named as the world's steepest residential road - and the BBC is on a quest to find England's equivalent.

Do you know a road that comes close to the 35% gradient of Baldwin Street in the city of Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island?
We would like you to nominate your sheerest slopes for us to investigate.
Send us your suggestions using the tool below and we could be in touch.


Altrincham have signed striker Jonny Margetts from Tranmere Rovers on a month-long loan.

Former Hull City academy player Margetts, 22, only joined Rovers in the summer and has scored two goals for them in nine National League games.
However, he spent a month with National League North side Stockport in December and found the net four times.
"Hopefully get a few goals and help the team get some good results," Margetts posted on social media.
The forward is Altrincham's third loan addition this month, following the signings of Josh Ginnelly from Burnley and Dylan Mottley-Henry from Bradford.
Meanwhile defender Tom Marshall and winger George Bowerman have signed dual registration deals with Stafford Rangers and AFC Telford United respectively.


Figures from the arts world have called on the National Youth Theatre to reveal why it cancelled a controversial play exploring the radicalisation of young people, in a letter to The Times.

Homegrown was scrapped earlier this month 10 days before its opening night.
Signatories including Simon Callow and Anish Kapoor said the decision "serves only to shut down conversation".
The play's creators said voices had been "silenced", but the NYT said the play failed to meet standards.
Director Nadia Latif and playwright Omar El-Khairy said earlier this month that they were given no prior warning about the cancellation of the play, which was inspired by three London schoolgirls who travelled to Syria to join Islamic State.
Kadiza Sultana, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum went missing in February.
"This show was about having an intelligent conversation around an issue that has hysteria attached, and instead voices have been silenced with no explanation and without the content ever being seen because of this landscape of fear that we live in,"  they said.
In letter published on Saturday signatories, who also included Sir David Hare, Young Vic artistic director David Lan and Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, said the cancellation "is a troubling moment for British theatre and freedom of expression".
"We fear that government policy in response to extremism may be creating a culture of caution in the arts," they add.
The signatories say they are "deeply concerned" by claims the theatre may have been put under pressure to cancel the performance.
They conclude: "We urge the NYT to give a full account of what led to the decision, and hope that a way can be found to stage it so that the young voices involved can be heard and the production can be judged on its merits."
In June, the production was forced to move from the first school it was scheduled to play in - less than a mile away from the Bethnal Green school in east London attended by the missing schoolgirls - after Tower Hamlets council expressed concerns it would be "insensitive".
Latif and El-Khairy say they were told police wanted to view the final script and considered putting plain clothed officers in the audience.


A ceremony has marked the 75th anniversary of a World War Two air raid in which 200 people were killed.

About 1,100 bombs were dropped on Nottingham by the German Luftwaffe on 8 and 9 May 1941.
Twelve firefighters, or civil defence personnel, were among those who were killed.
Dave Needham, a former firefighter who campaigned to raise money for a Â£20,000 memorial, said the service was to mark the sacrifices made.
Mr Needham, from the Fire Service Preservation Group, said: "It's about remembering those who put their lives on the line for others, it's about humanity and service to people.
"They were ordinary people like you and me, but they did extraordinary things to help others."
Nottingham was not hit as badly as some other cities, but during the evening, and into the next morning, it suffered its "biggest" attack during the conflict.
The areas of Sneinton, Carlton, Colwick and West Bridgford were most affected and Mr Needham said water from two reservoirs was needed to bring the fires under control.
He said despite the fatalities, hundreds of injuries and damage to the city, Nottingham did not suffer a "knockout blow".
"Usually there would be a follow-up raid, just when the fire fighters are exhausted, but it fizzled out to nothing," he said.
"Nottingham would have looked very different today had they come back."
The service was held from 18:00 BST at the memorial stone at St Mary's Church, which lists 35 men and two women who died on duty between 1940 and 1999.
An air raid siren on the roof of the Galleries of Justice Museum, near the church, sounded for one minute to signal the beginning of a minute's silence.


A cabinet minister has urged Fifa to "see sense" and drop disciplinary action against England and Scotland for wearing poppies on armbands during a match on Armistice Day.

The FAs of both countries were charged by world football's governing body after their teams wore the armbands for a World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
Fifa said teams were not allowed to wear "political" symbols when playing.
But Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said the action should be withdrawn.
Fifa made its position clear in the build-up to the game on 11 November, saying it was applying its rule 4.4 concerning political, religious or commercial messages.
England and Scotland chose to defy the sport's governing body, wearing black armbands with poppies on for the game, which England won 3-0.
Conservative MP Mrs Bradley, who was at the match, said she was pleased to see both players and fans commemorating Britain's war dead.
Speaking on BBC 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, she said: "I urge Fifa to see sense in this and withdraw the threat of sanctions.
"If a player wants to wear a poppy, they should be able to do so, as should fans."
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) and Irish Football Association (IFA) have also been charged over incidents including "fans wearing poppies".
TFAW revealed the Fifa charge after the Wales match against Serbia on 12 November. The IFA is under investigation over Northern Ireland's game against Azerbaijan on 11 November.
All four nations now face the possibility of a fine and the deduction of World Cup qualifying points.


Middlesex skipper James Franklin produced an fine spell of bowling to check Nottinghamshire's progress on the second day at Trent Bridge.

The visitors were bowled out for 374 just before lunch, with Dawid Malan running out of partners on 182 not out.
Notts were going well in reply on 145-2 as Brendan Taylor (77) and Steven Mullaney (56 not out) added 71.
But Franklin (3-26) removed Taylor and Riki Wessels in the same over before bad light ended play with Notts 180-4.
Middlesex resumed on 312-7 but the stand between Malan and James Harris, which had rescued them from 165-7, was brought to an end on 175 when Brett Hutton (3-81) bowled Harris for 73.
He also accounted for Toby Roland-Jones before Harry Gurney (3-68) had last man Tim Murtagh lbw to end the innings.
Notts lost Alex Hales for 18 after lunch, when he was bowled by Harris to become the Welsh paceman's 50th Championship victim of the season, and Michael Lumb followed for nine when he edged a ball from Franklin to the wicketkeeper.
With Taylor well set after over three hours in the middle, and hoping for a fourth century of the season, Franklin found a way through his defences.
Two balls later, the New Zealander took a return catch from Wessels, but bad light prevented Middlesex from making further inroads as Notts reached stumps 194 in arrears.
Notts batsman Brendan Taylor:
"The momentum was with Middlesex for the last four hours of yesterday so to get those three wickets this morning maybe swung things back in our favour a little bit.
"It's a pretty good wicket and to keep them to 370 was good. We feel as though we can go out tomorrow, bat for a long time and get past 400 or 450.
"I am not happy with getting out for 77. When you get to a score like that, you need to be really hard on yourself and kick on. But I didn't.
"I think we let them off the hook a bit on the first day with our catching, but we are still right in this game and our thoughts are very much about going on to win the game."
Middlesex bowler James Harris:
"After a couple of tough years it's very satisfying to be the first to get to 50 Championship wickets.
"As far as the batting is concerned, it's a shame I couldn't have gone on and got a few more to be honest. But it was a pretty good ball that got me, it nipped back through the gate.
"It was probably the best chance I have had to get to 100, apart from one or two opportunities when I was younger. But it wasn't to be. I need to bat like that, I need to contribute more, so to do it here was great.
"I think we are in a pretty good spot. We got an extra 60 this morning and I think another couple of quick wickets in the morning would certainly help us further."


Planning permission has been granted for a 2.5m (8.2ft) memorial celebrating crime novel author Agatha Christie in London's theatreland.

The statue will be positioned between Great Newport Street and Cranbourn Street, Covent Garden.
Cast in bronze, it will feature a large book with an oval opening containing a portrait bust of the author, designed by sculptor Ben Twiston-Davies.
Westminster Council granted planning permission on Wednesday night.
The memorial will be erected by the end of the year.
Covent Garden was chosen as a location because historically, eight theatres have shown her work in the area, most recently The Mousetrap at St Martin's Theatre.
The play, which has been in the West End since 1952, is the world's longest-running stage production.
It will celebrate its 60th birthday on 25 November with a gala performance.


Skateboarding, surfing and climbing are among five new sports confirmed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

4 August 2016 Last updated at 08:45 BST
Karate and baseball/softball have also been added by the International Olympic Committee, who run the Olympics.
The five extra sports, which do not replace any of the 28 already on the Tokyo schedule, will include 18 events and involve hundreds of athletes.
One of Britain's best climbing stars Shauna Coxsey spoke to Newsround about the exciting announcement.


As tensions rise ahead of elections in Nigeria, some fear the country's unity will face a new test and divisions will be exacerbated by a vote which sees a Christian presidential candidate from the south, Goodluck Jonathan, facing stiff competition from Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim candidate from the north.

It is not their first face off but is likely to be by far the most closely contested.
But to what extent will voters pay attention to the religion of the candidates?
"If the Christian leader does not have what it takes to provide good leadership I will not vote for him merely because he is a Christian," says Arome Okwori at his home in Jos where the Christmas decorations still twinkle.
"However, I will make a choice between that Christian leader and a Muslim leader who may not guarantee freedom of religionâ€¦ so to that extent I may lean to the Christian leader but that is not how it should be," the father of two young children adds.
He says he knows many other Christians who fear that Mr Buhari has a hard-line Islamist agenda and wants stricter implementation of Sharia - Islamic law is already in place across the north.
"Gen Buhari believes in the secular nature of Nigeria," says Lai Mohammed, a spokesman for his  All Progressive Congress (APC) party.
"He is not a religious bigot. He is not a fundamentalist. That is mischievous talk."
There are Nigerians, and by no means only Muslims, who say President Jonathan is too close to some of the hugely popular "super pastors" who have grown rich from their Pentecostal churches.
Nigerians are notoriously religious and the voting patterns will once again no doubt look very different in the predominantly Muslim north compared to some areas in the south where more Christians live.
"You can never divorce the religious sentiment from a typical Nigerian," says Khadijah Hawaja Gambo, a white veil framing her face.
"But the way things are going people are beginning to downplay the role of religion in deciding who you vote. I hear people talking a lot about credibility," she says.
The Muslim mother of six adds that she wants a leader who can end the insecurity in Nigeria and "take the country back to where it used to be with people co-existing peacefully, not the kind of Nigeria we are seeing today".
Jos is in a way a microcosm of the whole nation, straddling the north and south.
It is religiously mixed and in some ways divided along those lines.
There are parts of the city where the influence of Islam is visible and audible - with calls to prayer from the mosques as veiled school children head home.
Other areas are dotted with signs for "The Blessed Hair Salon" and churches of all shapes and sizes whilst you will see fewer hijabs and more jeans on the streets.
The danger comes when religion is mixed with politics.  It is worth remembering 800 people died in northern Nigeria during clashes after Mr Buhari's loss in the 2011 election.
"Religion by its very nature and content appeals not so much to reason.  It's a heart matter and carries with it huge emotions," says Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi, who has played a key role diffusing religious tension in Jos.
"When religions like Christianity and Islam have a huge following of hungry not very educated people on both sides then politicians will explore the areas of religion to get them on their sides. That's a very dangerous and bad thing to do. It's not fair and it's not right," the Anglican archbishop of Jos says.
The whole of Plateau state has tasted the combustible consequences when politicians focus on faith.
Deadly clashes have erupted since 2001 and have been rooted in disputes over access to land, power and jobs between the so-called "indigenes" who happen to be mostly Christian and  "settlers" who are largely Muslim.
Religion is not the primary trigger but politicians have used it for their own gain.
"There was never a time in the history of Plateau or anywhere in Nigeria where a Christian stopped a bus to find out if the driver was a Muslim before boarding or saying you want to know whether the maker of the cloth in a market is a Muslim or Christian," says security analyst Abdullahi Bawa, who feels some politicians are better off if they do not have to campaign on real issues.
"It is their own kind of local divide and rule.  By the time they discover people will unanimously stand together for the good of all, the politicians will go and use the sentiment of tribe, region or religion."
"Once the people are divided the politicians will have a good ride while the greater majority will be wallowing in depravation," says Mr Bawa, who is also executive research associate of Network For Justice.
He says people have now come to understand the game the politicians play and this is why there is now more peace on the Plateau.
As some voters look at the religion of the candidates as they try to make up their minds, they may come across politicians of any faith who are willing to thank them in advance for their vote with a gift.
"Money and religion in politics, they go together," Archbishop Kwashi says.
"When you find unscrupulous politicians who are just desperate for an office - not for what they will do for people they just want the office for what they can get for themselves - to retain the office at all costs they will use anything.
"They will use money and the religious sentiments to do that."
It is the desperation of the politicians and their parties which raises the stakes and tension.
There will be plenty of prayers for peace in Nigeria's mosques and churches.
But it will largely be up to the politicians to reduce the tension and ensure there is harmony across the religious divide of this diverse nation.
Many voters dream of a day when the electorate is better educated and can see beyond the tricks of the candidates.
"I am hoping we will get to a stage where these differences that politicians easily manipulate that are not relevant to the quality of leadership will become less and less important," says Mr Okwori, the Chrisian lawyer in Jos.
"Then we can look at people on the strength of their policies and the quality they can provide.
"If you are well informed you know about issues that are much more important than 'my man (from my own religion) is there.'"


The foreign exchange, or forex, market is a virtual trading place where dealers buy and sell currencies.

Deals at today's price are called the "spot" market and bets can also be made on forward exchange rates.
In all, $5.3 trillion (Â£3.3tn) was traded per day on the forex markets in 2013, according to the Bank for International Settlements.
To put that in context, that's just over double the annual economic output of the UK, which was $2.52tn in 2013, according to the World Bank.
Currency trading started out as a way for businesses and individuals to change money for overseas travel and commerce. This was a real service industry driven by the underlying level of world trade.
Opportunities for speculation were limited by the Bretton Woods agreement in 1944 to peg exchange rates to the gold price. In the early 1970s, this accord broke down, exchange rates began to fluctuate more widely and globalisation created more underlying demand for foreign exchange.
Financial institutions saw a new opportunity to make money from the increased size and volatility of the forex market. Today only a fraction of currency trading is directly related to the original purpose of facilitating cross-border trade: the rest is speculative.
There is no physical forex marketplace and nearly all trading takes place on electronic systems operated by the big banks and other providers.
Dealers display the prices at which they are prepared to buy and sell currencies: users place orders with the click of a mouse.
Prices change according to supply and demand. For example, if the US dollar is more popular than the euro at any given time, the dollar will strengthen against the euro and vice versa.
Prices are constantly changing on a second-by-second basis as currencies respond to the changing flow of economic news.
About 40% of the world's dealing goes through trading rooms in London.
Prices in the forex market change so rapidly that it is difficult to establish the going rate for particular currencies at any one time. In order to help businesses and investors value their multi-currency assets and liabilities, a daily exchange rate fix is held.
Until recently, this was based on actual currency deals that took place in a window 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after 16:00 London time. WM-Reuters then calculated the fix rates based on these observed transactions, which form the benchmarks for that day.
The probity of this public information is very important, as it is the peg on which many other financial markets depend.
Because the fix was based on actual transactions over a short period of time, the potential existed for market players to get together and place orders during the 60-second window.
If they were big enough, they could affect the benchmark calculation and create profit opportunities for their firms.
Last November, regulators said that some forex traders at five of the biggest banks had been doing just that for several years. They concluded that through online chat rooms with exotic names such as The Bandits Club, The Cartel and The Mafia, traders colluded to place aggressive "buy" or "sell" orders - known in the business as "banging the close"- in order to distort the fix.
This had apparently been going on for several years. Embarrassingly for the managers meant to have been in charge of the traders, suspicious price movements were first highlighted by a whistleblower.
Clues that were available to outsiders should have been picked up internally long ago, but prime responsibility lies with those who participated directly.
The practice appears to have been so common amongst influential traders that the phrase Warren Buffett described as the five most dangerous words in business, "everyone else is doing it", comes to mind.
The Financial Stability Board, a watchdog that advises the G20 finance ministers, has set up a task force to recommend reforms of the forex market. As a result, the window in which the daily 4pm fix is calculated has been extended from one minute to five minutes. This makes it harder to manipulate.
In addition to the five minute fix, the central banks' co-ordinator - the Bank for International Settlements - is trying to get all the banks to agree a unified code of conduct, but this has not yet been settled.
Ironically, the forex market had been considered by regulators too big to be manipulated and it has been largely unregulated. Yet there were some early warning signs that all was not well.
Minutes of a meeting of dealers at the Bank of England back in 2006 appear to suggest that the possibility of market manipulation was discussed in front of officials, but the Bank of England denies this interpretation. Nine years on, it has led global regulators in cleaning up the forex market - and not before time, critics will say.
Institutional cheating of the kind we have seen in the Libor and forex scandals will probably die out for a while.
Individual traders have seen colleagues marched off the trading floor to face questioning.
Managers have finally understood the need for line-by-line, desk-by-desk scrutiny.
Regulators now know that light-touch regulation was an invitation to the financial services industry to game the rules and they have responded with more intrusive supervision and hefty deterrents.
Against this background, it would be surprising if systemic malpractice were to continue in the immediate future. But there is no room for complacency in an industry where corporate memories are short and rewards for beating the market are great.
Philip Augar is a former investment banker and the author of several books on the City.


Seven climbers have been killed and another seriously injured in avalanche in the Pelvoux region of the French Alps, officials say.

The avalanche happened at around midday local time (10:00 GMT) on the 4,000m-high (13,000ft) Dome de Neige des Ecrins mountain, according to reports.
Foreigners are among the dead but nationalities are yet to be revealed.
The Dome de Neige is said to be popular among climbers because of its relatively easy routes to the summit.
The avalanche hit three groups of climbers, officials told local media. Rescuers are still checking to determine there were any more victims.
Christian Flagella, a local police commander, said conditions were currently "winter-like" in the area.