Islamist commander Abdelhamid Abou Zeid has been killed in fighting in Mali, the French presidency has confirmed.

Abou Zeid was a senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Earlier, the French newspaper Le Monde said DNA samples had made it possible to formally identify Abou Zeid.
The Chadian army fighting alongside French forces claimed earlier this month it had killed Abou Zeid and fellow militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar in fighting in February.
"The president of the French Republic confirms with certainty the death of Abdelhamid Abou Zeid after an offensive by the French army in the Adrar des Ifoghas (mountains) in the North of Mali, at the end of February," the Elysee presidential palace said.
The statement said the death of "one of the main leaders of AQIM marks an important stage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel (region)".
The fate of Mokhtar Belmokhtar has yet to be confirmed.
Islamist rebels seized the vast north of Mali a year ago after a military coup in the capital Bamako.
France intervened militarily in January amid fears that the militants were preparing to advance on Bamako. It currently has about 4,000 troops in Mali.
Analysts say Algerian-born Abou Zeid became one of AQIM's top three military commanders in 2012 and led jihadist forces into the north Malian city of Timbuktu.
Once there they swiftly imposed a harsh regime of Sharia law and organised the destruction of Muslim holy sites they considered idolatrous.
Profile: Abou Zeid
Mali's army and troops from several African countries, including 2,000 from Chad, have also been involved in the fighting.
Since the intervention began, major cities including Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu have been recaptured but fighting is still continuing in desert mountains.
France plans to withdraw its troops from Mali next month, with West African countries expected to take over in the run-up to elections due in July.
Correspondents say Abou Zeid, an Algerian, was believed to be behind several kidnappings of Westerners.
He was also suspected of executing a British hostage, Edwin Dyer, in 2009 and French national Michel Germaneau a year later.
On Wednesday, AQIM said it had killed French hostage Philippe Verdon who was taken prisoner in Mali in 2011.
It said his death - which France has not yet confirmed - was in retaliation for France's intervention in Mali.
As well as Mr Verdon, a total of 14 French nationals are still being held by Islamist groups in Africa.


Three bouncers killed a man they pinned down for "around six minutes" outside a south London nightclub, a court heard.

Post-mortem tests found Adam Hird, 30, was asphyxiated as he was held down after trying to get into the No 65 club in Vauxhall, the trial heard.
Mark Pantallaresco, 51, Lewis Thorne, 22, and Sebastiano Ragusa, 31, are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of Mr Hird's manslaughter by gross negligence.
They deny the charges.
Prosecuting lawyer Duncan Atkinson said an examination of the victim's body found "excessive and inappropriate pressure was applied to his neck and or his chest", which, combined with the "rigidity and duration of the restraint", would have made it difficult for him to breathe.
The court heard Mr Hird, from Epping in Essex, had depression and had been out with other people with mental health issues at a nearby restaurant before the incident.
He was described as "exuberant" rather than drunk before he arrived at the club early on 15 June and had already been turned away once, the court heard.
Mr Atkinson said Mr Hird became verbally abusive during a row and may have hit Mr Ragusa.
He said Mr Hird appeared to be "angry and aggressive", which bouncers were trained to deal with using the minimum level of force, without posing any risk to his wellbeing.
Mr Atkinson said the three bouncers restrained Mr Hird after another "took him to the ground".
"Mr Ragusa held his legs whilst Mr Thorne and Mr Pantallaresco held Mr Hird's body and head respectively," added the lawyer.
The six minutes he was held down for was an "extremely dangerous" length of time, the prosecution said.
Witnesses said they saw the victim had stopped struggling and told the three bouncers who "eventually realised Mr Hird was unconscious and released him", he said.
Mr Thorne is from Meads Way, in Brentwood, Essex. Mr Ragusa is from Lewisham, south London, and Mr Pantallaresco is from Tadworth, in Surrey.
The case continues.


The chairman of the FA has offered to meet the widow of former footballer Jeff Astle to discuss what it is doing to analyse head injuries in the game.

The ex-West Bromwich Albion and England forward died in 2002 from brain trauma caused by heading heavy leather balls.
The FA had promised a 10-year study into the effects of heading footballs but nothing has been published.
Mr Astle's widow, Laraine, has now received a letter of apology from the FA chairman, Greg Dyke.
In the letter Mr Dyke apologises for the FA's lack of contact and says he will meet the family to discuss their concerns.
The letter goes on to say a commission has been set up to investigate head injuries, which includes representatives from the FA, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) and the Premier League.
Mrs Astle, who lives near Swadlincote in Derbyshire, said: "I think about Jeff every day and after waiting 12 years for this apology I just want some closure.
"I want to ask Mr Dyke why it's taking so long to look into this because we just want football to be safer for youngsters coming into the game."
Mrs Astle said she was backing calls by the Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, for a Parliamentary inquiry into the issue.
Mr Bryant said: "All the evidence from the USA shows head injuries in sport can lead to onset of early dementia, depression and other medical problems.
"What happened to Jeff Astle has happened to hundreds of other professional footballers... we want a full inquiry to get the facts out there."
A study in the US in 2011 led doctors to say they had found evidence on brain scans that frequently heading a football could lead to brain injury.
Lead researcher Dr Michael Lipton said at the time: "Heading a soccer ball is not an impact of a magnitude that will lacerate nerve fibres in the brain.
"But repetitive heading could set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells."
On Saturday a group of West Bromwich Albion fans, including Jeff Astle's daughters, launched a campaign called Justice for Jeff at the club's match with Hull City.
Supporters waved banners and held a minute-long round of applause after nine minutes to symbolise the number nine shirt Astle wore during his career.
The group said more protests were planned for the team's home game with Cardiff on Saturday.
Jeff Astle played for West Bromwich Albion from 1964 to 1974.
He scored 137 goals in 292 league appearances for the club and is recognised as one of its greatest players. He scored West Brom's winning goal in the 1968 FA Cup final and also played for England in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.


President Barack Obama has moved to reassure Israel that the US remains its staunchest supporter, amid Israeli fears over last week's outline agreement on Iran's nuclear programme.

He said Iran and the rest of the region should know that "if anybody messes with Israel, America will be there".
But he rejected a call by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that any deal be conditional on Iran recognising Israel.
Mr Obama said such a condition would be "a fundamental misjudgement".
The president, speaking in an interview with National Public Radio, said that it would be akin to saying the US would not seal a deal unless the Iranian regime completely transformed.
"We want Iran not to have nuclear weapons precisely because we can't bank on the nature of the regime changing. That's exactly why we don't want to have  nuclear weapons," he said.
"If suddenly Iran transformed itself to Germany or Sweden or France, then  there would be a different set of conversations about their nuclear infrastructure."
On Monday, President Obama also sought to reassure Oman about the effects of a nuclear deal with Iran.
In a phone call, he told Sultan Qaboos that the US would work "with Oman and other regional partners to address Iran's destabilising activities in the region".
Critics have accused President Obama of conceding too much ground to Iran and endangering Israel's security.
But in an interview with the New York Times, Mr Obama firmly denied this.
"I would consider it a failure on my part, a fundamental failure of my presidency, if on my watch, or as a consequence of work that I had done, Israel was rendered more vulnerable," he said.
Mr Obama said he recognised the concerns raised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fierce critic of the deal along with the president's Republican opponents in the US Congress.
He said Israelis "have every right to be concerned about Iran", a country that had threatened "to destroy Israel, that has denied the Holocaust, that has expressed venomous anti-Semitic ideas".
But he insisted that the preliminary agreement with Iran - a forerunner of a comprehensive deal, due to be agreed before 30 June - was a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to curb the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.
Under the terms reached last Thursday, Iran must slash its stockpile of enriched uranium that could be used in a nuclear weapon, and cut by more than two-thirds the number of centrifuges that could be used to make more.
In return, UN sanctions and separate measures imposed unilaterally by the US and EU will be gradually suspended as the global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirms Iranian compliance.
Speaking on Sunday on CNN, Mr Netanyahu said: "Not a single centrifuge is destroyed. Not a single nuclear facility is shut down, including the underground facilities that they build illicitly. Thousands of centrifuges will keep spinning, enriching uranium. That's a very bad deal."
But Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a possible Republican presidential candidate, said it was "probably the best deal that Barack Obama could get with the Iranians" and that he would wait to see how the final agreement looked before passing judgement.
"I don't mind giving the administration the time between now and June to put this deal together," he told CBS.
Iran's key nuclear sites
Analysis: A deal which buys time


A fungus that leads to a deadly disease that has killed almost seven million bats in the US is continuing its spread westwards, results have shown.

Officials said the disease had been confirmed in Arkansas after samples tested positive for the fungus known to cause white-nose syndrome (WNS).
To date, there is no known vaccine or antidote against the disease.
WNS was first detected in New York State in 2006 and has since spread to 22 states and five Canadian provinces.
The latest positive results came from swab samples taken from hibernating bats in two cave in Arkansas.
The testing was part of a national study, funded by the US National Science Foundation, being carried out by researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz and North Arizona University.
"These are pretty far west occurrences," explained Ann Froschauer, WNS spokeswoman for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
"We do have one potential site further west in western Oklahoma but these latest cases are the most western confirmed cases to date."
Early warning
She told BBC News that the positive results in Arkansas, taken from two caves, only indicated the presence of the fungus, Geomyces destructans, that is known to cause white-nose syndrome but there was no sign of the disease itself in the caves' bat population.
(Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service)
Bats videos, news and facts from BBC Nature
"As we have got better at the science side of things, we have been able to develop more sensitive [tests] that can detect the fungus in the environment in the absence of sick bats," Ms Froschauer said.
"We have seen that there seems to be some sort of timeline from when the fungus arrives in an area and when we start seeing the disease start manifesting itself in the bat population."
Officials hope data gathered by studies this could help improve their WNS management plans and, ultimately, provide an insight on how it would be possible to disrupt the disease cycle.
Biosecurity measures, such as closing caves to the public and offering decontamination guidance to cavers, are the only method currently available to slow the spread of the disease.
To date, no vaccine exists that can be used to protect uninfected bat populations.
"It is something that we are interested in and there are scientists that are interested in the potential of developing a vaccine," Ms Froschauer observed.
"But this will have to be something completely novel. Mammals do not respond to fungal infections in the same way that they respond to bacteria or viruses.
"Our bodies do not develop antibodies in the same way as it does to bacteria or viruses, so some creative thinking is going to be required."
"If we got to the stage where we had a vaccine then we would have to move on to the challenge of how would we administer it to a small, flying mammal."
'Race against time'
When it came to individuals already infected with WNS, she said that there were recorded cases of bats surviving and appearing to beat the disease.
But it raised more questions than answers, such as whether it affected their ability to reproduce or their ability to survive the following season.
"The bat's body is unlikely to be building up immunity to the fungal disease, so when they come back to the cave in the following year then does seem likely that they could develop the infection again," she suggested.
In order to answer some of those questions, Ms Froschauer said that researchers were embarking on a project to fit small ID bands on individual bats in order to track them.
Overall, she said, there were reasons to be optimistic about the progress scientists were making in terms of understanding the disease's dynamics.
But added that it was "a race against time".
"The science is moving very quickly but the disease seems to be moving a little bit quicker."


An NHS body has ended regulatory action on the quality of services at a hospital in Berkshire.

NHS Improvement said services at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, including shorter waiting times and an increase in the number of staff, had "significantly improved".
The trust was previously investigated for breaching the NHS's four-hour waiting target for A&E services.
The watchdog said it still had concerns about the trust's finances.
The trust was found in breach of its licence to provide healthcare services in December 2014, following concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission.
Graham Sims, trust board chair, said staff should "be proud of the work they have done" and the board would "remain focussed on high quality care and delivering on financial promises".
The Royal Berkshire NHS Trust runs hospitals in Reading, Bracknell, Windsor and Henley.


Tickets for a new lottery to benefit charities and voluntary groups in Portsmouth have gone on sale.

The city council, which set up the lottery, said it will provide "sustainable" income for good causes which may lose out from funding cuts.
Of the £1 ticket price, 60% will go to local causes with the rest divided between the prize fund and running costs.
More than 50 groups have so far applied to receive a share of the funds.
The first weekly draw is due to take place on 5 November with a jackpot fixed at £25,000. Unlike the National Lottery, there is no rollover.
A council spokeswoman said the eight week run-up to the first draw is to promote the scheme.
Groups which have already registered an interest in lottery funding include the city's deaf association, Portsmouth Autism Support Network, the Samaritans and Hilsea Lido as well as scouts and brownies, football and rugby teams.
The lottery is run on behalf of the council by external provider Gatherwell which already runs a similar scheme for Aylesbury Vale District Council.
Portsmouth City Council leader, Donna Jones, said using an external company would "mitigate any risk" to the council.


Hearts players are determined to deliver a first victory of new head coach Ian Cathro's tenure, according to midfielder Arnaud Djoum.

Cathro has one point from three games since succeeding Robbie Neilson but Djoum is predicting a bright future.
"We have to win the next game for him because we trust in him," said Djoum ahead of Tuesday's visit of Kilmarnock.
"It has taken time to adapt, but we've only been working with him for three weeks."
Hearts suffered defeat by Rangers at Tynecastle in Cathro's first competitive game in charge, followed by a draw at home against Partick Thistle.
And the Edinburgh club surrendered a two-goal lead before losing 3-2 to Dundee at Dens Park.
"Every single player in the team has a lot of confidence in him because the way he wants to play, everybody wants to play like that," said Djoum.
"So, the next game all of us have to really play for him to give him a good boost for the future, for ourselves as well as for our confidence.
"He's very smart, we know precisely what we have to do and you seen in the first half and even the second half the way we played was okay.
"So the way he's thinking, the way he wants to play suits me as well because I like to play this way, dominating games and getting a lot of time on the ball.
"We just have to believe in him. He's a very good coach and good things will come in the future. Sometimes it takes patience to get better, but good things will come soon."


Kerry and Mayo will do it all again next Saturday after a thrilling All-Ireland semi-final draw at Croke Park.

Andy Moran netted to give Mayo the early advantage before Kerry hit back with a Stephen O'Brien goal.
Colm Boyle added a second Mayo goal but Kerry finished the first half strongly to leave it 2-5 to 1-8.
Johnny Buckley netted for Kerry and Mayo equalised in added time before Bryan Sheehan missed a last-gasp 55-metre free to win it for the Kingdom.
It was a thrilling encounter at headquarters with Mayo aiming to stay on course for a first Sam Maguire Cup success since 1951.
The Mayo management made the surprise tactical move of switching Aidan O'Shea to full-back in an attempt to curb the aerial effectiveness of Kieran Donaghy.
To an extent the ploy worked with O'Shea competing well in the air but Donaghy still made a massive contribution to the Kingdom attack while the Mayo star was a big loss to his side's offensive options.
Moran's early goal helped Mayo lead by four but Kerry scored the final four points of the points to go in level at the break.
As ever resilient, Mayo regrouped to lead by three helped by Boyle's goal but against the run of play, Buckley's goal helped the Kingdom take the lead after a botched kickout.
A dramatic finale saw Paddy Durcan equalise for Mayo three minutes into added time but there was still time for Sheehan to clinch victory for Kerry.
But the long-range fell short to the relief of Mayo, who get another chance next weekend to reach the decider.
Tyrone and holders Dublin will contest the other semi-final at Croke Park next Sunday.


Broadcaster Andrew Marr has appeared on television for the first time since suffering a major stroke, saying he feels "lucky to be alive".

Speaking on his own programme, BBC Two's Andrew Marr Show, he said he had been "heavily overworking" in the year before the stroke, which was sparked by an intensive rowing machine session.
The 53-year-old presenter, who fell ill in January, said he was doing "a lot of physio" to help with his walking.
He added he would be returning to work.
Appearing in a pre-recorded interview on Sunday's programme, the journalist and television presenter took part in a discussion on the legacy of Margaret Thatcher before talking about his illness.
He told guest presenter Sophie Raworth: "I had a major stroke - I'm frankly lucky to be alive.
"I had been heavily overworking - mostly my own fault - in the year before that. I'd had two minor strokes it turned out, in that year, which I hadn't noticed."
Marr explained he had fallen into the "terrible" trap of believing what he read in newspapers, which encouraged people to "take very intensive exercise in short bursts - and that's the way to health".
He went on: "I went onto a rowing machine and gave it everything I had, and had a strange feeling afterwards - a blinding headache, and flashes of light - served out the family meal, went to bed, woke up the next morning lying on the floor unable to move.
"Beware rowing machines, or at least beware being too enthusiastic on rowing machines would be my message to the nation," he said.
Marr said the stroke had not impaired his voice or memory but had affected "the whole left hand side of my body, which is why I'm still not able to walk fluently".
"I do a kind of elegant hobble is the best I can manage - my left arm isn't much good yet and I've got a lot of physio still to do," he said.
However, the presenter added that, after concentrating on a period of "intensive physio", he planned to return to work.
"I'm certainly coming back. I've got a lot more to say about it all, but I'm going to wait until I've gone through the physio to do so."
Born in Glasgow, Marr began his career in journalism on the Scotsman newspaper in 1981, later moving to London to become its political correspondent.
He was part of the team which launched the Independent in 1986, later becoming its editor.
He joined the BBC as political editor in May 2000.
Marr has also presented a number of history programmes along with his politics show and has had five books published.
He is married to journalist Jackie Ashley and has three children.
His programmes, the Andrew Marr Show and Radio 4's Start The Week, continue to be broadcast with guest presenters in his absence.


Japanese shipping companies are working with shipbuilders to develop self-piloting cargo ships.

The "smart ships" will use artificial intelligence to plot the safest, shortest, most fuel-efficient routes, and could be in service by 2025.
The AI will also be used to predict malfunctions and other problems, which could help reduce the number of maritime incidents.
The companies plan to build about 250 self-navigating ships.
Developing the technology is expected to cost tens of billions of yen (hundreds of millions of dollars).
Shipping firms Mitsui OSK Lines and Nippon Yusen are working with shipbuilders including Japan Marine United to share both costs and expertise, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.
Nippon Yusen has already been working on technology to enable ships to use data to assess collision risks. It is also working with Norwegian maritime company DNV GL to collect and analyse data on vessel condition and performance.
Japan Marine has been developing a similar data analysis system with the aim of diagnosing breakdowns before they happen.
The first ships will retain a small crew to oversee certain operations, but there are plans to develop completely autonomous vessels in the future.
In 2016, Rolls-Royce announced plans to develop unmanned cargo ships, starting with remote-controlled vessels that could be operational as soon as 2020.
"This is happening. It's not if, it's when," Rolls-Royce vice president of marine innovation Oskar Levander said at the time.
"We will see a remote-controlled ship in commercial use by the end of the decade."
Navigation and basic operations will be automated, while a human "captain" based on shore will continue to look after "critical decision-making".


Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a pine tree.

The charred pine twigs date back 140 million years to a time when fires raged across large tracts of land.
Pine trees now dominate the forests of the Northern Hemisphere.
The research suggests the tree's evolution was shaped in the fiery landscape of the Cretaceous, where oxygen levels were much higher than today, fuelling intense and frequent wildfires.
"Pines are well adapted to fire today," said Dr Howard Falcon-Lang of Royal Holloway, University of London, who discovered the fossils in Nova Scotia, Canada.
"The fossils show that wildfires raged through the earliest pine forests and probably shaped the evolution of this important tree."
The specimens, which are described in Geology journal, were preserved as charcoal within rocks from a quarry.
"It was only when I digested [the samples] in acid that these beautiful fossils fell out," Dr Falcon-Lang told BBC News.
"They were sitting in my cupboard for five years before I actually worked out what was there."
The fossils are just a few mm long but probably came from trees resembling the Scots Pine that now cover large areas of Scotland.
Pines are well adapted to fire, containing inflammable deadwood that makes them burn easily.
They also produce cones that will only germinate after being scorched, ensuring a new generation of trees is seeded after the fire has passed by and other vegetation has been destroyed.
Scientists have debated for many years why some trees seem to thrive on wildfires.
"One of the oddities about pine trees today is that they are one of the most fire adapted species on our planet," explained Dr Falcon-Lang.
"These oldest pine fossils are preserved as charcoal, the product of fire, suggesting that the co-occurrence of fire and pines is something that's very ancient, that goes back to the very origin of these first pine trees."
Dr Falcon-Lang plans to return to the quarry this summer to recover more specimens.
He hopes to find fossils of flowering plants, which were evolving at the same time as the ancient pines.
Follow Helen on Twitter.


PSNI detectives have rescued four female victims of human trafficking and arrested two men.

A 20-year-old man was arrested in east Belfast where one woman was found.
Another man, 28, was arrested in Banbridge where three women were rescued.
Det Chief Insp Mark Bell said: "The arrests are part of an extensive investigation into an organised criminal gang with eastern European links."
The searches were carried out at properties on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast and at Kenlis Street in Banbridge on Thursday.
The men were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, controlling prostitution and money laundering.
They are currently in custody.
A related search was conducted in London by the Metropolitan Police but no victims were found and no one was arrested.


A bald eagle with a broken tracker is being sought after flying off from a Gloucestershire bird-of-prey centre.

Cremorne, who is three times the size of a buzzard, went missing on Saturday but a "disaster" happened on Monday when her radio transmitter failed.
The International Centre for Birds of Prey (ICBP) said she was not a threat to people, pets or livestock.
Founder Jemima Parry-Jones said it was "very worrying" because Cremorne did not know how to look after herself.
"She's a temperamental bird and occasionally she goes Awol," said Ms Parry-Jones.
"It's quite serious because this bird has never hunted... and at some point she is going to get emaciated.
"Then we really need to know where she is so we can get her back, give her fluids and get her back up to where she should be."
Cremorne was last spotted near Malswick - some three miles (4.9km) away from home - shortly after 12:00 BST on Monday.
She has a bright white head and tail and a seven-foot (2.1m) wingspan.


Highlights from the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine, which saw Portugal's Salvador Sobral crowned the winner.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Up to 200 fixed term jobs are to go at Ford's engine making factory in Bridgend, the company has confirmed.

The firm said the temporary workers, who were making six-cylinder engines for Volvo, would be released at the end of the contract in April.
It is understood 197 employees are affected, but 60 will be transferred to other lines.
Roger Maddison, of Unite union, said the losses were expected but he was hopeful a new contract would be won.
"There is a lull," he said.
"We are waiting for new product to come in. We are aware of the decision and we're hoping to mitigate the losses."
Mr Maddison said Ford was yet to make a decision on where a new engine will be built.
"The bidding process is still going on for the new dragon engine," he said.
"All the indications are that Bridgend is favourite. It is a global engine and that will secure the future of the plant long term. The decision has been put off for a couple of months."
About 2,200 people work at the plant, which makes petrol engines for Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and up until now Volvo.


A fishing boat skipper and owner has been fined £20,000 after a crewman died from carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to pump out water.

Artis Sterkis, 37, collapsed on the Peterhead-registered Starlight Rays.
He was taken to hospital by rescue helicopter after the incident in August 2011, but he never regained consciousness.
James Thores was fined at Elgin Sheriff Court after admitting a fishing vessel health and safety breach.
The £20,000 fine was reduced from £30,000 because of the guilty plea.
Starlight Rays featured in the BBC television series Trawlermen, and was performing stand-by duties for the oil industry when the incident happened in the Devenick field, 155 miles off Aberdeen.
An earlier Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report said the pump's petrol engine ran for more than an hour in a compartment with no mechanical ventilation and little natural air circulation.
Speaking after Thursday's sentencing, Captain Bill Bennett, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: 'The dangers of using of a petrol engine in a confined space are well known."


Swansea Bay has been launched as Wales' first "city region" in an effort to boost investment and job opportunities.

The region includes Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.
It has been set up to develop tourism and inward investment and is about growth and not words, says the boss.
It comes after a report commissioned by the Welsh government showed economic growth increasingly happens in regions centred on a city, attracting higher skilled jobs and pay.
There are also plans for a Cardiff city region to include Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Pontypool, Newport, Bridgend and Barry.
The idea is to remove boundaries that exist between council areas and organisations to allow for more joined-up thinking as experts found city areas create a big part of the UK's economic output.
Dr Elizabeth Haywood, who chaired a panel looking at new city regions in Wales last year, told BBC Radio Wales that Welsh cities have not been "punching at their weight" until now.
Following that report, business leaders and local authorities have joined forces with the Welsh government to create the Swansea Bay city region, pledging to work together to create jobs and promote economic regeneration.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said a collective approach with a region coming together could deliver.
"I am sure we can boost economic growth and create a sustainable future where the economy can grow and where opportunity can be created for the people of the region, and Wales," she said.
The minister will be at Thursday's strategy launch at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli along with Swansea council leader David Phillips who will chair the Swansea Bay city region board.
"This is an important day for the 700,000 people who live in this first Welsh city region," he said.
"This will not be about words. It will be about jobs, investment and transformational projects which benefit the people and businesses of south west Wales."
Steve Penny, who chairs Swansea's economic regeneration partnership, said: "It demonstrates that as communities, businesses and government we can and will collaborate to promote our joint aspirations for jobs and economic regeneration."


The first woman to be US attorney general, Janet Reno, has died at home in Miami from complications linked to Parkinson's disease, US media say.

Ms Reno, 78, was at the centre of several political crises while serving under President Bill Clinton between 1993 and 2001.
She was criticised for a deadly raid on the Branch Davidian cult compound in Waco, Texas after just weeks in office.
Sect leader David Koresh and some 80 followers were killed during the raid.
Questions were asked afterwards about the legality of the FBI raid and why it was that so many people were killed.
Ms Reno survived the aftermath of the raid to become the longest-serving attorney-general in the 20th Century from 1993-2001 - and one of President Clinton's most trusted cabinet members.
She also continued to work despite being diagnosed in 1995 with Parkinson's disease, which caused trembling in both her arms.
After Waco, Ms Reno played a role in some of the more high-profile controversies and scandals that rocked  the Clinton administration, including:
Towards the end of her career in the spring of 2000, Ms Reno angered her hometown's Cuban-American community by authorising the armed seizure of a 5-year-old boy who was taken from his relatives' home in Miami to be returned to his father in Cuba.
Ms Reno -  a  self-described "awkward old maid" who was nearly 6ft 2in (1.8m) tall - will be remembered for her cautious but blunt style, on one occasion famously telling reporters: "I don't do spin."
Civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson tweeted  that Ms Reno was a "personal friend, trailblazer {and] justice seeker".
Her biographer, Paul Anderson, earlier described her as "outspoken, outrageous, absolutely indifferent to others' opinions... truly one of a kind".
Ms Reno also won accolades outside Washington for her plain-spoken manner and folksiness, the Washington Post reports, which included her preference for kayaking on the Potomac River to "hobnobbing on the political cocktail circuit".
She will also be remembered for her frequently recited childhood stories from the Everglades swamps of Florida with a mother who wrestled alligators, the newspaper reports, to a home which included a family of peacocks, all named Horace.


A motorcyclist died from multiple injuries after colliding with a car on the Isle of Man, an inquest has heard.

Kevin Baker's Yamaha motorbike collided with a Nissan car between Handley's Corner and Barre Garroo crossroads at around 17:00 BST on 4 June.
The 69-year-old former police officer from Foxdale was airlifted to Noble's Hospital, where he later died.
Coroner John Needham adjourned the inquest until a later as-yet-unspecified date.
The car's driver, who was from Northern Ireland, was treated in hospital but has since been discharged.
Another motorcyclist who was injured after the crash has also been released from hospital.


Russia has a government and a parliament; it has commissions and committees and a national Security Council.

But all the key decisions in this country are taken by one man: Vladimir Putin. He sits on top of the "vertical of power" which he has constructed. Right now he decides which path Russia takes.
And that is why analysing Russia, working out what Moscow is thinking and planning can be difficult. You have to put yourself inside President Putin's mind.
So what is Vladimir Putin thinking right now about Ukraine? What motivates his foreign policy moves? What is his objective?
One thing that makes Vladimir Putin mad is the feeling that he is being deceived. We saw that with Libya in 2011. Moscow was persuaded not to block a UN Security Council resolution on a no-fly zone to protect civilians. But Nato's military action led to regime change and the death of Col Muammar Gaddafi - far beyond what Russia had expected. It helps explain why Russia has been quick to veto resolutions on Syria.
On Ukraine, too, President Putin feels the West has tricked him. Last month he sent his envoy to Kiev to take part in negotiations on a compromise agreement between President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition. That deal, brokered by foreign ministers from Germany, France and Poland, envisaged early elections, constitutional reform and a national unity government.
The Kremlin's representative did not sign the deal, but Russia appeared to accept it as the best solution in a bad situation. It remained words only. Less than 24 hours later, Mr Yanukovych was on the run, the parliament removed him from power and appointed a new acting president from the opposition. The pace of events took Moscow completely by surprise.
The world according to Vladimir Putin is one in which Western powers are plotting night and day to destabilise Russia (and him, personally).
He remembers the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003, the Orange Revolution in Kiev the following year; Russia suspected the West of planning both.
More recently the Kremlin accused the West of funding and fuelling anti-government street protests in Moscow.
For months, Russia has been accusing the US and EU of meddling in Ukraine for geopolitical gains. On Tuesday President Putin said Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign an association agreement with the EU last autumn "was simply used as an excuse to back opposition forces in their battle for power... it's not the first time our Western partners have done this in Ukraine".
Then there is the question of Nato. In an interview with the newspaper Kommersant in 2010, Vladimir Putin recalled how the alliance had promised the USSR it would not expand beyond its current boundaries. "They deceived us in the rudest way," Putin concluded. Could the establishment in Kiev of a pro-Western government mean future Nato membership for Ukraine? Moscow would perceive that as a direct threat to its national security.
In the West, Moscow's intervention in Crimea has been denounced as "brutal aggression". In Vladimir Putin's mind, that is hypocrisy. He never loses an opportunity to remind the world about US intervention in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan.
In his speech to the Munich Security Conference in 2007, Mr Putin denounced what he saw as a "unipolar world" - a world where the United States was the single master. He has been determined to defend what he sees as Russia's legitimate interests around the world - be they in Syria, or closer to home in Ukraine.
What is more, with much of Europe relying on Russian energy imports and benefiting from trade with Moscow, the Kremlin calculates that its opponents in the West will not have the stomach for a serious falling-out over Russian muscle-flexing.
President Putin maintains he does not want to go to war with the Ukrainian people. He claims Russia's intervention is "humanitarian" to protect people there from "chaos".
But Russia's national interests will be paramount for him: ensuring the new government in Kiev cannot eject the Black Sea Fleet from Crimea and that Ukraine's new leaders think twice before embracing the West and rejecting Russia.


The Netherlands' bid to qualify for Euro 2016 ended in failure as Robin van Persie scored an own goal in a home defeat by the 10-man Czech Republic.

The Dutch needed to win and for Iceland to beat Turkey to earn a play-off spot, but Van Persie's error saw them go 3-0 down despite Mark Suchy seeing red.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Van Persie replied to goals from Pavel Kaderabek and Josef Sural but instead it was Turkey who secured third place.
Fatih Terim's side beat Iceland 1-0.
Turkey had Gokhan Tore dismissed in the 78th minute as their match appeared to be heading for a draw, but Selcuk Inan's last-minute goal saw them claim a dramatic victory.
That result means Turkey qualify for next summer's tournament in France as the highest ranked third-placed team out of all nine qualifying groups.
Ukraine and Norway both finished third in their respective groups and had more points than Turkey.
But results against the sides finishing bottom in their respective groups do not count - leaving Turkey with the most points.
"As a country we really needed this win to feel happy, even for a few hours maybe," said Terim.
"We are so happy to have offered some happiness to our people."
Netherlands coach Danny Blind took over at the start of July after Guus Hiddink left after 10 months in the position.
He has lost three of his four matches in charge but says he has "no intention" of stepping down.
"I'm going to carry on with my work because I'm under contract until 2018 and I believe in this team," Blind added.
"I haven't achieved my goal. The aim was to qualify automatically or via the play-offs and I haven't done that.
"Am I the one to blame? I now have to analyse that. The results weren't good."
Against the Czechs, Van Persie's cushioned header past his own goalkeeper was the low point - and seemed to spark a reaction from the home side as they scored twice in quick succession afterwards.
But they still failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Suchy having been dismissed for a last-man tackle on Manchester United forward Memphis Depay late in the first half.
The Netherlands, who finished third at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, were crowned European champions in 1988 and were third in 1992, 2000 and 2004.
The last time they failed to qualify for a major tournament was the 2002 World Cup. Before that, they were absent from the 1982 and 1986 tournaments and from the 1984 European Championship.
Reaction to the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Match ends, Netherlands 2, Czech Republic 3.
Second Half ends, Netherlands 2, Czech Republic 3.
Corner,  Netherlands. Conceded by Tomas Kalas.
Theodor Gebre Selassie (Czech Republic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jeremain Lens (Netherlands) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Theodor Gebre Selassie (Czech Republic).
Foul by Robin van Persie (Netherlands).
Vaclav Prochazka (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).
Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Milan Skoda.
Substitution, Czech Republic. Milan Skoda replaces Jaroslav Plasil.
Foul by Bas Dost (Netherlands).
Michal Kadlec (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Robin van Persie (Netherlands) is shown the yellow card.
Robin van Persie (Netherlands) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Goal!  Netherlands 2, Czech Republic 3. Robin van Persie (Netherlands) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bas Dost with a headed pass.
Corner,  Czech Republic. Conceded by Kenny Tete.
Foul by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands).
Michal Kadlec (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jeremain Lens (Netherlands).
Theodor Gebre Selassie (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands).
Michal Kadlec (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Attempt missed. Robin van Persie (Netherlands) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Bas Dost.
Foul by Daley Blind (Netherlands).
Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jeffrey Bruma (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tomas Kalas (Czech Republic).
Attempt saved. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Memphis Depay.
Substitution, Czech Republic. Tomas Kalas replaces Josef Sural.
Goal!  Netherlands 1, Czech Republic 3. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Wesley Sneijder with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Netherlands. Conceded by Michal Kadlec.
Substitution, Netherlands. Jeremain Lens replaces Anwar El Ghazi.
Own Goal by Robin van Persie, Netherlands.  Netherlands 0, Czech Republic 3.
Foul by Daley Blind (Netherlands).
Jiri Skalak (Czech Republic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Netherlands. Bas Dost replaces Virgil van Dijk.


The world's largest aircraft has successfully flown for the first time since it crash-landed nine months ago.

The Airlander 10 - a combination of a plane and an airship - took off at 17:30 BST near its base at Cardington Airfield, Bedfordshire and landed safely at about 20:15.
The £25m aircraft nosedived during a test flight on 24 August.
No-one was injured in the accident, but the airship's cockpit was effectively destroyed.
The aircraft, which is the length of a football pitch, was given a pair of "giant inflatable landing feet" as part of a package of improvements following the crash.
The accident was due to the Airlander climbing to an excessive height because its mooring line caught on power cables, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch report found.
Ahead of its comeback flight, a spokesman for manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles said: "The regulatory requirements of this flight means we will be no more than 15 miles from Cardington airfield at any time and no higher than 4,000ft, but we expect to be closer to the airfield and a little lower than that."
Airlander 10 in numbers


A deal has been agreed "in principle" by Australia's players to resolve a long-running pay dispute that could have threatened this winter's Ashes series against England.

Cricket Australia says a deal was struck with the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) on Thursday.
The Test tour of Bangladesh starting this month is now expected to go ahead.
Australia A's tour of South Africa was cancelled in July amid the row over the scrapping of a revenue-sharing model.
Australia's leading 230 players have effectively been unemployed since the previous five-year agreement expired on 30 June.
"We've reached a good compromise, one we can both live with and one that will be good for the game and good for Australia's cricketers," Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
"In announcing this agreement we are restoring certainty, beginning to repair relationships, especially with the fans. We want the focus to be back on the cricket."
Australia start a two-Test series in Bangladesh on 27 August, while the Ashes get under way on 23 November.
Cricket Australia produces a memorandum of understanding with the players - represented by the ACA - every five years. The last agreement expired on 30 June.
In March, the governing body proposed salary increases for men and women, which removed a clause from players' contracts guaranteeing them a percentage of the organisation's revenue.
This was rejected by the ACA, which also turned down a further revised pay offer.
Australia captain Steve Smith said the players would not "give up" the revenue-sharing agreement, while vice-captain David Warner blamed the board for the dispute.
"The players are unemployed and some are hurting financially but continue to train," Warner said on Instagram.
The opening batsman said in May that Australia "might not have a team for the Ashes" if the dispute was not resolved.
After months of public disagreements, a deadline for the ACA to agree new pay and conditions passed without resolution.
Sutherland said that if a resolution could not be found, the governing body would propose arbitration.
Under the new agreement:


A tree surgeon has died after reportedly injuring himself with a chainsaw in south London.

The man, believed to be in his thirties, suffered neck injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene outside Southwark Park Primary School.
One witness tweeted he saw "a lot of blood" in the area after the accident at Banyard Road at around 11:00 GMT.
A Met Police spokesman said the incident had been referred to the Health and Safety Executive.
Another witness, Charlie Brenland said he saw police cordon off the road, adding: "Witnesses and the police said there had been an accident with a worker on one of the trees.
"Someone there said one of the tree surgeons had an accident with a chainsaw."
Emergency services, including a London Air Ambulance attended the scene shortly after 11:00 GMT but were unable to save the man.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "Sadly, despite the extensive efforts of our crews, a patient died at the scene."
The Metropolitan Police said next of kin had been informed.


Preston North End have released six players, including former captain John Mousinho, following their failure to win promotion from League One.

Nicky Wroe, Graham Cummins, Ryan Croasdale, Chris Beardsley and Alex Nicholson will also be departing.
Decisions over the futures of Iain Hume and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff will be made after the League Two play-off final on 26 May.
Hume is on loan at Fleetwood, while Cansdell-Sherriff is with Burton.
Squads evolve, players leave and new ones come in, but what I will do is wish those players good luck in the future
In addition, Preston have taken up the 12-month options on the contracts of full-back Ben Davies and goalkeeper Steven James.
Manager Simon Grayson said: "These decisions have to be made. Most of these players have been out on loan at different clubs and have been successful with one or two of them and we move on as a football club.
"Squads evolve, players leave and new ones come in, but what I will do is wish those players good luck in the future," he told the club website.
"They have played a part in this football club and they have been fantastic professionals, never having one moment of trouble with them whether they have been in the team or not."
Midfielder Mousinho, 28, was named skipper by previous manager Graham Westley after joining in 2012.
But injury disrupted his first season at Deepdale and he struggled for first-team chances under Westley's successor Grayson, making just three appearances for the club last season, and ended the campaign at his former club Stevenage.
Preston lost 4-2 on aggregate to Rotherham in their League One play-off semi-final and will play in the third tier for a fourth successive year.


The Conservatives' manifesto will have a commitment to build four new nuclear missile-armed submarines, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said.

He said the new fleet was "the only sensible policy to pursue" and would ensure a continuous nuclear deterrent.
A final decision on replacing the current Trident system is due in 2016.
Labour is committed to renewing Trident if it wins the election but will consider whether to reduce the number of submarines from four to three.
The Liberal Democrats do favour cutting the number of Vanguard submarines from four to three, saying the existing system was designed for the Cold War era.
The Clyde-based submarines that currently carry Trident are due to reach the end of their operational lives within the next decade.
In an article for the Times, Mr Fallon confirmed the existing Tory policy of four new submarines would feature in the election manifesto.
He also said a minority Labour government backed by the Scottish National Party, which wants to scrap Trident, would mean Ed Miliband was "ready to barter away our nuclear deterrent in a backroom deal with the SNP".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's "brusque demands should alarm people right across our United Kingdom", Mr Fallon said.
He added: "Our nuclear submarines protect all of Britain including Scotland. This SNP policy is a threat to us all that would dangerously weaken our collective defence.
"When Britain could face nuclear blackmail by rogue states, this self-indulgent approach is more suited to a student protest group than a party of government."
Speaking on the BBC's Scottish leaders' debate, Ms Sturgeon said: "It is often asked of me whether Trident is a red line... here's your answer - you'd better believe it's a red line".
However she did not say the SNP would bring down a minority government if it lost a vote on the matter, saying it could "force a different direction" with enough backing from other parties.
Labour has ruled out a coalition with the SNP after the 7 May general election.
Speaking on the same debate, the party's leader in Scotland, Jim Murphy, said a majority Labour government was the only way to avoid "public horse trading" over the issue.
This election issue includes foreign policy and the role of UK’s defence forces at home and abroad.
Policy guide: Where the parties stand
Last month, shadow chancellor Ed Balls floated the possibility of fewer submarines, but said Labour would "absolutely" maintain the current number if it was needed to provide a continuous deterrent.
The issue also provoked a coalition row in the previous government when the Lib Dems requested a report examining possible alternatives.
All of the parties have faced questions during the election campaign about their plans for defence spending.
Neither Labour nor the Conservatives have committed to matching the Nato target of 2% of GDP beyond 2016. UKIP says it would meet this commitment by cutting foreign aid.
Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon.


An ongoing shortage of drivers has caused 39 more London Midland services to be cancelled or disrupted.

Trains on the Birmingham-Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton-Walsall, Birmingham-London Euston, Coventry-Nuneaton and Lichfield-Redditch have been affected.
More than 950 services have been disrupted since 14 October.
London Midland said it would be bringing in new timetables and staff rotas from Sunday, which would "close the shortfall of drivers".
The train operator said five shifts were affected on Friday, which meant 39 of its 1,300 trains were subject to alteration.
New trainee drivers will be qualified by mid-December, it said.


The new £1 coins are causing a stir this week - some have been found with a defect that causes the middle to fall out!

This fault is because of an error in production, but the broken coins have become something of a collectors item.
Coin collectors are eager to snap them up because they are very rare, which has seen the broken coins being sold on sites like eBay for prices of up to £5000!
However, the Royal Mint - where all British coins are made - has said that some coins are being deliberately broken so they can be sold online. It's actually against the law to break a coin, and the Royal Mint says this about these crazy coins…
"Unfortunately, we have observed a number of coins with separated and reversed inners and outers for sale on online auction sites. Our belief is that these have been deliberately manipulated and we would remind people that breaking up a UK coin is illegal under the Coinage Act 1971."
The new 12-sided £1 coin was released back in March.


Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods says he will "never feel great" again because of the number of injuries suffered during his career.

Woods, 41, pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic before the second round this month because of a back spasm.
He only returned to action in December after two back operations.
"There were a lot of times I didn't think I was going to make it back. It was tough, it was more than brutal," Woods told Dubai magazine Vision.
Woods' first return to competitive action after a 15-month lay-off came in December at the Hero World Challenge - an 18-man tournament in the Bahamas - and he finished 15th at the PGA Tour event.
He hopes to compete in the Masters at Augusta from 6-9 April.
"There have been plenty of times when I thought I would never play the game again at the elite level," added Woods, who has won 79 titles on the PGA Tour.
"It was tough, it was more than brutal. There were times I needed help just to get out of bed.
"I feel good, not great. I don't think I will ever feel great because it's three back surgeries, four knee operations.
"I'm always going to be a little bit sore. As long as I can function, I'm fine with that."
Woods has not won a tournament anywhere since 2013, while his title drought in major championships dates back to 2008.
"There is a changing of the guard," he said. "My generation is getting older but if I'm teeing up then the goal is to win."


A cyclist has died after being in a crash with a car on the A3 in Hampshire.

The crash, involving several vehicles, happened on the southbound carriageway, near the Hindhead tunnel at Bramshott, at about 07:30 GMT on Thursday.
The 32-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said a 33-year-old man from Waterlooville had been arrested on suspicion of causing death by driving without due care and attention.
The road was closed between Thursley and Liphook until early evening while officers investigated the scene.


The parents of a teenager killed when a wall collapsed on him at a building site have criticised an inquest jury's accidental death conclusion.

Matthew Skeet, 19, and his boss Kevin Ruffles, 57, died while working on a barn conversion in Worlingworth, Suffolk in October 2010.
An Ipswich inquest jury concluded both men's deaths were accidental.
Mr Skeet's parents said Mr Ruffles was responsible for their deaths because he dug a trench that led to the collapse.
The inquest heard a digger was being used to dig a foundation trench under the gable end of the barn at the Old Maltings on Church Road and the two sub-contractors were the only workers left on site.
Mr Skeet, of Melton, was employed by Mr Ruffles, of Hollesley, who ran Peninsula Plant.
The site was being run by Elliston, Steady & Hawes (ESH) builders of Great Blakenham.
In 2014 at Ipswich Crown Court, ESH was fined Â£45,000 for health and safety offences.
Mr Skeet's mother Linda said: "I feel I've got nothing from the inquest and court case - he went to work that day and he never returned.
"Kevin Ruffles took the risks and, with 40 years of experience, he should have known better.
"Matthew wasn't killed by accident - it was sheer neglect and it was risk-taking actions killed him."
Mr Skeet's father David said: "The barn has now been re-built as homes using totally different materials - it should have been knocked down in the first place.
"We're in the year 2015 and I work on sites and know myself some firms are hot on health and safety and others are not."
Mr Ruffles' family did not wish to speak after the inquest.
After the court case, ESH offered its "sincerest sympathy" to the dead men's families.


The government has launched four pilot schemes to help unemployed people with mental health problems find work.

The voluntary scheme will see some people on Employment and Support Allowance being offered employment support and psychiatric help.
The Â£2m pilots, all in England, will run for six months.
Ministers say they are not a precursor to forcing unemployed people with mental health problems to seek help in order to keep their benefits.
Last month, the Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, said that mental health problems are costing the economy up to Â£100bn per annum.
Nearly half of ESA claimants (46%) have mental health problems.
The pilots are running in
Sam Ripley is an employment advisor based in Lewes, Sussex who is helping 34-year-old chef Andrew Simmons prepare for a job interview.
They have been working together for months. Andrew suffers from anxiety and has found it difficult to hold onto previous jobs.
"In some of the more pressurised kitchens, I've struggled a little bit," he says.
"But I'm thinking this school job, it's bulk food, you know what you've got to cook, you know it's got to go out at a certain time, there's no menu changes, so hopefully it's going to be OK."
Sam talks him through what his potential employers are likely to ask him, preparing and calming him in equal measure.
She's arranged mock interviews for other clients and has helped Andrew with his job search as well as updating his CV.
She specialises in helping people with psychiatric problems into work and, occasionally, talking to employers about how they can help someone with mental health issues stay in work.
"A lot of the adjustments have been really minor, low cost - flexible working, working from home, having a buddy or mentor", she says.
"All these things are very minimal, so going in and explaining that can be really beneficial for employers.
"The cost of losing a valuable member of staff and then recruiting someone new is really high in comparison to providing a little bit of support to keep someone in work."
The government has rewarded Sam's employer, Southdown Housing Association, for its approach. They have been chosen for a pilot project aimed at getting unemployed people with mental health problems into work.
The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions have each put Â£1m into the six month programmes in four pilot areas, combining employment support with directing people, where appropriate, towards psychological therapies.
Lorraine, who suffers from depression, hasn't had paid work for years and has been on the pilot programme for a month having been referred to Southdown by the job centre. She's already applied for 2 jobs.
"The support is amazing," she says enthusiastically. "In a sense they're there 24 hours a day because I can email umpteen times and always get a reply, never told we don't have time for you now.
"This is now a big step towards reclaiming a part of my life that I've lost."
Lorraine will have her assessment for psychological therapy next week.
She's fortunate. While the pilots can get someone onto the waiting list for help, they can't push them to the front of the queue.
As waiting times for the therapies are lengthy in many areas, some people could come to the end of the pilots without having received any psychiatric help.
Nonetheless, the care and support minister, Norman Lamb, says the pilots are worth investing in.
"As soon as the individual is referred from job centre plus, the individual can get help with their employment search straightaway, building their self-confidence," says Mr Lamb.
"Then the psychological therapies can come in.  It's crazy that someone is languishing on benefit at a cost to the state whilst they could be getting back into work getting their life back together again with appropriate funding."
But he denies there is any move to make it mandatory for unemployed people with anxiety and depression to seek help in order to keep their benefits.
The minister says that no matter how successful these pilots are, they won't lead to sick people being compelled to seek help.
"It wouldn't work," he says dismissively.  "In order to make psychological therapies work, the individual has to want to sign up to it.
"The idea of forcing, frogmarching someone into therapy is a nonsense so I've no interest in compulsion.  I want to help people get back into work but it has to be on a voluntary basis."
Since I met him, Andrew Simmons has had his interview.  He starts a job trial on Monday - all being well, the job is his.


Plans for a directly elected mayor in South Yorkshire are "not a done deal" and could be dropped from the regions proposed devolution agreement.

Sheffield City Region (SCR) signed a deal in 2015 paving the way for a mayor with certain devolved powers.
However, SCR chair Sir Steve Houghton said it wanted clarity on whether installing a mayor was necessary.
Former chancellor George Osborne, who signed the deal, had previously said elected mayors were key to devolution.
Under the proposed SCR devolution deal the mayor would take responsibility for major roads, public transport, skills for employment and major planning and investment projects.
Speaking after the SCR agreed to submit its consultation responses to Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid, Sir Steve said: "The elected mayor is not yet a done deal.
"We are seeking clarity from government on whether this is still needed as there are still significant concerns around the mayoral model amongst a number of city region authorities.
"We won't make the final decision to go ahead unless we are absolutely sure that this is best possible outcome for our residents and that there are no other options open to us.
"Any decision on the mayor and any election timetable is therefore subject to these considerations."
He also said that, following consultation, there was public support for Chesterfield and Bassetlaw, two of the nine local authorities which make up the SCR, becoming "constituent members" alongside Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham.
If the two authorities do become constituent members they would take part in any future mayoral elections.
Last month Derbyshire County Council said it was seeking a judicial review of the consultation.
The SCR said however the legal action would not impact on the devolution timetable.


A pig-shaped statue of Ed Sheeran is to be created as part of an art trail in Ipswich.

The singer/songwriter honed his skills in the town, having grown up 20 miles away in Framlingham, before going on to be a global superstar.
The porcine tribute will be one of about 40 sculptures scattered around Ipswich this summer as part of the Pigs Gone Wild trail in the summer.
The design for the pig, titled Ed Sheer Ham, has yet to be revealed.
More on this and other stories from Suffolk
Art trails have become popular over recent years, with a collection of gorillas appearing in Norwich, and 81 models of Gromit installed in Bristol.
The Ipswich campaign is in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice, which will benefit from money raised from an auction of the pigs at the end of the event.
Sheeran, who was supported by BBC Introducing in Suffolk during the early part of his career, has continued to have strong ties to the county.
In 2013, a stage at Ipswich Music Day, where he performed twice, was named after him, and last year the 24-year-old was awarded an honorary degree from University Campus Suffolk.
Having toured the world on the back of his second album, X, Sheeran is currently taking a break from the limelight.


John Terry will bring the curtain down on his Chelsea career and a golden Stamford Bridge era when he leaves the club after 22 years at the end of this season.

Chelsea and Terry announced the mutual decision in low-key fashion after a campaign in which the 36-year-old club captain has been reduced to the ranks, barely figuring as manager Antonio Conte has led them to the top of the Premier League table.
Terry may have been marginalised by injuries, advancing years and the progress of others in the new Chelsea age - but he still stands as the symbol of the years of success stretching back to the appointment of Jose Mourinho in 2004 and the club's first title in 50 years, claimed in the manager's first season.
So, as Barking-born Terry prepares to say farewell to his beloved Stamford Bridge, how will a player and personality who has polarised opinion be remembered?
The banner that is still draped from Stamford Bridge's Matthew Harding Stand finds few dissenters among Chelsea's fans as it is emblazoned with the message: "JT. Captain. Leader. Legend."
Those words are now part of Chelsea's vocabulary and were referenced in the club statement announcing his departure. They were a tribute throughout Terry's career and will be his epitaph when he has left.
Terry may have been a divisive figure outside Stamford Bridge but inside he is regarded as the warrior who led Chelsea into battle, one of the most significant figures in the club's history and a towering player who can take his place among the greats.
When Roman Abramovich arrived at Chelsea to change the face of the Premier League in 2003, it was Terry who remained firmly at the helm as a succession of managers - many hugely successful such as Mourinho and the double-winning Carlo Ancelotti - came and went. And in Mourinho's case went, came back and then went again.
The statistics - whether he found favour or not - are testament to his talent and undisputed evidence of what he has meant to Chelsea.
Terry has made 713 appearances for Chelsea since his debut as a late substitute in a League Cup tie with Aston Villa on 28 October 1998. He is third in the all-time appearance list behind Ron Harris and Peter Bonetti, scoring 66 goals and captaining Chelsea a record 578 times.
He has had a silver-lined career which included four Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups - including that domestic "Double" under Ancelotti in 2010.
Terry was also gifted the Champions League and Europe League in the roll of honour delivered with his abdication statement although he never played against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in 2012 and against Benfica in the Europa League final a year later, events which encompass the darker side of his career.
Terry is worshipped by supporters who regard him as their representative on the pitch. He is man who plays as they would given the chance - and the fact that he was among the most outstanding central defenders of his generation only added to his lustre.
He was the manager's voice on the pitch and had a sure touch with fans off it, often rounding off his captain's programme notes with the rallying cry: "Come On The Chels!"
Terry was the great organiser, leader and talisman as Chelsea battled for domestic supremacy with Manchester United and Arsenal and European glory alongside the superpowers at home and abroad.
Media playback is not supported on this device
This has been a low-profile farewell campaign, with Terry barely seen after an early-season injury and a shift in tactical emphasis from manager Conte to employing a three-man defensive system of David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta, flanked by Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso.
Terry has only played five league games, with four starts, three FA Cup games and two EFL Cup games this season, last starting in the FA Cup at Wolves on 18 February - a grand total of 718 minutes.
Whether he gets the chance of a grand farewell will depend on Chelsea's fortunes between now and the end of the season as they protect a slender four-point gap from Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table.
If the finale goes to Chelsea's plan, then the last game of the season, at home to Sunderland on Sunday, 21 May, is likely to be an occasion high on emotion.
It is certainly a cleaner, more dignified break than it threatened to be when he announced in January 2016 after an FA Cup fourth-round win at MK Dons that he had not been offered a new deal and it was "not going to be a fairytale ending" - an announcement which appeared to come as a surprise to Chelsea.
Fences were mended, a new one-year contract agreed, and while this may not be a fairytale, it is a parting that is amicable, mutual and leaves the door wide open for Terry's return to Stamford Bridge.
Those outside the club often used words other than "Captain. Leader. Legend" to describe Terry but even those who never warmed to him would surely admit to a grudging respect for his ability, success, drive and longevity.
The words of his contemporaries provide the biggest tribute with Jamie Carragher - on opposing sides to Terry in numerous battles against Liverpool - calling him "the best centre-back we've seen in the Premier League era".
Even as Terry sat on the bench during Chelsea's 2-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday, Old Trafford was reminding him in colourful terms of arguably the lowest moment of a career that was a story of contrasts.
For all the glory, there was a thread of disappointment and controversy running throughout his time with Chelsea and England that led to him being a personality who split opinion.
United's fans were gleefully recalling the moment that reduced Terry to tears after the Champions League loss on penalties to Sir Alex Ferguson's side in May 2008, when he stepped forward in the Moscow downpour to take what would have been the winning spot-kick, only to slip and hit the post in a moment that will haunt him forever as Chelsea went on to lose.
Terry was even denied redemption when Chelsea finally claimed their holy grail by beating Bayern Munich in their own Allianz Arena four years later under interim manager Roberto di Matteo. Terry missed the final through suspension after he was sent off in the semi-final second leg in Barcelona. He put his kit on for the celebratory photographs but was not part of the winning team and gave the impression of someone with his nose pressed up against the window looking in on the glory.
And when Chelsea beat Benfica in Amsterdam to win the 2013 Europa League, Terry was out injured. This trophy was won under another interim manager, Rafael Benitez, who had a fractious relationship with his captain.
He was also in the headlines off the field during his Chelsea career, most notably in September 2012 when he was banned for four games and fined £220,000 after a Football Association regulatory commission found him guilty of racially abusing then Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a game at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011.
It was an incident that had an impact on Terry's England career, which he ended with a self-imposed retirement after 78 caps. He had been cleared of abusing Ferdinand at Westminster Magistrates Court in July and felt the FA's decision to pursue a disciplinary hearing made his position "untenable".
Terry had been stripped of the captaincy by the FA over the matter in the previous February, a decision which was the catalyst for the resignation of England manager Fabio Capello, who was critical of the move.
The Italian was a staunch admirer of Terry, even restoring him to the England captaincy 13 months after removing him from the role in February 2010 after allegations the defender had a relationship with the ex-girlfriend of former England and Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge - an allegation Terry denied.
There are gaps in the CV. There are controversies that will always be linked to his name. What is beyond dispute is his status as Chelsea's greatest and most successful captain.
Terry's departure breaks the last link in the chain of Chelsea's great generation, the last member of the spine of the teams that brought the club such success since the Millennium.
He was the last of the big beasts from a Chelsea's dressing room almost over-crowded with huge characters, one which occasionally had to answer to accusations it wielded too much power, especially when managers such as Andre Villas-Boas and even the all-conquering Mourinho were sacked, twice in the latter's case.
Terry was a pivotal figure surrounded by the likes of goalkeeper Petr Cech, full-back Ashley Cole, England colleague Frank Lampard and the great striker Didier Drogba, all Stamford Bridge giants.
It is now time for Chelsea's new breed to take the club forward without the player and personality who has been a pillar of their success.
Clubs around the globe will have been alerted by Terry's declaration that he intends to continue his playing career.
It is hard, rather like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher at Liverpool, to see Terry pulling on the shirt of a Premier League club other than Chelsea - but Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has been interested in him before and may try again.
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis is another who will have noted Terry's decision with interest, although it remains to be seen whether the interest is reciprocated.
There are the more obvious potential destinations for Terry such as Major League Soccer in the United States, which was a stop-off before retirement for former Chelsea and England team-mate Lampard at New York City FC and Gerrard at LA Galaxy - where another ex-colleague Ashley Cole currently plays.
Does Terry, however, have the current status to make him attractive to an MLS team at his age and with barely a game to his name in 12 months?
China is an obvious and lucrative option. Terry has been linked with a move to Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, who are coached by former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Chelsea to China is already a well-worn route with Ramires at Jiangsu Suning, Oscar at Shanghai SIPG and Jon Obi Mikel at Tianjin TEDA.
An opportunity in Qatar may also be offered - and Terry is unlikely to be short of options for his final move.


Rural areas in north east Wales are set to receive £6m over the next five years to help their regeneration.

The search is now on for volunteers to help target the money in rural parts of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.
They will form local action groups with the regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd administering the scheme.
Cadwyn Clwyd manager Lowri Owain said: "The main qualification will be that they have their finger on the pulse of their area."


Rangers have described the reduction of the club's half-yearly operating losses to £530,000 as an "encouraging financial performance".

The comparative figure for the previous year was £4.6m under the Championship leaders' previous controlling regime.
Chairman Dave King said in a statement: "I am also pleased to report that Rangers now has no third-party debt whatsoever.
"There are not many clubs in the world that are in that enviable position."
But, on the first anniversary of the takeover by the group led by King, the Glasgow club stressed that it "continues to require funding to meet its ongoing cash shortfall".
Interest-free funds provided by shareholders by 31 December 2015 was £9.25m, largely provided by King, shareholders Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor, plus a group of Hong King based investors.
Rangers say that additional funds have been committed to cover the balance of the financial year to June and King reiterated the intention to further invest in manager Mark Warburton's playing squad should they win promotion to the Premiership.
"It was always anticipated that further acquisitions would be necessary to compete in the Premiership if promotion was secured," said King.
"Mark and the football executive are already working on the player-recruitment plan for the close season, when we will bring in a number of new players to meet our ambitions to continue to compete at higher levels in the coming seasons."
Rangers' revenue for the first six months was £11m, an increase of £1.9m, with King praising supporters who have bought 36,500 season tickets as well as hospitality revenue of £3.3m.
This increase was achieved despite being compared to a period when Rangers benefited from £1.3m generated from hosting of the Commonwealth Games rugby sevens and a Scotland international.
King stressed that problems inherited from the previous regime remained and that arrangements with Sport Direct over the partnership to run Rangers Retail Limited "remain problematic".
It has led to legal disputes with the sports retailer and its owner, Mike Ashley, who is also a Rangers shareholder, but the club chairman remained hopeful that an agreement could be reached to renegotiate the terms of the agreement.
"It remains possible that the seemingly inevitable lengthy and costly litigation can be avoided," said King, who revealed that Rangers would present the results of a legal analysis of the contract with Sports Direct by the end of March.
"There is a far better alternative if Sports Direct recognises that the present arrangements are not working for either party and agrees to renegotiate the present arrangements to create the win-win situation that should have been reflected in the original agreements if Rangers had an effective negotiating team at that time."


After a 4.2 million pound refurbishment, tests are finally about to begin on one of the world's most famous trains, The Flying Scotsman, before it is back in action on the railways once again.

5 January 2016 Last updated at 06:51 GMT
It is 21 metres long, weighs about 96 tonnes and had a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
Here's our own flying Scotsman, Martin, with more.


Pay-TV broadcaster Sky has reported a 20% rise in operating profit helped by strong demand across Europe.

Sky said operating profit for the nine months to the end of March was £1.025bn, up from £854m a year earlier.
The broadcaster, which merged with Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia last year, reported record third quarter growth in customers in Germany and Austria.
Sky UK posted the highest third quarter rise in users and the lowest churn - customers leaving - in 11 years.
Across the group, Sky added 242,000 net new customers in the third quarter. That was almost 70% up on the same period a year earlier.
But the "stand out" performance came from its UK market which saw a 41% increase in net new customers in the third quarter to 127,000.
The rise takes Sky's total number of customers across Europe to 20.8 million.
Sky said it also grew paid-for subscription products by one million, taking total product sales to 3.8 million for the year to date.
Chief executive Jeremy Darroch said: "As these results demonstrate, our teams are working well together right across the new Sky.
"Five months in, our integration plans are progressing well and we are well positioned for the expanded growth opportunity ahead."
Sky said group revenues for the nine month period grew by 5% to £8.453bn. The UK and Ireland saw revenues rise by 6% to £5.824bn, in Germany they rose 9% to £1.037bn, while revenues in Italy were flat at £1.592bn.


A rail worker and his wife were among the British tourists killed by a gunman in Tunisia, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Christopher and Sharon Bell, from Killingbeck in Leeds, have been described as "hard-working" by neighbours.
The BBC understands the couple had two grown-up children and a third, teenage child.
In a statement, their family said they were "deeply saddened" by the deaths.
There was "very little information surrounding the circumstances of the tragedy", the family said, but they would work with authorities to establish what happened.
"Our thoughts are with all those affected", they added.
Adrian Thompson, of Northern Rail, said Mr Bell worked for the firm at Leeds station.
He was "a much loved and highly valued colleague who will be sadly missed", he said.
Mrs Bell was said to be a health and care worker.
Mark Brady, a neighbour of the couple who had known them for 28 years, said: "It's absolutely devastating, I've watched his kids grow up and his grandkids grow up.
"It's absolutely ridiculous and sad.
"They worked hard saving up to have nice holidays like this."
Norman Jarvis, the couple's next-door neighbour, said the Bells were a hard-working couple who worked unsociable hours
Thirty of the 38 victims of the attack, at a beach resort in Sousse on Friday, are thought to be British.
Tunisian authorities have arrested several people on suspicion of helping gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.
The 23-year-old student, who had links to the Islamic State jihadist group, was shot dead by police after the killings.


A man who repeatedly shone a powerful light at RAF jets flying over his house has been jailed for 18 months.

John Arthur Jones, 66, of Bodffordd, Anglesey, was convicted of causing dangerous distractions to Hawk jet pilots on night training flights during his trial in June.
Mold Crown Court heard he had a grievance against the RAF and, at one stage, considered legal action.
The former councillor had denied 13 charges of endangering aircraft.
Jones, who was also a council housing director, shone the lights at jets flying from RAF Mona, Anglesey, between November 2013 and September 2014.
He had told police pilots were deliberately harassing him by flying over his property, his trial heard.
On Friday, Judge Geraint Walters told him: "You possess an abundance of self belief in your own ability to achieve things, which transcends all reason and which is borne out of profound arrogance."
Jones, he said, had indulged in a determined campaign over many months.
The judge said when Jones failed to have the flight paths moved from above his home and away from an ambitious development of Canadian lodges which did not go ahead, he launched a campaign of intimidation against them.
"The risk caused here was significant," he said.
"The consequences could have been devastating. Your conduct became a campaign over a long period of time."
The illuminations occurred during night flying training as pilots came in to land.
They followed a carefully executed series of procedures and often split second decisions had to be made, the court heard.
"Any distraction is a potential danger during this stage," Judge Walters told him.
Each time an attempted landing failed, that presented a lost opportunity for the pilots being trained and considerable expense to the RAF, the judge said.
Undercover police officers were drafted in and they caught Jones red-handed.
During the trial, Jones said he was simply filming the jets as part of a compensation claim against the Ministry of Defence.
After the sentencing, Det Sgt Chris Hargrave from North Wales Police said: "Throughout the investigation and trial, he has shown no remorse for his actions or recognition of the potential dangers and implications to not only the RAF personnel but also the wider community.
"We welcome the result of the court and hope this sends out a strong message to those who commit similar offences."


The way geckos climb has inspired a device that allowed a 70kg man to scale a glass wall like Spider-Man.

Much research has gone into trying to unlock the clever way that little geckos climb.
But trying to use gecko adhesion to work at larger scales - such as on a human hand - without any loss of performance has proven difficult.
The hand-sized silicone pads created by a team at Stanford University keep their adhesive strength at all sizes.
They employ the same attractive and repulsive forces between molecules - known as van der Waals forces - that geckos use.
Although the forces are very weak, the effect is multiplied across the many tiny hairs that cover the toes of a gecko, allowing them to stick firmly to surfaces.
Along the same lines, the Stanford team created tiny tiles called microwedges to harness van der Waals forces. They were able to produce a dry adhesive even more efficient than that of the gecko.
In tests, the 70kg (11 stone) climber successfully scaled a 3.6m-high vertical glass wall using 140 sq cm silicone pads in each hand.
The climber tested the adhesive hundreds of times on the wall without failure.
Earlier this year, America's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) demonstrated another climbing device which allowed a person to scale a sheer glass wall.
However, the exact details of their climbing method remain classified.
This latest effort was also a collaboration with Darpa. The agency's Z-Man programme aims to develop biologically-inspired climbing aids for soldiers without the need for ropes and ladders.
The team at Stanford have published their findings in the Royal Society journal Interface.


A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 34-year-old woman in Derbyshire.

Amy Gough of Sandringham Road, Sandiacre, died on Sunday at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham after being taken to hospital from her home.
A Sandiacre man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Wednesday and released on bail on Thursday.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Tuesday but the cause of death has not yet been released, police said.
Derbyshire Police said it was informed of her death on Monday.
Det Insp Graham Prince appealed for anyone who knew Ms Gough to contact him.
"I'd like to hear from anyone who saw Amy between Tuesday March 24 and Sunday March 29," he said.
"It's very important that we piece together her movements in and around Sandiacre and possibly in Derby in the days before her death."


A petition has been launched asking Cardiff University to cancel a lecture by Germaine Greer, saying her views are "problematic" for transgender people.

The author is due to speak on 18 November in a lecture called Women & Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century.
Students' union women's officer Rachel Melhuish said Ms Greer's views towards transgender women are "misogynistic".
The university's vice-chancellor, Prof Colin Riordan, said: "We are committed to freedom of speech and open debate."
By Friday, more than 200 people had signed an online petition calling for the university not to host the lecture, which is an annual event in memory of former deputy vice-chancellor Hadyn Ellis, who died in 2006.
Ms Greer has been asked to comment.
Prof Riordan added: "Our events include speakers with a range of views, all of which are rigorously challenged and debated. This event will be no different.
"At Cardiff University we work hard to provide a positive and welcoming space for LGBT+ people and we are in consultation with student and staff groups to ensure that the views of LGBT+ people are represented at our events.
"We in no way condone discriminatory comments of any kind."
While the statement on the petition web page does not cite examples of Ms Greer's alleged anti-transgender views, it accuses her of "continually misgendering trans women and denying the existence of transphobia altogether".
It adds: "While debate in a university should be encouraged, hosting a speaker with such problematic and hateful views towards marginalised and vulnerable groups is dangerous.
"Allowing Greer a platform endorses her views, and by extension, the transmisogyny which she continues to perpetuate."


Foreign ministers from the American continent have passed a motion backing the "inviolability of diplomatic missions" amid the row between the UK and Ecuador over Julian Assange.

The Wikileaks founder is in Ecuador's London embassy fighting extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims.
Ecuador called for the Organisation of American States vote saying the UK had threatened to storm the embassy.
But the resolution was reworded after the UK insisted it had made no threat.
The BBC's Kim Ghattas said the resolution expressed solidarity with Ecuador but, despite a strong plea from Ecuador's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino, there was no reference to any threat against his country's embassy in London.
The United States withdrew its opposition to the resolution after the text was amended.
Australian Mr Assange, 41 - whose Wikileaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables embarrassing countries including the US - has been fighting extradition to Sweden saying he fears he will then be passed on to authorities in US.
By PJ CrowleyFormer US Assistant Secretary of State
Ecuador partied at the Organisation of American States (OAS) on Friday at the expense of Britain and the United States. But after all the rhetorical confetti settles, President Rafael Correa and his new best friend, Julian Assange, face a lengthy diplomatic hangover.
London and Washington may be content to let the unlikely pair suffer in the small bed they have made or, more accurately, inflated.
At the end of the day, the OAS, the regional organisation for North, Central and South America, passed a resolution that encouraged Ecuador and the UK to come to a peaceful agreement over Julian Assange's current residency at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
The emergency OAS meeting provided an irresistible opportunity for Ecuador to tweak Britain over perceived diplomatic threats that may or may not have been made and the United States over an extradition of Mr Assange that may but probably will never occur. A number of hemispheric neighbours were happy to pile on.
But this faux row involves a healthy dose of hypocrisy.
Read this analysis in full
In May the UK Supreme Court dismissed Mr Assange's bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period - during which he entered Ecuador's embassy - before extradition proceedings could start.
The South American country announced it had granted Mr Assange asylum on 16 August saying his human rights could be violated if he is sent to Sweden to be questioned over allegations that he sexually assaulted two Wikileaks supporters in Stockholm in 2010.
But the UK has said it will not allow him safe passage out of the country and has said it will follow its obligations, under the Extradition Act, to arrest Mr Assange if he leaves the embassy.
The meeting of the OAS, which represents 35 states in the Caribbean and North and South America, was called by Ecuador after it received a letter from the UK last week.
Ecuador said the letter, which drew attention to the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 which would potentially allow the UK to lift the embassy's diplomatic status to allow police to enter the building, was a "threat".
The Foreign Office later said the letter had been sent to clarify "all aspects of British law that Ecuador should be aware of".
During the meeting in Washington DC, Mr Patino had called on the UK to withdraw its threat and guarantee it would not storm the diplomatic mission.
The UK, which has observer status at the OAS, insisted no threat was ever made and the UK remained committed to honouring international law.
The representative of the Dominican Republic had questioned why the meeting was called since the row over Mr Assange was not going to be solved there, especially not with any grandstanding by Ecuador.
Prof Victor Bulmer Thomas, former director of the Chatham House think tank, said the UK government could not afford "to get into any scraps" with Latin American countries, with whom it wants to build better trade links.
"Of course no one's going to cancel a contract and give it to a French company just because of this, but it's all these fine margins. When companies are arguing about whether to give a contract to a French, British or German company, it's those sort of issues that will come up in the next few months," he said.
Earlier this week Ecuador's President Rafael Correa told the BBC the diplomatic row over Mr Assange "could be ended tomorrow" if Britain gave him safe passage to Ecuador.
But Mr Correa said without that, the situation could go on for years.
The US is carrying out an investigation into Wikileaks, which has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables, embarrassing several governments and international businesses.
In 2010, two female Wikileaks supporters accused Mr Assange of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.
He claims the sex was consensual and the allegations are politically motivated. He says he fears onward extradition to the US if extradited to Sweden because of his website's publication of confidential documents.


More than 40 fraudulent websites have been shut down in a major crackdown on the sale of fake degrees.

The sites closed included those selling authentic-looking certificates using the names of real British universities.
Others were providers offering distance learning courses but were not valid UK degree awarding bodies.
An agency set up to investigate the issue, Higher Education Degree Datacheck (Hedd), said it had reports of more than 90 bogus institutions.
It follows a BBC South East investigation which found fake University of Kent degree certificates on sale online in China for Â£500.
Jayne Rowley, the higher education services director at Prospects which runs Hedd, said last September was its busiest month so far, with the closure of four bogus university sites and three websites selling fake degree certificates from multiple UK universities.
"One of the institutions we shut down in September was Stafford University. Now, of course there is an entirely genuine Staffordshire University, so they are piggy-backing on a name," she said.
"There are some sites where they've actually taken the name of a real university - Surrey for example.
"There was a bogus provider shut down by us a couple of months ago calling itself Surrey University, and we've had 'Wolverhamton university' without the 'p' in the middle."
Other fake certificates have purported to have come from Salford and Anglia Ruskin universities, while degrees from the University of Manchester were sold on the auction website eBay.
The government announced a crackdown on bogus providers in June 2015, with the aim of prosecuting and taking down fraudulent websites.
Ms Rowley said Hedd had taken action against offenders both in the UK and overseas.
She said: "Under UK law you are not allowed to call yourself a university unless you are entitled to do so and that requires an order from the Secretary of State.
"If you are using the name of a real university that is breaching trademark laws, you are not allowed to trade on somebody's good name."
Hedd has now asked new graduates not to take photographs with their real degree certificates in case they inadvertently aid fraudsters.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "Degree fraud cheats both genuine learners and employers so we've taken decisive action to crack down on those seeking to profit from it."