Lloyds Banking Group has set aside a further £1bn to pay compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).

The extra provision was expected after the deadline for PPI claims was extended to June 2019
The announcement came as the bank announced that pre-tax profits for the three months to the end of September fell 15% to £811m.
Total income for the quarter rose by 1% to £4.27bn.
Lloyds is 9% state-owned, but earlier this month the government said it was scrapping plans to sell its remaining shares in the bank to members of the public.
It is now planning to sell its shares via a "trading plan", with small tranches of shares sold to institutional investors.
The extra provision for PPI claims comes on top of the £16bn Lloyds has already set aside to tackle PPI mis-selling. It is the bank worst affected by the PPI mis-selling scandal.
In the third quarter, Lloyds also took a charge of £150m to cover the cost of other "conduct issues" - mostly related to the sale of packaged bank accounts.
Underlying profit - before for the provisions for PPI compensation and the other conduct issues were taken into account - was £1.91bn for the three-month period, down 3% on a year earlier.
The bank said its net interest margin - the difference between the interest it gets from borrowers and what it pays savers - was 2.69% for the third quarter, down from 2.74% in the second quarter, "partly reflecting the base rate change in early August".
That was when the Bank of England cut its key interest rate to 0.25% from 0.5% as it attempted to stimulate the UK economy in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
Low interest rates have a negative impact on banks' performance, because it means they make less from long-term loans.
"The bank's net interest margin continues to be significantly hampered by the low interest rate environment, because it earns less of a turn on each £1 it takes from depositors to lend out to borrowers, but at least that margin is holding steady," said Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Lloyds made a £204m provision to cover bad loans in the quarter, up from £157m a year earlier. However, it said the credit quality of its lending portfolio remained "strong".
"One positive offshoot of the low interest environment is that bad loans are still at exceptionally low levels, because debt is so affordable," said Mr Khalaf.
In the nine months to the end of September, pre-tax profits were up by 52% to nearly £3.3bn, while total income was little changed at £13.15bn.
"The third-quarter figures are largely disappointing, whilst the nine months year-to-date performance is rather more impressive," said Richard Hunter, head of research at Wilson King Investment Management.
"There are some concerning developments within the quarter, such as the additional PPI provision, an increase in impairments, the reduction in net interest margin and the overall profit decline.
"Meanwhile, as viewed as a proxy for the UK economy, the shares have been under pressure in anticipation of a hard Brexit, with all its negative connotations and with interest rates remaining at historic lows, the sector in general faces ongoing challenges."
Shares closed down 0.96% at 55.88p.


Operators of an exhibition dedicated to a south of Scotland wartime munitions factory say the move to a purpose-built museum has proved a success.

It has culminated with the Devil's Porridge in Eastriggs becoming a four-star VisitScotland attraction.
It is run by a team of volunteers and tells the story of the factory, which stretched from Dornock to Longtown.
The exhibition is named after the explosive cordite paste that was manufactured on the site.
More than 18,000 people visited the museum in its first year of operation.
Founder Richard Brodie said the next target was to secure five-star status, but the first 12 months has surpassed all expectation.
"It is quite a feat for our volunteer group to achieve such a high grade but we have ambitions to achieve top marks," he said.
"Indeed our first VisitScotland assessment gave us five stars but the follow-up inspection requires us to make some improvements to attain that prestigious accolade."


Police in Belfast have recorded a 43% increase in racist hate crimes in the space of eight months.

The PSNI's Operation Reiner was set up last May to tackle the growing problem of hate crime in Northern Ireland.
In the period to the end of January 2015, 383 racially motivated offences were recorded across the city; in the same period the previous year, 268 offences were recorded.
A third of offences recorded last year in the city were in east Belfast.
The figures come as police in north Belfast continue to investigate what they described as a racially motivated hate crime.
A group of men attacked two houses and threatened residents at Mountcollyer Avenue in the Tiger's Bay area on Monday. A Polish woman living in one of the houses said she did not feel safe there.
ACC Chris Noble said racist hate crimes account for a small percentage of overall crime, but officers recognised there is a "significant impact on the victim which can also have implications for the wider community".
"A hate crime affects not only the victim but every member of the group that the victim represents," he said.
He said police were working with a range of groups to enhance victim support and encourage greater levels of reporting, "but policing can only be as successful as the information and support we receive from the wider community".
"There is a collective responsibility on everyone in Northern Ireland to make sure that people who choose to come to live and work here from different countries and cultures, who add value to Northern Irish society and economy, feel reassured and protected," he said.
"We need communities to give us information about who might be involved in racist hate crime to ensure that we investigate these crimes as thoroughly as possible."


The use of drones to kill UK citizens abroad is being legally challenged by two Green Party parliamentarians.

Earlier this month, David Cameron announced an RAF-operated drone had killed two Britons linked to so-called Islamic State in Syria, describing the action as an "act of self defence".
MP Caroline Lucas and Baroness Jones have now sought permission for a judicial review of the policy, claiming that "targeted killing" is unlawful.
It is backed by campaigners Reprieve.
Britain is participating in air strikes against IS fighters in Iraq, but not Syria - after the Commons refused to approve the action two years ago.
But in what was the first targeted UK drone attack on a British citizen, Reyaad Khan, from Cardiff, and Ruhul Amin, from Aberdeen were killed by a remotely piloted aircraft on 21 August in Raqqa, Syria.
Khan, the target of the strike, had been plotting "barbaric" attacks on UK soil, the prime minister told MPs in a statement.
He insisted the action was lawful despite Parliament not having authorised airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.
He said the attorney general had been consulted and agreed there was a "clear legal basis" for the strike.
But Ms Lucas and Baroness Jones - the party's sole representatives in Parliament - say there has been a lack of parliamentary scrutiny or approval of the policy and argue there have been conflicting and partial accounts of the justification in statements.
In his statement to MPs on 7 September 2015, David Cameron also said:
In a letter to the Ministry of Defence and the attorney general's office, they argue that the government has either failed to formulate a policy or, if it has a policy, failed to publish it. Either eventuality, they argue, is unlawful.
"If any pre-authorised and targeted killing can be lawful, they must be carried out under a formulated and published Targeted Killing Policy which ensures transparency, clarity and accountability for such use of lethal force," the letter says.
The drone strike is expected to be the subject of an investigation by the Intelligence and Security Committee of the House of Commons, now chaired by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve.
Reprieve, an international human rights charity, said the government's justification of the strike effectively gave it "the power to kill anyone, anywhere in the world, without oversight or safeguards".
"This is a huge step, and at the very least the prime minister should come clean about his new kill policy," said its legal director Kat Craig.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was effectively a "wholesale adoption" of the US government's "so-called targeted killing programme".
The drone strikes have been backed by Conservative MPs, who said the individuals targeted posed a direct threat to national security.
But Labour has called for the attorney general's advice to be published, something ministers say there is no precedent for.


A serial bird thief who admitted stealing a pensioner's racing pigeons in Aberdeen has been given time to show he can behave.

Dean Wells, 23, of Fochabers, admitted taking 24 of the birds from a back garden in the city's Auchmill Road in April.
Police managed to return the pigeons to their owner three days later.
Sheriff William Taylor deferred sentence for six months for Wells "to be of good behaviour".
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Wells had previously been convicted of stealing pigeons in Inverness and budgies in Elgin.


Chris Froome says he would play a supporting role in the Olympic road race if team-mate Geraint Thomas was better placed to challenge for gold.

Froome, 30, aims to defend his Tour de France title and compete in the Olympic time trial and road race this year.
Thomas, 29, supported Froome in last year's tour, but the Briton would be willing to switch roles in Rio.
"I'd be happy playing a role if it meant we could have an Olympic champion," said Froome.
The Tour remains Froome's primary focus and, if that means his team-mates are in better condition than him come the Olympics in August, he will return to his days as a super-domestique.
The two-time Tour winner won Olympic bronze in London four years ago, though that was in the time trial rather than the road race.
The challenging nature of the Rio road course means it will be one for the climbers this year, which puts the likes of Froome, Thomas and Simon and Adam Yates in contention for a place in Great Britain's five-man team.
Thomas, a double Olympic track champion, underlined his growing potential on the road in last summer's Tour when he was able to both support Froome and keep himself in contention for a podium place, until a stage 16 crash sent him tumbling down both a ditch and the general classification.
The Welshman has begun his season by successfully defending his Volta ao Algarve title and is expected to have protected status in the Team Sky squad at this year's Tour, making him the team's Plan B should something happen to Froome.
"Anyone who watched the Tour last year could see what 'G' is capable of," added Froome.
"He came just a few days short of Paris and still he was in the top five. Given that he is going to focus more on stage racing this year, I like to think we can see even more from him in terms of stage racing.
"He was a huge part in me being able to win last year's Tour and it would be great going into the Tour with G also protected this year."
When Froome was in a similar position behind Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012, Wiggins felt Froome had challenged him, leading to a clash between the two.
However, Froome said he welcomes the competition from Thomas,
"Going back to the rivalry within the team, and the harmony within the team, the key to all of this is communication," added Froome.
"Especially with G. We've been riding together now, it's coming up to 10 years back to 2008 with Barloworld.
"At the Olympics it will be a very honest, open discussion between us, out on the road. Who's feeling good? Can we get the job done today? Will you pull? Will you not pull?
"It's that team dynamic. As long as communication is good I think you'll have that buy-in from everyone.
'If G is flying and I'm struggling, then definitely... [I'd support him]."


Aberdeen safely made it through to the last 16 of the Betfred Cup with victory over Ayr United at Somerset Park.

The Dons were ahead early when Ayr's Darryl Meggat turned Wes Burns' cross into his own net, and Niall McGinn made it two.
But after Adam Rooney hit a post Alan Forrest pounced on a loose ball to pull one back.
Wes Burns hit the crossbar twice and Andrew Considine put a shot wide as the Dons struggled to put the game to bed.
After early exits in both Cup competitions last season, this was a welcome result for Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes on the long trek down to Ayrshire.
It did not take long for Aberdeen to get themselves in front. It was good play from Burns on the wing, and his ball was aimed towards the ever dangerous  Rooney, but it was the unfortunate Meggat who got the final touch to put the ball past his own goalkeeper.
But Ayr could have been level straight away when Forrest raced away from Anthony O'Connor, but Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis denied him.
However, the home side were struggling to make inroads against the Scottish Premiership team and McGinn made it 2-0 when he volleyed in Shay Logan's cross.
Rooney headed off a post before Burns fired a shot just wide as Aberdeen refused to take their foot off the pedal.
But against the run of play Ayr pulled one back when Forrest pounced on a scramble in the box and turned the ball in.
Burns, on loan from Bristol City, has been given his chance with the loss of Jonny Hayes to injury, and he was keen to make an impression.
He twice hit the bar in the second half; first after a 30 yard run through the Ayr rearguard, and the second after cutting inside and finding the woodwork.
But as the game wore on Aberdeen were finding it increasingly difficult to create chances and find the killer third goal, and Jamie Adams was not too far away from turning in Brian Gilmour's corner as Ayr sensed an equaliser.
Then when Andrew Considine was robbed in possession after a poor pass from Dons goalkeeper Lewis, Nicky Devlin raced forward but blasted his shot well wide.
In the end it was comfortable enough for Aberdeen to make it through to the third round.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes: "The first half we were so much in control of the game you would have thought it would be a bit more comfortable for us, but it just shows you you're never there in the Cup until the final whistle goes.
"Ayr deserve so much credit; not just their spirit but their confidence and belief to go and get something from the game. I thought they were excellent. As was the referee, I need to say that. There was a couple of penalty appeals that they have, the two boys have thrown themselves, but he dealt with them well.
"It was our third trip in six days. The players have been constantly travelling, it's a big physical demand."
Ayr United manager Ian McCall: "We lost a daft goal early and that really settled Aberdeen. I couldn't hand on heart say Aberdeen didn't deserve to win but we had two or chances and a very decent chance for a penalty kick, in fact I thought it was a stonewall penalty kick.
"I've kept faith with the vast majority of the players that got us (promoted) so they've got to enjoy it, but if they play like that they'll do fine.
"He (Gary Harkins) would be a good player for us. We'll see what happens."
Match ends, Ayr United 1, Aberdeen 2.
Second Half ends, Ayr United 1, Aberdeen 2.
Attempt blocked. Brian Gilmour (Ayr United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Scott McKenna replaces Kenny McLean.
Attempt saved. Andy O'Connell (Ayr United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. Jayden Stockley (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Alan Forrest (Ayr United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Foul by Anthony O'Connor (Aberdeen).
Andy O'Connell (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Attempt missed. Nicky Devlin (Ayr United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high.
Foul by Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen).
Peter Murphy (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Ayr United. Andy Johnston replaces Robbie Crawford.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Brian Gilmour.
Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Paul Cairney (Ayr United).
Foul by Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).
Jamie Adams (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Jamie Adams (Ayr United) with an attempt from the centre of the box is too high.
Corner,  Ayr United. Conceded by Andrew Considine.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Patrick Boyle.
Substitution, Ayr United. Andy O'Connell replaces Craig McGuffie.
Attempt blocked. Jayden Stockley (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Robbie Crawford.
Nicky Devlin (Ayr United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nicky Devlin (Ayr United).
Foul by Anthony O'Connor (Aberdeen).
Jamie Adams (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Wes Burns (Aberdeen) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the right side of the box.
Attempt blocked. Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Aberdeen. Conceded by Patrick Boyle.
Attempt saved. Wes Burns (Aberdeen) right footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Ayr United. Brian Gilmour replaces Jamie Thomas.
Substitution, Aberdeen. Jayden Stockley replaces Adam Rooney.
Jamie Adams (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Jack (Aberdeen).
Wes Burns (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Former England Test captain Alastair Cook has been made available by the England and Wales Cricket Board for Essex's three opening County Championship games of the season.

Cook will also be able to play in Essex's first three One-Day Cup games.
Lancashire opening batsman Haseeb Hameed and Durham's Keaton Jennings are available for all fixtures.
Hameed made his Test debut against India in November before being replaced by Jennings after breaking his hand.
New England captain Joe Root, Yorkshire teammate Jonny Bairstow, Worcestershire's Moeen Ali, and Nottinghamshire seamer Jake Ball will miss their sides' first Championship games.
Root, Bairstow and Ali will play only one first-class match, though all four will be available for three One-Day Cup games.
Cook's first match for Essex since resigning the England captaincy in February will start on 7 April against Lancashire, who will also be able to include England's record Test wicket-taker, Jimmy Anderson.
Available for all matches: Keaton Jennings, Mark Wood (both Durham); Alastair Cook (Essex), Liam Dawson, James Vince (both Hampshire); Haseeb Hameed (Lancashire); Steven Finn (Middlesex); Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire); Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire); Gary Ballance, Liam Plunkett, David Willey (all Yorkshire).


The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority has told Israel that it will stop paying for electricity supplied to the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials say.

There was no confirmation from the PA. But President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened "unprecedented steps" to end the political division with the rival Hamas movement, which dominates Gaza.
Hamas called Thursday's move "a grave escalation and an act of madness".
Gaza's 1.9 million inhabitants already endure lengthy blackouts.
The United Nations says there is no electricity in the coastal territory for up to 20 hours per day, meaning that basic services are "grinding to a halt".
On Thursday, the Israeli military's Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) announced that it had been notified by the PA that payments for electricity supplied to Gaza would stop immediately.
Israel currently provides Gaza with 125MW, which accounts for 55% of the territory's usual electricity supply. Israeli media say the cost is about $11m a month, which Israel deducts from tax revenue collected on behalf of the PA.
Israel does not deal directly with Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organisation.
In 2006, Hamas won Palestinian Legislative Council elections. It reinforced its power in Gaza the following year after a violent rift with Mr Abbas' Fatah faction.
The rival groups agreed to the creation of a unity government in 2014, but it never got off the ground in Gaza.
On 12 April, Mr Abbas said Palestinians faced a "dangerous and tough situation" and that he was "going to take unprecedented steps in the coming days to end the division".
He did not elaborate, but the PA has already cut the salaries of civil servants based in Gaza and taxed Israeli fuel for Gaza's sole power plant.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said the salary cuts would stay in place until Hamas moved towards reconciliation.
"I think there is a golden and historic chance to regain the unity of our people," he said. "Hamas should relinquish control of Gaza."
On 17 April, the Gaza Power Plant, which produced about 30% of the territory's electricity supply, was forced to shut down completely after exhausting its fuel reserves and being unable to replenish them due to a shortage of funds.
Days later, malfunctioning power lines coming from Egypt, which accounts for 15% of the supply, exacerbated the outages.
That left Gaza totally reliant on electricity purchased from Israel.
The UN has expressed particular concern about the impact of the blackouts on Gaza's hospitals, which already rely on back-up generators and whose fuel reserves are expected to be exhausted within days.
The frequency of water supplies to homes has also been reduced, with desalinisation plants operating at a third of their capacity, and wastewater treatment has largely halted, resulting in the discharge of some 110m litres (24m gallons) of raw or poorly-treated sewage into the sea.
Gaza's electricity supply has been also affected by restrictions on the import of goods imposed by Israel as part of a land, sea and air blockade that is now in its 10th year. Egypt is meanwhile blockading Gaza's southern border.
Israel and Egypt maintain the blockades as a measure against attacks by Islamist militants based in Gaza.


There is "considerable scope" for Pembrokeshire council to improve its financial planning, management and decision making, auditors have said.

A Wales Audit Office (WAO) report said the authority had  recognised it needed a "fundamental culture change" to deliver its services and was developing a new strategy.
The council has been told to produce an action plan to address "weaknesses".
Leader Jamie Adams said he accepted the corporate assessment report findings.
Auditor General for Wales, Huw Vaughan Thomas, said: "The council now needs to focus on putting robust arrangements in place which will help it to deliver its priorities and improved outcomes for the citizens of Pembrokeshire."
Mr Adams said the report was a "true picture" of the authority's position in April, when WAO officials visited, and the full council would be discussing a new constitution later this week.
He added: "We are pleased that the report acknowledges that we have made improvements in certain key areas and also in our overall performance.
"We are under no illusions though of the scale of the work ahead of us at a time when our funding is being severely constrained by economic pressures."


Uber has suspended its UberPOP taxi-ordering app in France, according to newspaper Le Monde.

The suspension comes in a week that two managers of the taxi-ordering app Uber were arrested for "illicit activity".
In June France's interior minister ordered a ban on UberPOP after a day of nationwide protests by taxi drivers.
Bernard Cazeneuve has said Uber's service is '"illegal". It has been banned in France since January.
Uber is unpopular with registered drivers in many cities because they tend to undercut prices, and there have been violent protests.
The firm said on Friday that it was suspending the service as a safety measure.
"We have decided to suspend UberPOP in France from 20.00 [19.00 BST] this Friday evening, primarily to assure the safety of Uber drivers," Thibaud Simphal, head of Uber France, told Le Monde.


The Hollywood remake of The Crow, which will be filmed in south Wales this summer, could help reopen Cardiff's historic Coal Exchange.

The building has been closed for two years after it was declared unsafe.
The film's producers want to use the main entrance for around six weeks as a location when filming begins in July.
Campaigners have arranged for engineers to survey some of the damage around it but hope work could enable the foyer and main hall to stay open.
Ian Hill, the director of Save The Coal Exchange, said any remedial works would allow the building's front entrance, foyer and main hall to continue to be used once The Crow has finished filming.
"We are taking the opportunity to make sure that when the door opens, it stays open," he said.
"The Crow will be on site for around six weeks. When they leave, we hope to be able to keep the front door open, and give the public access to the foyer and main hall."
The fee paid by the film's producers should cover the cost of making the entrance safe. The Crow will be shot on location in south Wales, and at the Pinewood Wales studios in Cardiff.
The owners of the Coal Exchange went into liquidation last year, with around £5m currently owed to Cardiff Council and two banks.
The building is considered to be one of the capital's most significant historical landmarks, and was the place where the first ever £1m cheque was signed. In recent years it had been used as a concert venue and office space until its closure in 2013.
Discussions have already begun with the hope of transferring the ownership of the Coal Exchange to the charity which is campaigning to save the building.
It plans to raise around £15m to fund the restoration of the building over the next three to four years, if the initial works are successful in partially reopening the venue.
THE COAL EXCHANGE - TIMELINE
Actor Jack Huston is widely reported to be in talks to take on the lead role in The Crow, which will be filmed at Pinewood studios on the outskirts of Cardiff.
It will be the first multi-million pound A-list film to get made at the new facilities.
The original 1990s film starred Brandon Lee, who died on set after being accidentally shot.


Gateshead registered their second home win in a week with a resounding success against Torquay at the International Stadium.

The Tynesiders led inside 20 minutes when a dangerous ball across goal by Callum Williams ricocheted off  Ryan Higgins for an own goal.
Danny Johnson then set up Williams to threaten a second, but Ryan Clarke denied him from close range.
After the break, substitute Richard Peniket extended the home side's lead when he redirected Jordan Preston's effort past the goalkeeper.
Myles Anderson then turned into his own goal from Jordan Burrow's ball as Gateshead secured an unassailable cushion.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Gateshead 3, Torquay United 0.
Second Half ends, Gateshead 3, Torquay United 0.
Own Goal by Myles Anderson, Torquay United.  Gateshead 3, Torquay United 0.
Goal!  Gateshead 2, Torquay United 0. Richard Peniket (Gateshead).
Substitution, Gateshead. Richard Peniket replaces Danny Johnson.
Substitution, Torquay United. Ruairi Keating replaces Damon Lathrope.
Substitution, Torquay United. James Gray replaces Jon-Paul Pittman.
Substitution, Gateshead. Jordan Preston replaces Fraser Kerr.
Second Half begins Gateshead 1, Torquay United 0.
First Half ends, Gateshead 1, Torquay United 0.
Substitution, Torquay United. Andy Haworth replaces Jamie Reid.
Substitution, Gateshead. Fraser Kerr replaces Scott Barrow.
Own Goal by Ryan Higgins, Torquay United.  Gateshead 1, Torquay United 0.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Firefighters have said they are anticipating an increase in call-outs with the release of Fifty Shades of Grey at the cinema.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was "concerned" the 13 February release could lead to a "spike" in people being stuck or trapped in handcuffs or rings.
Since April it has attended 393 such incidents.
LFB said people should use "common sense" but always call 999 in a genuine emergency.
The film, based on the novel by EL James, has been described as a "mummy-porn romance" and follows an affair between student Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey.
Dave Brown from LFB said: "The Fifty Shades effect seems to spike handcuff incidents so we hope film-goers will use common sense and avoid leaving themselves red-faced.
"I'd like to remind everyone that 999 is an emergency number and should only be used as such."
The brigade said on average it was called to more than one embarrassing incident every day at a cost of about Â£295 to the taxpayer each time.
In November, firefighters were called by doctors at King's College Hospital to cut two steel rings from a man's genitals, which he had been unable to remove for three days.
On another occasion, the brigade was called by a woman whose husband had become locked in a chastity belt.
A spokesman added that while there could sometimes be a "funny side" to some of these predicaments, they could be painful and "end up wasting emergency service time".
He added: "Our advice is to try and avoid getting in that position in the first place."


The mother of a Flintshire schoolgirl who was killed 40 years ago has thanked people for laying flowers in memory of her daughter.

A man appeared in court last week charged with the murder of Janet Commins, 15, in Flint, as well as rape and sexual assault.
Janet's body was found on a school playing field on 11 January 1976.
Eileen Commins said she had been "very moved" by flowers laid at the town's Gorsedd stone circle.


A Cumbrian farm that was forced to stop selling raw milk after customers suffered from food poisoning, has been given the all clear by officials.

Sales of unpasteurised milk at Low Sizergh Barn Farm in Kendal were halted in December when 16 cases of campylobacter were confirmed.
Sales have since been allowed to resume after the farm changed its water supply and cleaning methods.
Owner Richard Park said he had been "devastated" to learn people were ill.
Those who became ill had bought the milk from a vending machine at the farm.
The farm was not allowed to resume sales until March when three consecutive rounds of sampling showed the contamination had been eliminated.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning and can lead to severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
Those affected ranged in age from a one-year-old to an 86-year-old.
A joint statement from the Food Standards Agency, Public Health England and South Lakeland District Council said: "The various agencies have worked with the business to address issues that may have contributed to the recent food poisoning outbreak.
"This was a significant outbreak, with 16 confirmed cases of campylobacter food poisoning linked to the consumption of raw milk at these premises.
"Advice remains that unpasteurised, or 'raw', milk may contain harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning because it has not been heat treated, and that vulnerable people - that's older people, infants, children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems - should not consume raw drinking milk.''
A farm spokesman said: "It was devastating to know that several people contracted the bacteria and we are hugely sorry that this has happened.
"Changes have been made to our water supply, the milking parlour pipe work and the chemicals we use in the cleaning regime."


Ellie Downie gave one of her best all around performances as she qualified for every individual final at the European Gymnastics Championships.

No British gymnast had ever made every final at a major international championships before.
The 17-year-old topped the all around standings, scoring 56.198, vault and floor in Romania, and also qualified for the beam and bars.
She will be joined in the all around by late addition Alice Kinsella, 16.
Find out how to get into gymnastics with our special guide.
Elder Downie sister Becky also made the finals in the beam and the uneven bars, in which she is the defending champion, while Claudia Fragapane will go in the floor final.
"I had a really good time out there. It was probably some of my best performances," Ellie Downie told BBC Sport.
"I was nervous for bars but once I got that and beam out of the way I could just enjoy the rest."
Media playback is not supported on this device
She became Great Britain's first ever major all around individual medallist when she took European bronze in 2015.
Her all around score is 1.316 points ahead of the second-placed qualifier Zsofia Kovacs of Hungary.
And having made more history by making every final she will now aim to win her first major international gold medal.
"We'll just have to see [if I can win a gold medal]," said Ellie Downie.
"Today well really well but I have to come back and do it all again tomorrow [Friday]."


An investigation is under way into a pilot's reports of cockpit smoke which led to an Easyjet flight diverting.

Flight EZY6238 was carrying 170 passengers from Berlin to Bristol on Sunday when it was diverted to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
"The aircraft landed routinely and was met by emergency services as per procedure and as precautionary measure only," said an Easyjet spokeswoman.
She described it as a "technical issue" and apologised to those affected.
As well as the pilot, some passengers reported the smell of smoke in the cabin but they were able to disembark the plane normally.
Ellen Braksator wrote on Twitter: "We're all okay, there was a strong smell of smoke on flight deck and emergency landed in Schiphol. No panic."
Nick Canham also tweeted: "I'm a passenger on EZY6238 Berlin-Bristol which just emergency landed in Amsterdam due to strong burning chemical smell."
A replacement Easyjet aircraft was organised to carry passengers onto Bristol after a delay of three hours in Amsterdam.
The airline said it was investigating to determine what caused the smoke.


Drivers are being warned to expect delays on all approaches to the Raith Interchange on the M74 due to road works over the next two weekends.

Work is being carried out to replace the mini roundabout at Bothwell Bridge, which links Hamilton and Bothwell Road (B7071), with three-way traffic signals.
It is part of the Â£500m M8 M73 M74 motorway improvements project.
Transport Scotland said the changes would speed up traffic flow.
The works, which started at 20:00  on Friday and will run until 06:00 on Monday, will be spread over two weekends.
During the first phase, Bellshill Road (B7071) will be closed in both directions.
There will be no access to or from Bothwell, from Hamilton to the M74 Junction 5 Raith or the A725.
The A725 southbound carriageway through the Raith underpass will also be closed over the full weekend with traffic diverted via Raith roundabout.
Hamilton and Bothwell Road (B7071) will be reduced to a single lane on approach to Bothwell Bridge roundabout, with temporary two-way traffic signals in operation.
Access from the M74 Junction 5 Raith to both the A725 Bellshill bypass and East Kilbride expressway will be maintained during both weekend works.
Signed diversions will be in place on all approaches to provide road users with alternative routes. However, delays are anticipated and motorists are being advised to plan their journey in advance.
Graeme Reid, project sponsor for the project, said: "These works are necessary as the mini roundabout near Bothwell Bridge is too small to cope with the volume of traffic trying to access and leave this major junction.
"The installation of new traffic signals will improve the flow of traffic to and from the local roads during peak times, as well as provide improved access through this junction for pedestrians."
"I'd like to thank the thousands of road users who travel through the works on a daily basis for their continued patience, and would ask that they bear with us as we approach the final stages of construction."
Work in the M8 M73 M74 improvement project began in February 2014 and is due to be completed by the end of the spring.
It has also included major work at the Shawhead junction of the M8.
Transport Scotland say it will result in journey times along the A8/M8 corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh being cut by 20 minutes, and approximately 15 minutes through Raith Interchange at Junction 5 on the M74.


Cristiano Ronaldo broke Jimmy Greaves' 46-year European scoring record as Real Madrid moved within a point of their first Spanish title since 2012.

Ronaldo, 31, fired Madrid ahead with his 367th goal in one of Europe's top-five leagues, eclipsing the mark set by former England striker Greaves in 1971.
Ronaldo slotted in a second and, after John Guidetti gave 10-man Celta hope, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos sealed it.
Real will clinch La Liga with a draw at mid-table Malaga on Sunday.
Rivals Barcelona must win their final game at home to Eibar and hope Zinedine Zidane's side lose.
If the teams finish level on points then defending champions Barca will claim a third-straight title because of their superior head-to-head record.
"The most difficult part is still to come even though we're getting closer to the title every day," Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane said.
Ever since Madrid lost 3-2 in a dramatic El Clasico at the Nou Camp in April, this game has been seen as pivotal in the Spanish title race.
Up until Wednesday's match, Barca had finished every game week top of La Liga following El Clasico, but knew Zinedine Zidane's side would overhaul them with a positive result at mid-table Celta.
And it was unsurprising that Ronaldo was instrumental. His goals for both Manchester United and Madrid saw him pass ex-Chelsea, Tottenham, AC Milan and West Ham striker Greaves.
Even though the scoreline suggested a comfortable away win, the visitors were pushed by a home side who created chances without taking them.
Celta were punished by Ronaldo's clinical finishing and when Iago Aspas was sent off for two bookings - the second, rather harshly, for diving - their chances looked over.
Guidetti's fluky strike looped off Raphael Varane and over keeper Keylor Navas to give them hope, although that was dashed seconds later when Benzema converted Marcelo's cross.
And, after Ronaldo missed a sitter for his hat-trick, Kroos made sure with a composed low finish.
Madrid have won six-straight games since their Nou Camp defeat, therefore keeping the title race in their own hands.
Barcelona have matched them every week with victories of their own, but Real's relentless form means the Catalan club are now relying on Malaga to do them a favour on Sunday.
However, there is one result that gives Barca hope of their title rivals slipping up... their own defeat at Malaga on 8 April.
Neymar was sent off as a 2-0 defeat hampered Luis Enrique's hopes of leaving the Nou Camp with another league title on his CV.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane
We have one game left but today was very important. We know what we need to do. We need to prepare well and recover from today as we gave so much.
The first half was end to end and that doesn't suit us, we were much better with the ball in the second and we played a little better.
I don't feel like we're the champions yet, we still need to pick up more points and keep on with what we're doing.
Match ends, Celta de Vigo 1, Real Madrid 4.
Second Half ends, Celta de Vigo 1, Real Madrid 4.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Jonny.
Foul by Pape Cheikh (Celta de Vigo).
Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Claudio Beauvue (Celta de Vigo).
Danilo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Gustavo Cabral (Celta de Vigo) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Wass with a cross.
Corner,  Celta de Vigo. Conceded by Sergio Ramos.
Attempt blocked. Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.
Jonny (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Pape Cheikh.
Goal!  Celta de Vigo 1, Real Madrid 4. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Karim Benzema.
Foul by Facundo Roncaglia (Celta de Vigo).
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Lucas Vázquez (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Claudio Beauvue replaces John Guidetti.
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card.
Pablo Hernández (Celta de Vigo) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt saved. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Luka Modric.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Lucas Vázquez replaces Isco.
Substitution, Real Madrid. Marco Asensio replaces Cristiano Ronaldo.
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Pape Cheikh replaces Pione Sisto.
Foul by John Guidetti (Celta de Vigo).
Danilo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Pablo Hernández (Celta de Vigo) because of an injury.
Delay in match Danilo (Real Madrid) because of an injury.
Attempt blocked. Luka Modric (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Real Madrid. Conceded by Sergio Álvarez.
Attempt saved. Isco (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Toni Kroos.
Attempt missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Toni Kroos.
Attempt missed. Daniel Wass (Celta de Vigo) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marcelo Díaz.
Foul by Jonny (Celta de Vigo).
Danilo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo).
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Marcelo Díaz replaces Jozabed.


A Kenyan hospital is to provide free cancer treatment to 400 patients from Uganda as the neighbouring country's only radiotherapy machine has broken.

The Aga Khan University Hospital said it would do all it could to help and encouraged others to do the same.
The breakdown of the machine in Uganda has left thousands at risk of missing potential life-saving treatment.
Uganda's government has said it will cover the travel and other costs for the 400 going to the Nairobi hospital.
The private, not-for-profit hospital in the Kenyan capital has two radiotherapy units and six radiation oncologists.
Radiotherapy treatment can be expensive - and most patients in Uganda are unable to afford to pay for the treatment.
"We are committed to working with the government of Uganda to help save the lives of cancer patients in need of treatment while it works to re-establish its radiation therapy capacity," Aga Khan University Hospital's CEO Shawn Bolouk said in a statement.
"Our values as an institution dictate nothing less. While we can only treat a small fraction of those requiring care, given our resources and the tremendous need that exists, we will do all we can to help, and we encourage others to follow our lead."
Details of how to transport the patients were being worked out by the relevant authorities, the hospital statement added.
The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Uganda's capital, Kampala, says the Ugandan government has also agreed to pay for the 400 patients' accommodation and food as well as for those of a relative or friend if an attendant is needed.
The government says it has purchased a new radiotherapy machine and it should be up and running in six months, once a special bunker has been built to house the radioactive equipment at Mulago Hospital in Kampala.
Other treatments are still available in Uganda, but the cancer institute at Mulago Hospital says that three-quarters of the 44,000 new cancer patients in Uganda last year needed radiotherapy.
Patients from Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are also referred to Mulago Hospital for radiotherapy.
The treatment uses radiation to target and kill cancerous cells in a specific part of the body, and can be used for many types of cancer.
The incidence of cancer is on the rise in Africa overall as life expectancy increases.


German schools can now play the Bee Gees hit Stayin' Alive without charge to help children learn emergency heart massage.

The German music rights body Gema told an MP, Roy KÃ¼hne, that the hit could be played during first aid lessons in his town, Clausthal-Zellerfeld.
Gema's fee waiver is expected to be valid for other schools in Germany too.
The disco rhythm of Stayin' Alive is good for heart massage, the British Heart Foundation says.
Some other pop hits have also been recommended.
In a letter to Mr KÃ¼hne, seen by the BBC, Gema said it understood that the school lessons - for up to 30 students - did not count as public performances, so no royalties had to be paid.
But Stayin' Alive could only be played licence-free to groups in school buildings during first aid classes, it stressed.
The MP had sought Gema's permission on behalf of first aid instructors in his region. He is a trained rescue swimmer himself.
German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said Yellow Submarine by the Beatles and Madonna's Like A Prayer were also good for life-saving heart massage. The technique is also known as Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
With 100-120 beats per minute Highway to Hell, by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, would also qualify - but its title is not life-affirming, the newspaper notes.
The British Heart Foundation used Stayin' Alive in a video featuring the footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, demonstrating how to help people who had suffered a heart attack.
In the US version of the TV comedy hit The Office, a CPR lesson went awry when Stayin' Alive was played and the staff decided to have fun.


Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has dismissed suspicions over his side's performance in the third one-day international against England.

England won by six wickets after a Pakistan batting collapse featuring three run-outs in Sharjah on Tuesday.
The Daily Mail reported that the match was the subject of an investigation into suspicious betting patterns.
"There was nothing wrong with that game. I have no doubts about my boys," said former bowler Waqar.
The ICC declined to confirm or deny that it was investigating the game.
Pakistan collapsed from 132-2 to 208 all out before England triumphed with nine overs to spare.
Waqar said: "Yes, we lost the game. You lose and win games, and it's unfortunate the way the whole thing happened."
ICC chief executive David Richardson told BBC Test Match Special: "I wouldn't be suspicious of that game."
He said Pakistan had reported approaches from bookmakers in recent times.


Former Labour foreign secretary Lord Owen is calling for the UK to leave the EU, saying remaining in the union is "the more dangerous option for British security".

The ex-minister told The Sun EU law over-rides UK law and there were "many positive aspects" to leaving.
His intervention comes the day after 12 former defence chiefs said the UK was safer in the EU.
The UK's referendum on its EU membership takes place on 23 June.
Lord Owen, who was foreign secretary between 1977 and 1979, was one of the so-called "gang of four" who quit Labour in 1981 to set up the Social Democratic Party.
He sits as an independent in the House of Lords having given up his crossbench status in 2014 to donate to Labour.
In his Sun article the peer, who suggested he could back an exit in September, said leaving the EU "could be the spark we need to re-energise our nation: a challenge and an opportunity".
"To remain in the EU is in my judgement a more dangerous option for British security in its deepest sense - economic, political, military and social - than remaining in a dysfunctional EU dragged down by a failing eurozone," he added.
"Remaining in the EU is risking more than leaving."
However, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said leaving the EU would be a "big gamble" with the UK's security.
Mr Fallon said the "collective weight" of partnerships such as the EU made it easier to deal with global threats,


A Picasso painting barred from leaving Spain has been seized by French authorities from a boat docked in Corsica.

Head of a Young Woman (1906) is worth more than Â£17m (25m euros).
The painting is the property of Jaime Botin, a Spanish banking tycoon.
It was declared a "historical heritage asset of exceptional importance" by the Spanish National Court and refused an export permit.
An attempt to export the painting to Switzerland on Thursday "drew the attention of French officials".
Customs authorities boarded the vessel the following day and found the painting.
The captain could only present two documents regarding the work of art, one of which was, in fact, the May 2015 Spanish Court judgement ordering that it not be taken out of the country.
Mr Botin, 79, whose family founded the Santander banking group, was not on board.
The boat, which sports a British flag, is registered to a British company of which Mr Botin is a shareholder, according to a customs authority spokesperson.
An export request was filed for the painting in December 2012 to move it to London, but was opposed by Spain's culture minister.
French customs officials are now awaiting an official Spanish request to recover the painting.


Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is running again and could return to competitive action by the middle of March, says boss Arsene Wenger.

England international Wilshere has not played this season after fracturing his left fibula in August.
The 24-year-old was initially expected to be out for three months.
"Jack is starting to run," said Wenger. "Once you move outside, from the first day you count six weeks to be competitive and build up stamina."
Wilshere's career has been plagued with ankle problems since he first sustained a stress fracture during pre-season in 2011, which left him sidelined for 15 months.
He had two operations last season after injuring his left ankle against Manchester United in November 2014.
Meanwhile, Gunners striker Danny Welbeck has returned to full training after knee surgery which has also kept him out for the season.


Families of British soldiers killed in Iraq are threatening to take legal action against Sir John Chilcot, who led the inquiry into the conflict.

He has said publication of his report has been delayed to allow those who have been criticised to respond.
Lawyers for the soldiers' families claim he acted unlawfully by refusing to set a deadline for publication.
The five-member panel, led by Sir John, began its work in 2009 and held its last hearings in 2011.
The inquiry took evidence from hundreds of witnesses, including former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and is set to cost taxpayers £10m.
The delays, to allow those who might face criticism in the report to argue their case, have led to frustration among some of the soldiers' families.
Lawyers acting for 29 of them have written to Sir John calling for him to set a deadline for witnesses to respond and to promise the report will be published by the end of the year or they will take their case to the High Court.
Reg Keys, whose son L/Cpl Thomas Keys was killed in Iraq in 2003, said he was "losing patience" and the families had come to the "end of our tether".
"It's got to the stage now where Iraq is like an open wound and it is continually prodded and opened with all these delays," he told the BBC.
Since the death of his son, Mr Keys has been campaigning on Iraq. He even stood against Tony Blair in the 2005 general election.
He said: "The families want closure now, we need to know why our loved ones died.
"Those who were seriously wounded and maimed, those families will want to know why their loved ones have ended up in that state."
Matthew Jury, one of the solicitors representing the families, said the long delay has caused them further pain.
"This suffering has only been compounded over time," he said.
"They describe it to me as a black cloud hanging over their heads and the only way to disperse that cloud, for them to get some degree of closure, is for this report to be published and for them to finally know the truth."
The families say the delay is caused by the "Maxwellisation process", a convention whereby individuals criticised in official reports have the right to see and respond to criticisms  before publication.
Mr Keys said: "That Maxwellisation process has now been running for two years. Some haven't even bothered to respond to the criticism. And we feel Sir john needs to give a deadline to these people now that have been criticised."
The term Maxwellisation is named after the controversial newspaper proprietor, Robert Maxwell, took the Department of Trade and Industry to court after it published a highly critical report into his business dealings in 1969.
A judge ruled that the DTI had "virtually committed the business murder" of Robert Maxwell
Since then, many official inquiries have invited people criticised in reports to see extracts relating to them before publication.
Conservative MP Sir Crispin Blunt, chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC that the Maxwellisation process would provide "the best chance of getting it right".
"This is a very serious inquiry into an immensely serious historic issue. If the inquiry needs time I believe, on balance, it should be given it."
Jack Straw, who was foreign secretary at time of the Iraq war and gave evidence to the Chilcot inquiry, said: "I've always understood their (the families') frustration and obviously my frustration simply as a witness and a major decision-maker are tiny compared to those of the bereaved families.
"But Sir John Chilcot has made it clear that the delays which have occurred are nothing whatever to do with witnesses."
David Cameron recently said he was "fast losing patience" with the process and wanted to see a timetable for the publication of the report.
Head of the civil service Sir Jeremy Heywood said the inquiry had repeatedly turned down offers of extra assistance to help speed up the report.
Sir John, who is paid £790 a day as head of the inquiry, has always declined to say exactly when the report would be released but has said he wholeheartedly shares the wish for it be made available as soon as possible.


England batsman Sam Robson has extended his contract with Middlesex and will remain at Lord's until the end of 2018.

The 26-year-old, who played seven Tests in 2014, has scored 6,325 first-class runs at an average of 37.87.
"Sam is a high-quality cricketer," Middlesex managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said.
"We believe he will continue to develop, score thousands of runs for Middlesex and play a major role in us becoming a successful club again."
Robson, who was born in Australia, made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 2009.
"I think my best years are ahead of me," the opener said. "There were a number of positives from 2015 and hopefully we can build on these in future seasons."


Ten candidates chugged in to New Hampshire after the Iowa caucuses with hopes of success.

But now that the primary results are in, who has a ticket on the presidential train as it rolls down the coast, to South Carolina and beyond?
There are seats available for some of the contenders, but others are going to be left out in the New England cold.
Who, if anyone, won the much coveted "ticket out of New Hampshire" and will go on to contest the next states more aggressively?
Will it be Bernie Express? What about the Trump train?
Bernie Sanders
Conductor's call: The Democratic race is going to drag on for a long time, and people are climbing aboard the Bernie Express.
It's clear at this point that the Vermont senator has become the leader of a movement within the Democratic party.
He's pulling in record amounts of small-figure contributions and is rapidly building out a national campaign infrastructure. At this point he's actually outspending Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, which holds its primary in just over two weeks.
He still has the so-called Clinton firewall to deal with, as his support among the ethnic minorities that play a large part in the coming states continues to be weak. His 21-point win in New Hampshire, however, will make headlines across the country, and Democrats of all stripes are going to take notice. They may give the septuagenarian "Social Democrat" another look.
Donald Trump
Conductor's call: If the Republican establishment can find an emergency cord, now is the time to pull it.
One of the last threads of hope for establishment Republicans was that the New York billionaire's strong standing in the polls was an illusion. The supporters who flocked to his rallies and expressed their opinions in surveys, they hoped, would never materialise.
So much for that theory. Although Mr Trump underperformed in Iowa, where he made little investment in the ground game so essential to caucus success, his New Hampshire results exceeded expectations.
Mr Trump is rolling out of New Hampshire with a full head of steam. His lead in South Carolina all of a sudden looks very real and very formidable. The same goes for his solid standing across the South.
John Kasich
Conductor's call: Kasich was on the verge of packing his bags for home, but instead he's off to South Carolina.
For months the Ohio governor had been an also-ran, consigned to the far edges of the stage during Republican debates. While other candidates tussled, he tried to stay above the fray and offer a more optimistic alternative based on his record in Ohio and, before that, in the US Congress.
His strategy since late July, when he was the last major candidate to enter the race, was to put all his effort into New Hampshire. A solid finish there, he theorised, would give him a chance to compete in the slate of states that followed.
Even though he finished a distant second to Mr Trump, his New Hampshire gamble paid off. Thanks to Marco Rubio's precipitous fall at the hands of Chris Christie, he opened some daylight between himself and the rest of the mainstream Republican field. He has his work cut out for him in the South, where his moderate views will be out-of-step with many conservative voters. But he's bought himself the opportunity to make his pitch - and he'll likely still be around when Ohio holds its winner-take-all primary in mid-March.
Ted Cruz
Conductor's call: Ted Cruz is riding in a sleeper car built for the long haul.
Thanks to his victory in Iowa, the Texas senator earned a "bye" in New Hampshire, where his brand of evangelical conservatism is not as popular. Barring a disastrous result, he was going to advance to the next round of states.
His showing, it turns out, was far from disastrous. Despite investing little in New Hampshire - he spent $550,000 (Â£346,337) in the state - he is in a tight third-place race with Jeb Bush, who spent $35m there.
Now the campaign heads to South Carolina and the slate of southern states in the 1 March Super Tuesday primary. While some of the buzz from his Iowa win has faded, he has the money and the campaign infrastructure to start competing for wins again in the very near future.
Hillary Clinton
Conductor's call: She'll get on the train, but it's going to be a very bumpy ride ahead.
While the former secretary of state told her supporters that the campaign will roll on to the next battlegrounds, this has to be a very disheartening result. Already there is talk of shake-ups among her senior political staff and the need for a new, more focused message to voters.
Eight years ago New Hampshire saved Mrs Clinton - at least temporarily - giving her a surprise win over Barack Obama and allowing her to wage a months-long battle for the nomination. In 1992 her husband, Bill Clinton, finished a surprisingly strong second in the state, setting him on a course for the presidency.
This time New Hampshire Democrats turned their backs on a Clinton. While recent polls indicated a defeat was clearly in store, it still has to be considered a shocking upset that a self-professed socialist and long-time backbench senator bested her by such a solid margin.
Jeb Bush
Conductor's call: His ticket cost more than $100m, but it seems like it's still valid.
During his speech on Tuesday night, the former Florida governor boasted that his campaign "is not dead" - and the crowd erupted in cheers and chants of "Jeb!"
Such is the state of Mr Bush's presidential hopes - noteworthy only because life still breathes in its body. He needed to post a finish that gave his big-money donors and supporters some reason to persevere, and he did just enough by finishing in double digits, ahead of fellow Floridian Marco Rubio.
If Mr Rubio had bested him, Mr Bush would have seen an exodus of support to the candidate many in the party still view as an acceptable mainstream alternative. Mr Bush's supporters think their man can catch the poorly funded Mr Kasich, however. It's a glimmer of hope, but it's hope nonetheless.
Marco Rubio
Conductor's call: The engine is running and the train is moving, but there's a chance the bridge down the tracks has been washed out.
The Florida senator benefitted from beating expectations in Iowa, but it was expectations that beat him in New Hampshire.
Just a week ago, it looked like Mr Rubio was poised to finish a strong second in New Hampshire - a result that would have helped him consolidate establishment support and position himself as the man to take on Mr Trump and Mr Cruz in the coming primaries.
Instead Mr Rubio ended up in the middle of the pack, his momentum blunted after he was taken apart by Chris Christie in Saturday night's Republican debate.
There is still a way forward for Rubio, but he'll have rebuild momentum from scratch. Saturday night's debate in South Carolina looms very, very large.
Chris Christie
Conductor's call: That's not a train whistle you hear, it's Senator Rubio's sigh of relief.
The New Jersey governor will get credit for being the man who took a hatchet to Mr Rubio's presidential hopes, but he's not going to reap the benefits. That's often the way it is when primary politics turn negative. In 2004, Democrats Howard Dean and Dick Gephardt slugged it out in Iowa, and it was John Kerry and John Edwards who surged past them on caucus night.
A sixth-place finish spells doom for Mr Christie. He has announced that he's going to head back to New Jersey to "make a decision on our next step forward". The vultures aren't just circling, they've landed next to the body.
Ben Carson
He showed up in New Hampshire late and left early, not sticking around to watch the election results.
Instead, he's off to South Carolina, to get a jump start on the next primary. He can jump all he wants, but the Carson train is out of steam.
Carly Fiorina
She can always look back fondly on her moments of glory on the debate stage in August and September. Her presidential aspirations are in a steamer trunk, where they will stay for good.


Pilots at Lufthansa will hold a three-day strike from 2200 GMT on 1 April, their union has announced.

The strike, over pay and working conditions, is likely to cause the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
It will affect Lufthansa passenger services at all airports in Germany, as well as Lufthansa Cargo and low-cost carrier Germanwings.
If it goes ahead, it will be the third strike to hit Frankfurt airport, Lufthansa's home base, in six weeks.
The airline's management is urging the pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), to come back to the negotiating table as soon as possible.
"With the good will of everyone involved, we should be able to avert a strike," said Lufthansa's head of personnel, Dr Bettina Volkens.
In the meantime, the airline says it will take whatever steps it can to minimise the effect of a strike on its customers.
But it said: "We regret very much that from April 2 to April 4 we probably won't be able to get our passengers to their destinations or home as planned".


Dodging Bullets, bred by Flat jockey Frankie Dettori, won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham for rider Sam Twiston-Davies and trainer Paul Nicholls.

The 9-2 chance won by one and a quarter lengths from Somersby (33-1) with Special Tiara (18-1) third.
Last year's winner Sire De Grugy finished fourth while the 2013 victor Sprinter Sacre - in his second run in 15 months after a heart scare - was pulled up.
Victory gave Twiston-Davies and eight-time champion trainer Nicholls a double after Aux Ptit Soins won the previous race, the Coral Cup.
Nicholls said: "I know the other two were past champions but I couldn't see why they were behind us in the betting, it must have been on sentiment."
Dettori praised the winning jockey for a "fantastic" ride and said the horse was "gutsy".
"He was bred to win the Derby, but this is second best. It's the equivalent of the 100m final at the Olympics and what a horse," said the Italian.
And Nicholls completed a treble when 25-1 chance Qualando, ridden by Nick Scholfield, won the day's sixth race - the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle.
The Champion Chase, in which Champagne Fever was a morning withdrawal, was billed as a battle of the champions.
But Sire De Grugy, who has had an interrupted season, and Sprinter Sacre struggled to keep pace as the two-mile contest developed.
Three-time champion Flat jockey Dettori, famous for his Magnificent Seven winning spree at Ascot in 1996, has played down his role in breeding the seven-year-old, but revelled in this triumph at the home of jump racing.
It was a fifth Champion Chase victory for Nicholls, who also scored with Call Equiname (1999), Azertyuiop (2004) and Master Minded (2007 and 2008).
Trainer Willie Mullins, who scored a historic four-timer on the opening day, clocked up a fifth win of the meeting with Don Poli in the RSA Chase.
Jockey Bryan Cooper triumphed on the 13-8 favourite, a potential Gold Cup candidate next year, 12 months after breaking his leg at the same fixture.
One bookmaker paid out on Mullins being the top trainer with just a third - 9 of 27 - of the races having been run.
The opening Neptune Hurdle went to 9-1 chance Windsor Park, ridden by Davy Russell for Dermot Weld.
Retiring champion jockey AP McCoy, without a win so far, was second on Parlour Games.
Russell was scoring in the same purple and yellow colours of owner Dr Ronan Lambe, for whom he won last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup on Lord Windermere.
Photographer Patrick McCann suffered a broken leg when a horse was carried out, went through the rail and caught him during the Cross Country Chase.
McCann, who works for the Racing Post, could have been more badly hurt but took evasive action as the unexpected drama unfolded.
Nina Carberry, on Quantitativeeasing, was forced to the left by another horse in an incident which went viral on social media.
Russell completed a Wednesday double as he emerged the winner on 16-1 chance Rivage D'or, trained by Tony Martin.
"As long as he stays in Ireland, I'm dead happy," - Paul Nicholls, after a treble himself, on the success of fellow trainer Willie Mullins, who has five victories.
"I haven't shouted like that since watching my beloved Arsenal." - Frankie Dettori, breeder of the Nicholls-trained Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Dodging Bullets.
"It is a massive win and hopefully means I can keep hold of my job for years to come." - Winning rider Sam Twiston-Davies jokes about his role with Nicholls. He was appointed first jockey less than 11 months ago.
Jockey Tom Scudamore overcame a tardy start by Moon Racer, trained by David Pipe, to lead a 1-2-3-4 for horses trained in Great Britain in the concluding Champion Bumper.
Afterwards, former trainer Michael Dickinson - who made history by saddling the first five home led by Bregawn in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup - was among those to congratulate him.
"I emailed Tom after he took the wrong course at Cartmel earlier in the season and was banned," Dickinson told BBC Sport.
"I said Tommy Stack did the same thing years ago, and there was no reason why Tom wouldn't go on to be champion jockey."
Victory made it six wins for Great Britain against the eight of Ireland, with 13 races to come.
Trainer Paul Nicholls bids to build on his Wednesday treble when he saddles two leading contenders in Thursday's World Hurdle.
Saphir Du Rheu and Zarkandar will try to fill the void left by Big Buck's when they run in the three-mile contest (15:20 GMT).
Nicholls won the race four times with his great stayer, who is now retired, but hopes his new generation can shine.
Meanwhile, the Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack is favourite for the Ryanair Chase at 14:40.
Saphir Du Rheu carries the same red, black and white silks of owner Andy Stewart's family as Big Buck's and will be ridden by stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies.
"Sam thinks he may win a Gold Cup with him one day. Whereas Big Buck's didn't jump a fence, this lad will jump in the future some time as he is a big, scopey horse," said the trainer.
Rider Noel Fehily believes Zarkandar has a better chance than when he finished fourth in the race won by More Of That last year.
"He's in much better form this year and hopefully he has a great chance."
You can watch an expert preview of day three with former Gold Cup winning jockey Andrew Thornton and commentator John Hunt on theBBC Radio 5 live website.


Government borrowing fell to £7.4bn in March, figures show, taking the total for the financial year to £87.3bn.

That is below the £90.2bn figure estimated in March by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, and £11.1bn lower than last year's total.
March's borrowing figure was down £400m from a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics figures showed.
Finances in the month were helped by increased revenues from income tax and national insurance.
The ONS said taxpayers paid a record £15.5bn in income tax last month.
In the aftermath of the financial crisis, borrowing peaked at £153bn in 2009-10, the year before the Coalition government took power.
As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), the deficit has more than halved since then from 10% to 4.8%.
Total Public Sector Net Debt (PSNB), which excludes help for state-controlled banks, stood at £1.484 trillion in March, equivalent to 80.4% of GDP.
The figure is £500bn higher than it was the year before the Coalition government took charge.


Spending on cycle paths and footpaths in Wales should be doubled, according to a transport charity.

Sustrans has called for "active travel" to receive 4% of the transport budget to ensure the Active Travel Act, which became law last year, is successful.
It comes as Carmarthenshire Cycle Forum raised concerns about funding for cycle schemes on trunk roads.
The Welsh government said the act would consider how walking and cycling can be improved.
Sustrans said at least £10 per person needs to be spent on active travel projects, adding that if the act was to achieve its aims "there will need to be greater investment".
This would enable Wales to "achieve the levels of walking and cycling seen in many countries on the continent", it added.
Carmarthenshire Cycle Forum said the county was not getting its fair share of Welsh government money to develop cycle routes.
Phil Snaith, from the forum, said: "We have, in the last five years, only had 0.6% of the funding even though we are one of the largest counties with trunk roads and certainly the second largest in terms of mileage of trunk roads with big towns around those trunk roads."
In response, a Welsh government spokesman said: "The Active Travel Act will ensure that any future investment in highway infrastructure, by the Welsh government or local authorities, will need to consider how walking and cycling can be improved at the same time.
"We are funding a study on improving safety for cyclists on the A48 Cross Hands.
"Since 2008/9 Carmarthenshire council has received nearly £4m for safe walking and cycling schemes through our Safe Routes in Communities programme and earlier this year received £950,000 towards four walking and cycling schemes in the county."


A man has been arrested in connection with a bomb hoax that led to a large area of Leeds city centre being cordoned off.

A suspicious package was discovered in Harewood Street, near the Victoria Gate shopping centre, at about 08:40 GMT.
Nearby buildings were evacuated until Army bomb disposal experts were able to declare the item safe at about midday.
West Yorkshire Police said a 35-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was being held in custody.
Ch Supt Paul Money said: "Clearly this caused significant disruption to people living and working in the city centre and to local businesses and we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support during this incident."


Jawbone is suing rival fitness technology firm Fitbit, accusing it of stealing commercially sensitive data.

The lawsuit accuses Fitbit of poaching staff, stealing intellectual property and confidential trade data.
Former Jawbone staff used USB storage devices to take data to Fitbit, the San Francisco lawsuit alleges.
Fitbit says it is "unaware" of any confidential information from Jawbone in its possession and will "vigorously" defend itself against the allegations.
In a statement Fitbit also said: "As the pioneer and leader in the connected health and fitness market, Fitbit has no need to take information from Jawbone or any other company."
Earlier this month Fitbit, which makes wearable devices that record health data, launched its first share sale in which it hopes to raise $100m (Â£65m).
The company plans to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
Fitbit reported sales of almost $340m in the first quarter of this year, triple the same period in 2014.
Jawbone's lawsuit names Fitbit and five former Jawbone employees. Jawbone also believes 10 other former staff were involved.
The case says that a recruiter from Fitbit contacted 30% of Jawbone's staff. Both companies are based in San Francisco.
Jawbone is seeking compensation wants to prevent former employees from disclosing any other commercially sensitive information.


Wrexham council has given up its bid to demolish a former high school building at the centre of a legal challenge.

The Welsh Government reversed a decision by the High Court to strip Grove Park School of its Grade-II listed status in November.
On Tuesday, the council said it would not try to appeal the latest decision.
Last January, it agreed to demolish the red brick building which closed in 2003 and has since fallen into disrepair, prompting a campaign to save it.
In August, it was given official protection due to special architectural interest, prompting the authority's legal challenge.
Council leader Mark Pritchard said he was "bitterly disappointed" but the decision had been taken following legal advice.
He added: "We have said throughout the discussion over the future of the Groves that we are committed to the delivery of education on the site - but have also noted that this building, as it stands, is ill-suited to the needs of modern, 21st Century primary school education.
"It is now difficult to see what beneficial use this building can be put to in its listed state.
"Having said this, I will now be pressing for early discussions with Welsh ministers to identify what support, including financial provision, they will be offering to the council both to carry out a full feasibility study to assess and cost the works necessary to give this building a meaningful, beneficial use for the future and to carry out the execution of such works."
Campaign group Save Our Heritage chairwoman Elaine Guntrip-Thomas said: "Nothing has changed for us.
"Our vision for the building has always been to see it used for education once again. We firmly believe that with proper refurbishment, the school can be made fit for purpose."


Thousands of spectators have lined the route of the wheelchair marathon through central London to cheer GB's David Weir to a fourth gold medal at the Games.

He said the support from the sun-baked crowd on the final day of the Games had been "amazing the whole way through".
Team-mate Shelly Woods took the silver in the women's race, as GB cemented third place in the medals table.
Coldplay will perform at the closing ceremony from 20:30 BST.
The event will end what has been the most successful event in Paralympic history.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on the final day of London 2012, organising committee chairman Lord Coe said: "It has been fantastic. We wanted to raise the bar at the Olympics and I am as proud as everyone at being a part of a team that has unquestionably raised the bar at the Paralympics.
"We get Paralympics sport in this country. I never really doubted that the Paralympic Games would be anything other than a show-stopper."
The Park was closed at 14:30 BST and people with tickets for the last football and rugby matches were ushered into their respective venues.
Those with closing ceremony tickets will not be allowed into the Park until 17:30 BST.
In a fitting finale to the track and field competition on Saturday, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius - famously known as the "Blade Runner", and one of the faces of the Games -  won gold in the the T44 400m.
After the race, the 25-year-old said: "This is one of the most amazing competitions I've ever been a part of, it's been a privilege to be here.
"I think everybody's perceptions of disabled sport has changed."
Channel 4 revealed more than four million people tuned in to watch Pistorius cruise to gold, peaking at 4.2 million during the race.
On Sunday, Brazil's Tito Sena won the T46 marathon, while Alberto Suarez of Spain took the gold in the T12 event, breaking his own world record with a time of 2:24:50.
By Alex KleidermanBBC News on The Mall
Thousands of spectators turned out for the wheelchair marathon, one last chance to see athletes in action as the summer of Olympic and Paralympic sport finally draws to a close.
Many were dressed in GB shirts and they draped union jack flags over the security barriers lining the route near the finish line on The Mall, the scene reminiscent of the cycling, race walk and other London 2012 events which took place on the same streets.
Huge cheers went up when the leading pack - which included GB's David Weir on his way to his fourth gold of the Games - passed by. But enthusiastic applause and flag waving also greeted the lone athletes trailing some five or 10 minutes behind.
Charina Marsden from west London  turned out with her teenage daughters Kelly and Melissa. ''This summer has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and we have made the most of it,'' she said.
Meanwhile, Malcolm and Jan Spillard travelled from Solihull to take in the event and are staying to cheer on Monday's parade of athletes. ''I'm a great lover of atmosphere and this has had it all,'' Mr Spillard, 63, said.
The crowds then swelled to watch Weir, nicknamed "The Weirwolf of London", add a fourth gold medal to his London 2012 haul.
The 33-year-old's triumph, after 5,000m, 1500m and 800m victories, means he matches Sarah Storey as Britain's most successful athlete at the Games.
After securing four wins out of four, he said: "It's a dream come true.
"I did have lots of dreams of winning four gold medals but I think everybody has those dreams. I knew I was capable of doing it."
Competitors in the men's and women's marathons started and finished in The Mall, completing one short and three long loops during the 26.2-mile race through central London.
One spectator on the route near The Mall said the race was the culmination of six weeks of wonderful sport, and that the Paralympics had "taken it up another notch".
"It's been so good being part of the atmosphere."
Weir and Woods would have both needed to secure gold for ParalympicsGB to overtake Russia for second in the medals table.
But Sunday's result gave the team third spot, with a tally of 120, including 34 golds.
Thrilled at winning the silver medal, Woods said: "I can't describe how great it feels. All the hard work is worth it. A silver in London is just unbelievable."
On Saturday, popular swimmer Ellie Simmonds' loss of her S6 100m freestyle title to USA's Victoria Arlen, despite recording a personal best, saw the 17-year-old finish the Games with a haul of two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.
"I'm quite emotional," she told 5 live on Sunday. "I'm sad it's ending but I'm looking forward to the closing ceremony and looking back at what I've achieved - I'm surprised at what I've achieved."
She added: "I swam the best I could and to come away with personal bests in every event is brilliant."
Once Sunday's sports have concluded, the closing ceremony will bring the curtain down on what has been one of the most successful Paralympics in the event's history.
Organisers have sold some 2.7 million Paralympic tickets - beating targets by 200,000 and predicted sales by £10m.
Sports minister Hugh Robertson said: "The way the British public has taken it to their heart has just been great. I've never known a summer like it."
The UK's papers on Sunday reflected on what the Observer called a sporting "summer in a million".
"Two sporting extravaganzas, a record-breaking medal haul for Britain, disabled sport showcased as never before… no wonder even the Aussies say it was better than Sydney," said the Independent.
The 70,000 Games volunteers were hailed by the Sunday Express, which said: "Unfailingly cheerful, polite and helpful, [they] not only made the Games a success, but restored pride in some good, old-fashioned British values."
Stars due to perform at Sunday's sold-out ceremony include Jay-Z and Rihanna.
The live broadcast of the ceremony is due to start at 20:30 BST and organisers hope it will finish by 23:00 BST.
British stars of the Olympics and Paralympics will then celebrate their success during a victory parade through the streets of London on Monday.


If you need more advice on coping with death, or want to help out a friend who's having problems, there are some places you could try.

Childline is a charity that helps children with advice on pretty much anything. As well as the website address there is also a helpline you can ring - 0800 1111.
Winston's Wish is a charity that helps children with bereavement. It's been going for 16 years and has a helpline that your parent or carer could ring to get information and guidance - 08088 020 021
Grief Encounter is another charity website that tries to help children deal with bereavement. Its aim is to get the best help to every child and their family when they need it.
Child Bereavement UK provides specialised support and information when a child is bereaved. Their free helpline number is 0800 02 888 40.
Cruse Bereavement Care has a special website for kids and a free phone helpline on 0808 808 1677.
There are lots of other services around too. Some of them may have things you can do or meetings you can go to where you live. You can find many of them online.
If you're not sure how to track them down get an adult to help you. The Childhood Bereavement Network is a good place to start.


All the signs are that as the partial truce in Syria fails and the peace talks falter, the Russian military and its Syrian allies are gearing up for a new offensive in and around Aleppo.

Last week, the Pentagon said forces loyal to the Syrian government were beginning "to mass and concentrate combat power around Aleppo."
The US spokesman said: "It is primarily [the] al-Nusra [Front] who holds Aleppo, and, of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated. We're watching it."
As so often with recent Russian military campaigns, the media message has been at variance with the reality of events on the ground.
In mid-March, President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was to begin withdrawing its forces from Syria.
Some fixed-wing aircraft - up to about half of the deployed jets - did depart from the Russian air base near Latakia.
But their departure did not mark an end to Russian military operations. Far from it.
Russian strike missions continued; now bolstered by the arrival of some of the Russian military's latest attack helicopters - the Ka-52 and the Mi-28N.
So what is going on? What changed if anything after Russia's partial withdrawal? And why are the Russians apparently gearing up for a new offensive?
For the moment, Russia's support for President Assad remains firm. But that is not necessarily an open-ended proposition.
Russia wants to consolidate the Syrian government's position - but it doesn't want to remain engaged in combat in Syria forever.
Thus Russian policy operates on a number of tracks. Moscow has backed the diplomatic process. It may be failing for now, but the diplomatic effort will have to be resumed at some point.
Russian withdrawal a catalyst for peace?
What's left of Syria after five years of war?
Syria: Now a different country
Why has the conflict lasted five years?
IS: The full story
The Russian "withdrawal" signalled a shifting of gears in the campaign; a signal of a job at least part-done - the consolidation of the Syrian government - and a step that helped give space for a renewed diplomatic effort.
The US has repeatedly criticised Russia's air campaign for largely striking at Western-backed groups fighting the Syrian government, rather than so-called Islamic State (IS).
Russia, of course, has said it is largely striking at IS and al-Nusra "terrorists".
This is another example of the gulf between Russian rhetoric and reality.
But, as Michael Kofman, a US-based analyst with the CNA Corporation, says, about a week before the "withdrawal" announcement, the Russian air effort switched to largely striking IS in and around Palmyra, yielding "a political prize and an important public victory for the Syrian regime and the Russian forces".
This, then, created the context for the partial withdrawal, and IS subsequently became the primary target for Russian air power - a point confirmed by recent US briefings.
Russia's air wing in Syria has undoubtedly been scaled back.
Indeed, analysis of satellite imagery by IHS Janes shows one of the two runways at the Humaymim air base, near Latakia, appears to have been closed.
Janes suggests damage may have been caused by over-use and this "may have contributed to Russia's decision to withdraw some fixed-wing aircraft from Syria and deploy additional helicopters".
Nonetheless, a sizeable Russian force still remains in Syria.
There is an air wing of some 20 aircraft, including about a dozen Su-24M strike aircraft and a handful of Su-30M and Su-35 fighters.
And there are still a variety of ground elements deployed to protect the air base, including highly capable surface-to-air missiles.
Indeed, as Mr Kofman says, the arrival of more attack helicopters means "Russia's military presence has expanded to several bases, since helicopters need forward operating bases to fly from".
US and other sources have detected Russian artillery units moving towards the Aleppo front, and teams of Russian special forces are thought to be operating alongside both Syrian government and allied Hezbollah units.
So, for now, all eyes are on Aleppo.
But if Russia has shifted gears in its approach, so too have the Americans.
President Barack Obama's decision to double down on IS - not least by deploying up to 250 additional special operators in Syria to train and assist a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters - indicates that key outside players are already gearing up for an upsurge in the fighting.
Syria's multiple wars show no sign of ending.
Source: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, quoted by Russian media


Ukraine says it has successfully completed the first of two days of missile tests over the Black Sea, west of the Crimea peninsula.

Russia, which annexed Crimea in 2014, had called the tests a provocation and threatened to shoot the missiles down.
But on Thursday Russia's air transport agency said Ukraine had moved the border of the test area further away, apparently reducing Russian concerns.
A Ukrainian official said the tests were in line with international law.
Earlier this week, Ukraine issued a warning defining an area in the north of the Black Sea that aircraft should avoid on Thursday and Friday.
Russia's defence ministry had said the area "violates the territorial sea borders of the Russian Federation", in a note delivered to the defence attache at the Ukrainian embassy, according to Interfax news agency.
Crimea: What and where is it?
Why are Russia-Ukraine tensions high over Crimea?
Russian scientists: Crimea is 'moving toward Russia'
Ukraine accused of Crimea 'incursions'
On Thursday, the Ukrainian defence ministry said the first day of tests had been successfully completed.
In a statement (in Ukrainian), it said 16 launches had been made and all the missiles had hit their targets.
Ukraine says medium range surface-to-air missiles are being tested.
Russia earlier issued a warning that missiles detected in the specified area would be destroyed and, if the missiles posed a threat to Russian objects, launchers would also be targeted.
But on Thursday, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) said the boundaries of the danger zones had been moved to the west, "outside the borders of the Russian Federation", according to Interfax news agency.
A Ukrainian military official said the exercises were being carried out at least 30km (19 miles) from Crimean air space and in accordance with international law.
"Therefore it would be wrong to reproach Ukraine," Volodymyr Kryzhanovsky told the Ukrainian 112 TV Channel.
In early 2014 Crimea became the focus of the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, after Ukraine's pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was driven from power by violent protests in Kiev.
Russian forces seized control of the Crimean peninsula, and the territory, which has a Russian-speaking majority, voted to join Russia in a referendum that Ukraine and the West deemed illegal.
Russia has held large military exercises near Ukraine's borders since the annexation, including large-scale drills in and around Crimea in September.


Fewer homes will soon be built in Wales because of increasing red tape and regulation, according to the boss of one of the biggest companies in Wales.

Redrow chairman Steve Morgan said the "crazy" introduction of sprinklers next year and social housing demands mean it is not viable to build in some areas.
The Welsh government said planning has been streamlined and councils are responsible for affordable housing.
More than 6,100 homes were completed in Wales last year, according to figures.
This was up on the previous year. The increase was fuelled partly by the Welsh government's Help to Buy scheme but Mr Morgan believes this will reduce.
He also said local authorities insist on 30% of developments having social housing.
And he claimed the introduction of sprinklers in new homes from January will make every property around Â£4,000 more expensive.
"There are whole swathes of Wales - north Wales and south Wales - where we can no longer get a return," he told BBC Wales.
Ministers have said Help to Buy will be extended but have not said when or for how long.
They also revealed figures which showed they had achieved 91% of their target to provide 10,000 additional affordable homes this Assembly term, with over a year to go.
A total of 2,218 affordable homes were built in Wales in 2014/15, bringing the total number provided since 2011 to 9,108.
Minister for Communities Lesley Griffiths said: "Boosting housing supply not only creates much-needed homes, but also provides jobs and training opportunities in the construction industry".
House builders criticise the planning process as being too lengthy and too slow and, they say, it costs a lot more to build in Wales compared to England because of extra red tape.
And houses sell for less in Wales than most parts of England so all this eats into profits.
Nevertheless, there has been signs of a turn around recently. Last year, the number of house building increased by a third to almost 5,000.
But Steve Morgan says we can expect that to drop soon, not least because of the extra cost of fitting sprinklers to all new properties.
The Welsh government says there are already planning measures coming into place with a new planning law that will allow a consistent approach across the councils.
They also say that 30% affordable housing is not a requirement from them as it's up to local councils to, ultimately, make that decision and that they do encourage them to be flexible.


The mother of a woman whose remains were found in a field in the Cotswolds says the minister for policing has promised to review arrest rules.

Karen Edwards said following a meeting, Damian Green agreed there are "grey areas" in police procedures.
The body of her daughter, Becky Godden, was discovered at Eastleach, Gloucestershire, in 2011.
Christopher Halliwell led police to her grave but was not prosecuted after detectives ignored arrest guidelines.
Mrs Edwards has organised a petition calling for a review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) and wants the arrest rules to be more flexible.
She said she is "so excited" that Mr Green has agreed to review the issue.
She said: "He agreed that there are lots of grey areas. I just cannot believe today. I was not expecting it to go as smoothly as it did.
"Someone asked me if this was going to be another Sarah's Law [the campaign to allow access to names on the sex offenders register]. Who knows?"
Swindon MP Robert Buckland has been tasked by Mr Green to prepare a review of current procedures.
Halliwell, 48, was jailed for life in October with a tariff of 25 years for the murder of Sian O'Callaghan, 22, from Swindon.
After leaving Suju nightclub in March 2011, Miss O'Callaghan got into his taxi.
Halliwell drove his victim to Savernake Forest, near Marlborough in Wiltshire, where he killed her. He later dumped her body close to the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire.
Shortly after confessing to Miss O'Callaghan's murder, Halliwell led police to Miss Godden's body but he was not taken to a police station to be read his rights by Det Supt Steve Fulcher.
High Court judge Mrs Justice Cox later said Det Supt Fulcher's decision to ignore PACE guidelines was "significant and substantial".
It led to Halliwell only facing charges over the murder of Miss O'Callaghan and not Miss Godden, also known as Becky Godden-Edwards, who had been missing for eight years.
Since the case, Wiltshire Police has apologised to Ms Godden's family, while Halliwell's daughter has appealed to him to tell the family what happened.