Like many observers of the Rio Olympics, American sociologist Peter Kaufman was shocked by the spectacle of French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie being booed by local fans during and after his duel with Brazilian athlete Thiago Braz.

But what really bothered the academic was the condemnation of the supporters that followed.
Kaufman, an associate professor of sociology at the State University of New York who has studied crowd reactions to athletes, reckons the widespread criticism of the passion shown by local fans, including an angry condemnation by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, was unjustified.
"The IOC has much more important issues to worry about than supporters booing competitions," he said.
"There has been a backlash towards the home fans and I find it interesting that people are not looking at the fact that crowd behaviour is a matter of cultural values.
"Why is the way Brazilians cheer or jeer 'wrong'? What we know as reality is shaped by the environment we grew up in", Kaufman told BBC Brasil.
"Each culture has its own beliefs and values and in some of them you will even find that applauding effusively is considered rude."
READ MORE:
So why do people boo, then?
Kaufman says academics regard jeering as a form of social interaction concerned with more than just the outcome of a sporting competition.
"The Olympics have a much broader meaning and when Brazilians boo they might be actually defying authority rather than only trying to influence the outcome of a match," he said.
And he says he rather enjoys the rowdiness of the local fans.
"It's fascinating that rules of engagement and behaviour can be so different from country to country," said Kaufman.
"The IOC shouldn't be so surprised by the passion shown by Brazilian fans. Booing is only as 'wrong' as cheering. Both are expressions of values and beliefs.
"If Fifa had banned the vuvuzelas in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, no matter how deafening they sounded even on TV, they would have amputated a cultural component of that society".
But doesn't Kaufman think booing is unfair on the athletes?
Up to a point, but he reckons competitors should not really be shocked - at least, not to the extent of Lavillenie, who made comments, for which he later apologised, linking Brazilian fans to crowds in Nazi Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
"The targets of booing can be excused for feeling offended, sad and even threatened by a raucous crowd. We can't blame them for not having time to think of cultural aspects when they are much more worried about sporting performance," he said.
"It's understandable that the French athlete got upset, but he was competing against a Brazilian athlete in front of a home crowd. It was inevitable that the fans would pick on him," he argues.
But Kaufman has no sympathy with calls for crowd behaviour to be curbed.
"Sport is passionate and exciting and people are also making political statements. Brazilian fans booed Russian athletes because of the doping allegations, for example, or simply picked on Argentine fans because of the soccer rivalry. But to talk about a 'more appropriate' way of supporting is an attitude of cultural imperialism," he says.
He is not even convinced there is any reason to complain about excessive noise in sports where silence is required, such as tennis.
"Maybe we should use this controversy to discuss issues such as why it is OK for a penalty-taker in football to have a whole stadium roaring at him while tennis demands silence, especially while players are serving," he said. "I don't see a lot of difference for the athletes involved in terms of technical requirements."


A woman has died after her car crashed into a deer and a tree in Hampshire.

South Central Ambulance Service said the driver hit the animal then the tree on the A33 near Micheldever at about 06:30 BST.
A spokesman said she was found dead at the scene and her next of kin had been informed.
The carriageway is closed in both directions near its junction with Winchester Road while officers investigate.


Manchester City reached the Women's Champions League quarter-finals thanks to a draw in their last-16 second leg at Danish side Brondby.

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With a 1-0 first-leg lead, City scored an away goal in the 64th minute when England striker Toni Duggan's superb swivel and shot went in off the post.
Nanna Christiansen stabbed the ball in moments later to make it 1-1.
But Brondby rarely looked likely to overturn a resilient City side's 2-1 aggregate lead after that.
The English league champions would have had to concede a further two goals to be knocked out and, in the end, were deserved winners and will join Europe's elite in the last eight in March.
City - the last remaining British side in this season's competition - had the two best chances of the first half but Nikita Parris shot over from 15 yards shortly after Duggan's close-range header had been brilliantly saved on the line.
After the break, midfielder Jill Scott saw a powerful header from a corner cleared off the line before a sweet half-volley from Parris clipped the woodwork, as the visitors pushed for the tie's decisive goal.
And Duggan found it soon afterwards, showing fine technique to send an excellent shot on the turn in off the post from outside the area.
Brondby striker Christansen gave the hosts hope of a comeback by scoring from six yards - the first goal to be scored against City in European football.
But a late fightback with further goals would have been unrepresentative of the level of control Nick Cushing's side had on the tie over the two legs, with the English midfield trio of Scott, Isobel Christiansen and Keira Walsh impressing throughout.
Manchester City: Bardsley, Bronze, Houghton (c), Beattie, Stokes, Walsh, Christiansen, Scott, Duggan, Parris (Asllani 83), Ross (Middag 68).
Subs not used: Hourihan, Roebuck, Corboz, Stanway.
Brondby: Abel, Jans, B Sorensen, Sevecke, J Jensen (Karstoft 67), Nielsen (c), N Christiansen, Kristiansen, Veje, Larsen (Hovmark 90+1), Tavlo-Petersson (N Sorensen 73).
Subs not used: Larsen, Rydahl, Abilda, Avi Alful.


A lorry driver has denied dangerous driving charges over the collapse of a pedestrian bridge on to a motorway.

A motorcyclist suffered broken ribs when the bridge fell on to the London-bound carriageway of the M20 in Kent on 27 August last year.
Alan Austen, 63, of Darlington, Durham, pleaded not guilty to two charges of dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Maidstone Crown Court set a trial date for 19 February 2018.
The bridge collapsed between junctions four and three, near the junction with the M26, which links the M25 London orbital with the M20.
The road, which is the main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover, had to be shut while two large cranes worked to clear the debris.


As the film version of Dad's Army is released at cinemas across the country, BBC News looks at the life of Arnold Ridley, the only actor in the original television series to serve in both World War One and Two.

Unlike the character he played, the gentle medic Private Charles Godfrey, who was a conscientious objector in World War One, Ridley experienced hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches and was seriously injured by a German wielding a bayonet.
On Desert Island Discs in 1973, the playwright and actor described his first stint in the Army as "those dismal days" but added: "You know, memory is a strange thing. After a lapse of time, even the most miserable set of circumstances, roses seem to grow round them a little bit."
Roses, though, did not grow around his memories of World War Two, and while he could talk about his service in the first war, the "mental suffering" he experienced meant he would not speak of his time in the second.
He said: "To recount events, I would have to relive them. I am too afraid."
Born in Bath in 1896 and educated at Bristol University, Ridley made his acting debut in a production of Prunella at Bristol's Theatre Royal in 1913. But his stage career was put on hold with the advent of the Great War.
He had originally volunteered in 1914 at the age of 18, but was turned down as he had a broken toe sustained while playing rugby.
But the following year he was accepted by the Somerset Light Infantry and was stationed in Plymouth.
Years later, in an interview with the BBC, he admitted to being horribly homesick, having to cope with a "sadistic" regimental sergeant major and facing the prospect he might never survive the horrors of trench warfare.
He said: "I thought I was doing my duty for my country. I didn't know I was going to be treated like a convict. Did it make better soldiers of the callow youths we were then? I doubt it."
Private Ridley arrived in Arras in March 1916. He had removed his marksman's badge because he did not want to be made a sniper. He later commented: "I didn't go to France to murder people."
Within days of arriving he was hit in the back by shrapnel and shot through the thigh.
He had recovered by July 1916, and returned to the Western Front in time to take part in the Battle of the Somme.
The 20-year-old Ridley went into no man's land on 18 August. Fifteen of the men in his group were killed or seriously injured soon after leaving the trenches, when a preliminary barrage was dropped on them instead of the German machine-gun posts.
During the attempt to reach Delville Wood, Ridley's battalion suffered nearly 50% casualties. He later pointed out: "It wasn't a question of 'if I get killed', it was merely a question of 'when I get killed'.
"The trenches were full of water and I can remember getting out of the trench and lying on the parapet with the bullets flying around, because sleep was such a necessity and death only meant sleep."
Although a German bayonet was thrust into his left hand, cutting the tendons to his fingers, he survived. Ridley said "It's not altogether a right thought for a young man to hope he's been maimed for life - but I did. I thought 'well, if I've lost my hand I shall live. They can't send me out there again'."
After recovering in England, he faced the British Army Travelling Medical Board. A doctor suggested his hand injury was self-inflicted.
Ridley said he replied: "Yes, sir. My battalion is famous for self-inflicted wounds and just to make sure I cracked my skull with a rifle butt as well and ran a bayonet into my groin."
He was discharged from the British army on 27 August 1917.
Later that year he was given a white feather (a symbol of cowardice) by a woman in the street. He took it without comment.
When he was asked why a returning soldier would be treated in such a way, he answered: "I wasn't wearing my soldier's discharge badge. I didn't want to advertise the fact that I was a wounded soldier and I used to carry it in my pocket."
It can be seen as a foreshadow of the episode Dad's Army in which Godfrey is revealed to have been a conscientious objector in World War One.
The gentle medic has to face the wrath of the blustering and unsympathetic Captain Mainwaring - who derided him as a "conchie" - but it is later revealed that Godfrey had been a stretcher-bearer in the trenches, saved lives in the Somme and been awarded the Military Medal for exceptional bravery.
The time between the wars was an opportunity for Ridley to resume his career. In 1919 he joined the Repertory Theatre in Birmingham, appearing in more than 40 productions, and in 1923 he wrote the mystery thriller The Ghost Train, the most successful of his plays.
But they were not always good times - his wartime experiences led him to have nightmares. He said: "I would wake up drenched in sweat, sometimes I was afraid I would black out when I was on stage."
The outbreak of World War Two saw him join the British Expeditionary Force as an intelligence officer.
Ridley, now a major, was sent to France in 1939. He later admitted: "Within hours of setting foot on the quay at Cherbourg in September 1939, I was suffering from acute shell shock again. It is quite possible that outwardly I showed little, if any, of it.
"It took the form of mental suffering that at best could be described as an inverted nightmare."
Ridley was evacuated from Dunkirk in May 1940 and, aged 44, was demobilised from the Army. He joined the Local Defence Volunteers - the organisation that later became the Home Guard - before touring bases entertaining the troops.
He appeared in numerous shows through the 1950s and 60s, including The Archers and Crossroads, until he was cast, aged 72, in Dad's Army in 1968. He played the role of Godfrey until the series finished in 1977.
Ridley married three times and had one child, Nicolas. He is also the great-uncle of Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley, although he died aged 88 in 1984 - eight years before she was born.
He was awarded the OBE in 1982 - but for services to drama, not his heroic exploits in two world wars.
Sources: Desert Island Discs, IMDB, Bristol University Archives, This is Your Life


A 21-year-old Australian tradesman has been bitten by a venomous spider on the penis for a second time.

The man was using a portable toilet on a Sydney building site on Tuesday, when he suffered a repeat of the incident five months ago.
Jordan, who preferred not to reveal his surname, said he was bitten on "pretty much the same spot" by the spider.
"I'm the most unlucky guy in the country at the moment," he told the BBC.
"I was sitting on the toilet doing my business and just felt the sting that I felt the first time.
"I was like 'I can't believe it's happened again.' I looked down and I've seen a few little legs come from around the rim."
Who, What, Why: What's the worst place to be bitten by a spider?
He said that being bitten the first time had made him wary of using portable toilets.
"After the first time it happened I didn't really want to use one again," he said.
"Toilets got cleaned that day and I thought it was my opportunity to go use one. Had a look under both seats and then I sat down did my business. Next thing you know, I'm bent over in pain."
The tradesman said he was not sure what type of spider bit him this time.
One of his colleagues took him from the worksite in north-west Sydney to Blacktown Hospital - although many of his workmates were quick to see the lighter side of the situation.
"They got worried the first time," he said.
"This time they were making jokes before I was getting in the car."
The hospital declined to discuss the matter, citing patient privacy.
Jordan was released from hospital and said he expected to return to work soon but was unlikely to be using the on-site toilet.
"I think I'll be holding on for dear life to be honest," he said.
The redback spider, closely related to the black widow spider, is distinguished by a long red stripe on its abdomen.
Its bite causes severe pain, sweating and nausea.
Although there are recorded cases of deaths from redback bites, none have occurred since the development of antivenom in 1956.


Chelsea Ladies will face German side Wolfsburg in the Women's Champions League for the second consecutive year, following the draw for the round of 32.

Wolfsburg beat Chelsea in the last 16 last season on their way to the final.
Manchester City Women, competing in Europe for the first time, face 2015 Russian national champions Zvezda-2005.
Scottish champions Glasgow City face Swedish debutants Eskilstuna United, while Hibernian will play German Frauen Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The first legs will be played on 5-6 October, with the second legs on 12-13 October, and the seeded teams will be at home for the second leg of each tie.
Glasgow were seeded for the draw, while Chelsea, Manchester City and Hibernian were unseeded.
The 2016-17 final will be held in Cardiff, at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 1 June 2017.
Sturm Graz (AUT) v FC Zürich (SUI)
Breidablik (ISL) v Rosengård (SWE)
LSK Kvinner (NOR) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Avaldsnes (NOR) v Lyon (FRA)
Eskilstuna United (SWE) v Glasgow City (SCO)
SFK 2000 Sarajevo (BIH) v Rossiyanka (RUS)
Chelsea (ENG) v Wolfsburg (GER)
FC Twente (NED) v Sparta Praha (CZE)
Apollon (CYP) v Slavia Praha (CZE)
Athletic Club (ESP) v Fortuna Hjørring (DEN)
Minsk (BLR) v Barcelona (ESP)
Medyk Konin (POL) v Brescia (ITA)
Manchester City (ENG) v Zvezda-2005 (RUS)
BIIK-Kazygurt (KAZ) v Verona (ITA)
Hibernian (SCO) v Bayern München (GER)
St. Pölten (AUT)  v Brøndby (DEN)


Leyton Orient president Francesco Becchetti will consider "appropriate offers" for the east London club.

Becchetti took over the O's in 2014, after the side had been beaten in the League One play-off final by Rotherham.
Nine different men have taken charge of the first team since then, but Orient are now 20th in League Two, two points above the relegation zone.
Chief executive Alessandro Angelieri says Becchetti has already received one offer, but it was "not acceptable".
In a statement on the club website, Angelieri said the actions of the club hierarchy since their takeover from Barry Hearn had always been "in good faith" and they were "fully confident" they would avoid relegation to the National League.
The statement comes after BBC Sport posed a series of questions to Orient on Thursday, enquiring about; the club's future under Becchetti, recent transfer policy, plans in case of relegation and whether the running of the club had been affected by Angelieri suffering a minor heart attack late last year.
Despite his own ill health, the Italian said Becchetti's inability to be around the club in recent weeks because of his business commitments had had "a more negative impact" on the squad.
"Mr Becchetti has a great charisma and the players definitely feel his absence." Angelieri added.
Angelieri also described the contribution of Jordan Bowery, who joined Crewe on loan this week, as "imperceptible" and accused the striker and former players Darius Henderson, Jobi McAnuff and Jay Simpson of lacking commitment and desire.
Since buying the Matchroom Stadium side, Italian businessman Becchetti, 50, has hit the headlines several times during his stewardship of the club, including;
Becchetti rarely gives interviews to the media, last speaking to BBC London in February 2015.
Becchetti putting the O's up for sale finally clarifies his position to fans, following months of uncertainty about his intentions.
Leyton Orient Fans' Trust (LOFT) organised a protest against his ownership during a home match against Blackpool on 19 November, calling on him to change the way he runs the club or consider selling.
LOFT spokesperson Tom Davies told BBC Radio London this month that they could not see "sustainable success" being achieved under Becchetti's ownership.
Supporters are also concerned by both on-field performances, with Orient in danger of being relegated to non-league for the first time since joining the Football League in 1905, and the financial situation at the club.
In a further statement to BBC Sport, Angelieri said Becchetti "didn't like" the protest in November, and "is not interested in what LOFT generally does".
However, LOFT said they remained committed to turning the club around rather than forming a phoenix side in lower non-league like FC United of Manchester or AFC Wimbledon.
"The Orient, throughout our history, have been up against it at various times but we have always survived and been able to compete," Davies added.


Despite losing both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan, a former soldier has set himself a new challenge - taking part in the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour motor race.

It is seven years since a roadside IED blew up next to David Birrell and changed his life completely.
"I remember everything," he told BBC Scotland's Kaye Adams programme.
The former Black Watch soldier, from Methil in Fife, says he recalls the hot blast in his face like standing behind a jet engine as a plane takes off.
There was then a big flash before his eyes and he was thrown through the air. The army interpreter who had stood on the device was killed.
"The hardest part for me, after the bomb had gone off, was confusion," he says.
"One minute I'm standing able to see everything the next I'm lying on my belly and everything is dusty and I'm wondering what had just happened," he says.
After the blast he could not feel his legs or see the extent of his injuries because of the dust.
To make matters even worse the enemy started to fire on his position as soon as the bomb went off.
David says: "When the dust went down and I saw the state of my left leg it looked fine, there wasn't a scratch on it at all but my boot was not on my foot.
"My right leg was severely injured, there was nothing on the front of it, bone was protruding through the skin.
"The rounds of fire from the enemy were landing so close that I thought I should try to get to cover behind a tree.
"So I went to get up and move and that's when I realised my left leg was badly broken. It folded underneath me."
When David was eventually taken to hospital he was surprised to learn that it was his left leg that was damaged beyond repair and required amputation.
He says: "They tried to save my right leg for about a year and a half but they came to the conclusion of amputation.
"I took me a long time to adjust to that."
The loss of his right leg led to more complications, including infections and a blood haemorrhage that almost killed him.
He says: "My heart had stopped due to blood loss and I ended up getting rushed into theatre and the next thing you know I'm waking up in a recovery room."
Looking back now he says: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
"The human body is remarkable in what it can overcome."
This was the message that he tried to pass on to 17-year-old Formula 4 driver Billy Monger, who had to have both his legs amputated after a crash at Donington Park on 16 April.
David drove down to see the young racing driver at the weekend.
He says: "It was a long journey but it was worth every minute when I got there.
"It still probably won't feel real to him. I kept thinking every day I would wake up with my legs. You don't think it's real, you don't think it's forever.
"After a while it does become real - that it is forever."
He adds: "The easiest thing is to sit and dwell, the hardest thing is to get up and do something about it."
David has certainly chosen the "hard option".
He wants to be the first double-amputee to take part in the world-famous Le Mans 24-hour event, the world's oldest sports-car endurance race.
The 31-year-old has earmarked 2022 as the year he wants to reach his goal but knows he has a long way to go.
He told Kaye Adams: "I started off karting in 2012.
"I was using hand controls but I did not feel comfortable."
He was having a lot of surgery on his right stump at the time but once he was on his prosthetic legs full time he decided to try karting using them.
"I was 100 times quicker with my legs," he says.
He started to enter races against able-bodied racers at Knockhill and performed well, graduating to the MaX5 Racing Championship, which races sports cars.
David realises there are a number of rungs to climb on the racing ladder before he can step up to Le Mans.
He is currently in the Britcar endurance race and hopes to get some international experience this year.
He will then need to race GT motors and the LMP cars used at Le Mans.
David says: "Le Mans is the world's greatest.
"It is the most gruelling race you can think of, 24 hours of man and machine. It is all about making it to the end of that race.
"It's unpredictable. It's like the army.
"You could be committed going for a corner at 100 mph and something could break and you could hit the barrier.
"It's about living life on the edge. That's when you feel most alive."
The father of three children, aged 11, nine and five, says: "There's no point in being alive if no-one is going to know who you were.
"I want to leave a mark for my kids.
"My kids are my world and all I want to do is leave a legacy for them."


Retaking Sinjar would be extremely important strategically and for the morale of the Kurdish people in their fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) - but what happens in the days and weeks afterwards will be crucial.

The Kurdish Peshmerga had held 20% of the town since December 2014, and although there had been daily fighting since then, the two sides had been at a stalemate.
Since Thursday, though, the Kurdish forces - backed by US air strikes - have made important ground, cutting early on the Highway 47 which passes Sinjar, the main supply line between IS' self-styled capital of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in northern Iraq.
Capturing Sinjar will not only secure the highway, but the road south of Sinjar, towards the IS-held town of Baaj, is also reported to be under control of the Peshmerga forces.
This is supposed to provide a buffer zone large enough to keep Sinjar safe in the near future.
However, it is by no means preventing IS from using scores of small countryside roads south of Sinjar that are still available until the winter weather makes them unusable.
The next step has to be against the IS-held town of Tal Afar, and then Mosul.
If not, Sinjar will always face attacks from those points. Yet, if Sinjar is de facto Kurdish territory, Tal Afar and Mosul are not.
Profile: Who are the Peshmerga?
Who are the Yazidis?
Tal Afar is populated with Arabs and Turkmen: this means that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will not have any strategic interest in liberating and holding an area to which it has no claim.
The same goes for Mosul and Baaj. While KRG President Massoud Barzani has repeatedly hinted that his government would contribute to the retaking of Mosul, recapturing an Arab city could be perceived as an act of Kurdish aggression against Arabs, raising tensions with the Baghdad government and potentially harming the Kurdish minority that has continued to live in Mosul since IS took it.
Tactically, the town of Baaj, situated on higher grounds than Sinjar, will remain a perfect spot to target Sinjar.
Since the Peshmerga do not possess long-range missiles, how will they be able to create a strong enough buffer zone for the 3,000 Yazidis trapped on the mountain for more than a year to be able to safely return and live in their homes?
Moreover, as the IS frontline has been dissolved in Sinjar, IS is likely to return to its next best tactic: sending armoured vehicles packed with explosives to Peshmerga positions.
Once again, the Peshmerga are underequipped to face this daily threat.
The impending attack on Sinjar was an open secret.
Two weeks ago, I witnessed long military convoys that were already on their way to retake the town, only to be derailed by a claim by Peshmerga rivals - Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels based in northern Iraq that it had already been recaptured from IS.
The claim did not just halt Peshmerga operations: it gave ample time for IS fighters to prepare and tactically retreat from Sinjar, just as they did in Tikrit last spring, only to take Ramadi a few weeks later.
The PKK is not the only local force that might get in the way of the Peshmerga as they seek to sustain their war effort.
Local Arab populations fear that retributions might take place against them from the Yazidi militias that have been randomly formed since the occupation of Sinjar Mountain in August 2014.
When the Mosul Dam and the Zummar areas were recaptured from IS in late 2014, Yazidi militias kidnapped Arab women, drove villagers away and looted properties. There have been reports of more revenge attacks this year.
While KRG security forces have been trying to maintain civil peace in the area, those events have eroded social cohesion, which could sow the seeds of future ethnic conflicts.
Iraq: The minorities of Nineveh
Dr Victoria Fontan is also Director of the Center for Peace and Human Security at the American University of Kurdistan. Follow her on Twitter


A public attack on a politician is a risky gambit for a businessperson, even when they are as well-known and publicly admired as Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson.

Bankers, energy company bosses and most recently Sir Philip Green bear the scars of clashes with elected representatives in which the private sector normally comes off worse.
On Tuesday, however, Branson took on Jeremy Corbyn over his claims he hadn't been able to find a seat on a Virgin train.
Branson tweeted stills from CCTV footage that appeared to show the Labour leader walking past empty seats on his way to record a video lamenting the poor service provided by the privatised railway. Now Jeremy Corbyn's campaign team have hit back.
Why did Branson plunge in - and why nearly a week after the incident?  There are some interesting pieces of context that might explain why the Virgin boss was so keen to get involved.
First, Branson has never been slow to fight off attacks on his - and Virgin's credibility.
Two decades ago he staked his reputation in two high-profile libel trials, the first against British Airways over the "dirty tricks" affair, and the second against Guy Snowden, then chairman of the American gambling technology company GTech.
Branson said Snowden had offered him a bribe, and won the ensuing trial, as he did the case against British Airways.
Second, Corbyn's call for rail nationalisation is one of the few of his policies that has an appeal to a wide range of voters. Privatisation has seen record numbers of passengers, new trains and the revival of what was a declining mode of transport, but it has also brought high fares, fat cats and, recently, damaging strikes that have paralysed commuter routes.
There is a common feeling that nationalisation, a return to the "good old days" of British Rail, would make the problems go away.
Branson and his fellow private rail operators - notably Stagecoach, which owns 90% of the Virgin East Coast franchise where Corbyn tried to find a seat - are eager to kill this idea as quickly as possible. An attack on its most vocal proponent fits the bill.
Third, the east coast line is under financial pressure. Stagecoach recently described its performance as "challenging" which may be an understatement.
It and Branson promised to pay the government a Â£3bn premium over the life of the franchise, a promise that analysts think will require the company to hit annual revenue growth targets of 8-12%.
The best estimate is that it is achieving only half that. The east coast has been a graveyard for previous operators - both GNER and National Express had to hand back the keys after making over-optimistic promises on revenue.
One other factor may have weighed on Branson's mind. The old enemy - British Airways - had a fantastic day of PR yesterday, with a 747 sporting a gold nose cone carrying the British Olympic team back from the Brazil games.
It's not far-fetched to speculate that Branson, itching for an opportunity to knock BA out of the headlines, spied the row with Corbyn, and felt the opportunity too good to miss.


Former Archbishop of York David Hope has "strenuously denied" he "acted negligently" in not referring sexual abuse complaints against a Church of England cleric to police.

The Times said he was told of claims against ex-Dean of Manchester, Robert Waddington, in 1999 and again in 2003.
They involved an Australian schoolboy and a Manchester Cathedral choirboy.
The now Lord Hope said he had acted strictly in line with Church child protection policy of the times.
In 1999, allegations were put to Lord Hope that Mr Waddington had abused a pupil while he was head teacher at a school in Queensland many years earlier.
And in 2003, a former choirboy at Manchester Cathedral claimed he had been abused by Mr Waddington during the 1980s.
Mr Waddington, who was Dean of Manchester Cathedral from 1984 to 1990, died in 2007.
He denied the allegations.
Following the 1999 complaint, Lord Hope wrote to the North Queensland Diocese to say Mr Waddington was "deeply sorry for anything he may have done to offend" and had offered "an unreserved apology".
In a statement released on Friday by the Diocese of Bradford - where Lord Hope serves as an honorary assistant bishop - he said that, throughout his time as a bishop and archbishop, he "always adhered to the statutory practices of the Church of England concerning safeguarding".
"I strenuously deny - and am obviously disappointed at - the suggestion that myself or my team at the time would have acted negligently in this or any other safeguarding matter," he added.
Lord Hope - who was Archbishop of York from 1995 to 2005 - said the Church's 1999 child protection policy stated there was "no automatic legal obligation on the Church to refer allegations by adults to the police or social services".
He said the policy also stated: "However, it is essential to consider whether children may still be at risk from the abuser or alleged abuser and, if so, to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to safeguard them, and these will involve reporting the matter to the social services or the police."
Lord Hope's statement added that, "in considering whether children would be at risk from Robert Waddington, I decided under these guidelines that this would not be the case given his serious ill health following cancer surgery".
"The following year I revoked Robert Waddington's permission to officiate. He died two years later," he added.
He said the 1999 child protection policy had since been revised "in line with current understanding, as is the case in many other public organisations with a duty of care".
He added: "I am deeply aware of the pain caused to any victim of child abuse, especially at the hands of a trustworthy person within the church.
"I do encourage any person who believes they have been a victim of abuse to come forward and to inform the police."
Greater Manchester Police said it was concerned that the diocese had decided not to report the claims to police while Mr Waddington was still alive.
A spokesman for Manchester Cathedral, meanwhile, said: "We are shocked and saddened by the nature of these allegations relating to events in the early 1980s.
"We want to reassure parents and congregation members that, for a number of years, Manchester Cathedral has had in place a robust child protection policy with CRB [Criminal Records Bureau] checks made on all clergy and those who work specifically with children."
The Diocese of Manchester said in a statement it was "aware of the current allegations of abuse from the past against a former dean of Manchester Cathedral and we are working co-operatively with the parties concerned".
"Manchester Diocese places the highest priority on all child safeguarding issues," it added.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said the danger for the Church was that the allegations could suggest a culture seeking to protect clergy from scandal.
This comes after it was revealed that clergy accused of sexual abuse in the Chichester diocese were not dealt with effectively.


Olympic champion Adam Peaty booked his place at the 2017 World Championships with victory at the British Championships in Sheffield.

Peaty, 22, who became Britain's first male Olympic swimming champion for 28 years in Rio, took the British 100m breaststroke title in 57.79 seconds.
"This is what I race for, to win and I'm pleased with that time," he told BBC Sport.
Peaty gave away his British gold medal to a young fan in the crowd.
"Hopefully that lad will look at the medal and it will make him think, 'If I train harder, I can be out there too' and then he'll be here competing one day," said the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion.
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Ross Murdoch should also be at the Budapest World Championships in July after finishing second in one minute flat.
In addition to Peaty and Murdoch, Rio Olympians James Guy and Stephen Milne (400m freestyle), Hannah Miley and Aimee Willmott (400m individual medley) all recorded times which will put them in contention for selection for the Worlds.
Peaty says he now wants to chase "legendary" status and lower the world record of 57.13 he set at the Rio Olympics.
"Me and my coach [Mel Marshall] have set this target, it's called 'project 56' and that's the aim, to keep going quicker and winning every race."
Guy - who missed out on individual honours at Rio 2016, but won two silver medals as part of the men's relay teams - took the men's 400m freestyle title.
Fellow Olympians Chris Walker-Hebborn (50m backstroke) and Hannah Miley (400m individual medley) retained their respective crowns, while 17-year-old Imogen Clark claimed her first GB title with victory in the 50m breaststroke in a British record of 30.21 secs.
Defending 200m freestyle champion Jazz Carlin was a surprise third in an event won by Ellie Faulkner in a personal best time of one minute 57.88 secs.
Welsh swimmer Carlin - who won Rio Olympic silver medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle events - will return for the 800m competition on Wednesday.


Thousands of public workers have stormed the Rio de Janeiro assembly in protest at austerity plans to deal with the Brazilian city's financial crisis.

The measures, including cuts salaries, were announced last week. Many public workers have not been paid in months.
On Monday the federal government froze Rio's accounts ordering the state to pay millions of dollars in unpaid debt.
The demonstrators, mostly firefighters, police and prison officers, spent three hours inside the assembly chamber.
During the occupation some wrecked windows, doors and offices.
Assembly Speaker Jorge Picciani called the protest "an affront to the democratic rule of law unprecedented in the political history of Brazil".
Both the state of the city of Rio de Janeiro have been struggling with a long-standing financial crisis because of a drop in global oil and commodity prices.
Was the Olympics worth it?
Who is Rio's new mayor?
"Welcome to hell"
The state declared a financial emergency ahead of the Rio Olympics earlier this year saying it did not have the funds to provide security for the Games and to finish a metro line.
Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao said that unless the austerity measures were approved by the state assembly, he could not guarantee that workers would receive their full salaries next year.
With tax revenues dropping, Rio has already made sharp budget cuts.
Mr Pezao said he would travel to the capital Brasilia to negotiate with the federal government.


Scotland's ski centres had deeper snow than some Alpine resorts this season, but there were fewer days when skiing was possible.

Ski-Scotland said the season had 235,303 skier days and generated about Â£23.7m for the Scottish economy.
But that was down on the November 2012 to May 2013 season when there were 290,996 skier days, raising more than Â£29m.
High winds and snow that was too deep have been blamed for the fall.
Ski centre staff were sometimes spending more time digging out runs, tows and chairlifts than they were selling tickets.
In total, the latest season had 441 operational days across Scotland's five resorts - CairnGorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, Nevis Range and The Lecht.
Heather Negus, of Ski-Scotland, said: "Back at the end of January, there was deeper snow on most of Scotland's upper pistes than there was in world-renowned resorts in the Alps, Pyrenees and even the Rockies.
"In fact, some pistes in the Highlands were twice as deep as those overseas - and the snow kept on coming and coming."
A skier day means one person who skis or snowboards on one day. Many of the same people return to the slopes several times during the season.


It was a day England met Wales at Wembley when everything was topsy-turvy.

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The sport was rugby not football; Wales, not England, were the home team while a new stadium was being built in Cardiff.
The game also turned expectation on its head when un-fancied Wales thwarted England's Grand Slam hopes in the final Five Nations match of all time. And in one of the great climaxes.
"To quote Bill McClaren: "A burst by Scott Gibbs . . .  Scott Gibbs is through . . ."


"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair" is the famous fairytale cry.

But real life moved from Grimm to gruesome for one 38-year-old woman in the US who had a giant 15 cm hairball in her stomach.
She is one of only a handful of documented cases of "Rapunzel syndrome", which is caused by people plucking and eating their own hair.
Their once glorious locks build up in the digestive system where they can eventually have a devastating effect.
The woman, who is anonymous, developed sudden vomiting and constipation. Meanwhile her stomach swelled as it filled with liquids and gas.
She had gone off food for a year, lost 15 pounds in the previous eight months and by the time she reached hospital was unable to keep down any food.
Doctors in Arizona, writing in the BMJ Case Reports, initially gave her donor blood to tackle her anaemia.
But when they performed abdominal surgery they uncovered a 6x4in (15x10cm) ball of densely packed hair in the stomach and then another 1.5x1in (4x3cm) hairball in the small intestines.
Trichotillomania - the irresistible urge to pull out hair
Trichophagia - compulsively eating hair
The blockages were safely removed and the woman was given a diet high in protein to help her recover.
There have only been 88 other reported cases of Rapunzel syndrome.
In some the hair snakes all the way through the digestive system from stomach to large intestines.
Most cases are in childhood - with 40% of Rapunzels under the age of 10.
Follow James on Twitter.


A family that has experienced both the joy of a life-giving organ donation and the loss of a child whose death meant others could live will open the British Transplant Games.

Lottie Bryon-Edmond, from Torquay, was the youngest person to survive a liver transplant at just five weeks old.
When her half-brother Daniel, 25, died in a road crash earlier this year his organs were donated to five people.
A torch will be lit in his honour at the opening in Newcastle later.
Lottie's father Chris Bryon-Edmond said his stepson had left a "phenomenal legacy".
"There weren't words when Lottie got her transplant to express how we felt," he said.
He said there also were no words to describe how he and his wife Julie felt on hearing of the death of their son.
Mr Bryon-Edmond was driving with his wife when she heard of her son's crash and let out "a primal scream".
He said: "There is this phenomenal legacy where there are five people walking around who would not be walking around today."
The Bryon-Edmond family have campaigned to raise awareness of organ donation since Lottie's transplant.
They will light the torch at games, which run until 4 August.
The British Transplant Games were first held in 1978 and "aim to demonstrate the benefits of transplantation" while increasing public awareness.
More than 600 organ recipients will take part in more than 20 sporting events.


Donald Trump has defended his hardline stance on immigration, a day after it was attacked by fellow Republican presidential candidates on national TV

His plan to deport the estimated 11 million people living illegally in the US was decried as impractical during an election debate in Wisconsin.
But he said on Wednesday it was cheap, "doable" and humane.
Democratic President Barack Obama wants to lift the threat of deportation to millions of undocumented people.
But his plan to allow about four million people to apply for work permits has been hindered by legal challenges.
Mr Trump, a billionaire New Yorker who has been leading in the polls, defended his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and deport all the people living illegally in the US.
"You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely," he told MSNBC's Morning Joe.
"You have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they're waiting to come in legally."
How do you deport 11m people?
Debate exposes Republican divisions
He pointed to the actions of former US President Dwight Eisenhower, who authorised what was probably the largest deportation operations in US history.
Senator Ted Cruz backed Mr Trump during the debate, condemning any form of "amnesty" because illegal immigration kept wages low for American workers.
But his fellow Republican, Ohio Governor John Kasich, said that mass deportation was a "silly argument" that could never work and would split families.
The issue has exposed the diverging views within the party, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio clarified his stance on Wednesday.
He described his position as a "very long path" to citizenship when people had spent at least 10 years on a work permit.


A next-generation material first earmarked for use in electronics has proven itself a capable clean-up agent for polluted waters.

Boron nitride, or "white graphene", is similar to its namesake: sheets of atoms laid out like a chain-link fence.
A report in Nature Communications shows the material can preferentially soak up organic pollutants such as industrial chemicals or engine oil.
However, it is easier to clean and re-use than other such "nanomaterials".
The family of these materials includes much-touted, carbon-based members such as graphene and nanotubes, and are notable in part for their surface area-to-weight ratio.
That allows them to take up an incredible amount for their size, making them attractive for the clean-up of pollutants.
The new work suggests that a preparation of boron nitride could outperform many nanomaterials and more traditional approaches.
A team from the Institute for Frontier Materials at Deakin University in Australia and the Pierre and Marie Curie University in France started by making porous boron nitride "nanosheets" - wavy, single-atom layers of the material with holes in them.
These porous sheets, which together form a coarse white powder, vastly outperformed sheets that did not have the pores, and commercially available chunks of boron nitride that is not made up of the tiny sheets.
The porous version exhibited high "selective absorption and adsorption" - preferentially picking up organic pollutants and dyes out of water.
The powder soaked up as much as 33 times its own weight in the chemical ethylene glycol and 29 times its own weight of engine oil. Even still, the saturated powder floats on water.
The pollutants could then be driven out of the nooks and crannies of the material by heating it in a commercial furnace, or by simply igniting it - a trick that other, more established materials could only survive a few times before becoming completely clogged up.
"All these features make these porous nanosheets suitable for a wide range of applications in water purification and treatment," the authors wrote.
Francesco Stellacci of EPFL in Switzerland called the work "an excellent paper in a booming field".
"The data reported are indeed excellent and impressive," he told BBC News. "The key question is if this is the material that at the end will be used for remediation."
Prof Stellacci said that a market for such materials does not yet exist, and boron nitride's striking clean-up powers may or may not be enough to establish it as a leading contender, even among nanomaterials.
"I think that at the end it will not be performance that will determine the final material used, but more costs and scalability. I really hope that one of these materials, and maybe this one, will make it," he said.


(Close): London's benchmark index posted a 100-point rebound, a day after global turmoil led to billions being wiped off the value of shares.

At the close, the FTSE 100 was up 1.77% at 5,773.79, having fallen 3.5% on Wednesday.
Markets have been rattled since the start of the year over the slide in oil prices and slowing growth in China.
Oil prices also rallied on Thursday, having hit their lowest levels since 2003 in the previous session.
Brent crude climbed back above the $28-a-barrel mark, hitting $28.91. US crude was trading at $29.35 a barrel, having fallen below $27 on Wednesday.
Pearson was the best performing share in the FTSE 100, rising more than 17% to 772p after it announced a restructuring plan that will lead to 4,000 job cuts - about 10% of its workforce.
Also doing well in the FTSE 100 was Royal Mail. Its shares climbed 4.1% to 438.7p after it said parcel deliveries during December were up 6% from a year earlier.
In the FTSE 250, shares in fashion retailer N Brown Group jumped 8.5% after it reported strong trading over the important Christmas trading period.
N Brown, whose brands include SimplyBe and Jacamo, said like-for-like revenues rose 4.1% in the 18 weeks ended to 2 January.
On the currency markets, the pound was little moved against the dollar at $1.4186 and was up by 0.54% against the euro at â‚¬1.3097.


Team Sky's Geraint Thomas will return from injury at the Tour of Britain next month, with team-mate and compatriot Owain Doull also set to compete.

The race begins in Edinburgh on Sunday, 3 September and will finish in the Welsh riders' home city of Cardiff on Sunday, 10 September.
Thomas, 31, was second overall when he broke his collarbone in a fall on stage nine of last month's Tour de France.
"It's always great to be able to race in front of home fans," he said.
"It was the first thing the Welsh guys spoke about when we saw that the finish was going to be in Cardiff.
"I'm sure the fans will do us proud - that's going to be a great day."
Doull, who finished third overall and won the points classification in 2015, will be competing in the Tour of Britain for a fifth time.
"The crowds just seem to get bigger every year, so it's a race I really look forward to," said the 24-year-old.
Team Sky have already named former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski as part of their six-rider line-up, with the remaining three places to be announced before the race.


Chris Beardsley's first goal of the season saw Mansfield beat Crawley to move into League Two's play-off spots.

The Stags started the game positively and should have been ahead through Matt Green who was denied by Callum Preston.
The breakthrough came in the second half when Beardsley flicked home a header past Preston on 60 minutes.
Mansfield ended the game with 10 men after Green received his second booking, but the Stags held out to record back-to-back wins.
Crawley's fifth home defeat of the season came just hours after it was announced that the League Two side are close to agreeing a takeover with an overseas-based business consortium.
Crawley Town boss Mark Yates told BBC Sussex:
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"It was a tight game. They had a couple of chances in the first half, then they hit us on the break with one ball and Callum Preston has made a couple of good saves.
"We probably got what we deserve. It's the end of a frustrating couple of weeks. Our lads are a little low on confidence and obviously Mansfield's late win the other night gave them a confidence boost.
"We were a little bit sluggish. There was nothing really in the game apart from hitting us on the break. We are making mistakes that are costing us."


Britain's Olympic champions Jason and Laura Kenny are expecting their first child, the couple's agent confirmed.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Laura Kenny, 24, revealed the news with a post on Instagram of two adult bikes lined up alongside a child's bike.
Husband Jason added his own post on Twitter, while Great Britain team-mate Dani King tweeted "best news ever".
Agent Luke Lloyd-Davies said the couple and their families are "absolutely thrilled and delighted with the news".
"They very much appreciate all the kind wishes and messages of support that they have received already," he added.
The couple, who married in September in a private ceremony, went public with the news following their 12-week scan.
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Jason, 28, has won six track cycling Olympic gold medals, including three at last summer's Games in Rio.
Laura pulled out of last month's National Track Championships after injuring a hamstring, but said at the time she hoped to be fit for April's World Championships in Hong Kong


Rory Best looks likely to be ruled out for several weeks after sustaining a broken arm in Ireland's last-gasp 24-22 defeat by New Zealand.

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The Ulster and Lions hooker was forced off in the 15th minute of Sunday's game at the Aviva Stadium, shortly after scoring Ireland's second try.
Best underwent surgery on Tuesday morning and he is expected to return to rugby in mid to late January.
His Ulster team-mate Iain Henderson (hamstring) is out for about six weeks.
Henderson had an MRI scan on the injury that he suffered in Ulster's win over Edinburgh on Friday and it confirmed a hamstring tear.
Like Henderson, Best will miss several of Ulster's forthcoming matches, including the two Heineken Cup games against Treviso.
"Hopefully, I can get back in around eight weeks although we have to see the exact extent of the damage," Best said on Monday.
"As soon as it happened, I heard a crunch. My hand was hanging limp - I had no control over it, I knew straight away.
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"It was disappointing to have to go off so early in the match, but it is not completely horrendous news and I have a realistic target to go for."
Next up for Ulster is the away Pro12 game against Zebre on Saturday, which is followed by the back-to-back European matches against the Italians Benetton Treviso on 7 December and 14 December.
The Irish province return to league action at home to Zebre on 20 December before the 28 December away match against Leinster.
There is also concern the fracture could endanger Best's prospects of being fit for the start of Six Nations, with Ireland opening their campaign against Scotland on 2 February.
Ulster have several other fitness concerns ahead of next Saturday's clash against Zebre.
Lewis Stevenson has medial ligament damage to his right knee and will be out for up to six weeks.
Number eight Nick Williams was forced to withdraw from the line-up to face Edinburgh with a recurrence of a calf injury and he is expected to be out of action for four to six weeks.
Michael Allen suffered concussion, while Luke Marshall and Darren Cave were both victims of cramp, but should be available for the clash with Zebre.
A decision on the involvement of skipper Johann Muller and Jared Payne will be made later in the week.
Meanwhile scrum-half Ian Porter irritated his AC joint ahead of the Edinburgh game and is expected to be unavailable for two weeks.


The first military plane carrying Syrian refugees to be resettled in Canada has arrived in the country.

Welcoming the 163 refugees, new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was "showing the world how to open our hearts".
The newly elected Liberal government has pledged to take in 25,000 refugees by the end of February.
Canada's stance on the issue differs sharply to that of the US, which has been reluctant to take in migrants.
Another plane is due in Montreal on Saturday.
Immigration Minister John McCallum said all 10 provinces in Canada are in favour of accepting the refugees.
"This is a great moment for Canada," he said. "This shows the way we really are. It truly is a non-partisan, national project."
Since early November, hundreds of Syrians have already arrived in Canada via commercial aircraft.
A total of about 300 Syrians will arrive this week.
The Toronto Star, the country's largest-circulation daily newspaper, ran a cover story on Thursday welcoming the refugees.
The US administration has said it will take in 10,000 refugees over the next year. Some Republican governors have unsuccessfully tried to keep them from coming to their states after deadly terrorist attacks in France and California.
Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said after the California attacks that all Muslims should be blocked from coming to the US, drawing condemnation across the globe.
Global News reporter Mike Armstrong has been taking photos of refugees at Canada's refugee processing centre in Amman, Jordan.
Some families have been told they may move in weeks, he tweeted.
About 800 refugees are going through screening tests in Lebanon and Jordan daily, Mr McCallum said.
Mr Trudeau, who swept the 19 October Canadian elections, has a different stance on refugees from that of his predecessor, the conservative Stephen Harper, who did not wish to resettle more people.
Unaccompanied men will be excluded from the resettlement programme but officials said this had nothing to do with national security concerns.
"We want them to have a roof over their head, and the right support," said Mr McCallum.
"It takes a bit of time to put that all in place. We're happy to take a little more time than originally planned to bring our new friends into the country."
Those who will be considered refugees include families, women deemed to be at risk, and gay men and women.


The government of Honduras has deployed hundreds of troops in the main cities to combat a wave of criminal violence.

Joint patrols of soldiers and police have been sent into areas dominated by criminal gangs.
Honduras has the world's highest murder rate, according to the UN, with much of the killing linked to drug-trafficking.
On Monday President Porfirio Lobo sacked his top police commanders after four officers accused of murder were released and went into hiding.
The military deployment, dubbed "Operation Lightning", began in the capital Tegucigalpa and the northern city of San Pedro Sula.
Soldiers and counter-insurgency police units set up road blocks while helicopters patrolled overhead.
President Lobo said the aim was to "guarantee the presence of the authorities in the most conflict-ridden areas".
He vowed to "do everything possible within the law to reduce the impunity that makes us all indignant".
The sacking of the police commanders on Monday followed the release of four officers accused of killing two students.
Their release has caused public outrage in Honduras, which is suffering soaring levels of violent crime.
A recent UN report found the country had the highest rate in the world in 2010, with 82 killings per 100,000 inhabitants - an average of 20 murders a day.
Honduras is a major transit point for cocaine smuggling from South America north through Mexico to the US, and much of the violence is linked to drugs gangs.


Australia restricted India to 248-6 and a deficit of 52 runs as they gained the upper hand on day two of the fourth and deciding Test.

India lost Murali Vijay early on in response to Australia's first-innings 300 but KL Rahul and Cheteshwar Pujara steadied them to 108-1.
However, Rahul (60) was caught off Pat Cummins before Nathan Lyon took four wickets to reduce the hosts to 221-6.
Wriddhiman Saha was dropped as India made it to close without further loss.
Saha was on nine when he edged a Cummins delivery to first slip where Matthew Renshaw spilled the catch.
It was the second time Renshaw failed to take a catch off pace bowler Cummins on the second day as he also missed a catch off Rahul when the opener was on 10.
Cummins did eventually snare Rahul during a fiery spell in which he exchanged words with the India batsman, who ended up sending a catch David Warner's way after mistiming an ambitious shot.
Pujara (57) and stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (46) offered some resistance but the hosts struggled for runs for the most part against a disciplined Australian attack, with impressive spinner Lyon taking 4-67.
The series is currently level at 1-1.


A judicial review of the decision to press ahead with the M4 relief road has been rejected in full.

Friends of the Earth Cymru had wanted a judge to examine how ministers reached their decision on the Â£1bn project.
The group, which is worried nature reserves will be damaged, said it was "disappointed" and would continue making the case against the road.
The Welsh government has insisted the decision had been "carefully considered".
Three firms have already been awarded the contract to start work on the project around Newport.
Friends of the Earth had raised three grounds for concern:
Sitting in the High Court, Mr Justice Hickinbottom rejected the review.
Gareth Clubb, director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "Naturally we're disappointed by the conclusions of this judicial review. But the case against the M4 gets stronger by the day.
"Just yesterday a report was published by the renowned Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research that said 'it is difficult to envisage how the M4 relief road can be justified."
A Welsh government spokeswoman said: "We welcome the judge's ruling. We believe this is the best solution to transport issues around Newport and that it is vitally important to the economic prosperity of Wales."
Analysis by BBC Wales environment correspondent Iolo ap Dafydd
This is a significant decision which now may well lead to the new relief road being built. The fact that the Welsh government on Wednesday announced three contracts for preliminary works underlines the confidence of ministers and civil servants.
Friends of the Earth Cymru argued that conservation sites would be damaged and reasonable alternatives hadn't been fully explored by the Welsh government.
But the judge said their case had "fallen very far short" and it was up to the government to decide on the merits of where to build the road, or if it would sacrifice part of the Gwent Levels.
Environment groups question building a new stretch of the M4, with a projected increase of traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.
They argue this is at odds with the Welsh government's repeated climate change commitment - which is to reduce emissions by 3% per year and 40% by 2020.
Ministers argue a new M4 will reduce congestion and emissions and make Wales "more resilient to the effects of climate change".
Last week, it passed legislation on sustainable development - the Well-being of Future Generations Bill. That requires all public bodies to embed climate change into their decision-making.
So how does the M4 relief road fit in with that thinking? The answer, I guess, would be about taking a broader view.


Members of BBC management in Manchester were aware of paedophile Stuart Hall's "inappropriate sexual conduct " in his dressing room, a report has found.

It said "rumours" circulated within the Piccadilly Gardens office and it was "likely" he "could have been prevented from committing criminal offences".
The ex-presenter, 86, was jailed in 2013 after admitting indecently assaulting 13 girls - one as young as nine - between 1967 and 1985.
The BBC said it had "failed victims".
Trust chairman Rona Fairhead said the corporation had "turned a blind eye, where it should have shone a light. And it did not protect those who put their trust in it".
Victims of Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall will feel let down by the Dame Janet Smith report and will see it as "an expensive whitewash", according to a lawyer representing them.
Dame Janet Smith's review, set up in 2012, examined how Jimmy Savile and Hall carried out campaigns of abuse over decades while at the BBC.
Hall's sexual behaviour at the BBC
The report found 21 females, the youngest aged 10, were assaulted by Hall at the BBC between 1967 and 1991.
Young female visitors to BBC Manchester were jokingly referred to as "Hall's nieces" who had come for "elocution lessons", it said.
It also referred to Hall's "laddish sexuality, characterised by risque banter and often unwanted tactility".
There was "no evidence" BBC staff were aware that the girls involved were under-age, and "no-one complained to management", it added.
Hall, formerly of Wilmslow, Cheshire, had previously worked for BBC Radio 5 live and presented the BBC's regional North West news programme.
The former regional North West TV manager, Ray Colley, "took Hall to task" about rumours of inappropriate sexual conduct in his dressing room in 1970, the report said.
Had Mr Colley then taken the "basic steps" to monitor Hall's behaviour "it is likely he could have been prevented from committing the criminal offences", the former Appeal Court judge's report said.
There was no evidence people had "direct personal knowledge" of his sexual conduct in his dressing room, it added.
In the report, Dame Janet said: "In my judgment it must have been apparent to [Mr Colley], in the light of Hall's response and obvious lack of protest about such a serious issue, that the rumours relating to the period before he arrived were founded on fact.
"Therefore, at that stage, Mr Colley must have been, at the least, aware (without direct personal knowledge) that Hall had, in the past, engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct in his dressing room."
The report said there were "cultural factors" at the BBC that stopped people reporting upwards, "particularly when they related to talent".
Savile and Hall made "sorry reading" for the BBC and the inquiry found "disturbing things", the report said.
BBC culture "made it difficult to complain or rock the boat" and an "atmosphere of fear" still existed in the BBC to this day, it said.
However, it said no organisation could be "completely confident" that it did not harbour a child abuser.
During the inquiry, Mr Colley was contacted and said he "made it clear that sex on the premises was unacceptable".
His response in the report said: "Nobody ever told me that Stuart Hall was having improper sex in his dressing room or any sex in his dressing room.
"Patently, it should not have happened. If it did happen and I'd been told about it, it would have been sorted. I was more than able to sort Stuart Hall. I did not fear him in any way. He was not essential to my operation."
As part of Dame Janet Smith's review, Dame Linda Dobbs received evidence from people against whom Stuart Hall admitted inappropriate sexual conduct in connection with his work for the BBC, and provided her findings to the inquiry.
BBC staff failed to report the disgraced presenter indulging in "inappropriate sexual conduct" partly because he was seen as an "untouchable" celebrity, the report found.
Liz Dux, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, which represents 168 victims, said: "All the Savile and Hall victims have ever wanted from this report is truth and accountability.
"Despite millions having been spent on the inquiry, my clients will feel let down that the truth has still not been unearthed and many will feel it is nothing more than an expensive whitewash."
Ms Dux added: "It is unfortunate that Dame Janet had no power to compel senior managers to give evidence, giving the impression that the whole picture of who knew what has not been revealed."
Another solicitor representing victims said the report was "positive" in terms of truth, but fell "a long way short of what we wanted" in terms of "accountability".
Source: The Dame Janet Smith Review


The mother of a woman whose body was found during the hunt for murdered Swindon office worker Sian O'Callaghan has set up a petition calling for a change in the law.

Christopher Halliwell led police to Becky Godden's body shortly after he confessed to killing Miss O'Callaghan.
But he was not prosecuted over Miss Godden's death after a judge ruled detectives ignored arrest guidelines.
The petition calls for a review of PACE (the Police and Criminal Evidence Act).
Miss Godden's mother, Karen Edwards, launched the petition this week and so far it has more than 300 signatures.
It calls on the government to urgently review Code C of the Act, the code of practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The Police and Criminal Evidence Act and its codes of practice are designed to protect the rights of all those in the criminal justice system, including victims and interviewing officers.
"The Act was introduced as a direct response to concerns over the conduct of the police in significant miscarriages of justice in the early 1980s and has stood the test of time ever since."
But Ms Edwards told BBC Breakfast: "I feel there should be more flexibility when police officers arrest people."
Halliwell was identified by police as the main suspect in 22-year-old Miss O'Callaghan's murder after CCTV caught him driving outside the nightclub in Swindon she went missing from last year.
Following Halliwell's arrest, he was taken not to a police station to be read his rights but to local beauty spot Barbury Castle by Det Supt Steve Fulcher.
Mrs Justice Cox said Det Supt Fulcher's decision to ignore guidelines in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act were "significant and substantial".
She added the move was intended to create "circumstances deliberately designed to persuade the defendant to speak".
And 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.
Det Supt Fulcher said he had made the decision to not take Halliwell to a police station in a bid to "appeal to the killer's conscience".
Ms Edwards said she believed that if Det Supt Fulcher had followed the guidelines he would not have found her daughter's body.
"I don't blame Steve Fulcher at all," she said.
"I think a senior police officer should be able to make decisions about the arrest. He made a split second decision and this is the consequences.
"Yes, it's [PACE] been put in place to protect the arrested suspect and it's also been put in place to protect the police officer, but this was a very, very unusual circumstance.
"I don't want any family to go through what I've gone through ever again."
Ms Edwards said: "It's very frustrating. I mean there's a man who admitted in great detail that he had murdered my daughter. He even showed them where he hid her body, in a remote field in the middle of nowhere."
Ms Edwards has also written a letter to Halliwell, although she has not yet sent it to him.
"When the time is right he will get the letter," she said.
"I want him to admit guilt. I want to put this to bed once and for all.
"I want to move on with my life and just get on with my grieving."
The police and Crown Prosecution Service said the murder charge in relation to Miss Godden had not been dropped with Wiltshire Police previously saying it was their intention to continue their investigations.


Blair Henderson took his tally for the season to 17 goals with a brace as Berwick Rangers defeated Elgin City.

Rangers took an early lead from the penalty spot, Henderson converting after Steven Notman had been felled.
Henderson nodded inches wide and was then denied by a flying stop from Mark Hurst before Elgin finally threatened as Mark Nicolson sent a header from a free-kick against a post.
But Henderson sealed the points near the end with a towering header.


A far-right French mayor is to be tried on hate charges over comments that include a claim the number of Muslim students in his city was a "problem", media and judicial sources say.

Robert Menard will face charges of incitement to hatred or discrimination. Media say the trial is set for 8 March.
He has denied that his remarks were discriminatory.
The Beziers mayor is an ally of the anti-immigrant National Front party led by Marine Le Pen.
The case is centred on two statements from the mayor, Le Monde newspaper (in French) reports.
On 1 September, France's first day back at school, he said on Twitter he was witnessing the "great replacement", a widely used term to describe the alleged eviction of the country's white and Christian population by Muslims in parts of France.
Then, on 5 September, he said on French news channel LCI: "In a class in the city centre of my town, 91% of the children are Muslims. Obviously, this is a problem. There are limits to tolerance."
French law prohibits any gathering of data based on people's religious beliefs or ethnicity.
Mr Menard defended his comments, saying: "I just described the situation in my town... It is not a value judgement, it's a fact. It's what I can see."
He prompted outrage among opponents in October by putting up anti-migrant posters and calling for a local referendum ahead of the arrival of asylum-seekers in his southern French town, AFP news agency reports.
Under the headline "That's It, They're Coming", is an image of a crowd of migrants, all of them men, outside the cathedral in Beziers.
Mr Menard was for 23 years the head of the media rights group, Reporters Without Borders.


"It's a big old-fashioned love story in mode of Dr Zhivago or Ryan's Daughter."

Speaking to the BBC, that is how the Belfast-born director and screenwriter, Terry George, describes his new film The Promise, which opens in the UK this week.
But there is also another - darker - story told in the film, which stars Christian Bale, Oscar Issac and Charlotte Le Bon.
It is a love triangle set during the Armenian genocide, when over one million Armenians were massacred by the forces of the Ottoman empire during World War One.
"Charlotte's character and Oscar Issac's character are both Armenians, while Christian Bale's character is an American reporter covering the outbreak of war," said George.
"The Ottoman government of that time took a decision to wipe out the whole Armenian nation."
The events are still controversial, as while Turkey has acknowledged that the Armenians suffered, it does not recognise the killings as genocide.
And George admits that he had one eye on events in modern-day Turkey and the Middle East as he was shooting the film.
"As we were filming the events of one hundred years ago, we were filming Armenian refugees in the desert, trapped up a mountain, and drowning in the sea," he said.
"The exact same thing was happening on the news right in front of our eyes.
"So the film is very contemporary as it's a story of refugees and massacre and genocide which is happening in exactly the same region today."
The Promise was funded by the late Armenian-American businessman and philanthropist, Kirk Kerkorian, but George has denied that the film is propaganda.
"Everything you put on screen has to be fastidiously researched," he previously told the Hollywood Reporter.
"There's a difference between the perception of a story and the veracity of a story."
George has never shied away from tackling difficult subjects on screen.
He wrote three successful films based on events during the troubles: In the Name of the Father, Some Mother's Son and The Boxer.
Then he wrote and directed Hotel Rwanda, set during the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s.
So why is he drawn to harrowing subjects?
"What I look for are stories of ordinary people who are plunged into extraordinary events, which are often catastrophic," he said.
"But they find the inner strength to survive, and to carry people with them.
"So for me, there's always optimism in the strength of the ordinary person to survive and that's what I look for particularly."
George spoke to the BBC from New York, where he has lived for many years, but he still keeps a close eye on events in Northern Ireland.
"I still have a house there, and go back and forward," he said.
"The Stormont crisis is disappointing and worrying, but I think the bigger spectre looming over politics - north and south - is Brexit.
"What Theresa May calls a frictionless border, I think, is a complete oxymoron.
"I do think eventually that Sinn FÃ©in and the DUP will come to some sort of agreement, but the spectre of Brexit is extremely worrying."
He plans to return to Northern Ireland for his next feature, though, and it is one that will be based on his short film The Shore.
Filmed entirely at George's family cottage at Coney Island near Ardglass, County Down, it won an Oscar in 2012.
"It'll be about exile - about going into exile and come back - and set during the peace process era in Northern Ireland.
"It'll deal with the legacy of the war and how people are overcoming that.
"I hope that'll be my next project so I'll be back on the shores of Killough!"


New Zealand was one of the first countries to welcome in 2016, with people gathered in Auckland to watch a colourful fireworks display.

31 December 2015 Last updated at 13:32 GMT
Australia followed, with Sydney Harbour providing the backdrop to a spectacular show.
Elsewhere security is being stepped up in major European cities ahead of New Year celebrations.
New Year fireworks and festivities have been cancelled in the Belgian capital Brussels because of a security alert. Extra protection is being put in place in other cities, including Paris, London, Berlin and Moscow for people celebrating.


The amount of UK government aid money going to some richer developing countries should be restricted, an independent watchdog has said.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) warned of "serious risks" about the effectiveness of a Â£1.3bn project to help developing countries.
The Prosperity Fund is "fragmented" and lacks transparency, a report said.
A government spokesman said the fund only supported programmes to reduce poverty and delivered value for money.
The Prosperity Fund was set up to reduce poverty and create overseas business opportunities for the UK, particularly in countries such as China, India, Mexico, Indonesia and Brazil.
It has a budget of Â£1.3bn over five years and is part of the government's commitment to spending 0.7% of gross domestic product on aid.
The fund is yet to implement any major programmes.
However, a highly critical report said it faces challenges in meeting the aims.
Few details of where the money will go have been publicly released and there has been limited scrutiny of the scheme, it said.
Outline bids for money - known as concept notes - contained "limited detail" as to how objectives will be achieved, the report added.
"Given the speed at which participating departments are expected to move from concept notes through to full business cases and implementation at scale, the lack of delivery capacity in key departments and diplomatic posts presents some serious risks," it said.
By James Landale, BBC diplomatic correspondent
The Prosperity Fund was set up two years ago to help departments like the Foreign Office provide British aid in a new way.
Its aim was not just to reduce poverty but also help build markets for British firms overseas. So it was given a budget of Â£1.3bn to spend over five years in countries like India, China and Brazil.
But the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, which monitors aid spending, says the fund's work is "fragmented", it lacks transparency, there are "conflict of interest concerns" and "significant risks" about value for money and delivery.
It also questions whether the fund breaks rules about what is and what is not overseas development assistance.
As such, the watchdog says the government must hold back some of the spending to make sure it is being used wisely.
Alison Evans, ICAI's chief commissioner, said the Prosperity Fund was "a complex and ambitious initiative", adding that it has made "significant progress" in a short space of time
However, she said: "To deliver on its aims it must continue to improve its systems and processes, particularly given the risks associated with its current speed of delivery.
"We therefore recommend the government reviews the current spending plans to ensure the amount of UK aid spent matches the Prosperity Fund's capacity to deliver the results for people in developing countries, and for business."
A government spokesman said it was already implementing the vast majority of ICAI's early recommendations, including on transparency
"Sustained economic growth is the only long term solution to poverty and the Prosperity Fund supports the vital economic development needed to help middle-income countries, where more than 60% of the world's poorest live, to stand on their own two feet and become our trading partners of the future."


The South American trading bloc Mercosur has threatened to suspend Venezuela if it does not comply with a series of trade and human rights rules.

Paraguay's foreign minister said demands included protecting human rights and enacting a law guaranteeing free movement of Mercosur citizens.
The group set a deadline of 1 December.
The four original Mercosur members - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay - blocked Venezuela from assuming the rotating presidency in June.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Delcy Rodriguez, tweeted that the country rejected the announcement and that the other countries were trying to destroy Mercosur.
She said the bloc was supposed to make decisions by consensus.
Meanwhile Venezuela is hosting more than 100 nations at a meeting of "non-aligned" countries - those who did not back either the US or the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
President Nicolas Maduro said on his TV programme on Tuesday that the start of the summit would "stay in the annals of Venezuelan diplomacy for centuries to come".
Venezuela will take on the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement, which has been held by Iran since 2012.


Thousands of people have marched in Edinburgh to demand that the Scottish and UK governments act to prevent climate change.

The march, organised by Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, was part of a global campaign ahead of the United Nations' meeting in Paris.
The campaign is urging politicians to agree plans to cut carbon emissions.
It is also asking for support for developing countries who are "suffering most from catastrophic climate change".
Marchers gathered at The Meadows before heading to the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens for a rally.
Marchers, who gathered in the rain, were asked to wear bright colours and unite around the slogan Climate, Justice and Jobs.
Organisers said about 5,000 people were at the event, which was also attended by Environment Minister Aileen McLeod.
Dr McLeod said Scotland "wants and expects an ambitious and fair climate treaty to be agreed" at the conference.
She said the Scottish government had "high ambition" for climate change - "with a world-leading target of 42% cut in emissions by 2020 compared to 1990."
Tom Ballantine, chairman of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, a coalition of 60 organisations, said: "We're proud that so many people in Scotland are coming together to show they care about the fate of others across the world and that they want to protect the planet that we all rely on.
"Scotland and the UK as a whole benefited massively from the era of fossil fuels - now we need to take our fair share of responsibility for the world's growing climate crisis."
At next week's United Nations talks in Paris, international leaders will attempt to agree a deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Patrick Harvie MSP, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said Scotland could lead the way in the transition from fossil fuels to a low-carbon economy.
He said: "The negotiations in Paris must strike a bold deal to protect our society.
"The trend of rising global temperatures is clear and the impact will be felt by the poorest people in the world. The pollution that has caused this is the responsibility of developed nations such as ours.
"The scientific consensus is clear - we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground if we're to limit the damage that climate change will cause."
Scottish Labour's environmental justice spokeswoman, Sarah Boyack, said her party in government at Holyrood would deliver regulatory change to make warm homes that tackle climate change "a 21st Century reality".
She said: "These are worrying and challenging times for renewables, so the SNP government needs to redouble its efforts to get on with tackling climate change.
"Without the political will to support low- carbon heat and power, we won't tackle fuel poverty and Scottish companies will miss out on becoming leaders in making this globally important technology commercially viable."


Pakistan beat South Africa by 19 runs on the DLS method to cause a Champions Trophy upset in the Edgbaston rain.

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Pakistan, hammered by India on Sunday, reduced the world number ones to 90-4 and 118-6 before David Miller's 75 not out helped them to 219-8.
Although Morne Morkel took 3-18, Pakistan were 119-3 when the forecast bad weather arrived after 27 overs.
The win reignites Pakistan's semi-final hopes, while South Africa may have to beat India to stay in the tournament.
The result opens up Group B, which also contains Sri Lanka. They meet India on Thursday and, regardless of the result, all four teams will stay be able to qualify for the semi-finals in the final round of fixtures.
The runners-up in this group face England in the first semi-final in Cardiff on Tuesday.
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Prior to Wednesday's game at Edgbaston, the Champions Trophy had been a mix of no-results and no-contests. The closest of the four previous completed games was England's 87-run win against New Zealand.
Until the rain, this was gripping and entertaining, thanks mainly to a Pakistan side transformed from the one that rolled over against India.
Their bowling went from ineffective to accurate and hostile, their fielding from sloppy to tigerish and their batting from spineless to dogged - all in front of a partisan Birmingham crowd.
South Africa played their part, mainly through the brilliant Morkel. Tension was created by the threat of rain, with Pakistan only gaining a comfortable cushion on the DLS par score just before the players went off.
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Choosing to bat first on a pitch already used twice, South Africa faced spin after only eight overs and were squeezed by Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez, including a first one-day international golden duck for captain AB de Villiers.
They were steadied by Miller and JP Duminy before paceman Hasan Ali, who had already bowled Faf du Plessis, struck twice in two balls. First a flat-footed Duminy was held at slip, then Wayne Parnell was bowled by a beauty.
Chris Morris joined Miller to repel yorker after yorker, Miller successfully overturning an lbw decision on 47 to register an 83-ball half-century, his slowest in ODIs.
Morris made 28 and Kagiso Rabada 26 - both holed out to Hasan off Junaid Khan, the latter to a brilliant catch - before Miller, who clubbed three sixes, hit the last delivery of the innings for the only four of his 104-ball stay.
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As South Africa bowled with too much width, debutant opener Fakhar Zaman helped himself to 31 from 23 balls before Morkel intervened.
Fakhar edged to slip and, two balls later, Azhar Ali ramped straight to third man.
Morkel aggressively banged away back of a length and was supported by Morris and Imran Tahir, almost entirely halting Pakistan's scoring.
Only 20 runs were added in 10 overs but, crucially, Babar Azam and Hafeez survived to ensure the DLS par score remained within reach. When they took 10 from Morris in the 19th over, Pakistan were ahead.
Now Pakistan were scoring more freely and, even though Morkel returned to have Hafeez well held by Tahir at fine leg, South Africa were behind when the rain came.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann on TMS: "We thought this was going to be one-sided because of the way Pakistan played against India. However, you can never really write Pakistan off because of their mercurial nature. They are number one in the world at surprising people."
Man of the match Hasan Ali: "It was a team effort. I stuck to my plan and we all stuck to our plan. I dropped a catch in the last game, so I knew I had to cover that. I did it nicely.
"It's very important to win man of the match because it's my first ICC event. I'm very excited."
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed: "That is a feeling we miss, not playing in Pakistan. Maybe that was a difference - the crowd was supporting us and that's why the players boosted up."
South Africa coach Russell Domingo: "Pakistan are a proud cricketing nation. I know when they have a bad game, everybody jumps on their back and says how bad they are.
"I can tell you now, in our position, I don't think they are bad at all. They are a dangerous side. They have some world-class players. They are always going to be a threat."


The former National Poet of Wales and academic Gwyn Thomas has died, aged 79.

Prof Thomas, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, was Emeritus Professor of Welsh at Bangor University.
He published numerous volumes of poetry, was a literary and cultural critic and also translated the mythical Mabinogion stories into English. He also helped pioneer techniques to combine poetry and film.
Prof Thomas leaves a wife and three children.
Gillian Clarke, the current National Poet of Wales, said she was "so sorry" her predecessor "has gone".
"He could not have been kinder, more welcoming or more helpful to me when I followed him into the role in 2008," she said.
Former culture minister Alun Ffred Jones, who was one of his former students, said he was "deeply saddened" by the news.
"Wales has lost a talented scholar and a truly kind man," he said.
"He made a tremendous contribution, not only as a poet but also as someone with the ability to interpret literature to a contemporary audience."
Bangor University paid its own tributes to Prof Thomas, who spent nearly four decades teaching there.
"Wales has lost one of her leading poets and most highly respected academics," said Prof Gerwyn Wiliams, who heads the School of Welsh.
"His contribution to Welsh literature and its study was enormous. He was undoubtedly, one of the most important poets of the second half of the twentieth century, as an innovative poet."


Ruth Davidson has said that Scottish independence is not inevitable as she unveiled an expert group to examine the impact of Brexit on Scotland.

In a speech in London, the Scottish Conservative leader said recent polls suggested the majority of people in Scotland did not back independence.
And she said the prospect of a second referendum had now been "parked in a lay-by" by the SNP.
The Scottish government said the Conservatives were "utterly clueless"
Speaking immediately after the result of the EU referendum was announced, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said another vote on independence was "highly likely" and instructed civil servants to start drawing up plans for a referendum.
But addressing an audience of foreign diplomats, Ms Davidson - who backed Remain ahead of the EU referendum - said the "shock" of the Brexit vote had now started to subside.
She said the SNP's strategy had always been to make independence feel inevitable, but insisted that this assumption was "wrong" and that Scotland was now suffering from "referendum fatigue" after two votes in three years.
She added: "In unsettled times that pose deep and existential questions, nationalism seeks to give easy answers wrapped in a flag.
"It thrives on chaos, and it is fair to describe that week after the (EU) vote as chaotic.
"In the immediate aftermath of the result there was a modest swing in favour of independence, but more recent polls have made it clear that this swing has not been maintained. In other words, we are back to where we were".
She argued that this had been partially recognised by the SNP, with Ms Sturgeon opting to leave her draft referendum bill "on a low shelf" when she published her programme for government last week.
Ms Davidson said: "The unstoppable bandwagon of late June now appears to have been parked in a lay-by.
"We have had five years of uncertainty and rancour over our constitutional status, now added to by the EU referendum result.
"As a result, most people in Scotland now do not want to add to that any more - yes they remain troubled by the EU result, but that is not translated into support for further constitutional upheaval in the form of yet another referendum on independence."
She said there was a risk that Scotland would enter a damaging constitutional "limbo period", with the SNP leadership "caught between the demands of their core support and the political realities of the majority of Scots".
She added: "The first minister tried to use the vote to create a bow wave surge for independence. It hasn't worked, but I don't think the SNP will stop trying.
"And sadly, in our judgement, the push for separation will continue to be the main priority for the SNP government as we head into Brexit discussions - and not the best interests of Scotland and the United Kingdom."
Ms Davidson said her party's new expert group would assess the risks and opportunities of Brexit for Scotland.
The group includes MSPs Adam Tomkins and Alexander Stewart, MEP Ian Duncan, former Scottish Whisky Association head Gavin Hewitt and former CBI Scotland director Sir Iain McMillan.
She added: "I will ask them to report to me on how best they believe Brexit can deliver for Scotland, and crucially for the entire United Kingdom too".
The Scottish government has already set up a similar group to examine how best to protect Scotland's place in Europe.
A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said evidence was mounting of the "potentially huge damage Brexit threatens to jobs, investment and Scotland's economy".
He added: "It is Ruth Davidson and her Tory colleagues who have created the problem but who also appear utterly clueless about how to fix it.
"As a start, perhaps Ms Davidson can answer the simple question that her boss, the prime minister, was unable to answer last week: does she believe the UK should continue in the single market - yes or no?"
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "The Brexit gamble made by the Tories has given the Nationalists an excuse to campaign for independence again when what we really need is a renewed focus on jobs, the economy and public services like our schools and NHS.
"Both the SNP and the Tories' plans would be economically damaging for Scotland - parties should be explaining what their plans are beyond the constitution."