Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari described Brazil's 7-1 World Cup semi-final loss to Germany as "the worst day" of his life, and said he took responsibility.

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The hosts were 5-0 down by half-time in Belo Horizonte as Germany reached the final in emphatic style.
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"I will be remembered as the coach to lose 7-1 but I knew that risk when I took the job," said Scolari, who guided Brazil to the 2002 World Cup trophy.
"The person who decided the line-up, the tactics, was me. It was my choice."
Scolari described the result, which surpassed the 3-0 defeat by France in the 1998 final as Brazil's heaviest World Cup loss, as "catastrophic".
"My message for the Brazilian people is please excuse us for this performance," added the former Chelsea manager.
"I'm sorry that we weren't able to get to the final and we're going to try to win the third-place match. We still have something to play for."
Brazil, the first team to concede seven goals in a World Cup semi-final, will play either Netherlands or Argentina in Brasilia on Saturday.
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Scolari has suffered a notable defeat before, when his Portugal side were unexpectedly beaten on home soil by Greece in the final of Euro 2004.
Brazil were unbeaten in 14 games ahead of the meeting with Germany and Scolari played down the absence of striker Neymar, who fractured a vertebra during the quarter-final victory over Colombia.
He said: "Let's not try to find an excuse in Neymar."
Thomas Muller's opener was the first of five goals in 18 first-half minutes, with strikes from Miroslav Klose and Sami Khedira sandwiching a Toni Kroos double.
Klose, 36, became the record scorer in World Cup history by netting his 16th finals goal - beating the record of Brazil legend Ronaldo.
Substitute Andre Schurrle added two more after the break before Chelsea team-mate Oscar netted a late consolation.
Scolari, who also had captain Thiago Silva suspended for the match, said: "We did our best - but we came up against a great German team.
"We couldn't react to going behind. Not even the Germans can tell you how this happened - but it's because of their skills and you have to respect that."


If you're reading this page for the first time then we have something in common - this is a first for me too.

Others of you might have read some of my stories or observations before, but it's the first time I'm writing as the BBC's political editor. Welcome.
I couldn't have a better predecessor than my excellent colleague Nick Robinson, who'll soon bring his incredible insight and wit to the Today programme on Radio 4.
But you and I could hardly be starting out here at a more interesting moment in British politics.
Over the coming years, I'll try to unpick what's going on, try to capture the essence of what's being said in public, but also what's being discussed in private, and what that might mean for us all.
This is an amazing moment, in part because pundits and politicians can't be sure of very much. The rule book is looking a bit tattered around the edges.
The reliability of the polls took a hammering in May when the strong and widely held expectation that no one party could win the general election outright turned out to be totally misplaced.
The SNP were on the losing side not even 12 months ago in the vote on Scottish independence, but far from defeat damaging them as you might have assumed, historic victory followed in May, as it became the third biggest party in the House of Commons.
Now the Conservatives are trying to redraw their rules, casting themselves as the party of the low paid.
And it seems the assumptions are about to be broken again.
Not for Labour a leader who conforms to the rules it helped design - someone who talks Westminster's language, has doggedly built a career based on party loyalty, and aspires to wide appeal - but a man, Jeremy Corbyn, who has made a life out of being an insurgent in his own party, defying the leadership, and who many of his MP colleagues hardly even know.
The political story of the summer has, without question, been how this relatively obscure London MP has packed out clammy meeting halls around the country, exciting thousands upon thousands of people, making himself the most likely candidate to face David Cameron across the despatch box as the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition.
But, hold on. Big crowds don't make it a done deal. The actual rules of this contest, not just the excitement of upending political rules, are worth paying attention to.
It's hard to find anyone in the Labour Party now who thinks that Mr Corbyn won't win the first round of votes. But that's not it.
Unless he gets over 50% of the votes in that first round - far less certain - the rules dictate that whoever is in fourth place drops out and the second preferences of their backers are reallocated to the other candidates.
If there is still no winner, the third-placed candidate is then eliminated with their second preferences similarly reallocated. The candidate who has accumulated the most votes through the different rounds then wins.
This matters so much because crucially, given how far to the left most of Mr Corbyn's positions are compared with the other candidates, if the ballot does enter that second phase, he stands to lose out.
One source explained "he just won't get enough transfers from the other side of the ledger".
Therefore, for Mr Corbyn and all of the other candidates, the last few days of this race are not about whether he is "winning", but whether he can make it over 42% or 43% of votes in the first round. If he can't, a victory which is seen as inevitable in some quarters may elude him.
And straightforwardly, many thousands of votes are yet to be cast, and there is not enough reliable data to know which boxes are actually being crossed, and in what order.
Reality, and the party's rules, mean he has not yet won the race.
But the clamour around Mr Corbyn in these last few weeks has already bust our early assumptions. The danger for Labour is that a Corbyn victory could bust the party too.


Manager Ronny Deila asked Celtic fans to recognise the positives in his team after they lost their League Cup semi-final to Ross County at Hampden.

Efe Ambrose was sent off and Leigh Griffiths missed a penalty as Celtic lost 3-1 to Jim McIntyre's men.
"People will see that we were very good at the start of the game and we have been very good lately," Deila told BBC Scotland.
"It was a day when small things went against us."
The Scottish Premiership leaders face Aberdeen on Wednesday, when they will defend a six-point lead over the second-placed side.
"We need to go on and we have three days to bounce back and win against Aberdeen," said Deila.
Celtic were in control of the semi-final after only 30 seconds, when Gary Mackay-Steven prodded Griffith's cut-back into the net.
But, 13 minutes later, the game was turned on its head when Ambrose fouled Alex Schalk in the box and Martin Woods scored after the Nigeria defender was sent off.
Paul Quinn headed County ahead and Schalk made it three before Griffiths had a penalty saved after Brian Graham was adjudged to have handled in the box.
"I think we started very well and the first 15 minutes was fantastic football," said Deila.
"Then the red card comes and it changes the game, but we controlled the game after that until the break."
The Norwegian thought referee Craig Thomson got it wrong in awarding County's second goal, before which goalkeeper Craig Gordon appeared to be fouled.
"It is a clear free-kick," he said. "It should never be a goal. They just pushed him out of the goal."
Asked if it was a penalty when Ambrose challenged Schalk, Deila said: "He touched him, but I don't think he would have reached the ball.
"I think Craig Gordon would have saved it. It was a very hard decision for the referee."
Deila said he was "disappointed" by the defeat but added: "We are in a good position in the league and still in the Scottish Cup, so we still have things to fight for."


Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw is to report two SNP MPs to a Westminster watchdog over allegations they claimed expenses for accommodation while carrying out extra-marital affairs.

Stewart Hosie and Angus MacNeil are both reported to have had affairs with journalist Serena Cowdy.
Mr Carlaw said he had written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC she had seen no evidence of any breach of parliamentary expenses rules.
But Ms Sturgeon, who is also the SNP leader, said it was for the watchdog to decide. She also said that "even politicians have a right to privacy".
Labour MP Graham Jones is understood to have made a separate complaint about Mr MacNeil and Mr Hosie to a second watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
Mr MacNeil is said to have stayed with Ms Cowdy at the Park Plaza hotel in London, and then claimed for the room on expenses.
Ms Cowdy is reported to have later been involved in a relationship with SNP deputy leader Mr Hosie, who recently separated from his wife, SNP MSP Shona Robison.
Mr Carlaw, the Scottish Conservative deputy leader, wrote to the standards commissioner, Kathryn Hudson, saying "it has been alleged in several media reports" that Mr MacNeil and Mr Hosie had "conducted their respective affairs in either accommodation or hotels paid for by the taxpayer".
He said this would break rules which say members should only use expenses "in support of parliamentary duties", and nothing that could "cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons".
In response, the SNP said: "The expenses were approved by the Commons authorities in line with the rules on MP's London accommodation, and none of them involved any additional cost to the public purse beyond that.
"This is the height of hypocrisy from the Tories, given the extent of flagrant abuse of expenses by their MPs which has been exposed in recent years - they simply don't have a leg to stand on when it come to this issue."
Prime Minister David Cameron also made a veiled reference to the allegations in the House of Commons, when he said: "I know the SNP have got other things on their mind - I think actually it's mostly the same thing on their minds."
Questions about the use of hotel accommodation have chiefly focused on Mr MacNeil.
The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) has claimed about Â£90,000 in accommodation expenses since 2010/11, including Â£17,823.97 in 2014/15 - the period in which he was said to have been having an affair with Ms Cowdy.
The vast majority of the claims have been for hotels in the London area.
This is despite Mr MacNeil owning a flat in Lambeth, which is about a 15-minute walk from the House of Commons.
Mr MacNeil, who separated from his wife last year, is understood to have bought the flat under previous Westminster expenses rules, which allowed him to charge mortgage interest payments to his parliamentary expenses.
But when the rules changed following the MPs' expenses scandal, Mr MacNeil became one of several MPs who chose to rent out their properties and instead claim expenses for staying in hotels or rented accommodation when in London.
There is no suggestion that the practice is against Westminster expenses rules, and MPs do not have to disclose details of any guests to the authorities.
Mr MacNeil had previously said that MPs should be allowed to claim for flats they own, as they did in the past.
Responding to the latest allegations, he said: "My accommodation in London is claimed under normal expenses, as is the case for all MPs, and the cost of this is compliant with the rules of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
"I don't like to comment on my personal life or related tabloid stories, but my marriage sadly ended for very different reasons to what has been suggested in lurid newspaper stories this week.
"For the record, as if I even need to say, I have never had so much as a crossed word with my colleague Stewart Hosie MP."
Mr MacNeil criticised the "awful personal invasion where tabloids treat you like a commodity disregarding effects on children especially".
The MP added that he was thankful for the support he had received "in the constituency, wider Scotland and at Westminster including MPs from across the political spectrum".
He said: "It has been a challenging week in which I am continuing to do my job and keep appointments as planned."
Mr MacNeil was previously forced to pay back almost Â£900 in hotel expenses after exceeding the nightly rate set out under Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) rules.
Allegations of Ms Cowdy's affairs with the two SNP MPs have dominated the front pages of Scotland's newspapers over the past two days.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon - who was re-elected as Scotland's first minister on Tuesday - said marriages and relationships ran into problems "for all sorts of reasons", and said "even politicians have a right to privacy".
She said: "I've seen no evidence of any breach of parliamentary expenses rules, but ultimately of course that's a matter for the parliamentary authorities to determine.
"Beyond that, these are matters that are private and personal matters. Now I accept politicians will always be under heightened scrutiny but even politicians have a right to a private life."
The first minister was photographed in the Holyrood chamber embracing Ms Robison - who served as her health secretary until the recent election, and who has been married to Dundee East MP Mr Hosie for nearly 20 years.


Police in Chicago are to receive new equipment and training on how to defuse tensions following a spate of fatal shootings of African-Americans by officers, the city's mayor has said.

Rahm Emanuel says every patrol car in Chicago would be equipped with a Taser gun, which is usually non-lethal.
He said police must learn when they can use a gun and when not to do so.
Protesters have urged Mr Emanuel to step down over a case in which an officer fatally shot a black teenager.
Laquan McDonald's death led to the city's police chief being fired and days of protests,
"Just because you train that you can use force doesn't mean you should," said Mr Emanuel. "Helping officers make that distinction - and the training that goes with it - is essential."
Mr Emanuel said the department would make 1,400 Tasers available to officers, up from 700.
On the night Mr McDonald was killed, several officers were heard asking for a Taser before officer Jason Van Dyke opened fire, shooting the teenager 16 times.
Mr Van Dyke has since been charged with murder.
However, the shootings have continued.
Just after Christmas, Chicago police shot and killed two people.
Bettie Jones, a 55-year-old mother-of-five was shot "accidentally", police said, as officers opened fire on, and killed, 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who they said was being "combative" toward officers.
About 15% of Chicago's police officers have so far received training aimed at resolving incidents without violence, officials say.


Saudi Arabia says it has broken off diplomatic ties with Iran, amid a row over the Saudi execution of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was speaking after demonstrators had stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others were executed on Saturday after being convicted of terror-related offences.
Mr Jubeir said that all Iranian diplomats must leave Saudi Arabia within 48 hours.
Saudi Arabia was recalling its diplomats from Tehran, he said.
Mr Jubeir said Saudi Arabia would not let Iran undermine its security, accusing it of having "distributed weapons and planted terrorist cells in the region".
"Iran's history is full of negative interference and hostility in Arab issues, and it is always accompanied by destruction," he told a news conference.
US state department spokesman John Kirby said: "We will continue to urge leaders across the region to take affirmative steps to calm tensions".
"We believe that diplomatic engagement and direct conversations remain essential," he said.
A diplomatic rupture between the major Sunni and Shia powers in the region will resonate across the Middle East where they back opposing sides in many destructive wars and simmering conflicts.
Players are already lining up along sectarian lines to support either Tehran or Riyadh.
Last year had ended with a bit of hope that talks on ending Yemen's strife had, at least, begun. Syria was to follow this month. It looks an awful lot harder now.
In October Saudi sources told me they only dropped their opposition to Iran's presence at Syria talks after the US persuaded them to test Tehran's commitment.
But they doubt Iran will do a deal, and see it as key source of regional instability.
On the other side, Iranian officials don't hide their contempt for the Saudi system and its support for Islamist groups.
There's been barely-concealed anger for months. Now it's boiled over.
Earlier, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the Sunni Muslim kingdom would face "divine revenge" for the execution - an act which also angered Shia Muslims elsewhere in the Middle East.
Ayatollah Khamenei called Sheikh Nimr a "martyr" who had acted peacefully.
Protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran late on Saturday, setting fire to the building before being driven back by police. The Saudi foreign ministry said none of its diplomats had been harmed in the incident.
Iran is Saudi Arabia's main regional rival - they back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
Relations between the countries have been strained over various issues in recent decades, including Iran's nuclear programme and deaths of Iranians at the Hajj pilgrimage in 1987 and again in 2015.
Most of the 47 people executed by Saudi Arabia were Sunnis convicted of involvement in al-Qaeda-linked terror attacks over the last decade.
Sheikh Nimr was involved in anti-government protests that erupted in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Arab Spring, up to his arrest in 2012.
The execution sparked new demonstrations in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, where Shia Muslims complain of marginalisation, as well as in Iraq, Bahrain and several other countries.
The top Shia cleric in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani denounced the execution as an "unjust aggression".
The leader of Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, launched his sharpest attack yet on the Saudi ruling family on Sunday, accusing them of seeking to ignite a Shia-Sunni civil war across the world.
He said the blood of Sheikh Nimr would "plague the Al Saud [family] until the Day of Resurrection", prompting cries of "Death to the Al Saud!" among an audience watching his address.
Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Figurehead Shia cleric


Troubled supermarket giant Tesco has said that its new chief financial officer, Alan Stewart, is joining the company immediately, more than two months earlier than originally planned.

Mr Stewart was previously in the same post at Marks and Spencer. He replaces Laurie McIlwee, who resigned in April.
On Monday, Tesco stunned the markets by saying it had overstated its half-year profit guidance by £250m.
Tesco's shares sank 11% on Monday and fell a further 4.2% on Tuesday.
The retailer has launched an investigation headed by Deloitte, and says it is now working to establish the impact of the issue on its full-year results.
It has also suspended four executives, including its UK managing director, Chris Bush.
Tesco is also believed to have suspended its UK finance director Carl Rogberg, its food commercial director John Scouler and the head of food sourcing, Matt Simister.
Mr Stewart was originally due to join Tesco on 1 December, but his start date was brought forward after negotiations with Marks and Spencer.
BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed says he has been told that the move came after a direct appeal from Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis to his counterpart at Marks and Spencer, Marc Bolland, who "graciously" allowed Mr Stewart to leave early.
Mr Lewis's predecessor, Philip Clarke, stood down in July after his attempts to revive Tesco's fortunes through a £1bn turnaround plan failed.
Analysis, Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editor:
The announcement that Alan Stewart, the former finance director of Marks and Spencer, will start work today at Tesco - rather than the somewhat more leisurely 1 December - will bring some relief to investors, who have faced a battering over the last year.
A business facing an accounting crisis with no chief financial officer was not exactly comfortable.
Sir Richard Broadbent, the chairman, will hope that the move will quieten those who believe that he should consider his position.
He certainly spent yesterday, when the accounting crisis broke, desperately trying to move Mr Stewart's start date forward. In that, at least, he has been successful.
Last month, Tesco cut its full-year profit forecast from £2.8bn to £2.4bn, and said trading profit for the six months to 23 August was expected to be about £1.1bn.
As a result of the change to its profit guidance, Tesco has pushed back the release of its interim results to 23 October, from 1 October.
The investigation into the overstatement will be carried out by Deloitte together with Freshfields, the group's external legal advisers.
Tesco has been battling falling sales and a decline in its market share as discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl have gained in popularity.
And there is "no sign yet of recovery" in sales or market share for Tesco, according to latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel.
In the 12 weeks to 14 September, Tesco sales fell 4.5% from a year earlier and its market share remained at 28.8%, the Kantar report said.
The Kantar report also said annual growth in the UK grocery market over the 12 weeks was at a record low of 0.3%.
Asda was the only one of the "big four" - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - to increase its market share, now at 17.4% and sales were up 0.8% on the same period last year.
The report confirmed that discount and premium supermarkets were still winning market share from bigger rivals.
"Aldi has continued its run of double-digit growth, which now stretches back to February 2011, by recording a sales increase of 29.1% compared with last year," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel.
"Similarly, Lidl has increased sales by 17.7%, showing that shoppers still have a strong appetite for the discount stores," he said.
Waitrose recorded a 4.5% rise in sales, which boosted its market share to 5.1%.


Workers on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) are being balloted for strike action over two separate disputes.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will vote on whether to launch campaigns of action.
The disputes involve this year's pay deal for directly employed staff and a row over wages for employees at facilities company Interserve.
Transport for London (TfL) urged the parties involved to resolve the issues.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union planned to send a "clear message to management".
The union said the results of the ballot were due on 12 May.
TfL director Rory O'Neill, said: "This is a dispute between the RMT leadership and KeolisAmey Docklands and Interserve who employ the staff concerned.
"We urge all parties to sit down and talk through the issues to try and resolve them as soon as possible."
KeolisAmey Docklands, who operate and maintain the DLR, said the strike action was "unnecessary".
Kevin Thomas, managing director of KeolisAmey Docklands, said: "We are disappointed that the RMT union are balloting our employees, particularly as the pay offer reflects the requests received from the RMT."
A spokesman for Interserve said: "We have been in discussion with the union and employees so we are disappointed that strike action is being considered.
"We will continue to work closely with union and staff representatives to try and reach an agreement that is acceptable to everyone."


Connacht came from 10 points down to beat Toulouse at home on their return to the European Champions Cup.

The Pro12 champions trailed 21-11 at the break with Niyi Adeolukun's early try cancelled out by scores from Yann David and Jean-Marc Doussain.
Tiernan O'Halloran and Bundee Aki crossed for second-half Connacht tries.
Toulouse failed to score in the second half as they crashed for a fifth away defeat in a row in the competition for the first time in their history.
Connacht's deficiencies in the scrum were exposed by Toulouse early on at the Sportsground.
They conceded three scrum penalties which were punished with penalties from Sebastian Bezy (two) and Florian Fritz as the visitors coasted into a 9-0 lead.
Connacht then sprang to life with a stylish 10-minute spell which produced 11 unanswered points, though it could have been more.
Ultan Dillane's lineout steal sparked a swashbuckling move by the Connacht backs who ran the ball from inside their '22' and Adeolukun dotted down for an easy finish in the corner.
Jack Carty missed the conversion but landed two subsequent penalties to put Connacht ahead briefly, at 11-9.
Connacht's dynamic play brought the best out of Toulouse, who sprang to life with two tries before the interval.
The four-time champions were at their best in the second quarter, scoring 12 unanswered points, with an expert off-loading game resulting in a try for Yann David, who powered over after 34 minutes.
Connacht's defence was again found wanting when Jean-Marc Doussain crossed the whitewash three minutes later.
The visitors, who had won all three previous trips to Galway since 2011, led 21-11 but failed to press home the advantage in a second half dominated by the home side.
With Wasps running in 12 tries in the rout over Zebre, Connacht could ill-afford to start their campaign with a home defeat.
Pat Lam's side played with heart and a lot of spirit in the second half and despite Jack Carty struggling to convert penalty and conversion chances, they were worthy winners on their first game in the competition since 2013/24.
Tiernan O'Halloran thundered his way through after 58 minutes to reduce the arrears and the brilliant Bundee Aki skipped through a missed tackle to draw Connacht level after 67 minutes.
Craig Ronaldson assumed the kicking duties from the unconvincing Carty and nailed a sideline conversion with his left foot to secure a memorable victory for Connacht.
Connacht: T O'Halloran,; N Adeolokun, B Aki, C Ronaldson, C Kelleher, J Carty, C Blade, F Bealham, D Heffernan, C Carey, U Dillane, A Browne, E McKeon, J Heenan, J Muldoon (capt).
Replacements: K Marmion for Blade (46), JP Cooney for Carey (52), S Delahunt for Heffernan (55), S O'Brien for McKeown (55), S Ili for O'Halloran (65), R Loughney for Bealham (68), L Stevenson for Dillane (73), S O'Leary for Aki (78).
Toulouse: M Médard; Y Huget, F Fritz, Y David , P Perez; JM Doussain, S Bézy; C Baille, C Tolofua, C Johnston; R Gray, J Tekori; F Cros, P Faasalele, C Axtens.
Replacements: G Lamboley for R Gray (30), K Vasil for Baille (41),J Marchand for Tolofua (47), A Dorian for Johnston (47), G Fickou for Huget (49), T Gray for Faasalele (55), E Maka for Axtens (69), T Flood for Fritz (68).


A council has said it is "extremely concerned" over delays to school building projects that have forced some to turn down extra pupils.

Oxfordshire County Council said out of 39 contracts supposed to be completed since 2013, 19 were finished on time.
This led to some schools using temporary classrooms and two had to postpone increases in pupil numbers until the following year.
Contractor Carillion blamed design changes and sub-contractors going bust.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, the councillor in charge of property, said: "Council is extremely concerned. We're working really hard with Carillion to try and improve matters".
In a statement the council added it: "Continues to be able to offer around nine out of 10 families in Oxfordshire a place at their first choice school, whether primary or secondary."
A Carillion spokesman said it "recognises the demands placed on schools by increases in pupil numbers" and continues to work "to provide the required additional space in schools".
"Where delays occurred, short term accommodation was provided until the work was completed."


A woman "lovebombed" out of more than £300,000 in an online dating scam has shared her story as a warning to others.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was "swept off my feet" when she was contacted by a man she believed to be in Turkey.
She lost her home, business and took out several loans over 14 months.
She said: "The pressure was horrendous, and it got to the point where all the money had gone."
More on this and other York stories
Speaking to BBC Radio York, the woman, known as Nancy, said she had come out of a "bad marriage" and joined dating website Match.com "to dip my toe into the dating world".
In July 2015, she received her first message.
Nancy, from North Yorkshire, said: "I just connected with what seemed to be a very attractive-looking person who was really keen to talk to me.
"There's a term for it - lovebombed - where you're just bombarded with affection and compliments.
"When you're with someone who tells you how awful you are every day for ten years, then someone pays you some compliments... of course you're going to be swept away."
After chatting for six weeks online, they then began talking via another messaging service, and she was asked for money.
She was told the man and his young son had been attacked and mugged, with the boy requiring "urgent medical care".
"It was a really bizarre amount of money, it was €3,750, it wasn't a straightforward amount of money I would have normally associated with a fraud," she said.
"Reluctantly I sent the money, because I couldn't think of a child in distress and we seemed to be getting on really well."
Nancy said she was "bombarded" with messages from the moment she woke up to when she went to sleep, with further requests for money coming in.
She did not tell anyone about what she was experiencing.
Nancy said: "As soon as the money requests came through it was posed to me that I shouldn't tell anybody because it would look really bad, nobody would understand."
Action Fraud advice
Nancy continued: "I came from one abusive relationship and went straight back into another one.
"The manipulation was so extreme that I was told that if I didn't send money, they would starve and die. I didn't want that on my conscience.
"You get to the point where you have lost so much money, you have to keep going in the hope that you're wrong."
After reading fraud advice online, Nancy went to police at the start of September, but by this time, more than £300,000 had gone.
No arrests have been made over the crime, also known as 'catfishing'.
Nancy added: "I've got no house and huge debts, but the pressure has now gone.
"I've restarted my business and have got a really good support network now."


Just 17% of England's rivers are judged to be in good health, according to Environment Agency figures.

This is down from 29% with a good ecological status in 2014. The analysis is shocking, say environmentalists.
Problems are caused by over-abstraction and pollution from farms, run-off from roads and effluent from sewage works - as well as invasive species.
The Environment Agency says the figures look bad because the EU's assessment criteria have been tightened.
The EU asks nations to grade rivers into poor, moderate, good and high. Governments should aim for rivers to be "good" - that is relatively unaffected by human activity. "High" refers to upland streams in sparsely-populated areas.
The statistics show 0.08% of England's rivers are high quality; 17.06 good; 62.4% moderate; 17.22% poor and 3.24% bad.
Rose O'Neill from WWF said: "The figures released today are shocking and show us that things are worse than we thought. This is unacceptable and threatens wildlife and livelihoods.
"It's clear that we are failing our rivers and the wildlife they impact. We need to see government action to restore these rivers, for example by reducing abstraction and tackling pollution."
The Environment Agency feels aggrieved by the ratings.
Previously it used to judge a river based on various chemical tests. Now a river must be subjected to many tests on chemistry, flow and wildlife - and if it fails any single test it cannot achieve "good" status.
It says if you examine the tests individually, 74% of them achieve the highest two scores of good or high status.
A spokesman said the agency has improved or stabilized the condition of nearly 2,000 miles of rivers.
He said: "The Environment Agency will continue to work closely with farmers, businesses and water companies to reduce pollution and improve water quality wherever, and however, possible."
Wildlife groups reject the phrase "wherever possible". They think the agency should be tougher with polluters and farmers who reduce the flow of rivers by taking out too much water.
The future criteria for measuring the health of river are currently under discussion.
Blueprint for Water, a coalition of 16 environmental and fishing organisations, urges the public to respond to the Agency's current consultation on River Basin Management Plans.
Farmers are concerned about who pays for the extra measures needed to meet the EU's rules under the Water Framework Directive.
Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin


The German government has publicly rebuked its own foreign intelligence agency after the BND suggested that Saudi Arabia's foreign policy was becoming more "impulsive".

The agency was particularly critical of the Saudi defence minister.
Officials in Berlin reacted after the Saudi government reportedly complained about the BND's frank assessment.
"The published assessment does not reflect the position of the German government," a spokesman said.
Saudi Arabia was an important partner "in a crisis-ridden world" and had great significance "especially on the way to peace in Syria", the spokesman insisted.
Anyone seeking a regional solution needed constructive relations with the Saudis, who were supporting rebel groups in the fight against the militant Islamist State (IS) group, he added.
The BND briefing, which emerged in German media, assessed changes in Saudi foreign policy since King Salman took power in January, including its military intervention in neighbouring Yemen and its decision to ramp up support for rebels in Syria. Saudi policies in Lebanon, Bahrain, Iraq were also cited.
"What was previously a cautious diplomatic stance of the elder leaders in the royal family is being replaced by an impulsive policy of intervention," the briefing said, adding that the Saudis were losing faith in the United States as a guarantor of regional peace.
It also singled out the king's son and defence minister, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom it suspected of holding ambitions of securing the royal succession.
Relations between Germany and the Saudis have become tense in recent years, analysts say, because of Berlin's decision to tighten restrictions on arms contracts and to speak out on human rights.
The German coalition government agreed this week to take part in a supporting role in the fight against IS militants in Syria.
A vote in the Bundestag on Friday is expected to back the mission, which involves Tornado reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and a 1,200-strong force.


Network Rail workers have voted in favour of a UK-wide strike in a row over pay, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union has said.

Its members voted 4-1 for action after rejecting pay offers from Network Rail, which owns and maintains most of Britain's railway infrastructure.
Union bosses rejected the offer of a one-off Â£500 payment to staff and three years of rises in line with inflation.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the result showed "the anger" of staff.
"It is now down to Network Rail to start taking this issue seriously, to understand the deep-seated grievance felt by their staff and to come forward with a renewed offer which protects pay and jobs," Mr Cash said.
"The union executive will now consider this overwhelming mandate for action and decide on our next steps aimed at securing pay and workplace justice."
The ballot had a turnout of 60%.


Global sea levels could rise by more than double the current best estimate, according to a new analysis of climate change in Antarctica.

The modelling assessment says that Antarctic melting alone could contribute more than a metre to sea level by the end of this century.
By 2500, according to the study, the same source could cause levels across the world to rise by 13m.
The authors say that rapid cuts in carbon emissions could limit this risk.
In 2013, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that, without any restrictions on carbon emissions, the seas around the world likely rise by up to 98cm by 2100.
However, the IPCC estimates contained a minimum contribution from Antarctica.
Other analyses since then have projected bigger increases, with a recent study suggesting that the oceans were rising faster than at any time in the past 2,800 years and by 2100 they could be up to 1.31m higher.
The exact level of Antarctica's impact on these projections has been vigorously debated. Late last year, a research paper suggested that projections of a contribution of a metre or more were not plausible.
But this new study argues that by 2100 the world could see 1.14m of sea-level rise from Antarctica alone.
The scientists say that their model is able to provide a more accurate prediction because it incorporates the impacts of some physical processes for the first time.
While other models have focussed on the impact of warmer waters melting the ice shelves from below, this new study also includes the effect of surface melt-water and rain trickling down from above and fracturing supporting ice, hastening its slide to the sea.
The model also calculates the impact of the disintegration of floating ice shelves. If this happens, it will  reveal walls of ice so tall that they cannot support their own weight.
The scientists involved expect that these extra factors will kick in over the coming decades, as warming from the atmosphere (not just from warmer waters below) becomes the dominant driver of ice loss.
"One reason that other models didn't include the atmospheric warming is because it hasn't started to happen just yet," said co-author Dr David Pollard from Penn State University, US.
"In Antarctica, around the edges at sea level, it's just beginning to get up to the melt point in summer.
"With that warming, the flanks of Antarctica will start to melt drastically in about 50 to 100 years - and then it will start to kick in according to our model."
The authors believe that they have demonstrated the accuracy of the new model by correctly replicating sea-level rise in warm periods, millions of years into the past.
"Recently, we looked at the long-standing problem posed by geological evidence that suggests sea level rose dramatically in the past, possibly up to 10 to 20 metres around 3 million years ago, in the Pliocene," said Dr Pollard.
"Existing models couldn't simulate enough ice-sheet melting to explain that."
If the world continues to emit "business as usual" levels of carbon dioxide over the coming decades, the scientists argue that sea-level rise will be double what has already been estimated for the coming 100 years.
"If these processes do kick in and they end up being as important as we think that they could be, then they really do have a big impact," said Prof Robert DeConto from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
"West Antarctica is responding very soon in these simulations and that ends up having a big impact on North America in particular."
Other researchers have praised the development of the new model for including impacts such as surface melt water and ice-cliff collapse, but they are uncertain about the conclusions.
"I have no doubt that on a century to millennia timescale, warming will make these processes significant in Antarctica, as well as Greenland, and drive a very significant Antarctic contribution to sea-level rise," commented Prof David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey.
"The big question for me is, how soon could this all begin, and could it be early enough to drive substantially higher sea levels by 2100?  I'm not sure, but these guys are definitely asking the right questions."
The authors believe that there is "good news" in their report. If global emissions of carbon are curtailed significantly then the extra factors that substantially boost Antarctic melting will be avoided.
Seas will continue to rise, but not at the runaway rates suggested by this paper, which has been published in the journal Nature.
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.


The first ever BBC Music Day will kick off its nationwide celebration of music next Friday and includes a relay spanning Hadrian's Wall.

Hadrian's Wall of Sound will feature hundreds of musicians from the North East and Cumbria performing along its 73 mile (117km) length.
Here's a look at what people can expect.
The event will start at daybreak on 5 June in Bowness on Solway, West Cumbria, and finish about 14 hours later in Wallsend, North Tyneside.
A baton will be passed between performers, who will use various modes of transport, including horses, motorbikes, unicycles, and an open-top vintage bus.
There will be a diverse range of acts including a pianist performing on a white grand piano in a field, teenage rap artists, Morris Dancers, a Northumbrian piper, and a ukulele band.
Durham-born operatic bass Graeme Danby, who will be performing on top of Cawfield's Crag, said: "I am a lucky man - I get to sing opera in the world's best opera houses but occasionally I get to do something different.
"This year it is singing my own special translation to a favourite aria from Mozart's opera Magic Flute in one of the world's most beautiful spots whilst being filmed by a drone helicopter."
He will then pass the baton on the Royal Northern Sinfonia Wind Quintet.
BBC Music Day will feature programmes, events and concerts across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
More than ten UK towns and cities will host events, with a number of star names, such as Tom Jones, Lulu, producer Mark Ronson and Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor acting as BBC Music Day Ambassadors.
The aim is to bring people together through their love of music, and the public has been asked to nominate unsung heroes - people who have made a contribution to the local music scene.
For details and to follow all the action as it happens on the day, visit bbc.co.uk/musicday.  You can also follow the action on Twitter with the #BBCMusicDay hashtag.
There are places along the wall where people can watch the relay go through, although not all locations are suitable.
The best places to see the relay are Carlisle, Housesteads, Brocolitia Temple and Newcastle Quayside.
BBC Breakfast TV, Radio 3, and local BBC stations in Newcastle and Cumbria will also cover the event.
BBC Look North will broadcast from Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend for the end of the relay, and there will be full online coverage on BBC Tyne and Wear, and BBC Cumbria.


Ruan Pienaar will start Ulster's Pro12 opener against the Dragons on Friday with Charles Piutau and Brett Herron handed debuts for the Irish province.

Pienaar's selection comes a day after the announcement that he would be leaving Ulster after this season.
Props Sam Hobbs and Craig Mitchell join backs Nick Macleod and Pat Howard in competitive Dragons debuts.
Ex-Wales hooker Rhys Thomas captains the visitors while Wales centre Tyler Morgan is on the bench.
England Under-18 international Herron will partner Pienaar at half-back with All Blacks star Piutau at full-back.
Prop Ross Kane will join Herron and Piutau in making his competitive debut after also playing in pre-season games.
With summer signing Rodney Ah You joining injured props Wiehahn Herbst, Ricky Lutton and Jonny Simpson as an absentee after being concussed in last weekend's warm-up win over Northampton, academy player Kane is handed his opportunity.
Andrew Trimble, along with other Ireland players Rory Best and Iain Henderson, is unavailable following his summer tour exertions with the national squad so hooker Rob Herring will captain the side.
Trimble and Herring are sharing the Ulster captaincy this season after national skipper Best stepped down from the role.
With Chris Henry also not available because of injury, Sean Reidy, Clive Ross and Roger Wilson are named in the back row.
Ulster's backline includes Ireland internationals Stuart McCloskey, Stuart Olding and Craig Gilroy with Louis Ludik not being risked because of a thumb injury and Darren Cave missing for personal reasons.
Piutau and Gilroy are joined in the back three by Ireland Under-20 player Jacob Stockdale.
Dragons' regional captain Lewis Evans is back-row cover on the bench.
TEAMS
Ulster: C Piutau; C Gilroy, S Olding, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; B Herron, R Pienaar; C Black, R Herring (captain), R Kane; P Browne, F van der Merwe; C Ross, S Reidy, R Wilson. Replacements: J Andrew, K McCall, A Warwick, A O'Connor, R Diack, P Marshall, S Windsor, R Lyttle.
Newport Gwent Dragons: C Meyer; A Warren, S Beard, J Dixon, P Howard; N Macleod, S Pretorius; S Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas (capt), C Mitchell: C Hill, R Landman; O Griffiths, N Cudd, E Jackson. Replacements: R Buckley, T Davies, L Fairbrother, N Crosswell, L Evans, C Davies, A O'Brien, T Morgan.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini (Italy), Helen O'Reilly (IRFU)
Citing commissioner: Wayne Sheridan (IRFU)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)


More than 80,000 migrating starlings have descended on Derbyshire, creating beautiful murmurations in the sky.

12 January 2017 Last updated at 19:20 GMT
The RSPB said birds form such patterns for safety, as predators find it difficult to target one bird in the middle of a hypnotising flock of thousands.
They also gather to keep warm at night and to exchange information.


League One side Oldham Athletic have sacked manager David Dunn after a run of seven league games without a win.

Ex-Blackburn midfielder Dunn replaced Darren Kelly on a temporary basis in September and was confirmed in his first management role after a month.
Assistant manager Dean Holden and first team coach Keith Brown have also left.
BBC Radio Manchester reports that a replacement has been chosen, but terms have yet to be agreed with his current club.
A club statement said they hoped to confirm an appointment by Wednesday afternoon at the latest.
"I would like to place on record my thanks and gratitude to David for his tireless efforts over the past four months under what have been extremely difficult circumstances," chairman Simon Corney told the club website.
Oldham were 19th in League One when Dunn first took charge, but they have since slumped to 22nd, five points adrift of safety.
The 36-year-old, who joined the Latics as a player last summer, won just three of his 20 games in charge.
The team failed to win a home league match under his management, and have not done so since beating Fleetwood in August.


Bright lights, glittering dresses and dazzling smiles are a feature of every beauty pageant, but Samoa's Miss Fa'afafine is a pageant with a difference - an annual celebration of the island nation's third gender tradition.

"I believe I was born a fa'afafine. Though originally I was born male, my feminine side is much stronger", says Velda Collins.
"A woman trapped in a man's body", is how she describes herself. "We are unique from the lesbian and gay community around the world, we have our own identity."
Despite the fa'afafine being an accepted part of Samoan culture for generations, she says life was hard growing up, as her parents never quite accepted her. They were afraid her identity would close doors for her in life.
So taking part in Miss Fa'afafine 2007 was one of the "most liberating experiences" of her life.
She went on to win that pageant, and is now one of the contest organisers.
This year, Miss Fa'afafine celebrates its 10th anniversary, and will see nine contestants from various countries and across all ages gather in front of a thousand-strong crowd on Friday.
The Samoa Fa'afafine Association (SFA), which organises the pageant, uses it to generate funds for their community work, but also to raise awareness of various human rights issues, especially their push for Samoan laws banning homosexuality to be repealed.
Ymania Brown, 53 and an SFA founder, says she has identified as a girl "since about the age of three", and remembers "having a crush on this particular boy in kindergarten".
But she says being fa'afafine is not the same as being gay.
"When you try to fit cultural idioms into Western boxes, what you end up doing is trying to find the nearest fit," she says.
"It's a very painful life to lead because of all the stigma and negative connotations," she said.
Her mother was accepting of her identity, though her father resisted.
"No parent would wish it upon their child, but once they see it's a losing battle they usually embrace it."
There is added weight to the contest this year, as the community feels their identity, traditionally accepted or tolerated in society, is coming under increasing pressure from religious conservatism in strongly Christian Samoa.
In June, a national newspaper caused outrage by publishing an uncensored image of the body of Jeanine Tuivaiki on its front page, a fa'afafine who was found dead, possibly by suicide, inside a church.
The prime minister said he was "appalled" by the front page, while the SFA said it had "robbed what last dignity and humanity Ms Tuivaiki had".
The newspaper apologised, but the SFA said it was a sign that fa'afafine "can never be fully functional free and equal citizens of Samoa" while anti-gay laws exist.
But Ymania says she sees a positive "change in the way acceptance is flowing".
"You see kids in primary school acting and talking as fa'afafines publicly," she added.
Many people attending conservative churches "are growing up and having children, who sometimes end up being fa'afafine so how can they go and discriminate against them?" she asks.
Ymania herself is a mother to two adopted boys.
"The first time I saw my name on my children's birth certificate listing me as their mother, I broke down," she said.
"Even growing up, all I ever wanted to be was somebody's mum. And the fact that my country has deemed me to be listed as the mother of my children on their birth certificate, it doesn't get any better than that."
Children are also one of the reasons why Ymania, and the SFA are fighting for greater LGBT rights in Samoa.
"If one of my kids turn out to be fa'afafine or have fa'afafine children - not only them but so many children across Samoa - I want them to grow up in a world that is tolerant," she said.
"It's probably not going to happen in my lifetime but I have to try to leave this world a better place than when I found it - for every citizen, including fa'afafines."


Dermot O'Leary has stepped in to replace Sir Terry Wogan as host on Friday's Children in Need fundraiser.

Sir Terry 77, had to pull out - for "health reasons" - for the first time since the TV event's launch in 1980.
The veteran TV presenter is having a procedure on his back and is understood to have withdrawn in line with doctors' advice.
He said he would miss "our wonderful, inspiring evening" but would still be "watching, cheering and donating".
O'Leary will front the annual charity BBC show from 19:30 - 22:00 GMT.
"We are incredibly grateful to Dermot for stepping in at such short notice but know he'll do us and Sir Terry proud," the corporation said.
The show is also due to be presented by Tess Daly, Rochelle Humes, Nick Grimshaw and Fearne Cotton.
"It's a huge honour to be asked to step into Sir Terry's shoes tonight; he is one of my broadcasting heroes and has been a source of support for me down the years," O'Leary said.
"I'd like to add my best wishes to Sir Terry for a speedy recovery, and I hope I do him justice and do my small part to make the night a success and make as much money as we can for disadvantaged children across the country."
Sir Terry said the event - which this year is set to feature a special Star Wars sketch with characters C3PO and R2-D2 - would go on "bigger and better than ever".
One Direction, actress Dame Helen Mirren, former Doctor Who star David Tennant, Sherlock actor Martin Freeman and singer Ellie Goulding are also expected to feature in the show.
Singer and television presenter Humes tweeted, telling Sir Terry to "Get well soon", and that "we will miss but will do you proud".
In a statement, Sir Terry said: "So here we are on the 36th edition of Children in Need, every one of which I've been proud to present since it started in 1980, and for the first time I won't be there to cheer you on with word and gesture to another record-breaking year."
He added: "The British public, as always, will dig deep in their pockets and purses to help the country's disadvantaged children, knowing that every penny will go to those who need it most."
A BBC spokesman said: "We are so sorry that Terry won't be with us as we know how passionate he is about Children in Need.
"But we wish him a very speedy recovery and know he'll be watching from home and enjoying the show."
Children in Need has raised more than Â£790m for children and young people across the UK since its launch.
More than Â£32.6m was raised on the night of the broadcast last year.


Mae Chelsea Manning yn dweud ei bod "yn edrych ymlaen at gymaint" wedi iddi gael ei rhyddhau o'r carchar yn America.

Cafodd y milwr Americanaidd, fu'n gwasanaethu yn Irac, ei dedfrydu i 35 mlynedd yn y carchar yn 2013 am ryddhau gwybodaeth gyfrinachol i wefan Wikileaks.
Roedd rhyddhau Ms Manning yn gynnar yn un o benderfyniadau olaf Barack Obama fel arlywydd. Cafodd hynny ei feirniadu gan y darpar arlywydd ar y pryd, Donald Trump.
Cafodd y milwr, 29, ei magu yn Oklahoma, ond wedi i'w rhieni ysgaru, symudodd gyda'i mam i Hwlffordd yn Sir Benfro, lle cafodd dair blynedd o addysg uwchradd yn Ysgol Tasker Millward.
Mewn datganiad gafodd ei ryddhau gan ei thîm cyfreithiol, dywedodd Ms Manning: "Ar ôl pedwar mis arall o ddisgwyl, mae'r diwrnod wedi cyrraedd.
"Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gymaint. Beth bynnag sydd o'm blaen, mae'n llawer pwysicach na'r gorffennol.
"Dwi'n sortio pethe mas nawr, sy'n gynhyrfus, lletchwith, yn hwyl ac yn newydd i fi."
Roedd hi wedi cwblhau saith mlynedd o'i dedfryd o 35 mlynedd yn y carchar cyn iddi gael ei rhyddhau o'r carchar yn Kansas ddydd Mercher.
Cafodd ei harestio yn 2010 a'i dedfrydu yn 2013 ar chwe chyhuddiad o dorri deddf ysbïo America am ryddhau 700,000 o ddogfennau milwrol cyfrinachol i wefan WikiLeaks.
Tra'n cyfaddef ei bod wedi rhyddhau'r wybodaeth tra'n gwasanaethu yn Irac, mynnodd wneud hynny er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth am effaith gweithredu milwrol yr Unol Daleithiau ar ddinasyddion diniwed.
Yn ddyn o'r enw Bradley Manning pan gafodd ei garcharu, aeth drwy broses o newid ei rhywedd yn y carchar.
Ar ddau achlysur yn 2016, ceisiodd ladd ei hun, ac fe gwynodd ei bod yn cael ei thrin yn wael.
Dywedodd ei mam, Susan Manning cyn iddi gael ei rhyddhau: "Rwy' mor falch o Chelsea ac ar ben fy nigon y bydd hi o'r diwedd yn rhydd unwaith eto.
"Mae'n mynd i fod yn anodd iawn iddi ddygymod wedi cyfnod mor hir yn y carchar, a dwi'n hapus y bydd hi'n aros yn Maryland lle mae ganddi deulu i ofalu amdani."
Wedi'r cyhoeddiad y bydd hi'n cael ei rhyddhau, mae Chelsea Manning wedi dweud ei bod yn gobeithio defnyddio'r gwersi y mae hi wedi eu dysgu yn y carchar er mwyn helpu eraill.


The European Space Agency (ESA) says its comet lander, Philae, has woken up and contacted Earth.

Philae, the first spacecraft to land on a comet, was dropped on to the surface of Comet 67P by its mothership, Rosetta, last November.
It worked for 60 hours before its solar-powered battery ran flat.
The comet has moved nearer to the sun since and Philae has enough power to work again, says the BBC's science correspondent Jonathan Amos.
The Philae craft made three short contacts of about 10 seconds each at roughly 9.30pm on Sunday.
The probe sent the message: 'Hello Earth! Can you hear me?"
Scientists say they now waiting for the next contact.
What is the Philae lander?
Philae is designed to analyse ice and rock on the comet.
The Rosetta probe took 10 years to reach the comet, and the lander - about the size of a washing-machine - bounced at least a kilometre when it touched down.
Before it lost power, Philae sent images of its surroundings which showed it was in a type of ditch with high walls blocking sunlight from its solar panels.
Its exact location on the comet has since been a mystery.


Harlequins lock George Merrick has extended his contract with the Premiership club.

The 24-year-old has scored two tries in 43 first-team appearances since making his debut in 2013.
"He is another outstanding product of our academy," Quins director of rugby John Kingston said.
"I have no doubt that with a continued progression under the shrewd guidance of our coaching group, he can go on to international honours."
Quins have not disclosed the length of the England Under-20 international's new deal.


Nigeria has made a vital step towards being declared polio free, after marking a year without a recorded case.

It can now be taken off the list of countries where the disease is endemic, if the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the results.
Nigeria had struggled to contain polio since some northern states imposed a ban on vaccinations in 2003.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries to record cases in 2015.
Global health experts are hoping polio can become only the second human infectious disease to be eradicated, after smallpox.
Nigeria will still have to wait a further two years without a recorded case to be certified as polio free.
Polio:
Nigeria polio: Immunising the vaccine fears
Nigeria's battle to contain polio
Polio can only be prevented by vaccination as there is no cure.
The 2003 immunisation ban in some northern states followed allegations by some state governors and religious leaders in the mainly Muslim north that vaccines were contaminated by Western powers to spread sterility and HIV among Muslims.
Independent tests ordered by the Nigerian government in 2004 declared that the vaccines were safe.
But there was still some hostility in a few areas to vaccination drives, with violent attacks against health workers.
The last attack was in 2013 when nine polio vaccinators were shot dead at health centres in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.


At least 25 people have died in a third consecutive day of Syrian government air strikes and shelling on rebel-held parts of Aleppo, activists say.

Eight besieged eastern districts were reportedly bombarded, as government forces stepped up an offensive.
A three-week moratorium on air strikes declared by the government and its ally Russia came to an end on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, another 20 people were killed in car-bomb attack in the rebel-held town of Azaz, north of Aleppo.
Both rebel fighters and civilians were among the dead, a senior official in the rebel Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement told AFP news agency.
Yasser al-Yousef said the attack had targeted a security office belonging to his faction and that it "bore the hallmarks" of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), to which it is fiercely opposed.
Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, has been divided in roughly two since 2012, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east.
On 22 September, two weeks after encircling the east and reimposing a siege on its 275,000 residents, the army launched an all-out assault to take full control of the city with the help of Iranian-backed militias and the Russian air force.
By the end of October, air strikes and shelling had killed more than 700 civilians in the east, while rocket-fire had left scores dead in the west, according to the UN.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said that a further 65 people had been killed since the government's aerial bombardment resumed on Tuesday, ending weeks of relative calm.
On Thursday, the areas of Fardous, Bustan al-Basha, Saliheen, Maadi, Ansari, Sheikh Faris, Mowasalat and Masakin Hanano were targeted, the Local Co-ordination Committees activist network said.
Rebels reportedly responded to the strikes by shelling western districts.
A children's hospital and a hospital specialising in surgery in eastern Shaar district came under attack on Wednesday, medics and activists said. Staff at the children's hospital had to move children, including premature babies, from cots and incubators to the basement of the building.
Also on Thursday, video footage taken on the ground by a charity worker outside Aleppo appeared to show a Russian cruise missile flying over the city.
Russia has announced that it has been launching cruise missiles as part of a major operation against IS and the rival jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in the north-western province of Idlib and central province of Homs. But it has denied targeting Aleppo province.
The Russian military says one air strike in Idlib on Tuesday killed at least 30 members of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which was known as al-Nusra Front until it formally broke off ties with al-Qaeda in July.


Portable urinals are set to be trialled in Edinburgh in a bid to cut down on late-night revellers urinating in the street.

The open air plastic structures would be set up in the city centre over Friday and Saturday nights before being removed the next day.
Edinburgh City Council said the Grassmarket was a particular 'hot spot' for people urinating in the street.
It would cost about Â£9,000 to buy the temporary urinals.
There would be further ongoing costs for servicing, installation and removal.
They may also be trialled at taxi ranks, where there is usually a marshal.
An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman, said: "Urinating in the street accounts for a third of all fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour and a large amount of residents' complaints.
"We are keen to address this issue with temporary urinals at some of the 'hotspots' around the city."


A Tata Steel management buyout is "risky" but the UK government's offer of help is a good one, Sir Vince Cable has said.

The former business secretary said the offer to take a 25% stake in the firm's UK operations is "quite close" to what he would have offered.
He said it showed a commitment to south Wales after Tata announced it would sell its loss-making UK operations.
But he said it was only a first step, with the steel market "awful".
"The 25% offer is quite close to what I would have done," said Sir Vince, who served in the coalition government between 2010 and 2015.
"It sends the right message the government is committed to south Wales and the steel industry and it is within the rules we have to operate."
However, speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales, he said there were still "a lot of hurdles to overcome".
"We don't know who the buyer is and if there is a buyer, if they will succeed because the economics of the situation at the moment are pretty awful with the low world prices [for steel] and ferocious competition," he said.
This makes a management buyout "risky", Sir Vince said, adding that, long-term, habits in British industry must be changed, with a proper strategy drawn up and more products used that are made in the UK.
Responding to suggestions his successor as business secretary, Sajid Javid, had been slow to intervene, he said the government was "reasonably cautious" because of the "economics of the industry".
He said: "They haven't done a complete U-turn, but they have acknowledged reality that government has an absolutely key role working alongside private business and I'm encouraged by that.
"As a starter it is a good move and we should applaud it. Let's hope there is a good buyer and they can turn it around".


The US singer Chris Brown has been told he is unlikely to be given a visa to perform in Australia because of his record of domestic violence.

The singer is scheduled to go on tour in Australia in December, and tickets are due to go on sale on Monday.
He now has 28 days to appeal.
In 2009, Chris Brown pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend, the pop star Rihanna. He has toured Australia twice since, but the government is under pressure to refuse him this time.
Australia's immigration department has issued a "notice of intention to consider refusal", Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said.
The singer has 28 days to present a case as to why he should be granted a visa, after which a final decision will be made.
Minister for Women Michaelia Cash, who was until recently assistant immigration minister, had urged Mr Dutton to take a stand on the issue.
"People need to understand, if you are going to commit domestic violence and you want to travel around the world, there are going to be countries that say to you, 'You cannot come in because you are not of the character that we expect in Australia'", Senator Cash said.
The decision about Brown's visa follows the government's decision earlier this year to refuse a visa for world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather on similar grounds.
Mayweather had been booked for dinner and nightclub appearances in Sydney and Melbourne in January.
New Zealand has already ruled that Brown is unsuitable for entry into the country.


World number one Angelique Kerber beat Romania's Simona Halep 6-4 6-2 to all but book her place in the last four of the WTA Finals in Singapore.

The German, who beat Dominika Cibulkova in Monday's opener, swept past world number four Halep in 82 minutes.
"I'm feeling very, very good here," said Kerber.
American Madison Keys recovered from losing to Halep in her opening match to see off Cibulkova 6-1 6-4 and stay in the hunt for the semi-finals.
Two players will progress from each of the tournament's two groups to contest the semi-finals. Defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza are in the other.
Kerber ended Serena Williams' 186-week stay at world number one in the wake of winning the US Open in September and her trademark precise forehand, which also helped her to the Australian Open title in January, proved too potent as Halep was forced out wide and out of contention.
Kerber played the big points especially well, converting four of five break points, compared with Halep's return of just one break from six opportunities.
She has won only twice on her three previous appearances at the season finale and has never been beyond the group stages.


US oil services companies Halliburton and Baker Hughes have called off their proposed merger after resistance from regulators in the US and Europe.

The deal, announced in 2014, would have seen a $34.6bn takeover by Halliburton of Baker Hughes, creating a powerful rival to global leader Schlumberger.
Halliburton and Baker Hughes are the second and third biggest oil services companies.
That raised concerns about higher prices and reduced competition.
Baker Hughes stands to receive a $3.5bn break-up fee as a result of the deal falling through.
Failure to satisfy regulatory concerns was not the only reason for abandoning the merger.
The fall in the oil price since the proposal was announced changed the financial attractiveness of the cash and shares deal.
The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to stop the merger last month, arguing it would leave only two dominant suppliers in the well drilling and oil construction services industry.
The European Commission also expressed concerns that the deal might reduce competition and innovation.
Both companies have been hit by a fall in business as oil and gas giants rein back on projects and investments.
Last week, Baker Hughes reported a bigger-than-expected first-quarter loss. Last month, Halliburton announced 6,000 job cuts.


When pop star Justin Bieber's Mumbai concert was announced, his Indian fans went into a tizzy.

Each of them wanted a ticket to the concert.
But for some, the venue, a stadium in a suburban area of Mumbai, was too far to travel, and for others tickets were too expensive, the best reportedly priced at 75,000 rupees (Â£905; $1,165).
But that did not dampen the spirits of the fans, popularly known as Beliebers, who chose to follow the concert on TV and social media.
And then local media reported about an exhaustive list  of things Bieber wanted in Mumbai. Some described the list - which included a washing machine, glass-door refrigerators and a jacuzzi - as bizarre.
But this too did not deter his diehard Indians fans from supporting him.
So it seemed nothing could go wrong for Bieber in India... at least not until he performed.
Looking at the euphoria before his concert, nobody expected any negative feedback.
But some felt that the singer lip-synced some of his songs, and that did not go down well with his fans. Many have taken to Twitter to express their feelings about the singer's performance. Justin Bieber has not made any comment.
Some fans, however, chose to defend Bieber, saying Indians should not feel offended because they are used to Bollywood stars lip-syncing songs recorded by professional playback singers.
And some are also upset about the choice of his casual clothes on stage.
And finally, Bieber reportedly left India shirtless, and it didn't go unnoticed in the media... or maybe he was just changing his shirt?


US President Barack Obama has urged Northern Ireland's leaders to move forward with the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement and the Fresh Start Agreement.

President Obama dropped into a meeting Vice-President Joe Biden was having with First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister in Washington on Wednesday.
In a statement, the White House said the president had commended both leaders on the progress made towards peace in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Foster and Mr McGuinness are visiting the United States as part of St Patrick's Day celebrations.
On Tuesday, Sinn FÃ©in President Gerry Adams did not attend a St Patrick's Day event in the White House.
Mr Adams was told there was a security issue when he attempted to gain access to the event in Washington DC.
The American Secret Service later said it regretted that the issue had not been resolved in a more "timely manner".


Thousands of Met Police officers are to be asked if they want to be routinely armed with a gun or Taser.

A survey by the Metropolitan Police Federation will consult all its members on their views about equipping officers with weapons.
An extra 600 firearms officers in London have been pledged following the Paris terrorist attacks.
Scotland Yard said it did not support the routine arming of officers.
Does the presence of armed police reassure people?
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Federation, which represents 32,000 officers in London, said it was "only fair" to ask police what they wanted amid a "constant" terror threat.
Questions being put to officers in the survey include:
"We're not an armed force, we never have been" said Mr Marsh.
"But the terrorism threat in London is constant and our officers must be vigilant and be able to deal swiftly with any scenarios we face.
The threat level for international terrorism in the UK has been severe - meaning an attack is highly likely - since August 2014.
Mr Marsh added arming officers could have a "lot of implications" - including harder fitness tests for officers.
"This is not about just giving someone a gun and saying 'get out there'" he said "there's a huge amount of work that would need to be done".
Nationally, the number of armed police is being increased by 1,500.
Unlike most other countries most officers in the UK are unarmed.
2,139
authorised firearms officers
6.7%
of the total police ranks
3,974 police firearms operations between March 2015 and March 2016
7 incidents where police firearms were discharged in 2015-16
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed.
"Twice in recent years the Met has increased the number of specially-trained officers who carry Taser, and this is kept under constant review."


Swansea City manager Bob Bradley says disagreements between the club's Supporters' Trust and board will not affect his team.

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An "administrative error" was blamed when the Trust claimed former director Leigh Dineen had been reappointed to the board without its consultation.
The club's new American owners had previously apologised to the Trust for a lack of communication.
Bradley hopes fans get behind the side for Saturday's visit of Crystal Palace.
"Supporters speak up and voice their opinions," he said. "It's all fair. They are the heart and soul of the club.
"But supporters also know that when that team steps on the field, for that 95 minutes, the only thing that matters is what happens with the result."
The Swans are bottom of the Premier League and five points from safety, having failed to win since the opening day of the season.
Bradley has not won in five games since succeeding Francesco Guidolin as manager while Palace have lost their past five games - conceding 13 goals - and are 16th.
"We're just focusing on making sure we put a bad stretch behind us and it's going to happen this week," added Bradley.
"There will be plenty of time for the other things to work themselves out. But let's make sure that the relationship between the team and the supporters carries us through this stretch.
"I want the players to feel that support and the supporters to know the players are going to give everything for them."
Swansea signed Borja Baston, Fernando Llorente, Alfie Mawson, Leroy Fer and Mike van der Hoorn in the summer, but Bradley will look to the January transfer window in order to turn his side's fortunes around.
"The discussions have been positive about identifying ways we can improve the team. The idea is that we are going to look to improve our squad," Bradley said.
"We have a road ahead that will require looking at all the possibilities and fighting like crazy.
"You can make cases for different parts of the field [where we need to strengthen]. Just before January we will make a decision."
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Ivan Lintin repeated his 2015 success in the Lightweight TT by winning Wednesday's race for Supertwins.

The Lincolnshire rider saw off the challenge of early leader James Hillier to win by 12.5 seconds and take the second win of his TT career.
The 31-year-old assumed the lead at the Bungalow on lap two of four and steadily increased his advantage until the chequered flag.
Martin Jessopp from Hampshire secured his first TT podium by finishing third.
Riders Motorcycles pilot Jessopp, also 31, edged out compatriot Gary Johnson by 2.3 seconds after a race-long battle.
Lap record holder Hillier, winner of the race in 2013 and runner-up on three previous occasions, led by two seconds after the opening circuit, thanks to a lap of 118.864mph.
Meanwhile, any chance of Michael Rutter or Danny Webb clinching a win for injured team boss Ryan Farquhar's KMR Kawasaki outfit was quickly extinguished as they retired at Brandywell and Crosby respectively.
RC Express Kawasaki rider Lintin set the fastest lap of the race at 119.80 next time round, and an efficient pitstop saw this year's double North West 200 winner extend his lead.
"I saw that I was two seconds behind so I knuckled down, dug deep on the second lap, and the boys did a great job in the pits," said Lintin.
"I made a couple of mistakes and saw a couple of yellow flags but I pushed on in between those and obviously did enough."
Italian Stefano Bonetti was fifth on the only Paton bike in the field, with Dan Cooper, still recovering from shoulder injuries sustained at the North West last month, in sixth spot.


A cycle network in Deeside will be improved after £1.3m has been secured to help regenerate the Flintshire community.

The work comes as part of plans to expand the area's enterprise zone and improve links with communities.
About £6m has been secured from the Welsh government's Vibrant and Viable Places fund over the last two years.
Some of the money will also be used on energy efficiency projects on council houses in the area.


Japan's space agency has released the first images taken by a drone it operates on the International Space Station (ISS).

The so-called Internal Ball Camera drone was sent to take pictures and video of the work of the astronauts.
The drone can float in a zero-gravity environment and is operated from earth.
Dubbed a little ball of cuteness floating about in space it has been offering a window into life on the ISS.
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said the drone was delivered to the ISS in early June. But only now have the first images and videos that it captured been released.
According to the space agency, it can move "anywhere at any time via autonomous flight and record images from any angle".
Its purpose is quite simply to take pictures and videos - which until now had been done by the astronauts themselves as they document their work and experiments.
According to JAXA this currently "amounts to about 10% of their working hours".
The images can be sent in real time back to earth and will allow "flight controllers and researchers on the ground to check the crew's work from the same viewpoint as the crew".


North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, South Korea's military has said.

It said the missiles, launched off the east coast, flew some 500km (310 miles) and fell into the water.
Shortly after the launch, Pyongyang announced it "nullifies" all inter-Korean cooperative projects and will liquidate South Korean assets in the country.
Most South Korean assets in the North are in the Kaesong industrial zone.
South Korea pulled out of the jointly-operated industrial zone in February, after North Korea's latest long-range missile launch of a satellite. At the time, the North called the shutdown "a declaration of war" and designated Kaesong as a military zone.
On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also claimed scientists had developed nuclear warheads small enough to fit on ballistic missiles.
However, South Korea's defence ministry said it thought the North had "not yet secured miniaturised nuclear warheads".
The claim is critical, as without miniaturisation Pyongyang cannot put its nuclear weapons on missiles - an ability many analysts think could still be several years away.
In response to the miniaturisation claims, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said of Kim Jong-un that "the young man needs to pay more attention to the North Korean people and taking care of them, than in pursuing these sorts of reckless capabilities".
North Korea's missile programme
How advanced is North's nuclear programme?
Will carrots or sticks change North Korea?
What is the Kaesong Industrial Complex?
The two missiles launched on Thursday morning were fired from Hwanghae Province, the South Korean military said. It added that the missiles later fell into the sea off North Korea's east coast, without providing further details.
Japan promptly lodged a protest to North Korea via its embassy in Beijing, over the latest launches, reported Kyodo news agency.
The missile launches are seen as the North's response to the UN imposing some of its strictest sanctions, after the North conducted its fourth nuclear test in January and last month launched a satellite, both in contravention of existing sanctions.
Tensions have been especially high this week as US and South Korean forces hold their annual joint military exercises known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle.
This year they are the largest ever, with about 17,000 US personnel and around 300,000 South Korean troops participating - both significant increases on 2015, in addition to increased naval and air force assets.
The drills routinely generate tension, but this year Pyongyang threatened to launch a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" against the US and South Korea.
"We will launch an all-out offensive to decisively counter the US and its followers' hysterical nuclear war moves," a newsreader on the state-run North Korean KRT news channel said at the time.


Two men have escaped injury after a masked man fired a crossbow at their van in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, police have said.

The men's vehicle was on the forecourt of a petrol station on Prince Andrew Way when the attack took place at about 17:15 BST on Tuesday.
The bolt caused minor damage to the black Renault Traffic van.
The attack is being investigated by detectives in the PSNI's Reactive and Organised Crime unit.


The Denver Nuggets will play the Indiana Pacers at London's O2 Arena in the seventh regular-season NBA game to be played in the United Kingdom.

The 12 January fixture is the first time either side has played overseas during the regular season.
Indiana lost in the first round of the play-offs last season, while the Nuggets failed to make it out of the Western Conference.
The Toronto Raptors beat Orlando Magic 106-103 in January at the O2.
The first regular-season game to be staged in the UK was the New Jersey Nets' 116-103 success over the Raptors in March 2011.


BBC's The One Show host Alex Jones is pregnant, she has announced.

She tweeted that the baby is due in the new year, saying that she feels "so lucky".
The Ammanford-born television presenter, 39, married husband Charlie Thomson in December 2015.
In a recent interview, she said she did not regret leaving it late to start a family, saying she wanted to marry someone who would "be a great father".
On Friday, she tweeted: "Charlie & I are very happy to confirm that we're expecting a baby in the new year. Feel so lucky that we're about to become parents."
The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant studied at Aberystwyth University and has hosted shows in both English and Welsh.
She is currently making a documentary called The Truth About Fertility and gave an interview to the Radio Times about it.
"My mum went through the menopause early (at 43), but I don't regret leaving it late," she said.
"I wanted to marry someone who would be a great father. He came along when I was older and now children could happen, which is great."
In the same interview, she spoke of the pressures on women to have children later, adding, "that's where the problem lies."


A teacher who was stabbed by a 14-year-old pupil in a classroom has said he feared he would die after the attack.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Vincent Uzomah said he prayed "God, don't let me die" as he ran to look for help after being stabbed in the stomach.
The boy - who cannot be named - has been sentenced to 11 years detention for the attack at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford on 11 June.
Mr Uzomah, 50, said he was still too traumatised to return to teaching.
"I was just thinking is it my time to die? Is this my last hour? I didn't say goodbye to my wife, my little kids," he said.
The boy racially abused the father-of-three before stabbing him with a kitchen knife he had brought to school.
Mr Uzomah said he did not realise what had happened until he saw the knife being pulled out from his stomach.
"I looked around for help and there was nobody around. I felt if I stayed in the classroom probably the worst would happen and I started feeling cold inside so I held it tightly and started running towards the reception.
"I just prayed 'God, don't let me die'. I was really frightened."
At the boy's sentencing, Bradford Crown Court heard how the teenager had discussed the attack with a friend beforehand and later made "sick" boasts about his actions on Facebook.
Mr Uzomah later criticised those people who had "liked" a status update from his attacker on the social networking site, which contained the line, "I stick a blade straight in his tummy".
He said: "It makes me feel like the society is drifting away from the normal way of life and if things are not really put into place to correct this, it will keep on getting worse."
But Mr Uzomah said although the attack had caused him and his family pain, he still felt some sympathy for the boy and had forgiven him.
He admitted that he was still too frightened to return to work, despite his passion for teaching.
"The way I'm feeling at the moment, I don't think I could step into the classroom. But I believe with time I will get over it," he said.
"If I go to the park and see some kids who look similar to the boy that stabbed me, for sure it's there. I feel the need to protect myself. It is really not a good feeling."
The boy was handed an 11-year extended sentence, which includes six years' detention and five years on licence.
He admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent but denied attempted murder.


The future immigration system must be agile enough to adapt to evolving labour market needs, recruitment experts have warned.

The latest Markit Report on Jobs for Scotland found sharp rises in permanent and temporary job placements in April.
Growth in temporary staff demand was also at its highest in nearly a decade.
However, recruiters said success was threatened by declining candidate availability as employers struggled to bring in the skills they need.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) said whichever party formed a government after the general election on 8 June must safeguard access to workers the country needs from abroad, as well as invest in UK jobseekers.
The jobs report found growth in permanent appointments continued for the third month running in April, with the fastest rate of expansion for 21 months.
This contrasted with a slowdown recorded across the UK as a whole.
There was also a sharp increase in temporary placements - the steepest since August 2014.
However, the availability of workers fell further in April, with the sharpest drop in the availability of permanent staff in nine months.
Meanwhile, availability of Scottish temporary candidates declined at the quickest pace in nearly two years.
The IT and computing, nursing/medical/care and hotel and catering sectors saw the highest growth in demand for permanent staff, while nursing/medical/care, IT and computing and engineering and construction led the way for temporary staff.
The report also found that average salaries for permanent starters in Scotland rose sharply in April, while the rate at which temporary pay increased in Scotland was the fastest recorded for a year.
REC chief executive Kevin Green said: "The resurgence of the Scottish jobs market continues for the third month running.
"Demand for temporary staff is at the highest level recorded in almost 10 years as employers seek to manage Brexit uncertainty and meet consumer demand.
"News that starting salaries for permanent roles are increasing will also be welcome - there's a lot to feel good about north of the border."
He added: "Declining candidate availability is a threat to this success, because employers are struggling to bring in the skills they need.
"If British business is to thrive, then whichever party forms a government after 8 June needs to address the ever-shrinking pool of suitable candidates by investing in skills and career advice for UK jobseekers as well as safeguarding access to the workers we need from abroad.
"It is vital that the future immigration system is agile enough to reflect and adapt to evolving labour market needs."


The father of a man who died fighting so-called Islamic State in Syria says he doesn't know where his son's body is or if it will ever return to the UK.

Dean Carl Evans, 22, from Reading, died in July in the city of Manbij after joining a Kurdish military group.
His father revealed his will states he wished to be buried with his "brothers and sisters" in the war-torn country.
The Foreign Office has told him his body may still be in Syria despite reports it was moved to Iraq.
John Carl Evans, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said his son was shot and then killed in a rocket attack.
He added that the will sounded as if "Dean knew he would pass away there".
"He was shot, and a Kurdish woman tried to help him. But they were fired on by a rocket-propelled grenade round and both lost their lives," he said.
"I was told his body was moved to the Iraqi border and then to Erbil, but now I am told it is still in Syria," he said.
The former soldier said he had no idea his son was in Syria, only learning of his whereabouts when the Foreign Office contacted him to tell him about Dean's death.
"The last time I spoke to him was just before his 21st birthday, but it was hard to get hold of him after that," he said.
"I thought he was a farmer in Wiltshire, living with his stepfather.
"The news still hasn't sunk in, I haven't had any time for my own grieving. But I am proud of him and his family is proud of him."
Dean travelled to Syria to join the People's Defence Units (YPG) - a Kurdish military force fighting in northern Syria.
The YPG described Mr Evans as a "man with the noblest of intentions who planted a seed of love into the hearts of [his] friends and all the peoples of Rojava [Western Kurdistan]".
The Foreign Office said it had advised for some time against all travel to Syria.
"Anyone who does travel to these areas, for whatever reason, is putting themselves in considerable danger," it said.


Mariyappan Thangavelu won India's first Paralympic gold medal in Rio with an impressive jump of 1.89m in the men's T42 event.

The high jumper showed perfect technique to bring India its first gold since 2004.
Thangavelu's win also means that India's paralympians have already outperformed India's Olympic contingent of more than 100 athletes.
The athlete has received cash rewards from the government and praise from celebrities like legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
But the celebrations and rewards around Saturday's win pale in comparison to the adulation India showered on badminton player PV Sindhu and wrestler Sakshi Malik who won silver and bronze respectively at the Rio Olympics.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Thangavelu, who lost his right foot in a road accident when he was five, said he won the medal for his mother who had always supported him.
He said his mother motivated him to participate in sports and helped him retain his confidence whenever he didn't perform well.
"We were already poor, and she was the only earning member. The accident made my mother's life more difficult. She had to take care of a disabled son," he told the newspaper.
Thangavelu was joined on the podium by Varun Singh Bhati, who won a bronze medal for India in the same event.


Triggering Article 50 would "significantly change" the devolution settlement as it applies to Wales, the Welsh Government has claimed.

The UK government is appealing against a High Court ruling that Theresa May must consult Parliament over the process to leave the European Union.
The Welsh Government has now set out its objections to the Supreme Court.
Counsel General Mick Antoniw said a "constitutional principle" is at stake.
The UK government claims the prime minister can invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to launch the formal two-year process of leaving the European Union using crown prerogative.
But Welsh ministers have objected, claiming the same method could be used to undermine devolution unless the appeal fails.
In its submission to the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing next month, the Welsh Government claims that a large number of its devolved functions derive from EU law and will "therefore be lost upon the UK's withdrawal from the EU Treaties".
The Welsh Government's top legal advisor Mr Antoniw set out two main reasons why Theresa May cannot use so-called "prerogative powers" to begin the process without the consent of Parliament.
The Pontypridd AM says the two-year process of withdrawing from the EU would "modify the competence of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government" is such a way that requires the approval of MPs.
He also said the UK government would have to "short-circuit" a convention whereby ministers in Westminster may not legislate for devolved matters without the consent of the devolved legislature.
In their verdict last month, three High Court judges ruled that triggering Article 50 would fundamentally change UK people's rights - and the government cannot change or do away with rights under UK law unless Parliament gives it authority to do so.
In his case, Mick Antoniw goes a step further by arguing that the powers transferred from Parliament to the assembly use "primary legislation" which cannot be altered without the permission of MPs.
"The constitutional principle at stake is wider and does not permit the prerogative to dispense with primary legislation," he says.
"It is not confined to legislation that affects individual rights. It operates to prevent the prerogative from being used so as to have the effect of altering the competence of the Welsh Assembly and Welsh ministers."
In its submission to the Supreme Court the UK Government says: "Under the UK's constitution, it is for the Government to exercise prerogative powers to conduct the UK's affairs on the international plane. That is a vital part of the conduct of modern inter-state business and is entirely consistent with the sovereignty of Parliament".
A UK government spokesman said: "We have received the arguments set out by the Scottish and Welsh governments and will set out our arguments in due course.
"It would not be appropriate to comment further before then."


Three men have been charged with affray after a man was hit by a van during a suspected murder attempt in Surrey.

The 21-year-old suffered serious head, arm and leg injuries in Bowers Farm Drive, Burpham, Guildford, on 12 May.
Iain Vase, 29, of Pond Meadow, Shaun Ritson, 31, of Lime Grove and Darren Harms, 47, of Lime Grove - all in Guildford, are due in court on 21 June.
Last month, Raymond Harms faced two counts of attempted murder, dangerous driving, affray and criminal damage.
The charges also related to incidents that occurred in Lawrence Close on the same evening.
Mr Harms, 25, from Guildford, is due to stand trial at Guildford Crown Court on 10 October.


An Egyptian woman who was believed to have been the world's heaviest has been admitted to a hospital in Abu Dhabi to receive further treatment.

Eman Abd El Aty, said to have weighed around 500kg (1,102lb), left an Indian hospital on Thursday after doctors said she lost more than 250kg.
She flew business class to the United Arab Emirates. Doctors say she will undergo a year of physiotherapy there.
Recent weeks saw a row erupt between her doctors in India and her family.
It began when her sister, Shaimaa Selim, released a short video on social media alleging that her sister was still unable to speak or move, and had not lost as much weight as the hospital was claiming.
The hospital strongly denied the allegations.
The surgeon, Dr Muffi Lakdawala, told an Indian news channel that Ms Selim had wanted her sister to stay in hospital until she was able to walk again, but orthopaedic specialists had told her Ms Abd El Aty would never walk again.
Doctors, paramedics and nurses accompanied her on the passenger flight to Abu Dhabi, according to reports.
She had arrived in India on a specially-modified Airbus plane in February and was put on a special liquid diet to reduce her weight so that doctors could perform bariatric surgery.
The AFP news agency quoted newspapers in United Arab Emirates as saying that Ms Selim has disagreed with how the Indian doctors had treated her sister.
"I asked for help (in the Emirates) after noticing the lack of progress," she said on Thursday.
Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat.
The two most common types of weight loss surgery are:
Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full
Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full