Sri Lanka's top meteorologist has publicly apologised for the naming of a recent deadly cyclone after a revered third century ruler, King Mahasen.

The cyclone, which hit two weeks ago, killed 18 people across Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma.
Majority Sinhalese nationalists said the king's name should not have been used in such a negative context.
The name Mahasen was one of a pool of names compiled by eight Indian Ocean nations a decade ago.
Meteorology department director-general SH Kariyawasam said that he was sorry "if any insult was caused to King Mahasen or the country's proud history".
In a letter to the National Council for the Protection of Historical Irrigation Cultural Heritage, Mr Kariyawasam said that the names "were merely proposed as Sri Lankan names and their selection did not have any basis, explanation or intention".
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that nationalist monks and President Mahinda Rajapaksa all criticised the use of the name for the storm, saying the Sinhalese King Mahasen was a great man who brought prosperity to the nation.
More than a million people in Bangladesh were told to evacuate low-lying coastal areas as Cyclone Mahasen approached.
In Sri Lanka the storm was reported to have killed at least seven people and left thousands more homeless.


Rural Wales needs the equivalent to the city deals struck around Cardiff and Swansea, a Labour AM has said.

Eluned Morgan said a strategy is needed as a matter of urgency so rural areas can have the same kind of attention parts of urban Wales have had.
It is one recommendation in a wide-ranging report calling for a coherent rural economic strategy post-Brexit.
The Welsh Government said it would ensure rural interests were protected as the UK prepared to leave the EU.
The Labour AM for Mid and West Wales has worked with a group of business people to draw up the report, which she is presenting to Economy Secretary Ken Skates on Monday.
The Cardiff City Region Deal is expected to be worth Â£1.2bn to the capital and surrounding authorities over 20 years - while the Swansea Bay equivalent has been billed as potentially triggering Â£1.3bn in investment.
"There are two major challenges confronting rural Wales today," said Ms Morgan.
"One is Brexit and the fact that we are not only going to be losing structural funds... but also we will be losing subsidies to farmers.
"Secondly, there is and has been a focus in Wales in recent years on city deals. That money is now being agreed with UK central government and there is as yet no such deal in sight for rural Wales.
"That's why we have to start to develop a strategy where we can catch-up and have the same kind of attention that those city areas have had."
"We now need a rural deal," she added.
The report said consideration should be given to establishing an independent rural commissioner, to be responsible for rural-proofing policy and to ensure rural Wales is considered in Welsh Government programmes.
It said a "plan must be in put in place... to ensure rural Wales has an ability to flourish economically in the future, and continue to be a viable environment for young people and old to live and work."
Brian Thomas, deputy president of the Farmers' Union of Wales, would also like to see a commissioner for rural Wales.
He said: "Having a commissioner would be an advantage, no doubt.
"The agricultural industry employs a lot of people indirectly and those indirect  jobs are very good jobs usually, there are vets and agronomists, [but] you cannot say that for the tourist industry.
"What we need is better jobs and better well paid jobs."
The report calls for a "private-sector driven bid" to the UK government, supported by Welsh Government and councils, to fund initiatives in the report, which proposes among other recommendations:
It also proposes possible pilot projects such as:
A Welsh Government spokesman said it welcomed the report.
"We are currently refreshing our economic priorities and, as part of this work, we will ensure rural interests are protected and feature strongly as Wales works towards a future outside the EU," he said.


A woman has been given a community payback order after she was found with a homemade "bomb" made up of three fireworks in a sock.

Tessa Banks, 33, of Dumfries, had previously been found guilty of having the device in a flat in the town.
A court heard how a bomb disposal expert had been called out to make it safe.
Banks was put under supervision for 18 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
She was also told to take part in a special behavioural programme.
Banks had denied the committing offence between November 2015 and March last year but she was found guilty at the end of three-day trial at Dumfries Sheriff Court last month.
The court heard that the alert had been raised after a friend told police she had been shown the device and was concerned over what might happen.
The jury was told by a bomb disposal expert that he had cleared the area at the house as he tackled the improvised device made from three fireworks wrapped in a sock.
During evidence it was said that Banks was having issues with the social work department at the time.
It was claimed that she had forgotten the device was there until the friend had seen it.
Solicitor Ranald Lindsay stressed that there was no evidence that Banks had had a hand in making it and described her as "a vulnerable person easily influenced by her partners".
However, Sheriff Brian Mohan pointed out that the device was capable of causing injury to anyone nearby or starting a fire.


It's not long to go now until the court covers come off, the umpires' chairs are dusted off, the strawberries are picked and Wimbledon 2017 finally begins!

Britain's two best tennis stars will be taking to the court - that is the men's world number one Andy Murray and women's British number one Johanna Konta.
Andy Murray's older brother Jamie will also be battling it out on the doubles court, with his partner Brazilian Bruno Soares.
But who are the ten other British tennis talents that we know will be joining the Murray brothers and Konta on court next week?
The 22-year-old, who became a professional tennis player five years ago, qualified for Wimbledon automatically as he is ranked inside the world's top 100.
When he played Novak Djokovic in March 2016 in the Miami Masters, Djokovic - who was the world number one at the time - said that Edmund could get to the top of the men's game.
He has played in Wimbledon four times before, both in the singles and doubles tournament, but has not got past the first round.
Can he do it this year?
Like Kyle Edmund, Aljaz Bedene qualified automatically too.
The 27-year-old was born in Slovenia, but became a British citizen in 2015.
He has also played in Wimbledon four times before, in both the singles and doubles tournaments. However, two years ago, he got through to the singles second round.
We will have to wait to see if he can do it again - or go even further - this year.
Naomi, along with the next six players in this list, was given a wild card for Wimbledon this year, which means she didn't qualify automatically.
The 27-year-old is not quite in the world's top 100 players, but is hoping to get there in time for the US Open later this year.
She has played in Wimbledon six times before, and even made it through to the third round in the doubles tournament last year.
Can she match that success in her singles game in 2017?
Heather Watson used to be the women's British number one, but she has had a difficult season, and is currently outside of the top 100 in the world.
The 25-year-old has a total of seven years of Wimbledon appearances behind her. Only three players on this list of less-known British players have played in the tournament this many times.
Last year, she won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with her partner Finn Henri Kontinen, which she told Newsround was "a dream come true".
Will dreams come true over the next fortnight? Well, she has played well in the Wimbledon warm-up tournament.
"I've been working really hard these last couple of months and have been waiting for the results to start coming and it's nice they've started coming here at home on grass," she said.
Like Heather Watson, the 23-year old has been British number one in the past and has also appeared in seven Wimbledon tournaments. Robson even got as far as the 4th round in 2013.
In that same year, she reached the 3rd round of the US Open and the Australian Open, but Robson has not matched this success over the last four years.
She didn't have much luck in Wimbledon last year as she was drawn against the Australian Open champion at the time, Angelique Kerber, in the very first round. She was beaten 6-2, 6-2.
We will have to see on Friday whether or not she will have an easier match to begin with this year!
Having only reached the second round of qualifying at Wimbledon last year, Katie Boulter will be playing in the main Wimbledon draw for the first time in her career.
The 20-year-old, who was in the top 10 players in the world as a junior player, has said she will "cherish" the experience.
With no grand slam singles or doubles results to her name, it will be interesting to watch how this young player gets on.
"I am looking forward to playing and thankful to get the opportunity to test my skills against higher-ranked players," she said.
Australia-born Brydan Klein, who has represented Great Britain since 2013, is another wild entry into the main draw for Wimbledon this year.
Like Kyle Edmund, he has never made it past the first round in either of the last two years when he has played in the tournament.
He did make it to the second round of the Australian Open in 2009, but has not had much success in grand slams since.
Will 2017 at Wimbledon be his year?
Like Katie Boulter, 21-year-old Cameron Norrie has no grand slam results to his name.
He is currently studying sociology over in America, but has put his studies on hold to come over to compete at Wimbledon.
Just this week, Norrie got his first victory over a top 50 player by defeating Argentina's Horacio Zeballos in Eastbourne, which is a good start.
But time will tell whether or not he can secure any more career-changing wins over the next fortnight...
Like Laura Robson, James Ward didn't have an easy first round at Wimbledon last year when he found himself coming up against top seed Novak Djokovic. He was beaten 6-0, 7-6, 6-4.
The 30-year-old has played in the tournament seven times before in both singles and doubles, with his best result being getting to the third round of the singles game in 2015.
We bet he's crossing his fingers right now for a better draw on Friday than last year!
Alex Ward, who is ranked 855 in the world, is the only British player who has come through the Wimbledon singles qualifiers.
This will be the second time he has played in the main draw at Wimbledon, after he received a wild card entry last year.
"It will mean everything [to return to Wimbledon], especially having qualified. I feel like I really deserve my place there," he said.


Bank staff have been threatened by thieves wielding a handgun and a crowbar during an armed robbery in Fife.

Two men targeted the TSB branch in Kirkcaldy's Dunearn Drive at about 10:40.
The pair demanded cash, threatening staff at the premises with the weapons during the "frightening" raid. No-one was injured.
They then made off with a sum of money on two bikes along Alford Avenue.
The amount of money stolen has still to be established, police said.
Officers have stepped up patrols in the area and are appealing to the public for information.
The suspects were both wearing dark clothing, including black caps, and had green carrier bags.
Ch Insp Stevie Hamilton, of Police Scotland, said: "Fortunately no-one was injured in what was a frightening incident for the staff and customers at the bank.
"Officers are currently speaking to witnesses, carrying out searches of the area and making inquiries at neighbouring premises.
"The two men approached on bikes from Alford Avenue and left again in the same direction, so I'm keen to speak to anyone who may have seen them before or after the robbery so we can establish their movements."


David Cameron has said a vote on the future of the European Arrest Warrant will be held before the Rochester and Strood by-election on 20 November.

The prime minister is facing a rebellion by Conservative MPs who do not want the UK to continue to be party to the EU-wide agreement.
The PM says the arrest warrant has been substantially reformed and that it is in the UK's interest to sign up again.
Labour has pressed Mr Cameron to hold a vote within the next week.
The UK has to decide by 1 December whether to continue to adhere to a host of EU criminal justice and law enforcement measures, including the European Arrest Warrant, under the terms of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty.
Conservative backbenchers have long called for a specific Commons vote on the European Arrest Warrant, which allows the quick extradition of suspects around the EU.
Pressure has grown in recent weeks for the vote to be held before the Rochester by-election, in which UKIP, which wants to leave the EU entirely, hopes to snatch the seat from the Conservatives.
The Home Office, the police and the security services say the EU Warrant is a vital tool to protect the UK but some Conservative MPs argue that it has been abused and has become a threat to the liberties of Britons, and the sovereignty of the UK.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has offered Mr Cameron his party's support in a vote over the European Arrest Warrant, meaning that the measure - which is also backed by the Liberal Democrats - is likely to be passed by the Commons.
But the BBC's chief political correspondent Vicky Young said up to 100 Conservative MPs could rebel.
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Mr Cameron rejected Labour claims that he was putting off a vote on the issue until after the Rochester by-election because he was running scared of UKIP.
He said a vote could not be held until negotiations elsewhere in Europe had concluded and the threat of a block by Spain had been lifted.
"I'm not delaying having a vote on it, there will be a vote on it," he said. "We are going to have a vote and we are going to have it before the Rochester by-election."
The prime minister said the UK had already agreed to opt out of 100 other EU justice provisions, which he said amounted to the biggest single transfer of powers back from Brussels to the UK.
But he added: "It is important we take action to keep Britain safe, particularly from serious criminals and terrorists, and the European arrest warrant offers the best way of doing that.
"I would stress to those who are concerned about this, the European Arrest Warrant is very different from the arrest warrant first introduced under the last Labour government.
"You cannot now be extradited for something that isn't a crime in Britain, judges are able to reject European Arrest Warrants and they have done so in many, many cases.
"And you can't be extradited if there is going to be a long period of detention. These are all important considerations."
Conservative MP John Redwood said he was "disappointed" at Mr Cameron's continued support for the EAW and said it would result in a "happier party and a happier country" if the UK negotiated a separate set of arrangements with other EU countries to maintain its "legal independence".


Defending champions Australia have been dealt a blow after all-rounder Grace Harris was ruled out of the Women's World Twenty20.

The 22-year-old is being treated for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Team doctor Leanne Hutchison said: "It was not medically safe for her to fly and play whilst undergoing treatment."
Her replacement at the India-based tournament, which begins on Tuesday, will be uncapped all-rounder Nicola Carey, also 22.
While still awaiting her international debut, Carey was also called into Australia's trophy-winning squad of 2012 as an injury replacement for Sarah Coyte.
She helped Sydney Thunder win the inaugural Women's Big Bash League in January, and will join up with the Southern Stars' squad on Saturday ahead of their first game against South Africa next Friday, 18 March.
Australia are bidding for a fourth successive World T20 title after winning the event in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
BBC Two: How do I recognise a DVT?


Half of all misogynistic tweets posted on Twitter come from women, a study suggests.

Over a three-week period, the Demos think tank  counted the number of uses of two particular words as indicators of misogyny.
It found evidence of large-scale misogyny, with 6,500 unique users targeted by 10,000 abusive tweets in the UK alone.
Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has said that tackling abuse is a priority.
The research comes as UK MPs - Yvette Cooper, Maria Miller, Stella Creasy, Jess Philips - alongside former Liberal Democrat minister Jo Swinson, launch their Reclaim the Internet campaign, in response to growing public concern about the impact of hate speech and abuse on social media.
The campaign has opened an online forum to discuss ways to make the internet less aggressive, sexist, racist and homophobic.
Launching the campaign, Ms Cooper told the BBC: "The truth is nobody knows what the best answers are. There is more when there is criminal abuse, for example rape threats, that the police should be doing but what is the responsibility of everyone else? What more should social media platforms be doing?"
She said that the campaign was an opportunity for the public to "put forward their proposals and demands for the changes we want to see".
In response to the survey, Twitter's head of trust and safety Kira O'Connor told the BBC: "Hateful conduct has no place on the Twitter platform and is a violation of our terms of service.
"In addition to our policies and user controls, such as block, mute and our new multiple tweet reporting functionality, we work with civil society leaders and academic experts to understand the challenge that exists."
The Demos study also looked at international tweets and found more than 200,000 aggressive tweets using the words, "slut" and "whore", were sent to 80,000 people over the same three weeks.
Analysis: Jane Wakefield, Technology reporter
The commonsense approach to posting comments on social networks would be to never say anything online that you wouldn't say to someone's face but that simple rule seems to be regularly ignored.
Being able to post anonymously helps and, in many ways, social networks have become the modern day equivalent of a natter over the garden fence or a gathering on the village green - but on a global scale.
And just as in the old gossip circles of old, there will be people whose comments are meaner or more aggressive than the rest, so that is amplified online. And now the voices of the trolls can be heard and they can pick victims - generally people they don't know - pretty much at random.
Abuse on social networks is not new and neither is the revelation that women contribute to the problem.
A 2014 study from cosmetics firm Dove found that over five million negative tweets were posted about beauty and body image. Four out of five were sent by women.
The bigger question is what can be done about it?
We have seen in recent years the police take the issue much more seriously and trolls have faced lengthy prison sentences. Some have made public apologies to their victims.
Education will be key. Teaching youngsters who haven't yet joined social media platforms that politeness is not a dying art and that if you say hurtful things online, they could genuinely cause distress, may give the next generation pause for thought before they start typing.
Demos used algorithms to distinguish between tweets being used in explicitly aggressive ways and those that were more conversational in tone.
Researcher Alex Krasodomski-Jones said: "This study provides a birds-eye snapshot of what is ultimately a very personal and often traumatic experience for women.
"While we have focused on Twitter, who are considerably more generous in sharing their data with researchers like us, it's important to note that misogyny is prevalent across all social media, and we must make sure that the other big tech companies are also involved in discussions around education and developing solutions."
She added that it was not about "policing the internet" but was more "a stark reminder that we are frequently not as good citizens online as we are offline".
Thousands have responded to the hashtag #ReclaimtheInternet, with many congratulating the female MPs for starting the campaign.
Others though questioned how effective the campaign would be, with some questioning whether it would damage free speech.
Correction 27 May 2016: This article originally linked to the wrong Demos study. This has now been corrected to the relevant press release. The think tank has not published its latest data in full.


Craft brewer and bar operator BrewDog has posted a dip in annual pre-tax profits, despite soaring sales.

The Aberdeenshire firm reported that profits fell in 2015 from just over £3.65m to less than £3.5m, while revenue climbed by 51% to £44.7m.
BrewDog said its overheads grew "slightly faster" than its overall revenue as it expanded its operations.
Last year, investments included opening 16 new bars around the world and constructing a new brewery in the US.
The brewer said revenue growth in 2015 would have been "much higher" if it had had the capacity to meet demand for its beers.
BrewDog has invested more than £20m in its Ellon brewery, increasing brewing capacity from 200,000 hectolitres per year to one million hectolitres.
It is also establishing its first base in the US, building a new 100,000 sq ft brewery in Columbus, Ohio. The facility, which is part of a $25m (£17.6m) expansion project in North America, is expected to be ready in September this year.
In its results statement, the company said: "As well as growing at 51%, 2015 was all about putting the capacity, people and infrastructure in place for our next five years of sustained fast growth and we are now in a position where we have 1.5 million hl (hectolitres) of brewhouse capacity.
"To put this in perspective, our 2015 output was 134,000 hl so we now have capacity to burn.
"In addition, brewing on our bigger system in Ellon in 2016 should have a significant and positive impact on our 2016 gross margin as we are able to brew our beers more efficiently."
BrewDog also reported it had now raised more than £14m in the fourth round of its UK Equity for Punks crowdfunding scheme.
It has set a target of £25m by the time the round closes later this month.


A severe weather warning remains in place across the whole of Wales as heavy rain continues.

The Met Office said it was possible up to 80mm (3in) of rain could fall between 10:55 BST on Monday and 11:00 on Tuesday.
The average rainfall for the whole of June in Wales last year was just over 100mm - considered above normal.
Six flood alerts are also in place for areas close to rivers.
Natural Resources Wales issued flood alerts for those living close to the river Conwy, the rivers Loughor and Amman, the rivers Gwendraeths, river Glaslyn and river Dwyryd.
An alert has also been issued for north Gwynedd and for the whole of Anglesey.
The Met Office yellow "severe weather" alert warns there could be some disruption to transport routes and difficult driving conditions.


Indian cricket team coach Anil Kumble has said that MS Dhoni, who recently stepped down as limited-overs captain, will always be "a leader in the team".

Kumble said Dhoni's decision shows how "selfless he is" because he thought it was "the right time for Virat Kohli to take over" as the new captain.
The coach added that Dhoni's "10 years of captaincy shows his phenomenal capabilities as a leader".
India will play England on Sunday in the first match of their ODI series.
Why MS Dhoni's place in cricket history is assured
Reliving Dhoni's 'unorthodox' decisions as captain
Kumble said Dhoni took over the captaincy from him in 2007 under difficult circumstances.
"It is not easy coming into the team as captain and having so many senior players. He managed them really well. He not just got the best out of them but also got the best for the team. Both as number one Test side and later on winning the World Cup...," the PTI news agency quoted him as saying.
Kumble added that Dhoni still had a lot to contribute to the team as a player.
"MS has been one of the best captains that we have had. Hats off to him and congratulations to him for what he has done as captain. Now looking forward to MS as the batsman and keeper and as a leader. He is still a leader in the team," Kumble added.


Benin came away from South Sudan with a 2-1 win on Wednesday as the third round of group qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations began.

West Brom forward Stephane Sessegnon struck the opener on 16 minutes and Benin added a second on 75 minutes. South Sudan pulled one back late on.
The victory lifts Benin to the top of Group C above Mail who play on Friday.
New Fifa president Gianni Infantino was in attendance after he had inaugurated the South Sudan FA's office.
In Group G Chad hosted Tanzania with both sides looking for their first win.
Tanzania earned a 1-0 victory thanks to Mbwana Samatta's 30th-minute strike. It lifted them level on points with second-placed Nigeria, while Chad remain rooted to the foot of the table without any points.
Nigeria take on group leaders Egypt on Friday.
Sao Tome e Principe pulled off an incredible comeback to beat Libya 2-1 in their Group F clash.
Both sides went into the game having lost their first two matches and having scored only one goal apiece.
Faisal Albadri put Libya ahead after 24 minutes but the hosts scored two goals in the last five minutes to snatch victory. An own goal from Eltrbi set them on their way and Dos Santos bit the winner.
It keeps alive their hopes of qualification. Group rivals Cape Verde and Morocco- both on six points - play each other on Saturday.
In Group E Guinea-Bissau lifted themselves off the foot of the table with a 1-0 home victory over Kenya.
Idrissa Camara struck the only goal of the game after 15 minutes to give his side their first win of the group stage.
The top-of-the-table clash between Zambia and Congo ended in a 1-1 draw, moving both sides on to five points with at the summit because of a superior goal difference.
Hosts Zambia took the lead on 60 minutes through Winston Kalengo but it lasted only 15 minutes,  Jordan Massengo restoring parity with a goal for Congo.


In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani profiles the lawyer who brokered the release of 82 women captured by Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

When 57-year-old Zannah Mustapha arrived for the handover of the 82 Chibok girls freed from Boko Haram after three years in captivity, a militant read out the girls' names from a list.
One by one, the abducted schoolgirls, now women, lined up along the outskirts of a forest near Kumshe town, on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Each of them was covered from head to ankle in a dark-coloured hijab.
"I went ahead of the Red Cross. They [the militants] brought the girls to me," said Mr Mustapha, the lawyer from Borno state in north-east Nigeria.
He has been mediating between the government and militants for the release of the Chibok girls and for an end to the Boko Haram insurgency.
In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari told the media that his government was willing to negotiate with "credible" leaders of Boko Haram for the release of the girls.
More than 200 of them were abducted a year earlier from the north-eastern town of Chibok, sparking global outrage.
Previous attempts had failed, with different groups coming forward, each claiming to be the militants in possession of the missing schoolgirls.
It was Mr Mustapha who succeeded in convincing the Nigerian authorities that this particular group should be taken for what they say, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu told me.
"He had dealt with them in the past and they keep to their word," he said.
Mr Mustapha's role as a mediator dates back to his founding the Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School in 2007, to provide free Islamic-based education to orphans and the poor.
When the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in 2009, the school offered admission to the children of soldiers and government officials killed by the militants, as well as those of militants killed by the state.
Mr Mustapha then sought the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which began providing free meals to the pupils.
He also encouraged parents to form an association which would reach out to other widows and convince them to send their children to his school.
The ICRC soon extended its humanitarian services to the mothers, providing them free food and other items every month.
"This was at a time when the wives of Boko Haram militants were being arrested and their houses demolished, so Boko Haram saw me and the ICRC as neutral parties," Mr Mustapha said.
What next for freed Chibok girls?
What we know about the abductions
The town that lost its girls
Torment of a freed Boko Haram 'bride'
During the previous government of President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Maiduguri, the epicentre of the insurgency, to intervene in the escalating crisis.
He then set up a group to discuss peace with Boko Haram. Mr Mustapha was included in it because of the relationship he had forged with the families of Boko Haram militants.
After the Swiss ambassador to Nigeria paid a visit to the Future Prowess school in 2012, he arranged for Mr Mustapha to go to Zurich and Geneva to receive formal training as a mediator.
"We were already trying to negotiate peace with Boko Haram before the Chibok girls were kidnapped," Mr Mustapha said.
The initial negotiation was for a batch of 20 Chibok girls to be released.
But, as a sign of commitment to their relationship, Boko Haram added an extra woman, whom Mr Mustapha said was their gift to him, hence the number 21.
When they were released in October 2016, she was chosen by Boko Haram to read out the names of the other 20 women from a list.
Mr Mustapha said the 21 women were lined up and asked by Boko Haram militants if they had been raped. They all said they were not.
When a militant approached a woman who was carrying a baby, she said that she was pregnant at the time of her abduction, having got married a few weeks earlier.
The baby girl in her arms, she said, was her husband's child.
For some reason, Boko Haram, a group that has cultivated a reputation for brutality, wanted it to be known that it was only after the women "agreed" to get married that the militants had sexual relations with them.
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:
"I felt that I have done something that is worth saying to the world that I have done this," Mr Mustapha said.
This process of lining up the women, pointing at each one and asking the same question, was repeated at the beginning of May when 82 more women were released.
One of about seven Boko Haram militants, who accompanied them, went from woman to woman asking: "Throughout the time you were with us, did anyone rape you or touch you?" Mr Mustapha said, adding that each of them replied in the negative.
None of the second batch of 82 captives came with a child.
But one had an amputated limb and was walking with crutches, an injury she sustained, according to what Mr Mustapha was told, during Nigerian military air strikes against Boko Haram.
"You are free today," Mr Mustapha announced to the 82 women after all the names were called out.
"They all smiled," he said.
He believes that their subdued reaction was as a result of the presence of the militants, all armed with guns, some wearing army camouflage uniforms and boots.
Mr Mustapha then took some photographs with the women. The militants also had their video camera on hand and recorded the event. ICRC vehicles eventually arrived.
"When I told them to go to the cars, they all ran," Mr Mustapha said. "Immediately they entered the vehicles, they started singing for joy. Some shed tears."
Mr Mustapha has received a number of accolades for his work with Future Prowess School. He was a finalist for the 2016 Robert Burns humanitarian award, given to those who have "saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through self-sacrifice, selfless service, hands-on charitable or volunteer work, or other acts". He was also given a 2017 Aurora Prize Modern Day Hero award, for those whose "life and actions guarantee the safe existence of others".
However, he described handing over the 82 freed girls to the Nigerian government as "the highest point in my life".
"I felt that I have done something that is worth saying to the world that I have done this," he said.
More from Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani:


In his final years, Osama Bin Laden urged his followers to remain focused on attacking the US, newly released documents show.

US officials have published a trove of files found at his Pakistan hideout the night the al-Qaeda chief was killed.
They include Arabic correspondence with his lieutenants, a love letter to one of his wives and an application form to join the terror group.
He also had English language books on economic and military theory.
In one of the letters, Bin Laden instructs one of his deputies to tell "our brothers" that they must remain focused on fighting Americans.
Their "job is to uproot the obnoxious tree by concentrating on its American trunk, and to avoid being occupied with the local security forces," he writes.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said a "rigorous" review had taken place before the spy agency ordered the release of the documents.
There are 103 papers and videos in all, including a number of translated letters, notes, and other materials detailing al-Qaeda operations. Many of the documents also have a version available in Arabic.
One letter mocks President George W Bush's War on Terror, with Bin Laden writing that it had not created stability in Iraq or Afghanistan.
There is also section entitled Materials Regarding France, which includes a number of academic reports and articles about France's military, politics and economy.
Also listed is a document described as a "suicide prevention guide", several English language books including Bob Woodward's Obama's Wars, several maps, and a few video game guides.
He made a video letter to one of his wives, in which he says:  "Know that you do fill my heart with love, beautiful memories, and your long-suffering of tense situations in order to appease me and be kind to me".
They say you can tell a lot about a person from their bookshelf. But what can we tell about the leader of al-Qaeda from his? Firstly, he wanted to know his enemy - he seems to have read plenty on America including bestsellers like Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward.
Unsurprisingly, he also seemed to favour books which were critical of American power such as by Noam Chomsky or Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins which recounted the author's claims of American companies exploiting the developing world.
There's also an element of trying to learn his opponents' weaknesses and vulnerabilities - retired British colonel John Hughes-Wilson's book on military intelligence blunders makes an appearance as do books on guerrilla warfare.
There also some books which perhaps suggest a bit of wish fulfilment - The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy for instance.
Also on the list is Imperial Hubris by Michael Scheuer - the CIA analyst who first ran the unit dedicated to tracking Osama Bin Laden back in the middle 1990s and also, rather oddly, a book entitled A Brief Guide to Understanding Islam.
What was on Bin Laden's bookshelf?
Also on the list was Checking Iran's Nuclear Ambitions by Patrick Clawson. When asked by the BBC about his feelings when he heard, Mr Clawson replied sarcastically: "Wonderful, I am glad it is read in such high circles."
Among the documents appears to be an application to join the ranks of al-Qaeda, including questions about hobbies and a willingness to be a martyr.
The documents are being released in the wake of President Obama's calls for greater transparency, said Jeffrey Anchukaitis, a spokesman for the ODNI.
"The intelligence community will be reviewing hundreds more documents in the near future for possible declassification and release," he said.
Some of the material that has been included in the trove was previously declassified for use in federal prosecutions.
Bin Laden was killed in a raid by US special forces on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011.
In 2012, some documents found in the operation were released by the West Point US military academy.


Big Orange has the chance to be the big story at Glorious Goodwood this week - but there are a whole host of reasons to follow this year's five-day festival.

While the most popular horse in flat racing seeks to become the first runner to win the Goodwood Cup three years in a row, other big names are also chasing glory.
From the fascinating prospect of a 'Duel on the Downs' between Ribchester and Churchill, to Winter's bid for a fourth straight Group One win of year, the meeting is filled with stellar talent.
Here, BBC Sport guides you through the moments to watch out for.
First things first: don't miss any of the features.
Two of the biggest prizes of the Tuesday-to-Saturday festival, the Goodwood Cup and the Nassau Stakes, have both moved slots.
In changes that could catch out the unwary, the £500,000 Goodwood Cup, now upgraded to Group One status, is to be staged on the opening afternoon, not Thursday.
Meanwhile, the £600,000 Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares - which is already a Group One race - has upped sticks from Saturday to take centre stage on Thursday.
Officials hope the moves will boost attendance for the early part of the fixture, sponsored for the third year by Qatar.
Big Orange, the most popular horse in flat racing, will attempt to rewrite history by becoming the first horse to win the 205-year-old Goodwood Cup three times on the bounce.
Record holder Double Trigger was successful three times in four years - winning in 1995, 1997 and 1998.
In June, the big, powerful son of the stallion Duke Of Marmalade - hence the Big Orange name - raised the Royal Ascot roof with a narrow success over Order Of St George in the Gold Cup there.
Now, with jockey-of-the-moment Frankie Dettori back on board after missing Ascot because of injury, Big Orange faces up to 15 opponents in the two-mile race.
Big Orange's Newmarket-based trainer Michael Bell likes what he's seen from the six-year-old in training of late. The Bell team might not be the only ones to have noticed that.
"When we walk down from Warren Hill [gallops], there's a road beside that runs up towards the village of Moulton, and the school bus invariably goes past at the time he's walking home," Bell told BBC Sport.
"When he sees the bus, my head lad Tyrone Lloyd-Jones, who rides him, has a job to sit on him, though he's always ready for it.
"He goes through a few motions, whips round or throws a few shapes. But it tells us - and maybe the kids on the bus - his well-being. If he doesn't do it, we know he's not 100% himself."
A catchy name and a bold, front-running style have gained a wider and wider following for Big Orange, owned by businessman Bill Gredley and his son Tim.
All fans know that the horse prefers drier ground conditions, so, for them, it would be 'Glorious' if Goodwood's weather could live up to its long-held nickname.
With a nod to Goodwood's picturesque location high up above the cathedral city of Chichester, they call the £1m Group One Sussex Stakes the 'Duel on the Downs'.
In recent years, there have been all sorts of shootouts involving top-notch runners such as Kingman, Toronado, Canford Cliffs and two-time winner Frankel.
In 2017, two more big names are taking aim.
Ribchester, successful in this season's Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes, faces the three-year-old Churchill, victorious in the Newmarket and Irish 2000 Guineas.
The Coolmore-owned and bred Churchill, trained by Aidan O'Brien, must bounce back from a defeat at Royal Ascot, and may find the increasingly imperious four-year-old Ribchester, part of Sheikh Mohammed's resurgent Godolphin string and trained by Richard Fahey, quicker on the draw.
No, don't panic, not that kind of winter, but the three-year-old filly named Winter, who is all set to try to make it four stellar wins on the trot in the Nassau Stakes.
A one-mile standard-bearer for Coolmore, she has already mopped up in both the Newmarket and Irish 1000 Guineas, as well as the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Trainer Aidan O'Brien is upping her distance by a quarter-mile, and she has some hardy opponents, but she'll probably freeze them out all the same.
Big Orange is not the only popular runner with an easy-to-remember name going for an historic repeat success at Goodwood.
Take Cover - 'TC' to jockey-turned-trainer David Griffiths and his team at Bawtry, South Yorkshire - attempts to become the first horse to record three wins in the Group Two King George Stakes on day four.
The potentially tricky undulations of the Goodwood track make it one that often attracts the 'horses for courses' brigade, and the veteran 10-year-old is firmly in that camp.
This will be the fifth year running that he has come to either the King George Stakes or to a supporting race, and he has never been out of the first two nor beaten much more than the length of Top Cat's whiskers.
"It seems stupid to say it when he's 10 years old," said Griffiths, "but he seems be taking his races better than he used to - can that be possible?
"He was great when winning at York last time, and seems just as good and strong as last year.
"He's won on heavy [going], but ideally wants it good or firmer. I've been driving the clerk of the course [Seamus Buckley] mad ringing for the latest reports."
Griffiths was an apprentice jockey with trainer Ian Balding when one of his greatest stars Lochsong, looked after by good friend Chris Scudder, became the most recent dual King George Stakes winner, in 1993 and '94.
"You see your mate go to Goodwood with the stable star and win," he said, "and of course you think about doing it yourself one day.
"When Take Cover won the second and emulated Lochsong, it was very special, but to beat her record, and therefore, I suppose, beat the Guv'nor [Balding] would be fantastic, a dream."
Take Cover is sure to go well, but the race favourite Battaash will be hard to beat.
Projection, trained by Roger Charlton, was a fine third at Royal Ascot in the big-field Wokingham Handicap, when he was the first home of the runners racing on the stands' side of the track.


The mother of a seven-year-old boy who was shot as he opened the door to his home has spoken of her horror at seeing "blood pouring" out of him.

Jayne Hickey and her son Christian were shot when two men knocked on their front door in Gillingham Road, Salford on Monday evening.
Ms Hickey said her injuries meant she had not been able to care for her son.
Christian had surgery to remove a bullet on Wednesday, which has been passed to police for examination.
Police have linked the shooting to armed feuds between gangs.
Speaking about the moment her son was shot in the left leg, Ms Hickey said she "saw blood pouring from Christian".
"I screamed for his dad to put pressure on him. I knew he had been shot and I couldn't help him. I collapsed."
She said her son was "an athletic sporty boy [who] loves life", adding that he was "a very popular boy with pupils in his class".
Greater Manchester Police has issued descriptions of the two men responsible: the first is around 19 or 20 years old, of a "chunky" build and with a local accent, the second man is only described as white.
Both men are believed to have been wearing baseball caps.
Appealing to "all the mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters of children in Salford" to help find the men, Assistant Chief Constable Rebekah Sutcliffe said the shooting would be "etched on Christian's memory forever".
"If your little boy was shot, you would want answers and we are asking you to be brave and break your silence for the sake of all the other children in Salford who are now at risk," she said.


A council has voted to become the first in the world to charge Parkrun a fee for the use of its grounds.

Hundreds take part in two free, timed runs organised by Parkrun UK in Little Stoke Park, near Bristol.
Stoke Gifford Parish Council said it was "unfair" to expect non-running residents to pay for path upkeep. It voted six to four in favour of charges.
Event co-director, Becky Bushnell, said the result meant the Little Stoke event would end.
She said it was "now a question of how much notice the council gives us".
In a statement issued prior to the vote, the council said it did not want to discourage use of the park for exercise, but it would be "unfair" to expect residents to foot the bill for an event with "paid directors, fundraisers and sponsors".
At Tuesday's meeting, parish council chair Ernie Brown said: "People can come here any time they like".
"Running, exercise - we welcome that. It's a facility that anyone can use. But as an organisation, like any other organisation, they should pay towards the contribution for facilities," he said.
Geoff Keogh, a Parkrun organiser, told the meeting he did not believe the run had a significant impact on the park, but volunteers would be willing to undertake maintenance activities or litter picks "as a way of offsetting whatever the perceived costs might be to the council".
After the vote, former parish council chairman John Wakeham said he was "ashamed" of the decision.
"I'm not of running age any more but I'm glad to see so many people using the park for the kind of purpose for which it was intended," he said.
"This is the thin end of the wedge."
The decision has met with strong criticism online - with runner Paula Radcliffe among those voicing their concerns.
On Twitter, the London Marathon winner branded the council "short-sighted" and said the event should remain "free for everyone, always".
Reacting on the Parkrun Facebook page, Nick Hayward said: "Absolute disgrace. Parkrun is a great concept that brings all ages, abilities (and pets!) together. Should always be FREE."
Timothy Sowry added: "Unbelievable decision which I hope backfires. Why not try and kill a free inclusive event promoting health wellbeing and community spirit."
About 300 adults and children take part in the timed runs in the park.
Parkrun's ethos is for the event to be free and open to everyone.
It stages 850 runs in 12 countries and organisers warned before the vote the event in Little Stoke, south Gloucestershire, would end if a charge was imposed.
The weekly event has attracted 4,083 registered runners since its launch in 2012.
Ms Bushnell said: "We've done everything we can to explain how Parkrun works, run by volunteers and giving to the community. The benefits outweigh any wear and tear."
"I'm incredibly disappointed and sad for what's going to be lost."


A Cypriot court has jailed a member of the Lebanese militant Shia movement Hezbollah for three years for plotting to attack Israeli targets there.

Hossam Taleb Yaccoub, a Lebanese Swedish national, admitted collecting information on Israeli tourists, but denied planning to attack them.
The court heard how Hezbollah paid him to carry out six missions since 2011.
Israel says Hezbollah has been behind a string of attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.
Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by a number of governments, has denied the accusations.
Yaccoub, 24, said he had been asked to record information about Israeli flights arriving on the island, and registration plates of buses carrying tourists from Israel. He said he did not know what the information was intended for.
In convicting Yaccoub, the court in Limassol said: "There is no doubt that these are serious offences because by committing them, at the very least it potentially jeopardised the safety Israeli citizens and targets on the territory of the Cyprus Republic."
Yaccoub was arrested days before a bomb exploded on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at an airport in Bulgaria, killing six people. Israel and Bulgaria accused Hezbollah of carrying out the attack. Hezbollah said it was not involved.


A nurse who was sacked by a Birmingham hospital has pleaded guilty to supplying Class C drugs to a 77-year-old man.

Sarah Papachristophorou, 47, from Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, admitted three drug-related offences and a theft charge at Birmingham Crown Court.
She said she had taken £1,000 from the man while supplying him with three Class C drugs over two years.
She was granted unconditional bail ahead of sentencing on 24 August.
A police inquiry into Papachristophorou revealed she gave zopiclone, tramadol and diazepam to the man.
Adjourning the case for probation service reports, Judge Patrick Thomas QC said a trial of issue may be needed to decide whether up to £4,000 was taken from the theft victim.
A spokesman for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said Papachristophorou no longer worked for the trust, having been dismissed from Queen Elizabeth Hospital on 10 May.


Nearly 80 workers were taken off a North Sea oil platform amid fears it had been damaged by Storm Imogen.

Shell said 40 workers taken off Brent Bravo went to the Brent Charlie platform and 39 to Brent Delta on Sunday night, as a precaution.
The company said there were concerns over structural damage on one of Bravo's legs.
The Brent Bravo is 115 miles north east of Lerwick.


The number of people applying for UK university places has fallen by more than 25,000 (4%) on last year, data from the admissions service Ucas shows.

The figures show a sharp decline in those applying to study nursing courses - down 19% - and a continued fall in the number of mature students, notably in England and Northern Ireland.
The number of EU students planning to study in the UK  has fallen by 5%.
It is the first decline since fees were last increased in England, in 2012.
Fees in England will increase to Â£9,250 this year, and student loans are subject to an increase in interest rates - rising from 4.6% to 6.1% from this autumn.
University leaders said a number of factors could be fuelling the fall in applicants, including Brexit, higher fees and funding changes for trainee nurses and midwives.
From 1 August, new nursing, midwifery and most allied health students will no longer receive NHS bursaries - instead, they will have access to the same student loans system as other students.
The latest Ucas figures show the number of people who had applied to UK universities for the coming academic year by the 30 June deadline was 649,700 - compared with 674,890 in 2016.
There have been reductions in applicants from all four countries in the UK. There were:
Applications from EU students fell from 51,850 in 2016 to 49,250 this year.
However, applicants from overseas countries outside of the European Union are up 2%, from 69,300 in 2016 to 70,830 this year.
There has been a significant drop in mature students (those aged 25 and over) in England and Northern Ireland - down 18% (11,190) and 13% (220) respectively.
Dr Mark Corver, Ucas director of analysis and research, said: "Within the figures, there are contrasting trends.
"How these trends translate into students at university and colleges will become clear over the next six weeks, as applicants get their results and secure their places and new applicants apply direct to Ucas's clearing process."
Prof Les Ebdon, director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said: "The downward trend in mature student numbers is now one of the most pressing issues in fair access to higher education.
"Undoubtedly, the reasons behind the fall are complex and multiple, but universities and colleges should look to do what they can to reverse the decline in mature student applications, as a matter of urgency."
Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK, said universities recognised that there were a number of issues to address.
"Continuing to communicate to European applicants that they are welcome and enrich our education system is important," she said.
"The decline in part-time and mature student entrants must also be addressed.
"We recognise also the concern about the total cost of going to university.
"Any analysis needs to cover the cost of maintenance and the interest rate on the loans."
Sarah Stevens, head of policy at the Russell Group, said it would be a concern if EU students were being put off by the uncertainties of Brexit.
"It's positive that applications from overseas students outside the EU have risen slightly," he said.
"International students bring social and cultural diversity to our campuses and this benefits all students, and they contribute Â£25.8bn to the UK economy."
The Department for Education pointed out that the number of 18-year-olds applying for university was at record levels despite the fall in the overall number of applicants.
A spokeswoman said: "Higher education reforms will give people more choice and universities will be expected to continue improving access and participation in higher education.
"The government is committed to supporting all young people to reach their full potential - whether that is going to university, starting an apprenticeship or taking up a technical qualification."
Pam Tatlow, chief executive of MillionPlus, said the application data from Ucas was "not good news".
"As predicted, the abolition of bursaries has depressed rather than increased applications for nursing and there will be no additional nurses trained in spite of ministers' assurances," she said.
"There is no doubt that the government's approach to Brexit is damaging and is creating huge uncertainties, both for EU students and UK universities."


The Tories should be much more worried about Labour leader Ed Miliband than UKIP's Nigel Farage during the general election campaign, former Conservative Party Chairman Lord Patten has said.

Mr Miliband was "highly intelligent" and a "good debater", the peer told BBC Radio 4's Week in Westminster.
There have been suggestions that David Cameron's chances of winning in May depend on squeezing the UKIP vote.
But Lord Patten said Mr Farage "is probably a balloon which is deflating".
His comments come in a week in which Mr Cameron vowed not take part in TV debates ahead of the general election unless the Green Party is also included.
At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Miliband called Mr Cameron's refusal to take part a "pathetic excuse".
Lord Patten told the BBC: "I wouldn't be worried about the Farage factor; I'd be much more worried about the platform it gives Ed Miliband."
He said he was concerned that during the election campaign the Labour leader "might come across a lot better" than the press says he is.
Mr Miliband, Mr Farage and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg have urged broadcasters to press ahead with televised debates before the 7 May poll even if Mr Cameron refuses to take part. The three leaders have also written to the prime minister saying it would be "unacceptable" for him to refuse to appear.
But at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said Mr Miliband was "chickening" out of facing the Greens and all "national parties" must be represented.
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said Mr Cameron was unwilling to do anything that gives Nigel Farage a boost.
He had long decided the debates at the 2010 election had sucked the life out of the campaign and given a boost to his opponents, our political editor said in a blog entry.
Under plans put forward by the BBC, Sky News, ITV and Channel 4 in October, the pre-election live TV debates would include the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP.
Mr Cameron would take on Mr Miliband head-to-head in one debate, another would feature Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Lib Dem leader Mr Clegg, and a third would also include UKIP's Mr Farage.
On the Week in Westminster, Lord Patten said Mr Cameron should not have taken part in televised leaders' debates before the last election, because "once you start doing them, they are very difficult to stop".
UKIP secured two by-election victories over the Conservatives - in Clacton and Rochester and Strood - last year.
Responding to Lord Patten's view of the threat from Mr Farage, a UKIP spokesman said the opinion polls suggested the party's popularity "wouldn't descend any time soon".
Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said the TV debates could go ahead if the Greens were included.
He told the Times there was "still time for this all to be organised and I think it will".
"What people would appreciate is a common sense debate between either the two guys who could be prime minister or everybody who is standing nationally."
The Week in Westminster is on Radio 4 at 11:00 GMT


Plaid Cymru will not support UK military action in Syria unless the prime minister can address "outstanding questions", says the party leader.

David Cameron made his case to MPs for launching air strikes against Islamic State militants on Thursday.
He said targeting IS in Syria would make "us safer" and that the UK could not "outsource our security to allies".
But on Saturday Plaid's Leanne Wood said Mr Cameron had "failed to deliver" a comprehensive plan.
"Dropping bombs from the air will not lead to the defeat of IS," she said.
"Neither will it the secure peace for the people of Syria or bring stability to the wider region."
Welsh assembly member Ms Wood argued that UK military intervention in Syria could only be considered as part of an internationally-agreed peace plan.
"Plaid Cymru has also insisted that a framework backed fully by the UN is essential, including a Chapter VII resolution. The Prime Minister has failed to deliver this," she added.
"Unless the prime minister addresses all unanswered questions and brings forward a more comprehensive plan, Plaid Cymru cannot support military action."
Plaid Cymru has three MPs in the House of Commons.
A Commons vote authorising action against IS militants could take place next week if the prime minister gains enough support to win.
UK government ministers are expected to phone members of the opposition over the weekend in a bid to get them to support possible air strikes over Syria.
It follows the decision by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to write to his MPs saying he opposes action - which is supported by some members of his own front bench team.


Douglas Carswell has made history by becoming UKIP's first elected MP, after winning the Clacton by-election he triggered after defecting from the Conservatives with a majority of 12,404.

So how did the 43-year-old reach this point in his political career?
A free thinker, who led the campaign to unseat Commons Speaker Michael Martin in the last Parliament, Mr Carswell has never hidden his disdain for the "job for life" culture among some MPs in safe seats and the "cosy cliques" that dominate decision-making in government.
Most newly-elected MPs put their head down and get on with the job of climbing Westminster's greasy pole.
But the Clacton MP, who entered the Commons in 2005, refused to play the game from the start, speaking openly of his "revulsion" at the system and how, frankly, he was embarrassed to be an MP.
In his book, The Plan, co-authored with Tory MEP Daniel Hannan, he set out 28 steps to "renew our broken democracy" and "get our supine, spineless Parliament off its knees".
He had high hopes that David Cameron, whom he backed in the 2005 Tory leadership contest, would push through some of their proposed reforms - such as open primaries, where all voters in a constituency get to choose party candidates, and giving voters the power to recall their MP if they are doing a bad job.
But in February this year he was, along with other maverick backbench Tories, bitterly disappointed to see plans for recall powers dropped by the coalition.
He told BBC News: "This government could have been different, but I think this marks the moment at which it becomes just another administration."
This - together with his belief that the Conservatives were not truly committed to changing Britain's relationship with the EU - undoubtedly fed into his decision to jump ship to UKIP.
Mr Carswell has long agitated for a referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU - an institution he views as being profoundly undemocratic and lacking in accountability.
He is an ardent believer in the power of the internet to revolutionise the way we are governed - by smashing open closed institutions such as the EU and handing direct democratic control to the public. He set out some of these ideas in his 2012 book, The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy.
In December 2009, he introduced a bill before the House of Commons requesting a public referendum on the UK's EU membership.
And in his first week after being re-elected at the 2010 general election, he revealed he intended to force a referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon.
Among his rebellions, Mr Carswell tabled an amendment expressing concern over the increase in the EU budget in October 2010.
Born in 1971, Mr Carswell spent his early years living in Uganda, where his parents worked as doctors in a local hospital.
He was educated at the University of East Anglia and King's College London, and worked in digital television, investment management and the Conservative Party policy unit - run by David Cameron - before becoming an MP.
He is married to Clementine and has a daughter. In his spare time, he has said he enjoys swimming, running, gardening as well as making quince jelly.
Mr Carswell reportedly owns a Â£655 love seat in deep moss brushed cotton while his father was the inspiration for James McAvoy's character in the Last King Of Scotland, the British doctor who went to work in Uganda and found himself working for Idi Amin.
Mr Carswell first stood for Parliament in 2001, taking on Tony Blair as the Tory candidate for Sedgefield. Despite apologising for coming second he still managed to cut Mr Blair's majority by more than 7,500 votes.
In 2005 he was elected as MP for Harwich, defeating Labour's candidate by just 920 votes. By 2010 he defeated the same opponent by 12,000 votes - although boundary changes had seen the seat renamed Clacton.
During that contest UKIP did not field a candidate, supporting what they saw as the re-election of a kindred spirit.
Mr Carswell went on to gain a reputation as an outspoken Tory moderniser, influencing initiatives such as David Cameron's Big Society and campaigning for the reform of parliamentary expenses following the 2009 scandal.
He once told the BBC he was attracted to politics because "our democracy is being undermined, with remote and unaccountable elites making the key decisions that affect our lives".
Adding to his other accolades, the MP revealed on Twitter in January that he had brought down a suspected shoplifter in his constituency.
"You probably don't want to hear this, but I'm your local MP," he reportedly told the individual.
Mr Carswell's bold announcement may not have been out of character, but he said the decision to leave the Conservative Party has given him sleepless nights.
He has vowed to fight on for "fundamental change in British politics" - something he now believes only UKIP can deliver.
In the by-election on 9 October, Mr Carswell won 60% of the total number of votes cast, and secured a majority of 12,404.
Addressing local voters after his victory, he said: "I resigned from parliament to face this election because I answer first, foremost and last to you. You are my boss. I will not let you down."
"To my new party I offer these thoughts: humility when we win, modesty when we are proved right. If we speak with passion, let it always be tempered by compassion."


A 73-year-old man has been arrested after a fight that started on a bus led to another man's death.

Police launched a murder investigation after attending reports of fighting between two men in Bow, east London, at about 20:45 BST on Monday.
Officers believe the fight began on a 488 bus and continued on Parnell Road.
A man in his late 60s was found unconscious at the scene and later died in hospital.
A 73-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and remains in police custody at an east London police station, where he is being questioned.


Motown vocalist Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died aged 70.

Street's wife says he died on 27 February at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.
He sang with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin in the 1950s but didn't join the group until 1971.
As part of the group, Street had number of hits including the Grammy award-winning song, Papa Was a Rollin' Stone.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, he was the first member of the band to be born in the city with which they became synonymous.
His death comes only 10 days after his band mate, Otis 'Damon' Harris, who died on 18 February aged 62, after a 14 year battle with prostate cancer.
Cindy Street, told CNN: "They're dancing up there in heaven, him and Damon."
He performed with the band until 1993 when he left due to alleged personal tensions with Williams.
Street went to hospital five days before he died, suffering from back pain and breathing difficulties. Doctors found he had a clot in a lung.
He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.


Sheffield United have signed Derby County defender Keiron Freeman on loan until 5 April.

Freeman, 21, who recently completed a loan period with Notts County, joined the Rams from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee in 2012.
A Wales Under-21 international, he is eligible for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Charlton Athletic.
He has made a total of 24 appearances this season, seven for Derby and 17 for Notts County.


A Merseyside borough will have no A-level provision after the government approved the closure of the area's only sixth form offering the qualification.

The sixth form at Halewood Academy in Knowsley will shut in August 2017 after the Department for Education agreed it could stop providing A-levels.
Principal Gary Evans said it was "sad" but left the academy in a stronger financial position.
Education chiefs pledged to get an another A level plan in place by 2017.
Mr Evans said: "We shall continue to work extensively with other post-16 providers to ensure that all of our students remain in education or training once they leave the academy.
"Discussions are also taking place for a future potential post-16 joint venture across Knowsley," he said.
Knowsley has the lowest proportion of students taking A-levels in England at 2% and has among the lowest university entry rates in England.
A letter to the school from parliamentary undersecretary of state for schools, Lord Nash, outlined the plan.
He said after considering the quality of provision, the impact on existing students and the availability of post-16 education in the area  "I have agreed their request to close the sixth form".
Knowsley councillor Gary See said the local authority was "naturally disappointed with this outcome" but pleased there was "some clarity for the Academy and its students".
He said due to the school's academy status, the council had "no powers to intervene" but had committed to working with the government to establish "new sixth form provision from September 2017".
Parents at the school had protested against the closure, arguing it "is letting down the children of this community" and could block their ambitions.
Students who are part-way through their studies will be able to continue at the sixth form.


Scotland manager Gordon Strachan is calling for calm heads in the vital Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland.

Defeat at Hampden next month would end hopes of reaching the play-offs and Strachan is wary of overzealousness.
"Emotional players can cause you bother and until now and I am sure it will continue, we have been focused rather than emotional," said Strachan.
"We can only deal with the games we are involved in. The first one against Poland is going to be a huge game."
Scotland sit fourth in Group D going into their final two fixtures against the Poles on 8 October and Gibraltar in Portugal three days later.
After losing to Georgia and Germany in their last double-header, Scotland are four points behind Republic of Ireland, six behind Poland and eight behind leaders Germany as they strive for third place.
"We are still in there," said Strachan. "We can't deal with what happens elsewhere.
"It is going to be a great occasion, a fantastic occasion, a pressurised occasion but we like that as footballers.
"The whole nation was disappointed (after last two results), which is understandable.
"We are up for it again, that is the good thing about us."
Scotland beat Poland 1-0 in a Warsaw friendly in March 2014 before a 2-2 draw at the same venue seven months later in Group D.
Poland's star striker Robert Lewandowski is in great form with seven goals in his last two games for Bayern Munich and Strachan described the 27-year-old as "world class".
"They are a good side, they have improved immensely since we played them in a friendly two years ago," he added.
"We know he's [Lewandowski] there but we managed to score two against them over there with him in the team.
"We don't have a world class player but we have a great bunch of lads and we know we have to work as a group."
Strachan is out of contract at the end of the campaign but insists he is not looking any further than the next two matches.
"I have never thought about my future wherever I have been in football," he said. "I just continue and see where I end up. It's good fun, you know.
"We will speak about it once it (the campaign) is out of the way. The games are far more important than me.
"I love football and I love what I am doing now, that is for sure.
"But as I say we will talk about it when we finish this campaign and hopefully it has another few months to run now."


A man has suffered severe burns at the Glastonbury Festival site.

South Western Ambulance Service said it did not know how the incident involving the man - thought to be in his 20s - happened.
Great Western Air Ambulance flew him to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham after the ambulance service was called at about 17:10 BST.
Wiltshire Air Ambulance had also been called after the man suffered significant burns at the Somerset site.
Final preparations are taking place for the 2016 edition of the festival which opens its doors to the public on Wednesday.


Dozens of people have been killed in air strikes and a suspected gas attack near the Syrian city of Palmyra, monitoring groups say.

The targeted area is controlled by the so-called Islamic State group and has been under heavy bombardment from government-aligned forces.
Dozens of people are said to have been killed during the combined assaults.
IS members recaptured the city on Sunday, hours after Russian air strikes appeared to have driven them back.
Sources in Hama province reported seeing dead bodies with no visible injuries, according to the UK-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The death toll was put at at least 40 by one citizens' group in Hama province.
The Syrian government and its Russian backers have previously denied using chemical weapons.
IS was previously driven out of the ancient desert city of Palmyra in March with the support of Russian air strikes, but the jihadist group seized it again in a sudden assault that started last week.
The surprise setback for Syrian government forces came as they and their allies turned their attention to fighting local opposition forces in Aleppo and Damascus.
IS destroyed a number of monuments and beheaded the archaeological director during its 10-month occupation of the Unesco World Heritage site and the adjacent city of Tadmur.
Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins.
The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous.


Donald Trump has said Glenfiddich should be "ashamed" of honouring a man who rose to prominence as a result of his battle against the US tycoon's golf resort project in Aberdeenshire.

Michael Forbes - who refused to sell his land to Trump - scooped the Top Scot prize in a public vote for the whisky brand's Sprit of Scotland award.
Mr Trump said tennis player Andy Murray would have been more deserving.
William Grant and Sons, which owns the brand, said it was a public vote.
Mr Trump said: "Michael Forbes totally lost his battle, in that he tried to stop the Trump Organisation and its many supporters from building what is now recognised as one of the greatest golf courses in the world.
"To think that a product like Glenfiddich would recognise a man like Michael Forbes, who lives in a property which I have accurately described in the past as a total pigsty, a man who loves the attention he has gotten because of his so-called fight with Donald Trump, would receive an award over someone like Andy Murray.
"Glenfiddich's choice of Michael Forbes, as Top Scot, will go down as one of the great jokes ever played on the Scottish people and is a terrible embarrassment to Scotland.
"I make a pledge that no Trump property will ever do business with Glenfiddich or William Grant and Sons."
However, a William Grant and Sons spokesperson said: "We understand that there may have been some confusion and misunderstanding concerning the structure and running of the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.
"Working with Scotsman Publications as our media partner, Glenfiddich established the awards 15 years ago.  From the outset it was made clear that winners would be chosen by public vote.
"Top Scot is a totally open category in which the people of Scotland can vote for whomsoever they choose and Glenfiddich has no influence on this decision.
"In the history of these awards, we are not aware of the Top Scot award causing any offence or upset to anyone and it is not our intention to do so now. These awards were set up to give the people of Scotland a vote and we must respect their decision."
Mr Forbes featured heavily in the You've Been Trumped documentary.
Design work for a second golf course close to the Trump International Links is now under way.


Let's face it - most people use social media in some form to communicate these days.

Many of us can rarely put down our phones, which are filled to the brim with social apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat.
In recent years, emergency services and public authorities have been getting in on the act too.
Social media applications allow them to share information faster, easier and with a wider audience.
When it works, it does so really well, but it is often the social media blunders and 140-character faux-pas that stick in the memory.
Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton apologised to his officers on Sunday, after posting a tweet that appeared to dismiss the pressure under which they work.
He used Twitter to post a video apology, saying: "Last night's frank Twitter conversation was what the police actually do, however, such important issues are not best dealt with in the 140 characters of a tweet.
"I've clearly caused some offence in what I've said, and for that I apologise."
Mr Hamilton isn't alone in causing controversy after posting seemingly offensive comments on social media.
In January, politician Gerry Adams apologised for using the 'N-word' in a tweet comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to the treatment of Irish nationalists.
The tweet was later deleted, but it provoked an angry reaction.
Social media consultant Sue Llewellyn advises users: "Think before you tweet."
"If you mess up, 'fess up and apologise," Ms Llewellyn told BBC News NI. "The worst thing you can do is to either ignore it, or hide it by deleting your tweet."
The difficulty that many people face on social media, she adds, is that humour often doesn't translate well in 140 characters or less.
"You can't really see humour or sarcasm in a tweet, for example, and it can make you look offensive.
"One way to deal with this is to use emojis, or hashtags to add that level of emotion," said Ms Llewellyn.
Sue Llewellyn's social media dos and don'ts
But if there are so many potential ways to trip up on social media, what makes it worth using?
While users need to be mindful of the pitfalls, the benefits of social media far outweigh the downsides, said Ms Llewellyn.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have Twitter and Facebook accounts for each policing district - and for the most part, these have proved to be a really effective way of communicating with the public.
In 2015, the PSNI held a 24-hour Twitter event to give people an insight into the everyday work of officers.
More recently, they jumped on the 'Be like Bill' internet meme bandwagon, using the trend to deliver a more serious message.
This approach to social media gives public authorities a "human voice", said Sue Llewellyn.
"It puts a human face on what was once a closed door, it makes what they're doing more transparent."
"I think it's a fantastic way of reaching more difficult to reach members of the public, especially younger people, and speak to them in their own language, on their own terms in their own turf."
That authentic approach seems to be paying off for the PSNI's district social media teams. A battle to be named the funniest team on Facebook has even kicked off between PSNI Bangor and PSNI Craigavon.
The use of well-known memes and behind-the-scenes photos of officers on duty points to a more humorous, approachable side of the police that the public rarely sees.
Some officers have even used social media to stay trendy while promoting safety, with PSNI Bangor asking people to be careful when they are out hunting for PokÃ©mon Go.
The police and other public authorities tend to be regarded with caution, said Ms Sue Llewellyn, so such an approach helps these bodies connect with the public.
"With a light touch and a human voice, the benefits can be enormous," she said.
"A faceless organisation with the right tone can really engage the public in a great way."
But, she concluded: "Think before you tweet, always!"


Wales will rise to a new high of eighth when the next Fifa world rankings are released on 1 October.

Chris Coleman's side are on the brink of qualifying for Euro 2016 after beating Cyprus and drawing with Israel.
They will swap places with Chile, who are set to drop one to ninth spot, and remain above England, who will stay 10th despite two wins.
Northern Ireland, 41st in the current rankings, are expected to move above Scotland, currently 31st.
Had Wales beaten Israel, they would have risen to fourth but reaching eighth is still the sixth time in the last seven rankings that they have set a new record.
Argentina will stay top, while Germany will regain second place from Belgium, who drop to third.


Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has accused Russia of direct involvement in the sniper fire which killed dozens of protesters in central Kiev a year ago.

He was speaking as the capital marked the first anniversary of the clashes between protesters and police which toppled ex-President Viktor Yanukovych.
A top Kremlin aide, Vladislav Surkov, had organised snipers, he alleged.
The Russian government hit back at the claim, calling it "nonsense".
More than 100 people died in the violence on Kiev's central Independence Square, known as the Maidan, a year ago.
The anti-Yanukovych revolt was called the "EuroMaidan revolution", as huge crowds demanded a pact with the EU.
In a speech at the Maidan on Friday, President Poroshenko condemned the insurgency by pro-Russian rebels in the east.
Earlier, he told Maidan victims' relatives that, according to Ukrainian state security, "the Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov led the organisation of groups of foreign snipers on the Maidan".
The claim was first made by the head of Ukraine's security services on Thursday.
Mr Poroshenko was speaking just two days after his army retreated from the key town of Debaltseve, now in rebel hands.
Ukraine, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers. Moscow denies this, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".
Ukrainian military spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, said more than 20 Russian tanks, 10 missile systems and busloads of troops had entered Ukraine in the past 24 hours, heading for Novoazovsk, a rebel-held town on the coast. The report has not been confirmed.
The Maidan ceremony included poetry, a choir singing the national anthem, and a performance of Mozart's Requiem by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine.
Mr Yanukovych - a political ally of Moscow - fled into exile in late February 2014, but soon resurfaced in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
He said he had been ousted in an "illegal coup" and lambasted the "fascists" who had taken power in Kiev.
For weeks in the winter of 2013-2014 the Maidan was a vast campsite populated by EuroMaidan protesters, who kept police at bay with barricades and burning tyres.
Most of those killed in the clashes were shot by snipers, and some uniformed police were filmed firing at protesters.
At the scene: Anastasiya Gribanova, BBC News, Kiev
Maidan was a breathtaking scene on Friday night - lit by thousands of candles and covered flowers to honour those who died here last winter.
The crowd chanted "Glory to Ukraine!" and "Glory to heroes!" before falling silent as the orchestra played Mozart's Requiem and projectors rose into the sky from the spots where each protester was killed.
Emotions were high. Many people we talked to couldn't contain their tears as they laid carnations and tulips on makeshift shrines.
"We will never forget these people," said Olena from Kiev. "We will come here every year."
"This is not a celebration. This is a day to remember," said Igor, who was wounded at Maidan last year.
The untold story of the Maidan massacre
Mr Poroshenko said on Friday that phone records obtained by Ukrainian state security showed a direct Russian state role in the shootings. Those records, he said, revealed "conversations between Yanukovych and Russian state security officials.
"They prepared for the shooting together, in advance."
Russia's foreign ministry spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich, said Mr Poroshenko had been duped by his security aides.
"Ukraine's investigative and security services have things to be getting on with. But at the moment, instead of carrying out investigations, they're exploiting people's deaths and putting out nonsense worthy only of a mental hospital," he said.
Shelling continues to mar a ceasefire for eastern Ukraine signed in Minsk on 12 February.
An intense rebel bombardment forced some 2,500 government troops to retreat from Debaltseve on Wednesday, and dozens of others surrendered.
The village of Chernukhino, near Debaltseve, is now in rebel hands too, according to the Kiev-appointed governor of Luhansk region, Gennadiy Moskal.
US Vice President Joe Biden condemned the rebel offensive on Debaltseve in a phone call with Mr Poroshenko on Friday.
The White House said he also discussed options for "effective monitoring" of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons.
On Wednesday, President Poroshenko called for UN peacekeepers to be deployed to eastern Ukraine to enforce the ceasefire.
At the scene: Paul Adams, BBC News, Debaltseve
The streets of Debaltseve were mostly quiet and mostly deserted as we entered the city for the first time since intense fighting ended.
Those civilians still holed up in the city, who have been without water, gas and electricity since early January, were slowly emerging from shelters to see what was left of their homes.
But there were more rebels than civilians, with convoys of victorious separatists returning from the recent clashes.
Evidence of the fighting was littered across the roads and we spotted the bodies of two Ukrainian solders that had been lying in the cold for three days.
Poroshenko bruised by army retreat


A lack of planning and funding has meant the biggest overhaul of the health service in Northern Ireland for decades has not had the expected impact.

Transforming Your Care (TYC) was a plan to change how services are delivered.
But the programme has only realised £28m of the £130m saving anticipated.
In a report the Auditor General, Kieran Donnelly, said the pace of change is not what was envisaged.
This is the first time officials have commented on the management and delivery of the programme, which was published in 2011.
While acknowledging it was an ambitious shared vision, Mr Donnelly said the programme has so far not achieved what it set out to do.
"The impact of TYC has been much more limited than expected and the hoped-for shift of services from hospitals into people's own homes has not happened as rapidly as had been intended," he said.
The message "could do better" rings loud and clear from the report.
It is the first official confirmation of what many health professionals have been saying for some time about TYC.
According to Mr Donnelly, that is because there was no action plan, funding or leadership to help deliver it.
"A precise action plan had not been established at the outset of the programme setting out clear, measurable aims and objectives together with an appropriate set of performance indicators for assessing its performance," he said.
However, the auditor also stresses the importance of having leadership to drive the process forward. In fact, the report says "leadership of the highest order will be vital in moving the reform process forward".
The core objective of TYC was to shift the delivery of services away from hospitals and into the community to allow more people to be cared for in the community and at home.
It would also allow for funding to be transferred from hospital to community care.
But that clearly has not happened.
While the plan was to reallocate £83m of resources from secondary care to primary/community by March 2016 - instead that figure has been closer to £65m.
There are huge obstacles in the way of delivering health and social care and that is also acknowledged by the Auditor General.
Mr Donnelly said the scale and complexity of the task TYC set itself is not to be underestimated.
"In addition to funding constraints and the need to satisfy a growing demand for health and social care, the challenges these relationships present to health and social care leaders have also been exacerbated by other initiatives in the sector for example the constant and immediate pressure health trusts face to meet waiting-time targets and to manage their finances," he said.
The report also notes there have been some positive changes including fewer hospital beds required for stroke rehabilitation, more money for domiciliary care and mental health care provision.
It says the use of re-ablement services which encourages independence among older people, has allowed £7m to be redirected to support the management of demand for domiciliary care services.
In a statement, the the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) said it welcomed the report, and would give it detailed consideration.
"Whilst the HSCB accepts the report's findings that the overall impact of TYC was more limited than originally expected, the report also highlights that TYC has brought about notable achievements in the development of care for patients, and service users, and has laid a solid foundation for future reforms to be built upon.
"The report acknowledges that reforms could not have been accomplished without the commitment and effort of many health and social care staff, supported by the department and the Health and Social Care Board."
However, John Compton, the former chief executive of the health board may find the report somewhat frustrating.
The fact that Northern Ireland required two further health reports, Donaldson and Bengoa, is a stark reminder that TYC did not deliver what it set out to do.


Deep Purple songwriter Roger Glover has been made an honorary fellow of the University of South Wales.

Originally from Brecon, the bass guitarist made his debut with the legendary rock band in the early 1970s.
After releasing a number of solo records, he reformed the group famous for 'Smoke on the Water' in 1983.
The musician received his award in recognition of his contribution to music and the creative industries.
Receiving his fellowship, he said: "My version of university was gaining experience performing with Episode Six, the band I formed during my teens."
He added: "It is fantastic to see so many graduates realising their potential and gaining degrees from the university today.
"I wish them every success in their future careers."


A pilot project at a Nottingham hospital that aims to reduce the length of stay for elderly patients has received a £500,000 boost.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) said in early findings patients in its scheme stayed three fewer days than other older patients.
The scheme involves visiting discharged patients within 48 hours to ensure they have everything that they need.
If successful the trial could be rolled out UK-wide, it is thought.
The Community In-reach Rehabilitation and Care Transition (CIRACT) service said a full clinical trial would begin in February 2013.
The project began in July 2011 at Queen's Medical Centre, where its overall capacity is nine patients per week on one elderly medical care ward.
NUH said if successful over an average year it could save 1,258 bed days with a cost saving of £295,630, for one ward.


Two refugee Para-athletes will compete at the Rio Paralympics, which begin on 7 September.

Syrian-born swimmer Ibrahim Al Hussein and US-based Iranian discus thrower Shahrad Nasajpour will compete as part of the Independent Paralympic Athletes (IPA) team.
It is the first time in the history of the Paralympics that a dedicated team of its kind will compete.
Their Chef de Mission will be British official Tony Sainsbury.
Leg amputee Al Hussein, who is based in Greece and will race in the men's 50m and 100m freestyle S10 events, said: "I have been dreaming of this for 22 years.
"I thought my dream had gone when I lost my leg but now it is back for real. I want to send a message to all those injured that they too can achieve their dreams."
Nasajpour will compete in the F37 discus event.
The pair will stay in the Athletes' Village alongside more than 4,350 athletes from 165 countries. And, for official presentations such as medal and village welcome ceremonies, the Paralympic Anthem will be played.
Sainsbury, a five-time GB chef de mission added: "These athletes will help to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers who make difficult decisions and journeys, often with impairments."


The weakness of sterling was behind a surge in the number of tourists visiting the UK in the first three months of 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of holidaymakers coming to the UK rose by 21.1% - although the number of business visitors declined.
Overall there were a record 8.3 million visits in the quarter, a rise of nearly 10% on the same period in 2016.
The visitors spent £4.4bn while in the country, also a record amount.
But at the same time the fall in the value of the pound did not discourage Britons from travelling overseas.
UK residents made 14.1 million trips abroad over the three months, a rise of 8.1% on 2016.
The decline in sterling makes it cheaper for foreign visitors to come to the UK, but more expensive for Britons going the other way.
The number of American visitors was particularly significant. Their numbers were up by 16%, while their spending grew 29% to £604m.
There were a record 54,000 visits from Chinese nationals, who spent a record £91m, and there was strong growth in the number of Australian and French visitors too.
Wales appears to have been one of the most popular destinations, with the number of overnight visits increasing by 28%.
But the "visitor balance of payments" remains tilted against the UK.
While visitors spent £4.4bn in Britain over the quarter, Britons spent nearly twice as much - £8.6bn - on trips abroad. a figure that has risen by 11.7% over the past year.


Two police officers have been injured after disturbances broke out following the Royal Black Institution's 'sham fight' in Scarva, County Down.

Police said six people were arrested after a scuffle at about 16:30 BST.
The injured officers were treated at the scene and did not require hospital treatment.
The 'sham fight' is the annual re-enactment of the victory of the Protestant King William III at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.


China has launched its biggest rocket to date.

The Long March 5 lifted off from the Wenchang space centre in Hainan Province at 20:43 local time (12:43 GMT).
It was carrying an experimental satellite, known as Shijian-17.
The Long March 5 gives China the capability to orbit the heaviest of payloads - such as big telecoms spacecraft and sections of its future astronaut space station.
The specifications suggest it can put about 25 tonnes in a low-Earth orbit (LEO), an altitude of a few hundred km; and up to 14 tonnes in a geostationary orbit some 36,000km above the planet.
This puts the Long March 5 in the same class as Americaâ€™s current, most powerful rocket - the Delta-IV Heavy.
US companies SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing vehicles that should be able to put 50-plus tonnes in LEO.
The American space agency (Nasa) is also nearing the first flight of its Space Launch System, a monster rocket that will eventually be capable of placing 130 tonnes in low-Earth orbit.
Nasa say it will use this launcher to send astronauts to Mars. Its maiden flight is set for 2018.


The US says it is "deeply concerned" about the electoral process in Nicaragua a day after Daniel Ortega, the left-wing leader, won a third consecutive presidential term.

A State Department spokesman said the election process was flawed and could not be seen as free and fair.
He said the Ortega government had side-lined opposition candidates and limited monitoring of the polls.
Daniel Ortega won 72.5% of the vote with 99.8% of the ballots counted.
His closest rival, centre-right candidate Maximino Rodriguez, only received 14.2% of the vote.
The State Department's Mark Toner  said the Ortega government had not invited international election observers, which he said, "further degraded the legitimacy of the election".
"We continue to press the Nicaraguan government to uphold democratic practices, including press freedom and respect for universal human rights in Nicaragua," he added.
Mr Ortega had been widely expected to win both due to the popularity of his social programmes and because he faced no obvious political challenger.
A former left-wing rebel, Mr Ortega has led Nicaragua through a period of economic stability which has made him popular with the country's business sector and foreign investors.
Supporters of Mr Ortega took to the streets to celebrate his victory.
But even before the first results were announced, members of the opposition coalition Broad Front for Democracy (FAD) called the elections a "farce".
The FAD, which had urged voters to boycott the election, alleged that more than 70% had abstained from voting.
They were contradicted by the electoral authorities which put voter participation at 65.8%.
Mr Ortega's running mate was his wife, Rosario Murillo, who now looks set to become vice-president.
Analysts say that Ms Murillo already shares decision-making with Mr Ortega and could become president if her 70-year-old husband were to bow out.
Nicaragua's economy has grown at double the Latin American average, but the country still needs to attract more foreign investment.
A $50bn (£40bn) plan to build an interoceanic canal across Nicaragua with Chinese investment has gained international attention, but there are serious doubts over whether it will ever be built.
The country has been able to avoid the sky-high murder rates of some of its Central American neighbours but it also faces the ever pervasive threat of drug-trafficking.


A senior judge has again criticised delays in providing documentation in relation to inquests into contentious Troubles deaths.

At the end of the first week of a review of the 56 stalled proceedings, Lord Justice Weir said matters "needed to be taken out of neutral and put into a forward-moving gear".
He suggested that better training for those engaged in redaction work might be of benefit.
The review will continue next week.
The two-week review into 56 legacy cases began on Monday.
The cases involve 95 deaths where inquests have still to be heard.
These include some of the most controversial killings during the Troubles.