When the ballot papers are counted and the election results start to come in, the coastal constituency of South Thanet will be the focus of much interest.

An unpleasant scene greeted me on my first trip to the constituency's largest town, Ramsgate.
As a young man chatted to two friends on a pavement, he noticed a woman of east Asian origin walking towards him, pushing a pram.
He adopted a mock-Chinese accent and hurled racist abuse at her as she approached. The woman tried her best to ignore him but winced as she passed.
When challenged on his outburst, the man was unapologetic.
"I was just having a laugh with my mates, I'm not racist," he said.
"If I was being racist I would say, go back to your own country".
Ramsgate, and some of the surrounding towns and villages, has become a focus for the national media.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage is standing for the seat and polls predict he faces a three-way fight, with competition from Conservative Craig Mackinlay and Labour's Will Scobie.
Comedian Al Murray added to the headlines by standing as his alter-ego, the pub landlord.
Ramsgate has been visited several times by political big-hitters, with Boris Johnson and George Osborne being the latest to stop by.
But with polling day looming, what do residents care about?
The economy and unemployment are mentioned frequently in conversations with residents, but it seems immigration is the issue on most people's lips.
Whether it is true or not, many locals said they felt like they were on the "frontline", with Kent bearing the brunt of migration across the Channel.
Ted Tearle, who is a retired lorry driver who often crossed to Europe, said: "The immigration problem is terrible here - I don't understand how it's going to end.
"I used to have people trying to get on my lorry all the time.
"Once I brought five of them here after coming back from Ostend to Ramsgate.
"When they opened up the lorry the immigrants came out and the only English word they knew was 'asylum'."
He added: "I've never voted - what is my single vote going to do?"
Wards like Cliftonville West rank among the most deprived in the country and according to Kent County Council, in January 2014 Thanet had the highest unemployment rate in the county, at 5.3%.
Stanley Jenkins, who said he has voted Green and Labour in the past and moved to Ramsgate from Southern Rhodesia in 1979, blamed wealth inequality for fuelling anti-immigration sentiment.
"It's exploiting the poor by the rich and powerful," he said.
"They do it to disorganise and confuse, like smoke bombs.
"Nigel Farage is a demagogue... I hope he's not elected, but some people say you deserve the government you get."
Michael Hodder, who has lived in the town since he was a boy, said he used to vote Labour but has now changed his allegiance.
He said: "I'm voting UKIP this time. I think that Nigel Farage will be a good guy to have in parliament.
"He told the former EU president [Herman van Rompuy] that he was a 'damp rag' - you've got to have some bottle to say that.
"He can put pressure on the government and be a real agitator."
Mr Farage has said he will stand down as UKIP leader if he is not elected.
When the votes are counted and the dust has settled, the constituency will have its new MP. It may also have decided the future of UKIP.


Cardiff Blues fly-half Gareth Anscombe has signed a new dual contract with the region and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU).

The New Zealand-born 26-year-old arrived in Wales in 2014 and has scored 337 points for the region.
Anscombe, who was named in Wales' summer tour squad earlier this week, has played for Wales nine times.
"It is great to see Gareth re-signing his dual contract and becoming another player to commit his future to the game in Wales," said coach Warren Gatland.
"Gareth has recovered well from recent injuries to hit form once again and is deserving of his place in Wales' upcoming summer tour."
Anscombe says he is pleased to be staying somewhere he now considers "home".
"It's pleasing to recommit to Wales and Cardiff Blues, who are a region I very much want to be a part of," Anscombe commented.
"I'm looking forward to the summer tour, but I'm only at the start of my international career and hopefully I can contribute a lot more in the years to come.
"There's a lot more to do before that and it's very important for me that Cardiff Blues finish the season well and next year push into to the top six and play at a consistent high level.
"Wales feels like home now, the boys have been a big part of that and my partner and I feel really settled here in Cardiff."
Blues go to Stade Francais in a semi-final play-off on Friday, 19 May for the last remaining place in the European Champions Cup.
If successful, Anscombe will then link up with Wales for the summer Test matches against Tonga and Samoa in June after the play-off final on Friday, 26 May.
Blues head coach Danny Wilson added: "It's great news that Gareth has recommitted his future to Cardiff Blues and Wales.
"Since he has returned from injury he has got better every week and proven his quality.
"He is a key figure for us and is not just a good professional, but also an important leader within the squad.
"Gareth has a big future with Cardiff Blues and he has all the quality and potential to kick on with Wales."


Premiership matched due to be hosted by Dundee United and Partick Thistle are among five Scottish games postponed because of waterlogged pitches.

Motherwell were due to be at Tannadice and St Johnstone at Firhill, but the top-flight games were called off after Saturday morning pitch inspections.
The Championship match between Raith Rovers and Alloa Athletic is off, as is the game at Cowdenbeath in League One.
The League Two fixture at Arbroath failed an 11:00 inspection.
East Stirlingshire were due to be the visitors at Gayfield Park.
Albion Rovers were due to travel to Cowdenbeath's Central Park.
Partick Thistle announced on social media around 11:30 that their pitch had failed an inspection.
The match at Tannadice was postponed following a 10:00 inspection, with Motherwell stating on their website: "Extremely heavy overnight rain, together with a bleak forecast for the rest of the day, forced the match official to call the game off."
No new date has been announced yet for the game between United, who sit bottom of the Premiership, and Motherwell, who are third bottom but 11 points ahead of the Terrors.
However, Raith Rovers' match against Alloa will now take place on Tuesday 12 January with a 19.45 kick-off.
Premiership
Dundee United v Motherwell
Partick Thistle v St Johnstone
Championship
Raith Rovers v Alloa Athletic
League One
Cowdenbeath v Albion Rovers
League Two
Arbroath v East Stirlingshire


The future of hundreds of historical objects has been secured as part of a £20m restoration by the National Trust.

Knole House in Sevenoaks, Kent, was taken over by the charity in 1946 and has battled costly decay problems.
Extensive repairs, part-funded by the National Lottery, have now been carried out in what the Trust described as its largest conservation project to date.
Specialists will also work on precious paintings and furniture in front of visitors in a newly created studio.
Live: more on this story and other news from Kent
The 15th Century house was formerly an Archbishop's palace and for 400 years was the home of the Sackville family. It also inspired Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando.
Some of the items undergoing treatment include the 17th Century Knole sofa, which inspired copies around the world.
The Royal 'Stool of Easement', an early toilet thought to have been used by Charles II, is also among the collection.
The King's Bedroom, with its suite of silver furniture and bed designed for a visit from James II, now features bespoke lighting and controlled heating systems to protect the collections.
Dame Helen Ghosh, the trust's director general, said: "Knole is one of the Trust's most important houses and this is an exciting moment where we can begin to open new spaces within this vast property to tell the story of its occupants and outstanding collections.
"The new conservation studio is a first-class space for our expert conservators to work on collections from Knole and across the trust, and share their expertise with our visitors."
The project was part-funded by a £7.75m lottery grant.


A federal court in Brazil has ordered the immediate suspension of work on the huge Belo Monte hydro-electric dam in the Amazon.

The court says local indigenous people have not been properly consulted.
Officials point out that the builders of the dam will be able to appeal against the decision.
Once completed, the 11,000-megawatt dam, in Brazil's Para state, would be the third largest hydro-electric dam in the world
Belo Monte would only be smaller than the Three Gorges in China, and Itaipu which is jointly run by Brazil and Paraguay.
The project, which has been heavily criticised by environmentalists, was approved by the Brazilian Congress in 2005.
It is expected to flood a vast area of tropical forest.
'Flawed legislation'
The government says the dam would make Brazil more self-sufficient in energy, especially in the Amazon region, which relies on fossil fuels for much of its needs.
Opponents of Belo Monte say that the dam will also displace thousands of indigenous people along the Xingu river.
The court says local communities should have had the right to voice their opinion on the environmental impact of the project before the Congress vote.
"A study on the environmental impact of the project was required before, not after, work on the dam started. The legislation is flawed," Judge Souza Prudente told O Globo newspaper.
"The Brazilian Congress must take into account the decisions taken by the indigenous communities. Legislators can only give the go-ahead if the indigenous communities agree with the project," he said.
The building consortium in charge of Belo Monte, Norte Energy, faces a daily fine of $250,000 (Â£160,000) if it carries on with the work.
The Brazilian authorities say they plan to invest more than $1bn (Â£640,000) to assist the communities who will be forced to move to make way for the dam.


Government attempts to improve protection for at-risk children in England have been criticised by the National Audit Office.

The spending watchdog says help for at-risk children is "unsatisfactory and inconsistent".
It urges the Department for Education (DfE) to "show a sense of urgency and determination" in delivering change by a promised target date of 2020.
The DfE says children's safety is an "absolute priority" for government.
The National Audit Office (NAO) report assessed the government's progress in improving child help and protection, after the DfE concluded in 2010 that children's services were not good enough.
It concluded progress was poor, with only 23% of local authorities judged by watchdog Ofsted to be good for protection services.
The NAO found spending on children's social work, including on child protection, varied widely across England.
But it could establish no correlation between a local authority's rating by Ofsted, the number of children in need and how much was spent per child in need.
The report also found arrangements for developing, identifying and sharing good practice were "piecemeal" and little information was available on outcomes for children who are, or have been, in need of services.
It said high social worker caseloads, vacancies and use of agency workers played a part in the quality of services.
The NAO said the DfE must set out how it would transform children's services, as promised, by 2020.
"To achieve its new goal of improving the quality of all services by 2020 the department will need to step forward and show a sense of urgency and determination in delivering on their responsibilities," the report concluded.
An increasing number of children in England need the protection of local authorities.
Referrals to children's social care have increased by 15% over the past 10 years from 552,000 in 2004-05 to 635,600 in 2014-15.
Head of the NAO Sir Amyas Morse said: "Six years have passed since the department recognised that children's services were not good enough.
"It is extremely disappointing that, after all its efforts, far too many children's services are still not good enough."
A DfE spokeswoman said: "Keeping children safe from harm is an absolute priority for this government.
"We are taking tough action to drive up standards in children's services across the country, stepping in when councils aren't doing well enough and linking them up with better performing local authorities to share best practice."
Richard Watts, chairman of the Local Government Association's Children and Young People Board said: "In 2008, 78% of children's services were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.
"It is notable that this figure has now dropped below 25%, over a period in which child protection reform and improvement has been largely removed from local government and increasingly centralised within Whitehall instead.
"It's vital to examine how DfE initiatives imposed on local authorities, such as children's services trusts, are evaluated to check whether they are doing a better job of looking after vulnerable children, and use that evidence to develop future initiatives in partnership with councils."
Commenting on the report, Public Accounts Committee chairwoman Meg Hillier said: "Children in need depend on child protection services to get it right for them where other adults in their lives have failed.
"It is horrifying that over three-quarters of local authorities' child protection services are inadequate or require improvement to be good.
"The DfE needs to take radical action to meet their aim for all vulnerable children to receive high quality care by 2020."


Evan Davis is to replace Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, the BBC has announced.

The Radio 4 Today programme presenter was the BBC's economics editor for six and a half years and previously worked for Newsnight from 1997 to 2001.
The news was revealed on the day the BBC's annual report was published. It also stated that audiences spent 18.5 hours with the BBC each week.
That is an hour less than 2012/2013. The figure includes radio, TV and online use.
But 96% of UK adults still use the BBC each week.
Speaking about his Newsnight appointment, Davis said: "I can't deny that I feel terribly sad to be leaving the Today programme.
"But at the same time, how could I turn down the offer of this role on Newsnight, treading in the footsteps of some of the best television presenters in the business? While it is a scary prospect, it will be an adventure and a challenge, and I hope the viewers will be happy with the result."
BBC director general Tony Hall described Davis as an "outstanding journalist", and "an extraordinary, clever and intelligent interviewer".
Lord Hall added: "It's been a fantastic year for the BBC with 96% of the UK choosing to watch, listen or use BBC services.
"But I think we can do better and this year we've announced how we are going to change the BBC to produce more distinctive programmes, ensure the BBC truly reflects all of our audiences and provide even better value for money."
The total spend on the BBC's on-air talent, earning more than £500,000, totalled £11.6m - a £700,000 reduction on the £12.3m spent on star salaries in 2012/2013.
The overall talent spend was £194.2m, down £6.08m from last year and down 15% since 2008.
The total number of senior managers at the corporation is down by 34 to 403 from last year.
The BBC said it is on track to achieve the £700m savings per year it must make as part of its Delivering Quality First programme by 2016/17, having saved £374m in 2013/14 so far.
Some audiences fell during the last year for channels and stations.
Lord Hall said the drop in the total time audiences spent with the BBC each week was, in part, due to bumper viewing for major events including the London 2012 Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee during the previous accounting period.
BBC One was down 21 minutes a week per average listener, to seven and a half hours.
BBC One channel controller Danny Cohen said it had been challenging to meet audience expectations following funding cuts, resulting in an overall reduction in spend across television and radio.
"There's no doubt if you take 26% of your spending out you are also going to have an impact on how people feel about [the services]," he said.
Radio One went down 51 minutes to six hours and 23 minutes while Radio 4's audience figures reduced by 28 minutes to 11 hours and 26 minutes.
Radio 5 Live also lost 21 minutes a week per average listener, down to six hours and 47 minutes.
But some saw an increase, such as Radio 4 Extra, which went up 26 minutes to six hours and 11 minutes) and Radio 5 live sports extra (an increase of 41 minutes to 3 hours and 59 minutes).
Gautam Rangarajan, the BBC's director of strategy, said that falling figures was an issue occurring across the industry.
"If you look at comparative channels on TV and radio, they've all seen a similar structural shift - audiences are using channels in different ways," he said.
"But 18.5 hours spent with the BBC is an astonishingly large amount of time."
On diversity, the BBC also said it needed a co-ordinated a plan to address a continuing gender imbalance at the corporation, having already made a commitment for 50% of local radio stations to have a female breakfast presenter by the end of 2014.
The BBC also has a target of 12.5% for black, Asian and minority ethnic staff (BAME) and there was a 0.2% increase from last year in both leadership grades and other staff. Last year's annual report stated that the number of BAME staff was at 12.4%.
The executive has now established a mentoring scheme, Rise, for BAME staff.
But the BBC Trust also said it was concerned by "the lack of progress" in the employment of disabled staff.
The BBC continues to fall short of its target of 5.5%. By March 2014, 3.8% of staff were registered as disabled and the number of disabled staff in senior grades has "disappointingly dropped" this year.
Audience appreciation also fell slightly for radio and TV over the past year but online appreciation increased.
Overall spend on TV, radio and online is down, mainly because the previous year's expenditure had included coverage of the London Olympics.
The report also touched on the BBC licence fee quoting an Ipsos survey, which showed 53% of the public support the licence fee. compared with 26% who want advertising and 17% who would prefer a subscription.
The BBC is due to negotiate the renewal of its Royal Charter and the future of the licence fee with the government in 2016.
Diane Coyle, acting chair of the BBC Trust, said: "The BBC has faced a number of well-documented historic issues where it fell significantly short of what licence fee payers expect.
"The Trust and the executive have been working together to improve how the BBC is run and improve how we work together to make sure nothing like that can happen again."


Russia has faced heavy criticism in the West over its military operation in Syria.

The Russian air force has been accused of indiscriminate bombing. The human rights group Amnesty International says it has "compelling evidence" that Russian and Syrian government forces had "deliberately and systematically targeted hospitals and other medical facilities" in Aleppo in the north.
But during our trip to Syria this week, the Russian military has tried to convince us that it is playing a constructive role: that of peacemaker.
We were taken to two villages to see the Russian army handing out plastic bags with humanitarian aid: tinned fish and meat, dried peas and biscuits.
Printed on the packages were the Russian and Syrian flags and the words 'Russia is with you!" (though written in Russian, not Arabic).
In Maarzaf, near Hama, we saw a village elder signing a declaration of peace with a Russian army officer. The village pledged to support the process of reconciliation in Syria and bow to Syrian government control in return for security guarantees.
A large tent had been erected for the occasion and many of the villagers were there to witness the event. Afterwards, the Russian army handed out Russian sweets and biscuits to local children.
It was in Maarzaf that we met Ahmed Mubarak: a pro-Moscow local sheikh who is working with the Russians to persuade villages across Hama province to sign similar pledges.
The sheikh has his own private army: many of his heavily armed "soldiers" were in the village for the ceremony; some had taken up positions on rooftops, others - with guns slung over their shoulders - wandered through the crowd.
The Russian army had brought us to the village in an armoured vehicle and we had been advised to wear body armour here. Despite the peace agreement in this village, it did not feel as if peace was breaking out in Syria.
The Russians admit that towns and villages are not rushing to sign peace deals.
"Negotiations with villages are difficult," Lt-Col German Rudenko told us. He heads the Russian army's Reconciliation Group for Hama province.
"People are worried that by agreeing to co-operate with us, they will face pressure from terrorist groups."
The Russians have signed a similar peace declaration with the district of al-Tall, north of Damascus. But that does not mean all armed opponents of President Bashar-al Assad have laid down their weapons.
One resident in the town told me there were still "rebels" there, though she would not specify from which militant groups.
"They are now thinking, they are not going against our army," she said. "Some of them are trying to settle down, some of them waiting. It's not very clear, but things are going in the right direction."
The United Nations says that the cessation of hostilities in Syria, negotiated by Russia and the United States, is holding. But only just. The UN describes it as "fragile" and warns "success is not guaranteed".
On Tuesday, while we were visiting the village of Kinsibba, we heard explosions on the hillside. We and the other journalists we were with dived to the ground, then took cover behind a wall.
The Russian general accompanying us radioed for back-up. An armoured personnel carrier reversed down the main street.
The general ordered us to crouch behind it and use it for protection as it moved in the direction of our waiting cars. But not all of us fitted behind the APC.
We heard more explosions. "Run, run!" shouted the general and we dashed the final 100 metres to the vehicles and to safety.
The Russian defence ministry claims that we had come under artillery fire, and that eight artillery shells had been fired from the direction of the Syrian-Turkish border.
Later Russia's Tass news agency reported that four foreign journalists had been "wounded in shelling in Syria".
I cannot confirm what these explosions were or where they came from. A number of journalists in our group did receive light injuries, but not from artillery shells or shrapnel: these were cuts and bruises sustained during our hasty and rather chaotic retreat behind the armoured personnel carrier.
Whatever had happened in Kinsibba, it certainly fitted in with Moscow's current narrative: that while Russia is pursuing peace in Syria, there are other forces who want the fight to continue.


Motherwell have signed Hearts midfielder Morgaro Gomis on loan until the end of the season.

The 30-year-old helped the Tynecastle club win promotion to the top flight last season following his second spell at Dundee United.
Capped twice by Senegal in 2009, Gomis has featured in 21 games for Hearts this season.
His departure was announced soon after Hearts signed former Cardiff and Wigan midfielder Don Cowie.
"Morgaro is at the stage where he wants to play regular first-team football every Saturday and with the depth of our squad it was something I couldn't guarantee," Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson told the club website.
Gomis won the Scottish Cup with Dundee United in 2010, moving on to Birmingham for two seasons before making a return to Tannadice in 2013.
Motherwell could also re-sign James McFadden, who had signed a deal until the end of January as he awaited news from the United States following a trial with Philadelphia Union.
Manager Mark McGhee said: "He was supposed to be going to America but that's fallen through so if he's going to stay around here, and if there's nobody else that steals him away from us, then he will be welcome to stay around here a bit longer."
Meanwhile, defender Craig Reid, 29, has been released from his Fir Park contract.


Arsene Wenger says he is prepared to enter the transfer market before the window closes on 31 August.

The Arsenal boss has been criticised by fans for a lack of signings in recent years but his squad has suffered a spate of recent injuries.
"I can reassure people we're ready to spend the money we have," Wenger said.
"It's important to spend money but more important to spend it the right way. There are two markets, one for English clubs, one for the rest of Europe."
The Gunners saw Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi go off in their opening Premier League defeat against Liverpool on Sunday, while Per Mertesacker, Gabriel and Jack Wilshere were injured in pre-season and Danny Welbeck is a long-term absentee.
Wenger said Ramsey "should be back after the international break", ruling him out of league matches at Leicester on Saturday and Watford on 27 August and making him doubtful for Wales' opening World Cup qualifier with Moldova on 5 September.
The 66-year-old Frenchman, who has been in charge of the Gunners since October 1996, urged the fans to trust his judgement and said he had completed over 400 transfers during his time at Arsenal.
"It is dangerous. English clubs suffocate themselves by buying players at a high price with high wages, if it goes wrong you are left with players with high wages," he said.
"The identity of the buyer multiplies transfers by two or three or even 10 times more."


The curtain has come down on what has been widely praised as the best Paralympics of all time.

Crowds packed into the venues to cheer on the British competitors, including cyclist Sarah Storey, who won four cycling gold medals to become Britain's joint-most successful Paralympian of the modern era.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe said the Games had had a "seismic effect in shifting public attitudes", adding: "I don't think people will ever see sport the same way again, I don't think they will ever see disability in the same way again".
BBC Sport spoke to some key figures about how they viewed the Games and how they see Paralympic sport making an impact in the future.
Tim Hollingsworth, British Paralympic Association chief executive
In the short term, the impact that this Games have made has been incredibly positive. We have got an incredible momentum around people's understanding that this is great sport.
It has been very successful in making people realise that disability is not the issue - it is the quality of the individual and their ability to do things that matter.
The task is to see that as being more than short-term and not letting it fall away, and make sure there is the focus and drive to maintain a public attitude that is positive towards the Paralympic Games. I am convinced we will never go back to a time where there is disinterest in Paralympic sport.
Marc Woods, four-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist and BBC Radio 5 live summariser
We have seen packed-out heats and finals for 10 days in the Aquatics Centre and in the Olympic Stadium, and if that doesn't change some people's perceptions of the sport, then what will?
We have had good listening figures on the radio and watching on TV, and that must have a positive influence on the perception of the sport.
But there have been some issues that will damage the credibility of the sport, especially around classification, and we need to get these things sorted before we get to the next Games, otherwise from a high point for the Paralympic movement, people's interest in the sport could drift away.
Sarah Storey - 11-time Paralympic cycling gold medallist, who won four golds at London 2012
I have had so many messages of support from home and we hope that support will continue in the dark winter months when we are back in training. I went to Barcelona in 1992 as a 14-year-old swimmer and, since then, Paralympic sport has evolved and been embraced by the wider public as a whole and it has been great to be part of the journey and seen the changes.
People are now starting to see Paralympics as elite sport and not seeing it with disability, impairment levels or anything like that, and seeing world record after world record.
Damon Rose, producer Ouch! - a BBC disability blog and podcast
It seems that a positive Paralympic sporting legacy could already be alive and kicking as individuals start taking it upon themselves to organise disability sport. And not necessarily through the expected channels.
On Thursday night, on the way home from the Olympic Park, my taxi driver told me: "I have really enjoyed the Paralympics, especially the blind football. Actually, my son came home from school today and told me he'd played it. The PE teacher blindfolded the pupils, put a bell in the ball and the kids loved it."
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, 11-time Paralympic gold medallist and BBC 5 live pundit
People are now talking about athletes and not poor disabled people.
After Dave Weir won his 800m race, Olympic road cycling gold medallist Brad Wiggins and television presenter Lorraine Kelly were tweeting about the race. People of that sort of stature on the outside had never watched the sport in that way before.
I don't care if some people came here because they didn't get Olympic tickets - I think spectators have been blown away by the level of sport. There are some classes weaker than others, but that happens at the Olympics.
It won't change the attitude to disabled people outside of the Games; however, we will see athletes get big sponsorship deals, lots of media coverage and it will change their lives.
Gordon Farquhar, BBC Sport news correspondent
I think what is obvious with the packed stadiums and also relatively huge television audiences is that people have understood the Paralympics and that the Paralympics have found a new audience.
It has been helped by the success of the Olympics and people's eyes have been opened to seeing new sports for the first time and they are now embracing Paralympic sport in the same way they are embracing Olympic sport and that is a huge step forward for Paralympic sport.
Paralympic sport is on a huge upward curve in term of performances, support and advertising. I think the Games as a whole have been really positive and probably a seminal moment for Paralympic sport.
UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl
The London Paralympic Games will be remembered as a time when we saw ability first and disability second.
We will reflect as we move through London and on to Rio and great success. We want to build on that. We've already started the planning. We're confident we can move into big investment decisions this autumn for Paralympic sports and the Olympic sports and we'll maintain this momentum so that we can do even better in Rio.
We've got a world-class system here in the UK for performance and everybody can see that it really works. What we do need is a world-class community sports system and a world-class school sports system.


A mate has been sought for one of two male polar bears kept in Scotland but what does it take to find the perfect mate for a polar bear?

Arktos shares an enclosure with Walker at the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, near Aviemore. Next year, Arktos could be paired up with a female. But the process of finding a suitable mate is far from simple.
Arktos, right, is a year older than Walker. He arrived at the park in April 2012 from a zoo in Hannover, Germany. Walker has been at the site since November 2010, after being introduced from a Dutch zoo.
The two are the only polar bears in a UK zoo.
The Highland Wildlife Park's other residents include wolves, bison, lynx, wildcats and snow monkeys.
In 2011, the park had hopes of pairing up Walker with a mate but that plan was put on ice following suspicions that she was already pregnant. The new female bear would be genetically compatible with both Walker and Arktos. However, Arktos is regarded as "slightly more genetically important," according to the park. That is because he has fewer relations in the European zoo population, lowering the risk of inbreeding.
The park's Douglas Richardson recently attended a meeting of the European Zoo Association's polar bear breeding programme species committee. A range of matters were discussed, including how best to pair up males and females for breeding. During the meeting, a female was recommended for the Highland Wildlife Park.
Mr Richardson said: "We have specialised software which allows us to make complicated decisions. It looks at inbreeding coefficients, degree of relatedness, age of the animals and whether a bear is of a rare bloodline or a common one. This is stuff that would take three days to work out with pen and paper. A document has been produced and given to all the zoos. But it is like being in a chain for buying a house. It could be the female bear recommended is already being prepared for another mate, or has a health condition. If one thing breaks in the chain, it affected the whole process."
The park has set aside space for a new enclosure for the female. Depending on funding, the bear could be in Scotland next year. Mr Richardson said: "Getting the female pregnant is not the hardest part - most zoos with bears have cubs. Persuading the female to rear her cubs is the difficult part. They have a very exaggerated need for privacy. We are confident the enclosure we are planning at the park would give her that."


A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was discovered in Greater Manchester.

Police found the body of the 36-year-old in St Helier's Drive in Salford at about 18:00 GMT on Sunday after being called to the property.
Officers are tracing her next-of-kin and inquiries are under way to establish the circumstances of her death.
The 36-year-old arrested man remains in police custody for questioning.


Nathan White was thrilled to make an Ireland debut that he feared was destined never to happen as he came on in the second half of Saturday's World Cup warm-up win over Scotland.

New Zealand-born White, 33, looked set to earn his first Ireland cap last autumn only to suffer a broken arm.
However, coach Joe Schmidt kept the door open to the Connacht prop even when he suffered a further back injury.
"I don't know how many coaches would show that kind of faith," said White.
"When I injured my arm back in November that was very disappointing, but then to get fit and injure my back, there were definitely a few demons.
"But Joe's backed me and given me a crack, and it's just fantastic to have had that chance.
"There were dark days in rehab but the carrot was always to be in the position to play in a game like this, so it's great to have done it.
"Connacht offered me a new contract though, so that really made me determined to get myself right and do right by them."
Leinster stalwart Mike Ross remains the only player to feature in every Test in the Joe Schmidt era and has the starting tight-head spot nailed down for next month's World Cup.
Marty Moore will provide the immediate back-up if he recovers from shoulder trouble in time as expected, leaving White battling it out with Michael Bent for the last prop berth in Ireland's 21-man World Cup line-up.
Bent's ability to prop on both sides of the scrum offers versatility but White's unfussy solidity may yet see him trump his main rival.
White himself was simply happy to have made his long-overdue Test debut as Ireland edged out the Scots 28-22.
"I felt like a kid again myself, especially when you've got Paul O'Connell out there, a guy I've watched for a fair while.
"So I just really wanted to cherish the moment.
"If Joe's happy with what I've done on the field then hopefully I'll get the call to go back into camp on Sunday night."


Two motorcyclists have died after a collision on the A40 near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire.

The crash, involving two motorbikes and a Peugeot van towing a trailer, happened just before 12:00 BST between Llandovery and Halfway on Sunday.
The driver and passenger of the van have been taken to hospital for treatment.
The road is closed in both directions and diversions are in place.
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: "Tragically both riders of the motorbikes died at the scene. Next of kin have been advised and our thoughts remain with the families.
"Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Dyfed Powys Police on 101."


England batsman Aneurin Donald has no security concerns about the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.

Australia have pulled out of the tournament, which starts on 27 January, because of safety and security concerns.
Donald, 19, has been recalled to the England squad and reassured over safety.
"We're not worried at all and looking forward to getting out there," said the Glamorgan player.
"The ECB have been very strict and have sent many security guys over there, speaking with the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the ICC [International Cricket Council].
"They're very happy with it going ahead. We've made preparations and have plenty of security, and it's going to be monitored the whole time."
Ireland will replace Australia in the tournament while Scotland are also scheduled to take part.
Donald captained England's Under-19 side in a one-day series against Australia in 2015, but missed the subsequent tournament against India and Sri Lanka.
He spent the UK winter at the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide and playing club cricket in Australia.
Swansea-born Donald will now travel to Dubai for a week of practice in January, including a warm-up match against South Africa.


A benevolent virus has been used to harden more than 10,000 home routers against cyber-attacks, says a security firm.

Symantec says the Wifatch program is closing loopholes and fixing bugs on routers it infects.
Routers are being increasingly targeted by criminals keen to steal data or to help with large-scale web attacks.
Symantec has monitored the network of "vaccinated" devices but, so far, has not seen it put to malicious use.
Wifatch was first discovered in late 2014 and since then has been steadily scouring the web for routers and other smart devices running vulnerable software.
In a blogpost, Symantec said that once Wifatch finds and infects a vulnerable router it connects to other compromised devices to download software updates that make them harder to attack successfully.
In addition, it said, Wifatch tries to disinfect devices that have been compromised by malicious software. It regularly reboots devices to kill off malware running on them and return them to a clean state.
As far as Symantec can tell, Wifatch's payload has no malicious components and the growing network of compromised devices has never been used for attacks, said Symantec security analyst Mario Ballano.
The software also leaves a message on the router telling its owner to change the default passwords and update the firmware that controls the device.
Wifatch targets a wide variety of home routers that run variations of the Linux operating system. Symantec said that "tens of thousands" of gadgets were harbouring Wifatch. About a third of all the devices it had hit were in China with Brazil and Mexico making up another quarter of its victims.
Symantec remained cautious about the intentions of Wifatch despite its benign appearance.
"Wifatch is a piece of code that infects a device without user consent and, in that regard, is the same as any other piece of malware," said Mr Ballano.
"It should also be pointed out that Wifatch contains a number of general-purpose back doors that can be used by the author to carry out potentially malicious actions," he added.


What has been described as Scotland's first snorkel trail has been created in the north west Highlands by the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT).

The trust has identified nine sites suitable for snorkelling which also have environments rich in marine life.
The locations include Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles, Camusnagaul and Achmelvich Bay.
SWT said marine life that could be seen at the sites included dogfish, barrel jellyfish and sea urchins.
The trail project, which forms part of the trust's Living Seas programme, has received funding from the EsmÃ©e Fairbairn Foundation.
Noel Hawkins, Living Seas communities officer, said: "The coast of Wester Ross and Sutherland features some fantastic sheltered headlands and beaches that are great places for snorkelling.
"The new trail is self-led, but we are hoping to establish a training programme for local people to become qualified snorkel instructors, and also a snorkel club at the local leisure centre to introduce younger members of the community to snorkelling and their local marine environment."
Lizzie Bird, of the British Sub Aqua Club, added: "Lots of people might think it's too cold to snorkel in Scotland but the colours and life under the surface in places like the north west coast are up there with the coral reefs you can find abroad."
The launch of the trail has been welcomed by Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop.
She said: "Scotland's coast boasts some of the UK's richest spots for marine wildlife, which is why nearly half of the visitors surveyed come to Scotland for our scenery and landscape.
"The snorkel trail is an innovative approach to marine and coastal planning that encourages use of existing infrastructure to help tourism diversification like this."


Donald Trump has expressed concern over the recent police killing of an unarmed black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Speaking to a crowd of black pastors at an Ohio church, the Republican nominee said he was "very, very troubled" by the shooting.
Terence Crutcher, 40, was shot dead by a white police officer while standing next to his stalled car last Friday.
His Democratic rival Hillary Clinton said: "This has got to end."
She has made the use of police force against African Americans a central plank of her campaign.
But Mr Trump has billed himself as the "law and order candidate", making his remarks stand out as a rare criticism of police actions.
The New York billionaire, who has been a vocal critic of the Black Lives Matter movement, received an endorsement by The Fraternal Order of Police on Friday.
"I must tell you, I watched the shooting in particular in Tulsa and that man was hands up. That man went to the car, hands up, put his hand on the car," Mr Trump said at the New Spirit Revival church in Cleveland Heights.
Tulsa shooting: The unanswered questions
Charlotte police 'warned man to drop gun'
Though Mr Trump said he was a "tremendous supporter of the police and law enforcement," he said Mr Crutcher  "looked like somebody who was doing what they were asking him to do".
Tulsa police footage released on Monday showed armed police approaching as Mr Crutcher walked with his hands up before the shooting.
It is unclear where his hands were at the moment police opened fire.
Police officials contend he repeatedly ignored the officers' commands before he allegedly reached into an open window of his car.
Betty Shelby, a white police officer, shot Mr Crutcher while another officer discharged his stun gun. Ms Shelby has been put on paid leave pending an investigation into the shooting.
"Now did she get scared? Was she choking? What happened?" Mr Trump surmised on Wednesday.
"But maybe people like that, people that choke, people that do that, maybe they can't be doing what they're doing."
Ms Shelby's attorney, Scott Wood, has said his client believed Mr Crutcher was acting like he was under the influence of PCP, a synthetic drug, and was reaching into his car for a weapon.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that a vial of PCP was found in the car, but no gun was found on Mr Crutcher or at the scene.
Mr Trump declined to address the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina, but mentioned the incident in a tweet on Wednesday.
Mr Scott, who police say was armed, was killed by a black officer on Tuesday, sparking violence on the streets of Charlotte .
Protests over both shootings added to the mounting racial tensions across the country over the use of police force.
The US Justice Department has opened an investigation into the Tulsa shooting to determine whether there were any civil rights violations.
How does the US election work?
A-Z guide to political jargon
Why this election will make history
Clinton v Trump v Merkel v Putin


Uefa president Michel Platini has told BBC Sport the 2022 Qatar World Cup must be played in winter.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The Frenchman's stance puts him in direct opposition to some of Europe's biggest leagues and clubs, who want the event to be staged in May.
The World Cup is usually held in June and July, but Fifa has been told that Qatar's searing summer temperatures will put players' health at risk.
Platini said: "It'll never be in April, May or June. It will be in winter."
He added the 2022 Champions League semi-finals and final could be moved to June if necessary, saying the clubs would accept whatever decision was made.
"It's not the clubs that are playing, it's the players and it's not possible to play in May when it's 40 degrees," said Platini, 59.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The English Premier League, Spain's La Liga and the German Bundesliga think a May World Cup will cause the least disruption as Fifa attempts to find an alternative date to June and July.
But the favourite dates are either November and December or January and February.
Football's most influential figures met in Zurich on Monday in an attempt to agree a solution to one of the sport's most controversial dilemmas, and plan to meet again in January.
The taskforce set up to look into this issue will then present its preferred option to Fifa's executive committee in March.
Fifa's preference is for a switch to November and December.
President Sepp Blatter has already agreed that a World Cup will not clash with the Winter Olympics, which appears to rule out a move to January and February.
But Uefa, which governs European football, is opposed on the grounds it would impact on the Champions League group stages, a stance backed by the Premier League.
Many North American and South American domestic seasons conclude about this time, too.
Speaking during a tour of the Football Association's training base at St George's Park in Staffordshire, Platini said: "As president of Uefa, I have no problem whether it's in November, December, January or February.
"I have no problem. For the competition of the Champions League, we have no problem.
"Your clubs in England, your league (the Premier League) has a problem… but we have to find a compromise. Everybody has to lose something but in the end I think winter will be a good date.
"It will not be in April, it will not be in May or June or July or September. It will be November, December or January."
When asked how regrettable it was that the issue had still not been finalised four years after Fifa's executive committee voted for Qatar, Platini said: "It's not regrettable for me. I don't regret voting for Qatar."
He also rejected any suggestion the World Cup's credibility had been damaged by the Qatar controversy.
"I don't think so," he said. "I've always said that I hope it will be in Qatar in winter. A lot of people voted for Qatar, not only me."
Platini insisted Qatar was the right choice because Arab countries had bid for the World Cup before and missed out.
"The Arabic people, seven times they lose the World Cup," he said. "It was time to give them the World Cup. I am for that. It's my conviction."
Platini was also asked whether Blatter had been wrong to promise the International Olympic Committee that there would be no clash with a Winter Games.
"I don't know," said the former France international midfielder.
"There will be an official decision soon. I hope soon because Qatar needs to know when they are going to organise this competition. We'll find a compromise."
Fifa's ethics adjudicator Hans Joachim Eckert is studying lawyer Michael Garcia's report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process after corruption allegations were made against the Qatar 2022 bid.
Asked if he still believed Qatar will host the 2022 tournament, Platini said: "If there is some problem of corruption, we have to make another vote. If not, why would we have to change?"
During Wednesday's trip, Platini also discussed Financial Fair Play, Blatter's bid for a fifth term as Fifa president and St George's Park.
The Uefa president reinforced his association's view that Blatter should not seek a fifth term in office in next year's election.
Blatter promised not to stand again when he was last re-elected in 2011, but has since declared he will be a candidate in 2015.
Former Fifa executive Jerome Champagne is the only person to have declared an intention to stand against him.
"I said many times that I will not support him any more because he asked European football to vote for him for a last time," said Platini.
"After 40 years being involved as the general secretary and president, it's time to have something fresh.
"I am part of Fifa as vice-president, but the image is not so good.
"For the fame of Fifa all over the world, to have better transparency, to have better governance, I think it's time Sepp let his seat."
Asked if he believed Blatter could be beaten, Platini replied: "I hope so. It's possible."
Uefa made its first Financial Fair Play (FFP) rulings this year, with Manchester City and Paris St-Germain among nine clubs punished.
Platini pushed for the introduction of FFP to prevent clubs that qualify for Uefa competitions spending beyond their means, and to stamp out what he calls "financial doping" in football.
He denied some major clubs were opposed to the idea, but acknowledged the system may need to be altered.
"There are not a lot of critics," he said. "There were some clubs who were not so happy, not about the FFP but they were not so happy about the criteria of FFP.
"By example, PSG said there are very, very many taxes in France. And at first they said: 'We would like to have a different judgement about what we have to pay.'
"Nobody will criticise the FFP, but they want to have some accommodations about this."
Platini said former Manchester United chief executive David Gill, now chairman of Uefa's club licensing committee, oversaw a meeting at which possible changes to the system were discussed.
"The committee will propose to the executive committee if there is something to judge or not," he added.
Platini was impressed by the FA's national football centre, which opened in 2012.
"It is very beautiful, it is modern, it's new, it is very well done," he said.
"Now you have everything, you have to put the quality inside to grow football. But I think for a great country of football like England there is the need for something like that.
"If you educate better players, you will have in your club better players. It means that it is a very good centre to develop football in England."


Nasa has tested the world's biggest rocket at its desert base and managed to catch it on camera!

10 August 2016 Last updated at 16:11 BST
Cameras normally struggle to capture the rocket motor tests because the plumes of flame caused by the fuel burning are too bright.
The US space agency used a new type of camera to get around this problem and the results are pretty epic.
The sheer power of the rocket's blast was filmed using lots of slow motion shots recorded at the same time.
The next scheduled test launch won't be until 2018 but this should keep you fuelled up till then.
Pictures from NASA


A man has been arrested on suspicion of making social media threats to North West MEP Sajjad Karim.

Mr Karim gave a statement to police on Friday following what he claimed were "direct threats" on Facebook.
A 55-year-old man was later arrested in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and released on bail.
Conservative MEP Mr Karim has campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union ahead of the forthcoming referendum.
Speaking to the BBC following the death of MP Jo Cox, the 45-year-old said there had been a building up of tensions as the campaign intensified.
"There have been very direct threats which are now currently with the police," the Blackburn-born MEP said.
"They are being investigated and I anticipate there are individuals who will be spoken to as a result of those threats."


100-year-old Don Pellman has set five world records in his age group at the San Diego Senior Olympics in America.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
24 September 2015 Last updated at 07:04 BST
He is now the record holder in the long and high jump, the shot-put, discus and 100 metres sprint.
Pellman ran his 100 metres in 26.99 seconds.
He also became the first person over the age of 100 to clear a bar in the high jump, eventually reaching 0.90 metres.
Pictures courtesy of Ken Stone/TimesOfSanDiego.com


Body-mounted cameras worn by police officers in parts of Dumfries and Galloway have been withdrawn.

Officers in Dumfries and Annan used the technology as part of a trial earlier this year.
They were able to activate the credit card-sized devices to record specific incidents.
A Police Scotland spokesman said the cameras were withdrawn in November because they were "not considered fit for purpose".
Police officers had hoped to use the cameras to combat late-night violence and youth disorder.
However the force spokesman said only a "small number" of officers used the equipment for a "few weeks".
He added that the cameras were "legacy equipment" which were formerly used by another department.
"Police Scotland is aware of the advantages of body worn cameras and is currently looking to see how these can be introduced as part of a national strategy, which is still being developed," he said.


Premier League leaders Leicester stunned nearest rivals Manchester City with a convincing victory at Etihad Stadium to move five points clear.

Robert Huth met Riyad Mahrez's free-kick to give the Foxes an early lead.
City rarely looked like breaking down the visitors' defence, while their own back line appeared vulnerable.
Mahrez made it 2-0 with a step-over and finish, and Huth found space to head home a Christian Fuchs corner before Sergio Aguero's late consolation.
Follow all the reaction to this match and Saturday's other games
Leicester had already beaten third-placed Tottenham at White Hart Lane in January but this resounding result against Manchester City was their most significant in a remarkable season.
The Foxes have now picked up 28 points on their travels and, although they were denied a sixth clean sheet in their past seven matches, this was another win earned by their solid defence.
Aguero's glancing header from teenage substitute Bersant Celina's cross meant Manchester City retained their record of only failing to score once at home this season, but they had toiled in front of goal for much of the match.
Claudio Ranieri's side travel to fourth-placed Arsenal next weekend - win there too, and people might be asking 'who can catch Leicester?' rather than 'can the Foxes really win the title?'.
While Leicester's defence was a solid and well-organised unit, given further protection by N'Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater in central midfield, Manchester City looked nervy whenever the visitors came forward.
Martin Demichelis was left flat-footed by Robert Huth for Leicester's first goal and was beaten with ease by Mahrez for their second, while Huth was completely unmarked when he made it 3-0.
Things could easily have been even worse for home boss Manuel Pellegrini in his first game at the Etihad since it was announced Pep Guardiola would be replacing him in the summer.
Leicester's Jamie Vardy twice broke clear to latch on to balls over the top and was only prevented from inflicting further damage by smart blocks by Joe Hart.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini said he had "no complaints" about the result but insists his side's hopes of winning the title are not over.
Pellegrini told BBC Sport: "Leicester played better than us. Conceding a goal from a set piece after two minutes was very important for the game.
"We had chances but it was a difficult game. I expected more from the beginning because it was very important, we are at home and playing top of the table, but we couldn't do it.
"There are 36 points to play for, nothing is finished. It is important for us to recover our players and I am continuing to not give up because we got an unexpected defeat but we must continue."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Ranieri saluted his side's defensive discipline at the final whistle, telling BBC Sport: "We played very, very compact and believed everything could be possible.
"We play without pressure because we don't have to win the league. We must enjoy. This league is so strange and now it is important to think about Arsenal.
"I want to wait until the end of April because I know the last matches are very tough. This is a fantastic moment for the Premier League, nobody knows who can win it."
While Leicester head for the Emirates and another test of their title mettle, Manchester City must pick themselves up for the visit of another in-form team, Tottenham, before starting a run of fixtures that sees them play in the FA Cup, Champions League and the Capital One Cup final in the space of a week.
BBC Radio 5 live In Short: Leicester City: Champions League to Championship?
Match ends, Manchester City 1, Leicester City 3.
Second Half ends, Manchester City 1, Leicester City 3.
Attempt missed. Martín Demichelis (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Bersant Celina with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Robert Huth.
Attempt blocked. Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kelechi Iheanacho.
Attempt missed. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Nathan Dyer (Leicester City).
Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the left.
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nathan Dyer (Leicester City).
Goal!  Manchester City 1, Leicester City 3. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Bersant Celina with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Manchester City. Conceded by Kasper Schmeichel.
Substitution, Leicester City. Nathan Dyer replaces Marc Albrighton.
Attempt missed. Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Nicolás Otamendi.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Shinji Okazaki.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
Foul by Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City).
Christian Fuchs (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Leicester City. Demarai Gray replaces Riyad Mahrez.
Substitution, Manchester City. Bersant Celina replaces David Silva because of an injury.
Foul by Fernando (Manchester City).
Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Aleksandar Kolarov.
Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Fernandinho.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Christian Fuchs with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Pablo Zabaleta.
Fernando (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Fernando (Manchester City).
Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs tries a through ball, but Robert Huth is caught offside.
Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City).
Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater with a through ball.
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by David Silva.
Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.


A candidate in Uganda's presidential elections has promised to repatriate the remains of the former dictator, Idi Amin, and build a museum in his honour.

Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister, is quoted as saying that the move would help reconcile Ugandans divided over the legacy of Amin and other leaders.
Mr Mbabazi is running against President Yoweri Museveni in next week's polls.
Amin's rule was notorious for its brutality. He was overthrown in 1979 and died in exile in 2003.
An armed forces chief under President Milton Obote, Amin seized power in a coup in 1971. He ordered the expulsion of Uganda's Asian community a year later.
He became infamous for his capricious behaviour and for his punishment of political opponents. Some 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed while he was in power.
Amin fled Uganda in 1979, seeking refuge in Libya, Iraq and eventually Saudi Arabia, where he would remain for the rest of his life.
Mr Mbabazi made his promise to repatriate Amin's remains on a visit to the former dictator's ancestral home in north-west Uganda.
His spokeswoman said his party was campaigning for reconciliation and for the "forgiveness for any real or perceived wrongs in the past".
"The issue of Idi Amin is one of them," she told the AFP news agency.
Mr Mbabazi meanwhile told the state-owned New Vision newspaper that he wanted to end "the labelling of Ugandans" as Amin's people, Obote's people and Museveni's people.
Mr Museveni has been in power for 30 years and is seeking a fifth term as president. Mr Mbabazi is one of seven candidates hoping to unseat him.


Work to transform an historic Derbyshire site into a £35m luxury hotel, spa and visitor centre will start in June.

After a seven-year delay, planning permission to redevelop Buxton Crescent, built between 1780 and 1789, was granted in September 2010
The first phase of construction work should begin with repairs to the Pump Room.
Plans include a 79-bedroom hotel and natural mineral water spa.
A development agreement was signed between landowners High Peak Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council and the Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa Company at the beginning of April.
The Pump Room will serve as an information centre for the duration of the project after which it will be converted into a cafe where visitors will be able to "take the waters" for the first time since the mid-1970s.
Caitlin Bisknell, leader of High Peak Borough Council, said: "Tourism is vitally important to the High Peak and this development will create jobs and attract countless new visitors while protecting Buxton's precious architectural heritage."
Funding for the project includes a £12.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant.


Two women were taken to hospital after taking ecstasy at a Manchester nightclub, prompting a police warning over a batch of the drug known as Lego.

The women, both aged 21, fell unconscious at a club in Princess Street at 01:30 BST.
They admitted they had taken the distinctive tablet, which police said was "in the shape of a Lego brick".
The women later regained consciousness and were taken to hospital, Greater Manchester Police said.
One has since been discharged while the other remains on a ward under observation.
Det Insp Brian Morley said: "These women are very lucky. I'm happy to be saying they should make a full recovery, but the reality is, I could easily have been giving my condolences to their families instead."
Seventeen-year-old Faye Allen died after taking so-called "Mastercard" ecstasy in Trafford last week.


Signs warning ferry passengers against abusive behaviour have been posted by a Channel Islands boat operator.

Condor Ferries has recently faced a series of problems with its new ship, the Condor Liberation, and said staff had been verbally or physically abused.
The sign reads "if you're abusive, threatening or disruptive...you won't be travelling with us."
It has been placed in ports, aboard the ships and in other places staff are in contact with customers.
A spokesman for Condor said: "This is following a series of unpleasant events where customers have threatened or been abusive to staff, either verbally or physically.
"Our hardworking staff do not deserve to be subject to this kind of behaviour.
"We are also distressed to read some of the comments about individual employees which have been circulating on social media and would urge the public to refrain from this sort of intimidation."
The Â£50m vessel's first problem came after suffering minor damage while mooring in bad weather in St Peter Port, Guernsey, the day after its first commercial sailing.
Since then it has had to cancel a number of sailings or be redirected due to problems with high winds.
The spokesman added: "Whilst we recognise that the reliability and punctuality of Condor Liberation has been below the standards which our customers and we expect, the latest data shows a steadily improving picture.
"Condor Liberation has now operated 92% of her permitted sailings since coming into service, two thirds of which have been early or on time."


London Mayor Boris Johnson has said he was "very, very sorry" for comments made in 2004 about Liverpool fans in the Hillsborough disaster.

He was the Spectator magazine's editor, when it carried an article which said "drunken fans" had "mindlessly tried to fight their way into the ground".
Apologising, he said he was glad a report "lays to rest the false allegation" about the fans' behaviour
The Hillsborough Families Support Group said it was "too little, too late".
Mr Johnson said: "I was very, very sorry in 2004 that the Spectator did carry an editorial that partially repeated those allegations, I apologised then and I apologise now.
"I do hope the families of the 96 victims will take some comfort from this report and that they can reach some sort of closure."
The Spectator article, which was not signed, was written in the wake of the death of British hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq, but went on to criticise "drunken" Liverpool fans at Hillsborough.
Mr Johnson said sorry at the time and went to Liverpool to reiterate his apology.
But Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, who lost her son James, 18, in the tragedy, said: "What he has got to understand is that we were speaking the truth for 23 years and apologies have only started to come today from them because of yesterday.
"It's too little, too late.
"It's fine to apologise afterwards. They just don't want their names in any more sleaze. No, his apology doesn't mean a thing to me."


The care of transgender prisoners in England and Wales is to be reviewed after two inmate deaths, the Ministry of Justice has said.

Justice Secretary Michael Gove ordered the review to ensure the care of such offenders is "fit for purpose".
Vikki Thompson, 21, was found dead in her cell in November and Joanne Latham, 38, died earlier this month. Both were placed in all-male prisons.
The MoJ said concerns had been reported over the current rules.
The National Offender Management Service is already reviewing prison instructions which state transgender prisoners are normally placed according to their legally-recognised gender.
The new review will look across all areas of criminal justice, to see if improvements could be made in prisons, probation and youth justice services.
Justice Minister Caroline Dinenage said the management of transgender offenders needs to "provide an appropriate balance between the needs of the individual and the responsibility to manage risk and safeguard the wellbeing of all prisoners."
Inmate Ms Thompson, who was at HMP Leeds, had said she would kill herself if she was sent to a male prison.
Ms Latham was found hanging in her cell at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes.
Ms Dinenage said the management and care of transgender prisoners was "a complex issue and one that the government takes very seriously".
While adults are usually placed according to their legal gender, their situations "are often complex and sensitive", she added.
"That is why prisons exercise local discretion on the placement of those who live, or propose to live, in the gender other than the one assigned at birth," she said. "In such cases, senior prison management will review the individual circumstances, in consultation with medical and other experts.
"However, we have received a number of representations expressing concern that the present system doesn't sufficiently address the needs of transgender prisoners."
The new review, expected to report back early in the new year, will draw up new guidelines for the treatment of transgender offenders.


The sale of a former public toilet in Orkney has flushed out interest from around the world, according to the local council.

The toilet at Mayburn Court in Stromness is just 28ft by 9ft in size.
It is being sold for offers over Â£5,000.
Orkney Islands Council said it has generated interest from around the world. The toilet is close to the former home of the late poet George MacKay Brown.


UK car production fell by 13.7% in June compared to a year earlier - the third month in a row that output has fallen.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the UK market was cooling in line with forecasts, following a long period of record growth.
The industry is likely to fall short of its ambition to produce more than two million cars a year by 2020, it said.
The SMMT said uncertainty over Brexit was an added cause for concern.
But a spokesperson for the Department for Exiting the European Union said the government was determined that the UK would continue to be "one of the most competitive locations in the world" for automotive manufacturing.
The fall in production mirrored a decline in UK car sales.
Over the first six months of this year, sales were distorted by a rise in Vehicle Excise Duty in April, which prompted drivers to bring forward purchases of new cars.
But comparing the first six months of 2017 with the equivalent period in 2016 still showed a fall of 9.5% in UK sales, the SMMT said.
Overseas demand for British-built cars has remained broadly steady in the first half of this year, falling only by 0.9% compared to the same period last year.
As a result, total output for the year is 2.9% lower than a year ago.
Independent forecasters are predicting output will pick up in the second half of the year, thanks to new and updated models coming into production.
However the SMMT warns that output could fall in 2019, if the UK fails to secure a deal with the EU, or at least an interim agreement, that maintains current trading conditions after Brexit.
The SMMT suggested a "hard" Brexit, with the UK leaving the EU single market and customs union, could result in a 10% hit to production.
"Brexit uncertainty is not helping investment and growth is stalling.," said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.
"The government has been in 'listening' mode but now it must put on the table the concrete plans that will assure the future competitiveness of the sector,"
The Department for Exiting the European Union spokesperson said: "The government's industrial strategy makes clear that we want to build on our strengths in advanced manufacturing in this sector.
"Nissan's decision to continue its investment in Sunderland and plans by Jaguar Land Rover to double its output here are clear votes of confidence in our automotive industry.
Earlier this week, BMW announced it would manufacture the new electric version of the Mini at its site in Cowley, Oxfordshire - a move welcomed by Business Secretary Greg Clark as a "vote of confidence" in the UK.
However, that investment builds on existing production of the standard Mini, already taking place at Cowley.
Analysts said the real test of confidence would come when carmakers decided where to build new models.


George Munsey made his maiden first class century as Scotland's rain-affected Intercontinental Cup match with Namibia ended in a draw.

With play only possible on two of the four days in Ayr, the visitors declared on 403-7.
The Scots reached 223-2 on Saturday, with Munsey 100 not out and Calum MacLeod hitting 79.
It is the third draw in five matches for Scotland, who sit sixth in the eight-team table.
Namibia are bottom of the section, with Afghanistan and Ireland a long way clear in first and second.
The teams now go to Edinburgh for two World Cricket League matches on Sunday and Tuesday.


Seven people, including three Australians and a New Zealander, are believed kidnapped in Nigeria.

Media reports say a convoy of cars was ambushed near the city of Calabar in Cross River State on Wednesday morning.
The driver was killed and seven employees of engineering firm Macmahon were taken away on a waiting boat, reports said.
Kidnap-for-ransom is a longstanding issue in southern Nigeria, where gangs target expatriate workers.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the identity of the kidnappers was unknown at this stage.
"It is a very serious kidnapping, a very serious criminal assault, one person was killed and seven people have been kidnapped," Mr Turnbull said.
He confirmed that three Australians were among those kidnapped, along with a New Zealander who is a permanent resident of Australia. It is believed that at least two Nigerians were also kidnapped.
There has been some confusion over the exact number of people abducted by the 30 militants involved in the attack.
Nigerian Police Commissioner Jimoh Ozi-Obeh told reporters that police were working with the Nigerian Navy to ensure all victims were released unharmed.


Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has accused Democratic rival Hillary Clinton of being a "bigot" in his latest appeal to minority voters.

Speaking at a Mississippi rally, he said his opponent "sees people of colour only as votes not as human beings worthy of a better future".
Mr Trump added that Mrs Clinton and the Democratic party had taken advantage of the African-American community.
Mrs Clinton fired back, saying "he is taking a hate movement mainstream".
The Democratic presidential nominee called out Mr Trump for questioning the citizenship of President Barack Obama and for failing to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, adding that he was "peddling bigotry and prejudice and paranoia".
Mr Trump took aim at Mrs Clinton during a campaign stop in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday, where he was joined by Britain's outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
Mr Farage, who is viewed as a major force behind the UK's exit from the EU, told Trump supporters to "get your walking boots on" and begin campaigning.
In recent days, Mr Trump has attempted to court African-Americans after failing to gain support among this key voting bloc.
Only about 2% of black voters say they will vote for the New York businessman, according to current polls.
It's a standard part of the American political playbook not just to try to exploit your campaign opponent's weaknesses, but also to diminish his or her perceived strengths.
George W Bush adviser Karl Rove mastered this manoeuvre, best displayed in the 2004 attacks against John Kerry, a decorated veteran, for his Vietnam military service.
So it's not exactly stunning that Donald Trump is attempting to undermine what a bedrock of Hillary Clinton's campaign - her support among minority voters, particularly blacks.
The trick, however, is there has to be some appearance of substance behind the charges for them to stick. The reason Kerry was so damaged in 2004 was because the hits came from his fellow veterans and not Mr Bush.
Mr Trump's calling Mrs Clinton a bigot in a few speeches is likely to bounce off the Democratic nominee if that's all there is. A wealthy - white - New York billionaire telling blacks how terrible their lives are under Democrats is just not likely fly.
Indeed, attempting to paint the Democratic Party as unconcerned with minority issues, when the party's rank-and-file is close to a majority minority and its top elected official, Barack Obama, is black is a very tough lift indeed.
Last week, Mr Trump made a direct appeal to black voters during a rally in Michigan, where he told a nearly all-white crowd that African-Americans "are living in poverty" and "their schools are no good".
In an unscripted plea, he added: "What do you have to lose?"
The New York billionaire's combined his minority outreach with his latest line of attack on Mrs Clinton in the deep-red state of Mississippi.
"She doesn't care what her policies have done to your communities. She has no remorse," he said on Wednesday. "She's going to do nothing for Hispanics and African-Americans."
Mrs Clinton is due to speak later in Reno, Nevada, where she will accuse Mr Trump of "embracing extremism and presenting a divisive and dystopian view of America".
The polls have the Democrat ahead nationally and in key states, with about 80 days to go before the election.


A woman in her 50s has died following a house fire in County Londonderry.

The blaze at Grange Park, Limavady, was reported at 06:25 BST on Monday.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said:  "A passer-by noticed smoke coming from the house and alerted the emergency services."
The passer-by also heard a smoke alarm. Three fire crews went to the house but the fire was already out.
The woman died at the scene.
Alan Robinson, a DUP councillor for the area, said the whole town was stunned by the death.
"Sadly we have lost one of our own today and we all extend our sympathies to her friends and family," he said.
"Someone was walking past on their way to work and noticed black smoke and immediately contacted the authorities. Sadly, when the authorities entered the premises we had a fatality.
"People are heartbroken," Mr Robinson added.
NIFRS said an investigation into the cause of the fire is under way and added that their "thoughts are with the family and friends of the lady who has died".


The deadly capsizing of a migrant boat in the Mediterranean has been caught on camera by the Italian navy as it rescued 562 people.

The trawler overturned apparently as a result of people on board rushing to one side after spotting a rescue ship, and five were found dead.
People clung desperately to the deck or dropped into the sea.
Italy's Bettica patrol boat threw life rafts and jackets while another Italian ship sent rescue boats.
The same patrol boat rescued a further 108 migrants in another incident later on Wednesday.
Nearly 6,000 migrants trying to reach Europe illegally have been rescued from flimsy craft in the Mediterranean in recent days.
Aid agencies say the sea-crossing between Libya and Italy is the main route for migrants since an EU deal with Turkey curbed the number sailing across the Aegean to Greece.
Meanwhile, an unprecedented operation by the Italian navy is under way off the coast of Libya to recover the wreck of a migrant boat that sank in April last year.
Up to 700 migrants died - the largest single loss of life in the Mediterranean in decades.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


The Japanese government has decided to scrap its controversial design for the stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government would "start over from zero".
The original design, by British architect Zaha Hadid, had come under criticism as estimated building costs almost doubled, reaching $2bn (Â£1.3bn)
Mr Abe says the new stadium will still be completed in time for the games.
However, the delay means that the stadium will no longer be ready in time for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which Japan is also hosting.
World Rugby said it was "extremely disappointed" and was "urgently seeking further detailed clarification".
Japanese officials say the contract with Zaha Hadid's architecture firm will be cancelled, and a new design chosen within six months.
Zaha Hadid Architects said that the stadium the firm had designed could be built cost-effectively.
"It is not the case that the recently reported cost increases are due to the design," the firm said in a statement.
The real challenges were "increases in construction costs in Tokyo and a fixed deadline", it said, adding that building costs in Tokyo were higher than many other places as the risk of earthquakes meant that strict safety standards were needed.
Under the original plans, Tokyo's stadium would have been bigger and more expensive than any of its recent predecessors.
It drew increasing criticism as estimated costs spiralled from $1bn to $2bn.
The futuristic design of the stadium also drew attention, with architects likening it to a turtle or a bicycle helmet.
Announcing the cancellation on Friday, Mr Abe said: "I have been listening to the voices of the people and the athletes for about a month now, thinking about the possibility of a review."
"We must go back to the drawing board," he added. "The cost has just ballooned too much."
He said that he had made the decision after being assured that it was still possible to complete construction of a new design in time for the Olympics.
Dame Zaha Hadid has won several architectural awards, including the 2004 Pritzker Architecture Prize and the 2010 and 2011 Stirling Prizes.
She designed the London Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, as well as Qatar's Al-Wakrah stadium for the 2022 football World Cup.
Commentators have described her projects as exuberant, extravagant and striking.
However, it is not the first time one of her designs exceeded the initial budget - the London Aquatics Centre's budget more than tripled from its initial budget of $116m (Â£75m).


Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill made her first competitive outing of the athletics season at the Loughborough International on Sunday.

The Sheffield athlete threw moderately in the javelin - 41.69m compared with a personal best of 48.33m - but appeared to be free of an Achilles injury that ruled her out of the indoor season.
There are 12 weeks to go before Ennis-Hill defends her Olympic title in Rio.
"My Achilles actually feels really good," she said.
"The work I've done with the medical team - and the rehab and just making sure we get it right - has really worked."
Ennis-Hill's hampered preparations have forced her to pull out of the high-profile heptathlon at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis next weekend. She has already qualified for Rio 2016.
Also at Loughborough, CJ Ujah beat Great Britain team-mate James Dasaolu to win the 100 metres A race in 10.06 seconds, inside the Olympic qualifying time.


Police have used dogs and mountain rescue teams to try to locate a woman missing for two weeks.

Svitlana Krasnoselska, 40, originally from Ukraine, was last seen near her home in Micklefield, near Leeds, at 05:00 BST on 3 April.
West Yorkshire Police said the search was concentrated around Micklefield but had found nothing.
Officers said they were very concerned for her welfare as her disappearance was completely out of character.
Read more about this and other stories from across West Yorkshire
The mother-of one has lived in the UK for 12 years.
Officers said she had also recently lived in York and Halton, Leeds, before moving to Micklefield.
Det Insp James Entwistle said: "This is a genuine mystery. We have no idea what has happened or where she has gone.
"It is completely out of character for Lana.
"The search is around her home address and we have used mountain rescue and dogs to make sure we have cleared that area."


Novak Djokovic says Wimbledon should introduce a final-set tie-break in order to help schedule matches.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Fading light meant his tie against Adrian Mannarino was moved to Tuesday after Gilles Muller's win over Rafael Nadal finished late on Court One.
That match lasted almost five hours, with 28 games played in the fifth set.
"For a player to play a five to six-hour match, come back the next day and perform - it's not really what your body's looking for," said the Serb.
"Because John Isner and Nicolas Mahut made history [in 2010] with an 11-hour match. Is that a reason why we're keeping it?
"It is great drama, but that player has to go out tomorrow. It is for the spectator?
"If you are already getting to six-all in the fifth set, you might as well just decide it in a tie-break."
The US Open is the only one of the four Grand Slams to play tie-breaks in the final set.
World number four Djokovic, who eventually defeated his French opponent 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4  to reach the quarter-finals, also said his match should have been moved to Centre Court which lay empty from 19:45 BST after Roger Federer saw off Grigor Dimitrov in three sets.
"I think it was a wrong decision not to play us last night," added the three-time champion. "The Centre Court has the roof and lights, we could have played till 23:00.
"We went to the referee's office before 20:00. There were security reasons. That was the only excuse. I just didn't see any logic in not playing us on the Centre Court."


The attorney general has lodged an appeal to a High Court ruling that found Northern Ireland's abortion legislation to be "incompatible" with human rights law.

A judge made the ruling last month.
A case had been taken by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission against the Department of Justice.
The judge said there should be exemptions in the law for women who were the victims of sexual crime and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
He said the current legal provisions in Northern Ireland breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply to Northern Ireland, where abortions are illegal except where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger.
Anyone who unlawfully carries out an abortion could be jailed for life.
The judge's ruling did not change the law but had placed an onus on the Northern Ireland Assembly to legislate on the issue.
John Larkin QC, the attorney general, said at the time he was "profoundly disappointed" by the decision and was considering the grounds for appeal.
Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, said it would resist any attempt to overturn the judge's ruling.
Its Northern Ireland director, Patrick Corrigan, said: "The assembly must bring Northern Ireland's abortion laws into the 21st Century and into line with international law as a matter of urgency."


Proceedings in the UK's Supreme Court can now be viewed at any time with the launch of an on-demand video archive.

Footage of hearings in the UK's highest court will be uploaded to its website on the next working day and be available to view for a year.
Supreme Court president Lord Neuberger said the service would allow people to see the background to decisions made in the court.
"Now justice can be seen to be done at a time which suits you," he said.
Once judgement is delivered in a case, the footage of the Justices' summary in court will be published alongside the full judgement text and press summary.
Lord Neuberger said it would also be an "informative tool" for those considering a law career.
BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman called the service a "legal iPlayer" and said it had been dubbed "court catch-up".
He said the court already had a YouTube channel but it had shown only summaries of its judgements so far.
The new service offers the constitution in "living, breathing action", he said, allowing people to hear important points debated by the finest legal experts in the country.
Among the footage that will be revealed by the new service is film of barristers debating whether letters by Prince Charles to government ministers could be published.
The court ruled in March that they could be made public.
The on-demand archive will be funded by the Supreme Court until March 2016, when it will be reviewed.
The court also has an existing live streaming service, which has been used by about 15,000 people each month since its launch in October 2014.


A couple who could not afford central heating died in a house fire started by a portable heater, an inquest heard.

Blaise Alvares and Sharon Soares, who had a baby girl, died following the fire at their Swindon home in November.
The couple shared the house with another family, relying on bio-ethanol heaters to stay warm as they could not afford the central heating bills.
Assistant coroner Nicholas Rheinburg recorded conclusions of accidental death.
The inquest heard the three-bedroom terrace house in Manchester Road did not have any working smoke alarms.
Both families who lived there relied on portable heaters as the central heating was too expensive to run, the inquest was told.
Fire investigator Michael Bagnall said: "The most likely cause was it was an accident with the use of this bio-fuel burner.
"I can't completely discount an electrical fault but the most likely cause was the bio-fuel burner.
"It was a particularly cold night and I find it difficult to believe that there was no sort of heating being used."
Mr Bagnall added he believed this type of heater was not safe for indoor use and that fires often started during re-filling.
He said he also knew of one fatality in Staffordshire in 2012.
Assistant coroner, Mr Rheinburg said: "I find as a fact that it was a bio-ethanol fuelled fire that caused the blaze, flammable material coming into contact with the heat source."
He added that he would write to the Chief Fire Officers Association about the tragedy and its link to this type of portable heater.
Mrs Soares died three days after the fire from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Her husband died two days before Christmas due to complications from serious burns.
Survivor Gracino Fernandes, who was rescued by his son, told Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court: "I thought I was going to die in the house."


A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a second man after an incident in Swansea city centre.

Police were called to Princess Way at around 03:00 GMT on Sunday. A man, 34, was taken to Morriston Hospital but later died.
No weapons were used during the incident, but his death is being treated as suspicious.
The 23-year-old arrested man is in custody at Swansea police station.
The area remains cordoned off while police examine the scene.
The man's family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers.


Experts are questioning whether diet drinks could raise depression risk, after a large study has found a link.

The US research in more than 250,000 people found depression was more common among frequent consumers of artificially sweetened beverages.
The work, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting, did not look at the cause for this link.
Drinking coffee was linked with a lower risk of depression.
People who drank four cups a day were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with depression during the 10-year study period than those who drank no coffee.
But those who drank four cans or glasses of diet fizzy drinks or artificially sweetened juice a day increased their risk of depression by about a third.
Lead researcher Dr Honglei Chen, of the National Institutes of Health in North Carolina, said: "Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk."
But he said more studies were needed to explore this.
There are many other factors that may be involved.
And the findings - in people in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and living in the US - might not apply to other populations.
The safety of sweeteners, like aspartame, has been extensively tested by scientists and is assured by regulators.
Gaynor Bussell, of the British Dietetic Association, said: "Sweeteners used to be called 'artificial' sweeteners and unfortunately the term 'artificial' has evoked suspicion.  As a result, sweeteners have been very widely tested and reviewed for safety and the ones on the market have an excellent safety track record.
"However, the studies on them continue and this one has thrown up a possibly link - not a cause and effect - with depression."
She said the study was a "one-off" and did not mean that sweeteners caused depression.
"For a start, people who suffer from depression may latch on to the idea that it is their sweetened beverages that caused it and so add a bias to their reporting of past intake, especially as 'soda' in the US is demonised even more than in the UK.  Also, it may be that drinking 'diet' drinks is a marker for obesity or diabetes which in themselves can cause depression.
"Non-calorific sweeteners can play a useful role in the diets of those trying to lose weight and diabetics and it is certainly not advocated that people should replace their diet sodas with more coffee."
Beth Murphy, at the mental health charity Mind, said: "We would urge anyone who is affected by depression to follow the advice of their GP or other medical professional in regards to their treatment."


England's cricket leaders "repeatedly lost touch" in 2014, says Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.

Writing in the 152nd edition of the yearly almanac, Booth criticises the England and Wales Cricket Board's handling of the Kevin Pietersen affair.
He also raises concerns with the decline of the Test and one-day sides and a fall in grassroots participation.
England internationals Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance are among Wisden's five cricketers of the year.
Yorkshire's Adam Lyth, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and New Zealand's Jeetan Patel make up the list.
England's 2014 started with an Ashes whitewash at the hands of Australia, took in losses in 28 matches across all formats, and included a humbling by international minnows the Netherlands in the World T20.
"In 2014 English cricket repeatedly lost touch - not just with things it wished had never happened, but with the basic idea that the national team belongs to us all," said Booth, who went on to link a lack of conviction among ECB decision makers with the team's poor form.
"The power brokers indulged in mutual backslapping... It was a nexus of self-preservation - yet, as the wagons circled, the wheels kept threatening to come off."
The ECB declined to comment on Booth's criticism when contacted by BBC Sport. However, incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves, who is set to take over in May, has already suggested he expects to make sweeping changes to improve the game.
Pietersen, 34, was sacked by England after the 5-0 Ashes defeat by Australia and, while the South African-born batsman has said he would like to return to the international fold, his future remains uncertain.
"It was typical of a story beyond the ECB's control that their best moment was not of their own making," said Booth.
"Having searched in vain for the words that justified his sacking, they were gifted a 324-page solution: an autobiography so full of rancour that BBC chat-show host Graham Norton suggested to Pietersen, 'Maybe, just maybe, team sport's not for you…'.
"All the while, he kept insisting how happy he was in the land of Twenty20 franchises - and agitating for an international recall. The whole thing would have been sad, if it hadn't been so absurd."
Alastair Cook had looked set to lead England into the World Cup - despite a 3-1 one-day series defeat by India in the autumn - after ECB managing director Paul Downton said he would be "surprised" if the batsman was removed as captain.
But he was sacked in December, just two months before what would turn out to be a disastrous World Cup.
"To leave the sacking of Cook so late made little sense," said Booth.
"Trouble was, Cook had become more than just a cricketer: cast by his employers in the role of latter-day saint to Pietersen's fallen angel, he was now an article of faith.
"England overplayed their hand: the Test win over a supine India did not mean Cook would effect a similar transformation of the one-day side. This seemed obvious to everyone - except to the men who run the game."
The ECB found that the number of people playing cricket in teams fell 7% between 2013 and 2014, from from 908,000 in 2013 to 844,000 in 2014.
And Booth has called on the ECB to do more to advance the game in Asian communities: "The English game needs an Asian player to prosper beyond a few Tests here and there.
"If the England team really want to unlock their full potential, it is perverse to be so reliant on (white) southern Africans and smash-and-grab raids across the Irish Sea, and so ignore the more natural solution on our doorstep.
"There remains a damaging perception among Britain's South Asian communities that its best young cricketers are not wanted."
All-rounder Ali, 27, was named as one of Wisden's five players of 2014 in a year in which he took 19 wickets in the Test series victory over India, while 25-year-old Ballance registered three Test centuries and averaged 60.75.
Lyth, 27, helped Yorkshire to the County Championship title by leading the scoring charts with 1,489 runs, while spinner Patel, 34, was commended for his 107 wickets for Warwickshire across all formats.
And Mathews was included for his influence in Sri Lanka's first ever Test series victory in England.
Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara was named leading cricketer in the world, while Australia batsman Meg Lanning is Wisden's first leading woman cricketer in the world.