France's new President, Emmanuel Macron, has picked his new government with a centre-right prime minister and a cabinet made up of 11 women and 11 men.

Most of the big posts have gone to men but everyone in the team had to meet the test of "overcoming the divisions between right and left and embracing a progressive project", a spokesman said.
The new cabinet includes a campaigning environmentalist and an Olympic fencing champion. And half the list of candidates for next month's parliamentary elections are figures from France's civil society.
Like the president, he graduated from the elite ENA college for France's top civil servants.
In 2002 he was actively involved in setting up the centre-right party led by Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé.
For years he was seen as Mr Juppé's right-hand man, but left politics to take up a post in the private sector.
In 2010, he won the race to be mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre.
He backed Mr Juppé's unsuccessful bid to secure the centre-right presidential nomination last November. Ten years before, he co-wrote a political novel with Gilles Boyer, who went on to run the Juppé campaign.
What has he said? "Who is Macron? For some, impressed by his seductive power and reformist rhetoric, he would be the natural son of (JF) Kennedy and (ex-French PM) Mendès France. That seems unlikely. The former had more charisma, the latter more principles. For others, he would be Brutus, Caesar's adoptive son."
President Macron fulfilled a promise to balance his cabinet with as many women as men. Here are some of the key appointments.
Bruno Le Maire, economy minister: A right-winger, aged 48, he was part of Nicolas Sarkozy's government and is said to have coveted the economy role for several years. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination but fared badly in the public vote. Another right-wing figure, Gérard Darmanin, gets the role of public accounts minister.
François Bayrou, justice minister: At 66, this centrist is no stranger to government, having served twice as education minister several years ago. He ran for the presidency three times but dropped out this year to throw his weight behind the Macron campaign. His intervention was seen as a turning point in the presidential race.
Gérard Collomb, interior minister: An early adopter of the new president, aged 69, Mr Collomb was part of the Socialist party for decades. He was seen as instrumental in bringing François Bayrou into the campaign. He is the mayor of Lyon and has one of the toughest jobs in government, with France still under a state of emergency.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign and Europe minister: Aged 69, he served President François Hollande loyally as defence minister and is one of only two survivors of the outgoing government. The other is radical leftist Annick Girardin. Mr Le Drian is regarded as quiet but effective.
Nicolas Hulot, ecology minister: An environmentalist opposed to nuclear energy, he was heavily involved in the COP21 climate change conference in Paris. In some ways his appointment was a surprise as he has in the past criticised Mr Macron for seeing green policies as an afterthought to free trade.
Sylvie Goulard, defence minister: At 52, she is a Euro-MP and has been part of Mr Macron's foreign affairs team for several months. She is a political colleague of François Bayrou, who aligned his centrist MoDem party with Mr Macron earlier this year.
Agnès Buzyn, health minister: A well-known health professional, she has headed the haematology department at the Necker children's hospital in Paris as well as France's national cancer institute. Another figure from civil society, Sophie Cluzel, is given the role of disabilities minister. Her four children include a daughter with Down's Syndrome.
Laura Flessel, sports minister: Aged 45, she is a double Olympic fencing champion widely known in French sport. With an eye to the Paris bid to hold the 2024 Olympics, Mr Macron has deliberately chosen one of its chief supporters.
Françoise Nyssen, culture minister: Born in Belgium, she worked for the Belgian government for several years in urban planning before moving into publishing in France.
Murielle Pénicaud, labour minister: No stranger to the labour ministry, where she worked in the early 1990s, Ms Pénicaud, 61, has been head of the Business France agency with the aim of attracting foreign investment.
Two members of the new cabinet were an integral part of the Macron presidential campaign team.
Richard Ferrand, minister for territorial cohesion: Aged 54, he is also secretary general of Mr Macron's fledgling La République en Marche (Republic on the move) party.
Mounir Mahjoubi, junior minister for digital affairs: He ran the digital side of Mr Macron's presidential campaign but now has a high-profile post in government. President Macron has placed the digital economy as a high priority. His parents came to France from Morocco in the 1970s and he has been behind several start-up businesses in France.
Other key members of the Macron campaign include:
Alexis Kohler, 44: The new secretary-general at the Elysée, he has worked closely with Mr Macron for several years and has long acted as his special adviser. Described as the only close colleague Mr Macron really listens to, it was Mr Kohler who announced the choice of Edouard Philippe as prime minister.
Ismaël Emelien, 30: Special adviser to the president, he is a long-time friend seen as one of his closest confidants. Seen as one of the main figures behind the creation of the En Marche movement, he was a former colleague of Mr Macron at the economy ministry.
Philippe Etienne, 61: Chief diplomatic adviser, currently ambassador in Berlin, who will have to pursue the president's agenda of reforming the EU.
Patrice Strzoda, 64: In charge of the president's office and a highly experienced civil servant, who acted briefly as chief of staff for the outgoing prime minister.
Sibeth Ndiaye, 37: Born in Senegal, and a mother of three, she ran the press relations side of his presidential campaign and now has the task of doing the same for his presidency. She only became a naturalised French citizen last year and played a starring role in a behind-the-scenes TV documentary on the Macron campaign.


Electric car maker Tesla has reported net income of $21.9m (£17.9m) for the third quarter after 13 consecutive quarterly losses.

This compared with a loss of $230m a year earlier.
Record deliveries helped to offset rising expenses for next year's roll-out of the company's mass-market Model 3 saloon car.
Tesla delivered a record 24,821 cars during the quarter, more than 300 more than estimated.
Shares in the electric car maker jumped 3.76% in after-hours trading.
"The Tesla third quarter results reflect strong company-wide execution in many areas," said chief executive Elon Musk and chief financial officer Jason Wheeler in a statement.
"We set new records for vehicle production, deliveries and revenue."
Tesla, which went public in 2010, had not made a net quarterly profit since the first quarter of 2013.
In the previous two quarters it had missed production targets.
Inside Tesla's gigantic Gigafactory
Tesla agrees deal to buy SolarCity
The firm is counting on the Model 3 to help it meet its 2018 goal of producing 500,000 cars annually.
The Model 3 is Tesla's attempt to widen its market appeal with a more affordable car. Its starting price is expected to be $35,000.
In its third quarter results Tesla did not provide an update on its planned $2.6bn acquisition of solar panel maker SolarCity.
Mr Musk, who is SolarCity's chairman and main shareholder, has said he plans to provide more financial details on the deal on 1 November before a vote by shareholders of both companies on 17 November.


Hundreds of volunteers have been asked to stay away from a search for an "outstanding cricketer" who went missing from Royal Welsh Show.

James Corfield, 19, has not been seen since he left the White Horse pub in Builth Wells, Powys, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
He had been due to meet family at the showground where he was camping with friends but never arrived.
Police said for safety reasons, only trained officers should search.
His mother Louise Corfield said they were "desperate to know where he is".
Following the closure of the festival, officers are searching the Royal Welsh showground and the young people's village.
The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service's drone is being used to spot for signs along the River Wye.
On Thursday about 200 volunteers joined mountain rescue teams, police and dog units, officials from young farmers' clubs and the fire service in the search for Mr Corfield.
Sup Int Jon Cummins said members of the public should stay away for their own safety on the third day of the search for the 19-year-old.
He said: "While we fully understand the concern from the community and the desire to assist in the search for James, it is vitally important at this stage that we have only specially trained officers and our partners out there looking for him.
"Staying away is the best possible assistance the public can give us today and of course reporting any new information they may have to us by calling 101 immediately."
Montgomery Cricket Club cancelled its match on Saturday after players, supporters and friends helped with the search for Mr Corfield earlier in the week.
In a statement the club said: "He's an outstanding cricketer and friend to everyone at the club, and we can't wait to get him back."
Mountain rescue teams with kayaks and boats resumed their search of the River Wye at 08:00 BST on Thursday but were stood down at about 20:30.
Mark Jones, of Brecon Mountain Rescue Service, said gardens, sheds and grass verges had been searched.
He said police were continuing to study CCTV footage to understand where Mr Corfield, a member of Shropshire-based Chirbury & Marton Young Farmers Club, went after he left the White Horse pub.
Mr Corfield is 6ft 2in tall, of slim build, with short brown hair and was last seen wearing a blue Abercrombie and Fitch shirt and jeans.


A court in the Indian capital has ruled that calling a husband "fat elephant" could be grounds for divorce.

The Delhi high court upheld a 2012 lower court order which had granted divorce, saying that taunting a spouse amounted to "mental cruelty".
The 35-year-old businessman weighs 100kg (220lb).
He said his wife regularly "humiliated him for being overweight and incapable of satisfying her sexual desires", Indian media reports said.
"The calling of names and hurling of abuses such as 'Hathi' [elephant], 'Mota Hathi' [fat elephant] by the appellant in respect of her husband - even if he was overweight, is bound to strike at his self-respect and self-esteem," India Today quoted Justice Vipin Sanghi as saying.
"Obviously, the respondent was sensitive to such taunts, and it is not the appellant's case that the taunts were made jokingly, or out of love and affection, and without malice," he added.
The woman had said her husband's allegations were "vague and non-specific", but the court rejected her argument.


Fatou Bensouda, a lawyer from Gambia, is the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

27 November 2015 Last updated at 01:04 GMT
As one of the BBC's 100 Women 2015, she talks to Zeinab Badawi about justice, gender, and race.
She also discusses an institution that is rarely out of the news.
The ICC's critics say it is slow and expensive, and it is also controversial because so far all its cases have come from Africa.
Our 100 Women season showcases two weeks of inspirational stories about the BBC 100 Women and others who defy stereotypes around the world.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram using the hashtag #100Women. Listen to the programmes here.


Catch up below on Newsround's coverage of the US election 2016 results.

People in the US voted in their millions to choose who would be the next leader of the country.
The two main candidates for the job were Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
After many months of campaigning by both candidates, the wait was over and it was announced that Donald Trump would become the next president of the US.
This is the end of Newsround's live online coverage of the US election results.
Thank you for your questions and comments throughout the day!
Hillary Clinton has given a speech after the result of the US election, which she lost to rival Donald Trump.
She apologised to her supporters for not winning the election. "This is not the outcome we wanted or worked so hard for," she said.
However, she went on to say how proud and grateful she was for the campaign that she fought.
She told her supporters that they represent "the best of America" and that it had been "one of the greatest honours of [her] life" to represent them.
She said that she had congratulated Donald Trump on his victory, adding: "I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans."
As well as asking you in the UK what you think about the result, Newsround also spoke to children in the US about their feelings.
This is what they had to tell us...
Newsround went to speak to some of you to find out what you would like to say to the next US president Donald Trump.
We want to know why Donald Trump has been elected despite what he has said about Mexican people and the horrible things he has said about women. Even though he has been really horrible to and about women, some women have voted for him. Why?
Ayshah: Different people vote for different reasons.
A lot of people think Donald Trump will be good for the country because he's said he will bring more jobs and keep America safe. He's also not a politician and many Americans want a change.
A lot of people don't like Hillary Clinton because they say she can't be trusted. Everyone makes a personal choice when it comes to voting.
How do the American people feel about the result?
Ayshah: People have different opinions.
Those who voted for Donald Trump will be happy. At the official party for his campaign, people were cheering and waving banners when the results were coming in.
But those who voted for Hillary Clinton will be feeling disappointed today. Some were seen crying at Clinton's party, which was held in New York.
The kids I've spoken to so far in the US have mixed feelings. Some of them were shocked when they woke up to the news that Donald Trump will be their next president. But others have told me they are happy and excited about the choice adults have made.
Do you think Donald Trump will elect Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State?
Ayshah: Donald Trump will start announcing the people that he wants to work with over the next couple of months.
It's more likely he'll choose people who supported him throughout his campaign. It's unlikely that Hillary will be Secretary of State as she stood for the opposite party and was his rival.
President Barack Obama has invited Donald Trump - the 'President-elect', who is the soon-to-be president - to the White House on Thursday to discuss handing over the job.
Obama is also expected to make a speech soon to talk about the results and how the country can come together now the election is over.
A photo taken today shows work has already begun outside the White House to prepare for the inauguration ceremony in January, when Donald Trump will officially start the job as US president.
How did Donald Trump become president?
Ayshah: Our guide shows you the exact process of how you become president if you want to find out more.
Why is Donald Trump building a wall across the Mexican border?
Ayshah: He says he wants to build a wall along the border between Mexico and the US to stop people from going into the US illegally.
He's said it's too easy to cross between the two countries at the moment and the wall will keep American people safe. It's one of the top issues his supporters were worried about.
What is Donald Trump going to do now that he is president?
Ayshah: He will not officially start the job until 20 January next year. So that means he is currently called a President-elect.
However, between now and then, he will start to choose the people who will work closely with him while he is president. We will have to wait and see what he decides to do first once he starts the job.
How long is Donald Trump going to be president for?
Ayshah: Usually a president stays in the job for four years before the US people can elect a new president.
It's rare that an elected president would be in the White House for a shorter time than this, unless something exceptional happened.
After four years, Donald Trump could be re-elected if the American people want him to be. He would then be in charge for a total of eight years, like President Barack Obama has been.
When Newsround visited the US recently, Ayshah met Spencer, who was supporting Donald Trump in the election, which had not happened yet.
Since then, the candidate he was supporting has been elected to become the next president.
We caught up with him this morning to see how he was feeling after the result...
Will Donald Trump actually build a wall?
Ayshah: It's something that he's talked a lot about in his speeches and his slogan "build a wall" has been chanted by his supporters.
For now we'll have to wait and see. He doesn't officially go into the White House to start his job until January, so nothing will happen until then.
How did Hilary feel when she lost?
Ayshah: Well, we haven't heard from Hillary Clinton yet. She's expected to give a speech soon and we'll bring you the latest on Newsround, so check back here.
At the party where Hillary supporters were gathered to hear the result, the head of her campaign John Podesta came on stage to tell her supporters to head home, as she wouldn't be making a speech straight away.
In Donald Trump's speech, he announced that Hillary Clinton rang to congratulate him.
Now that the election is over, many of you may be wondering what will happen next.
While Donald Trump has been elected as the next US president, he won't officially start the job until a ceremony on 20 January 2017 called the inauguration.
The Obamas can live in the White House, the official home of the president, until Donald Trump's inauguration.
On moving day, they will say goodbye to all the staff who work in the White House, and then Trump and his family will move in.
To find out more about what happens next, check out our guide.
Why weren't there other candidates?
Ayshah: There were other candidates for the job, but they didn't get many votes at all, and they were from much smaller parties.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the two who were the most popular.
Every President since 1853 has been from one of the big US political parties - the Democrats or the Republicans. And this time it's the Republicans who've come out on top.
Could Donald Trump ban homework in the UK?
Ayshah: No, he's going to be president of the US, so he will not make rules about how schools in the UK work.
Will he bring the US closer together or will it end up in chaos?
Ayshah: Donald Trump said in his victory speech that he wants to bring the country together.
At his speech in New York he said: "It's time for us to come together as one united people." But there have been concerns that the US is very divided and it's an issue that kids there told me should be dealt with.
Donald Trump has won the election to become the next president of the US.
However, it has not just been a victory for him. People in the US have also been voting for who they would like to represent them in another part of the government called Congress, which also helps to run the country.
After this election, the party which Donald Trump represents - the Republicans - have kept a lot of power in Congress.
This is good news for Donald Trump, as he will be working with lots of members of his own political party to run the US.
But what do the Republicans believe in? How are they likely to want to run the country?
Newsround wants to know what YOU think about Donald Trump taking on one of the biggest jobs in the world.
Do you have any questions about the result, Donald Trump or what happens next?
We'll be putting some of your questions to a BBC reporter in the US later today.
Get them sent in now by clicking here.
Newsround went to the US to find out what children over there thought about the people in line to become the next president of their country.
Some of them were fans of Donald Trump, who is now heading for the White House. Others preferred Hillary Clinton.
See what they had to say below!
In the map of the US below, you can see which states voted for who.
The blue areas supported Hillary Clinton more, while the red areas supported Donald Trump more.
The white areas have not yet had their votes counted, but Donald Trump has already declared his victory.
Find out more about him here.
Donald Trump has declared he has won the US election, in a speech to his supporters at his main election event in New York.
He announced that his rival candidate Hillary Clinton has rung him to congratulate him, even though there are still some votes to be counted.
"I've just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us on our victory," he said.
"To all Republicans and Democrats and Independents across this nation, I say it is time for us to come together."
Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence - who is set to become the vice-president - has called it an "historic night".
The head of Hillary Clinton's campaign John Podesta has come on stage at her main election event in New York to tell her supporters they can head home.
Many people who hoped that she would win the election had gathered in the hope of celebrating a successful result for the Democrats.
However, it does not look like this is going to happen.
Mr Podesta also told the crowd that Hillary Clinton will not be saying anything tonight about the results.
Donald Trump's supporters are extremely hopeful that he will be the next US president.
Nothing is official yet, but with only a few more results to go, it is looking like he will be heading into the White House.
Newsround would like to know what you think of the results of this election here.
With Donald Trump currently leading, Hillary Clinton's supporters react to the possibility that their candidate may not become the next president of the US.
Ayshah went to the US to find out why Donald Trump's fans think he's the right man for the job.
These children will no doubt be very happy if he ends up winning the election.
In the run-up to the main day of voting on 8 November, it was not clear whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump was going to win.
As we start our live coverage, with just a few results left to be announced, Donald Trump is ahead and it looks like he is going to win the election.


An ambulance trust is being investigated after reports of bullying and harassment and an "unfit for purpose" dispatch system.

Long call waits and out-of-date maps affected the service offered by the South East Coast Ambulance Trust (Secamb), which now faces investigation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The Department of Health said: "poor leadership" had "put safety at risk".
The trust said it was working hard to address the issues raised.
Last October it emerged that Secamb, which covers Sussex, Surrey and Kent, had delayed sending help for certain calls to allow extra time for patient assessments.
Its chairman, Tony Thorne, resigned in March, and chief executive Paul Sutton left the trust in May
The latest revelations concern the computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) used to send out ambulances to emergency calls.
Staff have told the BBC about problems with the ambulance dispatch system, with calls not answered quickly enough and out-of-date maps for crews.
An internal memo sent in May this year said there had been continuous problems with the system.
Preliminary findings during a CQC inspection the same month were leaked to the BBC, and include concerns that the system did not appear to have been updated to provide "the most contemporaneous record of addresses."
In addition, it said it had "received a number of calls from staff following the inspection indicating a continuing culture of bullying and harassment" and that "accountability is absent in many areas".
Call handlers told the BBC they were "missing" 1,000 calls a week - a term used when callers are held on the line for longer than the five-second target.
Ambulances were also widely missing key arrival time targets of eight minutes for the most serious cases, which include patients not breathing and cardiac arrests.
And an internal memo seen by the BBC, sent by Geraint Davies, the acting chief executive, said that having reviewed the initial feedback of the CQC, there were "very serious concerns" including  "serious system weaknesses".
Mr Davies added: "It's fair to say that many of these won't come as a surprise and are areas of weakness that the trust has been aware of for some time.
"It's equally fair to say that, despite awareness, not a great deal has been done to really address these issues adequately."
Staff said that bullying had contributed to the problems, while the CQC said: "The number of outstanding grievances within the executive team itself is also a serious concern."
Linda Southouse, who worked at the trust as an emergency call handler, said: "You could be in the middle of a call and the computer system will fail - you have to go into the emergency screen, which is not conducive to good practice - it doesn't help you with your call.
"I ended up in tears most days. And the pressure just builds up and it gets so bad. I had chest pain which I thought was a heart attack and I was admitted to hospital, but it was stress that was causing it, not heart pain."
Paul Maloney, of the GMB union, said: "The trust has lost the confidence of the public and have lost the confidence of their employees and I think there should now be a public inquiry run by the health service select committee in parliament.
"These people are providing a service to the public and they are in well-paid positions. There are a few people within the trust that's key to what happened and I don't think they can be allowed to have responsibility for the running of the trust until there's a proper full inquiry into this."
In a statement, Secamb said: "We do recognise that system issues can cause frustration for staff but these matters are subject to review.
"Fortunately critical issues with the system are rare and the impact on patients is minimal.  However, the trust is keen to improve the CAD's reliability and is working hard to address this."
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We await the full report from the CQC, but it seems clear that poor leadership at the South East Coast Ambulance Service has put safety at risk, which is totally unacceptable - patients and staff deserve better.
"The chief executive and the chairman at the trust have recently been replaced and we expect to see immediate improvements made."
"We await the full report from the CQC, but it seems clear that poor leadership at the South East Coast Ambulance Service has put safety at risk, which is totally unacceptable - patients and staff deserve better.
"The chief executive and the chairman at the trust have recently been replaced and we expect to see immediate improvements made."


A new curriculum for Welsh schools has a "fair chance" of being delivered on time, the author of the report which proposed the reforms has said.

It is a year since Prof Graham Donaldson published his plans, which include making computer skills as central to learning as literacy and numeracy.
Curriculum content is expected to be available to schools by 2018.
But one union said the timetable set by the Welsh government was too ambitious.
The new curriculum is set to be the biggest shake-up in what is taught in schools in more than 25 years.
Education Minister Huw Lewis in October said schools should begin teaching it in 2021, with the content available to teachers by 2018.
He is stepping down in May's election and one union leader urged his successor to look again at the timetable.
Dr Philip Dixon, director of ATL Cymru, believes it is too ambitious and there needs to be a debate on the detail over the next three or four years.
"We've go to be careful we don't rush this, we don't botch it and we get a curriculum that's fit for purpose and will last for several decades," he told BBC Wales.
"Why do it in a rush, let's do it properly instead."
Prof Donaldson said he had spoken to a lot of head teachers who were impatient to get moving with it and others who were worried about having enough time to come to terms with it.
"I think the process which has been put in place has a pretty fair chance of getting us to the point at which by 2018 and beyond schools will be able to move forward with thinking about the curriculum and its implications for their young people," he said.
"The important point is this is not a delivery in terms of a point in time, a cliff that's reached and everything's suddenly different. This is a process which will take place."
What has been suggested for the new curriculum?
Prof Donaldson said for parents it would not be "year zero" where everything changes but would build on the strengths already in schools.
He also welcomed the level of support and enthusiasm for the proposals so far.
"I'm also really encouraged by the maturity of the political debate about the curriculum," he said.
"It can become very easy for it to become a political football. But politicians across the assembly have been supportive of the way we're trying to develop the curriculum in Wales."


Do you have super-quick broadband at home or is it more of a pootling affair?

22 February 2016 Last updated at 10:25 GMT
BBC London reveals the fastest and slowest streets for broadband in the capital.
Some places in London are slower than the European average, affecting not only your film-viewing ability, but also London's "Tech City" bid to rival Silicon Valley.
Find out more on BBC London's Facebook page.


Britain's Bianca Walkden and Lauren Williams have won gold at the World Taekwondo Federation President's Cup in Athens.

Welsh teenager Williams, 17, beat Elin Johansson of Sweden in the final of the women's -67kg category.
Liverpool's Walkden, 25, who won bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games, won gold in the +73kg category after a final win over Poland's Aleksandra Kowalczuk.
Double Olympic champion Jade Jones won gold on the opening day of the event.


Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original Mary Poppins film, has confirmed he will appear in the movie's upcoming sequel.

The 91-year-old played chimney sweep Bert in the 1964 movie.
He has now revealed he has joined the cast of the new film Mary Poppins Returns, which stars Emily Blunt in the lead role.
He told The Hollywood Reporter: "This one supposedly takes place 20 years later and the kids are all grown up.
"It's a great cast - Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and that guy from Hamilton [Lin-Manuel Miranda]."
Van Dyke, who appeared alongside Julie Andrews in the original film, also said he has no plans to retire from performing.
"I think it's the worst thing you can do," he said. "Certain people who do retire suddenly age. I think you have to stay active."
Mary Poppins Returns is due to be released on Christmas Day 2018.
It will tell the story of an older Jane and Michael Banks and Michael's three children, who are visited by Poppins in the aftermath of a "personal loss" in Depression-hit London.
The film's director is Rob Marshall, who was also behind the camera for Into The Woods and the 2002 Oscar-winning film adaption of Chicago.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


A 45-year-old man has died in hospital seven days after a head-on collision.

Police said Mik Parslow, from Oxford, sustained multiple life-threatening injuries in the crash which happened on a bend of the A4095 in Oxfordshire.
Mr Parslow, who was driving a Toyota MR2, had to be cut free by firefighters before being taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
On Facebook, his father Eric Parslow, thanked people for their messages of support after the "horrendous" crash.
He wrote: "He had multiple injuries from head-to-toe and the hospital spent many hours to stabilize him. Being kept sedated and on life support throughout.
"After four days with more surgery his scans revealed that his brain had been damaged to a point beyond recovery.
"Even had his broken body healed there was no hope for any sort of life. The decision was made to remove the life support and allow him to slip away peacefully."
Mik Parslow, who lived in Oxford, was described as "a great MR2 enthusiast" by the Malaysia Toyota MR2 Club.
In a Facebook post the group said: "[We] would like to pay our respects to Mik Parslow... who tragically passed away."
Dave Baileyâ€Ž wrote: "Such a shock, Mik only came over a few weeks ago in the car.
"I sorted another supercharger for it as his had a noisy bearing. Will be sadly missed by all who knew him. RIP."
The male Ford van driver sustained minor injuries in the crash near Radcot on 10 August but did not need hospital treatment.


Everton are set to complete the signing of Malaga striker Sandro Ramirez after meeting his £5.2m buy-out clause.

The 21-year-old scored 14 goals in La Liga last season, having joined Malaga from Barcelona in July 2016.
He is currently playing for Spain Under-21s at the European Championship in Poland.
Sandro had a medical on Merseyside before the Euros, and Everton are now understood to have completed the formalities.
Everton have signed Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for £25m and Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen for £23.6m since the end of the season.
Manager Ronald Koeman is also expected to pursue his interest in Burnley's England defender Michael Keane and Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.


The Police Federation has called for an independent appeals process to allow challenges to investigations reports by the Police Ombudsman.

The federation represents thousands of rank and file PSNI officers.
Its chairman, Mark Lindsay, has said confidence in the office of the ombudsman is at an all-time low.
A spokesperson for the ombudsman said the comments were "disappointing" and "at odds with the feedback from police officers who had been investigated".
Mr Lindsay told the federation's annual conference that "reform is not so much desirable as essential".
He also said the PSNI is in a state of crisis because of reducing budgets and officer numbers.
Criticism of the office of the ombudsman by the federation is not new.
In his speech on Wednesday, Mr Lindsay said the federation accepted the need for the independent investigation of complaints against police officers.
But, with Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire among the audience at the La Mon House Hotel, he suggested some feel they are victims of a "witch hunt".
"It gives me no pleasure to say that, unfortunately, there is very little officer confidence in relation to the operation of the ombudsman's office," he said.
"The credibility of the office is also seriously questioned."
The federation chairman highlighted the ongoing PSNI investigation into the theft and unlawful disclosure of documents from the ombudsman's office.
He also cited the discovery of a gun and ammunition in a filing cabinet belonging to a member of staff in the office last year.
"There is an obvious need for an independent avenue of appeal, whereby officers will have meaningful redress against malicious and inept investigations," he said.
"The ombudsman is with us today and I say to him that this isn't about you, but rather the legislative architecture of the system you preside over.
"If your office conducts itself with the high standards you demand of police officers, then surely you have nothing to fear from such accountability."
Mr Lindsay said the level of assaults against police officers by members of the public is "unacceptably high" and called for tougher action to protect them.
He told the conference that eight out of 10 PSNI officers who responded to a survey said they had been victims of a physical or verbal assault during the past year.
It's understood that 14% of PSNI officers took part in the survey.
The federation has called for the introduction of "spitguards" to prevent people in custody spitting at officers.
He also warned of "dire consequences" for the PSNI because of reducing budgets and officer numbers.
"We're now beyond the point of warning of a crisis. Right now, we're in the middle of a crisis," Mr Lindsay said.
"What's needed now is for our politicians from all sides to make a stand against this madness of continuing austerity.
"They must make policing one of their main priorities and campaign as never before to get the government to re-think its disastrous policy."


It's a mystery that has intrigued Norway for nearly 50 years.
In November 1970, the badly burnt body of a woman was found in a remote spot in Norway's Isdalen valley.
Someone had cut the labels off her clothes, and scraped distinctive marks off her belongings - as if to stop her from being identified.
And as police started investigating her death, they uncovered a trail of coded messages, disguises, and fake identities - but never cracked the case.
Forty-six years later, Norwegian police and NRK journalists have decided to reopen the investigation.
This is the story of the Isdal Woman - and the perplexing trail of clues she left behind.
WARNING: This article contains one graphic image
Clue one: The body in 'Death Valley'
On the morning of 29 November 1970, a man and his two young daughters see a body in Isdalen Valley.
The corpse is sprawled across some rocks - with its arms extended in a "boxer" position, typical of bodies that have been burnt.
Isdalen is known to some locals as "Death Valley" - it was a site where people committed suicide in medieval times, and, in the 1960s, some hikers had fallen to their deaths while trekking in the fog.
But the woman does not appear to be a normal hiker.
"It was out of the way - it was an unusual place to walk," Carl Halvor Aas, a police lawyer who was one of the first officers to be called to the scene, recounts to the BBC.
He remembers "a strong smell of burnt flesh".
"The body was burned all over the front," including "the face and most of her hair", he says - but strangely it was not burnt on the back.
"It looked like she had thrown herself back" from a fire, he says, adding that she was so badly burnt they could not imagine what she originally looked like.
The scene is cold by the time Carl arrived, so he cannot tell how long the body has been there for.
And how did the woman end up on fire?
Police find a number of objects at the scene, including jewellery, a watch, a broken umbrella and some bottles.
But it is the positioning of the objects that leaves the strongest impression on Tormod Bønes, one of the forensic investigators.
The woman is not wearing the watch or her jewellery - instead, they have been placed beside her.
"The placement and location of the objects surrounding the body was strange - it looked like there had been some kind of ceremony," he says.
Police also find the remains of a pair of rubber boots and nylon stockings.
"She had been wearing a lot of clothes - of synthetic materials - and all the clothes had been heavily burned," says Tormod.
Adding to the mystery is the fact that the production labels have been cut off her clothes and rubbed off the bottles at the scene.
Police find nothing at the scene to indicate who the woman was.
Police issue an appeal for eyewitnesses. They say the woman was about 164cm (5ft 4.5 inches) tall, with "long brownish-black hair", a small round face, brown eyes, and small ears. She appeared to be aged between 25 and 40 years, and wore her hair "in a ponytail tied with a blue and white print ribbon" at the time of death.
Without a name, the woman becomes known as the Isdal Woman.
The story is big news in Bergen - a peaceful town with a low crime rate.
A few days later, police find a clue.
They find two suitcases at Bergen railway station's left luggage department.
One of the suitcases contains prescription-free glasses - and a fingerprint on one of the pairs matches the woman's.
The suitcases also contain:
Initially, police "were very optimistic because they thought the suitcases would help them identify the body," says Tormod.
But soon, they realise that "all the labels that could have identified the woman, her clothes or belongings, had been removed".
Even the prescription sticker on the eczema cream, which would have shown the name of the doctor and the patient, has been scraped off.
Police try hard to trace the woman's belongings. They even contact several major department stores abroad, including Galeries Lafayette in Paris, to see if the stores recognise any of packaging on the woman's make up.
None of the department stores can find a match.
There is also a mysterious coded note in the case - which police will not crack until a while later (see clue five).
There is one important piece of evidence in the suitcase - a plastic bag from Oscar Rørtvedt's Footwear Store - a shoe shop in Stavanger.
The owner's son, Rolf Rørtvedt, remembers selling a pair of rubber boots to "a very well dressed, nice-looking woman with dark hair".
The boots he sold her appear to match the boots found on the body in the Isdalen valley. Police believe that the umbrella found near the body was also bought from the store.
Rolf says the woman had made an impression on him because she "took a long time" choosing her boots - much longer than the average customer.
She spoke English, with an accent, and had "a calm and quiet expression", he tells the BBC.
He also recalls a strong smell emanating from the woman - which, later, he thinks may have been garlic.
Using his description, police are able to trace the woman to St Svithun hotel nearby - where she checked in as Fenella Lorch.
The problem? Fenella Lorch wasn't her real name.
It emerges that the woman had stayed in several hotels in Norway - using different aliases. And since most hotels required guests to show a passport and fill in a check-in form, this means she would have had several fake passports.
Police find the woman had stayed in the following hotels, under these names:
The woman left a strong impression on Alvhild Rangnes, who was a 21-year-old waitress at Hotel Neptun at the time.
"My first impression of her was one of elegance and self-assuredness," she tells the BBC.
"She looked so fashionable - I wished to be able to mimic her style. In fact, I remember her winking at me… from my perspective it felt as though she thought I had been staring a bit too much at her."
"On one occasion while I was serving her, she was in the dining hall, sitting right next to - but not interacting with -  two German navy personnel, one of which was an officer."
Police question several hotel staff who met the Isdal Woman - including Alvhild.
They learn that, in addition to speaking English, the woman also used some German phrases.
They also learn that the woman often requested a change of room - on one occasion, she asked to change rooms three times.
By now, there are several rumours that the woman was a spy. There weren't too many foreign tourists in Bergen then - and the fact the woman seemed wealthy, and well-travelled, sparked a lot of speculation.
"This was during the Cold War, and there were definitely a lot of spies in Norway, including Russian spies," says Gunnar Staalesen, a Bergen-based crime author who was a university student at the time.
There were also Israeli agents operating in Norway - as shown three years later, when Mossad agents killed a man in Lillehammer who they had mistaken for a terrorist, he adds.
Norwegian intelligence services are investigating too - but will not admit it until decades later.
According to NRK, security services were interested in reports that the woman had been seen observing the military test out new rockets in western Norway - but there weren't any clear conclusions from their investigation reports.
Police eventually crack some of the coded note - but it doesn't provide any evidence that she's a spy.
Instead, it appears to be a record of the places the woman visited. For example, O22 O28 P are dates (22-28 October) she was in Paris, O29PS is the day she travelled from Paris to Stavanger, O29S matches the date she arrived in Stavanger (29 October), and O30BN5 matches her stay in Bergen from 30 October to 5 November.
Police send a description of the woman, and sketches of what she may have looked like, to several police forces abroad. But none of them say they can identify the woman.
Meanwhile, investigators complete an examination of the woman's body.
They find an unexplained bruise on the right side of her neck, that could have been the result of a blow or a fall. There are no signs that the woman had been ill.
The autopsy also finds that the woman had never been pregnant or had a child.
Her death is likely to have been a painful one.
"There were smoke particles in her lungs… which shows that the woman was alive while she was burning," Tormod says.
He found a trace of petrol in the ground below the woman's body, which means "we can state with certainty that petrol had been used" to set her alight.
She had a high concentration of carbon monoxide in her blood.
Experts also establish that there were about 50-70 sleeping pills, from a foreign brand called Fenemal, in her stomach - although they had not been fully absorbed into her bloodstream before she died.
The autopsy concludes the woman died from a combination of carbon monoxide poisoning, and ingesting a large number of sleeping pills.
The cause of death is announced to be a probable suicide - a view supported by Bergen's chief of police.
But many people find this hard to believe.
"We talked about it in the police, but as far as I remember very few thought it was suicide," Carl Halvor Aas says.
Both the remote spot where her body was found - and the method of suicide, by fire, strike him as strange.
Without any further leads, the case is closed, and the woman is buried in February 1971.
Police think the woman may be Catholic, and organise a Catholic funeral for her.
According to a police report of the funeral, the coffin was decorated with lilacs and tulips, and the priest conducted a simple ceremony for "the unknown woman, who was put to the grave in a foreign country without any family present".
Police still hope to find the woman's family - she is buried in a zinc coffin that won't decompose - and keep an album of photos from the funeral for her relatives.
Harald Osland was one of the investigators reluctant to let the case go.
"My father could never put this case away," his son, Tore, says. "He never could accept that they had to close down the case."
His father kept several of the police documents, and Tore eventually wrote a book about the Isdal case.
Over the years, the case has also inspired several crime writers and illustrators.
"What intrigues people is that it is an unsolved mystery - it is almost like following a crime novel," says Gunnar Staalesen.
Then, in 2016, the possibility of solving the case rears its head again.
The Isdal Woman had distinctive teeth - 14 of them were filled - and she had several gold crowns. This was especially unusual for someone in her age range - and is not the type of dental work seen in Norway.
Gisle Bang, a professor of dentistry, keeps the woman's jaw, in the hope that other experts will recognise the dental work.
After his death, everyone assumes the jaw has been destroyed.
Forensic doctor Inge Morild, who inherited the Isdal Woman files, says he was told the jaw had been "thrown away because it was smelling".
But after investigative journalists at NRK make queries about the Isdal Woman, Prof Morild finds the jaw - deep in a cellar in Haukeland University Hospital's forensic archives.
The find gives Norwegian police the opportunity to re-open the case, and use the latest forensic techniques to try and identify the woman.
The Norwegian Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) and University of Bergen start conducting isotope analysis on her teeth - looking at the chemical "signature" left by the elements that made up her teeth as they were being formed.
The tests involve:
It's the first time Norwegian police have conducted isotope analysis on teeth - but they hope the findings will help them pinpoint the region where the woman lived.
DNA analysis is now one of the key tools police use in forensic analysis and identification cases.
It didn't exist back in 1970.
But it turns out several tissue samples from the woman's organs, including from her lungs, heart, adrenal gland and ovaries, have been stored at Haukeland University Hospital.
Prof Morild says it "has been a custom in most of Norway" to keep tissue samples from post mortem examinations. The samples are "useful for repeat examinations, and as a source of DNA".
NRK and local police agree to send the samples off for DNA analysis.
Nils Jarle Gjøvåg, head of forensics at West Police District, says it's important to pursue the woman's identity because "somewhere in the world, there may be some relatives wondering where she went".
"We try to identify every unknown body, so that relatives can have an answer."
While they wait for DNA results, NRK publish a documentary into the investigation - and receive more than 150 tip offs from people interested in the case.
"In Norway, this case is a big enigma for people… there's a lot of people who want some sort of closure in the case," says journalist Ståle Hansen.
After months of work, scientists have an extended DNA profile of the woman. The latest results, published on Friday, show the woman was of European descent - making the theory that the woman was an agent from Israel much less likely.
Norwegian police are set to issue an Interpol black notice - which seeks information on unidentified bodies - with the new information.
European police forces will be asked to check their DNA databases to see if they find a match.
"If someone in her close family is in a DNA registry somewhere, we will get a hit," says Ståle Hansen. "That would be really exciting."
The Isdal Woman case has been unsolved for the last 46 years. But now, modern science has reopened the possibility of this elusive Nordic mystery being solved.
Readers who recognise the Isdal Woman or want to share tips about the case of the Isdal Woman can contact the NRK investigative team via their website.
Additional research by Johanna Keskitalo


Gavin Skelton has stood down as Queen of the South manager after only six months in charge.

The Scottish Championship club say the 35-year-old "left his position as manager for personal reasons".
Football development manager Jim Thomson has taken over as caretaker "until a replacement is appointed".
Queens, who only lost one of the first 12 games of the season, have dropped from top of the table to sixth amid a run of one win in their next eight.
Skelton's side suffered a 4-1 home defeat by second-top Dundee United on Saturday, but afterwards he told BBC Scotland he was looking forward to next week's Challenge Cup quarter-final at home to Alloa Athletic.
"It's a nice break from the league - the quarter-final of a cup - really looking forward to it," he said while admitting that the performance against United was poor.
Englishman Skelton, a midfielder with Carlisle United, Workington, Gretna, Kilmarnock, Hamilton Academical and Barrow, joined Queens in summer 2015 to become assistant to James Fowler.
Skelton had been manager at Northern Premier League outfit Workington.
He took over as caretaker in April after Fowler exited Queens, who had failed to reach the promotion play-offs, and was given the job permanently this summer.


Less than eight months after we ended the World Cup in Canada with a bronze medal around our necks, we are back across the Atlantic for a tournament that in many ways is an even bigger test.

Not only are we facing the top three nations in the world - United States, Germany and France - in the first SheBelieves Cup, but there is also potential for even greater significance.
Firstly, I am on 98 caps so there is a chance that I could reach a very proud milestone.
And because we are the only nation competing not to appear at the Rio Olympics in August, it means this is the biggest international tournament of our season.
After our third place in Canada we are ranked fifth in the world so if you were basing the SheBelieves Cup on rankings alone, then, realistically, we could come back with three straight defeats.
Yet if we can win it, then it will send a huge message to the rest of the world that we belong in this company. It's a challenge the players and manager Mark Sampson will embrace.
Although we beat Germany at the World Cup, I'm not sure we are quite there yet, based on the fact that we don't play the top teams consistently enough. Take that third-place play-off out of the equation and the two teams we lost to in Canada - France and Japan - were both ranked above us.
So this is an important stepping stone. Any win at this tournament will be a massive one for us and it's important that we play against nations like this on a regular basis. That is the only way we will be better prepared to win major tournaments in the future.
My only regret is that we won't be joining our competitors in the football Mecca of Rio this summer.
The home nations couldn't agree on sending a Great Britain team but if we worked it out for the London Olympics, I can't understand why it can't be resolved for the Rio Olympics too, even if it means the team has a proportional number of players from each nation.
The Olympics is a huge tournament in the international women's football calendar and competing in Brazil is all about giving players the opportunity to attend the biggest sporting event in the world.
It's just a shame that politics has got in the way. For me, that should never prevent the joy of playing football.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The coming season might not involve the pressure of being picked for a major tournament - only the second time since the Women's Super League began in 2011 - but after last season I am a lot more comfortable in how I handle myself when it comes to selections.
With Chelsea we won the WSL and the FA Cup, and I was selected for an England team which finished third at the World Cup for the first time.
Maybe it was because of all we achieved that I've learnt not to put too much pressure on myself. All I can do is perform, the rest is out of my control.
I've been in the England squad 11 years now and it has been challenging at times, but from nowhere I am now two caps short of 100.
If I'm honest, I never ever thought I would get this far. That's not an indictment of my ability but more to do with the life as an international footballer.
All you are looking at is making the next squad. Then the next, and so on. You can never look too far ahead.
My managers - Hope Powell and Mark Sampson - have always challenged me and it's been tough at times, but it was only when Jill Scott recently reached 100 caps in China, that I started to think about it.
When England players reach that milestone, they usually do a speech and having grown up in the England team alongside Jill, a lot of what she said resonated with me. It was very touching.
I don't want to talk about it too much until it's happened, whether it's in America or at a later date, but I'm proud of what I've achieved so far and hope there is plenty more to come.
I'm not the only one facing a potential landmark in the US, my England team-mate Fara Williams is also two caps short of reaching 150.
She is England's most capped player - men or women - and a real leader in the team, which is a quality raised in debates about the most open Premier League title race in years.
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness was among those who questioned Arsenal's appetite for a genuine title challenge because they lacked leaders, and compared them to the Invincibles side which comprised the likes of Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Thierry Henry.
Souness believes that there is no-one in the current Gunners team that can really shake them up when they need it most - as we saw when they lost at Manchester United last Sunday.
There is also an argument to say we are losing that quality a little bit when you see the likes of Liverpool without Steven Gerrard, or Chelsea without Frank Lampard, and come the end of the season, potentially John Terry.
I'm still not sure why Liverpool let Gerrard go, he had something you cannot buy: he wasn't just a leader in the team, but a huge part of the club's culture with a long-established relationship with fans.
Leadership is huge thing to me, but it's not just about screaming and shouting. It's about leading by example, conducting yourself in the right manner after defeat or speaking up when the dressing room is silent.
Leadership can bring a team together, and in the England set-up we have many leaders who can galvanise us.
The ability to be open and honest with each other was one of the qualities that helped us succeed last summer in Canada, and hopefully it can lead us success in the United States over the next week too.
England and Chelsea forward Eniola Aluko was speaking to BBC Sport's Alistair Magowan


Dutch national champion Dylan Groenewegen won stage four of the Tour of Britain in a sprint finish at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.

The 23-year-old LottoNL-Jumbo rider held off Great Britain's Dan McLay to win by half a bike length.
Team Sky's Ben Swift came third in the 218km stage, the longest of the eight-day race.
Yellow jersey holder Julien Vermote crossed the line in fifth to retain his six-second overall lead.
1. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/LottoNL-Jumbo) 5hrs 28mins 49secs
2. Dan McLay (GB/Great Britain) same time
3. Ben Swift (GB/Team Sky)
4. Carlos Barbero (Spa/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
5. Julien Vermote (Bel/Etixx Quick-Step)
6. Boy van Poppel (Ned/Trek-Segafredo)
7. Luka Mezgec (SVK/Orica-BikeExchange)
8. Nicolas Vereecken (Bel/An Post-Chain Reaction)
9. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Giant-Alpecin)
10. Diego Rubio (Spa/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
1. Julien Vermote (Bel/Etixx Quick-Step) 18hrs 22mins 04secs
2. Stephen Cummings (GB/Dimension Data) +06secs
3. Ben Swift (GB/Team Sky) +1min 03secs
4. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto Soudal) same time
5. Daniel Martin (Ire/Etixx Quick-Step) +1min 04secs
6. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +1min 08secs
7. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac) +1min 12secs
8. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Team Giant-Alpecin) same time
9. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Wanty-Groupe Gobert)
10. Nicholas Roche (Ire/Team Sky) +1min 16secs


Iraq's prime minister is to seek a greater US contribution to fighting Islamic State (IS) in talks with Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday.

Haider al-Abadi is expected to ask for more armament and equipment including surveillance drones.
They will also discuss a strategy for dislodging militants from large parts of the country they still control.
Last week, Mr Abadi launched a campaign to drive them out of Iraq's biggest province, Anbar, west of Baghdad.
IS responded with a renewed onslaught on the provincial capital, Ramadi.
The US-led coalition carried out air strikes on IS positions on Sunday in an attempt to halt the assault, inflicting heavy damage on large military units, officials said.
Tanks and other armoured vehicles were also hit near the northern IS-held city of Mosul and Iraq's main oil refinery at Baiji.
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says the battle on the outskirts of Ramadi is the opening phase of what is likely to be a very long and hard struggle by Iraqi government forces to regain Anbar province.
Elsewhere, it seems to be IS which is on the offensive, our correspondent adds.
In one area further north of Ramadi, militants are reported to have surrounded an Iraqi army unit and attacked its base with suicide bombers. They are also said to be massing to the south-east of the city.
Mr Abadi's visit to Washington is his first since he took over from Nouri al-Maliki after elections last year.
He will seek Mr Obama's help to acquire billions of dollars of advanced US weaponry, including unarmed surveillance drones, attack helicopters and ammunition.
Our correspondent says Mr Abadi will also be hoping for an understanding on how to pursue the battle against IS and how US involvement - through coalition air strikes and military advice on the ground - can be harmonised with Iran's role, exercised notably through the Shia militia it supports.
The recent battle to recapture Tikrit showed that he needs both, our correspondent adds.
Shia militia played a key role on the ground, but they could not make the final push without the help of coalition air strikes.
On Sunday, the US ambassador in Baghdad warned that the coalition would not be able to conduct air strikes in support of Iraqi government forces in Anbar if Shia militia were fighting alongside them, Iraqi officials told the New York Times.


London Broncos chalked up their first win in The Qualifiers as they ran 14 tries past winless Batley Bulldogs.

Jamie Soward's early score set the tone as Iliess Macani (2), Daniel Harrison, Andy Ackers and James Cunningham put the hosts 32-0 up at half-time.
James Brown, Alex Rowe and Chris Ulugia put Batley on the scoreboard after Macani had completed his hat-trick.
Rhys Williams' second half treble and tries from Jack Bussey, Cunningham and Mark Ioane completed the rout.


A van driver has admitted causing the death of another motorist in a crash on the M8 in West Lothian by driving without due care and attention.

Alexander Cassidy crashed into Wayne Strickland's car near Livingston last July, causing it to burst into flames.
Cassidy, 29, from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, originally faced a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
Judge Lord Clark banned him from driving and called for reports ahead of sentencing on 19 April.
Cassidy admitted failing to observe slow-moving and stationary traffic which had tailed back onto the inside lane at J3 of the M8 because of roadworks on the A899.
The High Court at Livingston was told his Mercedes Sprinter van slammed into the back of Mr Strickland's Peugeot car, shunting it into the vehicle in front.
Mr Strickland, who was severely injured, was trapped in his car which almost immediately exploded into flames.
Advocate depute Jane Farquhar, prosecuting, said the fire "consumed his car and its contents" before spreading to a Kia Rio in front and the Mercedes van driven by the accused.
She said: "The accused tried immediately to get in Mr Strickland's car, which was engulfed in flames.
"He had to be dragged away because it was too hot and there were fears it might explode."
She said a doctor who was in a car further up the slip road saw the fire and ran back to offer any medical assistance she could.
The doctor saw Cassidy pacing about the scene with his head in his hands.
She heard him say: "I tried the door. I tried to get him out, but the door was jammed.
"It's all my fault! It's all my fault! If I'd been able to stop, it would not have happened."
She revealed that a post-mortem examination found evidence of traumatic injuries which could have caused Mr Strickland's death.
The father-of-two, from Inverkeithing, Fife, had multiple injuries, including a fracture of the front of the skull, broken ribs and fractures of the spine.
He also had a lacerated liver and severe fire damage to all of his body which had destroyed his skin.
However, Ms Farquhar said there was no convincing evidence of combustion inhalation, which indicated that perhaps death might have occurred on impact and not as a result of the fire.
She said Cassidy "accepts that he failed to properly observe that slow-moving and stationary traffic ahead of him".
Barry Smith, defence advocate, told the court: "Mr Cassidy is most anxious I should formally express and record on this day his most sincere regret and remorse at the tragic consequences of this accident.
"Also (he wants me) to express on his behalf his most sincere condolences to the family of Mr Strickland, some of whom are in court today."


Ghana's Baba Rahman will travel to Germany for possible knee surgery after suffering an injury that has ended his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

The 22-year-old left-back has returned to his Bundesliga club Schalke, where he is on loan from Chelsea.
Ghana said Rahman has "a rupture of the meniscus and a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament" in the left knee.
Rahman was hurt in the Black Stars' 1-0 win over Uganda in Group D on Tuesday.
Ghana's next match at the tournament is against Mali on Saturday. A victory would put them into the quarter-finals.


As part of national Anti-Bullying week Newsround has been asking kids about the best way to stop it.

20 November 2015 Last updated at 14:22 GMT
A special vote was launched on the CBBC website to see if kids think it's better to help bullies or punish them.
More than 2, 400 children voted and 47% thought that bullies should be punished for their actions, with 53% saying bullies should be helped.
We spoke to Alex Holmes, who is an anti bullying specialist, to get his advice for anyone who is being bullied.


Carly Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, and neurosurgeon Ben Carson have joined the growing 2016 Republican field.

Ms Fiorina is the first female in her party to enter the White House race and Mr Carson the first African American.
Both are political outsiders, unlike the senators and governors they now come up against for the nomination.
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Jeb Bush, who has not yet officially entered, are among the frontrunners.
Ms Clinton was immediately targeted by Ms Fiorina when she made her announcement on ABC's Good Morning America programme.
"I have a lot of admiration for Hillary Clinton, but she clearly is not trustworthy," Ms Fiorina said, pointing to the recent controversy over Ms Clinton's use of a private email server when secretary of state.
Carly Fiorina lost her only run for public office, a 2010 Senate race in California, by 10%. Her primary claim to fame is serving as head of computing giant Hewlett-Packard, a job from which she was ousted after six years amid stockholder unrest.
Why is she running?  A cynic would point to her book, which is set to go on sale the day after her announcement, and argue she is more interested in publicity than getting votes.
Advocates will point to the fact that she is almost certainly the only woman to seek the Republican nomination this year, with Fortune 50 business experience, and is well positioned to launch attacks on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton without confronting charges of sexism.
Ms Fiorina has been well received during her appearances before Republican audiences in the run-up to her announcement. Now we'll see if she can translate those good feelings into more tangible signs of support.
Meet the 2016 hopefuls
Retired surgeon Ben Carson chose Detroit Music Hall, with a choral version of Eminem's "Lose Yourself", to make his announcement.
He outlined his vision of the US as a "place of dreams'' where people can thrive when they escape the restrictions of government.
"It's time for people to rise up and take the government back," he said. "The political class won't like me saying things like that. The political class comes from both parties."
Mr Carson has stumbled at times in media interviews, a sign of campaign inexperience.
But controversial answers on hot-button issues like evolution, healthcare reform and gay rights have done little to damage his positive perception among core conservative voters.
If enough of them stand by Mr Carson come next year, he could at the very least prove to be a spoiler for other socially conservative candidates, like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Three other Republicans have already entered the race - senators Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.
On the Democratic side, Ms Clinton will need to overcome the challenge of left-wing Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.


Prominent Ethiopian actor Znah-Bzu Tsegaye has sought asylum in the US after leaving the country about two months ago, he told Voice of America.

The actor was in a weekly soap opera Sew Le Sew on state television.
He left because of "repeated harassment and for being Amhara" reports the opposition Zehabesha website.
Human Rights Watch says security forces killed at least 100 people at protests in the Amhara region in August but the government denies this.
In an interview with Voice of America's Amharic service, the actor said the Ethiopian security forces had carried out "atrocious actions" and he had decided not to return home until the "regime is changed".
"It is sad to respond with bullets to people's demand for their rights," he added.
At the root of the recent demonstrations in Amhara is a request by representatives from the Welkait Amhara Identity Committee that their land, which is currently administered by the Tigray regional state, be moved into the neighbouring Amhara region.
The Oromo people in Ethiopia have also been protesting against the government, saying they have been excluded politically and economically.
During the Rio Olympics, marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa crossed the line in second place with his arms above his head in solidarity with Oromo activists.
He said he wanted to seek asylum after the high-profile anti-government protest, and he is now in the US.


An infestation of rats has caused the closure of facilities at a popular North Lanarkshire visitor attraction.

The Children's Farm, visitor centre and cafe at Palacerigg Country Park in Cumbernauld will remain closed while pest control teams deal with the issue.
North Lanarkshire Council said the closure was disappointing but action had to be taken to safeguard public health and animal safety.
It is thought the rats were attracted to animal feed sites around the park.
The council's head of environmental assets, Ken Forbes, said: "We have taken advice from pest control specialists and trapping has already begun.
"Our preferred method would have been bait, but this is not possible due to the presence of protected species such as badgers and pine martens.
"We are liaising with Scottish Natural Heritage to ensure we are fully compliant with wildlife legislation."
"The farm's animals, which include a number of rare breeds such as North Ronaldsay and Boreray sheep, Bagot goats, Tamworth pigs and Scots grey and Scots dumpy poultry, have been dispersed through the park while eradication work continues.
Mr Forbes added: "The cafeteria closure is purely precautionary. We have no evidence of rodent activity within this facility but cannot ignore the fact discarded food may attract unwelcome interest."
A council spokesman said: "Our in-house pest control specialists have assessed the situation and the issue is being dealt with."
The children's play area and children's tractor trail will also close will pest control work is being carried out.
The park's outdoor toilet facilities and hand washing facilities will remain open to the public and Palacerigg Golf Course can be accessed through the park's main entrance.
The Open Farm Sunday event, due to be held on 5 June, has been cancelled and will be rescheduled.


Two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, have been charged in connection with a fire at a derelict hotel in Perth.

The fire broke out at the Waverley Hotel, which is owned by Stagecoach tycoon Ann Gloag, on 17 November.
The hotel was empty at the time and no-one was hurt. It is understood damage was caused to all three floors of the main building and the roof.
It took firefighters more than four hours to bring the blaze under control. Eight appliances were used.
The fire service said it would be carrying out an investigation to establish the cause of the fire.
Ms Gloag bought the former hotel in 2011 and is hoping to develop the site with a gym and church hall.
The Waverley Hotel is a listed building and plans to demolish it have been met with objections.
On 23 October, Historic Environment Scotland - which advised Perth and Kinross Council on whether to grant the application for the hotel's demolition - said there were "a number of issues", with the case for demolition to be considered before the council comes to a decision.


Rotherham United have signed Cardiff City defender Semi Ajayi for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

Ajayi, 23, is on loan at the Millers until the end of the season and has scored once in nine appearances for the Championship's bottom side.
The former Arsenal youngster will now make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
"He has really impressed us around the training ground with his attitude," interim manager Paul Warne said.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


US President Donald Trump has attacked the judge who blocked his travel ban, saying Americans should blame the courts "if something happens".

Mr Trump also said he had instructed border officials to check people entering America "very carefully".
The ban, affecting people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, was blocked by the federal judge in Seattle on Friday.
Saturday saw a federal appeals court reject the Trump administration's request to reinstate the ban.
This means that Mr Trump's directive will remain suspended and visa holders from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be allowed to enter the US until the full case has been heard.
The justice department and two US states challenging the ban, Washington and Minnesota, have been asked to present more arguments.
In their latest submission to the appeals court, the two states says that lifting the suspension would "unleash chaos" and adversely affect their economies.
They also lodged a statement by a host of national security experts - including former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, and former CIA director Leon Panetta - which describes the travel ban as ineffective, dangerous and counterproductive.
Is Trump's immigration order legal?
Who does travel ban affect?
World reacts to Trump order
President Trump has ramped up his criticism of Judge James Robart, who blocked the ban, and the country's judiciary.
In a series of tweets, Mr Trump said: "I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!"
"Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!"
The president had earlier called Judge Robart's ruling "ridiculous", describing him as a "so-called judge".
US federal judge James Robart's ruling is a temporary restraining order preventing elements of President Trump's executive order being implemented in order to allow the two states time to mount a legal challenge to them.
Washington and Minnesota argue that the ban is unconstitutional and denied people with valid entry documents the right to travel without legal recourse. It also violated freedom of religion rights by appearing to target Muslims, they said.
The ruling suspends: the seven-country travel ban; the temporary refugee admissions ban; the reprioritisation of minority religion (interpreted to mean Christian) refugee claims; and the ban on Syrian refugees. The cap on overall US refugee admissions this year of 50,000 is not covered by the judge's ruling.
In its appeal, the justice department said Judge Robart had overreached by "second guessing" the president on a national security matter.
It also argued that only the president could decide who can enter or stay in the US.
Democrats and some Republicans have criticised Mr Trump's comments about the country's judiciary.
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Mr Trump seemed "intent on precipitating a constitutional crisis".
Meanwhile, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell told CNN it was "best to avoid criticising judges individually".
Judge Robart has served on the federal bench since 2004 after nomination by President George W Bush.
Friday's ruling has also seen visa holders from the affected nations scramble to get flights to the US, fearing they have a slim window to enter.
The state department has been reversing visa cancellations and US homeland security employees have been told by their department to comply with the ruling.
The ban caused confusion at US and foreign airports when it came into force.
Polls suggest that US public opinion is sharply divided on the travel ban.


Nottinghamshire have appointed Australian all-rounder Dan Christian as captain for this summer's T20 Blast.

James Taylor has given up the captaincy of their limited-overs sides because of his likely England commitments.
His decision also means wicketkeeper Chris Read will be captain for the One-Day Cup as well as the Championship.
"Dan brings a great deal of knowledge of how to be successful in T20 cricket," director of cricket Mick Newell told the club website.
"He has leadership experience and it will be good to have a T20 captain who can very much focus on that form of the game."
Taylor led Notts to the One-Day Cup semi-finals in 2015, but they were less successful in the T20 Blast, in which they finished fifth in their group.
"Having recently got back into the Test side, and being around England's team full time in 50-over cricket, it's right that James focuses on his own game this year," Newell added.


Researchers have discovered a genetic survival secret of Earth's "hardiest animal".

A gene that scientists identified in these strange, aquatic creatures -  called tardigrades - helps them survive boiling, freezing and radiation.
In future, it could be used to protect human cells, the researchers say.
It was already known that tardigrades, also known as water bears, were able to survive by shrivelling up into desiccated balls.
But the University of Tokyo-led team found a protein that protects its DNA  - wrapping around it like a blanket.
The scientists, who published their findings in the journal Nature Communications, went on to grow human cells that produced that same protein, and found that it protected those cells too.
This, the scientists suggest, means that genes from these "extremophiles", might one day be used to protect living things from radiation - from X-rays, or as a treatment to prevent damage from the Sun's harmful rays.
Tardigrades are more commonly - and cutely - known as water bears. Scientists had thought that they survived radiation exposure by repairing the damage done to their DNA. But Prof Takekazu Kunieda, of the University of Tokyo, and his colleagues, carried out an eight-year study of a tardigrade genome to pinpoint the source of its remarkable resilience.
To identify their secret weapon, researchers scrutinised the genome of one tardigrade species, looking for proteins that were attached to the DNA, and that therefore might have a protective mechanism. They found one that they have called "Dsup" (short for "damage suppressor").
The team then inserted the Dsup gene into human cells' DNA, and exposed those modified cells to X-rays; Dsup-treated cells suffered far less DNA damage.
Prof Mark Blaxter of the University of Edinburgh told BBC News that the study was "groundbreaking".
"This is the first time an individual protein from a tardigrade has been shown to be active in radiation protection.
"[And] radiation is one of the things that's guaranteed to kill you."
By sequencing and examining the genome, this study also appears to resolve a strange genetic controversy about these creatures. Research published in 2015, involving a different tardigrade species, concluded that the creature had "acquired" a portion of its DNA from bacteria through a process called horizontal gene transfer.
That study suggested that some of these beasts' notorious imperviousness had been snipped out of the bacterial genetic code.
This study found no evidence of this gene transfer.
The tardigrades themselves, though, were far more resistant to X-rays than the human cells that the researchers manipulated. "[So] tardigrades have other tricks up their sleeves, which we have yet to identify," said Prof Matthew Cobb from the University of Manchester.
With further research, scientists think that genes like Dsup could make it safer and easier to store and transport human cells - protecting, for example, delicate human skin grafts from damage. Prof Kunieda and his co-author on the study, Takuma Hashimoto, applied to patent the Dsup gene in 2015.
Prof Cobb added that, in principle, "these genes could even help us bioengineer organisms to survive in extremely hostile environments, such as on the surface of Mars - [perhaps] as part of a terra-forming project to make the planet hospitable for humans".
And scientists with a fascination for tardigrades think this discovery could be the tip of the iceberg.
Prof Blaxter said that tardigrade research could even explain how exactly "radiation damages DNA, and how we might prevent DNA damage from other sources".
Prof Takekazu Kunieda told BBC News that he hoped more researchers would join the "tardigrade community".
"We believe there [are] a lot of treasures there," he added.


More than 14,000 homes in Sydney and across New South Wales were left without power overnight after a massive storm battered the Australian state.

Winds of up to 161km/h (100mph) were recorded in some areas with up to 170mm of rain falling along the south coast.
Heavy snow up to 15cm deep was also recorded in the Blue Mountains.
The State Emergency Service (SES) said it had received 1,629 calls for help, of which 73 were people who needed rescuing from floodwaters.
The agency said most of the calls for help came from Sydney's southern and south-western suburbs and from the regions of Illawarra and South Coast.
"This has gone from coast to mountains - all of Sydney has been involved in these storms," NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Paul Johnstone told reporters.
"It's a combination of everything, there's lightning strikes, heavy winds  blowing trees, wires down and also the flooding," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
ABC News reported that about 9,000 homes still had no power on Wednesday afternoon.
It quoted state-owned supplier Ausgrid as saying the continuing poor conditions were complicating repair works.
"Just when we're making headway we're receiving more reports as other wires are coming down," said spokesman Anthony O'Brien.
The strongest winds, with gusts of 161km/hr, were recorded at Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, about 20km south of Sydney.
Meanwhile in the Blue Mountains region, north-west of Sydney - which was battling bushfires in October last year, up to 15cm of snow fell overnight.
"Last year we had fire raging down the hill behind our school, we had police coming to inform us to get the children out as quickly as possible," Vicki Gillmore, headteacher of the Zig Zag school in Lithgow told ABC News.
"And we turn around and at the same time [this year] we've got snow covering the school.
"Roads are blocked, buses can't get in, teachers can't get into the school, backyards, schoolyards are covered with at least 6cm of snow."
In other incidents:
There were delays at Sydney airport and some 20 flights were cancelled or diverted because of winds around 106km/hr but flights were largely back to normal by Wednesday.


A man on top of a bridge led to the closure of the M56 both ways, causing delays for Manchester Airport traffic.

The North West Motorway Police has tweeted that the incident on the motorway is affecting people travelling to the airport.
The incident, between junctions four and five, lasted more than five hours, causing tailbacks to the M60.
Manchester Airport Said flights were not affected but warned people to add more time for their journeys.


An Oxfordshire authority is to expand its cemetery because it is likely to run out of space for burials.

Cherwell District Council's planning committee approved an application to use land next to Hardwick Hill Cemetery in Southam Road, Banbury.
It estimated the town was on course to run out of room for its dead by 2024, with thousands of homes being built.
Lead planner Michael Gibbard said it meant people would have the choice to "remain in their hometown forever".
"More than 7,000 new homes are planned for Banbury by 2031, so with an increasing population we need to increase the facilities to support them both in life and in death.
"The information provided by Banbury Town Council showed there were only an estimated 450 burial plots available in the town for general use which means by 2024, there will be nothing left."
He said there was an "unquestioned need for additional burial sites".
The proposal would have minimal impact on the surrounding area, he said.
The application does not specify the number of extra burial plots that will be created.
About 45 plots are being used each year, though the council expects the number to increase.
Work is expected to begin on the new site within three years.


Championship club Hull City say they would not welcome an approach from Aston Villa for manager Steve Bruce.

Bruce, 55, is a candidate to succeed the sacked Remi Garde, along with Nigel Pearson, David Moyes and Sean Dyche.
"No approach had been made nor would one be welcome," a spokesman for Hull, fourth in the table, told BBC Sport.
Former Villa player and manager Brian Little, who recently joined the club's board of directors, will play a key role in the selection process.
However Villa, bottom of the table and 12 points adrift of safety with seven games to play, are in no rush to make an appointment.
Villa want a British manager to succeed Garde, BBC Sport understands.
Former Leicester manager Pearson and ex-Manchester United boss Moyes have been tipped as replacements.
Bruce, who has been with Hull since 2012, and Burnley manager Dyche are also possible candidates.
The board's recommendation will need to be passed by Randy Lerner, the club's American owner, before a final decision.
Former Villa striker Garry Thompson says the next boss needs to know the Championship, which is where the club are likely to be playing next season.
He also says Garde's successor needs to have broad shoulders.
"People don't realise what a massive club Aston Villa is," Thompson, who played for the club in the late 1980s, told BBC Radio WM.
"You've got to be strong enough and big enough to carry this thing. Obviously, Remi wasn't."
Bruce guided Birmingham City to the Premier League in 2002 and 2007, before doing the same with Hull in 2013.


A motorist has been caught on camera apparently undertaking cars and narrowly missing pedestrians to avoid waiting at a level crossing.

A Range Rover Evoque mounted the pavement and missed a young child and two women, one pushing a pram, in Oulton Broad, Suffolk.
The footage was filmed on a dash-cam and has been reported to authorities.
Suffolk's police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore described the driver's actions as "appalling".
Read this and more stories from Suffolk
The footage filmed on Thursday shows the Evoque stop to queue in traffic at the crossing.
The driver then drove up the inside lane, mounting the pavement slightly, before driving through the closing gates.
Paul Whitlow, whose wife Shirley recorded the footage, said: "When this came up I thought this needs to be shared to show the danger that ignoring rail crossing signs could lead to.
"If a train had come through and hit that other car, they could have all been injured."
Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: "I'm flabbergasted. It's an appalling thing to do.
"You're dicing with death, the lights were on, the barriers were starting to come down and this mad person decided to undercut other cars that were already waiting.
"It is so dangerous, absolutely reckless and completely unacceptable."
Both Suffolk Police and British Transport Police (BTP) have been sent the footage.
Sgt Paul Thompson, from BTP, added: "We take anything like that very seriously."


An investigation into why trains were allowed over a badly damaged bridge has found that a safety system for at-risk structures was no longer in use.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch looked at why the Lamington Viaduct in South Lanarkshire was used when it was close to collapse after storms in 2015.
It found a safety system for over 100 bridges in Scotland had lapsed after organisational changes at Network Rail.
The rail body has been told to improve its safety and management procedures.
The Victorian-built Lamington Viaduct was severely damaged by flood waters during Storm Frank on New Year's Eve 2015.
It later emerged that a train had been allowed to cross at high speed despite the viaduct being "on the brink of failure".
An engineering assessment discovered that floodwater had scoured out much of the foundations of the second pier.
The viaduct, which carries the West Coast Main Line over the River Clyde, was closed for major repair work and did not reopen until late February 2016.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) investigation into the train crossings has now discovered major flaws in the bridge-monitoring and safety assessment programme.
The RAIB report states that a driver reported a defect on the track on the morning of 31 December 2015 and trains were told to cross at low speed while a maintenance team from track operator, Network Rail, was sent to the site.
The team found "no significant track defects" and the speed restriction was lifted, but when the 05:57 Crewe to Glasgow service passed through at about 110mph, they noticed "large track movements" and immediately put a speed restriction in place.
They noticed the bridge's central pier was damaged by scour - removal of the riverbed beneath the bridge foundation - and closed the line.
A stone had fallen out of the pier and there were large cracks above the gap. Divers later found a hole one metre deep under the foundations.
Investigators found the bridge was on a list of vulnerable structures which needed special precautions during floods, including monitoring river levels and closing the line if the water reached a certain level.
The RAIB report stated: "However, this process was no longer in use and there was no effective scour risk mitigation for over 100 of the most vulnerable structures across Scotland.
"This had occurred, in part, because organisational changes within Network Rail had led to the loss of knowledge and ownership of some structures issues."
Simon French, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents, said: "It is of particular concern to me that the vulnerability of this structure to scour had been identified at least 10 years previously.
"Despite this, insufficient action had been taken to protect the piers from scour or to monitor the integrity of the viaduct at times of high water flow.
"The continued operation of trains over this high-risk structure, despite a previous report from a driver of a rough ride, provides vivid evidence that the risk of scour was not generally appreciated by those involved."
Mr French added: "Of even more concern was our finding that there were no effective scour mitigation measures in place for over 100 of the most vulnerable structures across Scotland.
"We discovered that a previous process for managing scour risk on Scotland route had fallen into disuse, at least in part due to organisational change, and that this had not been recognised by Network Rail."
The RAIB asked Network Rail to take action on the management of scour risk as well as its response to defect reports affecting structures over water and the management of control-centre procedures.
A Network Rail spokesman said the track operator would "carefully review the findings" of the RAIB report.
"The safety of passengers, and rail workers, is of vital importance to Network Rail and we have already made significant changes to our management and maintenance of scour-risk structures in Scotland since Lamington," he said.
"We have invested over Â£3m so far this year to reduce scour-risk at high priority structures and have carried out 277 specialist underwater examinations to assess the foundations of bridges ahead of this winter.
"We have also identified 50 bridge sites where we will roll-out telemetry equipment, to help monitor the impact of flooding on the network and to improve early identification of potential issues."


TalkTalk shares have fallen almost 10% after the broadband provider cut its dividend and warned profits will fall.

TalkTalk reported a £133m pre-tax profit for this year, up from £107m for 2016, but said it expected earnings to fall again this financial year as it invests to attract new customers.
The firm suffered a major hacking attack in 2015 which saw its profits halve that year.
Just after midday, the FTSE 100 overall was almost flat, up 0.33% to 7,366.67.
Barratt Developments was one of the few bright spots, surging 4.4% after the house builder said full year profit would be at the top end of forecasts.
The firm expects a £733m pre-tax profit for the year to the end of June, up 7% on the previous year, despite building a similar level of homes.
The builder has been boosted by rising house prices and government schemes to help people get on the housing ladder.
ITV shares fell 2.5% after the broadcaster reported a 3% drop in revenues for the first quarter of this year.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.07% against the dollar at $1.29450 and up 0.14% against the euro at 1.19100 euros.
Brent crude prices were 1% higher at $49.20 per barrel.


A "bitter and twisted" taxi boss has been jailed for life for killing a love rival by repeatedly running him over.

Nasser Rezaie, 63, of Petersfield in Chelmsford, Essex, was found guilty on Thursday of using his Mercedes to kill Allan Frampton, 60.
He had denied murder, but admitted killing the divorced grandfather.
Judge Charles Gratwicke, who described Rezaie as "bitter, twisted and dominating", said he must serve a minimum term of 18 years.
Updates on this story and more from Essex
Chelmsford Crown Court had heard Mr Frampton, from Hatfield Peverel, was in a relationship with Rezaie's estranged wife Jane.
The jury was told Rezaie had "collapsed" after his wife admitted to the affair with the victim in June last year.
A four-week trial heard Rezaie drove over the mechanic six times in Osea Way in Chelmsford, in an incident that was captured on CCTV, and he died at the scene.
Rezaie's claim that his actions were the result of losing control and not premeditated, were rejected by the jury after three hours of deliberation.
He had also threatened to kill Mr Frampton 11 months earlier during a conversation recorded by his estranged wife, Jane, on her phone, the court heard.
Rezaie later reminded his wife of the threats, saying in one voicemail message: "Every day, every hour, I am thinking about the promise I made you in Sainsbury's. I will do it."
At a sentencing hearing, the judge said Rezaie was "determined to have revenge" on his estranged wife's new partner and had been waiting for the chance to exact revenge.
"You saw that opportunity and you took it," he said.
In a statement the Frampton family said Rezaie had "robbed us of a loving father and grandfather, it's turned our lives and his own children's lives upside down".


Fewer children would develop infections in intensive care if the plastic tubes used to deliver drugs straight into their veins were coated in antibiotics, a study in The Lancet suggests.

At present the practice is used only in adults, but researchers say it should be applied to children too.
Their paper is based on a trial of nearly 1,500 children at 14 intensive care units in England.
The researchers said cutting infections would also save the NHS money.
When patients are admitted to intensive care in hospital a tube, called a line or central venous catheter, is inserted into large veins in the body to deliver drugs, food or fluids.
But bacteria are often attracted to these plastic tubes, making them one of the main reasons for infections in the patient's bloodstream.
These infections can lead to damage to the brain and other organs, and cases of septic shock. They can also occur when blood clots form in and around the tube.
In studies on adult patients, coating the catheters both inside and out with low levels of antibiotics or the blood-thinning drug heparin was found to reduce infections by 70-80%.
This study, from the UCL Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, is the first to be carried out in children.
It found that only 1% of patients using an antibiotic-coated catheter developed infections in their bloodstream, compared with 4% of patients using a standard tube.
The study called this "a significant decrease" on normal levels of infection in paediatric intensive care units.
Quen Mok, consultant in intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital and one of the study authors, said the tubes should now be used on children.
"Bloodstream infections can be dangerous for children who are already very sick.
"They can make conditions worse and even cause death, so ways to reduce the infection risk to our patients in intensive care would be very welcome."
Although the antibiotic-coated catheter was found to reduce infection numbers in children under 16 years old, a catheter coated in a blood-thinning drug showed no signs of cutting infection rates.
And death rates in intensive care were not reduced by the use of antibiotic-coated tubes.
Tubes coated with antibiotic are more expensive than standard tubes but the researchers said adopting them would still prove cost effective because they would result in shorter hospital stays and reduce the costs of treating infections in intensive care.