Wrexham have signed Iffy Allen on a short term deal until the end of the season after the winger impressed on trial.

The 22-year-old began his career at Fulham and spent spells with Barnet, Yeovil Town and Torquay United.
Allen was most recently at National League rivals Aldershot Town before being released in December.
"We are just waiting for clearance on that to go through," Wrexham manager Dean Keates said.
"All being well things will fall into place and he'll be available to be in the squad for the weekend."
Tenth-placed Wrexham, who have lost only once in nine games, host Gateshead, who are seventh in the table on Saturday.
Wrexham were found not guilty of failing to control their players in the cross-border derby at Chester on 21 January.
But defender James Jennings will have to wait to discover if he will be banned for his part in the mass brawl during the 1-1 draw at The Deva Stadium.
Jennings appeared at a Football Association of Wales disciplinary panel on Monday and pleaded guilty to a charge of violent conduct.
The 29-year-old, on loan from Cheltenham Town, will find out within the next two weeks if he will be banned.
"It is what it is," Keates added.
"We'll wait until the suspension comes through and we'll see where we go from there."


Former Glamorgan wicketkeeper Adrian Shaw has joined the Welsh county's coaching team under new head coach Robert Croft.

Shaw was a team-mate of Croft's in Glamorgan's County Championship winning side of 1997.
The 44-year-old will support the seconds and first team as well as the academy squad.
"As far as I'm concerned this will always be my club," Shaw said.
"There's some good young players coming through, so to build on this and help their development towards the first team is great news."
Shaw was previously appointed head coach at the county in 2007 but was subsequently replaced by Matthew Maynard.
Former captain Croft, 45, was elevated to the top role after the December departure of Toby Radford.
Shaw, who had already been working with Glamorgan's academy youngsters, joins Steve Watkin, David Harrison and Richard Almond in Croft's coaching team.


A quarter of a million extra tickets for the new two-part Harry Potter play are to go on sale.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been showing at London's Palace Theatre since June, but officially opens on Saturday.
A further 300 tickets for each show in the play's current sold-out run - which is due to continue until December 2017 - will be released on 4 August.
It has won five-star reviews and been called "a game-changing production".
The play, written by Jack Thorne, is set 19 years after the seventh and final book in the series by JK Rowling.
Presented in two parts and running to more than five hours, it shows the main characters from the books as adults in their mid-thirties as their own children head off to Hogwarts.
Audiences have been urged to "keep the secrets" by Rowling and the show's producers since the previews began.
Before the new tickets are released on 4 August, those wanting to see the show have to rely on returns or on being successful in a weekly draw for tickets.
On Monday, it was revealed by bookseller Barnes and Noble that the play had become the most popular pre-ordered book in the US for nearly a decade.
The script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is published this weekend.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


A woman has praised a guard who came to her aid after she and her young son were racially abused on a train.

Sanaa Shahid and her four-year-old son were accosted by solicitor Alexander MacKinnon as they travelled on the Glasgow-bound service from London.
The Virgin Trains guard challenged MacKinnon and eventually removed him from the train.
MacKinnon admitted the racially aggravated offence at Carlisle Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
He was fined Â£1,154 and ordered to pay Mrs Shahid Â£50 compensation.
Mrs Shahid, who is also a lawyer, said she was targeted by MacKinnon on the 14:30 train on 29 December after he took exception to her and her son's presence in first class.
After telling her she did not belong, Mrs Shahid told MacKinnon he was a racist and began filming him.
As he prepared to be escorted off the the train, MacKinnon told Mrs Shahid: "You're so wonderful wasting police time, miss", before swearing at her and her son.
Mrs Shahid answered: "You're a disgrace to humanity. Just get off."
Earlier, MacKinnon was also heard speaking on his phone, saying that it was "my word against hers".
The train guard then approached MacKinnon and told him: "It's not just your word against hers, it's mine as well because I heard it all."
The guard added: "We're not going to accept it. You're drunk and racist and you need to get off the train."
Writing on her Twitter page, Mrs Shahid said she could not speak highly enough of the train manager who helped her and her son.
She added: "Sat with us until the guy was taken off by [British Transport Police]".
Mrs Shahid also thanked the BTP and tweeted: "Thank you for the excellent support and reassurance u gave following this incident and for pursuing the matter."


A Dominican immigrant who won $338m (£223m) in a US lottery draw has spoken of his joy upon realising he had hit the jackpot.

Pedro Quezada, 44, a grocery shop-owner of Passaic, New Jersey, told a news conference he had not yet made any decisions on how to spend the money.
The father of five had his Powerball ticket validated on Monday in the local liquor store where he bought it.
The prize from Saturday's draw is the fourth-largest in Powerball history.
Lottery officials said Mr Quezada, who has been in the US for 26 years, had chosen the lump-sum option, meaning it would be worth $221m, or about $152m after taxes.
In a press conference on Tuesday at New Jersey's lottery headquarters, he recalled the moment he realised he had won: "I felt pure joy, just happiness."
He was joined by his wife, Ines Sanchez, his four brothers, and two nephews, answering questions in Spanish with a translator by his side.
Mr Quezada said he did not plan to resume working long days at the family convenience store. He stepped back last year and his son now runs the bodega.
"It's hard," said the lottery winner. "Imagine having to wake up every morning at 5am to then close my store at 11pm. It's very difficult."
Mr Quezada's son, Casiano, said on Tuesday from behind the counter of the family store, the Apple Deli Grocery: "I know he's going to do something good with the money."
Neighbours told The Record newspaper that the Quezada family had suffered bad luck in recent years, including a home burglary and a fire in their store.


First-half goals from Max Power, Reece James and Michael Jacobs gave Wigan an easy League One win over Chesterfield.

Power powered a superb 25-yard free-kick into the top corner before two goals in as many minutes.
James' shot found the roof of the net, and seconds after the restart Jacobs raced through to score.
Ollie Banks scored a late consolation for the visitors but the Latics avoided a repeat of the midweek comeback by Sheffield United to stay fifth.
Wigan manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Manchester:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"We showed real hunger from the first minute.
"Everyone was hurting on Tuesday night but the players hurt the most.
"You could could see from the first minute, Tuesday night, it hurt our players and disappointed our players and they responded in the right way with a real positive performance today."


The former chief minister of India's Maharashtra state has been charged in connection with a corruption scandal involving homes for war widows.

Ashok Chavan and 13 others were charged in the scandal over the 31-storey Adarsh Society building in Mumbai.
Mr Chavan said the charges against him were "unfortunate and unexpected".
The housing project was originally for war widows, but flats were sold to politicians and military officers, allegedly at below market prices.
"There is a conspiracy by my rivals to malign me. The Adarsh issue has been blown out of proportion," Mr Chavan said after the charges were filed on Wednesday.
He also said that he was not "associated with allotment of land to the Adarsh society nor did I have anything to do with the list of its members".
Ashok Chavan resigned as chief minister after it emerged that his relatives had flats in the building.
All 14 people have been charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption.
Originally meant to be a six-storey block in an exclusive part of Mumbai, the building exceeds the maximum height allowed for buildings near the coast.
Municipal authorities disconnected the building's water and electricity supply in 2010 after it was found to have violated environmental laws.
The Adarsh Society case is one of several corruption scandals that have shaken India's government.


Northern Ireland's attorney general contacted a health trust over its decision to withdraw home care packages from up to 550 people in Belfast.

The Belfast Trust confirmed that the office of Stormont's legal adviser John Larkin had been in touch with them.
The BBC revealed on Monday that elderly people were to temporarily lose laundry, shopping and cleaning help from 5 January.
However, hours later the trust said it was reversing that decision.
It emerged that letters were sent to carers of people with disabilities as well.
BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan show revealed details of the cuts.
Stephen Nolan told listeners on Tuesday: "Among the very serious players in Northern Ireland who were listening to the Nolan show yesterday was the attorney general for Northern Ireland, John Larkin.
"John Larkin contacted the Belfast trust yesterday. The Belfast Trust has confirmed that to us this morning."
On Monday evening, the trust said it had taken the decision to cut services "with great reluctance and it was based solely on our need to live within the resources available to us in the current financial year".
It added: "Since the announcement was made there has been many representations made to Belfast Trust from individuals, families and others, all concerned about our decision.
"As a result, we have decided not to proceed with these changes at this time.
"We regret any distress or anxiety we may have caused."
The decision not to proceed with the cuts has been welcomed by the families of the pensioners involved and a number of political representatives.
One elderly woman who spoke out about the cuts was Adeline Keenan, 89.
She told the Nolan Show:  "I get my shopping done on Tuesday and Thursday for half an hour and my laundry on Wednesday for half an hour.
"I will miss the shopping. It is heavy coming up and down the hill and I am 90 on my next birthday."
The commissioner for older people, Claire Keatinge, said the cuts would have had "a devastating impact".


Secret papers from 1986 show Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Garret Fitzgerald intervened in a strip-searching case at a Northern Ireland jail.

A pregnant woman was searched on her committal for non-payment of fines.
She was discharged the next day. and it was subsequently reported that she had a miscarriage.
Mr Fitzgerald raised concerns about strip searching and the release of life-sentence prisoners at a meeting with Secretary of State Tom King.
The intervention, two weeks after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, is revealed in confidential state papers from 1985/86 released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Office (NIO) official S C Jackson defended the search on the grounds that it was "a necessary security precaution" and was used in most western European countries, including the Republic of Ireland.
"The two strip searches... were routine. As NIO Minister Nicholas (Scott) had explained in Parliament, we regret that no hospital officer was present at the searches but there is no reason to suppose they were connected with the miscarriage," he wrote.
Mr Jackson further stated that strip searching applied to all prisoners "irrespective of religion and the alleged motive for their crimes", and to prevent the possibility that an inmate, possibly under duress, might seek to carry "dangerous, or illicit items" into prisons.
He concluded: "There can be no question of amnesty."
Garret Fitzgerald also raised the matter of life sentence prisoners.
It was noted that out of a total life sentence population of 461, 51 were held "at the secretary of state's pleasure", in other words with no stipulated jail term, of these 23 were republicans.
Jackson noted that ministers and officials "are very conscious that there are many people, including some who were very young at the time who became caught up in violence in the early and mid 1970s, ended up serving indeterminate sentences and now bitterly regret what they did".
The official said this was borne in mind when cases were reviewed, but "there can be no question of an amnesty".


The Scottish government says its stamp duty replacement is "on track" despite it raising two-thirds of expected revenues in its first nine months.

The government estimated the residential land and buildings transaction tax would raise ??235m in the 2015/16 financial year.
Over the first nine months, official figures show ??156.7m was raised.
However, revenue from non-residential sales was ??158m over the same period, above a forecast of ??146m for the year.
The land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) came into force in April 2015, replacing stamp duty.
Property experts have already called for it to be reviewed, claiming receipts could be down ??30m in its first year and saying the higher end of the market was "stalling".
The latest figures mean residential tax receipts are trailing behind projections and will need to hit ??78.3m in the final quarter in order to match the government's original estimate.
But the better than expected non-residential income means combined receipts are ??315.3m across the first three quarters of the financial year, closing in on the annual estimate of ??381m.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said revenues were "firmly on track", praising Revenue Scotland for a "pivotal milestone" of its 100,000th tax return.
He said: "Our objective has always been to make sure that first-time buyers have the greatest possible chance to enter the housing market.
"LBTT was one of the first Scottish taxes collected in 300 years and these figures show that more than 40,000 home buyers have benefited since it was introduced.
"This means that 93% of home buyers have paid less tax than they would have done under UK stamp duty land tax, or paid no tax at all."
Mr Swinney highlighted a Bank of Scotland review which said the tax system had helped home movers save money and encouraged more transactions.
He said: "Where we have the freedom to shape a taxation system that is fair and proportionate to the ability to pay, we have created one that is progressive and supports those who most need it."


France's Lucas Pouille claimed the biggest win of his career as he beat two-time champion Rafael Nadal in a sensational US Open last-16 match.

The 22-year-old recovered from a break down in the fifth before converting his fourth match point in the tie-break to win 6-1 2-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6).
"It took everything. I could not dream better than that," the world number 25 said after his four-hour victory.
Pouille will play compatriot Gael Monfils, who beat Marcos Baghdatis.
The defeat means that 2016 is the first year since 2004 in which Nadal, 30, has failed to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final.
"I am close to being 100% again and I believe I can have a couple more good years," said Nadal whose most recent Grand Slam title came with his ninth French Open in 2014.
His best runs since have been two quarter-final spots at the 2015 Australian and French Opens.
"I fought to the end today but I needed something that was not there. I will keep working to try and find it."
Elsewhere Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, also of France, ended American interest in the men's singles by beating Jack Sock.
His win gave France three men's quarter-finalists at the American Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 89 years.
The ninth seed will play world number one Novak Djokovic, who beat British number four Kyle Edmund in straight sets.
Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Nadal had dropped only three games  in an emphatic win in the pair's only previous meeting, but Pouille has been on a steady rise through the rankings since that 2015 defeat in Monte Carlo.
On his first appearance on the centrepiece Arthur Ashe court, he showed why with an assured touch at the net and a relentless determination to attack his groundstrokes.
Having led two sets to one, it seemed that Pouille might have to be content with valiant defeat when Nadal moved 4-2 up in the decider.
But the Wimbledon quarter-finalist prised his way back into the match and it was Nadal who faltered in the tie-break, netting a short forehand at 6-6 to hand his opponent a fourth and fatal chance to close out the match.
"With three match points I thought, 'you are going to win this one'. At 6-6, I was not the same. Honestly I am the most happy in this tournament," added Pouille, whose last three matches have gone to five sets.
Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith on 5 live sports extra:
Lucas Pouille has everything, he has a big serve, is not scared about coming forward to the net and has a strong forehand and backhand. There is no hole in his game and someone is going to have to play really well to beat him.
Nadal does not have the speed that he used to have and makes a few more unforced errors. He is not as clinical as he was in his prime. He is still playing very well,  but is not playing as well as he used to.


Vandals who smashed fire station windows and damaged several vehicles while firefighters were out at an incident are being sought by police.

The incident happened at Bathgate Fire Station in West Lothian at about 00:30 on Wednesday.
A fire community vehicle was damaged as well as eight cars that belonged to the firefighters.
Police have appealed for any witnesses to the "mindless act of destruction" to come forward.
Ch Insp Paul Cameron said: "This has been a mindless act of destruction targeting the local fire service while the crew was out assisting the community.
"In addition to the damage sustained to fire officers' cars, a community fire vehicle was also damaged and will require repair, taking the vehicle out of service which deprives the community of this resource.
"We are keen to hear from anyone who remembers seeing anything suspicious around the station in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
"Similarly, anyone with any further information relevant to this investigation should contact police immediately."


A police officer has been hit by a car while dealing with a "cowardly attack" by a man threatening him with a branch.

Staffordshire Police said the officer was attacked after stopping a "suspicious" lorry on the A5 near Lichfield at 18:15 GMT on Tuesday.
The officer stepped into the road when attacked with the fallen branch by the lorry driver, who had tried to run off.
He was taken to hospital with serious leg and chest injuries. The suspect escaped after carjacking a Ford Fiesta.
More on this and other stories from Stoke and Staffordshire
The silver car was later found abandoned near a social club in Pelsall, near Walsall, and officers are still trying to trace the suspect.
Jane Sawyers, chief constable of Staffordshire Police, called the incident a "cowardly attack" and described support from the public for the officer as "fantastic".
A Staffordshire Police spokeswoman said the officer, a father-of-two from Tamworth, was in a "stable and comfortable" condition.
He has been described as extremely popular and has been visited by family and colleagues.
The spokeswoman said the incident happened following a short pursuit along the A5 between Wall Island and Weeford Island.
After threatening the officer with the branch the suspect went to a Ford Fiesta that was stationary in traffic on the carriageway. He pulled the driver from the vehicle and drove off.
This vehicle was later found abandoned in Abbey Drive, Pelsall.
"Inquiries so far have established that the HGV involved was stolen and was on cloned plates," police said.
"The vehicles involved, including the Ford Fiesta stolen by the suspect to leave the scene, have been recovered and are undergoing a forensic examination."
The Ford Fiesta driver was uninjured in the incident.


A motorcyclist has suffered "life-changing" injuries following a collision at Bryneglwys, Denbighshire.

The incident involving a motorcycle and a BMW car on the A5104, happened just before 13:00 BST on Monday, 29 August.
North Wales Police want to speak to the driver of a dark coloured vehicle which was overtaken by an orange motorbike prior to the collision.
The injured motorcyclist was flown to the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent.


A new hybrid engine is to be built at Toyota's Deeside factory, securing hundreds of jobs.

More than £7m will be invested in production facilities at the engine plant with a £700,000 grant from the Welsh government.
The 1.8 litre engines will be exported to Turkey to be built into a model based on Toyota's C-HR concept car.
There are currently about 540 employees at the Deeside factory, making 950 engines a day in 13 variants.
The new hybrid engine will be built alongside current petrol and hybrid petrol engines for the Auris model, which go to the company's factory at Burnaston, Derbyshire where the vehicle is produced.
Engine plant director Jim Crosbie said: "This announcement is a big vote of confidence in the high skills, quality and commitment of our workforce."
In 2015, Toyota became the world's top-selling carmaker for the fourth straight year, selling 10.15 million cars overall with 209,000 hybrid vehicles in Europe, up 17% on 2014.
Engines and components made at Deeside are exported across Europe, South America, South Africa and Japan.
Edwina Hart, Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, said: "I am delighted this very significant investment has been secured for Toyota's facility on Deeside.
"It will not only provide a platform for growth in what is an extremely competitive market but will help secure the long term sustainable future of the plant and safeguard skilled, well-paid jobs in the region."
The Toyota new engine line is the latest example of a Welsh plant winning investment because of the success of its existing set up.
It's good news for Toyota's workers on Deeside and good for the Welsh economy. With 540 employees spending their wages in the local economy and the value of the engines made a year, Toyota Deeside helps the Welsh economy and helps to lift statistics like GVA - the value of goods and services.
It's not just Toyota on Deeside that is feeling confident. While some parts of the economy are anxious about global slowdown and what the year will bring, automotive companies in Wales are busy on the whole.
Cars are not assembled in Wales but important parts are and companies like Magor Designs in Resolven design the machines to make parts that others assemble and then go to the carmakers. It's a complicated supply chain which, overall, injects £3.3bn into the Welsh economy.
The secret to success in this industry is to be ahead of the game - adapting quickly to make parts for the next generation of vehicles which tend to be cleaner and more efficient.
18,000 people work making car parts in Wales. Together they are paid around £500m a year. At each stage in a new vehicle's design the supply companies have to compete against other suppliers - sometimes in their own companies - across the UK and Europe.
Toyota Deeside does not buy parts from Welsh suppliers but it does buy services from other companies.
But all the way from the Toyotas and Fords to small parts makers, the way to succeed is the same; they have to continually improve what they do and adapt to demands from the car makers.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he accepts his party's policy is to renew the UK's nuclear weapons - but will continue to speak out against it.

Mr Corbyn told the BBC: "Anyone's entitled to raise an opinion on it, and they will."
Labour's defence spokesman has said the party's position should not change before the next election.
In his interview, Mr Corbyn also questioned whether air strikes against so-called Islamic State were working.
In other Labour conference developments:
Labour's leader, who was re-elected by an increased margin on Saturday, is hoping to unite his party at its conference in Liverpool.
But there have been rows over proposed changes to the internal party rules and on Monday Labour's shadow defence secretary, Clive Lewis, was said to be upset at last-minute changes to the section of his speech about Trident, the UK's nuclear missile system.
Mr Lewis reportedly said later it was time for Labour to stop "picking at the scab" of its Trident policy.
Asked to clarify Labour's policy on whether to go ahead with renewing the multibillion pound system, Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that "the position is that Parliament has voted on Trident, the existing party policy was for renewal", adding that he was "not a supporter of nuclear weapons".
The party's defence review, led by Mr Lewis, would continue, he said.
Labour was divided when MPs voted in favour of Trident renewal voted in July.
Asked whether he accepted the party's current policy, Mr Corbyn - a longstanding CND campaigner - said: "Of course I know what the party policy is and of course I understand the decision that was taken.
"Does it mean there are people in the party who have a moral objection to nuclear weapons, yes there are."
He predicted problems to come for the government with the costs of the project, currently estimated at Â£31bn, and said he would never want to trigger a nuclear bomb if elected as prime minister.
Labour is united on the need for a nuclear-free world, he added.
Mr Corbyn was also asked whether he would continue with UK air strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. The Labour leader opposed both interventions and is a former chairman of the Stop the War Coalition.
"I am not sure it's working," he said.
"I think there has to be a political solution, which brings together everyone with the exception of IS to isolate them."
Pressed on whether he would call a halt to the military action, he said: "As a Labour prime minister I would bend every muscle I have got to bring about a political settlement and peace."
On taking office as PM he would "look at all the evidence" and decide how to bring this about, he added.
The Labour leader said it had been "a very busy year" since he was first elected last summer having entered the 2015 leadership contest as an outsider.
"It's fun and I enjoy it," he added.


The return of The X Factor to Saturday night saw the ITV show win back some of the viewers it lost for last year's opening show.

An average 9.2 million tuned in to watch the launch show, peaking at 9.7 million, to see the return of Sharon Osbourne to the judging panel.
Sunday night's show was watched by even more viewers, averaging 9.9 million and peaking at 10.4 million.
Last year's opener fell to 8.7 million, down on the 12 million of 2011.
Boss Simon Cowell has promised changes to boost flagging ratings.
One of the big changes is the re-introduction of intimate auditions before the judging panel before contestants perform in front of an arena audience.
Osbourne has been brought back to replace the departed Tulisa Contostavlos. She was last on the judging panel in 2007, having been one of the original cast back when it started in 2004.
One of the highlights of Saturday's show was the appearance of prison officer Sam Bailey, who surprised the judges with her rendition of Beyonce's Listen, which saw all four judges rise to their feet in admiration.
From the start The X Factor will be running two shows every weekend, with the Sunday night programme showing the contestants performing in front of a live audience as well as the judges.
The BBC's own Saturday night entertainment staple, Strictly Come Dancing, returns on Saturday,
The two shows will have a short overlap between Strictly ending and X Factor starting.
The full line-up of Strictly Come Dancing contestants will be revealed on Wednesday night but four names have already been disclosed.
Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz, Countdown maths whizz Rachel Riley, golfer Tony Jacklin and Abbey Clancy, wife of footballer Peter Crouch, will all be donning Lycra and sequins for the new series.
ITV launched its own celebrity dancing shown on Saturday.
Stepping Out, which saw six celebrity couples learning to dance together, attracted an average of 3.7 million for its first show.


Cuba and the United States have agreed to restore a direct postal service, suspended 52 years ago at the height of the Cold War.

A pilot postal service will be launched shortly, but it is not clear when a full service will be implemented.
The move is part of the rapprochement process that was announced by presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro on 17 December last year.
The two countries have since restored diplomatic ties and reopened embassies.
Cuba and the US began re-establishing postal links in 2013, before the change of policy was announced.
Mail and parcels between Cuba and the US have been re-routed through a third country, usually Mexico or Canada.
In March, direct phone connections with the US were restored after more than 15 years.
Previously, phone calls also needed to go through a third country.
While delays in the postal services have caused frustration for decades, their use in the 21st Century is becoming limited, says the BBC's Will Grant in Havana.
Couriers carry mail and small packages between Miami and Havana on a regular basis.
And as the communist-run island gradually opens up to the internet, new generations of Cubans are writing fewer letters than their parents and grandparents used to, adds our correspondent.
Despite remarkable improvement in relations in recent years, Cuba says that relations will not be fully normalised until the US pulls out of Guantanamo Bay and lifts an economic embargo imposed on the communist-run island.
The US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a revolution toppling US-backed President Fulgencio Batista.
Cuba established a revolutionary socialist state with close ties to the Soviet Union.
The following year, the US imposed a trade embargo covering nearly all exports to Cuba.
This was expanded by President John F Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel restrictions.
The embargo is estimated to have cost the Cuban economy more than $1.1tn and the US economy $1.2bn a year.
Mr Obama has also called for the embargo to be lifted, saying it had "failed to improve the lives of the Cuban people".
But the change needs to be approved by the Congress, which is controlled by the Republican opposition.


Claudio Ranieri's tenure as Leicester City manager began with a magnificent opening-day victory against Sunderland.

The hosts scored three goals in the first 30 minutes, with a deft Jamie Vardy header starting the scoring.
Riyad Mahrez then headed home before scoring from the spot after a Lee Cattermole foul on the Algerian.
Jermain Defoe gave the Black Cats hope but, after Marc Albrighton had struck for the Foxes, Steven Fletcher's late header was mere consolation.
The ease with which Leicester scored will worry Sunderland fans, their team seeming to have carried last season's defensive failings into this new campaign.
They began with new recruit Younes Kaboul partnering Sebastian Coates - who made his loan move from Liverpool permanent during the close season - in the centre of defence but the new-look partnership failed on the opening day.
"We clearly weren't at it," said Kaboul. "We were late for every ball. We conceded a lot and we were not sharp enough."
Sunderland conceded two sloppy goals early on, allowing Marc Albrighton's crosses from the left to find two of the smallest players on the pitch. From then on, Leicester gained confidence and Sunderland failed to cope with the home side's quick, crisp movement.
Claudio Ranieri made a winning return to the Premier League, 11 years after being sacked as Chelsea manager by owner Roman Abramovich.
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The Leicester boss, known as 'the Tinkerman' for his constant changing of his starting line-ups, was a surprise replacement for Nigel Pearson in the summer but, should his new team continue to perform with such attacking verve, his first season with the Foxes will be trouble free - although the ease in which Sunderland scored twice is a note of caution.
Ranieri described his side's performance as "outstanding" and, indeed, they could have scored more, with Shinji Okazaki missing one glorious chance in the second half. Mahrez, too, hit the woodwork after the break and forced a fine save Costel Pantilimon.
The coach chose to rely on the players who secured top-flight survival last term by winning win seven of their last nine games to finish 14th, with only one summer signing - Okazaki - in his starting line-up,
Of the familiar Leicester faces, it was striker Vardy and winger Mahrez who particularly excelled, their creativity and pace causing Sunderland problems.
Sunderland were fragile on the right side of their defence and 42.2% of Leicester's attacks came from that flank. Marc Albrighton caused damage in the first half with his crosses from the left wing and combined well with Jeff Schlupp and Okazaki for the second goal, which Mahrez scored.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri: "It was a very good start and I am very happy with my players in the first match, which is so important in front of our fans. I told my players to be the warriors for them.
"The performance was outstanding from the beginning. Okazaki played very well but I don't like to just say that because the whole team played well."
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Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat: "After 10 minutes there were three crosses and three goals. At this level this cannot happen.
"You have to show every minute away from home and we didn't see that in the first half. We have to wait [for new players]. We struggled again. Everybody can see that we need more."
Leicester winger Marc Albrighton: "Claudio Ranieri has come in with fresh ideas to add to the way we were playing. He didn't want to change too much but he has new ideas and we are taking them on board."
Riyad Mahrez's pace and invention posed havoc all afternoon and the Algeria international could have had a hat-trick before receiving a deserved standing ovation from the Leicester fans as he was substituted towards the end of the match.
Match ends, Leicester City 4, Sunderland 2.
Second Half ends, Leicester City 4, Sunderland 2.
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Sebastián Coates.
Adam Johnson (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Marc Albrighton (Leicester City).
Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Christian Fuchs (Leicester City).
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Younes Kaboul.
Attempt blocked. Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by N'Golo Kanté.
Foul by Jack Rodwell (Sunderland).
Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sebastián Coates (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Sebastián Coates (Sunderland).
Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Jeremain Lens (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Yohan Benalouane (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. N'Golo Kanté replaces Jamie Vardy.
Attempt blocked. Sebastian Larsson (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Rodwell.
Foul by Sebastián Coates (Sunderland).
Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Andy King (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.
Substitution, Leicester City. Christian Fuchs replaces Riyad Mahrez.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Leicester City. Yohan Benalouane replaces Ritchie de Laet because of an injury.
Delay in match Ritchie de Laet (Leicester City) because of an injury.
Younes Kaboul (Sunderland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Younes Kaboul (Sunderland).
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Goal!  Leicester City 4, Sunderland 2. Steven Fletcher (Sunderland) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jeremain Lens.
Attempt missed. Jeremain Lens (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Adam Johnson with a cross.
Younes Kaboul (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
Goal!  Leicester City 4, Sunderland 1. Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
Foul by Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland).
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adam Johnson with a headed pass.
Attempt missed. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
Goal!  Leicester City 3, Sunderland 1. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adam Johnson with a through ball.
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Costel Pantilimon.


About 500 homes in Jersey will be given access to fibre optic broadband at no cost as part of a trial of the new network.

The States of Jersey invested Â£19m in JTs island-wide fibre optic network which it expects to be available to the whole island by 2016.
The trial will start on 3 January at La Moye, La Rocque and Fauvic and will last for three months.
The trial is open to customers of all telecom operators in Jersey.
A JT spokesperson said it was a trial of the network and so JT, Sure and Newtel would be writing to their customers in that area offering them the chance to trial fibre optic broadband.
JT say speeds will vary between 40Mbps and 1Gbps during the trial.
People trying the service will be expected to give detailed feedback covering everything from installation to the experience of having faster broadband.
JT said it would use the feedback to help shape the final product it offers to the public when the service is launched.
The service will be available to all homes in the island by 2016, but the first homes will have access to the service by 2012, with most being switched to fibre optic broadband by 2013.
Graeme Millar, chief executive of JT, said: "Clearly it takes time to replace the island-wide copper cable network, and we nee to do that in stages to minimise disruption and gain appropriate access to the 42,000 homes. "
Mr Millar said the switchover to a fibre optic network enabling broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps would make it "the fastest for a residential network in the western world".


Surveyors in Scotland have reported a sharp decline in demand from buyers with a drop in sales in May.

The fall in demand reported by the professional body Rics Scotland in its monthly survey is the steepest since November 2014.
House prices, in contrast, showed a modest rise due to a shortage of properties coming onto the market.
Most surveyors said they expected prices to continue to rise in the coming months.
In the UK as a whole, the Rics UK survey indicated a "short-term drop" in prices. Surveyors in London and East Anglia were most pessimistic about prices over the next quarter.
A net balance of 22% of Scottish surveyors reported a decrease in new properties coming onto the market.
Rics Scotland said supply had now failed to keep up with demand for much of the past three years.
The key findings in Scotland included:
Rics Scotland Director Sarah Speirs said: "Across the UK it appears that we are looking at a short-term drop in house prices caused by the uncertainty resulting from the forthcoming EU referendum, coupled with a slowdown following the rush to get into the market ahead of the tax change on the purchase of investment properties.
"In Scotland, prices looks set to remain firm, despite a dip in activity, as demand continues to outpace supply."
She added: "From new supply, to improving the poor condition of the country's existing housing stock and developing plans to bring back into use Scotland's 27,000 long-term empty properties, more needs to be done to address the current imbalance."


Detectives are trying to identify the body of man who was found on the shoreline at South Queensferry.

Police and HM Coastguard were called after a report of a body in the water at Hawes Pier at about 10:20 on Thursday.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Officers said he was not carrying any identification and inquiries were under way to find out the man's name.
The man was white, about 5ft 10ins tall with blackish-grey receding hair, in his late 40s and with a medium build.
He was wearing a black button-front jacket, blue hooded top with full zip and white toggles, blue denim Levi jeans, black hat, black scarf and navy gloves.
Det Sgt Kevin Tait, of Corstorphine Police Station, said: "Our investigation is continuing to establish this man's identity and we would ask anyone who can assist with our ongoing inquiries to contact police on 101."


The swirling wind of anti-politics that has swept across the Westminster parliament in recent times stems from a conviction that the politicians sitting on warm green leather in the House of Commons are oblivious to the harsh realities of ordinary life.

It is that sense of a London elite, out of touch with the real world, that has encouraged politicians of all stripes to talk of the importance of localism.
David Cameron came to power promising to give local councils much more power. "Over the last century Britain has become one of the most centralised countries in the developed world," he said. "I am convinced that if we have more local discretion - more decisions made and money spent at the local level - we'll get better outcomes."
But in the spring of 2011, something counter-intuitive happened.  For the first time probably in living memory, central government was bigger than local government.  The number of people in the UK employed by Whitehall overtook the number employed by the town hall.
Back in 1963, the earliest year for which I have found figures, local councils employed about two million people, 200,000 more than Whitehall.  Ten years later, and the local authority workforce was close to three million and almost 900,000 greater than central government.
Today, though, the situation has almost completely reversed, with half a million more people on the national payroll than the local one. Indeed, the number employed by local authorities has fallen more than half a million since the last election.
In many towns and cities, the council was once the biggest employer by far. Nowadays, that's much less likely to be true and may be changing the relationship between local people and the local authority. Councils have become more of a service commissioner than the heartbeat of the local economy.
The reasons for this change are varied. Contracting services out to private providers explains some of the fall in council staff numbers. The jobs are still there, for the most part, but the people are no longer employed by the state.
Some services are no longer offered by local authorities and are either provided by volunteers or have disappeared altogether.
One significant effect has been local-authority-maintained schools converting to academy status.  In the past year, 53,000 teachers and other school staff switched from the local government headcount to central government control.  The creation of English sixth form college corporations also saw 20,000 "council staff" reclassified as private sector workers.
On the other hand, the reclassification of English FE colleges has seen 176,000 workers move from central government to the private sector - so explaining the widening gap between central and local government headcounts must go beyond education.
One big factor is the expansion of the health service. The number of NHS workers - the majority of whom are employed centrally - has gone up from 1.2 million in 1999 to over 1.5 million now.  But we've also seen the privatisation of the Royal Mail and the "re-privatisation" of Lloyds Banking Group taking central government workers into the private sector.
Does this matter? On the day councils reflect on the impact of further reductions in the grant they receive from central government, perhaps we might also reflect on the changing nature of local authorities.
The prime minister is a critic of "big government" and yet the number of people employed by Whitehall has rarely been higher than it is today - 2.9 million people. In 1963 it was nearer 1.8 million.


Thousands of people are still being told they should not use their water because of high levels of chlorine.

Severn Trent issued a warning in Derbyshire and Leicestershire on Friday after it found high levels of the chemical at a reservoir.
About 3,700 properties are affected in postcode areas DE11, DE15, DE65, DE73 and LE65.
It is hoped the water will be safe to use later, although the firm said customers can now flush their toilets.
Latest updates: Severn Trent Water problems
Severn Trent has been handing out free bottles of water to affected customers at Sainsbury's in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, and Tesco in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.
Nigel Thornylowe, who lives in Woodville with his two children, said it was a "nightmare".
"We got caught up in the frenzy yesterday and unfortunately... we haven't got any bottled water," he said.
"We've tried in vain but all the supermarkets have run out."
He said the situation had been poorly managed and bottles of water should be distributed at more locations than just the two supermarkets.
But other residents have been looking out for their neighbours with one couple filling up the water carrier in their caravan and distributing it to elderly neighbours.
And another woman said she coped on Friday night by "drinking spritzers" instead of water.
In a statement, the firm tried to reassure customers who may have drunk the water that, if they did not notice a strong chlorine smell or taste, then it was "unlikely to have caused any harm".
But it added that anyone with concerns should speak to a doctor.
"We're very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused but we want to reassure customers that this is a precautionary measure due to the levels of chlorine in the water supply," it said.


India's Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, and Australia bowler Mitchell Starc, are the best players in the world - according to a BBC Sport survey of world cricket's captains.

With eight of the world's top nations in England and Wales for the Champions Trophy, we asked the one-day captain of each competing nation to vote for their top three batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers in world cricket, taking into account all formats.
Completing our survey on behalf of their team-mates, captains were not allowed to vote for players from their own country and their top selection would be worth three points, their second selection two points and their third selection in a category one point.
Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa all took part but, despite repeated attempts to get their responses, India and Sri Lanka did not meet the deadline.
The verdict, however, was conclusive...
For years, cricket fans bickered over the relative merits of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, but now there are a number of run machines who can realistically lay claim to being the best in the world - the likes of England's Joe Root, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Australia's Steve Smith.
One man stood out among his peers, however: Virat Kohli.
With 43 international centuries to his name at the age of 28, and four Test scores of 200 or more in the past 12 months, it is perhaps no surprise that three of his fellow captains nominated him as the best in the world with the other three respondents marking him as second best.
Two of those other number one votes went to South Africa's dynamic run machine AB de Villiers, with New Zealand's Kane Williamson earning the other.
England and Australia captains Joe Root and Steve Smith earned two nominations each for third place.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "Kohli is the most unflappable chaser of runs there's ever been. I don't know how he does it. He never shows any anxiety or pressure when chasing totals, when the pressure is actually really on. It's extraordinary.
"He has a calculating mind that allows him to switch off from everything that's going on around him and just bat. I don't think there has been anyone else like him for his ability to chase runs."
The most convincing winner in our survey was Australia's left-arm quick Mitchell Starc. Four world captains had him as their first pick, with the other (Australia couldn't vote for him, remember) having him second to South Africa's Dale Steyn.
Chris Woakes received the solitary third-place vote for an England bowler, while Starc's fellow left-armer from New Zealand, Trent Boult, was a popular pick for second and third place (receiving four nominations).
With six-wicket hauls on three continents in Test cricket, 27-year-old Starc is now the spearhead of an impressive Australian pace attack also including Josh Hazlewood (one vote for third place), Pat Cummins and James Pattinson.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "If there's swing around, Starc moves the white ball. He's got great pace and a searing yorker. He's got all the attributes for a one-day fast bowler. He knocks people over and is particularly brutal with the tail. He's definitely the standout fast bowler in the world."
He may be 35 now, but India's iconic wicketkeeper MS Dhoni continues to strike fear into the opposition with his innovative, powerful batting and wicketkeeping skills.
Dhoni has handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli now and he no longer plays Test cricket, but his one-day skills remain razor-sharp - emphasised by his sparkling 134 against England in January.
He does have a rival for his crown, though, with South Africa's Quinton de Kock earning just as many nominations - although, crucially, not as many first-choice picks.
England's Jos Buttler was a popular choice, while his team-mate Jonny Bairstow also received a vote.
This category was a two-horse race though - and World Cup, World T20 and Champions Trophy winner Dhoni, in fitting style, was triumphant.
Analysis by BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "I don't think he's necessarily the best wicketkeeper, but it's the all-round package that he brings. The innings he played in the 2011 World Cup final was astonishing. He hits the ball in unusual places with a lot of bottom hand. I also like the way he plays the game. He's a positive cricketer. He would never claim to be a great keeper, but he's more than fulfilled the job he's been asked to do."
Who gets your vote? Pick your top three batsman, bowlers and wicketkeepers in world cricket - only players nominated in this survey are available - and share it with your friends and on social media, using #bbccricket.
Pick your top three batsmen in world cricket
Pick your top three bowlers in world cricket
Pick your top three wicketkeepers in world cricket


Construction will start on BBC Wales' new headquarters in Cardiff city centre on 7 December.

The announcement followed final sign-offs between the BBC and developers Rightacres.
Almost 1,200 staff will relocate from BBC Wales' current site in Llandaff to Central Square in 2019.
Director of BBC Wales, Rhodri Talfan Davies, said the new development would trigger wider regeneration and help to "change the face of Cardiff".
He added: "BBC Wales touches the lives of millions of people, not just in Wales but across the UK and beyond - so I'm delighted this vital strategic investment will enable us to plan for our future with real confidence."
First Minister Carwyn Jones said: "Today's announcement is a significant milestone for BBC Wales and for Wales' creative industries which are flourishing and have become talked about worldwide."
Cardiff council leader Phil Bale said the development created a "capital that everyone can be proud of".


Weapons meant for Western-backed rebels in Syria are ending up in the hands of so-called Islamic State in neighbouring Iraq - but how are they getting there?

James Bevan and his small team step carefully into a residential house in Qaraqosh, not far from Mosul in Iraq.
A long trail of blood by the entrance and near-ready suicide vests just inside the door confirm what they have been told by a local militia group - this was a position used by fighters from so-called Islamic State (IS).
The team are from the group Conflict Armament Research (CAR). The investigators carry only notebooks and cameras as they hunt for evidence.
Bedding, clothes and remnants of life from the family that once lived there litter the house. But in a backroom, they find what they are after - empty boxes of ammunition.
They shout out details as they take notes and photos. Their aim is to understand how weapons get into the wrong hands.
"To date, the international community has been blind to the fact that weapons are being diverted into conflict affected areas," Mr Bevan explains.
The team work just behind the frontlines in areas recently captured from IS. Munitions can be examined for markings but the empty boxes are the most useful, since they carry serial numbers and batch numbers.
These will be then fed into a database as they trace how the material got from the factory where it was manufactured into the middle of a conflict zone.
Qaraqosh, a predominantly Christian town, is a scene of near-apocalyptic devastation - buildings smashed to pieces, craters in roads, church steeples toppled over.
The streets are eerily quiet. All the residents left when IS came. IS was pushed out only at the end of last month as part of the offensive on Mosul.
By day, a local Christian militia patrols the town but word is that, at night, IS fighters sometimes return.
As we visit a church, three former worshippers arrive for a brief visit. They recount the exact moment they held their last service inside the building - 16:00 on 6 August, 2014.
After that they fled to Irbil and have returned briefly to see what remains.
Pictures around the altar have been torn down and the building ransacked. Inside the church's hall, the CAR team find evidence that the site has also been used as an IS weapons factory.
The parts for rockets are scattered across the floor. Lying next to a bowl of chemicals is a handwritten "recipe" to mix explosives.
IS tried to mass-produce weaponry in areas it controlled and set up home-made mortar factories, but there is also evidence of materials that have come from abroad.
Around the church pews are bags of industrial chemical - the CAR team have seen these before. It is sold purely on the domestic market in Turkey but large quantities made it into IS hands.
"When we look at improvised weapons and homemade explosives, we know they buy in massive bulk and they buy primarily on the Turkish market," says Mr Bevan.
"Their procurement networks reach out into southern Turkey and they obviously have a series of very strong relationships with very big distributors."
In some cases CAR have recovered evidence of between 3-5,000 bags being bought with the same lot number.
"Someone has gone up and bought half the stock of a factory," he says.
IS has had no problem arming itself - and the work of CAR suggests that this may partly have been thanks to the weapons sent into the conflict zone by those fighting it.
The arms trade is a murky world but Mr Bevan's team has found evidence on the source of IS ammunition.
In the early phase of the conflict, most of it was captured on the battlefield from Iraqi and Syrian forces. But from the end of 2015, the team started to see another significant source.
Ammunition boxes were turning up that could be traced back to factories in Eastern Europe.
The team approached manufacturing states to request information to find out to whom the material was sold.
It emerged that the material had been sold - legally - to the governments of the United States and Saudi Arabia. It was then shipped through Turkey.
The destination was northern Syria and the opposition groups (which the US and Saudi Arabia supported) fighting President Bashar al-Assad.
The intention was never for the ammunition to find its way to IS but somewhere along the way it was diverted.
This ammunition was found in Tikrit, Ramadi, Falluja and now Mosul - all places where it has been used to fight the US-backed Iraqi forces.
The speed with which IS was getting this material was startling - sometimes only two months from leaving the factory.
"If you supply weapons and ammunition not only to non-state actors but to non-state actors in a very complex interlocked conflict then the risk of diversion is very, very high," says Mr Bevan.
Perhaps the closest parallel to the problems of covert weapons supply and diversion is the support given by the US and others to the mujahideen fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
In that case, weapons were sent to certain groups approved by the CIA but were funnelled through Pakistan's intelligence service and sometimes found their way into the hands of other groups fighting the Soviet Union who had more extreme agendas, among them Osama Bin Laden.
The current situation is even more complex and confusing than in Afghanistan - with two overlapping conflicts in Iraq and Syria and an even wider range of countries supporting proxy groups.
Mr Bevan believes establishing the route of weapons is the first stage to preventing diversion.
"We are able to go back to the manufacturer and say these are your weapons and we know that you transferred them legally but your export recipient has transferred them here without authorisation. So you have a problem and now you need to do something about it."
The evidence of the destruction wreaked by weapons lies everywhere in Iraq and Syria. Trying to restrict the flow will not be easy so long as outside states are supporting their own proxy groups.
And in the chaos of this conflict there is no guarantee who will end up getting their hands on weapons and how they will use them.


Relegated Dundee United have confirmed Ray McKinnon as their new manager on a three-year contract.

McKinnon, 45, resigned as boss of Raith Rovers on Wednesday after agreeing to take over at Tannadice, where he enjoyed two spells as a player.
The former midfielder succeeds Mixu Paatelainen, who left United on 4 May after their drop to the Championship.
"This is a wonderful opportunity at a club that is close to my heart," McKinnon told United's website.
"I am looking forward to taking on the task of rebuilding the club and developing the talent required to get us where we should be.
"There are a lot of challenges ahead and it is important that we give ourselves every opportunity to succeed. We will work hard to build a team that the United fans can be proud of.
"I want to thank everyone at Raith Rovers. I really enjoyed my time there and I am grateful to them for being so understanding of my desire to become manager of Dundee United. Raith Rovers are a fabulous, proper club whom I wish all the best."
Raith missed out on promotion via the play-offs and McKinnon had a year left to run on his contract at Stark's Park.
He joined Rovers last summer after three years in charge of Brechin City.
McKinnon led Raith to fourth place in the Championship, but they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Hibernian in the Premiership play-off quarter-finals.
United were bottom of the Premiership for most of the season with Jackie McNamara replaced as manager after only one win in their first nine games, but Paatelainen was unable to inspire a turnaround in fortunes.
Defeat by city rivals Dundee on 2 May ensured United would finish at the foot of the table, and they were docked three points on Wednesday for using two ineligible youngsters in their win at Inverness last week.
McKinnon will watch United's final game of the season on Saturday away to Kilmarnock from the stands.


There are wide variations in Caesarean section rates across Europe, indicating a lack of consensus about the best way of delivering babies, a study suggests.

Around one in four births in the UK is by C-section, while in Cyprus the figure is 52% and in Sweden 17%.
The study of 26 European countries, published in the journal BJOG, said more research was needed to find out why the differences existed.
The Royal College of Midwives said health systems had a role to play.
The study, led by researchers at City University London said that Caesarean section rates in most EU countries have shown "a continuous rise", although in a few countries there are signs they are flattening out.
It said there could be several possible explanations for this - "including a fear of litigation, financial incentives, women's requests for Caesarean section and the perception that Caesarean section is a safe procedure".
The study also said there were consequences to the rise, which included potential raised risks for mothers and babies - such as stillbirth - in future pregnancies.
Caesareans are more likely when babies are born to first-time mothers, when women have multiple births or when the woman in question has already had a Caesarean.
However, there is continuing debate, the study said, about the use of Caesarean section for babies who are breech (feet first), for multiple births and women who have had a C-section already.
In the study, the highest rate of Caesarean sections planned before labour started was in Cyprus at 38.8% and in Italy at 25%.
The lowest rates were found in Finland (6.6%), the Netherlands (7.7%) and Norway (6.6%).
In the UK, planned Caesarean rates are 9% in England, 11% in Wales and Scotland and 14.6% in Northern Ireland.
Emergency C-section rates were highest in Romania at 33% and lowest in Sweden at 8.6%.
In all four countries of the UK, emergency rates are around 15%.
Prof Alison Macfarlane, professor of perinatal health at City University London, said: "Given that people are supposed to be practising according to evidence, it is surprising there are such wide variations between countries.
"We need a comparative review of national policies and guidelines and further research to ensure that clinical practice is based on evidence."
She said it was important that the health of mothers and children was also prioritised.
Gail Johnson, professional advisor for education and research at the Royal College of Midwives, said the disparities were likely to be due to differences in health service models and the overall health of different populations.
She said the percentage of women giving birth by Caesarean in the UK was still "a bit too high".
"A Caesarean is an emergency procedure, done when a normal birth isn't going to work.
"It's not a lifestyle choice, and although it's a safe operation, it does carry more risks than a vaginal birth."


Fireworks scratched colours into the slate grey sky after being unleashed from the top of Tower Bridge as the historic royal flotilla finished gliding along the Thames.

This signalled the end of the Diamond Jubilee pageant in London, but other events did not survive in the wet weather - namely the cannons primed to explode confetti and a helicopter flypast, which was cancelled because of visibility.
The fine, yet unrelenting, rain did not show mercy either to the soaked singers who gamely sang the national anthem in the closing stages.
These events were the dying embers of a day that had seen fun, food, celebrations, dressing up and several renditions of the national anthem, as well as a protest against the monarchy - all stubbornly carried out despite the rain.
At the start of the day, some revellers heading to the capital had their plans disrupted by overcrowding on the train network, with reports of passengers left behind on platforms because carriages were full.
Others stayed at home to celebrate, with almost 9,500 roads shut across England and Wales for parties.
Those in the capital threw themselves into the celebrations, none more so than those who attended the Big Jubilee Lunch in Piccadilly, made up of a long line of tables in this usually traffic-choked street.
The main events to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee include:
Monday
Tuesday
Guide to the weekend of events
Wandering down Piccadilly, resplendent in their tiaras and red, white and blue outfits, were three friends - Jodie Merrylees, 27, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Charlotte Symonds, 30, from Brighouse, West Yorkshire, and Jodie Cosgrove, 27, from Leeds.
Ms Symonds said: "I really like the Royal Family and the tradition it represents. I was at the royal wedding too and that was brilliant. We wanted to dress up for the Jubilee and get involved with the atmosphere to feel part of the celebrations."
It became an even more grand event when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall arrived, walking down the line of tables and even stopping to sit down on a potentially soggy seat to chat to some of those munching their food.
Street parties were definitely popular on the day, particularly in Bristol, which had more applications for road closures than in other city outside London.
Revellers there gathered in a red, white and blue-bedecked Millennium Square, which boasted its own "make your own corgi" attraction.
Inspired by the Thames pageant, Andrew Southerden, a landlord in Kibworth, Leicestershire, transformed his pub into HMS Coach & Horses, affixing portholes, liferafts, funnels and a bow to the building.
Party-goers in Richmond Park, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, were able to snap up food at 1950s prices. Hot dogs were 7p, bacon sandwiches 9p and a cup of tea just 2p.
In Belfast, Samuel and Margaret Sloan, 80, were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary as well as the Jubilee at a tea party thrown by the city's Lord Mayor. "It is a great honour," said Mr Sloan, a retired motor mechanic. "She is a very gracious Queen and she does care for the people."
More than 300 official street parties took place across Wales. Cardiff's St Mary's Street hosted a Big Lunch celebration while hundreds attended a similar event in Swansea.
A beach party was rained off in Rhosneigr, close to the Anglesey home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but the party went ahead regardless - a picnic was held in the village hall instead, attended by hundreds of people.
Ten street parties took place in Edinburgh, with the Scottish capital understood to have made a third of all of Scotland's street party applications.
But not everyone taking part supported the royal family's constitutional role.
Abigail Burnyeat, who attended a street party in Edinburgh's Stockbridge, told the BBC she enjoyed herself but did not see the event as an endorsement of the monarchy.
"It's a celebration of community," she said, adding: "I wouldn't examine it too closely."
As the Diamond Jubilee pageant began, its 1,000 vessels were greeted along the route by 1.2 million spectators, according to the organisers.
Crowds lined the banks of the Thames, some climbing up onto window ledges of nearby buildings to try to get a better view, all thankful that by now the skies were holding onto their raindrops.
On Lambeth Bridge, a carefully controlled number of the public were allowed on, each choosing a side to stand on, to either watch the pageant arrive or see it pass off into the distance.
As it approached, the smaller boats before the bigger ones, great cheers rose up, as did the crackling of plastic flags. That sound reached a crescendo when the royal barge approached, prompting many hands to raise mobile phones and cameras, like electronic meerkats desperate for a view.
Among those on the bridge was Marilyn Griffiths, 59, from Ledbury, Herefordshire, decked out in a union jack hat, earrings and carrying a flag.
She described the pageant as "spectacular", adding: "I just love the Royal Family and admire them all for what they do. They all work so hard. I wanted to come here to show my support."
By the end of the pageant the rain had become almost torrential, with everyone wet through.
And yet the good humour of the crowd survived, with one man even enjoying a rather soggy ice cream.
The last of the steam boats sailed by sounding their horns together and drawing cheers from the flag-wavers along Tower Bridge.
"I saw the Queen," shouted one small child to his mother. It was certainly an achievement for all.
See all the latest Diamond Jubilee news and features at bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee


Cardiff City have signed Greg Halford from fellow Championship club Rotherham for an undisclosed fee.

The 32-year-old utility player has signed a contract until the summer of 2018.
The Bluebirds have also completed a deal to sign striker Ibrahim Meite, 20, from non-league Harrow Borough.
However, forward Lex Immers will leave Cardiff after it was mutually agreed to terminate his contract seven months after he joined them permanently.
Immers joins Kieran Richardson and Marouane Chamakh in leaving Cardiff City Stadium.
The Dutchman has signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Belgian side Club Brugge with the option of an extra year.
Cardiff's Tom Adeyemi will remain at Rotherham for the remainder of the season as part of the Halford deal.
Boss Neil Warnock managed Halford during his spell in charge of Rotherham last season.
"Greg is a really good utility player - he played five or six positions for me last year," Warnock told BBC Wales Sport.
"I felt he gives us so many options really. Wherever he plays he is super and I know he can play here, there and everywhere.
"I felt against Brentford we were short with having to put a midfield player in defence and I thought 'that isn't going to happen again'."
Warnock described Meite, the non-league striker who had a loan spell with Leicester City earlier this season, as an "exciting prospect" and said he had signed him on a "hunch".
Immers' departure, meanwhile, is an agreement Warnock says "suited all parties".
"He has not really been in my plans since I have been here, and he has a lot on his plate as he is having a little baby," he added.
"He was one of our higher earners and I am trying to thin it down and make the squad more sustainable.
"I can take my time now, looking at the situation with the rest of the squad."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


Hamed Amiri was just 11 when he left Afghanistan with his family.

They settled in Cathays, Cardiff, where Hamed quickly "got into trouble" and walked away from school with three unusable A Levels.
Now 27, the software delivery manager regularly speaks to children in his old stomping ground at Cathays High School about his experiences.
Just 30 people who described themselves as non white began teacher training in Wales last year, a Welsh Government report showed, leading to calls for more ethnic minority role models in schools.
And while Hamed is not a teacher - his life goal is to travel around schools and universities inspiring young people from similar backgrounds.
"Am I a role model? I don't class myself as a role model," he said.
"But actually, I am trying to make a difference.
"When we moved to this country, it was a scary time for me and for the family.
"You have this culture shock coming from a warmer country, different language, different religion to a country where, surprisingly, people open arms.
"And you wouldn't expect that, with such a massive move from different countries.
"And I did struggle throughout my younger life, I did struggle in school which is why I'm here to talk to the kids. I got into loads of trouble, loads of fights, I was a defensive type of person.
"You do feel really isolated at the beginning, because you don't know which way you're going, you don't know if you're ever going to make it in life."
"And you're surprised by how open and nice people are here."
Hamed said he volunteers at the school to give something back to the community he feels made him into the person his is now.
He had the idea after attending a Teach First event in his IT role - and seeing Cathays pupils there.
"Me standing up in a suit with a banner behind me, it was an eye-opener for these kids that this guy from Cathays in an event actually looks very professional.
"And it gave me the idea to approach the guys in my school and say 'can I talk to the kids and give them a bit more insight of my journey and my struggles and my change of thought process and how to make something of myself?'.
"It doesn't have to be IT, it doesn't have to be anything specific, you just have to keep going and never give up.
"It is going to be tough, it is, but you just have to have that mentality and I know it's the cheesiest line but it works for me and I hope it works for the kids here too."
And Hamed echoed calls for more ethnic minority role models - saying children need to be able to see themselves as able to achieve what others have done.
"You can see the changes you make, they look at me and say 'wow you come from Afghanistan and you're a Muslim and you work in IT, maybe I can do that some day.
"I think the nicest story I remember so far was this girl in year eight who looked up and me and said, in such a sincere way, 'do you think I can be a doctor?' and I said 'yes, of course you can be a doctor!'
"They have got teachers who can say 'you can be this or that', of course, but they just can't relate in quite the same way.
"And there are role models around but I don't think they've seen it first hand and had someone there to speak to.
"The perception is you have to come from a rich background or have a high IQ to do what you want to do, and I'm the opposite of that - English isn't my first language and I got three Us at A Level.
"So they can can see this Asian guy who was exactly the same in school as they are.
"The perception is the guy who's 'made it' has had luck or a privileged background but it doesn't have to be the case if you just keep trying, just keep going - eventually you will have that break."


The expected return of South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar to the capital, Juba, has been postponed for logistical reasons, a spokesman said.

He was due to take up the post of first vice-president, a key part of the peace process aimed at ending more than two years of civil war.
Mr Machar fled Juba at the start of the conflict in December 2013.
More than two million people have been displaced and tens of thousands killed in the fighting.
Africa Live: BBC News updates from the continent
Rebel spokesman William Ezekiel told journalists waiting for Mr Machar at Juba's airport that the trip had been postponed until Tuesday.
He said that the rebels were still committed to the peace process.


East Fife moved up to third in Scottish League One with a 2-0 win over Albion Rovers while Airdireonians lost 2-1 at home to Stranraer.

Relegation-threatened Stenhousemuir picked up three points with a 3-1 victory over Peterhead.
League leaders Livingston dropped points as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Queen's Park at Hampden Park.
The fixture between Brechin City and Alloa Athletic was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.
East Fife bounced back from last week's defeat to Alloa Athletic by beating Albion Rovers at the Bayview Stadium. Two second-half goals from Chris Duggan was the difference between the sides.
Stranraer picked up three points away to Airdrieonians thanks to second-half goals from Craig Malcolm and Ryan Thomson. The Blues were reduced to 10 men as Morgyn Neil was shown a red card but Iain Russell missed the resulting penalty. Andy Ryan scored a late consolation for Airdrieonians.
Bottom club Stenhousemuir took a step towards safety with a defeat of 10-man Peterhead at Ochilview Park. Rory McAllister saw red for abusing referee David Munro after first-half goals from Alan Cook and Mason Robertson had put the strugglers in front. Jordan Brown pulled one back for Peterhead after the restart, but Colin McMenamin restored the Warriors' two-goal cushion shortly after the hour mark.
Livingston extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points with a draw at Queen's Park. Scott Pittman put the leaders ahead early on before Dario Zanatta equalised for the hosts.


A man who drifted a mile out to sea in a toy dinghy he barely fitted into has been rescued.

The alarm was raised at 19:30 BST on Monday after he was spotted near a wind farm off the coast of Redcar.
The Redcar RNLI lifeboat was launched and found the man attempting to paddle against the wind and tide but drifting further off shore.
Dave Cocks, from Redcar RNLI, said the man was dressed only in a hoodie and shorts
"This is a good example of the types of incident we repeatedly warn people about," Mr Cocks said.
"If the alarm hadn't been raised there was every likelihood he'd have drifted out of sight of land and we could well have been bringing a dead body back."
The man was given sea safety advice after being taken back to dry land.


India's Supreme Court has upheld new federal rules which require tobacco firms to put bigger pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets.

The court rejected the tobacco industry's arguments that the rules were impractical to implement.
The government wants tobacco firms to cover 80% of a cigarette pack's surface with pictorial warnings, up from 20%.
India has about 110 million smokers and the government says smoking kills nearly a million people every year.
The government opposed the tobacco industry's demands that the court should stay the implementation of the new rules, which came into effect from 1 April.
The court also ordered that similar petitions from smaller manufacturers of tobacco products would be heard by a court in the southern state of Karnataka.
Ranjit Kumar, solicitor general of India, told the court that the government was committed to the new rules.
The government believes that bigger pictorial warning will deter people from taking up smoking.
In recent years, India has come up with stringent rules to curb the use of tobacco.
Tobacco-related advertisements are banned and the sale of tobacco products to minors is also an offence.
A countrywide ban on smoking in public places came into effect in 2008 - although correspondents say it is blatantly flouted and poorly enforced.


Syria's main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), has agreed to attend next week's so-called Geneva II peace talks, to be held in Montreux, Switzerland.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the decision, taken at talks in Istanbul, calling it "courageous".
The aim of Geneva II is to start the process of setting up a transitional government to end the war in Syria.
The three-year conflict has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.
By Jim MuirBBC News, Beirut
The fateful meeting of the Syrian opposition coalition had been delayed while desperate efforts were made to persuade back more than 40 delegates who had walked out. The advocates of going to Geneva wanted to mobilise a display of unity and purpose to back the negotiating team.
Their fear was that, otherwise, it would start off looking weak, and with big questions about its claims to represent even the opposition political leadership, far less the fighting forces on the ground and the Syrian people as a whole.
That looks like being the case. The 58 members who said Yes made up a good majority of the 73 who voted, but it's less than half of the body's 120 members. The onus on those going to Geneva will be to produce convincing results, and that is far beyond their own control.
The coalition had no choice but to go. Its Western backers made it clear that if it said No, they would not be able to continue supporting it. They were damned if they did, and doomed if they didn't.
An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.
Of the delegates who voted, 58 were in favour, 14 were against, while one abstained.
The coalition's leader, Ahmad Jarba, said it was going to the talks "without any bargain regarding the principles of the revolution and we will not be cheated by [President Bashar al-] Assad's regime".
"The negotiating table for us is a track toward achieving the demands of the revolution - at the top of them, removing the butcher from power," he said.
Mr Kerry said in a statement: "This is a courageous vote in the interests of all the Syrian people who have suffered so horribly under the brutality of the Assad regime and a civil war without end."
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also praised the SNC's "difficult decision", adding: "As I have said many times, any mutually agreed settlement means that Assad can play no role in Syria's future."
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Western powers will be relieved at the vote, although it is less than the display of unanimity the advocates of the talks had hoped for.
Syrian opposition figures had earlier expressed reluctance to go to Switzerland unless President Assad was excluded from any future transitional government.
Syria says there cannot be any pre-conditions.
Last week, Syria's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar said no-one should expect a breakthrough at the talks, adding: "The solution has begun and will continue through the military triumph of the state."
However, Syria on Friday did offer a prisoner exchange with rebels and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he had also presented a ceasefire plan for the second city of Aleppo during talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
In another possible gesture of goodwill, the Syrian government allowed the first aid in months to be delivered to the besieged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus on Saturday.
Mr Kerry had previously urged the opposition to join the 22 January talks, arguing that they were aimed at establishing a process necessary for the formation of a transitional governing body in Syria.
Mr Lavrov is keen for Iran to be part of the peace talks, but Mr Kerry has said that Tehran must first agree to the Geneva I communique which calls for a political transition in Syria.


Birds' nests have been deliberately destroyed and seals and dolphins disturbed around Jersey's offshore reefs, the States has said.

Visitors from boats have also built bonfires and cleared vegetation on Les Minquiers - a group of islands and rocks to the south of Jersey.
The States is urging boat owners and visitors to respect Jersey's wildlife laws and the "fragile environment".
Dozens of people from France and Jersey visit the reefs each summer.
Dr Paul Chambers from the Environment Department said the reefs were "ecologically important".
The States said that between March and August the main islands were home to nesting seabirds and it was an offence to disturb them.
Then in autumn large numbers of migrating birds are dependent on the vegetation on the reefs for shelter and food.


A man's leg was impaled as he tried to climb a spiked metal fence in Bedworth, Warwickshire.

It is believed the man was locked out of his flat on King Street when he became stuck 3m (10ft) up on the railings.
Fire and ambulance crews lifted him off the fence at about 02:30 BST and he was taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.
Police went to the scene but officers said no crime was committed.
The man is understood to have suffered a flesh wound and was given pain relief and anti-bleeding drugs.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "The man was stuck several feet up. The railing had gone through his right thigh.
"It was a difficult rescue for the emergency services because of where the man was and because of the driving rain at the time."


Moving Trident nuclear submarines out of an independent Scotland would be very difficult but "not impossible", according to a study.

The report by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) also said relocating the submarines would be far cheaper than previously assumed.
But it could take a decade to build a base for the submarines elsewhere in the UK, it said.
The SNP wants to remove nuclear weapons within four years of independence.
The submarines carrying the UK's nuclear deterrent currently operate from the Faslane naval base on the Clyde.
There have been concerns over how they could be relocated in the event of a "Yes" vote in September's independence referendum.
Milford Haven in Wales and "the most obvious replacement", Devonport base in Plymouth, have been suggested as potential new homes for the submarines.
Falmouth in Cornwall is named as a possible munitions site.
Former cabinet minister Lord Forsyth has previously warned that the potential difficulties of moving the submarines would mean that the UK could be forced to give up its nuclear deterrent if Scotland votes in favour of independence.
But in their paper, Rusi research analyst Hugh Chalmers and research director Malcolm Chalmers said relocating Trident would be both financially and technically feasible.
They suggested that recreating the required nuclear facilities outside Scotland would add between £2.5-3.5bn to the cost of maintaining a nuclear-armed fleet, plus the cost of acquiring and clearing land.
This would be far less than a previously-predicted £20-25bn, they said.
Hugh Chalmers said the research by the military think tank contrasted with an "unlikely consensus" between supporters and opponents of Scottish independence that it would be impossible to relocate the nuclear weapons elsewhere.
If the question mark over Trident's future could be answered, it would help untangle a difficult issue surrounding Scottish independence, he added.
Britain's nuclear deterrent doesn't come cheap. It'll cost around £20bn to replace the current fleet of four Trident submarines, sometime during the next decade.
Not everyone's convinced - either in Parliament or the MOD - that  the UK can afford or really needs a like for like replacement.
This study, by the distinguished defence think tank Rusi, highlights the additional costs if Scotland votes for independence.
It concludes that moving the deterrent from the Clyde and the secure storage facilities for the warheads at Coulport is financially and technically feasible but wouldn't be cheap - between an additional £2.5bn to £3.5bn.
It'll also cost a lot of political capital - persuading people of Plymouth and Falmouth that it's  in their interests to have the deterrent and warheads based in their backyard instead.
The Ministry of Defence has already had to cut its cloth to the tougher economic climate.  It would rather not contemplate an even bigger dent to its finances as a result of a "Yes" vote.
Mr Chalmers said: "When people start considering options for relocations it's only natural to assume that it would be quite expensive and very difficult and that is certainly the case. But importantly it is not impossible.
"We estimate that essentially the net costs of relocating could actually be £2.5-3.5bn at 2012 prices, rather than the tens of billions or even £20bn that has been put forward so far."
But he said it would take a long time, and was unlikely to be completed by the SNP's target date of 2020.
Mr Chalmers said: "It may be possible to deactivate Trident by that point and have it out of Scotland but it's unlikely we would have been able to have it up and running in a new location by that point.
"The Scottish government has acknowledged that if they were to become independent there would be a period of time where the UK would be basing its nuclear forces in an independent country. The UK would be the first country to ever do this."
A more "natural timeframe" would be linked to the entry of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines, currently anticipated to start in 2028, he argued.
Mr Chalmers said the Rusi paper showed the possibility of a "space for a friendly and amicable settlement" over Trident in the event of independence.
He added: "Effectively this is a key aspect of any negotiations that will emerge after a Yes vote.
"This will be a very, very important issue. If both Scotland and the UK can show that they can come to some sort of amicable arrangement then that untangles a very knotty issue.
"We are trying to essentially dispel the myth that relocating Trident out of Scotland is impossible and in doing so create some space allowing an amicable settlement to be reached in the event of a Yes vote."
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: "As Rusi's paper shows, the UK government has choices on what it decides to do with its nuclear weapons following their removal from an independent Scotland, including of course the potential to reconsider the possession and planned renewal of Trident.
"The Scottish government will work responsibly with the government in Westminster in securing the speediest safe withdrawal of Trident from an independent Scotland.
"We look forward to the opportunity to discuss these arrangements with the UK government following a vote for independence."
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "There are no plans to move Trident from Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde and unilateral disarmament is not an option.
"We are not planning for Scottish independence and as such it is difficult to estimate the total costs, or how long it would take, to replicate the facilities at Faslane, but it would likely cost taxpayers billions of pounds and take many years."


US film director Oliver Stone is to appear in Cheltenham in his first ever appearance at a UK literature festival, it has been announced.

The multi-Oscar winner will discuss filmmaking at the event in October.
A number of other US citizens will be taking part in an America Uncovered strand of the annual event.
Elsewhere, footballer Joey Barton, illusionist Derren Brown and novelist Jilly Cooper are among those on the guest list.
Cheltenham Literature Festival attracts some of the biggest names from the world of culture, politics and sport.
Now in its 67th year, The Times and the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is the UK's oldest literature festival.
Among more than 600 guests appearing will be comedians Ian Hislop, Alan Carr, Susan Calman, Armando Iannucci and Alexei Sayle.
Lionel Shriver, Sebastian Faulks, and Ian McEwan are among novelists on the programme, while politicians Ed Balls, Ken Clarke and comedian Reginald D Hunter will also speak.
Musician Wilko Johnson will explain how he beat cancer after being given 10 months to live, accompanied by his favourite musical tracks.
The festival will take place between 7-16 October at various venues around the Gloucestershire town.
Antonia Byatt, Cheltenham Literature Festival Director said: "In the run up to the American election we present a fascinating view of the USA from up-to-the-moment political analysis to a rich investigation of the nation's culture.
"The festival explores other pertinent issues of our times too and there is a chance to hear some of the best talent in fiction, poetry and spoken word."


MSPs have launched an inquiry into the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in Scotland.

It comes after problems with palliative care were highlighted during scrutiny of the Assisted Suicide Scotland bill.
The bill, which would have allowed those with terminal illnesses to seek the help of a doctor to end their own life, was rejected by MSPs in May.
Those who opposed the legislation said improvements should be made to palliative care instead.
Holyrood's Health Committee will be seeking views on how to provide high quality care for the terminally ill.
It will also examine whether access to care varies across the country and if those with certain conditions are more likely to get support.
The inquiry was launched at a Marie Curie hospice in Glasgow by committee convener and deputy convener Duncan McNeil MSP and Bob Doris MSP.
Mr McNeil said: "The recent debate on assisted dying highlighted that the provision of palliative care in Scotland is not good enough.
"Our committee heard that access to palliative care is not available on an equal basis.
"When faced with a terminal condition, it's clear that the priority must be to put patient's needs at the heart of their treatment and care.
"We want this inquiry to shine a light on access to palliative care in Scotland and what more can be done to improve care for people at the end of their lives."
Richard Meade, Marie Curie's head of policy and public affairs for Scotland, said: "We know that palliative care provides great care and support for people living with a terminal illness, but unfortunately thousands of people in Scotland are missing out or receiving it much later than they should.
"This inquiry will help us to complete the picture of unmet need and identify clear recommendations to address this."
The Assisted Suicide Scotland Bill was originally brought forward by the late independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who died last year after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, and was taken up by Green MSP Patrick Harvie.
It was rejected by MSPs by 82 votes to 36.


An hours-long standoff with police in Phoenix, Arizona, has ended with police finding five bodies inside a home.

Police believed the shooting deaths late on Thursday stemmed from a dispute about a family business.
The three male victims were brothers from Morocco and the fourth victim was their mother. The final victim was the wife of one of the men, police said.
Four other people fled the home during the standoff, police said.
Police used a megaphone to try to communicate with the occupants of the home, addressing the family in Arabic.
The Arizona Republic reported that one neighbour said the family owned a transportation service, but another referred to them as "invisible" until Thursday.
The standoff in the residential neighbourhood was shown live on TV with SWAT teams and other police agencies converging on the area.
"Our dispatcher could hear shots fired in the background while that call was coming in,'' police spokesman Sgt Trent Crump said. "A caller had been able to escape the home at that point, get out and start to give us information."


Hopes were high when India's biggest online retailer, Flipkart, announced a day of massive discounts - but it didn't go exactly to plan, writes the BBC's Shilpa Kannan in Delhi.

Logging on at 07:58 on my tablet, I was hoping to buy mobile phones at 1 rupee ($0.02; Â£0.01).
Along with me, were hundreds of thousands of other online shoppers across India.
This was supposed to be India's version of Black Friday - the start of the Christmas shopping season in the US - and the country's largest online retailer, Flipkart, was offering massive discounts across  a whole range of items.
The mega sale started at 08:00 and within minutes most of the products appeared as "out of stock".
There were many good offers - like Karbonn cellphone at 1 rupee (original price 2,499 rupees), the Samsung Tab2 at 1,390 rupees (original price 13,900 rupees), hand blenders at 1 rupee (original price 1,995 rupees) and JBL headphones at 99 rupees (original price 5,490 rupees).
The sale was advertised as the "Big Billion Day" and Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal (who are not related) wrote personalised emails to customers inviting them to shop.
"To celebrate Flipkart's journey, we are going to have a sale to end all sales. The Big Billion Day Sale is on 6-10-2014... and the date is no coincidence. The day 6-10 marks the number of the flat we started out from," they wrote.
It was a battle to win customers in a highly competitive market with rivals like Snapdeal and Amazon rapidly increasing their market share.
But it didn't exactly go to plan.
The big rush of customers online crashed Flipkart's servers. The company denied it but several shoppers put up screen grabs of errors and the payment page freezing on Twitter and Facebook.
Then there were angry customers putting up links to prove that supposedly discounted items on Flipkart were actually being sold at prices higher than other websites.
For example, a MacBookAir 13-inch was priced at 56,490 rupees on Flipkart but Snapdeal was selling it for 49,999 rupees.
Or, as pointed out by customers on Twitter, some items were marked up before the sale and then offered at discounts.
By the end of the day, #flopkart and #failkart were trending as disgruntled customers took to making fun of the sales.
Despite all the negative publicity, the sale day saw many, including me, download the website app on our mobile phones and register new accounts.
Flipkart announced that they "got a billion hits" and achieved "sales of $100m (6bn rupees; Â£60m)".
The company registered sales of $1bn last year, so to achieve $100m in a day seems extraordinary.
But media reports suggest that the frustrating shopping experience has actually pushed a lot of Flipkart's customers to rivals Amazon and Snapdeal.


Essex were unable to press home their advantage as rain forced the game against Derbyshire into a draw.

Play was delayed until mid-afternoon and Derbyshire began steadily before Hamish Rutherford (68) was dismissed.
Wayne Madsen fell lbw shortly after to Graham Napier (1-59).
Opener Chesney Hughes however (66 not out) remained firm, thrashing spinner Dan Lawrence for six, before both sides shook hands for the draw with Derbyshire on 261-4.
The result keeps Essex top of the Divison Two table, 18 points ahead of second-placed Kent.