The appeals trial is to begin in Italy of the captain held responsible for the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster in 2012, in which 32 people were killed.

Francesco Schettino was given 16 years in jail last year, after a court found him guilty of manslaughter, causing a maritime accident and abandoning ship.
At the trial in Florence, he is seeking to overturn the conviction, while the prosecution seeks a longer prison term.
The Costa Concordia capsized after it hit rocks close to Giglio island.
On Thursday, lawyers of the 55-year-old captain are expected to argue that the disaster off Tuscany's coast was a collective failure of the ship's crew and others should share the blame for the disaster.
"We will ask that the responsibility of all the protagonists in this affair be redefined, not just that of our client," lawyer Donato Laino told the AFP news agency.
Salvaging the Costa Concordia
Schettino, who has not yet begun his sentence, also denies that he abandoned ship before passengers and crew had been evacuated.
Meanwhile, the prosecution is seeking a 26-year prison term.
If Schettino loses his appeal, he can try again at Italy's highest court - the Court of Cassation.
In February 2015, he was sentenced to 10 years for multiple manslaughter, five years for causing the shipwreck and one year for abandoning his passengers.
Investigators had severely criticised his handling of the disaster, accusing him of bringing the 290m-long vessel too close to shore when it struck the rocks.
More than 4,000 passengers and crew were forced into a chaotic evacuation.
During the trial, Schettino said he had taken the ship so close to land for "commercial reasons" in a bid to please his passengers and those ashore.
He had also rejected rumours that he had wanted to impress his lover, Domnica Cemortan, who was with him at the helm.
Costa Crociere, the company that owned the ship, sidestepped potential criminal charges in 2013 by agreeing to pay a â‚¬1m ($1.1m; Â£779,000) fine.
It is being sued by survivors, the Tuscany region and Giglio island for further damages.
Five other employees, including the helmsman, were handed prison sentences ranging from 18 months to two years and 10 months in plea bargains concluded early in the investigation.


Over the weekend Nicky Morgan told teachers to stop complaining about their profession and start singing its praises.

Let's face it, we all like a good grumble. So get a few hundred people together who do the same job and it's pretty much inevitable those grumbles will be thoroughly aired.
But what did the Education Secretary have to offer teachers in England?
Not more money. George Osborne is holding fast to his limit of an average 1% pay increase across the public sector.
Instead in her speech at the NASUWT teachers' union she brandished copies of not one, not two, but three workload reviews.
One particular bone of contention is marking - or rather deep marking.  That could mean the teacher marking with written remarks, the pupil responding, then the teacher commenting in writing again.
The first time I read a thread on social media about whether the watchdog, Ofsted, really cared about what colours a dialogue of this kind was written in I thought it was a joke.
The bit about glittery pens was most definitely satire.
Ofsted says it's all a myth and took to social media with coloured pens to point that out in in a pithy fashion over the weekend.
But if you speak to teachers, these myths have somehow become part of the fabric of expectations.
The marking workload review suggested that instead there should be a clear understanding of what is meaningful and what is manageable.
On lesson planning there was a message for ministers too. In future changes should be brought in with enough of a lead in time to allow proper planning.
A challenge to say the least with all the curriculum changes in England.
And on data the report advocates a minimal approach to gathering only what can definitely be useful.
All three reviews are short and couched in very sensible language. The test for weary teachers will be whether they do actually help common sense prevail.
So back to pay.
It's around now the reports from the independent public pay review bodies are usually published.  These expert panels pronounce after hearing evidence from the government, employers and trade unions.
They keep a profile lower than a pancake. That means shunning the company of journalists.
The School Teachers Review body report this year will make interesting reading.
With little room to suggest an actual pay increase, it is the story the panel weaves around the data which will matter.
Within the careful paragraphs there are likely to be some more pointed sections on recruitment to teacher training, and the retention of teachers.
Who knows, they might even say something about workload.


Centre Peter Horne says Scotland are 'desperate' to back up their Six Nations victory over Italy by ending a 10-year drought against France.

Having ended a nine-match losing run in the tournament, Vern Cotter's men have two other targets in their sights.
They have not beaten France in their past 10 meetings since 2006, and lost their last seven Six Nations matches at Murrayfield since February 2013.
"We are all desperate to get better and drive the nation on," Horne said.
"That has to start with France. We have to go out and back it up now. Just because we've won one game, it doesn't make us world beaters.
"Believe me, in that changing room we are the first to admit that.
"We are desperate to win another game, especially at home for our fans. It's been a while since we've won at Murrayfield in the Six Nations and everyone deserves that. So it would be great if we could go out and do a job on France."
Scotland's last home Six Nations win was a 12-8 backs-to-the-wall triumph [they won with 29% possession and 23% territory] over Ireland in February 2013.
But buoyed by a dominant scrummaging performance in Rome, Horne believes Scotland's pack can match the muscular threat of the French eight - particularly with front-row trio WP Nel, Ross Ford and Al Dickinson in prime form - at Murrayfield a week on Sunday.
"France are a massive, physical side," Horne, who replaced Mark Bennett for the last 16 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico - noted.
"Everyone expects all that Gallic flair, but they have some big men and the coaches in France love that.
"So we will really need to match them up front. We can't be scared to have a crack. If we can get our set-piece right like we did in Rome and win the breakdown, we will certainly have a chance because we have some fantastic outside backs who can score us tries.
"There is nothing better as a back than seeing your scrum moving forward and winning penalties. You can stick the ball in the corner, win the line-out and drive forward.
"In the past teams have done that to us but WP, Fordy and Dicko have put in fantastic performances over the last few weeks. You can't under-estimate how great that is for us."
Media playback is not supported on this device


European Union leaders are gathering in Brussels to discuss their response to the crisis over Crimea.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron said more names would be added to the list of those facing travel bans and asset freezes.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would be ready to impose economic sanctions against Russia if there were an escalation.
Crimea remains tense after its leaders signed a treaty to join it to Russia.
French President Francois Hollande said a summit planned for June between the EU and Russia would be cancelled. He described the events of the past weeks as "unacceptable".
Mr Cameron said the countries of the European Union needed to speak with a clear and united voice.
By Gavin HewittEurope editor
Over dinner Europe's leaders will discuss their next moves. A few more Russian names may be added to the sanctions hat. That is the easy part. The names are already drawn up.
The question is whether, this time, they will go after people closer to President Putin. That is less certain.
Can EU reach consensus on Russia?
The treaty signed by Crimean leaders with Moscow on Tuesday absorbs the peninsula - an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine - into Russia, following a referendum which the West and Kiev say was illegal.
The treaty has now been approved by Russia's lower house of parliament - the Duma - and is expected to be ratified by the upper house on Friday.
Speaking ahead of the vote in the Duma, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described possible sanctions as "illegitimate" and "not based on international law".
Mr Lavrov said the treaty with Crimea would "be a turning point in the fate of the multi-ethnic peoples of Crimea and Russia, who are linked by the close ties of historical solidarity".
He reiterated Moscow's position that the annexation is necessary to protect ethnic Russians from "nationalists, anti-Semites and other extremists on whom the new [Ukrainian] authorities depend".
In a resolution on Thursday, Ukraine's parliament said the country would "never and under no circumstances end the fight to free Crimea of occupants, no matter how difficult and long it is".
The United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he was "deeply concerned" over the crisis.
Mr Ban was holding talks with the Russian leader before travelling to Kiev.
Western leaders have denounced Russia's actions in Crimea as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of international law.
Ukraine crisis timeline
Waking up in a different Crimea
The EU has already imposed sanctions on 21 people connected to Moscow's intervention in Crimea, and is expected to discuss expanding the sanctions to include political and military figures close to President Putin.
Speaking in Berlin before travelling to Brussels for Thursday's summit, Mrs Merkel said the EU would "make clear that we are ready at any time" to increase sanctions against Russia "if there is a worsening of the situation".
The EU would also, she said, "draw consequences for political relations between the EU and Russia, as well as for relations between the G7 and Russia".
Mrs Merkel told German MPs that the current political situation also meant the G8 effectively no longer existed.
The G8 - comprising seven of the world's leading industrialised nations, and Russia - is scheduled to hold a summit in the southern Russian city of Sochi in June.
But Mrs Merkel said it was "obvious, as long as the political context for such an important format like the G8 does not apply, as is the case at the moment, the G8 doesn't exist anymore, neither does the summit nor the format as such".
The US has also ordered a freeze of assets and travel bans on 11 individuals, and has said it is considering expanding these.
Russia's argument:
West's argument:
The Crimea of Russia's imagination
Is Crimea's referendum legal?
Analysis: This won't stop with Crimea
In other developments:
The crisis comes nearly a month after Ukraine's pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was replaced by Western-leaning interim authorities.
Pro-Russian troops took control of Crimea in late February.
At least two bases - in Sevastopol and Novo-Ozyorne - were taken over by pro-Russian forces on Wednesday.
Ukraine has said it is drawing up plans to withdraw its thousands of soldiers and their families from Crimea for their own safety, and redeploy them on the mainland.
A number have already accepted Russia's offer to change sides, but many are still in their bases refusing to surrender.


CCTV footage has emerged of a Russian hospital doctor punching a patient who collapsed and later died.

The incident took place in the city of Belgorod, 670km (440 miles) south of the capital, Moscow, on 29 December.
The patient had earlier kicked a nurse, after which the doctor punched him in the head, Russian media reported.
Investigators think it was a case of "involuntary manslaughter", one official told Russian TV, but have launched a criminal case.
The story went viral after the CCTV footage came to light.
Yelena Kozyreva from the local investigations committee said they believed there was no malicious intent in the doctor's actions.
Relatives identified the patient as Yevgeniy Bakhtin, 56, a resident of Belgorod, LifeNews TV reported.
The doctor has been named as Ilya Zelendinov, according to the privately owned channel Ren TV.


Northern Ireland's economic growth will remain the lowest of the 12 UK regions in 2015, a new report has said.

PwC's Northern Ireland economic outlook said this was despite overall unemployment having fallen by more than 10,000 since June 2014.
It said poor productivity remains the single biggest challenge to Northern Ireland's sustained recovery.
PwC's Esmond Birnie said the pace of recovery was "decelerating".
"Over the past seven months business confidence has been mixed, sometimes negative but always lagging the GB regions," Mr Birnie, who is PwC's chief economist in Northern Ireland, said.
"There have also been recent mixed messages around consumer confidence, with June 2015 seeing the first rise in unemployment for more than two years; this may simply be a blip - or it may be indicative of a deeper malaise.
"Currently, Northern Ireland's output is still 8% below the pre-crisis peak of 2008 and is something of a two-speed economy with employment contracting in public sector and financial services but growing fairly rapidly in advanced manufacturing, pharma, food processing and tourism.
"PwC forecasts that Northern Ireland's economic growth will remain the lowest of the 12 UK regions at around 1.8% in 2015 - lower than the 2.2% growth experienced in 2014 - and will fall again in 2016 to around 1.7%."
The report said that Northern Ireland's unemployment claimant count increased by 200 between May and June, the first month-on-month increase since December 2008.
It said that 62% of those registered as unemployed have been out of work for more than 12 months, while 19.7% of young people aged 18-25 are unemployed - well above the UK average of 13.2%.
PwC said the recent budget "confirmed that welfare reform and austerity will continue and that Northern Ireland probably faces a further four years of challenging economic circumstances, particularly around public spending".


James Fuller took five wickets on his County Championship debut for Middlesex as they beat the weather to complete an innings victory against Hampshire.

Former Gloucestershire seamer Fuller added to his two overnight wickets either side of a rain-delayed lunch.
Jimmy Adams (78) offered some Hampshire resistance in the follow-on before James Franklin trapped him lbw.
Middlesex's first win of the season saw them secure maximum points and move up to fourth in Division One.
Hampshire resumed overnight on 100-4 after a rain-affected third day at Merchant Taylors' School, still 237 runs shy of making Middlesex bat again.
County Championship debutant Joe Weatherley was bowled by Toby Roland-Jones after just nine runs had been added.
Wicket-keeper Adam Wheater (25) and Adams added 53 for the sixth wicket, but victory was firmly in sight for Middlesex as three wickets then fell without a run scored.
Ryan McLaren struck five boundaries in an unbeaten 33 before James Tomlinson edged Ollie Rayner to slip.
Middlesex captain Adam Voges told BBC Radio London:
"I think we've played a brilliant four days of cricket. Set up well by our batters on day one and then the bowlers have done a fantastic job really.
"It was a bit of punt to bat first under the skies we had, but seeing the scores and talking to the guys from last year, they felt that batting first was the right option.
"We were able to set up what became a really good first innings total.
"I think we've been playing some really good cricket in the last couple of weeks and as a bowling unit, that's probably the best we've been this season.
"It always felt like a result like this was coming. We've been frustrated a bit by the weather this season, but it's nice to get a win finally."
Hampshire stand-in captain Will Smith told BBC Radio Solent:
"I thought after day one, we didn't do too badly. I know the outcome wasn't ideal, but we acquitted ourselves pretty well with the ball.
"We were perhaps a shade unlucky as well. The sun was out when they batted and then it's been cloudy and a lot more bowler-friendly since that.
"On the flip side, the first session on day two we've let them get away. Then the way we've batted, against what was a very high-skilled, resolute and relentless attack really was below par.
"It's the right result absolutely. It's good we've got a break now before our next four-day game to give us a look and review a few things to make sure this doesn't happen again."


People over 40 in England are to be given more information about dementia to help improve early diagnosis of the condition, the health secretary said.

During their free NHS health check, patients will be told when they should report memory problems to their GP.
Jeremy Hunt said the government's aim was for the UK to be the world's most "dementia-friendly" by 2020.
It comes after Alzheimer's Research UK warned the condition posed a "looming national health crisis".
Under the plans there is a new aim for 10% of all people diagnosed with dementia to take part in research to try to improve diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) will also include standards of dementia care in their inspections while current information on which regions are good at diagnosing the condition will be strengthened with Ofsted-style ratings.
Mr Hunt said seven-day services will also improve for dementia patients in hospitals in England, with patients in high dependency care seen and reviewed by a consultant twice a day, every day of the week, by 2020.
How to spot dementia in a loved one
Could lifestyle hold answer to dementia?
Living at home with memory problems
Mr Hunt said: "A dementia diagnosis can bring fear and heartache, but I want Britain to be the best place in the world to live well with dementia.
"Last parliament we made massive strides on diagnosis rates and research - the global race is now on to find a cure for dementia and I want the UK to win it.
He added: "This parliament I want us to make big progress on the quality of care and treatment. Hospitals can be frightening and confusing places for people with dementia, so our new plan will guarantee them safer seven-day hospital care, as well as tackling unacceptable variations in quality across England through transparent Ofsted-style ratings."
The government has doubled research funding to Â£60m a year and invested Â£150m to develop a national Dementia Research Institute to drive forward new treatments.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: "Until recently, people with dementia were effectively cast out from society, but the tide is now turning.
"There are now nearly 1.5 million dementia friends helping to drive this change, and communities up and down the country are working to make streets, towns and cities more inclusive.
"But still many people with dementia face stigma and a health and care system that simply does not work for them - resulting in emergency hospital admissions, extended stays and desperate loneliness."


It's not quite the same without all the pomp and ceremony.

But then politics isn't quite the same any more. And this Queen's Speech - the first from a minority government since 1978 and the first "dressed-down" ceremony since 1974 - is rather different from the norm.
It is designed for a two-year session of parliament and dominated by Brexit.
I've been ploughing through the speech and the government's background notes in search of Welsh angles.
As the prime minister points out: "The majority of the Bills in the programme will apply across the UK in full or in part."
The Queen said: "A priority will be to build a more united country, strengthening the social, economic and cultural bonds between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
"My Government will work in cooperation with the devolved administrations and it will work with all of the parties in Northern Ireland to support the return of devolved government."
Warm words on a very warm day but what do they mean? In her foreword to the background briefing on the speech, Theresa May said: "This government will do everything in our power to build a more united nation and strengthen our precious union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will take seriously our responsibility to govern for the whole United Kingdom and will see to work closely with the devolved administrations."
What could possibly go wrong? The Welsh first minister is already warning of a "constitutional crisis" if the UK government "disrespects" devolution. (The first minister will also be interested in the views of 50 Labour politicians who reject the party leadership's acceptance that the UK is leaving the single market and argue that access to the single market is inferior to membership.)
There will be flashpoints as the Repeal Bill makes its way through parliament. The UK government says it will be "maintaining the scope of devolved decision-making powers immediately after EU-exit. This will be a transitional arrangement to provide certainty after exit and allow intensive discussion and consultation with devolved administrations on where lasting common frameworks are needed."
An Agriculture Bill has the aim of "establishing new national policies on ... agriculture". The government says it will "consult widely with the devolved administrations on the appropriate extent of any legislation".
The prime minister highlighted a potentially less controversial piece of legislation that will affect Wales: "Amongst many other things, the contents of the programme will support the burgeoning aerospace industry in Wales."
The Space Industry Bill will feature "new powers to license a wide range of new commercial spaceflight, including vertically-launched rockets, spaceplanes, satellite operation, spaceports and other technologies."
Welsh political anoraks will be disappointed by the absence of a Wales Bill. Some of us are still struggling to fill the void left by the passage of the Wales Act (2017).
One of the key players during that legislation, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, has been moved on to other things. He's now a Northern Ireland Minister (and keeps his existing role as minister for faith and integration at the Department for Communities and Local Government).
He's not been replaced at the Wales Office, which now has two ministers instead of three.  It's not unusual for the Wales Office not to have a Lords minister - it didn't have one before 2012 - but the decision to cut the number of Welsh ministers will raise eyebrows coming from a prime minister determined to strengthen "our precious union".
Oh, and if you're wondering why scrapping Severn Bridges tolls didn't feature in the speech it's because ministers say they will scrap them through secondary legislation.


A group representing Welsh housing associations has reacted with alarm to a move by statisticians to class them as part of the public sector.

Community Housing Cymru (CHC) said it could affect their ability to borrow money and to build new homes.
Ministers in Wales are looking into whether to change the law to resolve the issue.
But the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there is no impact on the borrowing constraints of the groups.
At the moment not-for-profit housing associations are considered to be in the private sector and can borrow as much money as they can afford, within certain regulations.
But CHC fears if finances were overseen by the UK Treasury the associations' levels of borrowing could be restricted, meaning they would not be able to built as many houses.
Stuart Ropke, Chief Executive of CHC, said: "This may appear to a lot of people as an accounting exercise but the reality is that it could have serious consequences for housing associations and thousands of families on housing waiting lists who are in desperate need of somewhere to live."
The Newport-based ONS said it had made the reclassification for housing associations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland  "purely for the purpose of economic statistics".
"ONS uses agreed international rules to assess whether organisations should be classified to the public or private sector, based on whether government has control of, or liability for, the organisation in question," ONS head of public sector, Derek Bird, said.
"This has no direct impact on the ownership, management structures or borrowing constraints of the organisations concerned.
"It is for the devolved governments, rather than ONS, to consider the impact this classification decision may have on budgeting and fiscal management."
CHC called on the Welsh Government to intervene so that Welsh housing associations can continue to behave like businesses.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We are exploring a legislative solution to the issue of reclassification, and housing associations can be confident that it will be resolved.
"This means they will be able to continue to borrow from the private sector in order to help us achieve our target of 20,000 affordable homes in this Assembly term."


Six senior officials of Singapore's City Harvest megachurch have been jailed over a $50m Singapore dollar ($35m; £23m) fraud case.

The evangelical church's pastor and founder, Kong Hee, was jailed for eight years - others received between 21 months and six years.
The court ruled last month the group had misused church finances to fund the music career of Kong's wife, Sun Ho.
All denied the charges - the church had supported them during the trial.
State prosecutors said before sentencing it was "the largest amount of charity funds ever misappropriated in Singapore's legal history".
Known for its slick image and wealth-focused brand of Christianity, City Harvest Church (CHC) has some 17,500 members in Singapore and branches around the world.
In 2002, its launched what it called the Crossover Project - a scheme to evangelise through Ms Ho's music career.
The hope was that songs like China Wine - a tune with rapper Wyclef Jean depicting Ms Ho as a Chinese exotic dancer in Jamaica - would help spread the gospel.
A church-backed music production company aimed at helping her achieve mainstream success in the US was left with millions of dollars in losses when the project failed.
The six were convicted on 21 October of misappropriating S$24m of church funds for the music project, and using another S$26m in an attempt to cover their tracks.
They were found guilty of various counts of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts, although the judge accepted that there was no evidence of "wrongful gain" by the defendants themselves.
That lack of personal financial benefit from the fraud meant the judge did not impose the maximum sentences of up to 20 years, local media report.
Ms Ho herself was not prosecuted in connection with the case and did not attend Friday's sentencing.
She recently took over leadership of the church.
Convictions in full


The Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI) says a major system glitch led to customers being hit by unauthorised money withdrawals and deposits.

The problematic transactions reached up to thousands of pesos. Some users claimed on social media that their accounts had even gone into the red.
BPI chief executive Cezar Consing apologised on Wednesday morning in an interview with a local TV station.
"This is not a hack, this is an internal issue," he said.
"Over the next few hours, we are making sure the double credits, debits are corrected," he told ANC.
Account holders on social media are claiming to have lost anything from 4,000 pesos ($80; Â£62) to up to 100,000 pesos.
In a statement posted on Twitter, BPI said some clients might have seen their accounts debited twice or credited twice for a past transaction.
It said they had suspended access to electronic banking while errors were corrected.
However, the move caused other BPI customers to complain they now can't check their accounts to see if they were affected.
BPI had nearly 8 million clients and 1.4tn pesos in total deposits at the end of 2016, according to its latest annual report.
Shares of BPI fell nearly 2% in early stock market trading in Manila.
The 165 year-old BPI counts Philippines conglomerate Ayala and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC among its major shareholders.


A paper merchant based in Northampton has gone into administration with the loss of almost 700 jobs.

Administrators Deloitte are now looking for a buyer for PaperlinX UK, a subsidiary of an Australian firm which is not affected.
About 200 jobs will be lost in Northampton where the group has a head office in Moulton Park and manufacturing plants at Brackmills.
The firm has struggled due to an increase in digital communications.
As a result, the paper business had been hit by falling demand, joint administrator Matt Smith said.
The administration only affects PaperlinX UK's paper businesses and 14 plants would close.
UK packaging operations would continue to trade normally, Deloitte said.
Trade would continue from five sites, including the Mansion Close head office where staff would be reduced by 188.
Other sites remaining open will be at Belfast, Coventry, Manchester and production plants in Rhosili Road, Northampton where staff numbers will reduce from 30 to 20.
Businesses would continue a limited trade to "secure the best value available from current stock holdings and other assets".
Specialists had been called in to support employees facing redundancy, Mr Smith said.


Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has conceded the NHS in England is facing "completely unacceptable" problems.

He said there was "no excuse" for some of the difficulties highlighted during the BBC's NHS week, and the government had a plan to help hospitals cope.
A series of reports have revealed lengthening waits in A&E and patients being left for hours on trolleys.
Sir Robert Francis QC, who investigated failings in Mid Staffordshire, said the NHS was facing an "existential crisis".
However, in an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Hunt said the key was to treat more people "at home and in the community" to ease the burden on hard-pressed hospitals.
He said there was already a "big transformation programme" under way, but conceded it would take time.
Mr Hunt was speaking at the end of a week in which the BBC has revealed:
He said: "It is incredibly frustrating for me. I am doing this job because I want NHS care to be the safest and best in the world. That kind of care is completely unacceptable. No-one would want it for members of their own family."
He said there was "no excuses" for some of the stories that have emerged this week, including the case of Iris Sibley who has been left stranded in Bristol Royal Infirmary for more than six months because a nursing home place could not be found for her.
"It is terrible for Mrs Sibley but it is also very bad for the NHS," Mr Hunt said.
He went on to say it was "completely unacceptable" - the third time he used the phrase when pressed by the BBC about some of the problems that have come to light.
Mr Hunt said: "We are trying very hard to sort out these problems."
But he said progress had been "disappointingly slow" in some areas, including integrating the NHS with council-run care services, such as care homes and home help.
He said tackling social care problems - a major reason for why so many frail patients cannot be discharged from hospital - was on the government's agenda.
"The prime minister has been very clear. We recognise the pressure's there. We recognise there is a problem about the sustainability of the social care system.
"That has to be addressed and we are going to do that."
However, Mr Hunt also defended the government's record. He said extra money was being put in - nearly Â£4bn this year, which he pointed out was the equivalent to the whole budget of the fire service.
He also said there were "positive" things happening in the health service as well as negative, highlighting improvements in cancer survival and the investment being made in general practice.
And he said all health systems were "grappling" with similar problems because of the ageing population. "There's no silver bullet," he added.
However, Sir Robert Francis said the financial pressures on the NHS - together with the high levels of demand - had created an environment in which a care scandal equal to Mid Staffordshire was "inevitable".
The heath service was "manifestly failing" to keep pace with demand, he told the Health Service Journal.
Sir Robert, who is a non-executive director at the Care Quality Commission, also warned of "depressingly familiar" pressures on NHS chief executives "coming down from the top."
He said there was an "increasing disconnect" between what is said nationally about the NHS and "what people on the ground feel or see is going on".
"The message is put out that we are putting more money into the service than we ever did and it is the best health service around.
"But against that there is a front-line feeling that things have never been as bad as they are now and we can't deal with the pressures," he added.
Read more from Nick
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A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year.


Scottish Cup holders Hibernian should dispel any notions of romanticism when they play junior side Bonnyrigg Rose on Saturday, according to Neil Lennon.

"We have to make sure there's no giant-killing," head coach Lennon said ahead of the fourth-round tie at Tynecastle.
"We know it'll be a tricky tie. We have to be right at it. We have to apply ourselves the right way.
"I think I'm the first Hibs manager in a long time to defend the Scottish Cup so it's a nice feeling."
David Gray's late winner against Rangers at Hampden in May secured a 3-2 victory and ended Hibernian's 114-year wait for a Scottish Cup triumph.
"It was a great occasion last year, a momentous moment for the club and the supporters in particular," said Lennon, who replaced Alan Stubbs in June.
"We are defending the trophy. We've got a difficult tie, a no-win situation really, but it's important that we defend the trophy as strongly as we can.
"Once you get a taste of success you always want more. That day arguably gave them the best day of their professional lives up until now and who wouldn't want more of that?"
Turning his attention to Saturday's opponents, the Hibs boss is aware of the threat posed by the junior club.
"They knocked out Dumbarton in the last round, a team which gave us a tough match in the Championship last weekend," Lennon added.
"They have an excellent record at junior level and the game's local. We have to take the tie as we would any other game, really.
"It will mean a lot to so many people associated with Bonnyrigg, particularly the players, and it will be a huge game for them in their careers.
"I have seen some giant-killings this week in the English [FA] Cup and I don't want to be on the end of one myself, so we will pay them a lot of respect. They have plenty of experience, physically they are a big side and they have no fear, so that's a dangerous opponent to play against."


A woman with terminal cancer has said she feels people like her have been abandoned by politicians at Stormont.

Melanie Kennedy felt so strongly about the state of the health service and lack of stable government that she ran as an independent candidate in last's week's election.
The mother of two polled 1,246 first preference votes in North Down.
She said it showed that ordinary people are concerned about issues like cancer drugs, waiting lists and mental health.
"With no government and no health minister - it makes me feel like there's no-one there to fight my corner.  It's heartbreaking," she said.
Ms Kennedy made her comments as a number of health organisations warned that the continuing political impasse is preventing vital health and social care decisions being made.
The County Down woman was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013.  While she was initially optimistic about her recovery, she has since been told by doctors that the cancer has spread to her liver and that her condition is terminal.
This experience and finding out that patients in Northern Ireland cannot access the same specialist drugs as those in England drove her to political action, despite her illness.
"For someone in my situation who is on quite harsh treatment, I was driven to this - it took a lot for me to act and create a campaign, but I felt I had to try and fight for justice for cancer patients," she said.
Ms Kennedy said while the election process took a lot out of her, she has no regrets about standing as a candidate.
"People wanted to talk about real issues such as the health service, education for their kids. While legacy issues are also important, so is the here and now," she said.
Ms Kennedy said that while the politicians talk, patients are being let down.
"The health service in Northern Ireland was already behind other parts of the UK, there was a lack of long-term stability and strategy and now we're back to square one. It is the ordinary people like me who are suffering."
She said time is a luxury that she and other people who are terminally ill cannot afford.
"The reason I started all this was that I asked myself, 'where do I turn?'
"I could be told in the next couple of months, there's no more treatment for me and I should go home and make my plans and say good goodbye to my children," she said.
"It's almost negligent that there is no cancer strategy from the politicians here in Northern Ireland. Early treatment is critical - it can mean the difference between getting well and going on with your life and ending up in my shoes. I don't want anyone else ending up in my shoes."


Shinji Kagawa has completed his move to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.

The Japan midfielder has signed a four-year deal after passing a medical with the Old Trafford club on Friday.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he expects the 23-year-old to prove a big success in England.
"Shinji is an exciting young midfielder with great skill, vision and a good eye for goal. I am delighted he has chosen to come to United," said Ferguson.
He added: "I believe he will make an impact upon the team very quickly as he is suited to United's style of play. We are all looking forward to working with him."
Kagawa is United's second capture of the summer, following the arrival of England Under-19 international Nick Powell from Crewe.
Kagawa helped Dortmund win successive German titles, contributing 17 goals and 13 assists as they completed a league and cup double last season.
A 23-year-old playmaker whose 13 goals in 31 games helped Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga title. Kagawa was a bargain when he joined from J-League side Cerezo Osaka for just 350,000 euros in 2010
Dortmund total appearances: 56 Goals: 24
The deal is reported to be worth an initial £12m and could reach £17m depending on success and appearances.
Ferguson was present when Kagawa scored in Dortmund's 5-2 win over Bayern Munich in the German Cup final, with the player able to play wide or in a more central role.
And he signalled his intention to get started for the Red Devils.
"This is a challenge I am really looking forward to," said Kagawa. "The Premier League is the best league in the world and Manchester United is such a massive club.
"This is a really exciting time for me and I can't wait to meet the team and start playing."
Kagawa has obvious appeal for United's vast Asian fanbase but commercial director Richard Arnold has previously denied any suggestion that players are signed to boost profits.
He said: "Our popularity in certain countries or regions may depend, at least in part, on fielding certain players from those countries or regions.
"We don't sign players to sell shirts. We are reliant on 25 players and they are all massive stars. We have 25 George Clooneys."


Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has rejected as "utter nonsense" the idea Labour cannot win a general election.

A Fabian Society report said the party was "too weak" to take power without support from other parties.
Ms Stevens said Labour could win if it was "bold and credible and radical enough" in its manifesto and policies.
Welsh Labour vice-chair Mike Payne said UK leader Jeremy Corbyn had "failed to make the impact" allies predicted, but Carwyn Jones in Wales was trusted more.
The report claimed that Labour was set to win fewer than 200 seats whether an election took place in 2017 or 2020, and even if its poll ratings improved would still have "no chance" of winning a majority.
Ms Stevens, the MP for Cardiff Central, rejected the study's claim that Labour could only take power at Westminster with the backing of other parties.
"If Labour is bold and credible and radical enough in the manifesto and the policies it puts to the country, then Labour can beat the Tories by itself," she said.
"Obviously the polls at the moment aren't suggesting that, but if we don't have an election until 2020 who knows what's going to happen between now and then.
"Look at what happened last year. Politics is very unpredictable at the moment."
Ms Stevens dismissed the idea of a "progressive alliance" of parties that could include Labour.
"Minor parties would want to work with Labour because they think that Labour won't stand candidates in very few areas where there's a possibility a minor party might win a seat," she said.
"When it comes to the other way around - minor parties not standing candidates so Labour can stand and win - those minor parties don't stick to their side of the bargain.
"As someone who beat a Lib Dem sitting MP in a marginal seat in the general election in 2015 I've no interest at all, and neither have many of my colleagues, in any sort of alliances with the Lib Dems because we saw what they did in coalition government with the Tories.
"[Lib Dem leader] Tim Farron is on record as saying they would go into government with the Tories again.
"So I think it's a complete red herring."
In Wales, Labour held onto power after the 2016 assembly election by including sole Lib Dem AM Kirsty Williams in the cabinet and striking a deal with Plaid Cymru to support Carwyn Jones as first minister.
"The Welsh dimension is slightly different," said Mr Payne, who becomes Welsh Labour chairman in March.
Referring to Mr Jones, he added: "The Welsh Labour brand has a leader that is trusted more than Jeremy Corbyn is trusted.
"At a UK level Jeremy Corbyn has failed to make the impact people were suggesting he would.
"I personally don't see us making any headway while Jeremy Corbyn is leader of the party.
"Even Jeremy Corbyn's staunchest allies are starting to doubt he can win a majority."
On Sunday, Unite union leader Len McCluskey suggested the Labour leader could step down if the party's poll ratings fail to improve.
But he later tweeted his "full support", describing Mr Corbyn as a "genuine, decent man fighting for a fairer Britain".


Almost half of Australian surgeons have suffered discrimination, sexual harassment or bullying, a report says.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) commissioned the external report in the wake of complaints from surgeons.
The results come after a senior surgeon sparked outrage over claims doctors should "comply with requests" for sex to save their careers.
The RACS has apologised to surgeons, stressing the need for change.
"I'm sorry that too many of us have been silent bystanders," RACS president Prof David Waters said. "This silence has been part of the problem."
The head of the RACS advisory group, former Victorian health minister Rob Knowles, said he was disturbed by the results, and surprised "at the depth and the entrenched nature of bullying and harassment".
The report recommends training, education, addressing gender inequality and actively holding surgeons and their employers to account.


A hacker looking for ways to breach Facebook's internal network has uncovered traces of another hacker who got there first.

The Taiwanese researcher found files left behind by the other intruder on a neglected Facebook server.
The former hacker was using tools to scoop up login names of Facebook's net admin staff.
Facebook said the traces were left by another security researcher also seeking loopholes in its systems.
In a blog post, security researcher Orange Tsai detailed the way he found the vulnerable server and his realisation that someone else had been there before him.
The earlier intruder had set up scripts to grab the login names and other credentials for Facebook employees. At first glance, he said it looked like a "pretty serious security incident".
Mr Tsai, who works for security firm Devcore, reported his findings to Facebook so it could harden the server and clean out the login-sniffing scripts.
He won a $10,000 (Â£7,000) bug bounty from Facebook for finding the vulnerable server. In a statement on the Hacker News site, Facebook said it was "really glad" that Mr Tsai reported his findings.
"After incident response, we determined that the activity Orange detected was in fact from another researcher who participates in our bounty program," it said.
Facebook described the discovery of the vulnerable server as a "double win" as it involved two competent researchers assessing its systems. Neither was able to get further than the server to get full access to the site's internal networks, it added.
Paul Ducklin, writing on the blog of security firm Sophos, said anyone planning to do similar work on other net firms should be more careful.
"We recommend that you don't go as far as either hacker in this case." he wrote. "Orange stretched the rules a bit; the earlier mystery hacker stretched them a lot."
Going too far might introduce new weaknesses, warned Mr Ducklin.
"You don't make security stronger by weakening it," he said.


Wigan midfielder David Perkins has signed a new one-year deal with the League One side.

The 34-year-old will play for a third season with the Latics after joining from Blackpool in 2015.
He began his career at Morecambe and has also had spells at Rochdale, Colchester, Chesterfield, Stockport and Barnsley.
"Every squad needs its senior players and David is one of those players every club needs," said boss Paul Cook.


Students from other EU countries who start courses in Scotland next year will still get free tuition, the Scottish government has announced.

Students had sought reassurances in the aftermath of the Brexit vote.
The government previously guaranteed funding on courses starting in 2017/18, and a further year has now been added.
Education Secretary John Swinney said students "rightly have concerns", and said he was "delighted" to give them reassurance.
EU students are entitled to free university tuition on the same terms as Scots.
It is not yet clear how this will be affected in the longer term by Brexit, but the government has moved to provide guarantees to students starting courses in the interim.
Mr Swinney made the announcement, extending the guarantee to courses starting in the 2018/19 academic year, during a visit to the University of Dundee.
He said it was important to reassure students who will be in the middle of their courses as the UK leaves the EU.
He said: "I am proud that Scotland is a destination of choice for EU students and I am delighted to give them further reassurance.
"EU students will rightly have concerns about any change in their status half way through a course. These students deserve certainty and knowing that their free tuition is in place for the entirety of their course is important."
The move affects nationals of other EU countries, including the Republic of Ireland, who plan to study for the whole of their degree at a Scottish university - not exchange students who come to Scotland for a few months as part of their course.
Typically a student who starts next year would graduate in 2022 - the expectation is that Britain will leave the EU in 2019.
Universities Scotland director Alastair Sim said the move was "both welcoming and assuring for then sector", adding: "EU students are of huge importance to Scotland and its universities: educationally, culturally, economically and as a core part of many important courses.
"It's right that the Scottish government have given clarity for students who will be thinking about choosing Scotland to learn, study and contribute."
The Scottish Conservatives also welcomed the move. Education spokeswoman Liz Smith said: "Students - and indeed staff - from the EU make a very significant contribution to our higher and further education institutions.
"While everyone recognises the complexities of the Brexit negotiations, I hope the UK government will soon be in a position to give similar guarantees."
Labour's education spokesman Iain Gray added: "EU students make a valuable contribution to Scotland's education system, economy and cultural life. The fact that the Tories' reckless Brexit gamble puts this at risk in the first place is shameful."


Japan's Nikkei share index hit a fresh 15-year high on Monday helped by progress made in Greece's debt negotiations over the weekend.

Greece promised to crack down on tax evasion and other reforms to secure an extension to its bailout.
Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed up 0.73% at 18,466.92.
Following a break over the Lunar New Year, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended up just 4.68 points at  24,836.76.
Elsewhere in China, markets remained closed for the holiday period.
Analysts said the markets might have welcomed Friday's news from the debt talks, but that a Greek exit from the eurozone was still a possibility.
"If you actually look at the deal, Greece got nothing and Germany got everything," said Melbourne-based IG market strategist Evan Lucas.
"And we are now edging towards a Greek exit from the economic and monetary union.
"Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras will now have to sell the 'unsellable' deal considering his party came to power on the mandate of winding back austerity," Mr Lucas said.
In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 0.45% at 5,908.00 as investors moved on from weak earnings reports from energy and resource firms.
In Korea, the Kospi share index ended the day up 0.35% at 1,968.39.


The Taliban have captured the crucial south Afghan district of Sangin after a year-long battle, officials say.

Government forces say they have made a tactical retreat from the centre of Sangin.
A spokesman for Helmand's governor confirmed the district police and governor's headquarters were now in militant hands.
Almost a quarter of British troops killed during the UK's combat mission in Afghanistan died defending Sangin.
Hundreds of members of the Afghan security forces died there in recent fighting.
Separately, at least nine local policemen were killed in an "insider" attack in Kunduz in the north early on Thursday.
A guard who officials say was linked to the Taliban reportedly gave access to insurgents at a security checkpoint located on the Kunduz-Kabul highway. The attackers took weapons and ammunition with them.
The Taliban already control large chunks of Helmand but the fall of Sangin underlines the security challenge facing the Afghan government and its Western allies.
Sangin's capture shows the Taliban's growing strength in the south and it has symbolic significance for the US and Nato, which lost more soldiers there than in any other district in Afghanistan.
Since security responsibility was handed from Nato-led troops to Afghan forces in 2013, hundreds of Afghan security forces have lost their lives defending the district.
There are now two possibilities. Afghan troops, with the help of US special forces and aerial bombing, might try to recapture Sangin, following a pattern seen elsewhere.
Or the government will leave the city to the Taliban - as they have done with a few other districts in Helmand, a centre of the insurgency - and focus on defending the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said the insurgents had captured Sangin and "key outposts" overnight. Taliban forces had already surrounded the district headquarters.
A spokesman for the Afghan defence ministry said troops had been pulled back to their main garrison on the orders of the army chief of staff.
Reports say foreign forces have begun bombarding the area, which has been fiercely fought over for more than a decade.
On the road to the crucial Kajaki dam, Sangin was the scene of heavy British and US military casualties before Nato combat forces left Afghanistan in 2014.


The America's Cup returned last weekend with Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR team continuing their quest to become the first British crew to win the famous trophy.

As one of sailing's top honours, it was first contested in 1851 in a race between the United States and Great Britain around the Isle of Wight.
To celebrate the race to lift the Auld Mug, we take a look at the weird and wonderful trophies and stories behind them from the world of sport.
You know the competitions, but how well do you know the trophies? Test yourself with our quiz...
Picture credits: Getty and EPA.


Leeds United saw their play-off hopes all but disappear, despite coming from three goals down to draw with Norwich.

Steven Naismith found the top corner from 25 yards and Nelson Oliveira tapped in to give Norwich a 2-0 lead.
Oliveira curled in a third before Chris Wood poked in to give Leeds a lifeline.
Kyle Bartley bundled home, Pablo Hernandez curled in a free-kick and Naismith was sent off but Fulham's draw with Brentford leaves Leeds seventh, three points and 13 goals adrift.
Although Brentford ended Fulham's four-match winning streak, Garry Monk's side will finish outside the play-offs in seventh place, barring a 14-goal swing in the final round of fixtures.
They were behind after 28 minutes when Naismith found space and thumped a shot past goalkeeper Robert Green into the top corner from range.
Oliveira further dented Leeds' hopes when he tapped in after a wonderful run from Josh Murphy, but the Portuguese striker spurned a chance a minute later when he put a shot wide having been found by Alex Pritchard.
However, Oliveira did not make a mistake the second time, curling home after Jonny Howson's run and pass before Wood volleyed in Stuart Dallas' ball to make it 3-1 before the break.
Leeds continued their comeback when Bartley scrambled the ball over the line after Norwich failed to clear a corner and, following two great chances for Oliveira, Leeds found the equaliser.
Hernandez curled a free-kick over the wall and into the top corner from 20 yards before Naismith received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Ronaldo Vieira, but despite threatening Leeds could not find a winner in added time.
Leeds manager Garry Monk:
"It's difficult to be critical of the group as we've said for so long how much they've given to the club."
"The reality is, the majority of the group were not quite ready for this situation. They were not ready. And that's not a criticism, it's just a fact."
"I have one more game left, I'll be focused on that. The club have said when they want to speak, I have to respect that.
"Even when that comes, it's us both agreeing on how we take this forward. I have my views and the club will have theirs. I have another game to go."
Norwich caretaker boss Alan Irvine:
"For 45 minutes we were outstanding. Then, in the 46th minute, we got sloppy, gave them a lifeline they didn't look like they were going to get.
"The players saw a different side of me at half-time. We had players out of position as they kicked off. It was unprofessional.
"My feeling is one of anger and frustration. We could have lost it, but we could have won it. We need to be ruthless in everything we do."
Match ends, Leeds United 3, Norwich City 3.
Second Half ends, Leeds United 3, Norwich City 3.
Attempt missed. Kemar Roofe (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Pablo Hernández with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Kyle Bartley (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.
Hand ball by Cameron Jerome (Norwich City).
Attempt missed. Kyle Bartley (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Alfonso with a cross.
Substitution, Norwich City. Timm Klose replaces Josh Murphy.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United) because of an injury.
Steven Naismith (Norwich City) is shown the red card.
Foul by Steven Naismith (Norwich City).
Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Steven Naismith (Norwich City).
Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Alex Pritchard (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick.
Alex Pritchard (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ronaldo Vieira (Leeds United).
Substitution, Norwich City. Cameron Jerome replaces Nélson Oliveira.
Offside, Leeds United. Robert Green tries a through ball, but Chris Wood is caught offside.
Substitution, Leeds United. Kalvin Phillips replaces Eunan O'Kane.
Ivo Pinto (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alfonso (Leeds United).
Attempt missed. Graham Dorrans (Norwich City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Nélson Oliveira.
Goal!  Leeds United 3, Norwich City 3. Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Gaetano Berardi (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card.
Graham Dorrans (Norwich City) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Graham Dorrans (Norwich City).
Gaetano Berardi (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Norwich City. Ivo Pinto tries a through ball, but Nélson Oliveira is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Mitchell Dijks (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Attempt saved. Nélson Oliveira (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Steven Naismith.
Substitution, Leeds United. Alfonso replaces Luke Ayling.
Attempt saved. Steven Naismith (Norwich City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Alex Pritchard.
Steven Naismith (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kyle Bartley (Leeds United).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) because of an injury.
Attempt blocked. Chris Wood (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Souleymane Doukara with a cross.
Corner,  Norwich City. Conceded by Pontus Jansson.
Pontus Jansson (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.


The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to "destroy the plane", officials said.

Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.
He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.
Mr Robin said there was "absolute silence in the cockpit" as the pilot fought to re-enter it.
He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.
Details are emerging of the German co-pilot's past - although his apparent motives for causing the crash remain a mystery.
Live updates from the day
What happened in the final half hour?
Mr Lubitz, 27, had undergone intensive training and "was 100% fit to fly without any caveats", according to Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings.
Mr Spohr said Mr Lubitz's training had been interrupted for several months six years ago, but did not say why.
The training was resumed after "the suitability of the candidate was re-established", he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters that the co-pilot's apparent actions had given the tragedy a "new, simply incomprehensible dimension".
Police have been searching the co-pilot's home in Montabaur, near Frankfurt, as well as a flat he kept in Duesseldorf.
The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing all 144 passengers and six crew, after an eight-minute descent.
Who was Andreas Lubitz?
"We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing," Mr Robin told reporters.
He said the pilot, named in the German media as Patrick S, had probably gone to the toilet.
"At that moment, the co-pilot is controlling the plane by himself. While he is alone, the co-pilot presses the buttons of the flight monitoring system to put into action the descent of the aeroplane.
"He operated this button for a reason we don't know yet, but it appears that the reason was to destroy this plane."
Meanwhile, online tracking service Flightradar24 said satellite data it had analysed found that someone had changed the plane's altitude from 38,000ft (11,582m) to 100ft - the minimum setting possible.
"Between 09:30:52 and 09:30:55 you can see that the autopilot was manually changed from 38,000ft to 100ft and nine seconds later the aircraft started to descend, probably with the 'open descent' autopilot setting," Flightradar24 chief Fredrik Lindahl was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Mr Lubitz was alive until the final impact, Mr Robin said. The prosecutor added that "the most plausible interpretation" was that the co-pilot had deliberately barred the pilot from re-entering the cockpit.
He added that the co-pilot was "not known by us" to have any links to extremism or terrorism.
The focus now moves from the mechanics to the man flying the plane. An accident expert has told me the investigators will pore over the co-pilot's background and that of his family too.
Did he owe money? Was there a grudge? They'll look at his religion, whether he was in trouble with the law, whether he had a stable love life. This kind of event is rare but it has happened before, although the reasons vary widely.
After 9/11, they made cockpits impregnable. It keeps the terrorists out, but in the end it also allows someone to keep their colleagues out too. Airlines have to make a call. Which is the bigger threat - terrorism or suicide?
Passengers were not aware of the impending crash "until the very last moment" when screams could be heard, Mr Robin said, adding that they died instantly.
After Thursday's revelations, several airlines have pledged to change their rules to ensure at least two crew members are present in the cockpit at all times.
Meanwhile, relatives and friends of the victims travelled to the Alpine region where the plane came down, near the town of Seyne-les-Alpes.
The disclosure of the likely cause of the crash has provoked anger.
"One person can't have the right to end the lives of hundreds of people and families," Esteban Rodriguez, a Spanish factory worker who lost two friends aboard the aircraft, told the Associated Press news agency.
The principal of a German high school that lost 16 pupils and two teachers in the crash said the latest news was "much, much worse than we had thought".
The second "black box" - that records flight data - has still not been found.
Source: Aviation Safety Network


Walsall teenager Tobias Hayles-Docherty has signed his first professional contract with the League One club.

The 18-year-old winger has agreed a deal at the Banks's Stadium until the summer of 2019.
Hayles-Docherty made his first-team debut in the Saddlers' penultimate game of the season, a 1-0 home defeat by Port Vale.
"Tobias is one of several young second-year scholars to impress us," said Walsall manager Jon Whitney.
"He's a player who catches the eye with natural pace and ability. He's a young player that we have really high hopes for."
Hayles-Docherty is grateful for the role in his development played by the Saddlers' vastly experienced professional development coach John Ward and Academy manager Graham Biggs.
"John and Graham have helped me a lot," he said. "They've allowed me to play with freedom and express myself. It gives me confidence. I like to get in the final third and make things happen."


Nine years ago, Martin Varsavsky unveiled what sounded like a barmy idea - getting people to plug in a piece of kit to their home router and share their wi-fi with anyone who happened to be passing by.

But Fon, the first social wi-fi network, took off, and what was intended to be a not-for-profit enterprise has grown into a substantial business, with backing from investors ranging from BT to Google. It is in 13 million homes and claims to be the world's biggest wi-fi network, reaching 200 million people.
Now Mr Varsavsky, who from his Madrid base has become one of Europe's most successful telecoms entrepreneurs, has a new and perhaps equally unlikely mission. He wants to turn us all into the kind of people who are happy for our friends to play their music in our homes.
Today sees the launch of Gramofon, a joint venture with Spotify, to enable social sharing of music.  It involves plugging in a new version of the Fon router - a small attractively designed black or white device - and connecting it to the internet and to your home music system. You then pair it with an app which allows you - or your Facebook friends - to stream music from Spotify and a number of other services.
"It's going to be the Apple TV for sound," Martin Varsasvsky told me when he  popped by for a coffee yesterday to explain the service. He told me he'd been lecturing on entrepreneurship in New York when after giving his students a start-up project task they'd challenged him to come up with his own idea. "I went to a party where everyone was arguing over whose music from whose smartphone they wanted to play - that's when the idea came to me."
Now, despite some impressive design, I struggled to understand why Gramofon would take off. It seems to combine a number of things - streaming music services, hardware that distributes your music around the house - that are already done very well by existing businesses. I suppose it adds a social element but how many people really want to invite guests to take over the control of their music when they come to visit? It sounds to me like quite a small niche.
Still, like so many new technology ideas, Gramofon is launching on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, which is a good way of testing the appetite for the product.
And it's encouraging to see a new technology venture coming out of Europe when so much of the innovation we see emerges from one small part of the United States. Martin Varsasvky has a track record of building businesses which rapidly go global from his Spanish base,
He is also very positive about the continent's prospects: "I am very optimistic about the way Europe is going, it has a very well-trained population," he said, "and companies like Google make more money in Europe than the United States."
He does concede that Europe has a problem with regulation, especially for smaller companies, and would like to see what he calls an infancy law." Start-ups are like infants that need special care. I would say until a company is three years old, has more than 30 employees and is profitable it should be allowed to operate outside lathe labour regulations."
But, despite regular forays to the US, he promised to continue to invest on this side of the Atlantic: "I am happy building companies in Europe because I find incredibly talented engineers and employees."
Martin Varsavsky is one of a new breed of European tech tycoons, from Daniel Ek of Spotify, to the Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom, who look at the global market from the moment they start a new venture. Perhaps there is a lesson there for young British entrepreneurs looking to become the next Mark Zuckerberg.


A man died in a two-car crash after suffering what police believe was a "medical episode" at the wheel.

Suffolk Police officers were called to Bury Road in Ipswich at about 09:35 GMT after a VW Golf and a Rover 75 collided on a roundabout near a supermarket.
They said the Golf driver, believed to be in his 70s, may have become ill just before the crash.
The Rover driver was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with serious injuries.
A female passenger in the Golf was taken to Ipswich Hospital with chest pains.
Police are appealing for witnesses.


Slovakia defender Erik Cikos has left Ross County by mutual consent.

Cikos, 28, started his second spell in Dingwall at the start of the season, having been loaned to County by Slovan Bratislava in 2014.
However, he made only seven appearances this season and last featured in November.
"We'd like to wish Erik well with the next stage of his career," manager Jim McIntyre told the Staggies' official website.
"An exciting opportunity came up for Erik that allows him to pursue more first-team football and we didn't want to stand in his way."
Capped twice at senior level, Cikos has played for three clubs in his homeland and also had loan spell with Wisla Krakow in Poland.


The Austrian government has said it will sharply reduce the number of asylum applications it accepts this year compared with 2015.

Chancellor Werner Faymann said numbers would be capped at about 37,500 in each of the next four years, compared to the 90,000 applications last year.
Serbia responded by saying it would limit migrant passage to those seeking asylum in Austria or Germany only.
The head of the European Commission has called for a summit on migration.
Jean-Claude Juncker said he was worried there would not be enough time to address the issue at the next extraordinary summit of the EU's 28 member-states, due on 18-19 February.
It is expected the UK's membership of the EU will dominate that meeting.
The EU is drawing up plans to share the "burden" of refugees more evenly among member states, scrapping the rule that means they must claim asylum in the first country they arrive in.
Cameron faces refugee 'burden' battle
There has been speculation this will shift the refugee burden from southern EU states to northern ones.
With some EU states already bringing in temporary border controls, the Commission fears the passport-free Schengen area could collapse if a solution is not worked out by March.
Austria has become a major transit country for migrants seeking to claim asylum in  Germany.
Correspondents say the influx has contributed to the popularity of the far right in Austria, sparking tensions in the governing coalition.
"We can't take in all asylum-seekers in Austria," Chancellor Faymann said after a national asylum summit in Vienna.
"We must also step up controls at our borders massively," he added.
In Belgrade, Labour Minister Aleksandar Vulin, the government's coordinator on the migrant crisis, said: "From today, based on the decision of the Austrian government... migrants will not be able to continue their travel if they have not expressed intention to seek asylum on the territory of Austria or Germany."
More than one million refugees and other migrants entered the EU clandestinely last year, mainly by sea, the majority of them seeking asylum in northern European states.
Most were from Syria, gripped by civil war, followed by Afghanistan and Iraq.
At least 31,000 have arrived by sea so far this year despite the winter weather, the UN refugee agency says.


The names of unaccompanied children living in Calais's Jungle camp who are eligible to be brought to Britain will be given to the government this week, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said.

Action could then be taken within "a matter of days - a week at the most", she added.
Delays in France had prevented the UK taking action sooner, Ms Rudd told MPs.
She said the "bureaucratic element " would now be dealt "with the sort of urgency that we want to see".
It comes after French president Francois Hollande said the Jungle will be cleared by the end of this year, with its 9,000 inhabitants due to be dispersed around France.
Senior religious figures have already urged the UK to allow nearly 400 refugee children into the UK before the camp is demolished.
In a letter, signed by ex-Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams and Muslim and Jewish faith leaders, they described the camp as "a stain" on France and Britain's conscience.
Last week, Unicef also appealed to the British government to speed up the transfer of unaccompanied child refugees from the camp
Answering an urgent question in the House of Commons, Ms Rudd said she had met French minister of the interior Bernard Cazeneuve on Monday.
Ms Rudd said she had made it "crystal clear" to Mr Cazeneuve that the UK's priority was to ensure the safety of children during the clearance.
She said more than 80 unaccompanied children had been accepted to the UK so far this year under EU rules known as the Dublin regulations.
Under the regulations, asylum seekers must make an initial asylum claim in the first EU state they reach, but can apply for asylum in other EU states if they have family there.
She said a further 50 children - largely from Greece - had been accepted under the so-called Dubs amendment.
The amendment to the Immigration Act - originally put forward by Lord Dubs - requires the government to arrange for the transfer to the UK and support of unaccompanied refugee children from Europe.
Ms Rudd said the refugees must be processed in their "host" country under the Dublin regulations, saying the UK government had been pressing for a list from French authorities.
She said the UK government "stands ready" to help fund safe facilities for unaccompanied children eligible for transfer to the UK.
A list of children to be brought to the UK will be given to the Home Office "this week", she said, adding: "And be in no doubt we will move with all urgency - a matter of days, a week at the most, in order to deliver on that commitment when we get it."
Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said the government needed to be sure that the demolition of the camp would not result in children being "scattered all over France".
She called on the home secretary to "stand up and do what people all over this country want us to do - fulfil our moral responsibilities."
"Fewer words, more action," she added.
Citizens UK has previously said it has identified 387 refugee children in the camp eligible to come to Britain - 178 under the Dublin regulations, and 209 under the Dubs amendment.


The number of "air rage" incidents on UK airlines has quadrupled over a three-year period, according to figures seen by the BBC.

Civil Aviation Authority data shows there were 386 dangerous incidents in 2015 - compared with just 85 in 2013.
The head of a leading budget airline has suggested people who cause trouble could be banned by all operators.
It is an offence to be drunk on a plane or to refuse to obey instructions given by the captain.
Examples of incidents quoted by the CAA include disruptive passengers fighting each other and one passenger who had to be restrained during the flight after "progressively disruptive behaviour" before attempting to open the plane door.
It took four policemen to remove one passenger, who was described as "uncontrollable and verbally abusive", in another incident.
Growing levels of verbal or physical violence from passengers have been witnessed first-hand by cabin crew member "Dan Air" - the pseudonym used by the writer of the Confessions Of A Trolley Dolly blog.
Dan has worked for UK-based airlines for 11 years. "Certainly the last two or three years it's got a lot worse - alcohol-fuelled, drug-fuelled," he said.
"People a lot of the time don't actually realise they're on board an aircraft. I think a lot of the time people think that they're in a club or in a bar.
"They behave like animals. You can't believe your eyes some of the things that you're seeing.
"Now we're getting to the point where we're having to be bouncers."
According to Dan, the problems are worst on short-haul destinations to European cities popular with stag and hen parties, although flights to Las Vegas in the US can also be problematic.
He said: "It needs to change before someone, be it a crew member or a passenger, gets seriously hurt or worse.
"My fear is that it will take something like that to put a final stop to alcohol being sold to the degree that it is inside the airports and on board the aircraft."
In July, the aviation minister Lord Ahmad announced he was looking at the way alcohol was sold in airports, but has yet to announce his findings.
In the meantime, budget airline Jet 2 has introduced its own ban on in-flight alcohol sales before 08:00 after being forced to divert one its flights earlier this year when a passenger became abusive.
However, Jet 2 managing director Phil Ward admitted problems often stemmed from passengers "pre-loading" in airport bars or buying duty-free before the flight.
He said: "You can see it every day where people are drinking pints at six in the morning.
"I'm not trying to spoil people's holidays at all, but it's not normal to drink a pint at six in the morning and that then manifests itself on board the plane where the alcohol takes a greater effect."
Mr Ward's company has banned 22 troublemakers for life already this year, and he would like to see the creation of a centralised database so that anyone who has been punished by a single airline could be barred across the industry.
"I think it would act as a very strong deterrent - and, in fact, there is some work with all the airlines together going on to bring that to the table, to see if that can be correctly arranged between us all."
He added: "It's not going to happen overnight.
"But it's something we've all agreed is a good practical solution, we just need to work out how to do it between us consistently, so that it's managed correctly."
More than 250 million passengers pass through UK airports every year, with close to two million flights, so the number of untoward incidents is still relatively small.
But figures from the Civil Aviation Authority leave no room for doubt that the problem of passenger misbehaviour is getting worse.
They are sent mandatory occurrence reports from every UK airline, identifying occasions where a plane, its crew or passengers are put at risk.
Internationally, too, the problem seems to be growing.
The International Air Transport Association has seen a growth in the number of reports of unruly passenger incidents every year since 2007, with more than 10,000 reported last year.
A quarter of them mention drugs or alcohol as a trigger.
5 live Investigates is on BBC 5 live on Sunday 18 September at 11:00 BST. Listen online or download the programme podcast


Images have been released of four men being sought by police over the death of a Sheffield man who was shot while in a car at traffic lights in the city.

Jordan Thomas, 22, was shot twice in the chest on Derek Dooley Way, Sheffield, on 21 December 2014.
Drug dealer Jama Ahmed, 26, of Broomhall Place, Sheffield, was jailed last month for life for his murder.
Mohammed Ali, 29, Jamal Ali, 26, Saeed Hussein, 26, and Ahmed Warsame, 27, may hold vital information, police said.
Detectives believe all four men, who were living in Sheffield at the time of the shooting, were involved including "a number" of others.
Jama Ahmed was sentenced to a minimum of 36 years for murder and the attempted murder of Neshaun Ferguson, the driver of the car, who was also shot.
Det Ch Insp Victoria Short, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "One man has been held to account for what happened to Jordan, but there are a number of other people who we believe were involved who are evading arrest.
"Jordan was killed by the actions of a group of people working together. Jordan's family were left utterly devastated when Jordan was killed in a pre-planned attack.
"It is our duty to get justice for them, and we continue to search for the other people involved.
"If you've seen them, or know where they are, you should call police and not approach them directly."
Ms Short said people had "gained the courage to come forward with information" after Ahmed's conviction.
"It's fair to say there was a fear of coming forward around what happened to Jordan, but we've certainly seen that people are now increasingly coming forward to help the police since Ahmed was found guilty and jailed for his involvement."


Gary Mackay-Steven says Aberdeen's title challenge is driving Celtic on.

The defending champions are one point clear at the top of the Premiership, although they have one game in hand over Derek McInnes' side.
Mackay-Steven says that there are tense moments during the title race, but Celtic have experienced players to rely on when the pressure builds.
"We've got a squad full of winners, a lot of them have done it before," he said.
After consecutive Premiership draws against Hamilton and Dundee, Celtic got back to winning ways at the weekend with victory at Partick Thistle.
Mackay-Steven feels if his team can recreate the level of performance they delivered at Firhill in their remaining league fixtures, they will come out on top in their duel with Aberdeen for the title.
"We're in a title fight, no doubt. Aberdeen have shown over the course of the season how strong they are.
"They keep winning and that's great for us, it keeps us on our toes and we welcome the challenge. We'll need to be on our game if we want to stay on top, but that's what we're looking to do.
"There was a little bit of tension on Saturday after (Partick Thistle) scored (to make it 2-1), but overall we deserved our victory.
"We created a lot of chances, and maybe for the last few minutes it was a little bit tense, but they didn't create too many more opportunities. If we play like that, we'll win more games than we lose.
"Coming off the back of a few good performances, we'll be looking to keep it going (against Kilmarnock on Saturday)."
Mackay-Steven insists that the Celtic players do not pay attention to Aberdeen's results, focusing instead on their own performances.
The attacking midfielder has been a regular in the starting line-up in recent weeks, scoring and creating chances, and he says that provides confidence at a crucial point in the season.
"You really get into your stride when you get a sustained run in the team," he said.
"You get your match fitness up and start feeling good about yourself. I'm looking forward to the next games.
"We've got a big squad here and any chance you get you need to impress. Luckily I've done that lately. It's about feeling good about yourself and keeping it going.
Mackay-Steven added that no Celtic players are thinking the Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden next month, because there are too many important league games in the meantime.
He was also happy to see Ross County staff members celebrating the team's Scottish League Cup win on Sunday, since many of them were at the club when he was working his way through the youth ranks at Dingwall.
Mackay-Steven hopes more youngsters from the Highlands will make their way into the professional ranks now that Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle are firmly established as top-flight sides.
"I didn't actually see the game, but I saw the result and the celebrations," he said. "It was great for them, a small town in Dingwall, but they get behind the team and it's great for the Highlands as a whole.
"There are still a lot, Roy, Donnie, and it cut to them after the game. For them to win the cup was massive but they fully deserved it.
"It's great for the Highlands that Inverness and Ross County have established themselves in the league. Hopefully a lot more players from up there can show what they can do, and Ross County and Inverness will give them their chance."


A bit of history has been made with the disclosure that prices fell 0.1% in April - because the consumer price index has never before dropped since official records began in 1996.

And on an estimated basis, the last time we saw a price fall in the UK was March 1960, before even I was born, when there was a drop (probably) of 0.6%.
So my natural impulse is to say that deflation has arrived in Britain - because there is no other word in the English language than "deflation" to describe this phenomenon.
However many of those who define themselves as "serious economists" (that's not me, by the way - I'm a hack) are desperately anxious that I and you don't use the "d" word - for two reasons.
One is that they say proper deflation is a long term term trend of declining prices, and they believe - almost certainly correctly - that these current price falls won't endure much more than a month or two.
The other is that proper deflation is pernicious: if we believed that prices were set to fall month after relentless month, we would spend less - in the hope of picking up bargains later - and our bosses would pay us less.
That would place a deadening weight on our ability to grow the economy - a weight made heavier by the intractable problem of our massive household debts, in that our capacity to service those debts is diminished when incomes don't grow.
Or to put it another way, there is a fear - in the Treasury and the Bank of England - that if you and I talk too freely about deflation having arrived, we would acquire a deflationary mentality and bring on the terrible malaise - and the UK could find itself turning into stagnating Japan.
My suggestion therefore is that, for now at least, we talk about what's occurring as either mild deflation or non-pernicious deflation or even - as I've styled it before - "good" deflation.
Just to be clear, the fact that there've been falls in the prices of essentials - food, non-alcoholic drinks and transport - actually increases our standard of living in the short term.
Because we have no choice but to eat, when food prices fall, our money goes further - and we are better off.
So this kind of deflation may in fact be stimulating consumer spending and economic activity.
Hooray for "good" deflation.
That said, although there is no reason to panic that prices are falling, it would equally be foolish to pretend that the causes of this deflation are benign.
The initial spur to the current fall in prices was last year's collapse in the oil price - which was in part due to an unexpected slowdown in the global economy, especially in China and the eurozone.
And that led the European Central Bank to cut the cost of credit to less than zero, which in turn led the euro to slide, which meant that the price of all that stuff we buy from the eurozone dropped - or to put it another way, the ECB exported the eurozone's deflation to us.
There are at last signs of a mild revival in the eurozone - though the precariousness of Greece's ability to pay its huge debts mean that revival isn't yet wholly bankable.
And the oil price has risen 50% from its lows of a few weeks ago.
So this bout of relatively benign deflation should be transformed into mild inflation within the coming weeks.
No need to panic therefore about today's bit of history.
But as Mark Carney conceded only a few days ago, the Bank of England cannot ease up on its vigilance in trying to steer price rises back to the target rate of 2% a year.
Because unless we experience a bit of proper inflation back in the system, we'll never break the shackles of our cursed enormous debts.


A medieval ship discovered on the banks of the River Usk in Newport in 2002 may have come from the Basque country in Spain.

The vessel has been called the world's best example of a 15th Century ship by archaeologists.
And new evidence has found that the timbers from the ship have been matched to projects built in the Basque region.
It includes new data from medieval buildings in the Araba and Navarra areas of Spain.
"The mystery of the origins of the Newport Ship, the remains of the a remarkably well-preserved medieval ship may at last have been solved," said Nigel Nayling, associate professor at University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
"Artefacts found at the time of the discovery hinted at Iberian connections but recent advances in dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) have provided the first scientific evidence.
"The results strongly suggest that the ship was originally built in the Basque Country where wooden shipbuilding has a long tradition.
'Useful insight'
"A Basque origin for the ship has been suspected for some time and collaboration between the scientists was first suggested in 2006 by Xabier Agote, president of the Albaola Society which promotes research into Basque maritime heritage."
Mr Nayling said initial attempts to date the ship were unsuccessful.
But he added the latest results have come from research programmes sampling both the ship itself and more historic buildings that have allowed extension and improvement of the medieval section of the Basque chronology.
Debbie Wilcox, cabinet member for leisure and culture at Newport City Council said: "The ship provides an excellent opportunity to tell the story of medieval Newport and its history as an international maritime town long before its development as an industrial port.
"The latest information about the Newport Ship provides a useful insight into its origins and it appears that one of the mysteries of its history may have been solved."
Newport council has put a tender out to developers asking them to recommend a suitable location for the vessel.
It is seeking a specialist company who would be able to provide a new museum based around the ship's history.


The Middle East isn't renowned for having many big names in the world of online retail.

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That may be about to change.
At the moment customers in the region spend around $1.1 billion through the internet. By 2016, it will double to $2.2 billion, according to research by Euromonitor.
That means it is growing at one of the fastest rates in the world.
"Online retailing is still very niche in the Middle East," says Sana Toukan, research manager at Euromonitor International.
"However, it's growing exponentially in places like the UAE and Saudi Arabia."
In those countries locals are becoming more comfortable with using credit cards to pay for products over the internet.
It is not only the wealthy parts of the region that are seeing a rise in shopping through the web.
In the last two years, sales in Egypt have surged more than 150%. In Iran they've climbed more than 80%.
"PC ownership in places like Egypt is growing," Miss Toukan says.
"It's mostly fuelled by social networking becoming mainstream among youngsters."
Not everyone agrees with Euromonitor's predictions for the Middle East. Sukar.com operates from two dimly lit warehouses and a glass open-plan office in Dubai's labyrinthine industrial district.
Founded in April 2010, it has rapidly grown across the Arabian Peninsula.
It now serves nine countries. Sukar's Chief Executive, Muhammad Chbib, thinks the market is growing much more quickly than Euromonitor estimates.
He says Sukar itself is growing 25 to 30% every month.
"Half a year ago our rate of repeat buyers was around 45%," Mr Chbib says.
"These were our regulars, if you will. Now our rate is closer to 65%."
He may have a point.
Euromonitor's numbers only include physical goods sold through the internet - items like books, DVDs and clothes. That means they do not include things like banking, booking holidays or the rapid growth of so-called "group buying" websites.
These companies bundle together services - from restaurant meals to spa visits - and send vouchers out by email. Customers then redeem the vouchers in a physical store to get their service.
Less than a hundred metres away from Sukar's head office, is a car mechanics called Fast Track. It is nestled behind a local petrol station.
Cars are queuing up to have their oil pressure checked and their tyres changed. It is noisy and busy.
They have seen a sharp increase in business after using a local commerce company called Living Social to sell over the internet.
They bundled several maintenance services together and sold them at a discounted price to see if they could get new customers in through the door.
Ahmad Ayyash is the company's general manager. He thinks selling online will be a competitive advantage for his garage over rivals.
"We really don't want to be left behind," Mr Ayyash says. "Online sales and e-commerce is definitely gaining momentum in this marketplace. We believe this is the way to go in the future."
He is not alone in this view.
Arti Bhatia runs an upscale men's beauty salon called "The Signature Lounge".
"Our website was the first thing we worked on," Mrs Bhatia says. "The world is moving fast. The internet is the only way people are actually looking for options."
Like Fast Track, The Signature Lounge has also used "group-buying" websites to help boost sales.
It allows smaller retailers to sell online without investing heavily in the software needed to take secure credit and debit card payments.
"Services are doing very well in places like the Gulf," says Mrs Toukan.
"We don't include group-buying web sites in our numbers because they sell a lot of services."
It is difficult to include things like haircuts and car maintenance in figures for internet sales.
The problem is knowing where to draw the line. Both Fast Track and The Signature Lounge say they're looking for ways to increase sales through the web.
Both say also they'll use the online group buying companies to sell vouchers for their businesses again.
Fast Track was so taken aback by its success it is even considering taking payments online through its own website.
However, for the time being, Mr Ayyash says he prefers to take the cash from customers when they physically walk through the door.
"The nature of our service is that customers have to bring their car in here," says Mr Ayyash.
"There will always a contact point here when the customer comes in."
It does not count as an online sale when it is fully researched and booked through the internet but the cash actually changes hands in the real world.
Likewise, for the time being, any increasing revenue seen by using group buying or local commerce websites is also excluded - even when the payment is actually made through the Internet.
It all means that expecting online retailing in the Middle East to double, could actually be wildly low of the mark.


John Hughes concedes that Inverness Caledonian Thistle face a significant challenge in the defence of the Scottish Cup against Hibernian.

Sunday's hosts have a track record of defeating Premiership sides in cup competition this season.
Hughes is clear that the Championship side are of top-tier standard.
"You just need to look at our last result against Hearts," he said. "Who knocked Hearts out of the Scottish Cup? Hibs."
Hibs are not only challenging for promotion but have already reached a national final this season.
"You just need to look at the teams Hibs have knocked out to get to the League Cup final - Aberdeen, Dundee United, St Johnstone," said Hughes.
"They've been taking Premier League scalps along the way. We're well aware of that and we give them all the respect.
"We need to make sure we're at it and switched on."
Hibs' recent record makes poor viewing with three league defeats on the bounce seemingly ending their Championship title hopes.
"I don't think that has any significance to what will happen on Sunday," said Hughes. "It's a one-off it's a cup tie. We have to be inspired by the venue.
"All the support is going to be for Hibs; that puts a little bit of pressure on them.
"The history of the Scottish Cup puts a little bit of pressure on them. Expectations of supporters puts a little bit of pressure on them.
"Our pressure is we're the holders of the Scottish Cup.
"If we can win that game and get into the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, it could galvanise us for the remainder of the season. That's how important it is, but you don't put too much emphasis on it."
Hughes also affirmed his belief that the quality of sides currently in the Championship means an expanded top division should be explored.
"I feel for Hibs as it looks like they're going to be in the play-offs", he opined. "Scottish football has missed Hibernian.
"You cannot have your top supported clubs playing their football in the First Division.
"You get relegated, you have to take your medicine, but I'm massive for a bigger league. We have to look at the bigger league."


A major search for a diver who failed to resurface in the English Channel has been suspended for the night.

The coastguard was called to an area south of Swanage, Dorset, at 16:40 BST on Sunday after reports a diver on an expedition had gone missing.
The dive vessel Emma J alerted authorities after one of three divers did not resurface.
Lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter were involved in a search of around 10 nautical miles.
Dorset Police, along with other agencies, will assess the situation before deciding whether to resume later, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.
Mark Rodaway, operations centre commander at the National Maritime Operations Centre, which is overseeing the search, said on Sunday: "This is a significant incident.
"This diver has been missing for more than three hours and clearly this is very serious.
"We are concentrating our search on this area and will continue to do so."


The owner of 11 dead puppies found in a box in a Dundee graveyard has been traced by the Scottish SPCA, the charity has confirmed.

It is understood the puppies were part of a litter of 16 and were buried beside the grave of a relative of the owner.
The charity said there were currently "no animal welfare concerns" after being contacted by the owner.
The puppies were found by a council worker in Eastern Cemetery on Thursday.
The charity is awaiting the result of post-mortem examinations to discover what caused the puppies' deaths.