The win was routine but the milestone anything but.

With a 6-2 6-3 victory over Yaroslava Shvedov at the US Open, Serena Williams set a new Grand Slam record of 308 victories, to pass Roger Federer in the all-time list of matches won at the tennis majors.
The dominant figure in the women's game, there is still likely to be much more to come from Williams. Here is all you need to know.
Few athletes in any field have matched Williams for longevity and success.
She made her debut aged just 16 in the 1998 Australian Open. She is currently ranked number one in the WTA women's rankings - at 34 the oldest woman to be so.
In between her numbers are dizzying: 22 Grand Slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, $80m (Â£60m) in prize money, a 770-128 win record on the tour.
Asked if she considers herself one of the greatest female athletes of all time, Williams responded: "I prefer the word 'one of the greatest athletes of all time.'"
Williams swung her first racket aged three, putting in the vital hours of practice on tennis courts in Compton, the tough Californian city notorious for gang culture.
Moving there was a deliberate ploy by father Richard, who had predicted greatness for his children and wanted them to "see first hand how their lives might turn out if they did not work hard and get an education".
A former Compton council woman, Patricia Moore, said gang members offered Serena and sister Venus protection. She told CNN "they would surround the court, they wanted the girls to do well".
In 1992, Trans World Sport profiled Serena and Venus, then aged 11 and 12, while they were training at a tennis academy and showing huge potential.
Both were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up and, unsurprisingly, both chose tennis player. And if not? Serena said she might be a veterinarian, while Venus chose archeology.
And proving a precocious gift for a sporting soundbite, when asked which tennis player she wanted to be like, she said: "Well, I would like other people to be like me."
During her maiden Grand Slam appearance, Serena met and was defeated by sister Venus.
On the rivalry, that year she told the New York Times, ''I don't have time to come along slowly; we both want to be No. 1, and I think it depends on whichever of us is more serious about it."
Since then they have met on numerous occasions and Serena has lived up to her father's prediction she would be the better player, in one streak defeating Venus in four consecutive Grand Slam finals to seal her first "Serena Slam".
But it is something she clearly finds uncomfortable. "I don't look at Venus on the court. I can't," she told Vogue. "If I am winning, I might feel sorry for her."
The debate on whether female tennis players should earn the same prize money as men resurfaced earlier this year but Williams was unambiguous in her views.
"I don't deserve to be paid less because of my sex," she said at Wimbledon.
Speaking at the US Open, she added, "Tennis has made huge, huge improvements. We just have to keep that... going for all other female sports, as well.''
Williams, like the rest of her sisters, was raised in the faith after her mother converted in the 1980s.
She often thanks Jehovah God after matches and has reportedly gone door to door evangelising, as practitioners of the religions are required to do.
After an expletive-riddled outburst during the 2009 US Open, she told an interviewer, "What bothered me most was that I was representing my religion."
"You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies..."
With its themes of the resilience of black people, and of triumph over adversity it is perhaps no surprise Williams's favourite poem is Maya Angelou's Still I Rise.
She recited it for the BBC (UK only - sorry) ahead of her appearance in the Wimbledon final this year.
In 2009, Serena and Venus bought a small stake in American Football side the Miami Dolphins to become minority owners.
By doing so, the sisters became the first female African-Americans to hold an ownership stake in an NFL franchise.
Despite her success, Williams has been subject to a long list of attacks on how she looks, often with an added dose of racism and sexism.
But in an interview with Good Morning America in 2015, she said: "I've been like this my whole life, and I embrace me and I love how I look.
"I love that I am a full woman, and I'm strong and I'm powerful and I'm beautiful at the same time. And there's nothing wrong with that."
She has taken command of her own image, appearing in a not "nude but a body study" in the Pirelli calendar and on the cover of Sports Illustrated.


The leader of the Welsh Conservatives has called for a full inquiry into the NHS after a damning report into care at a mental health unit in Denbighshire.

Andrew RT Davies said assurances were needed that there could be no similar failings elsewhere after "institutional abuse" was found at the Tawel Fan ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan.
Families described patients being treated like animals in a zoo.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has since apologised.
Mr Davies called on the Welsh government to establish a Keogh-style inquiry - set up following the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital scandal - and hold a "full and frank" debate in the assembly to ensure measures have been put in place to protect the NHS in Wales from a repeat of the problems at Tawel Fan.
"We have to have action to make sure this doesn't happen again," he told BBC Radio Wales.
"What I want to hear... is that there is now in place a process that will not allow this event to reoccur... and that people who have abused their positions of trust are held to account rather than being allowed to walk away from this or put into other positions".
Were you or a family member involved in the review of the Tawel Fan ward? Get in touch: newsonline.wales@bbc.co.uk or via Twitter: @bbcwalesnews
'It was probably a mistake keeping him in there'
The Welsh Conservatives called for an inquiry into the NHS last year after problems were highlighted at 20 hospitals.
Deputy health minister Vaughan Gething said a series of spot checks across the NHS in Wales had since found a "very high level of care being the regular standard".
He said the "truly appalling" care at Tawel Fan was "just around the corner from an award winning mental health provision" on the same hospital site.
"That's what makes this truly shocking and hard to understand," he said.
Carol Anne Jones, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "It's unbelievable that in this day and age that something so horrific has happened."
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has apologised for the "inexcusable and unacceptable" treatment.
A spokeswoman said the health board "will be undertaking a full investigation into how this situation could happen to ensure we can prevent something similar in the future".
Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Wales, told Radio Wales there now "needs to be very high scrutiny" to make sure people put in place make "changes happen" at the Bodelwyddan hospital ward.
Eight members of nursing staff have been suspended on full pay and a "significant" number have also been transferred to other roles.
Others, including managers, have been "stood down".
North Wales Police carried out an investigation, but after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, it was decided no charges would be brought.
In the independent report, one family said it was like going into a zoo and seeing "captured animals".
Watchdog Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) admitted its own failings in the wake of the report, saying scrutiny at Tawel Fan ward "failed to detect and respond to the concerns at an early enough point in this case".
Ms Jones, of the Alzheimer's Society, added: "We've got to learn lessons from these horrific incidents and this shouldn't be allowed to happen again."


A man has been arrested at Gatwick Airport on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

The 44-year-old from Hertfordshire was detained at the West Sussex airport on Thursday after getting off a flight from Iraq, Scotland Yard said.
He was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command under Section Five of the Terrorism Act.
He was taken to a central London police station where he remains in custody.
Live: More on this story and other news from Sussex


Plans by a Conservative council to axe all 19 children's centres have been met with "dismay" by the Labour opposition.

Medway Council said the centres would be replaced by four "super hubs".
The move comes after the council agreed a £60,000 cut in funding for children's centres to help pay for the Battle of Medway commemorations.
Labour councillors criticised the plans saying a consultation was due to be held while many families were away on holiday.
Andrew Mackness, the Conservative lead member for children's services, said: "The super hubs would provide a better range of services  in the community."
He said the changes were not being considered only for financial reasons.
"I look to constantly improve the services and provide appropriate services," Mr Mackness said.
He said jobs may be lost if the proposals are approved.
Medway's 19 children's centres are mainly based in primary schools.
Adam Price, the Labour spokesman for Children and Young People, said: "I would like to express my dismay at the proposal.
"The timing of the public consultation from 23 May to 4 July could be perceived as a deliberate attempt to minimise contributions from stakeholders.
"Many of the concerned parties, as parents of pre-school children, use the summer term period to go on holiday."
He said council meetings at which the proposals are due to be discussed were "in the middle of the school summer break".
In the council's budget, which was approved on 23 February, the authority said £160,000 funding for the Battle of Medway commemorations was to be paid for from an additional £100,000 income from crematoriums and £60,000 from cuts to children's centres.
Source: Visit Medway
There will be 10 days of events in June to mark the 350th anniversary of the battle and 50,000 people are expected to attend.


Pictures show how polar bears have besieged a team of Arctic meteorologists working in a remote corner of Russia.

The team has been unable to take daily sea readings after fights broke out over food between the bears who settled near the Fyodorov weather station, on Vaygach island in Russia's far north.
The team failed to scare the bears off with flares and have no other weapons.
The Russian government has pledged help, the WWF conservation group says.
Polar bears in Russia live all along the Arctic coast from Murmansk in the west to Chukotka in the east.
Scientists have observed a gradual rise in bear attacks on humans in recent years.


Hull City have rejected a bid from West Ham for top scorer Robert Snodgrass.

BBC Radio Humberside understands that there are four Premier League teams interested in the 29-year-old midfielder.
The Scotland international has scored seven Premier League goals this season.
He was linked with a move away from the club in December before the club triggered a one-year contract extension, tying him to them until the end of the 2017-18 season.


The 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been awarded to Scottish-born economist Angus Deaton.

Prof Deaton, 69, is currently professor of economics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, in New Jersey.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said that Prof Deaton's work has transformed several fields of economics.
More specifically, the organisation said he had made an impact on economic theory, and on the practical application of data to investigate poverty, and devise economic policy.
The headline to the statement from the academy that announced that Prof Deaton was its 2015 winner said: "Consumption, great and small". What does this mean?
Consumption, to an economist, means spending on goods and services by individuals and households.
Understanding it means looking at how consumers allocate spending between different things, how they divide their incomes between spending and saving, and how these patterns vary over time.
The "great and small" in the academy's headline reflects Prof Deaton's analysis of consumer spending across a whole economy, and at the level of the individual and the household.
One theme that runs through the academy's analysis of his work is the extensive use of data on spending taken from household surveys. Previously, economists worked much more from aggregate data for the whole economy.
This focus enabled Prof Deaton to produce a theoretical approach that was more consistent with the fluctuations in consumer spending that he found.
A more arcane achievement was in developing (with another economist John Muellbauer) a theory of demand for goods and services - how people allocate their spending between different products - that was motivated by problems in earlier analysis.
Their system, and subsequent improvements by other researchers, "has had an immense impact in academia as well as being greatly influential in practical policy evaluation".
Prof Deaton has been an influential figure in development economics. The academy describes him as an important driving force in the transformation of this area of economics - in moving from aggregate data to household surveys.
To take one example - his research shed light on the question of whether rising incomes do lead to more calories being consumed, in other words to reducing malnutrition.
His work suggests that it does - so encouraging economic growth can help tackle malnutrition. If that were not the case it would be an argument for reorienting policy towards direct food aid.
In addition to the greater recognition of his work, and the further respect of his peers, Prof Deaton receives a financial price of 8m Swedish krona ($966,000; Â£630,000).
Born in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, Prof Deaton attended Fettes College, a private school in the city, before going on to study at Cambridge University.
After teaching at Cambridge and the University of Bristol, he continued his economics career in the US.
He holds both British and American citizenship.
Unlike the other five annual Nobel prizes, the economics one was not established by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, although like the Physics and Chemistry prizes it is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Instead it was set up by Sweden's central bank in 1968 as a memorial to Mr Nobel, who died in 1896.
Its official title is the Riksbank's Prize in Economic Sciences.


A plea by developers of the Circuit of Wales in Ebbw Vale for £210m in taxpayer-funded guarantees has been rejected by the Welsh Government.

The £433m motor racing track and leisure project aimed to create up to 6,000 jobs in a deprived area.
But Economy Secretary Ken Skates said job claims were "overstated" and there was too much financial risk.
The developers "strongly disagreed" with the decision and the rationale behind it.
Ministers said a £100m automotive business park would be built instead.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said backing the scheme would mean schools and homes would not be built.
The project, first unveiled in 2011, has been dogged by controversy.
Its backers - the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HoVDC) - had wanted the Welsh Government to underwrite 80% of the cost, revised down to about 50% when ministers asked for a rethink.
Alongside the circuit itself, which would have hosted the British leg of the MotoGP for at least five years, there were also plans to bring BMX and mountain biking, indoor skiing and concerts.
The issue of the guarantee meant the Welsh Government would have received £99m over 33 years in exchange for underwriting the project once it was open for business.
But in the event of it failing, the public purse would have to pay back £210m over time, while backers Aviva would keep the circuit and the infrastructure.
But Mr Skates said on Tuesday the cost of the underwriting was still too high and would have had an impact on ministers' other spending plans.
He said after discussions with Treasury officials and the Office for National Statistics, it appeared there was a "very significant risk" that the full £373m debt of the project would be classified against Welsh Government capital spending.
Mr Skates added that the true figure on employment was about 100 direct jobs, with 500 indirect jobs and about 500 construction jobs while the track was being built.
Later, during First Minister's Questions, Mr Jones said providing the funding guarantees would have meant his government "would lose £373m of capital funding, £173m would have to be found this financial year".
He told AMs: "That is schools not being built. Hospitals not being modernised. Houses not being built."
Blaenau Gwent council leader Nigel Daniels said he was disappointed with the decision but understood the complex issues involved.
He welcomed the £100m investment in a new automotive technology  park.
But Mr Daniels said he would be "seeking urgent meetings with Welsh Government and other parties to explore other options that can be brought forward to mitigate the impact of this decision given the level of expectation which has grown in the community over the last few years".
UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said it was a "bean-counters convention".
"What we need to do here is change the accounting convention rather than to destroy the hopes of those who relying on regenerating the whole of south east Wales," he said.
Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Adam Price said it was a "shocking indictment" of ministers that they had "taken seven years and over £9m of public money" to turn down "the single biggest private investment proposal in the history of Wales".
"Is Wales open for business or open to ridicule?" Mr Price added.
Conservative AM Russell George said the decision contradicted comments by senior civil servant James Price on Monday that it was "good value for money".
He called it "deeply concerning" that "less than 24 hours later we learn that the minister takes a vastly different view and that the risk to Welsh Government would be too great".
But there was support for the Welsh Government's decision from Tory Monmouth MP David Davies.
Commenting on Twitter, he said: "Not often I praise Labour ministers but @KenSkatesAM made a good call based on proper scrutiny of business plan."
Analysis by Sarah Dickins, BBC Wales economics correspondent
The company behind Circuit of Wales has said it was "hugely disappointed" and disagrees with the reasons behind the decision. It had seemed confident it was going to be given a green light.
Reaction from the private sector has been divided.
Dr David Williams, from renewable energy firm eco2, described it as sad for inward investment in Wales "if you court big business for seven years move the goalposts and then say no", he tweeted.
But Cardiff lawyer Chris Nott tweeted that it would have been "mad" for Welsh Government to back the project.
There were of course many factors playing into the final decision.
One being the statement from Welsh Government that the project's debt could have had an impact on capital spending on the likes of hospitals and schools.
In the end it came down to perception of whether it would attract enough visitors.  If there had been more belief the project would work then the Welsh Government might have been less concerned about whether a guarantee would be called on.
Ministers were also concerned any companies interested in setting up on the the second phase of the project - a specialist automotive business park - would end up asking for more funding.
Instead the Welsh Government is now spending £100m over 10 years setting up its own automotive technology park in Ebbw Vale which it believes will attract 1,500 jobs. But its neighbouring enterprise zone - recently expanded - has not been successful so far.
Tim Williams, of the Wales Automotive Forum, said: "I can feel the disappointment of the wider industry, the HoVDC and the people of Ebbw Vale that it hasn't been given approval.
"However I respect the Welsh Government's decision on that."
But Mr Williams said the "Plan B" announced by Mr Skates was to be welcomed.
So far, the Aston Martin investment in the Vale of Glamorgan appears to be progressing smoothly while the Welsh Government is confident that companies will want to set up on the automotive technology park in Ebbw Vale .
Those who are desperate for local, stable jobs along the Heads of the Valleys will hope the Welsh Government is not under any illusion.
Martin Whitaker, chief executive of HoVDC, said he was "saddened" that the Welsh Government "failed to support... what would be a game changing development for Wales".
"We have always believed passionately, and continue to do so, in this project's ability to transform and provide opportunities and hope to one of the poorest parts of the UK, not just Wales," he said.
"The project is totally defined, finance is in place, and construction and hiring could start immediately."


Saudi Arabia has failed to act on recommendations by a UN body to improve human rights and instead "ratcheted up" repression, Amnesty International says.

Promises the Gulf Kingdom made to the UN Human Rights Council in 2009 were "nothing but hot air", a report claims.
The authorities continue to crack down on activists through "arbitrary arrests and detention, unfair trials, torture and other ill-treatment", it adds.
A Saudi spokesman insisted "tangible progress" had been made.
On Friday, Riyadh refused to take up a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, accusing the body of failing in its duties towards Syria, as well as in other conflicts.
In its report published on Monday, Amnesty said the kingdom had failed to implement any of the main recommendations from its last Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council.
"Four years ago, Saudi Arabian diplomats came to Geneva and accepted a string of recommendations to improve human rights in the country. Since then, not only have the authorities failed to act, but they have ratcheted up the repression," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa director.
"For all the peaceful activists that have been arbitrary detained, tortured or imprisoned in Saudi Arabia since, the international community has a duty to hold the authorities to account."
Amnesty's report documents what it describes as a "new wave of repression against civil society" that has taken place since 2011.
Human rights activists and supporters of political reform in the country face repressive measures that included arbitrary arrest, detention without charge or trial, unfair trials and travel bans, it says.
In March, two founders of the prominent Saudi Civil and Political Rights Organisation (ACPRA), Abdullah al-Hamid and Mohammed al-Qahtani, were sentenced to 10 and 11 years respectively.
The men, who used Twitter to promote human rights, were found guilty by a court of "breaking allegiance and disobeying the ruler", "undermining unity", "questioning the integrity of officials", "seeking to disrupt security" and "inciting disorder by calling for demonstrations".
"These men are prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally. Their peaceful activism against human rights violations deserves praise not punishment. The only guilty party here is the government," Mr Luther said.
Torture and other ill-treatment during detention is rife and carried out with impunity, the report says. The heavy reliance by the courts on "confessions" often extracted under torture, duress or deception has entrenched such abuses, it claims.
It documents other alleged violations, including "systemic discrimination of women in both law and practice" and "abuse of migrant workers".
The report also accuses the Sunni-ruled kingdom of "discrimination against minority groups", including Shia in Eastern Province, where many have been arrested for taking part in protests to demand greater rights and several have been killed in clashes with security forces.
But at the UN Human Rights Council meeting on Monday, the head of Saudi Arabia's delegation insisted the country's human rights record had improved since 2009.
Bandar bin Mohammed al-Aiban noted that a minimum of 20% of seats on the Shura Council had been allocated to women - the first time they had been able to hold any political office in the kingdom.
"Tangible progress has been achieved on a daily basis," he added.
Mr Aiban, who is the president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, said the country, which hosts 9 million foreign workers, was also taking all steps needed to protect their rights and provide appropriate conditions.


CCTV footage has emerged of three men being set upon by a group in an east London street after their car is rammed from behind.

The men were attacked while sitting in a parked Renault Megane at 19:30 BST on Sunday.
Officers found the car driver with stab wounds after reports of a disturbance in Braintree Road, Dagenham.
The man, who has not yet been formally identified, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
The CCTV footage shows the first vehicle smashing into the back of the car before a second vehicle pulls up alongside to block any possible escape.
The attackers can be seen wielding what look like baseball bats.
A Met spokesperson said no arrests had been made and officers were in the process of informing the next of kin.
One resident told BBC London he heard a commotion and saw a group of five people running off in the opposite direction from the scene of the attack.


Savers have faced "an uphill battle" when searching for a good interest rate and must brace themselves for "tougher times ahead", an analyst has said.

Financial information service Moneyfacts said that returns on popular savings schemes have fallen since the start of the year.
It said there had been more than 900 cuts to savings rates since January compared with 111 rate increases.
There is speculation that the Bank of England will cut rates this week.
The Bank's governor, Mark Carney, has already signalled that a cut in the Bank rate from its historic low of 0.5% is a possibility, and financial markets are speculating that the rate will be lowered to 0.25% on Thursday following the latest meeting of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee.
Analysis of the savings market by Moneyfacts shows that the average interest rate for easy access accounts, the most common form of saving, has fallen from 0.64% in January to 0.56% now.
The typical rate for one-year fixed-rate bonds has fallen from 1.43% to 1.15% over the same period.
Savers who lock their money in for two years typically receive 1.39% now compared with 1.79% at the start of the year. For those locking the money in for five years, the return is 2% now compared with 2.63% in January.
"Savers have been fighting an uphill battle to get a decent return in the first half of this year," said Charlotte Nelson, of Moneyfacts.
"Mark Carney's announcement that the Bank of England base rate could fall past its record low of 0.5% in the near-future means that savers need to brace themselves for even tougher times ahead. If a good deal is to be secured, savers will have to shop around and work hard, and keep a close eye on the market."
She added with the cost of mortgages dropping for lenders - which benefits some borrowers too - there was less pressure on banks and building societies to attract savers to pay for mortgage lending.


Scotland forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray will miss the rest of the World Cup after being suspended for dangerous tackles against Samoa.

A three-week suspension rules them out of Sunday's quarter-final against Australia and the semi-final and final should the Scots progress.
Both players had denied committing an act of foul play, while a team spokesman said they were "disappointed by the outcome".
The players have 48 hours to appeal.
Scotland say they "will consider carefully the full written judgement before making a decision".
Details of the specific incidents have yet to be made clear publicly. But Australian citing commissioner Scott Nowland had accused hooker Ford of breaching rules on dangerous tackles, while lock Gray was alleged to have committed an illegal tip tackle during the 36-33 win that clinched Scotland's place in the last eight.
In his judgement, judicial officer Christopher Quinlan pointed out that rugby's governing body had highlighted that "tackles involving a player being lifted off the ground and tipped horizontally and were then either forced or dropped to the ground … must be dealt with severely by match officials and all those involved in the disciplinary process".
World Rugby said the English QC had "deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point, namely four weeks" but had added one week in an attempt to deter this type of dangerous foul play.
However, the suspensions had been reduced by two weeks because of the players' expressions of regret at the hearing, their "exemplary characters and excellent disciplinary records".
Hooker Ford and lock Gray will complete their suspensions at their clubs, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors respectively, should Scotland exit the tournament before the final.
Scotland coach Nathan Hines had said earlier: "I didn't pick up on it. It was only until the citing commissioner picked up on it and issued his report."
The citing commissioner involved in the case is Australian and one journalist asked Hines whether he was concerned at that given Scotland face Australia at the weekend.
"He is neutral isn't he?" he said. "He's very professional. He's there to do a job and he thinks he's seen something.
"World Rugby put him there because they are happy with his neutrality."
Australian flanker David Pocock is clear to play in the last-eight match at Twickenham if he can overcome a calf injury.
He was given a warning for putting his knee into the midriff of Wales hooker Scott Baldwin during Saturday's Pool A decider.


Wales international Loren Dykes has signed a new contract with Bristol City Women.

Full-back Dykes, 29, is one of the Vixens' longest-serving players, having joined from Cardiff City Ladies in 2008 after a spell at Llanelli Reds.
"I had a tough time with injury during the Spring Series but I am back fit now and raring to go," Dykes told the club's official website.
"I've been here for a long time and I love this environment."
She is the fifth player to commit her future to the club in the last few weeks, after goalkeeper Caitlin Leach and midfield trio Jasmine Matthews, Millie Turner and Chloe Arthur all signed new deals.
Bristol City finished in eighth place in the Women's Super League Spring Series this year, winning one match.


Seven Republicans seeking the party's nomination to run for the White House are due to return to the stage in the latest TV debate.

Ted Cruz will be looking to build on his victory in the Iowa caucuses ahead of the New Hampshire primary election.
Controversial billionaire Donald Trump will be looking to mount a comeback after his second place finish in Iowa.
Marco Rubio came third in Iowa and is seen as a rising force, leading many of his rivals to question his credentials.
The other debaters will be former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
The results of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary are expected to determine whether or not some of the Republican candidates drop out.
The Iowa caucuses narrowed the field, with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum withdrawing from the race after the results were announced.
ABC News, which is hosting the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, has dropped an undercard event for low-polling candidates, leaving former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as the only remaining candidate without a spot on stage.
The only woman candidate in the Republican field released an open letter describing the debate process as "broken."
Mr Trump boycotted the final TV debate before the Iowa caucuses, and later demanded a re-run of the state vote after reports that supporters of Mr Cruz, a Texas senator, had told caucus-goers that Mr Carson was dropping out of the race.
The Cruz campaign later apologised to Mr Carson, saying it was a misunderstanding.
Voters will make their choice in both the Republican and Democratic races in New Hampshire on Tuesday.


Two-thirds of the British public are unable to name a single famous female scientist, according to an ICM poll.

The same survey, organised by the Royal Society, revealed that 90% of 18-24 year-olds could not name a female scientific figure - either current or historical.
Almost half were able to name at least one famous male scientist, such as Albert Einstein.
The Royal Society's Lorna Casselton described the results as "frustrating".
But the same poll also indicated that parents see scientists as good role models for their daughters.
Respondents were offered a choice of six "role model types" for a daughter - ranging from a doctor or lawyer to an athlete or pop star.
Almost half of the 1,000 adults questioned chose "life-saving doctor", while "Nobel prize-winning scientist" came second, with 20% selecting it as their first choice.
According to the findings, public knowledge of the role played by women in major scientific breakthroughs is also low.
Just 6% of those polled knew that a female scientist (Jocelyn Bell Burnell) played a major part in the discovery of pulsar stars. Only 18% were aware that another woman, Dorothy Hodgkin, discovered the structure of insulin.
Professor Casselton, who is vice-president of the Royal Society, said: "People are still unaware of the contribution made by women to science in the past, [but] overall I am encouraged by the findings of this poll.
"They suggest public perceptions of women in science are changing. [We] want to encourage more girls (and their parents) to see science as an achievable and desirable career path.
"Most importantly we want to encourage them to see science not only as a fulfilling career but one that can change the world and contribute to our quality of life."


An outline planning application is due to be submitted for a new cancer centre in Cardiff.

Velindre NHS Trust wants to build a new Velindre Cancer Centre on land north of Whitchurch Hospital playing fields.
It would include a specialist cancer treatment centre, facilities for learning, research and development.
Access is proposed from the Coryton interchange and emergency access via Hollybush Estate.


As the mobile revolution continues to drive change across Africa, governments are rushing to introduce legislation to curb cyber crime and to regulate the use of social media platforms.

Security experts warn that African governments and commercial online services are vulnerable to criminals, who have the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure.
But critics say that these laws could also be used to clamp down on the use of online platforms that promote good governance, express dissent and mobilize citizen engagement.
The measures have not only been implemented in countries known for strict media controls such as Ethiopia, but are also being introduced in democracies such as Kenya and South Africa.
While rising internet use is driving the rapid growth of the digital economy and enhancing access to information and government services in Africa, it has also exposed users to new and sophisticated threats.
The two largest economies in Africa - South Africa and Nigeria - are each estimated to lose $500m (Â£375m) annually to cyber criminals, according to a 2016 McAfee report.
In addition, African governments are fighting against local and international hacktivist groups who have carried out several disruptive attacks in recent years.
Anonymous Africa claimed responsibility for several attacks that targeted the website of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in July over the broadcaster's ban on broadcasting violent protests.
The group also shut down the website of the Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF in support of anti-government protests.
Many African governments have appeared unprepared for these threats and are now racing to tighten their telecom laws.
With social media platforms being used to organise political activity, the continent's political elite seems worried that such platforms could be used to foment revolt.
In the past months, authorities in Uganda, Gabon, Chad, Burundi and Congo-Brazzaville have shut down internet services during disputed elections, raising fears that more governments could take similar measures.
Over the past year, South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Madagascar and Zimbabwe have passed or proposed stringent laws to fight real and imagined threats.
South Africa has been accused of proposing "Africa's worst new internet censorship law".
The draft Films and Publications Amendment Bill seeks to "protect the public and children", but critics say its vague language and definitions  will "stifle the empowering, democratising potential of the internet" and scare away potential business investors.
In June, Ethiopia passed the Computer Crime Proclamation, which criminalises defamatory speech, spam and pornography, among other offences, with jail sentences of up to 10 years.
Activists say it could also be used to silence government critics, who are reliant on online publishing due to the country's rigid media controls.
In Nigeria, journalists and bloggers have criticised the 2015 Cyber Crime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, saying it has been used by politicians to curtail freedom of expression. Two prominent bloggers have been arrested on allegations of "cyber stalking" under the Act.
Kenya is preparing legislation to curb cyber crime and regulate social media, and has been accused of plotting to use the law to shut down social media. The government already has a history of going after internet users: Among Kenyan social media users arrested in 2015 was a prominent blogger accused of insulting the president.
Kenyan officials have also blamed "the spread of hate speech" on unregulated social media use. The law is expected to be implemented before the August 2017 general elections.
The Zimbabwe government, long intolerant of dissent, is planning to pass a law which has been criticised for banning the use of anti-censorship software. The proposed law also outlaws social media groups based on racial or tribal identity.
Information Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said there was a need to pass laws that protect internet users against defamation and hacking, but the Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights urged parliament and citizens to defend human rights "as it grossly violates human rights".
While these laws provide a legal framework to fight cyber crime and control the dissemination of hate speech, they could also provide a basis for authoritarian regimes to intimidate their rivals.
In June, Isaac Habakuk Emily from northern Tanzania was jailed for three years after he was found guilty of insulting President John Magufuli in a Facebook post contrary to the country's CyberCrime Act of 2015. He is said to have referred to the president as an "imbecile".
Tanzanian law allows for a minimum fine of 3m shillings ($1,375; Â£1,000) and minimum jail term of three months for publishing false, deceptive or misleading information on a computer system.
In Zimbabwe, spokesperson for the People First party, Jealousy Mawarire, was last month charged over a tweet accusing Education Minister Jonathan Moyo of financial impropriety.
With the cybercrime bill still in the draft stage, he was charged under the old Posts and Telecommunications Act, which outlaws the sending "by telephone any message that is grossly offensive or is of an indecent, obscene or threatening character".
In Nigeria, the Bauchi State authorities arrested Musa Azare, a journalist and blogger in June on allegations of "cyber stalking" the governor. This came shortly after another blogger, Abubakar Sadiq, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) on similar charges. In both cases, the bloggers were critical of the authorities.
African nations are far from alone in attempts to control the internet. However, stifling discourse as it emerges as a crucial medium on the continent poses worrying questions regarding freedom of speech.
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


Jordan Moore's recent tweet summed up his progress perfectly.

"Delighted to come fifth in the Bearsden and Milngavie 10k. This time two years ago lying on a hospital bed."
It was skin cancer that had threatened a lot more than just his football career.
Now 22, the former Dundee United striker has cut short a spell playing for Limerick in the League of Ireland First Division so he can try and re-establish himself in Scotland.
"They wanted me to continue for the rest of the season but I felt it would be better to come and try and get a club in Scotland," Moore told BBC Scotland.
"Limerick are doing really well but I wanted something closer to my family. Their season finishes in October and I wouldn't be able to get a club from October until January. So I'm back, fully fit and ready to go now after three months over there.
"I've obviously missed a lot of the last two years but now I feel 100% back. I've worked hard to get myself back into the condition I should be after the cancer.
"I rejected further treatment because if I'd had that treatment I would have had to stop. So I rejected that treatment because I wanted to play football every day - that's my life."
The Bishopbriggs-based forward has taken advantage of PFA Scotland's 10-day showcase and exit trial event to maintain his fitness and attract more admirers.
Ex-players like Mark Wilson, Lee Miller and Jim Goodwin are helping coach at the initiative and Moore is one of a number of young players hoping to catch the eye of scouts in the Broadwood stands.
"People need to be on their toes the full session," said Moore.
"There's no hiding place, because someone could walk in and say they like you in two minutes and that's you sorted for next season. There's a few heads turning to see who's in the stand but you just need to concentrate and do your best.
"We got told that Hartlepool United were coming so there's teams from League Two in England, and I'm sure most of the Scottish Championship, League One and League Two clubs will be here.
"I'm going into Raith Rovers on trial on Monday and I've got options lower down the leagues as well, so I'm not totally struggling but I just want to stay full-time as much as I can."
One of Moore's best friends in football is his former Dundee United team-mate Ryan Gauld, who moved to Sporting in Portugal for £3m in 2014.
The pair enjoyed a fruitful partnership in attack for United under-20 side and although Gauld's footballing journey has taken a more exciting path than his own, Moore is not bitter.
"I speak with him every day," said Moore, who also had loan spells at Dunfermline, Airdrie and Queen's Park earlier in his career.
"He's got all the ability in the world but he says the most important thing is working hard. He's played with Nani and people like that so if he's saying working hard is the most important thing then that's what you need to do.
"He always says that when we were in the Dundee United under-20s together it was the best strike-force he's ever played in! I need to remind him that he's playing with people who are worth £30 million, but he's still adamant. We scored 50 or 60 goals together in one season."
Moore has refused to give too much consideration to a job outside of football if things were not to work out, because of his self-belief that he can still make the grade.
But he is eager to provide support to youngsters who have gone through similar illness experiences to him.
"The main thing I'd want to do is help people who are 18 to 25 and going through cancer," Moore explained.
"I felt I dealt with it really well because I had football, but some people have got nothing to look forward to. I just want to help them and speak to them.
"Sometimes it's hard to speak to those closest to you, but better if you speak to a stranger who's been through it."


Ten-year-old Anna Hursey became the youngest player to represent Wales' senior table tennis team as she helped her country beat Kosovo 3-0.

Wales won 3-0 in all three ties of the European Championship qualifier.
"I was a little bit nervous but it was good. I played well, but I think I could do a little bit better," Hursey told BBC Wales Sport.
The result sees Wales finish second in qualifying Group F, and they will face Belarus away on 10 April.
The match in Cardiff was originally scheduled for early March but was called off twice as Kosovo encountered visa problems.
Beth Roberts, 19, also won on her debut with captain Charlotte Carey, 20, setting the ball rolling with a dominant display in winning the opening game.


David Cameron's party, the Conservatives, have won the general election and will now run the country for the next five years.

At the final count the Conservatives won 331 seats out of the 650 available - more than any other party.
Newsround was following all the action throughout the day, and night, including shocks, surprises, behind the scenes photos and three different leaders resigning.
Here is the story as it unfolded.
David Cameron has made a speech outside 10 Downing Street, announcing that he is going to form a government.
In the speech he thanked Nick Clegg, who he worked with for five years during their coalition government.
He also thanked Ed Miliband, the former leader of the Labour party, saying Ed is someone "in public service for all the right reasons".
The Conservatives have won a majority in the general election, after winning 326 seats.
When a party wins 326 seats or more it can form a government alone.
That means we won't have a coalition government, like we had after the 2010 election.
David Cameron has already driven to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen about forming a government
The leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron, has left Downing Street to visit the Queen.
His party has more seats than any other party, so the Queen will ask David Cameron to form a government.
At the moment the Conservatives have won 325 seats, so at the moment they do not have more seats than all the other parties added together.
But there are still a few areas where the votes are being counted, and the BBC has predicted the Conservatives will win the election with a majority before the end of the day.
Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party, has stepped down from the job.
Before the election, surveys suggested it was going to be neck and neck between Labour and the Conservatives.
But in the end, the Conservatives won more seats than expected, and Labour lost some.
Speaking to journalists, Ed said: "I am so sorry for all of those colleagues who lost their seats."
Ed Miliband kept his seat in Doncaster North in the election, and will still be an MP.
Reporters from all around the world are waiting outside the Prime Minister's house.
David Cameron is expected to emerge after 12pm, so he can visit the Queen and speak to her about forming a government.
Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has announced he will step down from the job.
He told journalists: "To serve my country at a time of crisis is an honour that will stay with me forever."
Nick Clegg kept his seat in Sheffield Hallam in the election, and will still be an MP.
Earlier, Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, also announced he was quitting the job.
He said: "There's a bit of me that's disappointed but there's a bit of me that's happier than I've felt in many, many years."
The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, did not win the seat he was competing for in Thanet South.
Across the UK, more than 3.7 million people voted for UKIP - more than the Liberal Democrats and the SNP.
But the Lib Dems and SNP won a lot more seats than UKIP - how did that happen?
To win a seat, candidates need to get more votes than their competitors in their local area.
There are 650 different seats up for grabs. Whoever has the most votes in each area wins that seat.
UKIP had a lot of votes, but they were spread out across the whole country, so the party came second in a lot of places.
The SNP only competed for seats in Scotland, so its voters weren't as spread out.
The Liberal Democrats didn't get many votes across the country, but had a lot of support in a handful of areas.
Chancellor George Osborne, the man in charge of how the government spends its money, says his party is ready to get back to work.
He wrote online: "British people have asked us to complete the job we started 5 years ago of turning Britain around."
"Will get straight back to work on that task," he said.
Hayley asked BBC reporter Ross Hawkins what a win for the Conservatives might mean.
David Cameron has returned to 10 Downing Street in London, the house where the Prime Minister lives.
He will meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace at around 12.30pm and is expected to speak with the Queen about forming a government.
The Conservative Party now looks likely to win most of the seats in the Houses of Parliament.
Our reporter Hayley has been up all night keeping an eye on the election results. After presenting our morning bulletins from Westminster, she's off to get some much deserved sleep.
Ayshah looks at the numbers and explains how many seats David Cameron needs to win the election.
Last night, politician Lord Ashdown said he would "eat his hat" if the prediction that the Liberal Democrats would lose most of their seats turned out to be right.
It is not yet known whether he will take a bite of his hat.
Newsround reporter Hayley is at the Houses of Parliament to bring you the latest news.
Caroline Lucas from the Green Party won her seat in Brighton Pavilion, 8,000 votes ahead of the candidate in second place.
She was the only Green Party candidate to win a seat in the 2010 election, and so far is the only Green Party MP this time.
More than a million people voted for the Green Party, which makes this the party's most successful election yet.
So far UKIP has won one seat. Everybody is waiting to see if the party leader Nigel Farage will win his.
More than 2.5 million people have voted for UKIP in this election.
BBC reporter Chris Mason said: "UKIP is now the third largest party in the UK in terms of nationwide vote."
Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party, won his seat in Doncaster.
But the Labour party has not won as many seats as it was expecting, and has lost seats it won in the 2010 election.
Ed Miliband said it had been a "disappointing and difficult night" for his party.
Plaid Cymru, one of the seven political parties to take part in ITV's big Leaders Debate, has kept three seats in Wales.
BBC Wales reporter Hywel Griffith said: "What this campaign has done is raise the party's profile hugely."
"That may not have translated into more seats... but Wood has won a lot of new admirers too, inside and outside of Wales," he said.
Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, won his seat in Sheffield Hallam.
His party has lost a majority of its seats, performing much worse than experts had predicted.
Nick Clegg said it was a "cruel and punishing" night for his party, and said he will speak about his position in the Liberal Democrats later today.
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond won his seat in Gordon for the SNP.
It was a very big night for the SNP, with the party winning almost every seat in Scotland.
"The Scottish lion has roared," said Alex Salmond.
There are so many votes to count, that it takes all night (and some of the next day!) for all the results to be announced.
Reporters have to stay up all night to gather all the news, while the rest of us sleep!
News reporters had a surprise when a survey of voters, known as an exit poll, showed that the Conservatives were going to do better than expected, with Labour performing worse.
An exit poll is a survey of people who have just cast their vote at the polling station.
The news was a surprise because before the election the polls suggested Labour and the Conservatives would be neck and neck.
Voting ended at 10pm and then the ballot papers had to be counted.
50 million people had registered to vote, attending one of 50,000 polling stations - so counting the votes takes all night, and goes on into the next day.
Newsround reporter Hayley was at the big count in Hammersmith. The vote counters wear rubber thimbles to help them get through the ballot papers quickly.


The US has accused North Korea of trying to "provoke something", after Pyongyang conducted a failed missile test over the weekend.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the test was a reckless move and the US was "working closely" with China to engage North Korea.
The missile fired on Sunday blew up almost immediately, the Pentagon said.
Pyongyang said it may test missiles on a weekly basis, and warned of "all-out war" if the US takes military action.
"If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method," Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC on Monday.
Both sides have ratcheted up the rhetoric following North Korea's latest missile test.
Mr Mattis said Sunday's missile test had not involved an intercontinental ballistic missile but had still been reckless.
"It shows why we are working so closely right now with the Chinese... to try to get this under control and aim for the denuclearised Korean peninsula," he said.
On Tuesday, a report in the Guardian newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying the US was considering shooting down North Korean missile tests as a show of strength.
The US is also threatening tougher economic sanctions that could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea's airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks that do business with the country, Reuters news agency says.
However, it has emerged that a US aircraft carrier, which the US said had been deployed towards the Korean peninsula earlier this month, had actually been sailing in the opposite direction.
On 8 April, the navy said it had ordered the USS Carl Vinson to "sail north" as a deterrent against North Korea.
A few days later, Mr Mattis said the aircraft carrier was "on her way up there".
US President Donald Trump also told Fox News on 12 April: "We are sending an armada, very powerful."
However, a navy photo released on 15 April revealed that the aircraft carrier had actually sailed further south, to the Sunda Strait near Indonesia, to take part in planned drills with Australian forces in the Indian Ocean.
The USS Carl Vinson is now set to head north towards the Korean peninsula, a defence official told AFP news agency.
North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and missile tests in recent years, despite international condemnation and UN sanctions.
Its aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach targets around the world, including the US.
North Korea claims it has successfully made nuclear warheads small enough to fit onto a missile - but this has never been independently verified, and some experts have cast doubts on the claims.
Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC that North Korea believed its nuclear weapons "protect" it from the threat of US military action.
The North fears the US and South Korea could use force in an attempt to overthrow the regime of Kim Jong-un.
At the UN on Monday, North Korea's permanent representative Ambassador Kim In-ryong condemned the US missile strikes in Syria, which targeted an air base after a suspected chemical attack by the government.
He said the US was "disturbing global peace and stability and insisting on the gangster-like logic that its invasion of a sovereign state is decisive and just and proportionate and contributes to defending the international order".
Observers say North Korea may carry out a sixth nuclear test soon.
China has criticised North Korea's missile tests. In February it banned imports of North Korean coal and reports in Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting shipments of oil to the isolated North if the tests continue.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Monday that the Korean peninsula was "highly sensitive, complicated and high risk" and that all sides should "avoid taking provocative actions that pour oil on the fire".
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not tolerate "missile adventures by Pyongyang" but a unilateral use of power by the US would be "a very risky course".
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday told a parliamentary session that diplomatic efforts were "important to maintain peace", but "dialogue for the sake of having dialogue is meaningless".


(Closed): Stocks on Wall Street rose as investors welcomed stronger than expected US jobs figures.

The US economy created 287,000 jobs in June, the Labor Department said, rebounding strongly from disappointing growth in May.
The Dow Jones rose 250.86 points to 18146.74.
The wider S&P 500 index climbed 32 points to 2129.90, while the tech-focused Nasdaq was 79.95 points higher to 4956.76.
The dollar also jumped on the back of the jobs figures, as the possibility of a US interest rate rise in the next few months appeared to become more likely.
However, analysts warned that it could still be some time before a rate rise is seen.
"Today's report quells any concerns of a broader economic slowdown in the US," said analysts at Nomura Global Economics in a client note.
Bank shares also climbed on the indication that interest rates may go up soon.
JP Morgan and Wells Fargo gained 2%, while  Bank of America shares were up 1.23%.
Consumer retailers also had a strong day. Clothing retailer Gap gained 5% after reporting that sales rose in June.
Wholesale retailer Costco rose 1%.
Shares in its rival PriceSmart lost 8.9% after the company fell short on its third quarter earnings expectations.


One man has died and another has been arrested after an attack which led to a man scaling the roof of a pub on Anglesey, police have confirmed.

Officers were called to the Blossoms Pub in Holyhead at about 16:00 GMT following reports a 24-year-old man had assaulted another man, aged 46.
The injured man died despite efforts to revive him, North Wales Police said.
The other man then climbed onto the roof of the nearby Holland Inn. After negotiations, he was arrested.
Police said he was being held in police custody and an investigation had been launched.
Supt Andy Jenks-Gilbert said: "I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the public that there is no danger to local residents."
Much of the town centre was sealed off after emergency services were called to the Holborn Road area of the town on Friday afternoon.
Police had warned members of the public to avoid the area and ordered nearby businesses to close.
A Wales Ambulance spokesman said it was called at 16:10 GMT and sent an ambulance.
Speaking earlier on Friday, Tony Pan, from the Happy House Chinese takeaway, said police had told him to close due to a serious incident.
He said: "We have also been advised not the leave the building."
He added that he had seen one ambulance and four police cars in the Rhos y Gaer Terrace area.
Carol Roberts, who works at Roberts Newsagents, said: "A police officer is asking us not to go out. No cars [are] going up and down the road.
"I can hear the police helicopter, never seen so many police cars and policemen."


Online betting company Bwin has accepted a £1.1bn takeover offer from GVC Holdings in preference to rival bidder, 888 Holdings.

Bwin had originally agreed to an offer from 888, worth about £900m, but GVC, the owner of Sportingbet, fought back.
Bwin - whose brands include Partypoker, Partycasino and Foxy Bingo - said GVC's offer was "fair and reasonable".
Bwin chairman Philip Yea said in a company video that shareholders were split about abandoning the 888 offer.
"There was a pretty even split of those that expressed views one way or the other. But we also had a significant block of shares that was happy to support the board on its deliberations,"
GVC's offer of 25p in cash and 0.231 new GVC shares comes to nearly 130p per Bwin.party share based on Thursday's closing price.
Bwin said the GVC offer provided £120m additional value compared with the 888 bid.
The company said they were also swayed by higher expected savings and GVC's track record of integrating acquisitions, such as that of Sportingbet in 2013.
Earlier this week it was reported that GVC was prepared to launch a hostile bid for Bwin.
The 888 board confirmed it had withdrawn from the bidding process saying it cannot see sufficient value in Bwin to increase its offer.
Stricter regulations are pushing online gambling companies to merge to try and reduce operating costs.
Size is also seen as vital to ensure competitiveness in an online market buoyed by the use of tablets and mobiles.
Shares in Bwin, rose in early trading in response to the news, but have since fallen.
GVC shares closed down by nearly 4%.  Meanwhile 888  shares closed up by 0.31%.


Plans have been submitted to redevelop part of Telford Shopping Centre.

Developers want to build seven large stores on the site of the former Asda supermarket, which would be renamed the Northern Quarter.
The 70,000 sq ft (6,503 sq m) space will be given a new entrance, with shopping and public art areas.
The work is part of a five-year plan for the centre which will see construction start on the Southern Quarter start in the summer.
Tim Binnington, chairman of developers Sovereign Land, said: "Modern retailers are looking for larger stores which this development will provide, enabling us to attract new brands and the latest concepts to Telford."
Members of the public will soon be asked to give their feedback on the plans on Telford and Wrekin Council's website.


A woman was taken to hospital after being hit by a bus in Perth.

The accident happened in County Place at about 18:30 on Saturday and involved a Stagecoach bus.
The woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The road was closed while police investigations were carried out.


Wales and Cardiff Blues scrum-half Lloyd Williams says Sam Warburton will still be integral in the Six Nations whether he keeps the captaincy or not.

Alun Wyn Jones is expected to take over from Warburton, who has skippered Wales for almost six years.
Warburton's Blues and Wales team-mate Williams said: "He is going to play a big part for Wales this Six Nations.
"Sam's done incredibly well as captain over the years and he's shown how important he's been."
The scrum-half added: "He's a good leader so whatever Sam decides is up to him but he'll have the players' support."
Williams, who hopes to be included when the squad is announced on Tuesday, thinks the 2017 competition will have extra layers of interest because of the bonus point system that is being introduced on a trial basis, as well as the controversial new tackle laws.
World Rugby's new laws on tackles came into force on 3 January and mean players can be punished for making contact with an opponent's head even if the tackle starts below the shoulders.
"Some games could come down to a few card decisions so it's something all teams will have to be wary of," Williams added.
"Big games come down to big decisions so that's important."
The 27-year-old, who has won 28 caps for Wales, says the bonus points will be an incentive and have a positive impact on the competition.
Wins in the Six Nations will now be rewarded with four points instead of two, while winning and losing teams will win bonus points for scoring four or more tries.
"Getting wins is really important. That will be the main priority but, towards the end of the competition, I'm sure bonus points will come into play," Williams added.
"Come 50 or 60 minutes, when teams can see the win in sight, they will push for a bonus point."


Up to 200 solar panels are set to be placed on Gloucester Cathedral's roof as part of a £6m renovation project.

The Project Pilgrim team says Gloucester Cathedral will become the oldest church building in England to have this technology installed.
Project Pilgrim manager Anne Cranston said: "It's more than a 100 panels but less than 200 depending on the size of the panels used."
The panels will be non-reflective, black and not visible from the ground.
It will cost about £100,000 to pay for the panels and most of this has been raised via a public appeal which has so far reached 90% of the goal.
Preparation work will need to be done ahead of the installation on the Nave of the Cathedral roof which is about 50 years old.
"We need to slightly change the shape of the ridge, repair some of the lead work, and we need to do some repairs of the guttering.
"Then we need to make sure that the frame [on the roof] can pin the panels down properly so they don't blow away in wind and then there's getting the cabling down into the main cathedral," added Ms Cranston.
Once the solar panels are installed, the project team has said they will reduce energy costs by 25% a year by producing between 28 and 30 MWh a year.
The Pilgrim Project is expected to take 10 years to complete.


George Groves says the injuries sustained by Eduard Gutknecht in their super-middleweight bout will haunt him until he retires from boxing.

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Briton Groves beat Gutknecht on points in December and the German was taken to hospital with a bleed on the brain.
Gutknecht's wife Julia revealed in April that the 34-year-old was not able to walk or talk.
"Selfishly, while I'm still fighting I'm always going to struggle with his situation," Groves told 5 live boxing.
"It's a horrible thing. I struggle with it, my wife struggles with it."
In her interview in Germany, Gutknecht's wife said he had made "little progress" and had also had "several strokes".
She explained the right hemisphere of his brain - which controls the left side of the body - is "almost completely damaged" and she also highlighted her battle to finance home care.
Groves, who visited Gutknecht in hospital, said he had not seen him since the German left the UK.
"It's very distressing," the 29-year-old said. "We don't know if his situation will deteriorate or if anything will happen.
"We feel for him, his wife, kids and family. It's horrible."
London-born Groves has not fought since that bout but will go for his first world title when he meets Russian Fedor Chudinov at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on 27 May.
The contest is part of the undercard as Britain's Kell Brook, who is from Sheffield, defends his IBF world welterweight title against American Errol Spence Jr and will be Groves' fourth attempt at winning a world crown.


Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald felt his side should have been given a penalty in their 1-0 defeat by Celtic.

Olivier Ntcham's first-half goal proved decisive as Kris Doolan headed over a glorious chance before Nir Bitton appeared to clip Miles Storey late on.
"It's a foul anywhere else on the pitch," said Archibald. "It's a big call in the last minute against Celtic.
"You don't often get them. We had one in midweek, we usually get one a year so we're not getting two in four days."
Celtic dominated possession but lacked a finishing touch with Leigh Griffiths starting on the bench and Moussa Dembele still missing.
Despite debuts for Conor Sammon and Miles Storey, signed from Hearts - on loan - and Aberdeen respectively, Thistle carried little threat until a late rally.
"We had one good chance [Doolan's] and the late penalty shout," Archibald told BBC Scotland. "We worked ever so hard, it's not easy to contain them.
"I know it's frustrating for our fans that we didn't come out and have a real go but you saw at the end there when we went with two strikers and they can quickly turn you over."
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes referee Andrew Dallas was in a good position to make the penalty call, and felt his side deserved to claim all three points.
"I'd need to see it again," said Rodgers. "It looked from where I was that Nir (Bitton) got a toe to it, and he was the right side of the defender.
"The pitch was maybe a bit slippy at that stage which is perhaps why the boy went down, but the ref was in a great position and he didn't give it.
"We will play better, of course - we were outstanding in the week [the 5-0 win over Kilmarnock] - but tonight is a game we will look back on at the end of the season and hopefully say it was an important three points.
"We could have been more comfortable in the game if we had put our chances away, but when it is still 1-0 you have to defend, and I thought the players were comfortable even though there was bit of pressure around our 18-yard box.
"We didn't quite perform as well as I would want - our standards are much higher than we showed - but it shows the resilience and mentality in the team to get the result tonight.
"That's maybe one of the games we would have drawn last season. So it's good the players can now see out games."
Rodgers revealed he could sign a new striker before the Champions League play-off first-leg tie against Astana on Wednesday.
Griffiths could only start as a substitute due to ongoing calf concerns, while French striker Dembele is out until September with a knee injury.
The Celtic manager said: "James (Forrest) is doing great playing in there, Tom Rogic has played up there and done brilliant for us but the dynamic of the team is better when you have a number nine who can play the role.
"It is really about the availability of a player.
"We will look to bring in quality if available. Maybe (next week). It is something that we have been working towards in the last few weeks, so there may be something happening."


US authorities have fined General Motors for failing to respond to requests for information about faulty ignition switches linked to 13 deaths.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had given GM until 3 April to reply to its requests, but it says a third of its 107 questions have not been answered.
GM says it will provide more documents "as soon as they become available".
The car maker is being fined $7,000 a day until it complies with the request.
On 4 March, the regulator asked GM for pictures, memos, emails and other information to answer questions about the recall.
The reply was due by Thursday of last week.
GM said it has delivered almost 21,000 documents related to the safety recall.
"We will continue to provide responses and facts as soon as they become available and hope to go about this in a constructive manner," GM said in statement.
"We will do so with a goal of being accurate as well as timely," it said.
Last week GM's chief executive Mary Barra apologised for an ignition switch fault in some cars linked to at least a dozen deaths in road crashes.
At a US congressional hearing, she also said she was "disturbed" by the company's previous comments about the high cost of replacing the defective parts.
General Motors has so far recalled 2.6m cars because of the defect.
But it has been criticised for taking too long to do so.
Faults with ignition switches in some GM models, including the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion, were first reported more than 10 years ago.


Neither contender for the Labour leadership could win a General Election with their current agenda, a party councillor for 30 years has said.

Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith will take part in the first live debate of the leadership contest on Thursday.
Russell Goodway, the former leader of both South Glamorgan and Cardiff councils, said Labour needed to move back to the centre ground.
But Labour AM Mike Hedges said the centre ground had lost them voters.
Mr Goodway told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme he did not think he would see another Labour government in his lifetime.
He said: "I think we've learned the lesson over the years we win elections by occupying the centre ground of British politics... the centre of gravity has shifted towards the Conservative party and we have to get it back.
"I'm not sure that somebody who prosecutes the same agenda [as Jeremy Corbyn] has any better chance of winning an election and particularly [an agenda] that seems to be committed to promising a second EU referendum.
"It was in our heartlands, in our core voting areas where people voted in their biggest numbers to leave and I think that to suggest we are going to win those people back by promising another referendum is futile.
"[The message] that's being put forward by Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters is such a narrow message that it's leaving so many people in the party who say 'he doesn't speak for me'."
He said: "We only have to stay out of power as long as we were out of power between '79 and '97 for me to be approaching 80 by the time there will be another Labour government.
"If the party were to split, and I really, really hope it does not split, I think the Labour party would disappear in the way the Liberals disappeared."
Swansea East AM Mr Hedges said he agreed with Mr Goodway's stance on the EU referendum.
"This idea of having a second referendum, I can think of no better way of annoying and losing the support of that swathe of Labour supporters in what's traditionally described as our heartlands," he said.
But he added: "2010 and 2015 -  we lost those elections because of the continuation of the Blair/Brown/Milliband centre of the party.
"We lost a huge number of voters at the last election... they're the people we have to win back by saying 'we are not all the same, we are going to do something different'.
"This movement to the centre with everybody trying to say exactly the same things, if the centre parties won we would never have had any non-Liberal Democratic government."
Mr Hedges said he did expect to see another Labour government if the issues of losing seats and voters are addressed.


One of Donald Trump's economic advisors has cautioned that a cut in the US corporate tax rate could have an impact on Northern Ireland jobs.

Mr Trump plans to slash the US rate from 35% to 15% to get manufacturers to move work to the United States.
Stephen Moore said the tax policy was mainly aimed at bringing work back from Asian countries.
But he did not rule out an impact on Northern Ireland.
"I wouldn't say it's nothing to worry about (for Northern Ireland)... I want to see jobs for America first," he said.
US companies are major investors in Northern Ireland and include manufacturing firms such as Caterpillar, Terex, GE and Emerson.
Mr Moore had previously talked about a "flood of companies" leaving the Republic of Ireland as a result of the planned tax change.
In an interview with BBC Radio Ulster he was more measured saying: "It's not like all of a sudden all these companies are going to leave and come back to the US - some might."
Mr Moore also agreed that US companies would continue to invest abroad.
He praised the low corporation tax polices of the British and Irish governments and said the Northern Ireland Executive was right to pursue a policy of cutting the tax.
"Capital flows to where its treated most kindly. Taxes aren't the only thing but they do matter," he said.
He also played down the possibility of a trade war with China or other countries saying the US simply wanted to renegotiate existing agreements.
Listen to the interview with Stephen Moore on BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster at 08:15 GMT on Tuesday.


St Mirren manager Alex Rae says Dundee made a "derogatory" bid for Stevie Mallan but commended St Johnstone after their approach for Keith Watson.

"As far as I'm led to believe, it has been knocked back," Rae said of the interest in midfielder Mallan.
"We felt it was a bit derogatory from Dundee and it would take a lot more money than that."
Right-back Watson is out of contract in the summer and Rae said Saints had informed them of their interest.
"We have to commend St Johnstone," he told BBC Scotland before Saturday's 2-2 draw with Hibernian.
"They have done it in the right manner - they sent a letter in saying they wanted to discuss with Keith the possibility of joining them."
Watson, who began his career with Dundee United, joined the Buddies last summer and the 26-year-old has been a stalwart for the Scottish Championship side this season.
"I'm led to believe that Keith has spoken to them but nothing's been signed as of yet," said Rae
"So we just have to wait and see on that one."
However, Rae does not believe that further negotiations are planned with Dundee over 20-year-old Mallon, who is a product of St Mirren's youth system.
"It's just been knocked out the park really," he said of the Premiership club's bid.
"I'm led to believe it is done and dusted as far as we are concerned."


I spent a day this week showing my new friend Harry Nao around my office.

He met lots of people - from John Humphrys on the Today Programme to Radio 2's Jeremy Vine - and many who came into contact with him were charmed. But here's a confession - I was rather disappointed in his conversation and his overall level of intelligence.
Because Nao is, of course, a robot. He is made by the French company Aldebaran, which is now owned by Japan's Softbank and he is full of advanced technology. The same company makes Pepper, an even smarter robot, which has just gone on sale to the general public in Japan. So enthusiastic were the public there about what has been billed by its makers as the first robot companion that Pepper sold out in a minute.
Nao is designed for use by academics and schools wanting to work on robotics projects, and Harry and three of his fellow robots were brought to the BBC by Charlotte Newton. She works for a consultancy called Active Robots which supplies a variety of industrial and educational robots  to companies big and small. Charlotte's job is to take Harry Nao - and Jessie, Dick and Diana - into schools and technology fairs to educate and enthuse audiences about the potential of robots. (By the way, she chooses the names and genders of the robots, and says she's always disappointed when a customer does not give a new Nao a name).
There was certainly enthusiasm at my workplace. As Harry took my hand and walked, very slowly into Broadcasting House a crowd gathered, including some of the photographers who wait outside the building for celebrities. There were oohs and aahs as he fell over and then righted himself, and general agreement that he was, well, quite sweet.
His head, packed with sensors giving him a widescreen view of the world around him and allowing him to hear and decode human voices, swivels and tries to work out who is addressing him. He has facial recognition and can gradually begin to differentiate between the different humans engaging with him. Unlike some of the ever more realistic humanoid robots appearing in Japan, he does not fall into what's known as the uncanny valley - he is cute rather than creepy.
He can also respond to various questions, his eyes turning green as he attempts to understand you. But here is where our problems began. While he seemed to understand me at first, he grew ever worse at responding to voices. Jeremy Vine had particular issues engaging with him. "Just give me something here, just one word," he pleaded, as Nao remained mute.
Intelligent Machines - a BBC News series looking at AI and robotics
Charlotte and I decided to do what most of us hate to do - read the manual. The guide to interacting with Nao told us to get close enough, make sure his eyes were navy blue showing he was listening, and speak in short complete sentences, then stop. But he kept being distracted by a light in the ceiling or some other background noise.
Even when he did respond, this was belittled by one veteran radio presenter who pointed out that he had just been programmed to give certain responses. Which is true but rather misses the point about robots and the wider area of artificial intelligence. Both depend on software and hardware coming together, with clever humans devising ever more complex algorithms and sensors delivering more data for the machines to process.
Nao may be clumsy and a poor listener at the moment but he is bound to get better. Like Cortana and Siri, the sophistication of his voice recognition software and his understanding of human questions will improve as he learns.
The real test of this kind of robot will be when his successor Pepper enters Japanese homes. I rather suspect that many buyers will, after the initial excitement, find themselves asking the same question that was posed to me as Nao and I travelled around the office - what is it for?
Neither Nao nor Pepper has any real practical use but that does not make them unimportant. They are experiments in the way we communicate with intelligent machines and if the last decade has taught us anything it is that design and user interface are as important as core technology in the success of a product.
My day with Nao did not convince me that robots are about to take all of our jobs but it did show that we can engage them with them on a human level. But maybe that is just stage one in their plot to take over the worldâ€¦


US rock and roll legend Chuck Berry has marked his 90th birthday by announcing his first new album in 38 years.

Simply titled Chuck, the 2017 release will be "comprised primarily of new, original songs" and was recorded "in various studios around St Louis".
"I've worked on this record for a long time," Berry said in a statement. "Now I can hang up my shoes!"
The veteran musician said the record was dedicated to Themetta "Toddy" Berry, his "beloved" wife of 68 years.
Two of Berry's children, Charles Berry Jr and Ingrid Berry, will be heard on the album playing guitar and harmonica respectively.
Berry Jr said the new songs "cover the spectrum from hard-driving rockers to soulful, thought-provoking time capsules of a life's work."
Other longtime members of Berry's hometown backing group - among them bass player Jimmy Marsala and pianist Robert Lohr - will play on the disc.
In a career spanning seven decades, Berry has released a string of classic songs such as Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B Goode.
He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
"It is a great honour to be a part of this record and the broader legacy of Chuck Berry," said Paul Roper of Dualtone Records.
"This body of work stands with the best of his career and will further cement Chuck as one of the greatest icons of rock and roll."
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Three houses destroyed in a gas explosion which left one man dead are to be rebuilt.

Paul Wilmott, 63, died in the blast at his detached home in Springwood, Haxby, near York, on 19 February.
An investigation said the explosion was caused by a gas pipe that fractured after floor slabs shifted, possibly because of the recent wet weather.
Planning applications have been submitted to rebuild Mr Wilmott's home and two adjacent properties.
Live updates on this story and others in North Yorkshire
The blast on 19 February completely destroyed Mr Wilmott's home, damaged neighbouring properties and left debris strewn across the road and gardens. Mr Wilmott's body was found in the wreckage.
The Health and Safety Executive and North Yorkshire Police found that a copper gas pipe, installed in the 1970s, had corroded over time and fractured at a point where two concrete floor slabs met.
This resulted in an uncontrolled gas escape which ignited, causing the explosion.


United States Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III has named Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar and JB Holmes as three of four wildcard picks for this year's event.

"We are very confident in them and we are excited that we have our 11 players now and we can move on," said Love III.
"This was a tough decision and we have another tough decision in two weeks."
Love III, who skippered the US when they lost to Europe in 2012, names the final member of his 12-man team on 25 September.
This year's Ryder Cup will take place at Hazeltine National in Minnesota from 30 September to 2 October.
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jimmy Walker, Brooks Koepka, Brandt Snedeker and Zach Johnson had already qualified automatically for the US team, which has lost the last three contests.
Two-time Masters champion and world number seven Bubba Watson is among the players in contention for the final wildcard spot.
US wildcard picks:
European captain Darren Clarke has named Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and rookie Thomas Pieters as his three wildcards.


Three workers are dead and one other is in hospital after a section of scaffolding has collapsed at a tall construction project in North Carolina.

Emergency responders say the platform peeled away from the glass and steel building and collapsed into a car park in Raleigh.
Authorities are working to identify the dead and the cause of the accident.
Construction industry accidents are the leading cause of workplace death in North Carolina, officials say.
The four workers were all involved in the construction project, Wake County EMS district chief Jeffrey Hammerstein said.
Other workers at the scene said the surviving worker, who is reported to be severely injured, was found breathing but almost unresponsive in a portable toilet.
It is not clear whether the man fell into the toilet or was inside when the scaffolding fell.
The workers were removing and lowering the scaffolding when the collapse happened around 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT), local television station WRAL reported.
Emergency officials have cordoned off the area around the construction site, and state and federal investigators are said to be on the scene, according to WTVD, another local television station.
The 11-story building under construction is set to open in May, local reports say.
Nineteen people were killed at construction sites in North Carolina in 2014, according to the state's labour department.


An HIV-positive Malawian man has been found guilty for having unprotected sex with newly bereaved widows.

The practice of "widow cleansing", when a widow must have sex after her husband dies, was outlawed a few years ago.
Eric Aniva, a sex worker known in Malawi as a "hyena", admitted in a BBC interview to having sex with more than 100 women and underage girls and not disclosing his HIV status.
This led to the president ordering his arrest in July.
President Peter Mutharika had wanted Aniva tried for defiling young girls, but none came forward to testify against him.
Instead Aniva was tried for "harmful cultural practice" under section five of Malawi's Gender Equality Act for having sex with new widows.
Two women testified against him.
He will be sentenced on 22 November 2016.
The BBC's southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen says the case has attracted international media attention and sharply divided opinion as to how widespread the practice remains.
Aniva was the subject of a BBC feature into various sexual cleansing practices in Malawi.
In some remote southern regions of the country it is traditional for girls to be made to have sex with a man after their first menstruation.
Last year Malawi banned child marriage, raising the legal age of marriage from 15 to 18 - something activists hoped would put an end to early sexual initiations.


A visitor centre at an internationally important nature reserve in East Yorkshire has reopened after a £1.3m upgrade.

Bempton Cliffs at Flamborough Head has the UK's largest mainland seabird colony, according to the RSPB.
It said the new facilities would bring more visitors and improve their access to the thousands of nesting birds.
Keith Clarkson, site manager, said: "It's absolutely fantastic. It's been 10 years in the making."
The centre, which attracts about 76,000 people a year, has been closed since September for redevelopment.
It now has a bigger reception, a sheltered place for education and space for community groups and family activities.
The footpaths have been made more accessible and extra spaces provided in the car park.
Its reopening coincides with the BBC's Springwatch programme, which is based at the nature reserve for its Easter show.
Springwatch will be on BBC Two at 21:00 BST.


A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of fundraising for the purpose of terrorism.

He was held at a residential address in Coventry by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, Scotland Yard said.
The suspect was taken to a West Midlands police station.
The address was searched by officers and the man was released on bail pending further enquiries, the spokesman said.


The Championship has become a "naughty boys corner" for relegated Premiership sides, according to the Cornish Pirates chairman, after the scrapping of play-offs from the second tier.

From next season, the Championship winners will go up automatically if they meet 'minimum standard criteria'.
Jersey and Yorkshire Carnegie are among clubs that are in favour of the change.
"I hope it doesn't lead to the Championship becoming a non-entity," said Pirates chairman Paul Durkin.
"If you're relegated from the Premiership you're put in the naughty boys corner, which is in the Championship, for a year and expected to come back up.
"That's what it feels like to us, the way that it's going - it takes away from the competition, I think."
As part of the new agreement between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby, Championship clubs will be given increased funding.
Durkin told BBC Radio Cornwall that second-tier sides will share £2.7m between them over three years, but relegated Premiership sides will receive a parachute payment of "over £3m".
"While first past the post is a good idea, and I would be in favour of that if there was a level playing field, this is not a level playing field," he continued.
The majority of Championship sides, including Jersey Reds, are not eligible for promotion, as they lack the required ground facilities.
"You've got London Irish sitting top of the Championship, 15 points ahead of Yorkshire Carnegie - they're undefeated," Reds chairman Mark Morgan told BBC Radio Jersey.
"It would be very unfair to get to the end of the season and, just because they have one bad game in a knock-out situation, they don't go to the Premiership."
The 2015-16 Championship play-off final was held on 25 May, with the new Premiership campaign starting 100 days later.
"To be in the middle of May recruiting for a new season that is just two or three months away is impossible - and we can see the result that's had on Bristol," Morgan added.
"Although they would not say that they have ring fenced the Premiership, to all intents and purposes on a financial basis that's really what's happened."
Yorkshire Carnegie were in the top flight as recently as 2011 - they are now second in the Championship, which will put them in the promotion play-offs this term but count for nothing from next season.
Although scrapping the play-offs could arguably make it more difficult for them to go up, executive president Sir Ian McGeechan, the former British & Irish Lions coach, supports the RFU change.
"Having been part the play-off system for a number of years, I am pleased to see the return of the first-past-the-post system," he said.
"The decision to make this announcement now is particularly welcome for all the clubs and allows the Championship sides the opportunity to get their financial and personnel planning in place for 2017-18 at the right time of year."
The Championship play-offs were introduced for the 2009-10 campaign, with Exeter Chiefs the side to gain promotion despite finishing second in the regular season.
Bristol - the side Exeter defeated in the final - have been the side most affected by the play-offs, finishing top of the league on five occasions before finally reaching the Premiership last year.
"Most people would probably say [scrapping play-offs] benefits the Premiership - I wouldn't disagree with that," Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon.
"It'll be a tougher scenario and a different management situation for the regular Championship clubs, because they can't focus on seeing if they can create some moments in a final.
"They now have to create a good pre-season that builds a good start to the season, because they'll need to be up and challenging from day one."


Walking football is a very popular game in the UK - trouble is, no-one can agree how to play it.

There are 800 clubs playing a sport invented in 2011 as a low-impact alternative to the 'beautiful game'.
But with no standardised rules, except that running is forbidden, disputes have become common at competitions nationwide.
Now the Football Association is stepping in, drafting a rulebook that it hopes everyone can agree on.
Andy Dyke, the FA's national participation manager for recreational football, said the association wanted to encourage serious, competitive walking football and was working with groups involved in the sport to create a standard set of rules.
"The challenge is to retain its appeal as an accessible, fun, recreational pastime, but add a formal element for those that seek to take the game to a more competitive level," he said.
"We recognise the importance of putting the players themselves at the heart of any decision and are currently involved in a series of consultations".
The rulebook is likely to follow the FA's existing rules for small-sided matches. Walking football is usually played between teams of five to seven players, with kick-ins instead of throw-ins, no offside rule and, of course, a slower pace.
Steve Rich, who runs a national directory of walking football clubs, said: "People who've got too old or injured have to leave regular football in their 30s. Walking football is a way to extend their football career without the pace and twisting and turning of the faster game.
"But it's immensely good exercise - we see people lose weight and gain condition."
Mr Rich, who took up walking football after a knee injury when he was 26, said the sport had grown from 125 clubs two years ago to 800 clubs today. But he said it was held back by a lack of an agreed rulebook.
"One team down the road or in a different county may have completely different rules.  It's great that the FA has finally decided to step in. It's got to the stage where some people are deciding to leave competitive walking football because of the various rules," he said.
One of the most controversial issues in dispute is the level of physical contact allowed between players, said Mr Rich, with some clubs insisting on minimal contact and others allowing a more physical game.
But clubs agree on the way to enforce a walking pace - players are required to keep one foot on the ground at all times. Anyone who breaks into a jog usually receives two warnings before a two-minute penalty in the sin bin.
Among the disputed rules which the FA will now be expected to resolve are:
The game was initially created by Chesterfield FC Community Trust in 2011 as a way to help older players and people with injuries stay active.
It has since won the endorsement of players such as Sir Geoff Hurst and Harry Kane, who took part in a promotional match last year.