A slide built to rejuvenate London's Olympic Park is not attracting enough visitors and is "saddled with a debt that will never be repaid".

The slide, which was added to the Orbit Tower in June last year and has had 138,245 visitors, is £12.2m in debt with interest growing by £700k a year.
Some London Assembly members have said the debt could be passed to taxpayers.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) said it was under no deadline to repay the debt.
It denied public funds would be called upon.
It added the total number of people who used the attraction last year was 193,147 when including people who paid to access the Observation Tower, which was at the higher end of its projection.
Since the tower, which is the UK's tallest sculpture, was built by steel company ArcelorMittal in 2012, concerns have been raised about its financial viability.
In the financial year of 2016-17, 13,548 people bought an annual pass. But since April this year only 184 have.
In 2016, the slide was added to try to bring in more income from tower visitors.
At £16.50 a ticket, about 740,000 adults would need to go down it to pay the current debt.
16 million
Visitors to the Park
2.76 million Have used the Aquatic Centre since 2014-15, 16% more than its target
80,000 People have participated in events
13,000 People have worked in the Park since the Games
Andrew Boff, Conservative London Assembly member, said: "The tower itself is poor value for money.
"I don't think the visitor numbers justify the costs and it's not a bold visitor attraction.
"The mindset is almost, 'let's chuck it on a credit card and forget about it', and that way of thinking hasn't exactly worked out well in the past."
He added: "They gave the impression that ArcelorMittal were going to pay for all of it, then we had the slide and running costs so what's to say that taxpayers won't pay more in the future?
"I hope we never again have an Olympic Games in London."
When the tower was built, it was gifted £10m by ArcelorMittal who then also loaned it £9.2m.
The loan does not have to be paid until the LLDC has cleared other debts, such as the cost of installing the slide.
The contract also stipulates that once the tower makes a profit, 50% goes to the LLDC and 50% is used as loan repayments.
Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member, said: "How long is it going to take [to pay the debt]? They always had rosy expectations.
"When something is new people always want to have a go on it, but it's quite an expensive attraction and I can't see West Ham fans going up and down it year after year.
"The money that is owed on the loan and the interest could be spent on other more important services.
"It is still a debt, it's a growing debt, and we'll have to pay for it."
But the LLDC said the current deal meant the loan would be paid from profits so taxpayers' money was not being diverted from other projects.
It added that last year the venue posted a profit of £200,000 last year, turning around a loss of £800,000 from the previous year.
A spokesman said: "It's a favourable deal for the taxpayer as it allows the tower to get established and to make a profit before the debt is repaid.
"There's no set target, it will be repaid once we can."
Thursday marks the fifth anniversary since the Olympic Games opened in the city.


Downing Street has confirmed that "urgent, intensive and focused cross-party talks" will begin next week in Belfast in an attempt to resolve the crisis at the assembly.

It was sparked by the recent murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr.
The Ulster Unionists withdrew from the executive after police said Provisional IRA members had a role in the killing.
The talks, which will be held at Stormont House, will be led by Secretary of State Theresa Villiers.
The talks will cover two issues - securing the full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement and paramilitary activity.
The five biggest parties will be asked to take part in the discussions.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Prime Minister David Cameron and Taoiseach Enda Kenny had spoken on Wednesday about the situation in Northern Ireland.
"They agreed that the current situation in Northern Ireland is serious and without urgent progress there is a real threat to the stability of the devolved institutions," the spokesperson added.
Mr Cameron also had separate discussions with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
Ms Villiers has also held a series of meetings and conversations with all the main parties in Northern Ireland and with the Irish government.
"A failure to resolve the issues under discussion would raise serious questions about the sustainability of the devolved institutions," she said.
"I would expect each of the parties to give these talks their highest priority as we seek to find a way forward."
Downing Street said the purpose of the talks was to "secure full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement and to deal with issues arising from the impact of continued paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland".
The Irish government will be involved on matters for which they have responsibility.
In a statement, Mr Kenny said: "We envisage that this process of talks should be short, focused and intensive and deal with full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement as well as the trust and confidence issues arising from the legacy of paramilitarism."
The assembly is due to return on Monday.
Sinn FÃ©in's Martin McGuinness welcomed the talks announcement.
"We have been calling over several months now for the parties and the two governments to get around the table to work together on finding a resolution to the real difficulties facing the political process," he said.
The SDLP's Alex Attwood said the talks "must be the only show in town" and the British government should have no "understandings" with any party.
Alliance Party leader David Ford said the talks "need to be a genuine attempt to move beyond the seemingly endless cycle of crisis after crisis".
"Uncertainty must be brought to an end and paramilitarism cannot remain in our society, poisoning relationships and being the great unsaid truth in Northern Ireland," he said.


The government has refused to confirm or deny reports that Chancellor George Osborne wants the Treasury to take charge of Trident renewal.

The Times reports that he wants to strip the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Â£40bn project to build four new nuclear missile-carrying submarines.
He is said to have given an "ultimatum" that he will sign off the funds, but only if the Treasury has oversight.
The government said it did not comment on the contents of a "leaked document".
A spokesman said the government was committed to "maintaining a continuous at-sea deterrent", and more details would be provided at the Strategic Security and Defence Review, expected on 23 November.
A decision on whether to renew Trident - the UK's sea-based nuclear weapons system, made up of submarines, missiles and warheads - is due to be taken in 2016.
The Times quoted a "defence industry source" as saying there was a "tug of war" between the Treasury and the MoD, run by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, over Trident renewal.
The chancellor is said to want the project to be given to a new body that reports to the Treasury, if he is to support the funding for it.
The unnamed source suggested Mr Osborne was concerned about the MoD's ability to deliver the new submarines on time.
"The MoD has a poor record on delivering submarines on time," said the source.
Asked about the reports, a government spokesman said: "While we are not prepared to comment on the contents of a leaked document, the government remains committed to maintaining a continuous at-sea deterrent, and to replacing the current Vanguard class of nuclear armed submarines with four Successor submarines."
"We will set out more detail with the publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review."
The Prospect union, which represents defence specialists in the private and public sector, said it was "fanciful" to think the Treasury could take on the project.
"The idea that the Treasury - or indeed the Cabinet Office - has the skills to manage such a complex and technologically-challenging project as the Successor Programme is fanciful and needs to be fiercely challenged.
"Mr Osborne's land-grab will send shivers across Whitehall. Many will be wondering which major project will be next in his cross-hairs."
The Conservative government supports replacing Trident in its current form.
Labour has also been in favour, although leader Jeremy Corbyn opposes nuclear weapons and the party's policy is being reviewed.
Scottish Labour party delegates backed a vote to scrap the nuclear missile system, at the party's autumn conference.


China continued their dominance of Olympic table tennis as their men's team beat Japan in Wednesday's final.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Ma Long, Jike Zhang and Xu Xin defeated the Japanese trio of Koki Niwa, Jun Mizutani and Maharu Yoshimura 3-1.
China won all four table tennis golds available in Rio to take their total to 28 from the 32 available since table tennis' first Olympic appearance in Seoul in 1988.
Germany beat South Korea 3-1 to take the bronze medal.


A student accommodation building in London has been named the country's worst new building.

Building Design Magazine said judges failed to see how University College London's building on Caledonian Road was "fit for human occupation".
It said the majority of rooms lack adequate daylight, offer little privacy and a significant number have no direct view out at all.
UCL said the building complied with all necessary planning regulations.
The magazine's annual Carbuncle Cup competition claims to recognise the worst architectural projects.
Designed by Stephen George and Partners for UCL, judges said what was once a historic red brick warehouse has now been largely demolished despite being protected.
It said: "The original frontage has been retained in a cynical gesture towards preservation.
"But its failings go deeper: this is a building that the jury struggled to see as remotely fit for human occupation."
Executive editor and Carbuncle Cup juror Ellis Woodman added: "There is no small irony in the fact that the building stands on the same street as HMP Pentonville."
The runner-up for the Carbuncle Cup, Castle Mill housing at Oxford University, is also student accommodation, while Redcar Beacon - also known as the Vertical Pier - came third.
Islington Council had refused planning permission for UCL's building, however that was overturned by the inspectorate.
Councillor Paul Convery, who chaired the council committee which turned down the planning application, said permission was refused for reasons including the poor quality of the design and the poor quality of amenity for students.
"We were very disappointed that the government inspector overturned the council's decision and granted planning permission for this building."
UCL said: "A challenging aspect of the building design was the need for us to incorporate the faÃ§ade, which is listed, into an appropriate hall of residence.
"The design evolved through in-depth and extensive consultation with Islington Council's planning, conservation and urban design officers and we are happy with the outcome.
"The final design complies with all necessary planning regulations in respect of outlook, amenity and natural daylight."


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he got his start in business with a "small" $1m loan from his father.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, voters asked the flamboyant businessman to show some humility and common ground with average Americans.
Mr Trump said he "often drives himself" and recently ate at McDonald's.
His father Fred was a successful real estate developer who gave him seed money to begin investments.
"It has not been easy for me," said Mr Trump.
"And I started off in Brooklyn, my father gave me a small loan of $1m. I came into Manhattan and I had to pay him back, and I had to pay him back with interest."
The town hall's host, NBC's Matt Lauer, said most people would not consider that a small amount.
One woman at the town hall said some would only vote for him if he would "eat a piece of humble pie once in a while", to which Mr Trump responded that doing so would expose weaknesses to foes like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Opponent Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon, has been gaining on Mr Trump in some polls.
In the last few days, he has been on the receiving end of attacks from the billionaire businessman, who says Mr Carson is "low energy".
Voting in the party primary contests begin in February and the presidential election is in November next year.


Gateshead got back to winning ways with a comfortable National League triumph over Southport.

The Heed made a bright start but were made to wait until the 27th minute for a breakthrough, with Jordan Burrow nudging the ball over the line after James Bolton's initial effort was blocked.
The opener may have been scrappy, but George Smith's fine strike from 25 yards made it 2-0 just before half-time as he notched his first goal for Gateshead.
Danny Johnson put the result beyond doubt just after the hour after picking up Wes York's through ball to finish between Magnus Norman's legs.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Gateshead 3, Southport 0.
Second Half ends, Gateshead 3, Southport 0.
Patrick McLaughlin (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Substitution, Gateshead. Nyal Bell replaces Danny Johnson.
Goal!  Gateshead 3, Southport 0. Danny Johnson (Gateshead).
Substitution, Southport. Ashley Grimes replaces Jamie Allen.
Substitution, Southport. Ben McKenna replaces Declan Weeks.
Second Half begins Gateshead 2, Southport 0.
First Half ends, Gateshead 2, Southport 0.
Goal!  Gateshead 2, Southport 0. George Smith (Gateshead).
James Bolton (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal!  Gateshead 1, Southport 0. Jordan Burrow (Gateshead).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Britain's aircraft carriers are crucial to its future as an effective global power, the First Sea Lord has warned.

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, head of the Royal Navy, said the ability to launch air power from the sea was a vital way of asserting "strategic international influence".
Britain has not had a carrier strike force since its Sea Harriers were axed by the government in 2010.
Meanwhile, a defence minister has said the UK will continue to fight piracy.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) think-tank in London, Admiral Stanhope emphasised the ongoing significance of the Navy's two new carriers - which are being built and are scheduled to enter service with the Joint Strike Fighter from 2018.
He pointed out that - between the end of World War II and the scrapping of the Sea Harrier in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review - Britain had deployed carriers in every year but 1989.
"To put it simply, countries that aspire to strategic international influence have aircraft carriers and countries that have them use them," he said.
"Air power from the sea was an important part of our national story last century and it will continue to be a vital part of our national story this century."
Also addressing Rusi, Gerald Howarth, the minister responsible for international security strategy, underlined the need for the international community to continue its battle against piracy - particularly off the coast of Somalia.
"If we do not tackle it off the Horn of Africa - this is going to require very little investment for a massive return - it will be replicated in other parts of the world," he said.
"The human costs are sobering - hundreds of unfortunate men and women have been taken hostage.
He added that the economic effects and consequences would also be "potentially dire - both for the maritime industry and the wider global economy".


French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has dismissed lurid online rumours that he had a gay affair.

Mr Macron, a 39-year-old married to his former high-school teacher who is 20 years his senior, told supporters his wife Brigitte "shares my whole life".
Any reports of a double life were not about him but his "hologram", he joked.
The claims emerged on a Russian-owned website as the centrist nudged ahead of a key rival in polls, less than three months before the presidential vote.
Addressing a rally in Paris on Monday, Mr Macron said the claims of a secret life were "first and foremost unpleasant for Brigitte".
"She shares my whole life from morning till night and she wonders how I could physically do it!" he said.
"If in dinner-party chatter, or in forwarded emails, you're told that I have a double life," he added, "it's my hologram that suddenly escaped, but it can't be me!"
The joke was a reference to far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who launched his presidential campaign in Lyon on Sunday - and appeared at a Paris rally simultaneously thanks to a 3D hologram.
New star of French politics urges unity
Right-wing MP Nicolas Dhuicq told Russia's state-run Sputnik News on Saturday that Mr Macron was backed by a "very wealthy gay lobby" and suggested that his loyalties lay with big American banks.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has also been quoted by Russia's Izvestia newspaper as saying "we have interesting information" about Mr Macron, culled from the hacked emails of Hillary Clinton. Izvestia gave no details.
The fortunes of Mr Macron's centre-right rival. Francois Fillon, have waned over allegations that Mr Fillon's wife had done little work for the hundreds of thousands of euros she earned as a parliamentary aide between 1998 and 2012.
If the polls are right, Mr Macron would qualify for the second-round run-off in May and defeat far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who has backed Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.


A UN illegal drugs body has criticised 2012 moves in two US states to legalise recreational use of marijuana.

In a new report, the International Narcotics Control Board urged the US federal government to ensure anti-drug treaties were "fully implemented on the entirety of its territory".
It also said Afghanistan's response to record levels of land being used to produce opium poppies was lacking.
The board also warned that use of the drug ecstasy could rise in Europe.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) was established in the 1960s to monitor UN nations' adherence to treaties on the control of narcotic drugs.
In the group's latest report, INCB president Raymond Yans said that the organisation remained concerned about initiatives around the world which aimed to legalise the recreational use of cannabis.
He said new laws approved by voters in 2012 in two US states, Colorado and Washington State, "contravene the provisions of the drug control conventions, which limit the use of cannabis to medical and scientific use only".
â€œINCB urges the government of the United States to ensure that the treaties are fully implemented on the entirety of its territory.â€


Russia has condemned Moldova's decision to expel five of its diplomats, calling it a move against the country's pro-Russian president.

Russia's response will be "quite harsh", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said.
Moldova's pro-EU government announced the expulsions on Monday, without giving a reason. It is one of Europe's poorest countries and gets EU funding.
Moldovan President Igor Dodon called the move "outrageous".
"This has most likely been done on orders from the West, maybe even from across the ocean, by those who are worried that a constructive and effective dialogue has finally been found between the presidency and the Kremlin," he said.
It was an "unfriendly step" against a "strategic partner", he wrote on Facebook. He was elected president in November, after pledging to restore close ties with Russia.
The Russian ambassador was told that the five diplomats - not yet named - must leave Moldova within 72 hours.
Mr Karasin called the move "a deliberate blow against the intensification of Chisinau-Moscow relations, including against President Dodon's positions".
In March a former Moldovan MP, Yuri Bolbochan, was arrested and accused of treason for allegedly having passed secrets to an aide to the Russian military attache.
The aide - named by Russian media as Alexander Grudin - is reported to be among the five diplomats ordered to leave Moldova.
Moldova signed a far-reaching association agreement with the EU in 2014, and Russia promptly imposed import restrictions on the country's agricultural produce.
Russian troops are stationed in the breakaway Trans-Dniester region, which is economically dependent on Russia and defies the Moldovan government in Chisinau.
In 2015 Moldova was rocked by a huge fraud case, when more than â‚¬1bn (Â£867m; $1.1bn) disappeared from three banks.
The conflict in neighbouring Ukraine has raised tensions in Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic that Russia sees as part of its sphere of influence.


North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is paying his second visit to China within a year, South Korean media report.

Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean official saying that Mr Kim's personal train departed on Wednesday.  One report said he was accompanied by his son and possible heir Kim Jong-un.
He visited a school in China's Jilin province, teachers and students said.
North Korean and Chinese officials traditionally do not confirm Mr Kim's visits until his return to Pyongyang.
The reclusive leader, who rarely travels abroad, last visited China in May.
The visit comes amid renewed speculation about a successor to Kim Jong-il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke two years ago.
"Chairman Kim's special train has been confirmed to have left Manpo for China's Jilin around midnight Wednesday," an unnamed South Korean official told Yonhap news agency.
Teachers and a student at Yuwen Middle School in Jilin separately told the media that Mr Kim paid a 20-minute visit to their school on Thursday morning.
His father, Kim Il-sung, reportedly attended the school between 1927 and 1930.
It is not yet clear how long Mr Kim will remain in China or what the main purpose of his visit might be.
Trade could be a motive for the trip, says the BBC's John Sudworth in South Korea's capital, Seoul.
North Korea relies on aid and trade from China to prop up its tottering state-run economy.
But the succession to the ailing Mr Kim could be on the agenda, says our correspondent.
Mr Kim is reported to have had a stroke two years ago and is thought to be manoeuvring to make his third son, Kim Jong-un, his heir.
A major conference of the ruling party of North Korea is to be held in September, and some analysts expect some kind of succession-related announcement there.
One South Korean TV station cited a South Korean official as saying Kim Jong-un was with his father on the trip.
Another possible motive for the trip, say analysts, is discussion of North Korea's nuclear programme.
China has been making moves to resume the six-nation talks on disarming the North, after the sinking of a South Korean warship in March inflamed tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul. North Korea has been blamed for the sinking.
Meanwhile, former US President Jimmy Carter has spent the night in Pyongyang trying to secure the release of a US citizen detained by North Korea since January.
Aijalon Mahli Gomes was sentenced to eight years' hard labour for illegally entering North Korea.
There are reports that he could leave with Mr Carter some time on Thursday.


1914 - Cyprus annexed by Britain, after more than 300 years of Ottoman rule. Britain had occupied the island in 1878, although it remained nominally under Ottoman sovereignty.
1925 - Becomes crown colony.
1955 - Greek Cypriots begin guerrilla war against British rule. The guerrilla movement, the National Organisation of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA), wants enosis (unification) with Greece. British authorities arm a paramilitary police force made up of Turkish Cypriots.
1956 - Archbishop Makarios, head of enosis campaign, deported to the Seychelles.
1959 - Archbishop Makarios returns and is elected president.
1960 - Cyprus gains independence after Greek and Turkish communities reach agreement on a constitution. Treaty of Guarantee gives Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene. Britain retains sovereignty over two military bases.
1963 - Makarios raises Turkish fears by proposing constitutional changes which would abrogate power-sharing arrangements. Inter-communal violence erupts. Turkish side withdraws from power-sharing.
1964 - United Nations peacekeeping force set up. Turkish Cypriots withdraw into defended enclaves.
1974 - Military junta in Greece backs coup against Makarios, who escapes. Within days Turkish troops land in north. Greek Cypriots flee their homes.
Coup collapses. Turkish forces occupy third of the island, enforce partition between north and south roughly along the "Green Line" ceasefire line drawn up by UN forces in 1963. About 165,000 Greek Cypriots flee or are driven from the Turkish-occupied north, and about 45,000 Turkish Cypriots leave the south for the north.
The UN Security Council unanimously passes a resolution calling on Turkey to withdraw its troops from Cyrpus. Turkey refuses to do so, despite repeated UN Security Council resolutions making the same demand over the following decades.
Glafcos Clerides, president of the House of Representatives, becomes president until Makarios returns in December.
1975 - Turkish Cypriots establish independent administration, with Rauf Denktash as president. Denktash and Clerides agree population exchange.
1977 - Makarios dies. Succeeded by Spyros Kyprianou.
1980 - UN-sponsored peace talks resume.
1983 - Denktash suspends talks and proclaims Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It is recognised only by Turkey.
1985 - No agreement at talks between Denktash and Kyprianou.
1988 - Georgios Vassiliou elected Greek Cypriot president.
1989 - Vassiliou-Denktash talks abandoned.
1992 - Talks resume and collapse again.
1993 - Glafcos Clerides replaces Vassiliou as president.
1994 - European Court of Justice rules that a list of goods, including fruit and vegetables, are not eligible for preferential treatment when exported by the Turkish Cypriot community directly to the EU.
1996 - Increased tension, violence along buffer zone in which two Greek Cypriot men were killed.
1997 - Failure of UN-mediated peace talks between Clerides and Denktash.
1998 - Clerides re-elected to a second term by narrow margin.
EU lists Cyprus as potential member.
Clerides' government threatens to install Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles. Turkey threatens military action. Clerides decides not to deploy the missiles.
2001 June - UN Security Council renews its 36-year mission. Some 2,400 peacekeepers patrol the buffer zone between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
2001 July - Dozens of police officers are injured as protesters attack a British military base at Akrotiri over plans to build telecommunications masts alleged to pose a health hazard.
2001 November - Turkey threatens to annex the north if the Republic of Cyprus joins the EU. It says the move, coming before any reunification settlement, would violate the 1960 treaty.
2002 January - Clerides and Denktash begin UN-sponsored negotiations. Minds are concentrated by EU membership aspirations.
2002 November - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presents a comprehensive peace plan for Cyprus which envisages a federation with two constituent parts, presided over by a rotating presidency.
2002 December - EU summit in Copenhagen invites Cyprus to join in 2004 provided the two communities agree to UN plan by early spring 2003. Without reunification, only the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot part of the island will gain membership.
2003 February - Tassos Papadopoulos defeats Clerides in presidential elections.
2003 March - UN deadline for agreement on reunification plan passes. Secretary-General Kofi Annan acknowledges that the plan has failed.
2003 April - Turkish and Greek Cypriots cross island's dividing "green line" for first time in 30 years after Turkish Cypriot authorities ease border restrictions.
2004 April - Twin referendums on whether to accept UN reunification plan in last-minute bid to achieve united EU entry. Plan is endorsed by Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots.
Turkish Cypriot leader stood down after decades in politics
2004 May - Cyprus is one of 10 new states to join the EU, but does so as a divided island.
2004 December - Turkey agrees to extend its EU customs union agreement to 10 new member states, including Cyprus. The Turkish prime minister says this does not amount to a formal recognition of Cyprus.
2005 April - Mehmet Ali Talat elected Turkish Cypriot president.
2005 May - Greek Cypriot and UN officials begin exploratory talks on prospects for new diplomatic peace effort.
2005 August - Cypriot airliner crashes near Athens, Greece, killing all 121 passengers and crew. It is the island's worst peacetime disaster.
2006 May - Greek Cypriots back ruling coalition in parliamentary elections, endorsing its opposition to reunification efforts.
2006 July - UN-sponsored talks between President Papadopolous and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agree a series of confidence-building measures and contacts between the two communities.
2006 November - EU-Turkey talks on Cyprus break down over Turkey's continued refusal to open its ports to traffic from the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey says the EU should end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community before Turkey opens its ports.
2007 January-March - Greek and Turkish Cypriots demolish barriers dividing the old city of Nicosia. The moves are seen as paving the way for another official crossing point on what used to be a key commercial thoroughfare.
2008 January - Cyprus adopts the euro.
2008 February - Left-wing leader Demetris Christofias wins presidential elections. Promises to work towards reunification.
2008 March - President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agree to start formal talks on reunification.
2008 April - Symbolic Ledra Street crossing between the Turkish and Greek sectors of Nicosia reopened for first time since 1964.
2008 September - Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders launch intensive negotiations aimed at ending the division of the island.
2009 April - Right-wing nationalist National Unity Party wins parliamentary elections in northern Cyprus, hampering peace talks. Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat remains in office, but in a weakened position. Reunification talks continue through 2009, with little progress.
2010 January - President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat resume talks on reunification in downbeat mood, no progress made.
2010 April - Dervis Eroglu, who favours independence, wins the Turkish north's leadership contest, beating pro-unity incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat.
2010 May - Re-unification talks resume with a new hardliner representing the Turkish north.
2011 May - Parliamentary polls. The the main rightwing opposition party DISY wins by a narrow margin.
2011 July - Navy chief Andreas Ioannides and 12 others die when people when impounded Iranian containers of explosives blow up at the main naval base and the country's main power plant. The defence minister, military chief and foreign minister resign over the incident, which officials say occurred after a bush fire ignited the explosives.
Credit rating agency Moody's cuts Cyprus's rating by two notches from A2 to BAA1, increasing risk of Cyprus requiring an EU bailout. Power shortages caused by the naval base blast knocking out the country's main power station, plus significant Greek debt, make financial reform difficult. Fitch cut Cyprus's rating to A- from AA- in May over Greek debt fears.
2011 August - President Christofias appoints a new cabinet with economist Kikis Kazamias from his AKEL party as finance minister. The previous cabinet resigned after the power shortages prompted the departure from the coalition government of the centre-right party DIKO.
2011 September - Cyprus begins exploratory drilling for oil and gas, prompting a diplomatic row with Turkey, which responds by sending an oil vessel to waters off northern Cyprus.
2011 October - President Christofias rejects the findings of an official report accusing him of "personal responsibility" for the July naval base blast on the grounds that he had been allegedly aware of the risk.
2012 April - The UN cancels plans for a Cyprus conference, citing lack of progress on any of the substantial differences between the two sides.
Turkey's Turkish Petroleum Corporation begins drilling for oil and gas onshore in northern Cyprus despite protests from the Cypriot government that the action is illegal.
2012 June - Cyprus appeals to European Union for financial assistance to shore up its banks, which are heavily exposed to the stumbling Greek economy.
2012 November - Cyprus says it has reached an "in-principle agreement" with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF on the terms of a bailout deal. The actual size of the bailout is to be determined following an investigation into the country's ailing banks.
2013 February - Democratic Rally conservative candidate Nicos Anastasiades beats AKEL Communist party candidate Stavros Malas by a large margin in the presidential election run-off and succeeds Demetris Christofias as president.
2013 March - President Anastasiades secures 10bn-euro bank bailout from the European Union and IMF. Laiki Bank, the country's second-biggest, is wound down and deposit-holders with more than 100,000 euros will face big losses.
2013 April - Finance Minister Michael Sarris resigns, citing an official investigation into the mishandling of the bailout. Until 2012 he was head of the collapsed Laiki Bank.
2013 May - Cyprus receives 2bn euros - the first instalment of a 10bn-euro bailout package - from international creditors.
The European Court of Human Rights orders Turkey to pay 90m euros in damages to Greek Cypriots for the 1974 invasion. Turkey calls the ruling unfair and says it will not pay.
2014 October - Cyprus suspends peace talks with Turkish-held Cypriots in protest against what it calls efforts by Turkey to prevent it from exploring gas fields south of the island. The EU and US express concern over the tension.
2015 February - At talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, President Anastasiades agrees to let Russian navy have access to Cypriot ports.Reunification talks resume2015 May - Government and Turkish Cypriot negotiators resume talks on reunification, holding 20 rounds of UN-sponsored in the course of the year.
2016 January - President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci make unprecedented joint New Year television address ahead of more panned meetings on reunification.


Members of Premier League-winning team Leicester City have arrived in Bangkok for a celebratory tour.

Leicester City, who rose from likely relegation to league champions in just one season, are owned by Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who arranged their visit.
Players and staff were welcomed to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport by cheering supporters.
On Monday, more than 240,00 people watched them parade in their home town.
Team coach Claudio Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan were among the players who made the trip to Thailand.
However midfielder Riyad Mahrez was not among the line up, nor were Danny Drinkwater and Jamie Vardy who had been called up for international duties.
Support for the Foxes, as they are known, has gained momentum across Thailand, as football supporters have slowly started to shift away from popular clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool.
The club remained largely unknown in Thailand until it was bought over by Mr Srivaddhanaprabha six years ago.
The brand of his duty-free company King Power features prominently on the players' blue jerseys, with the club's home stadium also named after the company.
"Now I'm half Liverpool, half Leicester", said 20-year-old Max Akkhapracha, speaking to AFP. "It was a very exciting season, winning the Premier League was just amazing."
Leicester won the league 10 points above nearest rivals Arsenal, and will contest next season's Champions League competition against the best clubs in Europe.


Militants in Nigeria have raided three villages and killed those they accused of being anti-Boko Haram vigilantes, residents have told the BBC.

More than 30 people were killed in the attacks overnight into Friday in north-eastern Borno state, they said.
The raids took place as the UN Security Council approved sanctions against the Islamist group.
It is five weeks since Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls, prompting international outrage.
Nigerian officials say President Goodluck Jonathan is due to travel to South Africa for discussions with other African heads of state on combating terrorism in Africa following on from last weekend's summit hosted by France.
Earlier his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, said African presidents should take responsibility for their failures and resolve their own conflicts together.
"I find that our leaders, who should have been working together all along to address these problems that only affect their countries, wait until they are invited to go to Europe. Why does anybody wait for that? What image does it even give about Africa?" he said.
By Adaobi Tricia NwaubaniLetter from Africa, Abuja
Nigeria pride and foreign assistance
Residents from two of the villages that came under attack said militants had arrived in a convoy and gathered the men of the community together.
They accused them of being members of vigilante groups and killed them all, one villager from Moforo in Marte district who escaped across the border to Cameroon told the BBC Hausa service.
They then burnt down all the shops in the market, leaving the villagers destitute, he said.
Correspondents say that most villages have formed vigilante groups to try to protect their communities from militant attacks.
A resident of Kimbi village in Biu district said the villagers contacted the security forces to alert them to their attack, but were told it was not an area under military control so they could not be helped.
The military has not commented on the allegation.
About 25 men were killed in Moforo, another eight men in Kimbi. It is not known if there were casualties from a raid early on Friday on Kabrihu village near the Sambisa forest.
The latest attacks came after another deadly village raid in Borno and twin bombings which killed 122 in the central city of Jos on Tuesday. The authorities also suspect Boko Haram of being behind those attacks, but there has so far been no claim of responsibility from the group.
Boko Haram was added to the UN Security Council's al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee's list of designated entities on Thursday at the request of Nigeria.
US envoy Samantha Power said it was an "important step" in support of efforts to "defeat Boko Haram and hold its murderous leadership accountable".
It appears staggering that it has taken this long for the UN to take this action. Boko Haram has carried out an extremely brutal campaign of violence especially over the last five years, killing thousands. The Chibok kidnapping was the game changer along with the bombings. The UK and US took similar steps last year but since then the situation on the ground has deteriorated.
Will asset freezes, arms embargoes and travel bans make any difference? Boko Haram is largely financed through bank robberies, extortion, other al-Qaeda groups and ransom payments whilst the region is awash with arms, and barracks have often been looted.
The UN decision suits the Nigerian government which wants to portray Boko Haram as an international issue partly to deflect criticism. The insurgents cross borders but it is chiefly a domestic problem. The kind of travel ban that would suit the vulnerable people in the north-east would be one which stops convoys of militants roaming freely, dishing out terror.
Analysts say it is hard to say what practical effect the move will have.
Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in Nigeria through a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
The government's failure to prevent attacks since launching an offensive against Boko Haram a year ago has triggered widespread anger, especially since the kidnapping of the schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno on 14 April.
Meanwhile, residents in Bauchi, which is not one of three states under emergency rule because of the insurgency, say the air force repeatedly bombed a forest where there are suspected militant camps on Thursday morning.


Liverpool piled the pressure on Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as Jurgen Klopp secured a hugely impressive first Premier League win since taking charge at Anfield.

Mourinho was recently given the backing of Chelsea's hierarchy after their poor start to the season - but whether their faith remains after this desperate defeat remains to be seen.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Chelsea made the perfect start when Ramires headed them into the lead after only three minutes but Liverpool's confidence was not dented and Philippe Coutinho equalised spectacularly in first-half stoppage time.
Coutinho put Liverpool ahead with a shot that deflected off John Terry with 16 minutes left before substitute Christian Benteke wrapped up a victory Klopp's side thoroughly deserved.
All the action from Saturday's football
Listen: I’ll turn Chelsea around if they allow it – Mourinho
Listen to all the goals from Saturday's game
Mourinho has made it clear he will not resign - while Chelsea's board delivered very public backing to their manager in early October.
Since then, however, Chelsea have barely improved and this comprehensive defeat comes on top of the acrimonious loss at West Ham United last weekend and the Capital One Cup exit against Stoke City on penalties in midweek.
And Mourinho, normally so confident and upbeat, carried the air of a beaten man as he stood hands in pockets on the touchline in the closing seconds with defeat assured and Stamford Bridge emptying rapidly.
Mourinho appeared distracted by opposite number Jurgen Klopp's constant, animated dialogue with fourth official Lee Mason, seeming to question what would happen if he acted in a similar fashion.
As ever, all things rest with owner Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, and while Chelsea's supporters rallied to their manager's cause as his name echoed around Stamford Bridge, this was another lame and uninspired performance from a team delivering relegation form rather than looking up the table.
Now we must wait to see if this loss spells the end of Mourinho's second coming at Chelsea.
This was Jurgen Klopp's first Premier League win as Liverpool manager - and the most compelling evidence so far that the manager who arrived in a blaze of near-hysteria following his sabbatical after leaving Borussia Dortmund is getting his message across.
Liverpool were undaunted by falling behind early on, kept pressing in the style their manager demands and in the end simply outran and outfought Chelsea.
Klopp, as ever, was an animated figure on the touchline, not just encouraging his players but also delivering the most fearful verbal volleys in the direction of Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner, in particular, when they did not do as he demanded.
When he arrived, Klopp announced that he wanted to turn "doubters into believers" at Liverpool - this result will have gone a long way towards achieving that aim.
Chelsea's title challenge last season was built on the goals of Diego Costa, the midfield inspiration of Cesc Fabregas and the creative brilliance of Eden Hazard.
All three have been conspicuous by their absence this season - and so it was here as Liverpool ensured Chelsea were strictly second best.
Fabregas was only given a role as substitute, Costa was out of sorts and often unable to even bring the ball under control while Hazard was subdued and removed before the hour.
He has been a shadow of his usual self this season but his flash of brilliance on half-time changed the game and added a second goal for good measure.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho tells BBC Sport:
"I can't express my feelings in any way at all. You are not just here to interview me. You are also here to see the game. What I see from my players was good until the moment they felt it was impossible to do better.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"The fans are not stupid, I don't need to tell them anything. They know how much myself and the players are trying.
"They know why they are getting bad results. The fight goes on, but sometimes there are fights very impossible to win. You go to a fight with different ammunition. I can play against any team or manager."
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Mourinho:
"I feel for him. He's a great coach. I don't think anyone in this room doubts he's one of the best in the world.
"Things like this happen. I had a similar situation at Dortmund last year. The good thing was no one in the club was in doubt of my situation. I feel for him of course, but it's work."
Both sides head into European competition this week.
Chelsea are at home to Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Wednesday in a game they can't afford to lose if they are to advance from Group G.
The following night Liverpool go to Rubin Kazan in the Europa League, looking for their first win after three draws in Group B.
Match ends, Chelsea 1, Liverpool 3.
Second Half ends, Chelsea 1, Liverpool 3.
Attempt blocked. Oscar (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Gary Cahill.
Attempt blocked. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Benteke.
Substitution, Liverpool. Dejan Lovren replaces Adam Lallana.
Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Diego Costa (Chelsea).
Attempt missed. Falcao (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. Oscar (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ramires.
Christian Benteke (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Ramires (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Chelsea 1, Liverpool 3. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordon Ibe.
Foul by Emre Can (Liverpool).
Willian (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by John Terry.
Attempt blocked. Jordon Ibe (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Leiva.
Attempt blocked. Kenedy (Chelsea) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas with a cross.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Asmir Begovic.
Attempt saved. Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Emre Can.
Foul by Adam Lallana (Liverpool).
Ramires (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Chelsea. Falcao replaces César Azpilicueta.
Substitution, Liverpool. Jordon Ibe replaces Roberto Firmino.
Goal!  Chelsea 1, Liverpool 2. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Christian Benteke with a headed pass.
Offside, Chelsea. Cesc Fàbregas tries a through ball, but Diego Costa is caught offside.
Corner,  Chelsea. Conceded by Simon Mignolet.
Attempt saved. Oscar (Chelsea) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the top right corner.
Substitution, Chelsea. Cesc Fàbregas replaces John Obi Mikel.
Foul by Lucas Leiva (Liverpool).
Ramires (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
John Obi Mikel (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Adam Lallana (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by John Obi Mikel (Chelsea).
Emre Can (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Emre Can (Liverpool).
Willian (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Liverpool. Christian Benteke replaces James Milner.
Attempt missed. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.


Officials in China's capital, Beijing, have called on residents to refrain from setting off fireworks for the Lunar New Year, amid smog concerns.

The call comes after the entire province of Henan banned the practice.
Authorities have been under pressure to stop the heavy pollution blanketing the capital and other parts of China.
The Chinese tradition of setting off fireworks and firecrackers to ring in the new year is considered auspicious and an essential part of celebrations.
The Spring Festival, as it is also known, starts on Saturday and is China's biggest holiday period.
The Beijing government released advisories on its official Weibo microblogging account on Thursday night and Friday afternoon pleading with residents, city officials, companies and schools to observe a "green and environmentally-protective new year".
It pointed out that fireworks and firecrackers not only caused pollution, but could also lead to fires and accidents.
"Let us enthusiastically take action by not setting off, or setting off fewer, fireworks and firecrackers, and allow Beijing to have a bluer sky, fresher air and a more beautiful and safer environment this Spring Festival," it said.
The government has approved only 511 fireworks stalls this year, compared to 719 last year, and fireworks sales have been poor, according to Chinese media outlets.
A report earlier this week by newspaper Beijing Wanbao said a recent municipal government survey of 1,000 Beijing residents found that more than 80% were not keen on setting off fireworks, with many saying they did not want to pollute the environment.
Provincial officials in central China's Henan province said earlier this month that they would ban all fireworks and firecrackers because of severe air pollution, while the city of Baoding in Hebei province said it would detain anyone setting off fireworks outside the four days of celebration.
The smog, an annual occurrence as China largely relies on coal-powered heating, has been particularly intense this winter, prompting deep concern and even rare protests.
The central government has moved to shut down or penalise heavy-polluting factories and move towards greater use of natural gas.


One of Hungary's largest state-run institutions for the disabled is to be closed following a shock report by a human rights group.

The Mental Disabilities Advocacy Centre (MDAC) revealed that the residents of Tophaz Special Home were being kept in horrendous conditions.
The 220-bed facility was supposed to care for adults and children.
Instead, they were found to be malnourished, injured and kept in rooms with excrement on the walls.
In the wake of the report, Hungary's Ministry for Human Resources said it would close the home, about 30km (19 miles) north of the capital Budapest.
But the report's authors fear that Tophaz is just the tip of the iceberg.
At least 20,000 patients live in similar, closed establishments across Hungary.
"We saw very poor physical conditions on many individuals, including scars and open wounds," said Steven Allen, campaigns director of MDAC, a group based in the UK and Hungary.
"Of particular concern for us is that we saw a number of residents who we believe to be seriously malnourished.
"The issue is not the carers, the issue is public policy, which invests in these institutions as opposed to helping people live in their own homes."
In several visits to Tophaz this year, MDAC documented informal restraints made from items of clothing, and only two staff on locked wards looking after 40 patients with multiple mental and physical disabilities.
According to the report, a number of people showed signs of institutionalisation - rocking back and forth, grinding their teeth and gnawing on furniture.
The charity is not the only one to witness the shock conditions at Tophaz. The Office of the Commissioner for Equal Rights made similar findings when it conducted an investigation at the institution in January.
Beata Borza told the BBC: "Tophaz is an extreme case. Of course, it would be great to close down these institutions immediately, but where would we put all the people who live there?
"In the long term, it is unacceptable. But change to smaller units, in the community, takes a lot of time."
In 2011, the Fidesz government drew up plans to close all state-run homes by 2041. Six, with 660 patients, were closed in 2016. Another 38 homes will close in 2018, returning 2,500 patients to the community. By 2023, a third wave of closures will release around 7,500 more patients.
As a result of the MDAC report, the Ministry for Human Resources has said it will speed up the closures - starting with Tophaz.
In a statement released on Wednesday, it also announced it was sacking Tophaz's director and carrying out an immediate investigation.
But the human rights group has said this is not enough, they are asking for a meeting with Minister Zoltan Balog to discuss urgent medical treatment and compensation for the Tophaz patients.
Karoly Czibere, Hungary's state secretary for social inclusion, had earlier acknowledged there is a problem in some state institutions, but said his government is already addressing it.
"There are some institutions which have a very bad location, the infrastructure is very bad, and the conditions of life are very bad," he told the BBC. "It is a top government priority to move patients into community-based care."
Meanwhile, Mr Czibere denied MDAC claims that the government refuses to allow independent monitoring, as well as denying allegations that EU Structural Funds are channelled into improving conditions at homes like Tophaz, rather than into preparing patients and staff for community and family-based care.
Large orphanages and state-run institutions for people with disabilities are a legacy of the Communist era in eastern Europe.
But nearly 30 years after its fall, the public are not used to seeing them in the street, and are often intolerant.
Staff at Tophaz earn only â‚¬400 ($436/Â£338) a month. There is a major labour shortage, as Hungarians and other east Europeans leave to work in homes for the elderly in northern Europe, including Britain and Germany.


With his long, ragged hair and handlebar moustache, Steven Adams looks like he has stepped out of the 1970s.

Media playback is not supported on this device
But this 7ft tall New Zealander with a sleeve of tattoos is fast becoming the star of the NBA play-offs and is even putting the league's most valuable player Stephen Curry in the shade.
Adams and his Oklahoma City Thunder side beat Golden State Warriors 118-94 in game four of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday, to lead last year's champions 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
It was the first back-to back defeats for the Warriors this season, a team who set a new NBA record of 73 wins in the regular season.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were the stars of the show for the Thunder, but even they were eclipsed by a moment of magic from Adams.
The 22-year-old, who scored 11 points and seven rebounds in the win, threw a one-handed bullet pass to Andre Roberson just before half-time.
More than 22,000 tweets were sent in an hour about Adams' baseball style throw and the player began trending on Twitter in his native New Zealand and the US.
Then there was a young fan who turned up to the game at Oklahoma's Chesapeake Arena, dressed as Adams with a fake moustache and tattoos in tribute to her hero.
Many Twitter users felt the youngster was the real star of game four and even Adams himself tweeted that it was "absolutely amazing".
In game three Adams hit the headlines after Warriors forward Draymond Green kicked him in the groin area, but avoided suspension.
It led to Thunder fans using the hashtag #standupforsteven in the build-up to Tuesday's game.
Adams has rarely been out of the headlines in the series. After game one he had to apologise for referring to the Warriors' players as "quick little monkeys".
"It was just a poor choice of words," said Adams, who blamed differences in dialect for his comments.
"I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know it was going to upset anyone."
Then there is his family - Adams is the youngest of 18 siblings.
His brothers are around 6ft 10in to 6ft 11in, while his sisters stand at 6ft 5in to 6ft 6in.
Six of his brothers have played basketball for New Zealand, while his half-sister Valerie, 31, is a double Olympic champion shot putter.


The son of US Vice-President Joe Biden has announced plans to run for governor of the state of Delaware in 2016.

Beau Biden, 45, said on Thursday he would not seek a third term as Delaware's attorney general.
The Democrat will seek the seat currently held by Governor Jack Markell, who will be vacating after serving two terms.
The announcement comes as the elder Mr Biden mulls a possible run for the US presidency in 2016.
"After careful consideration, I have concluded that it is not right to ask for your support in 2014, knowing that my focus would be divided between doing my job as attorney general while at the same time running as a candidate for governor," Beau Biden wrote on his website.
"After my term is completed, I look forward to meeting with Delawareans and continuing to discuss my plans as a candidate for governor."
Mr Biden weighed a run for the US Senate in 2010. The same year, he suffered a mild stroke.
Subsequently he received surgery at a Texas cancer centre in 2013 for what was said to be a small lesion.
Mr Biden served as a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard during a year-long tour in Iraq and was elected Delaware attorney general in 2006.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden's father has not yet announced whether he plans to seek the nation's highest office after it is vacated by second-term US President Barack Obama.


A verbal bun fight threatened to break out at Stormont's agriculture committee when members argued for 10 minutes over picking up the bill for food and drink at an event it is co-hosting.

Things got tasty when the committee were discussing an event it has organised with the Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL).
The committee was asked to pay Â£928 for food and drink at the 70-person event.
The cost included hot drinks throughout the day, scones, biscuits and lunches.
Boiling over at the cost of tea and coffee, DUP MLA Edwin Poots said: "We shouldn't be starting that nonsense," and described it as "outrageous" that the committee paid the bill at a similar event last year.
"I will not lend my name to that happening this year," he said.
Mr Poots pointed out the NIEL was "not entirely broke" as a result of money it received from the carrier bag levy.
However, Alliance Party leader David Ford said the "potential publicity value" from the committee's involvement meant it was "not a huge sum of money".
DUP's Maurice Bradley cautioned against setting what he described as a "dangerous precedent".
Members eventually decided to split the bill and compromised to pay for only the lunches at a total cost of Â£431.


Work on a permanent solution to rock falls along part of the A82 in the Highlands should start next week, Forestry Commission Scotland has said.

The road between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit was closed in March after two large chunks of stone slid down from a boulder field.
FCS said part of the permanent solution will be putting in place a concrete beam.
A helicopter will be used during the work, which is due to start on Monday.
The project should be completed by mid-July.
Alex Macleod, who is managing the project, said: "Traffic management will be in place for this and other elements of the works.
"However, we anticipate that it will have much less of an impact on local traffic than our other felling operations though we apologise for any inconvenience that it might cause."
Trees have also been felled and removed from steep ground above the A82.
FCS said it hoped to have most of this work in Glen Righ south of Fort William completed by autumn.
Autumn will also see the start of tree felling along Loch Ness-side - the most difficult and extensive phase of the A82 timber harvesting operations, according to FCS.


A man accused of setting fire to a children's nursery in Sheffield has appeared in court.

Elliott Hague, 18, from Beighton, is alleged to have started the blaze, which destroyed parts of the Bizzy Bees Playgroup, in November.
The cost of repairing the nursery has been put at about Â£575,000.
Mr Hague appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court earlier where he was bailed to appear at the city's crown court on 18 February.


Public officials can't escape the reach of the Freedom of Information Act by using private e-mail accounts for messages they would rather keep secret.

That's the clear implication of new guidance issued today by the Information Commissioner, Chris Graham, who says the law has been "somewhat misunderstood" in the past.
His statement may irritate some of those who already find FOI a source of aggravation, but I think it is unlikely however to result in much additional disclosure, since information could still be held back for other reasons.
The commissioner's intervention stems from the fuss in September over revelations in the Financial Times about the use of private e-mail by the Education Secretary Michael Gove and his advisers. The Department for Education denied this was an attempt to pre-empt the possibility of FOI requests.
But it was followed by stories about civil servants using text messaging with the aim of evading FOI, and reports of "panic" in Whitehall at the prospect of such tactics being stopped.
Mr Graham's verdict today is not remotely surprising. Information is covered by FOI if it is held by the public authority or by someone else on behalf of the authority - although it's not covered if held on behalf of another person.
So messages for purposes of official business are covered, even if sent via someone's personal Hotmail. But material that is truly personal or purely party political rather than the business of the authority is excluded, whether or not processed through the official email system.
In other words the mode of communication makes no difference. It doesn't matter whether your words are scribbled on removable sticky notes or chiselled into tablets of stone; it's equally irrelevant whether your thoughts are conveyed by text message or carrier pigeon.
The law seems pretty clear, as indeed was pointed out by various FOI specialists at the time of the Gove row. Yet the Education Department has claimed there was contrary guidance from the Cabinet Office, according to the Financial Times. However, this advice is apparently "not written down".
The BBC has made an FOI application to the Cabinet Office for any relevant guidance it has issued, but over two months later this has still not been answered.
Doubtless all this will now result in numerous FOI requests for the texts and Gmail messages of ministers and officials. But don't expect to be reading them soon.
The ICO advice simply confirms that they are subject to FOI in principle. Yet, just like any other document, they could still come under one of the exemptions in the FOI Act, such as policy formulation or the free and frank exchange of views.
So public authorities could refuse to release them if they reckon disclosure would be against the public interest. I think it is safe to predict that this is what public authorities will generally decide.
They could be overruled on appeal to the ICO, but I also expect that in practice the commissioner may demand a high threshold for the public interest before ordering disclosure, given the likely nature of most of the material and the commissioner's precedents on preserving a "private space" for discussions.
So the ominous forecasts of "fear" in Whitehall over "everything" being disclosable are hardly justified.
This issue has arisen in other countries, such as the US where some states have particularly far-reaching FOI regulations.
Many of Sarah Palin's private emails may have been published (she used her Yahoo account for Alaska state business). And there have also been a number of court cases resulting in text messages being released, such as a notorious collection of exchanges between the former Mayor of Detroit and his chief of staff.
In the UK now there remains the important question how thorough public authorities will be in checking private email accounts and text messages in response to FOI applications.
As one FOI officer argues, it will come down to "conscience and professionalism". He says "in practice, whether you provide emails to answer an FOI is still, largely, a matter of conscience". We may see how much people's consciences are tested in the light of the new guidance.
The ICO is clearly aware of the possibility of abuse. I was very interested to see that Mr Graham is now recommending that where private email is used for public authority business, "an authority email address must be copied in to ensure the completeness of the authority's records".
Now if public authorities really do ensure their staff comply with that, it will surely have an impact on what is put in some of those emails.
And not only in government departments like the Department for Education. I am aware for example of academics who use personal email for university business, as much to seek to escape the Data Protection Act (under which individuals can apply for the personal information held about them) as FOI.
So don't expect much more information to be released publicly as a result of Mr Graham's clarification of the law. But the dislike which some public sector staff feel towards the inconvenient requirements of the Freedom of Information Act will surely increase.
Still, there's always waving flags to create semaphore signals. That would get round FOI, because there's no lasting record.


Manchester United are on track to become the first British club to earn more than £500m in one year despite their lack of success on the pitch.

Second-quarter revenues rose by 26.6% to a record £133.8m, with commercial revenues up 42.5% to £66.1m.
Broadcast revenue rose 31.3% to £37.3m and sponsorship revenue rose by £1.6m, but matchday income was down 1.6%.
The Red Devils currently lie fifth in the Premier League table and have been knocked out of the Champions League.
"Our solid results off the pitch help contribute to what remains our number one priority - success on the pitch," said executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
United's chances of qualification for next season's Champions League hang in the balance after an inconsistent season under Louis van Gaal.
Majority-owned by the American Glazer family, they are six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City.
Leicester have a five-point lead at the top of the table - and defeated City last weekend with a team that cost £22.5m.
"Leicester is a fantastic reference point for everybody this year," said Woodward in a conference call with investors on Thursday.
"Some players are bought by other clubs with an eye to them developing into something special in a few years' time whereas there's perhaps more pressure on bigger clubs to bring in players who are going to hit the ground running, top players verging on world class almost immediately. There is a slightly different market in which people are buying."
The BBC understands Van Gaal's position is precarious after learning that Jose Mourinho has held talks with the club about taking over in the summer.


Sussex batsman Phil Salt has signed a new one-year contract with the club.

The 20-year-old made his first-class debut against the touring Pakistan side in July and featured in all three formats for the Hove side this year.
Wales-born Salt, who came through Sussex's academy, will remain at the club until the end of the 2017 season.
"With a good winter under his belt, he could develop into a dynamic match-winner for Sussex," head coach Mark Davis said.


An ex-swimwear model has been jailed for 15 years for murdering her millionaire British boyfriend in Spain.

Mayka Kukucova, 26, was sentenced for shooting dead Bristol businessman Andrew Bush at his home near Marbella on the Costa del Sol in April 2014.
Kukucova did not formally plead. Mr Bush, 48, died after being shot in the shoulder and then twice in the head.
She was sentenced by the court in Malaga to an additional six months for breaking into his home.
During the trial Kukucova said she had "never meant to hurt" Mr Bush and broke down in tears when photos of his body were shown in court.
Mr Bush was well known in his home city of Bristol for his jewellery business and was previously married to former BBC Bristol presenter Sam Mason, the mother of his daughter Ellie, 21.
He met Kukucova when she worked in his shop and the pair were together for two-and-a-half years.
The relationship broke down around six months before Mr Bush was killed.
Mr Bush had an interest in cars, and it was in his Hummer 4x4 that Kukucova made her getaway on the night he died.
Days later she handed herself into Slovakian authorities and was detained before being extradited to Spain.


Two couples from Wales are among the first in the UK to have a same-sex marriage.

Darren Williams and Federico Podeschi, from Swansea, said it is important that the ceremony will give them the same rights as a heterosexual couple.
In Caerphilly, Lisa and Claire said: "A civil partnership is not as equal as it should be and that is why we have both been waiting for today."
A parade to celebrate the new marriage law has also been held.
A BBC poll found 68% of people agree with the change in the law but a fifth of British people would turn down an invitation to a same-sex wedding.
Mr Williams and Mr Podeschi have been a couple for three years but said they never wanted a civil partnership.
They have chosen to wait until they could get married in the eyes of the law.
Mr Podeschi moved to Wales from Italy as a student.
The theme for the wedding at Swansea's county hall was a fusion of Celtic and Italian traditions.
His family and friends have flown over for the big day. In Italy, same-sex marriage is neither permitted nor recognised.
The couple said they know that some people will accept their new status but many others will not.
But for them, the marriage ceremony was a public and legal recognition of their commitment to each other.
Mr Williams said: "The rights that a married couple in the UK can have at the moment are not represented fully in a civil partnership.
"So to have full equality for myself and Federico is paramount.
"At the end of the day, we're marrying each other because we love each other, and nothing else matters.
"My father even said 'I can't believe my little boy is getting married'. And I'm 44."
Mr Podeschi said: "It's just being able to have full equality when it comes to inheritance, when it comes to the legal responsibilities and the duties, as well as the benefits of being in a relationship."
After the ceremony, he said: "It couldn't have been more perfect. It was heart-warming and emotional and we were really pleased at how it went."
Lisa and Claire, who did not want to give their surnames, were married at Caerphilly's Penallta House.
Lisa, from Ystrad Mynach, said: "It has been lovely, a very momentous day, and I'm glad that we were the first couple in the county borough to get married.
"Now we're going to be treated equally - a civil partnership is not as equal as it should be and that is why we have both been waiting for today."
Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law for England and Wales.
Scotland passed a similar law allowing gay marriage in February. Northern Ireland has no plans to allow same-sex marriage.
An hour-long wedding-themed parade took place around Bridgend town centre to mark the first day of same-sex weddings.
Samuel, who sits on the Bridgend Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Forum, said changes in the law in 2014 would allow him and his civil partner to convert their partnership into marriage without having to have it annulled.
He said: "This means so much to us because we don't want to have to get divorced. All these positive changes help us to feel more equal in society."


Ex-England and Tottenham striker Jimmy Greaves is out of intensive care after suffering a severe stroke on Sunday.

His family say the 75-year-old is able to sit up in bed, adding that while he is "by no means out of the woods there is room for cautious optimism."
Greaves has a club-record 220 league goals for Tottenham from 1961 to 1970.
His 44 goals in 57 caps puts him fourth in the list of all-time England goalscorers behind Sir Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney.
A statement on Tuesday from Greaves's wife Irene read: "Jimmy is having to do what he is told and understands the seriousness of what has happened. He's in the best hands."
Greaves, who had a minor stroke in 2012, scored a then-club record 124 league goals for Chelsea between 1957 and 1961.
He also played for AC Milan and West Ham and was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad but originally missed out on a medal because he was injured during the group stage.
In the 1980s he forged a new career as a football pundit on ITV, most notably alongside former Liverpool striker Ian St John on Saint and Greavsie, which ran from 1985 to 1992.


US officials have cast doubt over reports that a water pump in Illinois was destroyed by foreign hackers.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said they had "found no evidence of a cyber intrusion".
The Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center (STIC) previously claimed a hacker with a Russian IP address caused a pump to burn out.
A security expert, who flagged up the story, said he was concerned about the conflicting claims.
Information about the alleged 8 November breach was revealed on Joe Weiss's Control Global blog last week. His article was based on a formal disclosure announcement by the Illinois STIC.
The report said that the public water district's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (Scada) had been hacked as early as September.
It claimed that a pump used to pipe water to thousands of homes was damaged after being repeatedly powered on and off.
It added that the IP address of the attackers had been traced back to Russia.
The news attracted attention because it could have been the first confirmed case of foreign hackers successfully damaging a US utilities.
The FBI and the DHS said they had carried out "detailed analysis" and could not confirm the intrusion.
"There is no evidence to support claims made in the initial Fusion Center report - which was based on raw, unconfirmed data and subsequently leaked to the media - that any credentials were stolen, or that the vendor was involved in any malicious activity that led to a pump failure at the water plant," an email sent to the US Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group said.
"In addition, DHS and FBI have concluded that there was no malicious or unauthorised traffic from Russia or any foreign entities, as previously reported."
The officials added that their analysis of the incident was still ongoing.
Mr Weiss said he was concerned that the email appeared to contradict the initial report.
"This begs the question why two government agencies disagree over whether a cyber event that damaged equipment had occurred at a water utility," he wrote on his blog.
"If the STIC report is correct, then we have wasted precious time and allowed many others in the infrastructure to remain potentially vulnerable while we wait to find out if we should do anything."
Mr Weiss also notes that a 2010 report by the security company McAfee highlighted the relative vulnerability of the global water system compared with other industries including energy and financial services.
"The water/sewage sector... had the lowest adoption rate for security measures protecting their Scada/ICS systems," it said.
The report noted that the low adoption rate might have been linked to the fact that the water and sewage sector, and said that only 55% of its Scada systems were connected to the internet - a lower percentage than most other industries.
However, it went on to highlight the lower number of managers taking responsibility for the issue.
"When considering this data, the small number of water sector executives amongst those with Scada/ICS systems responsibilities - only 11 out of 143 - needs to be noted," said the McAfee report.


Brazil striker Neymar will miss the rest of the Copa America after being suspended for four games.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The 23-year-old Barcelona forward was shown a red card for clashing with Colombia players following Brazil's 1-0 defeat in their most recent group game.
He was initially banned for one game, ruling him out of the final group match with Venezuela on Sunday.
But the South American Football Confederation has now reviewed the case and increased the punishment.
Neymar was shown the red card after kicking a ball at Colombia's Pablo Armero in frustration after the final whistle before appearing to head butt another player who confronted him. Brazilian media reports suggested he had also confronted the referee before returning to the dressing room.
Colombia's Carlos Bacca, who was also sent off for a retaliatory shove, has been given a two-game ban.
Both players have the right to appeal.
Neymar had already been shown a yellow card earlier in the Colombia game that would have kept him from playing against Venezuela.
In the 2014 World Cup Neymar was forced out of the tournament with a broken bone in his spine after he was kneed in the back by Colombia's Juan Zuniga in a challenge that went unpunished.


Speculation linking Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny with a move to Wasps next season is "obvious", according to the club's director or rugby Dai Young.

Halfpenny's contract with Toulon runs out in summer 2016, and with Wasps losing All Black Charles Piutau at the end of the campaign, Young is not surprised at the reports.
"Leigh Halfpenny is an obvious one," Young said.
"I'm just looking forward to seeing who we get linked with next week."
Wasps are not the only club being linked with a move for the 26-year-old Halfpenny, who missed the recent Rugby World Cup because of injury.
His former side Cardiff Blues are reportedly interested, while Scarlets have said they would be keen to take the player back to Wales.
"I know Leigh really well. I was at Cardiff when he came through the system. We all know he is a quality player." Young added.
"We will make no bones about it - this is recruitment season and we are looking at getting the best for us.
"It is a great situation to be in, getting linked with these players. But there's no point me saying much more than we are at a point where we are looking to strengthen our squad."
Former Wales and Lions scrum-half Robert Jones wants Halfpenny to continue his career in Wales.
But he feels Halfpenny could help Wasps achieve their ambitions.
"They're a very ambitious club and Dai Young is a very ambitious coach and I think we've seen already in the European competition that they're a side capable of winning silverware this season," Jones told BBC Radio Wales.
"And I think they want to progress to become the best they probably can.
"Leigh Halfpenny is a player who would fit in to ensuring that they do.
"I think Dai Young will be desperately keen to get him on board.
"I hope he comes back to Wales, but ultimately it's going to boil down to the offer that's on the table."


A US federal judge in Hawaii has indefinitely extended the suspension of President Trump's new travel ban.

Judge Derrick Watson's ruling means Mr Trump will be barred from enforcing the ban on six mostly Muslim nations while it is contested in court.
In a lawsuit, the US state says the ban would harm tourism and the ability to recruit foreign students and workers.
President Trump says his revised travel ban seeks to prevent terrorists from entering the United States.
Judge Watson made the ruling late on Wednesday after hearing arguments from attorneys for the state of Hawaii and the US Department of Justice.
The judge turned his earlier temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction that would have a more lasting effect.
President Trump's executive order on 6 March would have placed a 90-day ban on people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and a 120-day ban on refugees.
An earlier version of the order, issued in late January, sparked confusion and protests, and was blocked by a judge in Seattle.
Other courts across the US have issued different rulings on Mr Trump's revised ban, with a judge in Maryland halting a part of the ban earlier this month.
Mr Trump has complained of "unprecedented judicial overreach", pledging to take the case "as far as it needs to go".
An appeal against the Hawaii decision would be expected to go next to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals - the same court which in February said it would not block a ruling by a Seattle court to halt the original travel ban.
Five questions on new US travel ban
Under the revised order, citizens of six countries on the original 27 January order - Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen - would once more be subject to a 90-day travel ban.
Iraq was removed from the list because its government had boosted visa screening and data sharing, White House officials said.
The revised order also lifts an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees and says Green Card holders (legal permanent residents of the US) from the named countries will not be affected.


Commuters are dealing with long queues and delays as they try navigating London during a strike that has shut down the whole Tube network.

The 24-hour strike by four unions began on Wednesday evening and there will be no Tube service until Friday.
Public transport has become busier this evening as commuters make their journey home after work.
Unions are unhappy at conditions offered to drivers on a new Night Tube service due to start next month.
Live coverage of the Tube strike
Latest travel updates on London Underground
London Tube strike: Facts to know
12 tips for a first-time cycling commuter
How to cope with the Tube strike
Tube strike: No beer and sandwiches
A long-serving LU train driver, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC News, "We get paid an amazing salary and the holidays are great too [43 days leave including eight bank holidays] but why should I be forced to work nights and more weekends when that is not what I signed up for? It's about the principle of changing our working conditions without discussions.
"I hate striking but I will continue to do so until the company listens or they make it illegal to strike.
"I feel sorry for commuters but instead of complaining to staff, they should complain to TfL and stand up for their rights too."
Commuters told the BBC they understood the reasons for the strike but they did not think "the impact on commuters was very fair".
Transport for London (TfL) have said that buses are being delayed by up to an hour, especially those travelling in zones one and two.
River bus service MBNA Thames Clippers tweeted: "We're experiencing high demand at piers due to #tubestrike & expect delays. Please allow extra time to travel."
Extra buses have been laid on for the strike and there are hundreds of bicycles available for hire from £2 at a temporary cycle hub in Soho Square, BBC London Travel reports.
During the evening rush hour, there were 894 separate traffic jams around the city causing a combined 500 miles (804km) of tailbacks, traffic analysts TomTom said.
That was double the congestion of the morning rush hour, but it was not as bad as during the previous Tube strike in July when there were 1,445 jams and 761 miles (1,224km) of delays.
"With many Londoners away on holiday and no school runs, the roads were not as congested this morning as they were during the last strike four weeks ago," a TomTom spokesman said.
Transport for London said it would have a total fleet of 8,200 buses operating at peak times during the strike with an extra 250 vehicles leased from companies around the country and old buses including Routemasters being brought back into service.
But even those aiming to beat the crowds and setting out on their journeys by 06:00 BST faced travel problems.
Alessandra Bonomolo tweeted: "6:20am. Couldn't get on the first train - too crowded" while Roxy Baker said: "Not even 6:30 and you can barely get on the 205 at Bow Church... its first stop".
People are being encouraged to use alternative modes of transport with some being very creative to reach their destinations.
Alan Price, 62, used a penny farthing bicycle to make the two-mile journey from his home near Battersea Bridge to Parsons Green.
73,000
journeys in a day during July Tube strike
35,000
journeys is the daily average
11,500 bikes available in London
748 docking stations around the capital
11 extra pop-up hubs during Tube Strike
£300 maximum fine if not returned in 24 hours
Steve Davison tweeted: "#tubestrike genius - just saw some guys flag down a London open top tour bus to get to work. Crazy line at bus stop versus an open top ride."
The strike has also affected businesses across the capital in a variety of ways.
David Leam, director of infrastructure at London First, which aims to promote businesses, said people had generally been better prepared for the disruption compared to July's strike.
He said: "I think the last Tube strike was a bit of a shock... but people have learned from the experience so some have worked remotely or have adapted their journey.
"The businesses losing out more are probably those in hospitality. All the messaging last night was about making your journey early and getting home by 1830. Certainly it was quiet for some pubs and bars and restaurants although it's not a ghost town and there are still lots of tourists around."
The strike, which follows a 24-hour stoppage on 8-9 July, saw Tube staff leave work between 18:30 and 21:30 BST on Wednesday.
Members of Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Unite and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) are all involved in the dispute.
Many union members will be standing on picket lines throughout the duration of the strike, which is over concerns new rotas to accommodate the night service will mean greater weekend working.
London Underground (LU) has apologised for the disruption, saying the latest offer - a 2% salary increase this year, an extra £200 per night shift for drivers for a limited time, and a £500 bonus for Night Tube staff - was aimed at improving work-life balance.
Mayor Boris Johnson called the latest offer "incredibly generous", and said he would not authorise any more money or negotiate while unions were "holding a gun to Londoners' heads".
He said: "The way forward is to get this excellent deal to their membership. They should call off this stupid strike and put the deal to their members.
"No driver is being asked to work more hours than they do today. "
But Mick Whelan, the General Secretary of Aslef said: "The Tube driver works intensively in very awkward conditions. It affects their health, work-life balance and they don't have the best of lives."
He said the competency and skill levels required by Tube drivers exceeded that of bus drivers and as such staff needed to be compensated.
"We are not against the Night Tube if it's run in a reasonable and adequate manner... but I don't believe it can be delivered [by 12 September]," he said.
A striking Tube driver, who later admitted he was an RMT representative, phoned BBC London 94.9 to say he had seen the new rosters and they showed LU would be "spreading staff much more thinly" to maintain the Night Tube.
He said: "As well as being made to work more nights and weekends they're also being displaced and told to work 30 minutes up the line and that their duties can be changed at 24 hours' notice. But of course there's been no mention of that."
Steve Griffiths, LU's chief operating officer, told the BBC: "The Night Tube... cannot be at any cost. They're clearly not understanding our commitment to work life-balance.
"We've recruited 500 additional staff specifically to run the Night Tube and that's across stations and train operators.
"No-one's being asked to work extra hours... we've also committed that our train operators will have the same number of weekends off today as when they do Night Tube."
One official from the RMT also told BBC London that members would "escalate action" in the run-up to the scheduled start of the night service.
Mr Johnson added he was "not fussed" about the night service starting on 12 September as planned, as long as it started in the autumn.


The Syrian Arab Red Crescent estimates 2.5 million people have been displaced within Syria, doubling the previous figure used by aid agencies.

UN refugee agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said that the group's estimate was "very conservative" and warned that it might be far higher in reality.
People on the run or in hiding were difficult to count and help, she added.
Meanwhile, Syria's new opposition coalition says it wants to be recognised as the country's government.
This would enable it to buy weapons to assist its attempts to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
Opposition and human rights activists estimate that more than 36,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011.
More than 408,000 Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries, and more are fleeing every day, according to the UN.
However, far more people have left their homes but stayed inside Syria, and humanitarian agencies have struggled to help them.
In Geneva on Tuesday, the chief spokeswoman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the Syrian Red Crescent had doubled its estimate of the number of internally displaced people (IDPs).
"The figure they are using is 2.5 million. If anything, they believe it could be more, this is a very conservative estimate," Melissa Fleming said.
"So people are moving, really on the run, hiding. They are difficult to count and access."
She added: "It's easier to count if people are living in refugee camps."
Many of the IDPs are located in schools and public buildings, which often lack adequate heating and sanitation facilities, according to the UN.
Most IDPs are hosted in local communities whose capacity to support them has been stretched, giving the shortages of water, food and medicines and dwindling income.
The UN believes up to four million people inside Syria will need humanitarian aid by early next year, up from 2.5 million.
Ms Fleming said recent deliveries of aid had been "very difficult".
A SARC warehouse in Aleppo was shelled and 13,000 blankets burned, Damascus operations were disrupted for two days and a lorry carrying 600 blankets was hijacked outside the capital. UNHCR staff have also been temporarily withdrawn from Hassakeh.
The head of Syria's new opposition coalition, Mouaz Alkhatib, called for diplomatic support as Arab and European ministers met in Cairo.
"I request European states to grant political recognition to the coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people and to give it financial support," he said in an interview with Reuters news agency. "When we get political recognition, this will allow the coalition to act as a government and hence acquire weapons and this will solve our problems."
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius appeared to provide backing.
"Our hope is that the different countries recognise the Syrian national coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people... France's role is to make that hope possible," he told reporters in Cairo. He added: "The opposition has taken a huge step forward."
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the new coalition could win official international recognition, but would need to show it had sufficient support inside Syria.
For now, he added, the European Union continued to operate an arms embargo and the focus remained on non-lethal support for the opposition, and humanitarian assistance for refugees.
"We want to see that they have support inside Syria. That is a very crucial consideration. If they do all these things, well then, yes, we will be able to recognise them as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."
In Syria itself, fighting in and around the capital, Damascus, is reported to have killed at least 41 people, mostly civilians.
And Syrian government warplanes bombed a rebel-held town near the border with Turkey for a second day.
Plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky from the town of Ras al-Ain, in the north-eastern province of Hassakeh, and Turkish ambulances crossed the frontier to transport wounded Syrians to Turkish hospitals.
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said on Monday that it had lodged a formal protest with the Syrian government about the air strikes, which he said were endangering its security.
Iran, an ally of President Assad, has said it will host a meeting of the parties to the Syrian conflict in Tehran on Sunday.
The meeting will focus on promoting diplomacy and ending the violence in the country, Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told the Arabic-language al-Alam channel.


Former Wales captain Martyn Williams expects head coach Warren Gatland to stay in charge for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, regardless of results before then.

Gatland, who is also head coach of the British and Irish Lions, says he is happy with Wales' group after they were drawn against Australia and Georgia.
Williams played under Gatland and says he is the man to lead them in Japan.
"If he does want to come back then the hierarchy will look at his record in World Cups," Williams said.
He continued: "That's why I think he will definitely get to the 2019 World Cup regardless of what happens between now and then, because he does get the team right for a World Cup campaign."
Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Phillips expects Gatland to return to his Wales role after coaching this summer's Lions tour of New Zealand.
Phillips reinforced his belief Gatland will return, saying he "made it very clear his intention was to come back".
Media playback is not supported on this device
Gatland, who succeeded Gareth Jenkins as head coach in 2007, is contracted to Wales until after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The former Ireland and Wasps coach said he rejected an approach from Super Rugby side Chiefs about leading them from 2018.
Wales finished fourth at the 2011 World Cup when they were beaten by France in the semi-final after captain Sam Warburton was sent-off.
Four years later, Gatland's Wales finished second in a pool containing Australia and hosts England to qualify for the quarter-finals where they narrowly lost 23-19 to South Africa.
Williams, who played in three World Cups, says Gatland's experience of previous tournaments will be invaluable to Wales.
"It would be his third World Cup," Williams told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"He's been very successful in the last two. Getting Wales out of the group of death [in 2015] was an achievement in itself and were very competitive in the quarter-finals against South Africa.
"We'll never forget the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, where we could have got to the final."


Watford are in talks with Derby County over an £8m deal for England Under-21 midfielder Will Hughes.

Discussions between the clubs are now at an advanced stage as new Hornets manager Marco Silva shapes his squad for next season.
The 22-year-old is currently away on international duty with England's Under-21 squad at the European Championships in Poland.
He is likely to complete his move once England return from the tournament.
Hughes has made 165 Championship appearances for the Rams and was linked with a move to Liverpool in 2013.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Thousands of metal fragments from the Staffordshire Hoard have been reconstructed into two "significant" new 7th Century objects.

Researchers have pieced together parts of a silver helmet and a previously unseen form of sword pommel.
The hoard, which is valued at £3.2m, was found in a field near Burntwood, Staffordshire in July 2009.
Both items have been put on display at Birmingham's Museum and Art Gallery from Tuesday.
With 4,000 objects, the hoard is the largest cache of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever discovered.
The sword pommel was reconstructed from 26 fragments.
It was decorated with gold filigree and experts believe it probably belonged to "an individual of significant status".
"We're starting to see a mix of styles coming in, so we have pagan Anglo Saxon art, but also Christian and British or Irish art coming in as well," conservation co-ordinator Pieta Greaves said.
Chris Fern, project archaeologist, said it was "probably made in workshops controlled by some of England's earliest kings to reward warriors that served those rulers".
Archaeologists and a conservator have also pieced together about 1,500 fragile silver fragments believed to come from a dismantled helmet.
Ms Greaves said if there was a complete helmet within the hoard, it would be only the fifth of its kind in Britain and may have been worn by a king or someone within the royal court.
Many of the pieces were less than 10mm across and the conservation team said it was a "slow process" putting them together, sometimes matching cut lines or corrosion marks.
Designs on the helmet show warriors and male faces with moustaches, as well as birds, animals and mythical beasts.
Duncan Wilson, from Historic England, said: "As technology and research methods develop we are able to discover more and more, and share the results, but more money needs to be raised to capitalise fully on this rich potential."
Historic England has so far given £400,000 to help conserve the hoard, including work to clean the silver, gold and garnet objects and fragments.
Birmingham City Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which jointly own the hoard, now aim to raise £120,000 for further work to assemble more artefacts from individual pieces of metalwork.