The Gambia says it will pull of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after accusing the tribunal of persecuting and humiliating Africans.

The small West African nation joins South Africa and Burundi in withdrawing from the court.
The ICC was set up to try the world's worst crimes but has been accused of unfairly targeting African leaders.
Gambian Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said the court had ignored Western war crimes.
He said the ICC, for example, had failed to indict former British Prime Minister Tony Blair over the Iraq war.
Speaking on state television, he said the ICC was "an International Caucasian Court for the persecution and humiliation of people of colour, especially Africans".
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is a former Gambian justice minister.
President Yahya Jammeh has ruled The Gambia since taking power in a coup in 1994.
Elections are due in December, but opposition leader Ousainou Darboe and 18 others were jailed for three years earlier this year over an unauthorised protest.
The country has been unsuccessfully trying to have the European Union indicted by the court over the deaths of thousands of African migrants trying to reach the continent by boat.
The ICC and global justice:
What is the International Criminal Court?
South Africa said last week that it had formally begun the process of withdrawing from the ICC because it did not want to execute arrest warrants which would lead to "regime change".
Last year, a South African court criticised the government for refusing to arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the court.
Burundi has also said it will leave the court, while other Africa countries like Kenya and Namibia have said they might.
All but one of the ICC's 10 investigations have been Africa-based.


Martyn Waghorn scored twice as Rangers saw off a late Hamilton Academical fight back at New Douglas Park.

Rangers went close through Jason Holt and Waghorn before the two combined to break Hamilton's resistance, the Englishman heading Holt's cross into the top corner.
Waghorn made it two from close range after being teed up by Lee Wallace.
Hamilton rallied and pulled one back when Danny Redmond's cross found Dougie Imrie, who tapped in from close range.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The result ensured Hamilton's miserable record against Rangers was extended, with the home side yet to beat the Ibrox club on league business in 78 years.
Rangers are now eight points behind Celtic on 35 points, but the Parkhead club have three games in hand.
Mark Warburton's side were the slightly more dominant team in the first half although it was Hamilton who - until the goal - had the best chance of the 45 minutes when Greg Docherty robbed James Tavernier on the byeline.
He cut into the box, but tried a shot from a narrow angle when the cut-back was the better option.
Docherty, who had been impressive, was injured in the challenge and had to limp off to be replaced by Massimo Donati.
Then just a minute before half-time Holt cut the ball back and Waghorn's powerful header rattled in off the bar for his second league goal of the season.
It was becoming increasingly clear that Warburton's surprising decision to include Waghorn was spot on.
Early in the second half he scored his second. Great work down the left by Wallace set him up and he had a straightforward job of volleying the ball into the net.
Rangers were now cruising. Alex D'Acol did come close with a drive for Accies, but the visitors had a real grip on the game and Waghorn was running riot with growing confidence, setting up chances for Tavernier and twice for Garner.
Hamilton's star player Ali Crawford - who is enjoying a wonderful season - was unusually quiet.
At times Accies were in pieces. They were caught on a counter-attack that saw Tavernier run 60 yards only to blast the ball over the bar with the goalkeeper at his mercy.
Waghorn was denied his hat-trick opportunity with Warburton taking him off with 14 minutes to go to give him the chance to take a standing ovation from the support.
But within a minute he might have been regretting that decision. Imrie pulled a goal back at the right-hand post, sliding the ball home just seconds after he failed to do so at the other post.
It made for a grandstand and nervous finish, but Rangers hung on, and Accies still have not beaten them in the league since 10 December 1938.
Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning: "We started the game really well. I thought Rangers came into it. It looked like we were going to go in at the break all square. They score right before half-time which is a good time for them to get a goal.
"The second goal was always going to be crucial. The second half started in a similar tone to the way the first half ended. They had control of the game, they were controlling the ball.
"We changed to go 3-5-2 to put two up front to try and stop them getting the ball out so easily, put more pressure on them higher up the park.
"We then concede which shouldn't happen with Lee Wallace running in behind. We talked about it all day yesterday, we know his threat going forward from left-back and we got done with it which is disappointing. Defensively it was poor.
"Once we got the goal we gave it a go but the damage was done with the second goal."
Rangers manager Mark Warburton: "We had a lot of new players coming in at the start of the season. Joe Garner was a waste of money three weeks ago and now they are chanting his name all night long. So give the boys time to settle in and gel as a team. They are doing that.
"Waggy (Waghorn) came back, he has been patient and he showed how good he can be tonight."
Match ends, Hamilton Academical 1, Rangers 2.
Second Half ends, Hamilton Academical 1, Rangers 2.
Attempt missed. Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Jason Holt (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical).
Joe Garner (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Joe Garner (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Michael Devlin (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andy Halliday (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical).
Attempt missed. Georgios Sarris (Hamilton Academical) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Foul by Lee Wallace (Rangers).
Grant Gillespie (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Eamonn Brophy replaces Daniel Redmond.
Foul by Barrie McKay (Rangers).
Georgios Sarris (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Darian MacKinnon (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Jason Holt (Rangers).
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Massimo Donati.
Goal!  Hamilton Academical 1, Rangers 2. Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Daniel Redmond.
Substitution, Rangers. Harry Forrester replaces Martyn Waghorn.
Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Lee Hodson (Rangers).
Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Joe Garner (Rangers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Scott McMann (Hamilton Academical).
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Rakish Bingham replaces Alejandro D'Acol.
Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Joe Garner (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Rob Kiernan (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Massimo Donati.
Attempt missed. Alejandro D'Acol (Hamilton Academical) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Grant Gillespie (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Foul by James Tavernier (Rangers).


Powerful waves can be a big problem for the UK coastline so a lot is done to defend the land against the sea.

27 March 2017 Last updated at 07:52 BST
But these defences can make it hard for wildlife to find a place to live.
Now, a new project will be turning 27 kilometres of Scotland's coastline into a living laboratory to help.
Some Edinburgh school pupils have been telling Newsround what they've been trying to do.


Glamorgan's 19-year-old batsman Aneurin Donald has taken another step towards international recognition.

Donald has been named in one of the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) 'International Pathway' squads.
The programme is aimed at helping county players find a route to the England side and includes the Lions, Young Lions, a Pace Programme and Overseas Placements.
Donald will spend the coming months playing in Perth in Australia.
He is one of more than 50 players aged between 17 and 30 from all 18 first-class counties selected for one of the schemes.
Swansea-born Donald shot to prominence when he equalled the fastest ever double-hundred in first-class cricket, off just 123 balls against Derbyshire in July.
He eventually scored 234 off 136 balls in an innings that was also his maiden County Championship century for Glamorgan.
Donald has already been tipped for international honours and even to become future England captain by former England skipper Michael Vaughan.


Evidence gathered as part of a major police inquiry into abuse at a school in Rochdale is now being considered by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Greater Manchester Police acted after reports people were ordered to shred documents about abuse claims at Knowl View school between 1969 and 1995.
The school cared for boys from dysfunctional backgrounds and was open for more than 20 years.
More than 25 ex-pupils allege they were sexually and physically abused.
BBC Radio Manchester has been told the CPS is now reviewing whether prosecutions can be brought.
A spokeswoman for the CPS said: "We have received a file from Greater Manchester Police in relation to their investigations into allegations relating to Knowl View School. This is currently under review."
Twenty-eight people including former members of staff and pupils have been interviewed under caution as part of the inquiry, which was launched by Greater Manchester Police in 2012.
The suspects were aged between between 35 and 80.
Police have also examined allegations made against the late Rochdale MP Cyril Smith, who allegedly abused 20 teenage boys between 1960 and 1987 at Knowl View, Cambridge House hostel, and others parts of the town.
Despite being subject to allegations and investigations during his career, the Liberal politician was never prosecuted before his death in 2010.
GMP also appointed an independent panel to oversee their investigation into an alleged cover-up at Knowl View.
It is a moment many of the boys who attended Knowl View thought would never come because they always felt they were disbelieved by those in authority about the abuse they suffered.
Knowl View was open from the very end of the 1960s until the early 1990s.
It was jointly run initially, by Bolton, Rochdale and Oldham borough councils and Lancashire County Council.
And it appears from its earliest days physical and sexual abuse took place within the school walls.
Indeed I've spoken to Tony Blair's chaplain Fr Michael Seed who describes being sexually abused by one of its teachers David Higgins.
Higgins remains the only person to date to have been convicted of offences at Knowl View.


Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers have caused chaos at the city's Legislative Council by using their oaths to stage boisterous anti-China protests.

Secretary General Kenneth Chen said the oaths of Sixtus Leung, Yau Wai-ching and Edward Yiu were invalid.
Mr Leung and Ms Yau, members of the pro-independence Youngspiration party, swore while saying their oaths and mispronounced "China".
The pair also displayed a banner with the words "HK is not China".
The third protester, Mr Yiu, an independent, added lines to his oath, saying he would "fight for genuine universal suffrage".
The swearing-in ceremony was the first meeting of the LegCo since elections last month, in which several candidates calling for greater autonomy for Hong Kong - or for full independence - were elected.
Many had been key figures in the pro-democracy protests of 2014.
The new lawmakers are required to recite a short oath before they can officially take their seats, which includes the words "Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China" multiple times.
But Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching began their oath by swearing allegiance to a "Hong Kong nation".
They used profanities and pronounced China as "Shina", a now derogatory pronunciation used when the Japanese occupied the territory.
Mr Chen said their votes were not valid, as he had reason to "doubt whether you understand your duties as lawmakers".
Another incoming lawmaker, Nathan Law, one of the student leaders of the 2014 protests, quoted Mahatma Gandhi before taking his oath.
"You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body - but you can never imprison my mind," he said.
He also altered the oath, changing the tone of "China" to make it sound like a question. He then refused to return to his seat, asking why the other oaths had been rejected.
Mr Chen then called for a break of the session.
Most of the other 70 new MPs were sworn in without incident, though some staged other protests. Scuffles later broke out after the three whose oaths were invalidated were locked out of a vote for the new LegCo president.
It is unclear whether the lawmakers whose oaths were invalidated will be allowed to take their seats.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, became a special administrative region of China in 1997. It is governed under the principle of "one country, two systems" enjoying a high degree of autonomy.
But its leader is still chosen by a Beijing-backed committee.
In 2014, demonstrators occupied major parts of the city for months demanding universal suffrage - but ultimately won no concessions.
Since then, a small number of people have been advocating for independence for Hong Kong. Referred to as localists they reject what they perceive to be the growing influence of Beijing on Hong Kong.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang declined to comment on the LegCo protests. He said it was "very clear and unquestionable" that Hong Kong was a specially administered region of China and this "will not change".


Israel has removed metal detectors from outside a holy site in East Jerusalem after uproar from Palestinians over their recent introduction.

It said it plans to replace them with less obtrusive surveillance.
However Muslim leaders have called on worshippers to continue boycotting the sacred compound for now.
There were deadly clashes after the metal detectors were set up, which Palestinians saw as an Israeli attempt to assert control over the site.
Israel said they were necessary to prevent weapons being smuggled in.
It followed the killing on 14 July of two Israeli policemen by Israeli-Arab gunmen, who police say had hidden their weapons on the hilltop site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.
The Israeli prime minister's office said the state security bodies had recommended replacing the metal detectors with "advanced technologies and other means".
It said the new, unspecified, measures, costing 100m shekels ($28m; Â£21m), would be put in place over the next six months. Until then, extra police would be deployed around the site, it added.
However, the Muslim body which oversees the holy compound, the Waqf, called on worshippers to stay away from the site until it advised otherwise.
Many Palestinians had been refusing to visit the complex as long as the metal detectors were there, holding prayers in the street outside the Old City instead.
Tom Bateman, BBC Jerusalem correspondent
The crisis at this revered site was about much more than the existence of the airport-style gates and electronics of the metal detectors themselves.
For Palestinians, their installation symbolised what they saw as an attempt by Israel to assert further control over the site of their holy shrine in occupied East Jerusalem - the mosque that also acts as a powerful symbol of their national aspiration.
For Israel's government, the move represented the need to secure what one minister called "the most sensitive location on Earth" - Judaism's most holy place - after the murder of two Israeli police officers close by.
Leaders will have felt pressure from within their own constituencies not to be seen to back down.
International calls for a solution have added to the pressure on both sides - which were dealing with complex internal politics too - but it is still not clear this crisis has been entirely resolved.
The installation of the metal detectors the day after the police were killed drew angry protests from Palestinians and days of clashes with Israeli security forces.
The violence left four Palestinians dead in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, while three Israeli civilians were stabbed to death by a Palestinian who had said he was avenging Israeli measures at the holy site.
On Monday the UN's Middle East envoy warned of "potential catastrophic costs" even beyond the region if the issue was not resolved by Friday, when Muslims traditionally flock to the site for prayers.
There is speculation that Israel agreed to remove the metal detectors in return for Jordan letting Israeli embassy staff leave the country following a diplomatic stand-off.
Jordanian authorities wanted to question an Israeli security guard who Israel said shot dead a Jordanian who had attacked him with a screwdriver in a residence next to the embassy. A second Jordanian who died was inadvertently killed by the gunfire, Israel said.
Israel said the guard had diplomatic immunity and both he and all the staff were confined to the embassy compound amid attempts to find a solution.
In a phone call on Monday night, Jordan's King Abdullah and Mr Netanyahu discussed the crisis surrounding the holy site and the incident at the embassy. The king called on Mr Netanyahu to remove the metal detectors. At around the same time, it was announced that the embassy staff had returned to Israel.
Jordan, which has a large Palestinian population, has an historical role as custodian of the Jerusalem holy site.
Mr Netanyahu's office said the embassy staff's return "was made possible thanks to... tight co-operation" with Jordan.
The Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem's Old City is sacred to both Jews and Muslims. Jews revere it as the location of two Biblical Temples and holiest site in Judaism. It is also the al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.
The area, in East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war.
The site is hugely politically sensitive and has been subject to a delicate set of arrangements - commonly referred to as the "status quo" - governing access, security and administration, for the past 50 years.
Under the arrangement, Israel is responsible for security and a Jordanian-funded religious trust, or Waqf, looks after the day-to-day running of the site.
Palestinians said the placing of the metal detectors upset the status quo, which Israel has repeatedly pledged to maintain. Israel said Palestinians were using the issue as a pretext to spread hostility against the Jewish state.


Fly-half Dan Jones has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Scarlets for what the region describe as "the next few years".

The 21-year-old has scored 28 points in Scarlets' past two games, including 17 in Sunday's 22-22 European Champions Cup draw against Saracens.
Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac said: "He has held his own against some of the most experienced fly-halves in world rugby."
Jones said: "Hopefully I can repay the coaches for their faith in me."


An Essex town buoyed by the popularity of a reality television show needs to plan for when the "bubble bursts", businesses have been told.

ITV's The Only Way is Essex (Towie) has been "largely positive" for Brentwood, where it is set, but "everything has a shelf-life", the council leader said.
Lisa Bone, of Visit Essex, added: "If its bubble bursts we could be left with stereotypes, not economic benefits".
A meeting is being held on Tuesday to discuss the town's "sustainability".
The show Towie, now in its 11th series, features ordinary people appearing in modified situations based on their actual lives.
Many run their own businesses in Brentwood, including shops, salons and nightclubs, which feature in the programme.
"Towie won't always be around and while it brings in a lot of tourism it has also given the town a certain stereotype, perception and image," Ms Bone said.
"Brentwood is full of beautiful historic buildings and family-friendly parks and we need to ensure we emphasise those, making the town attractive to everyone and ensuring its sustainability."
Borough council leader Louise McKinlay, said: "The popularity of the show has been very good for the town centre, retailers and the tourism trade, bringing so many people in to the area.
"Whether we like it or not, Towie has put Brentwood on the map. Yes, there's a lot about tans and nails in Towie, but there's also a great entrepreneurial spirit and that's evident everywhere in the town.
"I'd like to say that the only thing that's orange in Brentwood is our recycling bags."
Businesses in the town are being asked to consider Brentwood's "unique selling point and future branding" at Tuesday's meeting hosted by the council and Visit Essex.


A new analysis of early human teeth from extinct fossils has found that they expanded their diets about 3.5 million years ago to include grasses and possibly animals.

Before this, humanlike creatures - or hominins - ate a forest-based diet similar to modern gorillas and chimps.
Researchers analysed fossilised tooth enamel of 11 species of hominins and other primates found in East Africa.
The findings appear in four papers published in PNAS journal.
Like chimpanzees today, many of our early human ancestors lived in forests and ate a diet of leaves and fruits from trees, shrubs and herbs.
But scientists have now found that this changed 3.5 million years ago in the species Australopithecus afarensis and Kenyanthropus platyops.
Their diet included grasses, sedges, and possibly animals that ate such plants. They also tended to live in the open savannahs of Africa.
The new studies show that they not only lived there, but began to consume progressively more foods from the savannahs.
Source: BBC Nature
Was Australopithecus intensely political?
BBC Nature: Modern and early humans
Researchers looked at samples from 175 hominins of 11 species, ranging from 1.4 to 4.1 million years old.
Their diet was analysed from the chemical make up of their teeth, identifying the carbon isotopes within them.
The ratios of different types of carbon atoms, or isotopes, in fossils can give clues to what a fossil creature ate because different foods have different carbon isotope signatures.
"What we have is chemical information on what our ancestors ate, which in simpler terms is like a piece of food item stuck between their teeth and preserved for millions of years," said Dr Zeresenay Alemseged, from the California Academy of Sciences, co-author on two of the papers.
"Because feeding is the most important factor determining an organism's physiology, behaviour and its interaction with the environment, these finds will give us new insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that shaped our evolution."
It is not yet clear whether the change in diet included animals, but "the possible diets of some of our hominin kin" has been considerably narrowed down, Dr Matt Sponheimer, lead author of another of the papers, told BBC News.
"We now have good evidence that some early hominins began using plant foods that are not used in abundance by living African apes today, and this probably led to a major change in the way they used the landscape.
"One consequence could be that the dietary expansion led to a habitat expansion, as they could travel to more open habitats more efficiently.
"We know that many early hominins lived in areas that would not have readily supported chimpanzees with their strong preference for forest fruits. It could also be argued that this dietary expansion was a key element in hominin diversification."
The study has also answered, at least in part, what researchers have long been speculating - how so many large species of primate managed to co-exist.
"They were not competing for the same foods," said Prof Thure Cerling from the University of Utah, who led one of the research papers.
"All these species who were once in the human lineage, ventured out into this new world of foods 3.5 million years ago, but we don't yet understand why that is."
As well as looking at non-human primates, the researchers analysed fossils from other animals from the same era and did not find any evidence of a change in diet.
This combined research highlights  a "step towards becoming the modern human", said Dr Jonathan Wynn from the University of South Florida, who led the analysis of Australopithecus afarensis.
"Exploring new environments and testing new foods, ultimately might be correlated with further changes in human history."
These four complementary studies give a persuasive account of shifts in dietary niche in East African hominins, Dr Louise Humphrey from the Natural History Museum in London, told BBC news.


Diane Abbott has been promoted to shadow home secretary in Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's front bench reshuffle.

Ex-Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti is shadow attorney general and Keir Starmer, who left the team in June amid a wave of resignations, returns as shadow Brexit secretary.
But Dame Rosie Winterton, who had tried to negotiate between Mr Corbyn and many of his MPs, is out as chief whip.
Mr Corbyn's critics have suggested the reshuffle will fail to unify the party.
One senior figure said the reshuffle so far looked "vengeful and cack-handed", and Middlesbrough South MP Tom Blenkinsop accused Mr Corbyn of "seeking submission not unity".
Another MP, Neil Coyle, told BBC Radio 5 live that Dame Rosie's work during a difficult period for Labour had been "underestimated".
He said that, despite everything, "the parliamentary votes have been fairly coherent and that's a direct result of someone who is a unifying figure - and that's Rosie as chief whip."
It is understood that some Labour MPs who were thinking about returning to the front bench are now reconsidering.
But Mr Corbyn's team denied the reshuffle was divisive, saying other MPs who resigned will be returning to shadow cabinet roles later.
A Labour spokesman said: "Jeremy has today spoken to a number of colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party and will continue to do so throughout the day. He has begun the process of appointing a new frontbench team."
Jo Stevens, who has been brought in as the new shadow Welsh secretary, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she thought Mr Corbyn had reached out to unify the party.
"I was one of the senior people in Owen Smith's leadership campaign and he's offered me a place on the shadow cabinet," she said.
"The Labour Party is a collective and we're there to hold the government to account," she added. "That's why I stayed in my post in the summer and accepted the job yesterday."
Ms Stevens said there would be opportunities on "plenty of issues" to unite the party against the Tories.
Mr Corbyn had promised to unite his party following his re-election as leader last month.
Some posts have been vacant since the resignations in the aftermath of June's EU referendum in protest at his leadership.
Former Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Starmer stood down from his shadow Home Office minister post in June. He will now join shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner, new shadow economic secretary Jonathan Reynolds and shadow chancellor John McDonnell on Labour's "shadow Brexit team".
As well as moving Ms Abbott from shadow health secretary and Ms Stevens, Sarah Champion has been made shadow women and equalities minister.
Announcing the changes to his top team, Mr Corbyn leader said in a statement: "I am delighted to confirm the appointments of four extremely talented women to our shadow cabinet.
"These appointments mean, for the first time ever, two out of the three traditional 'great offices of state' will be shadowed by women."
He added that his front bench would include 10 Labour MPs from the north of England and five black or ethnic minority MPs.
Ms Abbott said of her new role: "I am honoured to serve. My first job when I left university was as a graduate trainee in the Home Office, so my career has come full circle."
The position was vacated by Andy Burnham who quit to run in the Greater Manchester mayoral election.
By Iain Watson, political correspondent
Jeremy Corbyn's reshuffle sees big promotions for two women seen as his allies - Diane Abbott and Shami Chakrabarti, a year after he was criticised for not putting women in top shadow cabinet roles.
But the real significance is not who is in - it is who is out. The very popular chief whip, Rosie Winterton, has been sacked. She was seen as someone, behind the scenes, who stood up for MPs' interests against the party leader-   and who had been working hard to broker a compromise on shadow cabinet elections.
She believed that many more MPs might return to the frontbench if they were answerable to colleagues and not just to the leader. So many Labour MPs tonight are expressing disappointment that she has gone.
And it is interesting that Clive Lewis, the shadow defence secretary who, unlike Jeremy Corbyn, saw no pressing need to challenge Trident renewal, has been shifted to become shadow business secretary.
One senior party figure has called the reshuffle "cack handed and vindictive". Unity has not yet broken out in the Labour Party.
Conservative MP Luke Hall said Ms Abbott's appointment showed Labour had "lost touch with ordinary working-class people". He said: "By appointing a shadow home secretary who disagrees with the public, and her own party, about the need to control our own borders, Labour have abandoned the centre ground."
Baroness Chakrabarti, who was recently made a Labour peer, joins the shadow cabinet for the first time.
Accepting the shadow cabinet role, she said it was "an enormous privilege", and added: "I hope to follow in a great tradition of law officers on both sides of the aisle who have defended rights, freedoms and the rule of law."
Mr Corbyn has also created a new position, shadow minister for black and minority ethnic communities, and appointed Dawn Butler to the role.
New opposition chief whip Nick Brown, who served in the same role under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said he hoped to "bring experience" and "play a constructive role" in providing the "strongest possible opposition" to the Conservative government.
Dame Rosie, who was opposition chief whip since 2010, said it had been an "honour" to do the job and thanked the whips and the Parliamentary Labour Party for their support.
Mr Corbyn paid tribute to her "six years' exceptional service" and said she had played "an outstanding role in her support for me as leader and for the Labour Party as a whole".
But the Opposition Whips' office are said to be "deeply saddened" by her departure.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said he understood Dame Rosie did not leave her job voluntarily, and that there was "some significance" to her removal.
She had been trying to get a deal agreed on shadow cabinet elections and was seen as a "bulwark against attempts to deselect MPs that disagreed with Mr Corbyn".
Several prominent Labour figures took to Twitter to thank Dame Rosie for her work, including former leader Ed Miliband and former deputy leader Harriet Harman.
A number of MPs unhappy with Mr Corbyn's leadership have said they could not serve in his shadow cabinet, including his former challenger Owen Smith.
Others are said to be considering serving under the leader if he reinstates elections to the shadow cabinet, which were axed by former leader Ed Miliband in 2011.
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn has told the BBC that there will be no shadow cabinet elections before November.


A £180,000 supercar was damaged in a minor crash in a Pembrokeshire town.

The Ferrari 458 coupe was involved in the crash with another car on Victoria Road in Milford Haven at 13:45 GMT on Sunday.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said everyone was out of the cars before crews arrived.
There was some traffic disruption along Hamilton Terrace, the town's main thoroughfare, but that quickly cleared.
According to the website What Car? the Ferrari 458 is worth between £178,000 and £208,000.


One of the frontrunners to succeed Nigel Farage as the leader of UKIP says he would aim to secure him a seat in the House of Lords if he won.

Paul Nuttall told Sky News a peerage would be a "fitting tribute to the man who gave us Brexit".
Mr Farage stood down after the EU referendum but returned as interim head after his replacement Diane James quit.
The Sunday Times reports the two other party leadership favourites would also back a peerage for Mr Farage.
According to the paper, Raheem Kassam and Suzanne Evans have both said they would like to see him on the red benches in the upper house of Parliament.
Ms Evans is quoted in the Sunday Times as saying: "If Nigel wants a seat in the House of Lords, I will campaign like stink for that."
Mr Farage, who failed seven times to be elected as an MP, led UKIP for a decade.
He stood down on 4 July saying his "political ambition has been achieved" with the UK having voted to leave the EU, but returned when Ms James resigned two months later.
Mr Nuttall says he hoped Prime Minister Theresa May would adopt a different approach from that of her predecessor when it came to offering peerages to UKIP.
UKIP currently has three representatives in the Lords, two defectors from the Conservatives and the other previously an independent Conservative.
Mr Farage should be recognised for his role in the Brexit vote, said Mr Nuttall, the MEP for North West England and former UKIP chairman,
"It would be a great idea. UKIP should have been given more peerages. David Cameron obviously had a visceral hatred of us, and we were never awarded one.
"Maybe now with Theresa May in the seat, we may well get peerages, and if we do get peerages then Nigel Farage should be the first on the list."
Mr Nuttall was also questioned about policy issues during his interview with Sky's Dermot Murnaghan.
He said there needed to be better checks on asylum seekers to ensure they were not jihadis or economic migrants.
On climate change he said "far more research" needs to be done before measures "which harm our economy" are adopted.
Mr Nuttall confirmed he was in favour of capital punishment for child killers and would "probably" support a reduction of the abortion limit from 24 to 12 weeks, but neither would be automatically adopted as policies by UKIP.
On the NHS, he said he was in favour of an overall increase in spending to employ more doctors and nurses but in other areas - such as procurement of drugs - it should be "streamlined" with more free market involvement.


A letter inviting primary schools to develop an Irish language study programme shows how Sinn Féin has "weaponised" the Irish language, DUP MLA Nelson McCausland has said.

Mr McCausland said Sinn Féin was "stepping up its cultural war".
Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd, who is Stormont education minister, said Mr McCausland's claims were "nonsense".
Mr O'Dowd said he had no personal involvement with the letter.
"It was a routine departmental matter until Nelson released his rant," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.
"Officials confirmed to me that as part of the normal day-to-day running of the Department of Education, and in engagement with the curriculum advisory body, they sent out a letter to all schools asking them would they be interested in this project.
"There is no John O'Dowd agenda, there is no Sinn Féin agenda, there is no other agenda."
Mr McCausland told the BBC he had issued his press statement after being contacted by a number of school principals who raised their concerns with him.
"Principals feel very nervous about dealing with something like this because at the end of the day, he who pays the piper calls the tune, and if you've got a bid in for development for your school, you're not going to go out of your way to offend the education minister," he said.
Mr O'Dowd said this was "complete rubbish", and said Mr McCausland had used "disturbing language" in his statement.
"He's attempting to intimidate schools in unionist communities away from this project, and that's his agenda," he said.
Mr McCausland, who is a former Stormont culture minister, defended the wording of his statement.
"We are familiar with their phrase about every word spoken in Irish being another bullet in the freedom struggle, and they also referred on one occasion to the terrorist war being the peak of the cultural revival," he told the BBC.
"I think the language that I used was simply borrowed from Sinn Féin's own language."
The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment said it had written on behalf of the Department of Education to non-Irish medium primary schools "to explore the feasibility of developing a programme of support for the teaching of Irish and aspects of a shared cultural heritage".
"This followed a previous survey which showed interest from a number of non-Irish medium primary schools in developing this area of their curriculum.
"The decision to engage in such a programme is a matter for individual schools, led by the support of governors and teachers, in line with their guiding ethos.  Such a programme would only be taken forward by CCEA based on demand and available funding."


It looks like something out of a science fiction film but this is a special algae that glows in the dark when it is disturbed.

21 June 2017 Last updated at 15:24 BST
It is found in tropical waters and these amazing pictures have been taken at a beach in Australia.
You glow guys!
Pictures from ABC Australia.


Hey, guess what... Red Bull doesn't "give you wings" after all.

The famous energy drink slogan has been found to be false after a US lawsuit and the company has agreed to compensate customers who bought it in America between 2002 and 2014.
Legal papers specify that no proof of purchase is necessary.
Anyone in the US who bought at least one can, in the last 12 years, could be entitled $10 (Â£6.17) cash or $15 (Â£9.26) worth of Red Bull goods.
The false ad lawsuit all started in 2013 by a US consumer, Benjamin Careathers, who believed the company's slogan "Red Bull gives you wings" is dishonest.
He argued the slogan clearly doesn't mean the drink will give you wings but it is generally understood the drink should give a higher energy boost than an average cup of coffee.
But when Careathers found Red Bull had less caffeine than a cup of coffee, he felt there were grounds for a lawsuit.
According to the Red Bull website, One 250ml (8.4 oz) can of Red Bull Energy Drink contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, which is about 80mg.
At hearing a back in August, a judge agreed with him: "Such deceptive conduct and practices mean that [Red Bull's] advertising and marketing is not just 'puffery,' but it instead deceptive and fraudulent and it therefore actionable," the lawsuit stated.
"Even though there is a lack of genuine scientific support for a claim that Red Bull branded energy drinks provide any more benefit to a consumer than a cup of coffee, the Red Bull defendants persistently and pervasively market their product as a superior source of 'energy' worthy of a premium price over a cup of coffee or other sources of caffeine," it continued.
However, Red Bull admits no wrongdoing.
It issued this statement to Bevnet, which is a magazine and website aimed at the beverage industry: "Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation.
"However, Red Bull maintains that its marketing and labelling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability," the company said, in August.
The compensation payments to customers, expected to cost the company $13m (Â£8.2m), won't happen for a while though.
The legal process is still pending final court approval of the settlement scheduled to happen in May in 2015.
Those wanting to make a claim have to submit a form before 2 March 2015.
No proof or cash till receipt is needed, just to remember whether the drink was purchased between 1 January 2001 and 3 October 2014.
There are reports that Red Bull has agreed to change its advertising but an internet search in the UK still showed the company's old "Gives You Wings" slogan.
No comment from Red Bull in the UK as yet.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Voters in Tower Hamlets are going to the polls to vote for a new mayor.

The election was called after mayor Lutfur Rahman was convicted of electoral fraud and removed from office in April.
He has been banned from standing again.
The Met Police said it was investigating 16 allegations of electoral malpractice in relation to this election, including harvesting votes and the improper distribution of election literature.
The full list of Tower Hamlets mayoral candidates is:


The tumbling price of oil has been headline news for months.

Right now, prices are around 60% down on July 2014. Supply has outstripped demand - great news for motorists but a disaster for the UK oil industry.
Around 65,000 jobs are estimated to have been lost, many of them in Aberdeen.
It is not the first time a glut of cheap oil has given British businesses a battering. But 150 years ago it was not the North Sea that bore the brunt of the downturn - it was north Wales.
In the second half of the 19th Century, Flintshire struck oil.
Strictly speaking, it struck cannel coal - a dense, smooth, shale-like variety of coal which can be distilled to make oil.
While that admittedly sounds a lot less thrilling than the discovery of a black gold "gusher" under the Flintshire hills, it nevertheless heralded a global investment frenzy to rival the early days of the California gold rush.
Speculators ploughed close to a million pounds into a variety of coal-oil ventures from Mold to Queensferry.
The vast majority of them were to lose their shirts.
"It must have been absolutely astounding," said Dr Robin Chesters, Director of the Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry, which has conducted extensive research into the Flintshire "oil-dorado".
"It all happened so fast that some of the oil works weren't actually completed and others were put together so quickly that they began to fall down."
The seeds of the oil rush were sown in 1858 when an industrialist named Ebenezer Waugh Fernie discovered an exceptionally rich seam of cannel coal at Leeswood Green Colliery, near Mold.
Seven years earlier the Scottish scientist James "Paraffin" Young had patented his process of producing oil from coal and established a highly successful oil works at Bathgate in West Lothian.
Fernie suspected there was similar money to be made in Leeswood and he set about building an oil works near the colliery.
But the budding enterprise was hampered by Young's patent and Fernie's numerous attempts at surreptitious oil production landed him in court.
The "Great Paraffine Case" was brought before the Chancery court in London in January 1864. It lasted 33 days, called 73 witnesses and became a cause celebre.
The court found in Young's favour and awarded him substantial damages. But his patent expired a few months later anyway,
That, together with the huge amount of publicity garnered by the case, meant that Flintshire's cannel coal reserves were suddenly ripe for the distilling.
"People who had been reading about this great court case and all the money that could be made realised that they could now go into the business and make their fortune," said Dr Chesters.
Would-be oil tycoons from all over Britain and abroad began ploughing money into coal-oil companies.
A total of 26 oil works and refineries were built in Flintshire, mainly near the collieries where the cannel coal was mined.
People flocked to the area from far and wide in search of work, rents were raised exorbitantly and overcrowding was rife.
By late 1865, oil fever had Flintshire in its grip.
An account published in the Western Daily Press in November of that year describes the frenzied activity at the height of the boom:
"I pushed for Padeswood, a small station about two miles from Mold, in Flintshire, and landed at once in the very heart of the mineral oil region.
"T'was as if I had fallen asleep in the train at Chester, and woke up amongst the "Oil Wells" at Pennsylvania.
"There was the identical mud, about the same quantity of smell, the same run of land, the same rough people, the same sort of fires and furnaces, cauldrons, retorts, kettles, stew-pans for oil and distilleries."
"There was a mad rush for cannel," says another report in the Oil Trade Review.
"Leases of property known to contain cannel were transferred at enormous premiums and every other holding of land not known to contain cannel was bored in all directions in the hope of finding it.
"The little town of Mold became suddenly so important that the inhabitants of the neighbouring city began to consider whether it might not soon become desirable to describe themselves as living in 'a place called Chester, near Mold'."
But the boom proved to be short-lived. Just 18 months after the Flintshire oil stampede had begun, the industry was on its knees and cheap US imports were to blame.
"The first oil had come from America in around 1859," said Dr Chesters.
"But from 1861, the Civil War disrupted all of the North Atlantic trade and that meant that very limited supplies were coming through.
"But as soon as the Flintshire industry really began to get into its stride, the Civil War ended and imports started up again.
"The whole price of oil dropped tremendously and what looked like a good industry to invest in in early 1865, became totally unviable part way through 1866."
Over the next couple of years, most of the oil companies were shut down and local newspapers were full of tales of would be oil-barons facing bankruptcy and ruin.
An 1869 article in the Oil Trade Review paints a gloomy picture: "Dilapidated brickwork, smokeless stunted chimneys and other ruins of manufacturing operations are now the subject of melancholy comment by visitors who formerly were lost in wonderment at the sudden development of its commercial prosperity."
But while its impact on the local area was immense, the story of the Flintshire oil rush remains obscure.
Written accounts are all that remains.
One in particular - by Arthur Robottom, a Birmingham merchant who invested in the Coppa Oil company, near Mold - sums up the high hopes and broken dreams of that extraordinary time: "The steam yachts, carriages, mansions and other luxuries that we had been awarding ourselves in the future all faded away like a dream.
"All of my plans had collapsed with a suddenness that nearly drove me to despair and I began to think that it would be well that I should never again make too sure of anything."


Y sylwebydd rygbi a chyn-gapten Cymru Jonathan Davies, sy'n Ateb y Galw yr wythnos yma, wedi iddo gael ei enwebu gan Iwan Roberts.

Mynd lawr i Langennydd gyda mam a dad pan o'n i'n grwt ifanc.
Karen Hughes yn Ysgol y Gwendraeth. Digwydd bod mae nai Karen, Steffan, yn chwarae i'r Scarlets nawr.
Yn ystod gêm ryngwladol rhywdro ro'n i ishe mynd i'r tŷ bach. Yn yr huddle hanner amser es i lawr ar un benglin a dechra gwneud, ac yna cododd y bois a gadael fi yna ar fy nghwrcwd.
Unrhyw adeg pan fo'r plant yn gwneud rhywbeth i fy ngwneud i'n prowd.
Bwyta'n rhy gloi a pigo fy ewinedd.
Ar lan y môr rhywle ar y Gŵyr - perffaith o le.
Dwi'n lwcus i gael llawer o nosweithiau cofiadwy, ond y rhai mwya' arbennig i fi yw pan dwi efo fy ffrindie a theulu a joio cwpl o beints ac ymlacio.
Ffyddlon, neis a chyfeillgar.
Rwy'n darllen lot, ac yn mwynhau llyfrau James Patterson. Rwy' hefyd yn mwynhau hunangofiannau - yn ddiweddar rhai Mike Tyson ac Andre Agassi.
Es i weld 'Daddy's Home' gyda Will Ferrell a Mark Wahlberg efo'r ferch - roedd e'n eitha da. A nes i weld 'Spectre' cyn y Nadolig hefyd.
Yn ifanc Leonardo DiCaprio, ond dyddiau 'ma Robert De Niro.
Unrhywbeth gan Coldplay.
Prif gwrs: cinio dydd Sul, cyw iâr neu cig eidion
Rory McIlroy - dwlen i gael ei sgiliau fe gyda'r clubs.
Tom Shanklin


Southampton hold a slender advantage in the EFL Cup semi-final after a fully deserved first-leg victory over Liverpool at St Mary's.

Nathan Redmond's cool finish from Jay Rodriguez's pass gave Saints a crucial lead to take to Anfield on 25 January - but Southampton can count themselves unlucky not to be in complete control of this battle for a place at Wembley.
Liverpool's much-criticised goalkeeper Loris Karius was one of very few in Jurgen Klopp's side to distinguish himself amid a shocking performance, making two fine first-half saves from goalscorer Redmond.
Karius's one-handed save from Redmond right on half-time was vital but he was helpless late on as the same player threatened once more, Liverpool enjoying more good fortune as his effort came back off the bar.
Southampton's recent form has been indifferent but manager Claude Puel will have been delighted with their display at St Mary's.
After a brief early spell of Liverpool pressure, when Roberto Firmino tested Fraser Forster, Southampton were completely untroubled throughout an impressive performance.
Saints were sharp in the tackle, more assured in possession and a continual threat through Redmond and the industrious Rodriguez.
They will be left, however, with a tinge of regret despite an excellent, fully merited result that gives them real reason for optimism for the second leg at Anfield.
Karius and the woodwork kept them at bay and they had many other opportunities to produce a scoreline reflecting their superiority.
Southampton could have slammed the door on Liverpool - instead it remains ajar.
Karius has had to undergo a severe examination of his goalkeeping credentials and endure heavy public criticism in the early months of his Liverpool career.
Klopp placed great faith in the 23-year-old German, signed from his former club Mainz in a £4.75m deal this summer - eventually choosing him ahead of established first-choice Simon Mignolet.
The decision backfired and he was forced to drop Karius after two poor, error-strewn performances in the 4-3 loss at Bournemouth and the 2-2 home draw with West Ham.
Klopp has never lost belief, however, choosing Karius as his cup keeper - and he was rewarded here with an outstanding display, especially with two excellent saves from Redmond.
He is responsible for Liverpool still being in this tie after a shocking display.
Southampton manager Claude Puel:
"Liverpool had just the one chance all game. We were unlucky at the end because we know Liverpool away in the second leg will be very difficult.
"This competition is exciting, now it is important to keep the good concentration for the Premier League.
"We lost three games so it is important to have a good reaction."
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp:
"We needed Loris Karius to save our lives two or three times.
"The best thing for us is the result. We know that we can play better at Anfield - nothing is decided.
"We cannot be happy with the performance, Southampton cannot be happy with the result. It could and should have been 2-0, 3-0."
Former Leicester and Birmingham striker Steve Claridge:
You can make a strong case for Southampton winning 2-0 or even 3-0. Everyone here is happy but this is an opportunity missed.
If Southampton don't go through they will be kicking themselves.
Match ends, Southampton 1, Liverpool 0.
Second Half ends, Southampton 1, Liverpool 0.
Ragnar Klavan (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Shane Long (Southampton).
Attempt missed. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by James Milner.
Divock Origi (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Bertrand (Southampton).
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Cédric Soares.
Attempt missed. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Nathan Redmond (Southampton) hits the bar with a right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right.
Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino.
Substitution, Southampton. James Ward-Prowse replaces Steven Davis.
Substitution, Southampton. Shane Long replaces Jay Rodriguez.
Jay Rodriguez (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ragnar Klavan (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jay Rodriguez (Southampton).
Attempt missed. Jay Rodriguez (Southampton) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nathan Redmond.
Attempt missed. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Nathaniel Clyne.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Southampton. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg replaces Jordy Clasie because of an injury.
Delay in match Jordy Clasie (Southampton) because of an injury.
Foul by Lucas Leiva (Liverpool).
Oriol Romeu (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Cédric Soares (Southampton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Nathan Redmond following a fast break.
Corner,  Liverpool. Conceded by Maya Yoshida.
Dusan Tadic (Southampton) is shown the yellow card.
Offside, Liverpool. Philippe Coutinho tries a through ball, but James Milner is caught offside.
Substitution, Liverpool. Philippe Coutinho replaces Georginio Wijnaldum.
Attempt missed. Nathan Redmond (Southampton) header from a difficult angle on the right misses to the right. Assisted by Steven Davis with a cross.
Attempt saved. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Lallana.
Attempt missed. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Emre Can (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Oriol Romeu (Southampton).
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Maya Yoshida (Southampton).
Corner,  Southampton. Conceded by James Milner.
Attempt missed. Dusan Tadic (Southampton) left footed shot from long range on the right misses to the left. Assisted by Steven Davis from a direct free kick.
Foul by James Milner (Liverpool).
Cédric Soares (Southampton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Second Half begins Southampton 1, Liverpool 0.


The hottest topic of conversation in Bangalore these days is traffic, writes the BBC's Geeta Pandey who spent 10 days in the southern Indian city recently.

A few days ago, popular British author Jeffrey Archer was in the city to launch his latest book when he had a taste of Bangalore's notorious traffic jams.
"A woman walking on the pavement overtook my car eight times and my car overtook her eight times. Two more times and we would have been engaged," he later told the more than 3,000 fans who had gathered for the event.
The writer's humour made his fans smile, but many Bangaloreans stuck daily in the city's nightmarish jams are not amused.
I've visited Bangalore many times in the past, but this time whenever I called anyone to fix an appointment, the directions came with a warning, "Start early to factor in traffic delays."
"The traffic is definitely a mess here," says transport and traffic expert Prof MN Sreehari. "It's faster to walk than drive."
"In 2005, traffic moved at the speed of 35km (22 miles) an hour; in 2014, it had slowed down to 9.2km (5.7 miles)," says Pawan Mulukutla of the non-profit World Resource Institute, adding that "at traffic junctions, the wait time is more than five minutes when it should ideally be two-three minutes."
Today, at peak times, the speed is just 4-5km on the city's key Outer Ring Road.
Reports say an average citizen spends more than 240 hours stuck in jams every year and Prof Sreehari estimates that traffic delays cost the city 65bn rupees ($950m; £760m) a year.
So why is Bangalore gridlocked?
Everyone I spoke to agreed that it was because of the rapid - and unplanned - growth of the city.
Bangalore is often described as the Silicon Valley of India as it is home to the IT industry.
Since the early 1990s, global technology firms began opening offices here and a large number of support industries have grown around it, bringing with them a huge influx of people from all over India.
"Bangalore became the new El Dorado," says city resident V Ravichandar. "And the population grew from 5.6 million in 2001 to 8.7 million in 2011. Today, it's estimated to have reached 11.5 million."
Mr Mulukutla says the population has doubled, but the infrastructure has failed to keep pace.
"We have only 6,500-7,000 public buses to carry 45% of the city's traffic. The Metro construction has been very slow. Work on the first line started in 2007 and so far only 28km of the 42km line have opened. Work on the second phase has not even begun. And deadlines keep getting pushed."
So most people are dependent on private transport. Prof Sreehari says the city has 6.6 million private vehicles, including one million cars. And every day, another million vehicles enter from outside the city, clogging its already choked streets.
Adding to the problem, he says, is the fact that one-third of the city roads are taken away by parking and encroachments.
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"Roads are meant for traffic, but there's parking everywhere. Footpaths are meant for pedestrians, but they are occupied by hawkers and vendors."
So is there a way out?
"We need firm decisions from the authorities, but there is a lack of vision," believes Prof Sreehari.
"More than 3,500 vehicles are registered in the city daily. That number needs to be restricted. We need to make licensing stricter, car purchases should be taxed heavily and heavy fines should be charged to curb roadside parking," he says.
Mr Ravichandar says the answer lies in faster public transport. "We need more investment in public transport. If we increase the number of buses to 9,500 to 10,000, it will make a difference," he says.
"The government instead comes up with ideas like constructing a steel bridge and elevated corridors," says Mr Mulukutla.
"Building new flyovers can change the pain point, but they are not a permanent solution," he adds.
Prof Sreehari says any new flyover will be clogged in five years.
"What we need is a comprehensive integrated sustainable public transport system, something like a central transport authority like you have in London or Singapore. Our culture of working in silos and different transport systems, not talking to each other, is not going to work."
But as that is unlikely to happen soon, the situation is "expected to get worse before it gets better", says Mr Ravichandar.
Bangalore, at least in the near future, will continue to remain gridlocked.


Two British tourists have died in Amsterdam after reportedly snorting white heroin which police believe they mistook for cocaine.

Their bodies were found in a hotel room in the south of the city on Tuesday next to traces of white powder.
Police in the Netherlands say the men, who were aged 20 and 21, were from England.
Officers told Newsbeat they believe the same dealers were involved in the death of another British man last month.
Police spokesman Rob van der Veen says since mid-September, 17 people have needed medical attention after taking white heroin in the city. All of them were tourists.
The 14 who survived received medical attention quickly - many of them needed CPR.
Mr van der Veen told Newsbeat: "These are the first cases the police have seen where white heroin has been taken as cocaine in the Netherlands."
A post-mortem examination will be carried out later this week to determine exactly how the two men died, but he says the police have "strong evidence" it was from snorting the drug.
"We checked the powder and it looked like cocaine, but after testing it we found it was white heroin," he says.
"The contents were the same as material we seized in other cases where people got ill."
So what is white heroin?
"It is a sort of luxury drug," says Mr van der Veen, "people with a lot of money sometimes buy it, but normally they use it in another way.
"It looks like cocaine, but when people snort it the result is respiratory failure.
"Brown heroin is much more common," he says.
Mr van de Veen says white heroin is "much more expensive" than cocaine, but the dealer "sold it for the same price [as cocaine] several times".
"We think he doesn't know what he is selling", he says.
Officers think it's only tourists who have been affected because the dealer, or ring of dealers, sell drugs on the streets, and "speak very good English".
The police are calling for tourists to stay away from drug dealers.
Since October they have distributed warning leaflets, particularly aimed at British tourists at hotels and hostels, and in tourist areas.
The leaflets say: "[In] the last couple of weeks several tourists [have been] hospitalised with severe health problems after using cocaine bought on the street."
Mr van der Veen says: "Of course we know that the young people don't all come to Amsterdam to see the tulips, but they have to very aware of what they take.
"If they go to a coffee shop and use some weed then that would not be a big problem, but when they start taking ecstasy or cocaine they have to be aware of the danger because you cant see the difference between cocaine and white heroin.
"If you look at ecstasy some people aren't aware of how strong it sometimes is and they can get into trouble by taking too many pills," he adds.
The police have yet to release the names of the two men who died on Tuesday.
The Foreign Office says it's providing assistance to family members.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Motorists caught blocking yellow boxes and bus lanes in Cardiff city centre will be sent a weblink to a video of their actions from Monday.

Drivers will also be issued with a Â£70 fixed penalty charge and sent photographs of their traffic violation.
The notice will contain a link to a website where a video clip of the offence can be viewed.
The council said the changes will help tackle congestion and recovered money will be spent on traffic measures.
Cabinet member for transport Ramesh Patel said: "Enforcement will be taking place on the main routes and only during morning and evening rush hours, in order to improve traffic flows, minimise delays and give an encouragement to public transport.
"This is therefore not about income generation, but rather about tackling bad driving habits at specific times and locations in the network which end up causing delays for everyone."


Premiership side Bath have agreed a deal to sign Japan number eight Amanaki Mafi on a short-term contract.

The 25-year-old will join from NTT Shining Arcs at the end of January when the Japanese campaign has concluded.
Mafi, who featured four times for Japan at the World Cup this year, will remain at Bath until the end of the season.
"Amanaki is a talented young player who had a great World Cup, and we're excited to see what he can do in a Bath jersey," said head coach Mike Ford.
"We have some very good players in our back row already but we're always looking to strengthen the squad. Amanaki will give us another option in a hugely competitive position."


Nottingham Forest striker Gerry McDonagh has agreed to join League Two side Cambridge United on loan until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old Forest academy graduate signed his first professional deal with his parent club last season.
He impressed on loan with National League Wrexham earlier this season, scoring five goals in 21 appearances.
"Gerry brings an added physicality to our forward line," Cambridge United manager Shaun Derry said.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


Young adults are increasingly tempted to become money mules - risking a fraud conviction for a few hundred pounds, a protection body has said.

People short of cash respond to job adverts and social media posts that promise quick money for little work.
Criminals then ask respondents to launder money, by transferring stolen funds into another account or wiring it overseas, for a cut of the cash.
Fraud prevention group Cifas said those involved in the fraud risked jail.
The maximum sentence is 14 years in prison, and anyone found using their account in this way will see their credit record affected, making it more difficult to get a mortgage, bank loan or mobile phone contract in the future.
On top of this, the promised cut of a few hundred pounds is often never paid.
Other types of similar fraud include selling a bank account, knowingly making a payment that will bounce, or opening credit card, retail accounts or mobile phone contracts with no intention of honouring the credit agreements.
Criminals often target students and unemployed people. New figures show that those aged 21 to 30 are most likely to take part in these so-called "misuse of facility" frauds.
A total of 31,898 people in this age group were involved during the first nine months of the year, Cifas said. This was a 3.2% rise compared to the same period last year.
The biggest rise in cases in the same period was among 31 to 40-year-olds, with the number of people involved rising by 7.1% to 18,978.
"Our figures show that young people are disproportionately at risk of this type of fraud," said Simon Dukes, chief executive of Cifas.
"With Christmas only a few weeks away, we want to warn young people, in particular students, to be wary of anyone approaching them in the student union or elsewhere with promises of cash for the use of their bank account.
"Criminals may make it sound attractive by offering a cash payment, but the reality is that letting other people use your account in this way is fraud and it is illegal."


The bodies of six people have been recovered from the ruins of a fireworks factory after it was destroyed by a blast near the north-eastern Spanish city of Zaragoza.

Another six people were being treated in hospital and two had serious injuries, officials said.
The cause of the explosion at the Pirotecnia Zaragozana plant was not yet clear to investigators.
The city is observing a day of mourning for the victims on Tuesday.
Five bodies were found late on Monday and the sixth was discovered on a farm next to the factory in Garrapinillos early on Tuesday, sources told Spanish media.
Officials in the northern Aragon region said one of the injured, a woman, was in a very serious condition.
At least 40 people work at the factory, but Spanish media said some 20 of them were at the site at the time of the explosion, which destroyed part of the building on Monday afternoon.
Pirotecnia Zaragozana, founded in 1860, exports fireworks to markets across Europe as well as to Canada.
The plant has seen disasters in the past, according to Spanish reports. Five workers died there in 1967 and another was killed in 1994, El Mundo said.


Marcus Rashford says "it doesn't seem real" to be part of England's Euro 2016 squad less than four months after making his Manchester United debut.

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The 18-year-old striker scored eight goals in 18 appearances for United before finding the net three minutes into his England debut in May.
"At Christmas, I was trying to work my way into United's Under-21s side," he said. "To be here now is just amazing.
"It doesn't seem real, when you look back at it."
In an interview with FATV, the teenager added: "I wasn't really thinking about the England set-up as much because at United there were a lot of games coming thick and fast, so all of my focus was on those games.
"When I first went into the England changing room and saw all of the players' names on the back of their shirts, it didn't seem real.
"I tried not to think about it too much because that's probably where the pressure and stuff starts to get to people's heads and affect their performance."
Rashford did not feature in England's final pre-tournament friendly as Wayne Rooney started behind Tottenham's Harry Kane and Leicester's Jamie Vardy in an unimpressive 1-0 win over Portugal.
England's Group C campaign begins against Russia in Marseille on Saturday before matches against Wales on 16 June and Slovakia on 20 June.
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Exeter Chiefs scored 17 unanswered second-half points as they fought back with victory over in-form Northampton to move top of the Premiership.

Saints arrived at Sandy Park on the back of five wins in six games and led 12-3 at the break thanks to tries from Lee Dickson and Ken Pisi.
Olly Woodburn scored in the corner to cut Northampton's lead.
And Gareth Steenson kicked four penalties, to add to a first-half effort, to seal victory for Exeter.
Exeter, who have won four of their last five matches, have never finished in the top four but look well set for a play-off place and sit first after Saracens lost to Leicester later on Sunday.
Rob Baxter's side were completely transformed after half-time as they dominated the breakdown and won 10 second-half penalties, with Saints failing to earn one.
Saints finished last season as the league leaders but it has been a mixed campaign this time around following a poor start.
Their pack struggled to impose themselves in the second half, although they thought they had nicked a losing bonus-point just before full-time but the Television Match Official ruled no try.
Exeter assistant coach Ali Hepher: "We looked as though we weren't enjoying our rugby in the first half as we were frightened to make mistakes.
"We had a quiet word at half-time and this freed us up. We created a different, positive mindset and we said that we needed to be positive and not afraid of errors.
"We took on the message and turned the screw, we had a bit of self-belief."
On replacing Thomas Waldrom: "We struggled at the breakdown, Thomas wasn't injured and Julian Salvi is one of the best in that area in the Premiership."
Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: "It's frustrating, we didn't get the bounce of the ball and a few refereeing decisions went against us.
"I thought we scored a good try right at the end, which would have got us a bonus point, and the officials were wrong to disallow it.
"I thought we were very good in the first half as we took our opportunities but our second-half performance was poor as we coughed up possession and kicked away too much ball.
"The Six Nations period was a good one for us as we've won more than we've lost and hopefully we'll be able to integrate our international players back into our side."
Exeter: Turner; Woodburn, Slade, Whitten, Short; Steenson, Lewis; Moon, Yeandle (capt.), Williams, Atkins, Parling, Ewers, Armand, Waldrom.
Replacements: Taione, Hepburn, Rimmer, Stevenson, Salvi, Chudley, Hill, Bodilly.
Northampton: Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Mallinder, Tuala; Hanrahan, Dickson (capt.); Waller, Haywood, Hill, Craig, Day, Harrison, Gibson, Fisher.
Replacements: Marshall, Waller, Denman, Matfield, Wood, Fotuali'i, Myler, Wilson.


Sub-Saharan Africa will get its first Starbucks next year, as part of a new deal between the US coffee giant and a South African franchiser.

The first branch is due to open in Johannesburg in 2016, with more locations to follow, its partner Taste Holdings said in a statement.
Starbucks, which has 22,000 outlets worldwide, will face local competition.
Global brands are increasingly entering the African market to take advantage of the continent's growing middle class.
BBC Africa Live: News updates
"The coffee market here is vibrant and growing fast - we want to be part of that growth," Starbucks executive Kris Engskov said in a statement.
Starbucks already sources a considerable amount of coffee it sells worldwide from farms in sub-Saharan Africa.
Franchise operator Taste says that the new cafes in South Africa will be staffed predominantly by unemployed young people from local communities, aged between 17-25.
A number of other US companies have moved into the South African market, including Wal-Mart.
Global fast food brands are already popular in South Africa, but coffee companies have been slower to enter the market.
The US doughnut and coffee giant Krispy Kreme also has plans to open around 31 stores in South Africa over the next five years.
There are already many small independent coffee shops in South Africa, the BBC's Matthew Davies reports from Johannesburg.
It is not clear what impact the arrival of Starbucks might have on its smaller, local competitors, our reporter says.


A two-year-old boy has died after being hit by a vehicle on a farm in Cumbria.

The boy was seriously injured following the collision at a farm in Gosforth at about 16:30 GMT on Saturday.
He was taken by air ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he later died.
Cumbria Police said an investigation had been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the boy's family were being supported by trained officers.


Full-on training and speaking your mind is behind Leicester Riders' 14-game winning run, according to Taylor King.

The BBL leaders eased into the BBL Trophy final with a 175-135 aggregate win over Cheshire Phoenix.
King told BBC Radio Leicester: "We have a great attitude in training. We do a great job. It starts in training when we try to kill each other!
"We know what we have to do. They are intense and competitive and that is why we're playing so well."
Riders are four points clear of Newcastle Eagles in the BBL table, having won 20 of their 22 games so far.
Close-season signing King says BBL coach of the month for February Rob Paternostro continues to lead from the front.
"He's the best coach in the game and the league right now," the 28-year-old forward added.
"At the beginning of the season we had a lot of new faces and we went through a low where we lost a couple of games in a row [three out of four in November], but since then we have really come together as a team.
"We are on a little bit of a roll with 14 in a row. We are playing really good basketball, coming in each day and making sure we take care of business - on and off the floor.
"Our defence is what is winning games at the moment. Our captain Tyler Bernardini and Drew Sullivan demand a lot of our team-mates. If a guy is not doing his job, we make sure they know."


Ben Stokes has returned to the England Twenty20 squad for the first time since being hit for four sixes in the final over of the World T20, when West Indies beat England.

Joe Root, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali and Mark Wood also return for the tie with Pakistan at Old Trafford on 7 September after missing Sri Lanka in July.
Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, James Vince, and Dawid Malan all miss out.
However, rapid T20 specialist Tymal Mills retains his place.
Stokes missed the tie against Sri Lanka, which England won by eight wickets, but has figured in the ongoing five-match ODI series, in which they have beaten Pakistan in the first three fixtures.
England impressed at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, scoring an international ODI record 444-3.
Hales scored 171 in that match, the highest score by an England batsman in limited overs cricket, while Root added 85 - his fifth consecutive ODI half-century.
Liam Dawson took 3-27 on debut against Sri Lanka, but misses out as Test spinner Ali returns, while Malan drops out of the squad without making his debut.
National selector, James Whitaker, said: "It is excellent to see the progress we are making in white ball cricket across both formats.
"It is testament to the excellent work being nurtured in the county structure and through the England Lions, that there is a depth of quality pushing the nucleus of the current group."
England Twenty20 squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Tymal Mills (Sussex), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Mark Wood (Durham)


The fighting in Syria is entering its seventh year, with no real end in sight.

What began as calls for change on the streets swiftly became a multi-national battleground, which has left more than 300,000 people dead and millions displaced.
Here are six decisive phases which have shaped the course of the conflict to date:
There were almost 18 months between the outbreak of peaceful protests in February 2011 and the point - in July 2012 - that Syria was declared by the Red Cross to be in a state of civil war.
Over this period, the international narrative shifted from one that framed events within the context of the Arab Spring's search for accountability and reform to one of a protracted military conflict.
The Syrian opposition that emerged in this period reflected, and continues to reflect, a broad movement and not a cohesive force.
The government resorted to increasingly violent crackdowns, prompting the establishment of a growing number of armed opposition groups. The Free Syrian Army (FSA) began to form in the summer of 2011, while the key Islamist and jihadist groups such as Ahrar al-Sham and al-Nusra Front were formed in late 2011 and early 2012, respectively.
While the West hesitated over which groups to support, a chaotic influx of funds ensued from regional powers and individual donors in the Gulf and the Syrian diaspora.
US President Barack Obama had declared in 2012 that the US would punish any use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government.
But when the government was reported to have launched a chemical attack in the Ghouta agricultural belt outside Damascus in August 2013, the US did not intervene and instead accepted an offer from Russia to get Syria to dispose of its chemical weapons.
The Obama administration continued to insist that the deal with Moscow was a better outcome. But on the ground it served to embolden President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies, as it appeared to legitimise the use of non-chemical weapons.
These events shattered any hopes the opposition and its regional backers had of direct US military intervention. They would also undermine potential US leverage in peace negotiations, as the government and its international backers henceforth operated with little fear of US sanction.
Following President Obama's decision not to enforce his red line on chemical weapons, Western support for the "moderate" armed groups was eclipsed by the support of Islamist groups by regional powers Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Even prior to this, some FSA groups had begun adopting a more religious image in order to attract Gulf funding, while some fighters had defected to better-equipped Islamist rivals.
Jihadist groups skilfully sought to exploit the weakness of other groups to increase their power and influence within the rebel movement, sometimes targeting FSA units. Paradoxically, by 2015 this made moderate groups increasingly reliant upon jihadist groups on the battlefield.
The growth of radical groups was further facilitated by the government's battlefield alliances with Hezbollah and other Shia militias, which reinforced the sectarian narrative of Sunni jihadists.
IS entered the Syrian conflict by setting up al-Nusra Front, before announcing a merger with the group in 2013 that was rejected by al-Qaeda. The Syrian government's focus on military efforts against the moderate opposition groups afforded IS room for manoeuvre.
In June 2014, IS announced the formation of its so-called "caliphate", encompassing areas of Syria and Iraq. Defeating IS would soon become the priority in Iraq and Syria for Western powers, leading the West to subordinate the peace process in Syria to an "IS first" policy imperative.
In September 2014, the start of air strikes on IS positions in Syria demonstrated that the West was willing to intervene directly to counter the jihadist group, but not to protect civilians in opposition-held areas from the government's barrel-bombs.
This fuelled a deep sense of betrayal within the Syrian opposition and communicated the prioritisation of a military solution to one of the products of the conflict over the search for a peace settlement that would tackle its drivers.
Following a string of rebel victories in early 2015 - most notably in Idlib - President Assad was forced to admit that manpower shortages had made ceding territory necessary. Russia calculated that the Syrian government required direct material support to guarantee its survival.
In September 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian forces to Syria. The intervention surprised the international community and immediately tipped the military balance in the government's favour.
Moscow declared its intervention to be aimed at listed terror groups such as IS and al-Nusra Front, but it overwhelmingly targeted more moderate groups, including those receiving US support.
Russia has subsequently become the main arbiter in international peace talks, effectively sidelining the UN and making the US a junior partner in the process.
The Russian intervention has also upped the ante for any form of future Western intervention, as this would bring a real threat of direct combat with Russian forces.
The recapture of rebel-held eastern Aleppo by the government and government-aligned forces in December 2016 was the most significant victory for President Assad in the conflict to date.
The loss of Aleppo appears to illustrate that the rebels' hopes of overthrowing the Assad regime militarily are at an end. But the government also lacks the capacity to control the whole of the country, meaning that victory will prove a relative term in Syria.
Internationally, events in Aleppo cemented Russia's role as the main external actor in the Syrian conflict. They also resulted in Turkey replacing the US as the key interlocutor with Russia in the last days of the Obama presidency.
With the US and its Western allies having ceded the initiative, it now appears Western marginalisation in Syria could leave Russia and Iran to negotiate with Turkey an eventual settlement to the war.
Tim Eaton is a research fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme. He manages its Syria and its Neighbours Policy Initiative and is a co-author of the Chatham House report Western Policy Towards Syria: Applying Lessons Learned. Follow him on Twitter.


More than 100 people have attended a service paying homage to Welsh soldiers who died in the battle of Mametz Wood.

The service in Flatiron Copse cemetery was organised by the south Wales branch of the Western Front Association.
The cemetery is located just yards from where 3,993 Welsh soldiers were killed, missing or injured during the five-day battle in World War One.
A Welsh flag and poppy was placed on every Welsh soldier's grave.
The 38th (Welsh) Division attacked Mametz Wood between 7 and 14 July 1916, with more than 4,000 of them killed or injured.
The battalions were drawn from all over Wales and represented north, south, rural and industrial areas, as well as men from the London Welsh.
The band of the Royal Welsh also took part in the short service on Friday.
Phil Davies, secretary of the south west branch of the Western Front Association, said the cemetery was a very special place for Wales.
"It is important that what these men did is never forgotten," he said.
The visitors included a number of people who were visiting the graves of family members.
Robert Tedstone from Abercarn laid a wreath on the grave of his ancestor, Thomas Tedstone, who came from Maesycwmmer in Caerphilly county and died on 7 July 1916.
On Thursday, a memorial service took place at the site of the Welsh dragon memorial, facing the wood.
The service was led by Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan and included an address by First Minister Carwyn Jones.
BBC Wales Today reporter Roger Pinney was at Thursday's ceremony
The old general called it the butchers bill. We would think of it as the human cost of war.
At a centuries distance it's easy to talk of slaughter and sacrifice. But for many of us who attended the centenary service at Mametz Wood one fact will stand out.
It came from Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, one-time commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
"Here," he said, "we lost as many of our people in 15 minutes as we did in 15 years in Afghanistan."
For the ceremony we stood in a pretty valley drenched in bright sunshine.
A delightful place. Looking down on us a defiant dragon, the prominent memorial to the men of the 38th (Welsh) Division.
One hundred years ago they gave this same ground in front of Mametz Wood a name. Death Valley they called it.
In five days, 4,000 were killed or wounded here.
The music, the speeches, the hymns made the ceremony an emotional experience.
The First Minister Carwyn Jones summed up the sentiment of many. "We came to remember," he said, "and give thanks."


Puffins are facing the same threat of extinction as African elephants and lions.

The bird is one of four on a list that the International Council for the Conservation of Nature have put together to highlight which species of birds are at risk.
Atlantic puffins, European turtle doves, Slavonian grebe and Pochards are also on the list.
This doubles the number of UK species on the critical list to eight different birds.
The Atlantic puffin population is still in the millions, but fewer young birds are surviving long enough to have babies.
The environmental organisation  says numbers of turtle doves have fallen in the UK by 90 per cent in the past 40 years.
BBC reporter Dafydd Evans sent Newsround this report.


A police force has referred itself to the watchdog over the death of a woman hours after she spoke to officers about an alleged assault.

Greater Manchester Police spoke to the 42-year-old in Failsworth on Saturday after an abandoned 999 call.
The woman had minor facial injuries and a 57-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault.
Police later returned to the property in Oldham Road to take a statement from the woman but found her dead.
A post-mortem examination found that the cause of death was "not suspicious", a Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said.
A mandatory referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) was made because police had been in touch with the woman prior to her death.
Det Ch Insp Howard Millington said: "First and foremost I would like to express our most sincere condolences to the woman's family for their tragic loss.
"In line with our usual policy when an incident such as this occurs, we have made referral to the IPCC and we await their decision on whether or not they wish to investigate."
He added: "In the meantime, we are continuing to investigating the circumstances surrounding the initial call that was made to police which prompted officers to attend and arrest a 57-year-old man on suspicion of assault."


Montenegro emerged as a sovereign state after just over 55% of the population opted for independence in a May 2006 referendum.

The vote heralded the end of the former Union of Serbia and Montenegro - itself created only three years earlier out of the remnant of the former Yugoslavia.
The EU-brokered deal forming it was intended to stabilise the region by settling Montenegrin demands for independence from Serbia and preventing further changes to Balkan borders.
The same deal also contained the seeds of the union's dissolution. It stipulated that after three years the two republics could hold referendums on whether to keep or scrap it. Montenegro opted for the latter.
Montenegro, which means "Black Mountain", borders Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo and Albania. About half of it is covered in thick forest.
The tiny republic encompasses an Adriatic coastline, lowlands and high mountain ranges. The Tara River canyon is the deepest and longest in Europe.
Population 633,000
Area 13,812 sq km (5,333 sq miles)
Major languages Serbian, Montenegrin
Major religions Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy 73 years (men), 77 years (women)
Currency euro
President: Filip Vujanovic
Filip Vujanovic, an ally of veteran Montenegrin politician Milo Djukanovic, has been president since May 2003. He was re-elected in April 2008 and April 2013.
The president's post is largely symbolic and ceremonial.
Prime minister: Dusko Markovic
Dusko Markovic replaced close ally and longtime leader Milo Djukanovic as prime minister in November 2016.
Parliament voted for Mr Markovic despite a boycott by opposition parties, who complained of election irregularities .
He has the support of a narrow majority in parliament made up of his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and parties that represent national minorities.
Mr Markovic is expected to continue his predecessor's policy of moving towards further integration with the West, in particular Montenegro's accession to NATO  and its membership of the European Union.
Five national daily newspapers, a public broadcaster and four national privately-owned TVs operate in a crowded media market. Many commercial outlets struggle to turn a profit.
Montenegro is sometimes described as a media colony - outlets from neighbouring Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia operate in the country.
Internet penetration has grown steeply and stands at around 64%. Facebook is the most popular social network.
Some key dates in Montenegro's history:
1918 - Following First World War, Montenegro becomes part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which is later known as Yugoslavia.
1991 - Montenegro supports union with Serbia as Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia and Bosnia break away.
1992 - Montenegro joins Serbia in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
2002 - Yugoslav, Montenegrin and Serbian leaders sign EU mediated accord to set up new state, to be called Serbia and Montenegro, in place of Yugoslavia.
2006 - Montenegro holds an independence referendum. Just over the required 55% of voters say yes.
2013 January - The European Parliament says that Montenegro is on track to achieve EU membership, but calls on it to do more to protect media freedom, women's rights and gender equality.


Google has appealed to France's highest court after the country's data watchdog ordered it to delete some of its search results globally.

In 2015, the Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) said Google should respect French "right to be forgotten" rulings worldwide.
But Google said the ruling could lead to abuse by "less open and democratic" countries.
The company is now appealing against a 100,000-euro (Â£76,000) CNIL fine.
The "right to be forgotten" refers to a landmark ruling passed by the European Union's Court of Justice (ECJ) in May 2014.
It gives people the right to have results linked to their name removed from search websites, if they "appear to be inadequate" or "irrelevant".
Google says results can end up removed "even when those links point to truthful and lawfully published information like newspaper articles or official government websites".
Companies offering services to European citizens must comply with the ruling, even if their websites are not hosted in Europe.
Google said it had reviewed almost 1.5 million requests, of which about 40% resulted in the removal of a search result.
Google has previously said it does remove results when a valid "right to be forgotten" request is made.
However, it currently does not remove the affected search results from all versions of its website worldwide.
People using Google in Europe cannot find the deleted results using any version of the search engine - but people outside Europe can see the affected search results when they use a non-European version of the website such as google.com.
The CNIL wants Google to remove the affected search results globally.
It has pointed out it is relatively simple for Europeans to access international versions of Google and find the deleted results.
Google has argued that a French authority such as the CNIL should not "impose measures outside of the nation's borders".
"For hundreds of years, it has been an accepted rule of law that one country should not have the right to impose its rules on the citizens of other countries," said Kent Walker, the company's general counsel.
In an open letter published in French newspaper Le Monde, Google said it had already received requests from countries to block content worldwide that was illegal locally.
"If French law applies globally, how long will it be until other countries - perhaps less open and democratic - start demanding that their laws regulating information likewise have global reach?" it said.
"This order could lead to a global race to the bottom, harming access to information that is perfectly lawful to view in one's own country.
"This is not just a hypothetical concern. We have received demands from governments to remove content globally on various grounds.
"We have resisted, even if that has sometimes led to the blocking of our services."
According to AFP, Google expects the Council of State, France's highest court, will take at least a year to review its appeal.
"We look forward to the court's review of this case," said Mr Walker.


Durham County Council is seeking a judicial review after a planning inspector refused to re-examine his criticism of proposals for the county.

Inspector Harold Stephens said the County Plan, which will be the blueprint for development in County Durham for the next 20 years, was "unrealistic and flawed".
The council had wanted him to reassess his findings but he has refused.
The authority has now said it will take that decision to court.
Ian Thompson, the council's corporate director of regeneration and economic development, said: "It came as a disappointment that the planning inspector has declined to reopen the examination.
"We maintain the plan offers the best prospect for economic growth and have explored every option and opportunity in our efforts to demonstrate this, which has included employing independent planning experts to review our business-backed predictions for growth.
"We now have no choice but to pursue this matter through the courts by way of a Judicial Review."
In the plan, the county council said it wants to build 31,400 homes and create thousands of jobs over the next 20 years, in a bid to attract more businesses and people to the area.
But Mr Stephens said the plan was "unsound" and assumptions about job growth were "very ambitious".


Thousands of viewers in the Borders will have to retune their televisions as moves begin to develop new mobile broadband services.

The change will affect anyone receiving a digital terrestrial signal from the main transmitter at Selkirk.
It will not have an impact on satellite television viewers and those on local relay transmitters.
The switch - on 1 March - is the start of a major project being carried out across the UK from now until 2020.
Some Freeview channels are moving to new airwaves to allow for the future development of new mobile broadband services.
Transmitters across the UK are being updated region by region with the Borders site, which is the first to undergo the change.
Changes at the Selkirk transmitter - which serves about 18,000 homes - will take place at the start of next month.
After that, any viewers receiving their TV signal from Selkirk who find they are missing BBC channels should retune to get them back.
High-definition (HD) BBC channels are not affected by the move.
Freeview said it would be running an information campaign to prepare people for the change, including advertising and on-screen messages.
It said retuning should be straightforward and added that some TV equipment would retune automatically.
Some older aerials may need to be replaced to continue receiving the channels.
Anyone who needs advice has been directed to the Freeview website or advice line on 0808 100 0288.


A vicar arrested in connection with historical sexual abuse has been suspended by the Church of England.

The 51-year-old man, who has not been named, was arrested in North Yorkshire on Wednesday following a complaint made to Durham Constabulary.
The force said the man had been bailed pending further inquiries.
The vicar has been suspended for the duration of the investigation by the Bishop of Leeds, the Diocese of Leeds said.
It added in a statement: "Appropriate pastoral and safe guarding arrangements have been put in place.
"No further statement will be made at this time."