Two people have died after a two-car collision in Gwynedd, North Wales Police said.

Officers were called to the incident on the A499 near Llandwrog on Friday at 20:25 BST.
The male driver and female passenger in a blue Nissan Micra were pronounced dead at the scene.
The male driver of a silver Vauxhall Vectra was taken to hospital with serious injuries. A passenger in the same car had minor injuries.
Police are appealing for witnesses.


Firefighters have been tackling a blaze on a derelict floating nightclub.

Emergency services were called to the Tuxedo Royale, which is moored on the River Tees at Middlesbrough, at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday.
The boat had been in the town since 2009 when its owners went into administration.
For years it attracted scores of clubbers when it was moored 40 miles (65km) north on the River Tyne at Gateshead.
In March, Middlesbrough Council said the boat was an "eyesore" and announced plans to remove it.
Previous efforts to restore it have all fallen through.
Lisa Turner, director of the Tuxedo Royale Restoration project, which has been fighting to save the vessel from being scrapped, said: "We're heartbroken. It's absolutely devastating.
"We were just wanting to restore her to the way she was when it was known as the TSS Dover.
"She wasn't just a floating nightclub, even though that's how many people see her.
"She still had some original features in areas such as the wheelhouse and officers' quarters."
Built in the 1960s, the vessel is on the National Historic Ships UK register of historic vessels.


An extremely rare Leica camera has been sold at auction in Hong Kong for around $620,000 (£380,000, 460,000 euros).

It failed to raise its estimated value of around $1.2m (£750,000, 890,000 euros), falling well short of the current world record price for a camera.
The gold-plated Leica Luxus II, dating from 1932, is one of only four of its kind ever made.
The whereabouts of the other three are unknown.
Its Welsh owner, who died last year, showed it on BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow programme in 2001, when its value was estimated at £5,000 ($8,100, 6,000 euros).
The camera, which bears the serial number 88840, is gold plated and encased in fake lizard skin.
It comes in a crocodile-skin case.
Bonhams auction house, which conducted the sale, said the case had appeared in Leica adverts but was "the first example ever to come to light".
The camera was given to a British enthusiast from Bridport in Wales after World War Two.
He used it for several decades before taking it to be valued on Antiques Roadshow.
Leica cameras first went on sale in 1925. Compact, lightweight and modern-looking, its models became popular compared with the heavier box cameras in circulation at the time, and quickly revolutionised photography.
Last year, a 1923 Leica 0-Series sold at auction in Vienna for 2.16m euros (£1.74m or $2.78m at the time), setting a new world record for a camera.


Japan Airlines (JAL) says it has turned around two of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft during flights due to technical problems.

On one plane one of the two anti-ice systems, which prevent ice building up around the engine, failed.
Meanwhile, an electrical glitch made six toilets unusable on another flight.
These are the latest technical issues to hit the Dreamliner, which saw the entire fleet being grounded earlier this year following battery problems.
The anti-icing system failed on a Tokyo-bound flight that took off from San Diego.
A spokesperson for JAL told the BBC that a similar issue had forced a Tokyo-to-Singapore flight to be turned back in June this year.
Meanwhile, an electrical system failure connected to the lavatories affected a flight from Moscow to Tokyo.
The failure resulted in six of the seven toilets on the plane not being able to flush.
The airline said that it was looking into the problems.
The 787 Dreamliner has suffered a series of technical and safety problems in recent months.
In January, its entire fleet was temporarily grounded. That move was prompted after a fire broke out on one of JAL's Dreamliners, and an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight was forced to make an emergency landing because of a battery fault and a fire in one of the electrical compartments.
Though the planes have since been allowed back into the air, other issues have emerged.
In July, a fire broke out on a 787 jet operated by Ethiopian Airlines while it was parked at Heathrow airport. It was traced to the upper rear part of the plane where a locator transmitter is located.
Then in August, ANA said it had found damage to the battery wiring on two 787 locator transmitters during checks. US carrier United Airlines also found a pinched wire during an inspection of one of its six 787s.
The issues have hurt Boeing.
Earlier this week, JAL announced a $9.5bn (Â£5.9bn) plane deal with rival Airbus. It is the first time that it has agreed to buy Airbus planes, having preferred Boeing for many decades.
Analysts have hinted that issues with the Dreamliner may have played a role in JAL's decision.
However, despite the issues the Dreamliner is still considered to be one of the most advanced planes in the industry and continues to remain popular.
Boeing has received orders for more than 950 jets since its launch.


Jordi Cruyff has expressed thanks for the tributes to his father, Dutch footballing great Johan Cruyff.

The former Barcelona and Ajax forward died of cancer, aged 68, on Thursday.
His family say they will hold a private funeral for the three-time European Footballer of the Year, while a public memorial will also be organised.
"It has touched us deeply that Johan was such an inspiration to many of you," said ex-Manchester United midfielder Jordi in a statement.
"On behalf of my mother, sisters and the rest of the family I would like to say thank you for all the love, kind words and memories that have been shared with us, since yesterday but also over the past months," added the 42-year-old, who played under his father at Barcelona.
Cruyff, who led Barca to their first European Cup in 1992 and also managed Ajax, is widely considered to be one of the world's greatest ever players.
Figures from the world of football, Dutch politicians and royalty were among those to pay tribute on Thursday.


Ferry passengers are being warned to expect serious disruption as severe gales are forecast in parts of western and northern Scotland.

Caledonian MacBrayne, Pentland Ferries and Northlink Ferries said high winds could affect services for the remainder of the day.
A yellow "be aware" warning for wind in the north and west of Scotland has been issued by the Met Office.
It has also warned of icy conditions across the country overnight.
Forecasters said the Highlands and Strathclyde could expect of gusts of up to 60mph between 11:00 and 22:00.
They could reach speeds of 75mph in the Western Isles.
The Met Office said it could lead to disruption to road, air and ferry transport and power cuts were possible.
Its chief forecaster said "severe gales" would affect the west of Scotland in the early evening.
They added: "The strongest wind gusts are likely over and to the north of high ground, and in coastal areas exposed to this wind direction."
Caledonian MacBrayne said 23 of its 26 routes were likely to be disrupted or cancelled.
There was a "probability of weather disruption and possible cancellation" on Northlink Ferries' services between Orkney, Shetland and the mainland.
Pentland Ferries' sailings from St Margarets Hope and Gills Bay in Orkney have also been affected.
And flights due to land at Barra airport were cancelled, according to its Twitter feed.
A Met Office yellow warning for ice overnight and into Tuesday morning has also been issued.
It will lead to hazardous conditions on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths across large parts of Scotland, forecasters warned.
Up to 5cm (2in) of snow is also likely to fall on high ground, above 300m, in the southern and eastern Highlands, which may affect transport routes, they added.
They warned that the very highest routes could be hit by 10cm (4in) of snow, as well as wind, which could lead to drifting.
Check out the latest travel news for Scotland
For the latest on the roads visit the BBC's travel news page and keep up to date with incidents and roadworks on the motorways here.
Around the country you can check for updates from:
Alternatively, for regular travel bulletins listen live to BBC Radio Scotland and follow @BBCTravelScot.
In times of severe disruption you can also follow the BBC Scotland severe weather Twitter list of key sources.
Below are a number of other traffic information sources.


Ryu So-yeon carded a tournament-record 10-under-par 61 to take a five-stroke lead heading into the final round of the NW Arkansas Championship.

Ryu, 26, whose 16-under-par 126 is also a 36-hole record at the tournament, is bidding for her second LPGA title this year and fourth of her career.
The South Korean claimed an impressive bogey-free round with 10 birdies.
She has a comfortable five-shot lead over Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn and American Stacy Lewis.
Britain's Mel Reid, who put herself within two shots of the lead after the first round, fell away with a four-over-par 75 and is 14 shots behind Ryu.
"It was so much fun," Ryu said after her round.
"At the back nine, I was able to make some short birdies, and then pretty much made all of them. So happy with my round today."


Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock says he is close to bringing "three or four" players in by the start of June.

The Bluebirds won 3-0 at promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town on Sunday as they finished the season 12th in the Championship table.
Kenneth Zohore and a Joe Bennett brace gave them the win against the Terriers.
"I've agreed a couple of fringe players but I'm looking to sign three or four players to add to that squad in the next few weeks," Warnock said.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Warnock continued: "It might be the beginning of June because you can't really move that quick nowadays but it won't be for lack of trying.
"I think we could get three or four players in that squad in the team, I think the future is very bright."
The Bluebirds has been in 23rd place in the Championship when Warnock arrived but they ended the season in 12th place as their fortunes were turned around.
Warnock said Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers' loss was Cardiff's gain after he interviewed for both the Championship strugglers this season.
Forest survived on the final day of the season while former Premier League winners Blackburn will begin next season in League One.
"When you go to a club that were second from bottom, it's fair to say when I arrived, it wasn't a very good situation," he added.
"I had interviews at Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers so today I just wonder what they're thinking because I had good interviews but they went elsewhere.
"That is Cardiff's gain, really. I'm enjoying every minute of it. The fans have been fabulous and I think I've turned the club around."


Shares in Asia's biggest budget airline, AirAsia, fell as much as 7% on Friday after the firm posted a loss for the three months to September.

The Malaysian-based airline, which has operations in Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, posted a net loss on Thursday of 405.73 Malaysian ringgit ($95.8m; Â£63.4m).
The firm's earnings were hurt by foreign exchange, it said.
Its Indonesian operations also dragged on the firm's bottom line.
AirAsia's share of Indonesia AirAsia's net loss in the period came to 155.7m Malaysian ringgit.
However, the firm said it was working towards a better fourth quarter.
"We are working on increasing capacity in the fourth quarter to meet the strong demand due to the year end holidays and festivities," it said.
Thursday's results come one day after the airline group posted the eighth straight quarter of losses at its long haul service, Air Asia X.
Next week, Indonesia's national transport safety board is expected to announce the findings of AirAsia's deadly crash that occurred in December 2014 when one of its carriers crashed into the Java Sea off of Indonesia, killing all 162 people on board.


Libya's parliament has called for foreign intervention to protect civilians from deadly clashes between rival militia groups.

MPs were meeting in Tobruk in the east because of violence in the capital Tripoli and the second city Benghazi, and 111 out of 124 voted for the call.
Neither the UN nor any foreign power has any current plans to intervene.
Libya has been gripped by violence involving militias that spearheaded the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
More than three years after the uprising, Libya's police and army remain weak in comparison to the militias who control large parts of the country.
Shortly after the decree on intervention, the parliament also voted to disband all militias, but the state has no means to enforce this measure.
The BBC's Rana Jawad, in Tripoli, says the first decree appears to be a bold move by the parliament but is ultimately symbolic.
"The international community must intervene immediately to ensure that civilians are protected," said MP Abu Bakr Biira, quoting from the decree.
It is not clear whether the parliament is seeking a peacekeeping mission or some other form of help.
But the international community has so far stopped short of any intervention, instead demanding an end to violence and encouraging dialogue.
The vote comes a day after Tripoli police chief Col Muhammad Suwaysi was shot dead in an ambush by unknown gunmen.
Several hundred people are believed to have died in July and August in an upsurge of unrest.
The fighting has been centred around the international airport in Tripoli and in the eastern city of Benghazi.


Judgment has been reserved in a landmark legal bid to change Northern Ireland's abortion laws.

The judge said he realised a verdict would be eagerly anticipated, but the complex and emotive case required "mature reflection".
He added: "It will come as no surprise that I will not be making an immediate judgment on this case.
"The quality and quantity of the arguments has given me food for thought."
The judge told Belfast High Court: "I have not made up my mind."
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) is seeking to legalise abortion in cases of serious foetal malformation, rape and incest.
Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.
Termination of pregnancy is only permitted if a woman's life is at risk, or if there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health.
Anyone who unlawfully carries out an abortion could be jailed for life.
The department of justice (DOJ) has carried out a public consultation on changing the law to allow abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
However, the (NIHRC) has claimed the consultation paper, submitted to the Stormont Executive earlier this month, does not go far enough.
It said legal proceedings had been launched as a last resort.
The three-day judicial review hearing has included representations from the DOJ, the Catholic clergy and Sarah Ewart.
The 24-year-old woman's experience of having to travel to England for an abortion in 2013, shone a public spotlight on the issue of fatal foetal abnormality.


Insurer Aviva has ended speculation about its future presence in Perth by buying its existing premises in the city.

Aviva's lease for its Pitheavlis site was due to expire before the end of next year, prompting local concern that the company might relocate to Glasgow.
The firm has now confirmed it is buying the building for an undisclosed sum after reviewing its property strategy.
The Scottish government welcomed the decision.
Aviva said buying the Pitheavlis building to serve as a centre of excellence for Aviva's UK general insurance business was "the best option from an economic, employee and customer care point of view".
There are currently 1,300 staff at the site, although some jobs there could be at risk.
In April, Aviva revealed plans to cut 6% of the company's workforce worldwide over the next few months.
The cost-cutting move will see about 2,000 people in the UK, Europe and Asia lose their jobs.
Ian Ferguson, chief underwriting officer for Aviva's intermediary and partnerships business, said the site purchase confirmed Aviva's ongoing commitment to Perth.
"This purchase meets Aviva's immediate financial needs whilst providing long-term benefits," he said.
"This is a sensible, sustainable purchase that supports our financial targets.
"The quality of our staff in Perth was another hugely compelling factor in choosing to remain here."
Finance Secretary John Swinney welcomed the news.
He said: "There has been a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the renegotiation of the lease, but the company's decision to purchase the site is a massive vote of confidence in the workforce in the city of Perth.
"I applaud Aviva for recognising the enormous strength and capability of the workforce in Perth that has resulted in such a long-term commitment to this facility.
"The Scottish government appreciates the open and positive working relationship we have with Aviva and look forward to continuing to develop that relationship in the years to come."


In Tunisia, young women are expected to be virgins when they marry, leading to a growing trade in hymen reconstruction surgery.

Yasmine (not her real name) looks nervous. She's biting her nails and checks her mobile phone constantly.
"I consider this to be deception and I'm really worried," she says.
We're on the fourth floor of a private clinic in Tunis - the gynaecology service. Around us in the pink waiting room, other women wait patiently to be seen.
Yasmine confides in me that she is having a hymenoplasty, a short procedure that promises to reconstruct her virginity surgically.
Her wedding is due to take place in two months' time and the 28-year-old is worried that her husband will find out she is not a virgin.
She has come here to turn back the clock but is concerned that at some point in the future the truth may come out.
"I might one day inadvertently betray myself in a conversation with my husband," she says. "Or my husband may have... suspicions."
There have been some reports of young women here being divorced shortly after marrying because their husbands suspected they were not virgins.
Yasmine was born into a liberal family and spent many years living abroad. She fears her fiancé will cancel their wedding if he knows the truth about her sexual history.
"I had an affair once with a man," she says. "At that time, I couldn't imagine how huge the pressure was in my society and what the consequences could be.
"So now I am afraid. If I reveal this to my fiancé, I'm quite sure our wedding will be cancelled."
Yasmine will now have to pay almost $400 (£310) for the procedure, which will take about 30 minutes. She has been saving up the money for several months, keeping it secret from her family and her fiancé.
The doctor who will carry out the procedure for Yasmine is a gynaecologist, whom we will call Rachid. He does two hymenoplasties a week, on average.
Rachid says 99% of his patients are motivated by the fear that they might otherwise bring shame to their family and relatives.
Many, like Yasmine, are seeking to disguise the fact that they are not virgins.
But hymens can tear for other reasons too, such as tampon use, leaving women worried that they may be accused, falsely, of having had sex before marriage.
"Gynaecologists do hymen repair. This is nothing exceptional," Rachid says. "But here some doctors refuse to do it. I personally do it because I disagree with those who make virginity a sort of sacred thing.
"It really annoys me. This is a manifestation of a male-dominated society covered up in some religious principles. I mean it when I say it's male dominance and I'll continue to wage an all-out war against it."
Tunisia is regarded as a leader in women's rights in North Africa but religion and tradition here dictate that young women have to remain virgins until they are married.
There is also provision in Tunisian law for divorce in cases where women are discovered not to be virgins.
Sociologist Samia Elloumi says: "In this Tunisian society, which is an open society, we are becoming hypocritical.
"There is a sort of predominant social conservatism which is hard to justify because we claim to live in a modern society. But there's not much modernity when it comes to women's sexuality and freedom."
At a public university, I meet Hichem. The 29-year-old student is getting married next year. I ask him if he cares whether his fiancée is a virgin.
"For me it's very, very important," he says.
"If I find out that she's not a virgin after the wedding, I'll never trust her again. I'll consider it a betrayal. And I don't believe in hymenoplasty operations. I don't think it works."
Sitting next to him is Radhouam, another student. He says that Tunisian tradition is too harsh on women.
"For me, this is pure hypocrisy," he says. "Young men can freely have sex before marriage, so why do we blame young girls when they do so?"


Forecasters have issued a yellow "be aware" warning for rain in south and mid Wales.

The Met Office said severe thunderstorms look likely to develop on Friday, followed by more widespread heavy rain moving gradually north by Saturday.
There is a chance of localised disruption, mainly from surface water flooding.
Lightning and hail could also affect the area.


Stuart Armstrong is ready to sign a new deal and commit his future to Celtic, BBC Scotland has learned.

Talks between the club and the midfielder's representatives had stalled in recent months.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers even said the uncertainty was affecting the 25-year-old's performances.
But talks have been ongoing in the past 24 hours and a new long-term deal could be signed before Saturday's meeting with Kilmarnock.
Armstrong, formerly of Dundee United and capped twice by Scotland, has been linked with a move to a number of clubs in England's Premier League. His current deal runs until 2018.
He has made more than 250 club appearances and has won three Scottish Premiership titles with Celtic, as well as the League Cup and Scottish Cup last season.


It is the 40th anniversary this October of the final Black Arrow flight from the Woomera range in Australia and the UK's abandonment of its satellite launch capability.

Britain remains the only nation to have given up the expertise of putting a payload in orbit on an indigenous rocket.  So, it is perhaps not surprising that the Skylon venture generates so much interest.
This concept - for those not familiar with it - is for a re-usable spaceplane that could put up to 15 tonnes into an orbit several hundred km above the Earth. The expectation is that it would have an ultra-low operating cost, achieved through routine operation.
Its disruptive technology is a novel air-breathing and rocket engine that would enable the ship to go to space in one leap. It would not need the "stages" of conventional launch systems. Even the US space shuttle discards propulsion elements as it climbs into the sky.
Those of you who follow this column are always keen to hear the latest news on the British spaceplane concept, and the most recent development strikes me as being a key moment in what will be a critical few months.
The UK Space Agency initiated a review of Skylon and as part of that assessment it asked propulsion engineering experts at the European Space Agency to run the rule over the spaceplane and, in particular, its breakthrough Sabre engine design.
Esa is renowned for having top technical people and the fact that its experts could identify no immediate showstoppers is enormously encouraging.
On one level, of course, this ought not to be a surprise. If you think about it, the spaceplane concept has had people working on it for nearly 30 years - if you include development on the original iteration, the Rolls Royce/BAe Hotol vehicle. Any clear technical weaknesses should have been exposed by now.
That's not to say everything is plain sailing from here. The unexpected can always emerge to thwart best intentions, and in the case of Skylon the roadblocks may not be technical; they could just as easily be economic and political.
Remember, the company behind Skylon - Reaction Engines Limited - envisages the project as a commercial enterprise, and unless the private investors are forthcoming, the vehicle will never fly - no matter how smart the technology.
Likewise, there will be many regulatory hurdles ahead as a vehicle that is part-rocket, part-aeroplane attempts to get the proper licensing and authority to operate. All that said, the Esa assessment is very important.
If the Paris-based agency's report had expressed major reservations about some aspects of the design, it would have been enormously damaging. It has also signposted clearly the way ahead. Dr Mark Ford, Esa's head of propulsion engineering, told me:
"We've not looked at everything; we've focussed on the engine and the [Skylon's] structure. But from what we've seen so far, we can't identify any showstoppers. It's certainly a very interesting approach and it's a very interesting technology, let me put it that way.
"It has certain advantages over other approaches which have been proposed. As I've said in the report, namely that you can test the engine on the ground; you don't need to do an air launch or anything expensive.  And also, it appears to have a high thrust to weight ratio, which again is another positive.  So, it's quite an innovative technology if it works."
Sabre employs an extremely smart precooler heat-exchanger system ahead of its compressor.
If it didn't, the gases entering the engine intake at high speed would simply be too hot. Esa has witnessed a lab demonstration of the "secret" tech, shall we say, that part-underpins this system and confirms that it works.
Starting next month, a larger demonstration will take place on an experimental rig in Oxfordshire.
Assuming this receives full marks, Skylon will then move into what is termed "Phase 3".
This will be funded by Â£220m of private money and will see further fascinating developments. One will be the production of a sub-scale version of Sabre for ground demonstration. It will confirm whether Sabre can deliver the performance it needs to get Skylon into orbit in one leap.
It will demonstrate the full engine cycle - its air-breathing and rocket modes and the transition between the two. Alan Bond, the managing director of Reaction Engines, told me:
"As you know, we are getting close to carrying out a definitive test on the heat-exchanger technology. When we've completed that we shall be moving on to what we call Phase 3 at the end of this year, and a part of that programme will be to carry out a demonstration of a fully autonomous engine.
"What it would look like is something not dissimilar to a normal jet engine, but around the outside will be a tangle of pipes you've never seen before. It will be completely new. What we're going to do is put a large heat exchanger in front of the engine and then use the exhaust of another jet engine to actually heat the air going into the demonstrator.
"We can't quite get it up to the equivalent of Mach 5; it will go up to the equivalent of about Mach 4 and a bit, but that will be enough to demonstrate the system.  We might do the transition to rocket mode in a separate set of experiments to that.  It's actually quite difficult at small scale to do it all in one set-up.  So, we might actually split the engine in half and do the demonstration of the transition on a second rig. We're in the early days of planning all this."
This demonstrator should be running by the end of 2013, beginning of 2014.
The other development to watch for is a flight of a Nacelle Test Vehicle (NTV). The Sabre engine is housed in a box - a nacelle. You can see its distinctive shape on the tips of the wings in the artist impressions of Skylon.
This isn't just any old box; it's design is integral to the successful operation of the spaceplane, managing the airflow and helping to control the engine. To prove its worth, Reaction Engines plans to build a fifth-scale-model and fly it. Alan Bond again:
"The NTV has rocket engines that accelerate it to around about Mach 5 and then it has internal ramjet combustion systems which will simulate the operation of the air-breathing engine, but the rest of the nacelle is a functional model of the real nacelle. So, it has all the control systems, all of the internal flow ducting that the real nacelle would.
"It also tells us quite a lot about the shock interactions with the wing which we've modelled a lot but which we'd like to have a physical comparison to check against.
"One of the problems of flying higher and faster is how do you demonstrate that you've got the intake right? One way is to build extremely expensive and complex wind tunnels, or find something you can hang the intake on.  In this case, the easiest thing is to build a flying vehicle  bespoke and put the intakes on it. It's planned to launch the NTV from the ground; it would be quite exciting."


Cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins is to guest edit an edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme over the festive period.

Actor Michael Sheen and Miriam González Durántez - wife of ex-Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg - will also take the reigns of Today during the guest week.
The guest editors will be live in the studio and will take responsibility for about half the programme's output.
Sir Bradley, who won the 2012 Tour de France, said he wanted to shine a spotlight on "stuff that interests me".
Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, architect David Adjaye, and human rights campaigner Baroness Campbell of Surbiton will also each edit a programme.
Former No 10 adviser Rohan Silva, a tech entrepreneur, will take over the role of business editor across the week.
Sir Bradley, who will act as editor on Tuesday 29 December, will meet children inspired to start cycle racing by his victories.
During the programme he will also speak to former footballer, and Match of the Day presenter, Gary Lineker about his career after retiring from sport.
"I don't know anything about politics or economic policy. But I've listened to a lot of people having a good old moan over the years. You meet interesting characters when you're out on a bike," Sir Bradley said.
"I told them I'd do this show if I could shine the spotlight on stuff that interests me.
"Like did London 2012 do any good? Where is the next generation of Bradley Wiggins going to come from? What actually happens to you when you retire? And why should anyone bother to vote for politicians?"
Monday 28 December - Michael Sheen
Tuesday 29 December - Sir Bradley Wiggins
Wednesday 30 December - Miriam González Durántez
Thursday 31 December - David Adjaye
Friday 1 January - Baroness Campbell
Saturday 2 January - Lord Browne
The guest editors will take responsibility for their edition of the show with the support of Today producers and reporters.
Jamie Angus, editor of the Today Programme, said: "It's fantastic to have Bradley leading out the programme and to hear his take on the impact of sport on British culture."
He said guest editors were "a great Christmas tradition" for the show.
Public figures have been invited to run the current affairs programme between Christmas and New Year since 2003.
Previous guests include Sir Lenny Henry, Prof Stephen Hawking, Yoko Ono and Sir Richard Branson.


A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was stabbed to death at her flat.

Police were called to the flat in Fernhead Road, Kilburn, north London just before 01:00 BST on Monday, 29 May.
Officers gained entry and found the body of a 32-year-old woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 28-year-old man remains in custody at a west London police station, the Metropolitan Police said.
The force said it was called to the flat following "concerns for the welfare of an occupant".
Officers believe they know the woman's identity and her next-of-kin have been informed.
Her death had initially been treated as unexplained but was deemed suspicious after a post-mortem examination, police said.
The examination has now concluded and found the cause of death to be from multiple stab wounds.
The victim was in the Kilburn area on 22 May but detectives said they want to know more about her movements after that.
The motive for the attack may be linked to the victim being a sex worker, police said.


Theresa May has announced the government will set out its Brexit plans in a formal policy document.

During Prime Minister's Questions, she said she recognised an "appetite" for a White Paper on her "bold" proposals for negotiations with the EU.
A number of Conservative MPs had joined Labour in asking for such a move.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded to know when the paper would be published - his party says this must be before MPs vote on getting Brexit under way.
Mrs May's announcement comes a day after the Supreme Court ruled that Parliament - not ministers - must decide whether the government can invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, triggering the two year process of leaving the EU.
A parliamentary bill to this effect could be introduced as early as Thursday. The prime minister wants to get negotiations under way by the end of March, leaving the government with a tight timetable.
Before Mrs May's announcement, opposition parties and more than half a dozen Conservative MPs including some ex-ministers had called for a White Paper - a government policy document which sets out proposals for future acts of Parliament - on Brexit.
At Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May said: "I recognise that there is an appetite in this House to see that plan set out in a White Paper. I can confirm to the House that our plan will be set out in a White Paper published in this House."
But she added that she regarded the Article 50 debate as "a separate question" from the publication of what she said would be "a bold vision for Britain for the future".
Mr Corbyn pressed the prime minister for a date for the White Paper's publication, which Labour wants to happen before voting on the bill takes place.
Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May's official spokeswoman said it would come out "in due course".
For Labour, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: "This U-turn comes just 24 hours after [Brexit Secretary] David Davis seemed to rule out a White Paper, and failed to answer repeated questions from MPs on all sides of the House.
"The prime minister now needs to confirm that this White Paper will be published in time to inform the Article 50 process, and that it will clear up the inconsistencies, gaps and risks outlined in her speech."
Setting out her Brexit plans last week, Mrs May said the UK would leave the European single market and EU customs union, but promised to work to achieve the best free trade deals possible.
Almost all Conservative MPs are expected to back the government in the Article 50 vote and the bill is likely to pass.
Labour says it will not vote against the bill, but will try to amend it, and the Scottish National Party says it has 50 amendments "ready to go"
One of the SNP's MPs, Tommy Sheppard, accused the government of a "major U-turn" over the White Paper, saying Mrs May's announcement during Prime Minister's Questions had been a "theatrical stunt to announce a very important public policy".
The Liberal Democrats, who have only nine MPs but more than 100 peers, say they will vote against triggering Article 50 unless there is a guarantee of the public having a vote on the final deal reached between the UK government and the EU.
The party's Alistair Carmichael said: "This White Paper will only be relevant if it is published before the votes on the Article 50 next week, and if it goes into more detail than May's speech."


A hospital in Northamptonshire has been told to improve quality and safety to comply with national standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Kettering General Hospital after concerns were raised.
Inspectors found incomplete audits, action plans not followed through and an A&E facility "not fit for purpose".
"The Trust has been very concerned by some of the inspection findings," chief executive Lorene Read said.
"We have been vigorously addressing the issues raised."
Inspectors found patients were not being cared for in a clean environment and protected from the risk of infection.
Staff were not being properly trained and given the chance to develop and improve their skills.
The CQC also found there was no system for the risk assessment of patients.
The hospital lacked adequate quality checking systems to manage risks and assure the health, welfare and safety of patients.
The report said that in some areas of the hospital floors appeared dirty with needles and syringes openly-stored in the area.
Inspectors also found some public toilets were dirty.
The CQC inspectors assessed the hospital on 16 national standards in March and found failures on three.
An enforcement notice was issued this week demanding improvements.
The Trust must give CQC a report setting out the actions it will take to meet the required standards by 8 May.
Mrs Read said: "While it is true that our hospital has been experiencing some of the highest emergency pressures in its history this should not be a reason for individuals to fail to follow procedures which are designed to keep patients safe and well cared for at all times.
"While our action plan is comprehensive and addresses all of the issues raised by the CQC I also think that it is important that, for balance, we also recognise some of the positive points that the inspection found.
"Comments to inspectors from patients included 'staff were very attentive', 'cleanliness is superb here' and 'staff are warm and friendly and put me at ease'.
"The inspectors also made some supportive statements around our infection control procedures, on general cleanliness (apart from A&E), and found patients had many complimentary things to say about staff being competent, well trained, friendly and polite."


Plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol in Wales have been backed by a panel advising ministers on substance misuse.

Experts said the measure would protect vulnerable people, boost public health and improve community life.
The Welsh government has already proposed a minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit.
It could become law as part of a Public Health Bill for Wales planned for early 2015.
The report follows a request by Health Minister Mark Drakeford in January that the Advisory Panel on Substance Misuse look at the idea of minimum pricing.
Panel chair Kyrie James said: "Alcohol health and social harm problems are preventable.
"Expert evidence and research confirms cheaper drinks are favoured by those who drink hazardously or harmfully, and a minimum unit price would have a disproportionate targeting effect on problematic drinking, reducing alcohol problems and achieving health and other benefits for individuals and our communities as a whole."
She added that the panel felt a minimum unit price would be "an effective mechanism through which alcohol-related harm can be addressed".
Mr Drakeford, who unveiled proposals for a 50p minimum unit price for alcohol in April in a white paper outlining ideas for public health legislation, welcomed the panel's report.
"There is indisputable evidence that the price of alcohol matters," he said.
"It is no coincidence that as the affordability of alcohol has improved substantially so has alcohol-related death and disease.
"A minimum unit price will make a strong contribution to preventing alcohol overuse and misuse and reducing alcohol-associated illnesses. The panel's report supports this view.
"We will now develop our proposals further with a view to introducing the Public Health Bill in early 2015."
Plans for minimum pricing have now been referred to the European Court of Justice.


Six Afghans working for the Red Cross have been killed by suspected Islamic State (IS) group gunmen in the province of Jowzjan, officials say.

The workers were shot in the Qush Tepa area, the provincial governor said.
Two others are unaccounted for, feared abducted by IS, he told the BBC. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed the deaths but said it did not know who was to blame.
The ICRC said it was putting its work in Afghanistan on temporary hold.
"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart said.
"But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."
IS has been in Afghanistan since 2015, claiming attacks in Kabul and the east. But there has been no immediate claim for the attack in Jowzjan.
The ICRC has had an uninterrupted presence in Afghanistan for 30 years and the organisation said in a tweet that it was "shocked and devastated" by the news. President Peter Maurer said it was a deliberate attack on his staff which "we condemn in the strongest possible terms".
The team which came under attack by "unknown armed men" comprised three drivers and five field officers, the statement said.
Government officials said the staff were transporting supplies including livestock materials to areas affected by recent deadly snowstorms when their convoy was attacked.
Jowzjan governor Lutfullah Azizi confirmed to the BBC that all six employees who were killed were Afghan.
The bodies of the six workers - many with close-range multiple gunshot wounds - were taken to the provincial capital Sheberghan and from there to Mazar-e-Sharif, officials say. A search has begun to find the two ICRC employees who have not been accounted for.
Provincial police chief Rahmatullah Turkistani said IS fighters were known to be active in the area where the attack took place and the ICRC had been warned about their presence.
Taliban militants have also targeted the Red Cross in the past - its office in Jalalabad was attacked in 2013.
IS announced it was expanding into Afghanistan in January 2015 and has secured footholds in parts of eastern Nangarhar province, on the border with Pakistan.
But Afghan troops and the Taliban have prevented them from moving permanently beyond that, observers say.
Since mid-2016 the group appears to have switched tactics, launching a series of deadly attacks against Shia Muslims and others in Kabul and bombing a mosque in the northern province of Balkh, neighbouring Jowzjan, in October.
On Wednesday, IS said it had carried out an attack at the Supreme Court in Kabul a day earlier, killing at least 20 people.


Scarlets will await the outcome of a Dyfed-Powys Police inquiry before deciding whether to take any action against Wales scrum-half Gareth Davies.

The 26-year-old has apologised following a late-night incident in Aberystwyth in August 2016.
Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac says the region is "doing everything it can to educate players".
The Welsh Rugby Union has already "reminded (him) of his responsibility as an international player".
Police are reviewing video evidence of the incident after initially deciding against action.
Pivac told a media conference: "At the moment he (Davies) is in the Welsh camp.
"I think they (WRU) have put out a statement and there is an inquiry going on so we won't be doing anything until we get the result of that inquiry."
Davies, 26, won his 23rd cap as a replacement in Wales' defeat against England and is due to remain with the Welsh camp preparing to face Scotland on Saturday 25 February.
Pivac added: "We talk to our players and all professional sports do around the world about the pitfalls out there.
"Our guys have got to learn from other people's mistakes and make sure we don't repeat them.
"Certainly, here at the Scarlets, we are doing everything we can to further educate them on the pitfalls that are out there."


British poet Sir Geoffrey Hill has died aged 84, his wife has confirmed.

Alice Goodman said her husband died "suddenly, and without pain or dread" on Thursday evening.
Sir Geoffrey was the Professor of Poetry at Oxford University until last year, and best known for Mercian Hymns, his 1971 collection of prose poems.
Jacqueline Norton, Senior Commissioning Editor for Literature at Oxford University Press, praised his "poetic genius".
"We're very saddened by the news of Geoffrey Hill's death, but also grateful to have worked with him," she said.
"His fierce intelligence will be much missed."
Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy told The Guardian: "He was, in poetry, a saint and a warrior who never gave an inch in his crusade to reach poetic truth."
Sir Geoffrey Hill was born on 18 June 1932.
He studied English literature at Oxford University and graduated with first class honours.
Sir Geoffrey released his first collection of poems, For the Unfallen, in 1959 - and went on to publish more than 20 volumes of poetry over his career.
He became Oxford University's Professor of Poetry in 2010 - a position he held for five years.
His accolades include the Faber Memorial award and the Whitbread Award for Poetry.
He was knighted in 2012 for services to literature.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Two men have died in separate crashes in the Republic of Ireland.

A man died after he was struck by a car on the N2 at Balrath in County Meath at 01:30 local time on Sunday.
Elsewhere, a man in his 30s died after the car he was driving hit a fence at Knockanour, Castlebar, County Mayo.
The incident happened shortly before 19:30 local time on Saturday.


A new sports complex in Port Talbot has opened to the public more than six years after the town's lido was destroyed in a fire.

The £13m  facility, which includes an eight-lane 25m (82ft) swimming pool,  opened on Aberavon seafront on Monday.
The Afan Lido was destroyed in a fire in 2009 and demolished in 2011.
Anthony Williams from Celtic Leisure, the company managing the centre,  said they had been "chocka since six this morning".
The new facility, which is next to the old Afan Lido site, has a 100-station gym, a large indoor sports hall, a smaller swimming pool  for learners and a cafe.
The original Afan Lido was opened by the Queen in 1965, and in its early days hosted major concerts by Pink Floyd and Spencer Davis, and in recent years Coldplay and McFly.


A £3.8bn scheme to cut hospital admissions in England and treat more people at home is risky, and "overly optimistic", health researchers warn.

Writing for the BBC News website's Scrubbing Up column, Nigel Edwards from the Nuffield Trust says the Better Care Fund, due to start in 2015, could even lead to more hospital admissions.
He says cutting the length of hospital stays would be more effective.
The government says pilots in 14 areas are already working well.
Mr Edwards says there is a proportion - perhaps around 15% of hospital admissions - who could be cared for in the community if GP and nursing services were improved.
Then, he says, there are a number of patients who may be admitted to hospital for a day or two and, while they could be cared for at home, the diagnostic and expert resources needed may well be the same.
He says the real issue is about those patients who remain in hospital for longer.
Writing in Scrubbing Up Mr Edwards says: "Most beds are occupied by relatively small numbers of patients who stay a long time.
"In fact, in medical wards 10% of the patients that stay in hospital for more than a week use over 71% of the beds.
"More can be done quickly by reducing patients' length of stay.
"A large proportion of patients could be more effectively cared for elsewhere. This will require better social care, community services and new types of care."
The Foundation Trust Network, which represents NHS trusts which look after their own finances, said the fund was a "step in the right direction" but warned it carries "significant risk that needs to be managed".
Sir Merrick Cockell, chairman of the Local Government Association, said local areas piloting the fund were already going "above and beyond" what had been expected.
He added: "Most areas are now confident they will be able to provide services seven days a week, identify a lead professional for those in greatest need and use patients' NHS numbers to share information."
Sir Merrick said: "Increasing demand means that councils need an extra £400m each year just to maintain services at current levels.
"However, the BCF was never intended to solve the issues related to distressed health economies.
"The Better Care Fund is not a quick-fix that will solve the problems of the health and social care system overnight and it is short-sighted to expect the BCF to payback results in its first year.
"It is the opportunity to transform and improve the lives of those using health and care services over the medium and long term at a lower cost."
Health Minister Norman Lamb said: "The Better Care Fund isn't just about cutting hospital admissions - it's about reducing the time people spend in hospital, having services closer to home and preventing people from getting ill in the first place.
"It's a new joined-up approach which will transform patient care."
He added: "No-one said it's going to be easy, which is why we are working closely with local areas to get their plans for integration right.
"But when we do, patients will get better care in the community and the NHS will be able to focus its attention on those who need it most. "


Scotland's last major steelworks has been formally reopened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The Dalzell plate mill in Motherwell was mothballed by Tata Steel in 2015, along with the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang. About 225 jobs were lost.
Liberty House took over both facilities in April, under a deal brokered by the Scottish government's steel task force.
Dalzell is now back to rolling steel for industry. Liberty aims to re-open Clydebridge in the near future.
Ms Sturgeon was given a tour of the Dalzell mill and and met workers and apprentices during the official re-opening.
The first minister said: "This is a fantastic day for Dalzell workers, for Motherwell and for Scotland's steel industry.
"Restarting steel production has only been possible thanks to the tremendous team effort of everyone involved in the steel taskforce to find a viable future for this site, meaning workers here in Lanarkshire can once again produce world-class products.
"Liberty House are seizing an exciting opportunity and the Scottish government and its agencies will continue to work with Sanjeev Gupta and his team to ensure a successful future in Scotland."
Liberty Group has hired 120 staff to work at Dalzell - many of them former employees - and hopes to increase employment to 200 within 18 months.
Jon Bolton, chief executive of Liberty Steel UK, said the reopening of the plant was "hugely important" to the steel industry in Scotland.
He said: "Without it restarting, there wouldn't be a steel industry in Scotland.
"It's not just about boosting the steel industry, it's about the economy. It's expected to bring in another Â£15m a year to the local economy.
"Today was the day we said we would start production and we are doing so with a vengeance. We intend to ramp up production to 150,000 tonnes a year."
Mr Bolton said he was "confident" Clydebridge would also reopen in the "near future", adding that other potential uses such as for manufacturing towers for wind turbines are under consideration for that plant.
Dalzell has traditionally provided steel plate for industries such as shipbuilding, construction, mining, oil production and heavy vehicle manufacture.
Liberty said the plant had already secured "a significant number" of orders for plate, particularly in the construction and energy sectors.
The deputy leader of North Lanarkshire Council, Paul Kelly, said the local community was "delighted" it was reopening.
He said: "It's been at the heart of our community for over 140 years, it's dominated the skyline and it's an integral part of what we're about as a local community.
"So the feeling really is one of optimism as we look to the future and how we can make sure this works out and creates employment opportunities."
The Scottish government set up a steel task force after Tata announced it was mothballing its plants in Motherwell and Cambuslang, with a total loss of 270 posts.
The government later bought the mills and immediately sold them to Liberty.
Liberty House Group executive chairman Sanjeev Gupta paid tribute to the support of the Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise in helping the company rescue the plate works.
He said: "There is an impressive spirit of partnership here and a determination to give the Scottish steel industry a real future.
"From our side we promised we would get this important plant open again by the autumn and today we are proud to be fulfilling that promise."
He said the firm saw "great opportunities for investment in Scotland and regard this as a very fertile business environment".
Scottish Labour's economy spokesman Richard Leonard said: "Steel is written into the DNA of communities in Lanarkshire and reopening the plant is an important first step in keeping those traditions alive.
"The next steps here are to develop and implement an effective industrial strategy to ensure that Dalzell can have a long future and provide jobs for current and future steelworkers in Scotland."
"There are also vital lessons to be learned here for the long term future. Governments should not simply sit on their hands waiting for a crisis to happen before taking action in key industries and should work to ensure the security of high skill, high quality jobs."


Photographs are usually defined by their content, yet Brian David Stevens's latest work seems to me to be about absence, a space in which we can project our own thoughts.

Brighter Later is a collection of diptychs taken on the shores of Britain, looking out to sea.
Stevens's pictures reflect our island nation and at the same time capture the greyness that so often covers much of the country.
"This is not the Mediterranean light of Matisse but the same tones that were known to seamen leaving naval ports, fishermen following the herring along the east coast, immigrants from Ireland and emigrants to the new world," says Stevens.
The work is beautiful and, considering its lack of content, very engaging.
It was inspired by WG Sebald's The Rings of Saturn, which says of anglers along the shore near Lowestoft: "I do not believe that these men sit by the sea all day and all night so as not to miss the flounder rise or the cod come in to shallower waters, as they claim.
"They just want to be in a place where they have the world behind them, and before them nothing but emptiness."
That feeling of emptiness is found in each frame, and Stevens feels this can mean different things to each of us.
"To me it was a space wanting to be filled, a space of optimism and possibilities," says Stevens.
"Looking out to sea, you truly are looking into the future.
"Seeing the weather and the waves that will at some point arrive at the shores of this island, you predict their inevitable, unstoppable approach."
The idea for the diptych form came from Stevens's youth, when he remembers looking out to sea to "stare at landscapes first through the left eye and then through the right".
The pictures are simply presented with their location, the rest is up to the viewer.
Here is a selection of pictures from Brighter Later, which has been published by Tartaruga.
You can see more of Brian David Stevens's work on his website and his blog, Drifting Camera.
A previous post I wrote on Stevens's project on military veterans is well worth a look, and in sharp contrast to his latest work.


The man suspected of deliberately crashing a Germanwings A320 plane in the French Alps required treatment for depression, German media say.

Regular assessments were recommended in Andreas Lubitz's official notes after a serious episode some years ago.
The Barcelona-Duesseldorf plane crashed on Tuesday, killing 150 people.
Data from the plane's voice recorder suggest Mr Lubitz purposely started a descent as the pilot was locked out of the cockpit.
Several airlines have now pledged to change their rules to ensure at least two crew members are present in the cockpit at all times.
Police have searched two German properties used by Mr Lubitz, taking away boxes and a computer.
When Mr Lubitz finished training in 2009, he was diagnosed with a serious depressive episode and went on to receive treatment for a year and a half, the German news site Bild reports.
Internal documents quoted by Bild and German broadcaster ARD say a note on Mr Lubitz's aviation authority file recommended regular psychological assessment.
Who was Andreas Lubitz?
Mr Lubitz's employers have confirmed that his training was interrupted for several months six years ago.
But they have not said why. Carsten Spohr - the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings - said on Thursday that Mr Lubitz was only able to resume training after his suitability was "re-established".
"He passed all the subsequent tests and checks with flying colours," Mr Spohr was quoted as saying.
German media are also reporting that investigators have found evidence of mental health problems at Mr Lubitz's Duesseldorf flat.
Earlier, another media report quoted a police spokesman as saying "a very significant clue as to what has happened" had been found during the search of the house the 27-year-old shared with his parents in Montabaur, north of Frankfurt, without specifying what.
Police said the discovery was not a suicide note.
French Prime Minister Manual Valls said the investigation was ongoing, but that "everything is pointing to a criminal, crazy, suicidal action that we cannot comprehend".
He said investigators and Lufthansa would have to "shed light on the career and profile of this pilot".
Police continued to come and go at the Montabaur house throughout Thursday morning, reports the BBC's Anna Holligan who is outside.
She says there are concerns for Mr Lubitz's parents, who have suffered not just one trauma - their son dying in a crash - but the subsequent shock of finding out he may have been responsible for the tragedy.
Based on data from the recovered "black box" voice recorder, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said on Thursday that Mr Lubitz appeared to want to "destroy the plane".
The evidence suggested the pilot had left the cockpit, probably to go to the toilet, during which the door was barred. He fought unsuccessfully to get back in, he said.
Bild quotes security sources as saying that the pilot used an axe to try to break down the door.
A Germanwings spokesperson would only confirm that an emergency axe is part of the equipment on board an A320.
What happened in the final half hour?
Family members of some of the 150 passengers and crew who died have visited Seyne-les-Alpes, near the crash site, reported Reuters news agency.
They were accompanied by psychologists, paramedics and Red Cross workers, and a youth centre in the town was set up to receive them, it said.
Families are providing DNA samples to allow for identification of victims' remains.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to comb the crash site for body parts, debris and the second "black box", which records flight data and still has not been found three days after the plane crashed.
Members of the Westerwald flight club, where the co-pilot was a member, expressed their shock at the revelations about Mr Lubitz's mental history.
"Andreas was a very nice young man, who did his training here. He was part of the club," Peter Reucker said.
"[He was] funny, sometimes a bit quiet, but apart from that a young man like many others that we have here. He integrated well.
"I'm absolutely speechless. I have no explanation for this," Mr Reucker added.
Source: Aviation Safety Network


The government is willing to take a 25% stake in any rescue of Tata Steel's UK operations, it has been announced.

The business department said it was preparing a support package "worth hundreds of millions of pounds" available to potential buyers.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said the money would be offered on commercial terms, but the government would not take any control over the business.
At least two potential buyers have shown interest in buying the business.
One option is a management buyout backed by the chief of Tata's Port Talbot factory, the UK's largest steel operation.
Steel company Liberty House, owned by Sanjeev Gupta, has also said it was interested in buying parts of the business.
Mr Javid said last week that the government was prepared to support a credible buyer with a finance package, including loans.
Thursday's announcement followed another visit to Mumbai by Mr Javid to meet Tata's chairman Cyrus Mistry where the minister said progress on the sales process had been made.
Tata has said that it would give the government and potential buyers time to arrange a rescue package, but that it did not want to prolong the uncertainty for customers and workers.


Nineteen-year-old Rita Faizi oozes confidence.

Taller than her classmates, when she waves a small Afghan flag, it flutters above a sea of white headscarves in the courtyard of the Zarghuna Girls' School in Kabul.
"I'm proud of my flag, and proud to go to school, so I can build my country," she declares as she approaches me at the start of the school day on a chilly winter morning in Kabul.
"Do you think a girl in Afghanistan can now do what she wants?" I ask this poised teenager, expecting another burst of youthful enthusiasm.
"Oh no, absolutely not," she shoots back, without a moment's hesitation. "If you want to go out, you can't go out alone. As you know, there are a lot of rapes."
Girls like Rita know sheer force of personality is no match for the very real threats to Afghan girls and women.
Listen to the voices of those who boldly speak out, and you're constantly struck by this double-edged sword that hovers, all too closely, over all their lives.
My recent trip to the Afghan capital was intended to build on the true stories in a new play "Even If We Lose Our Lives" commissioned by the human rights organisation Amnesty International.
But the three women featured in the script lost their voices in the more dangerous drama of daily life.
A gynaecologist who only uses her initial Dr D, as well as school headmistress Parween, were forced to go into hiding because of threats linked to their work. Women's activist Maneesha also faces risks.
So, I went in search of other voices for our programme "Speaking out, Losing Lives" for BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, produced by Beaty Rubins.
At Kabul's Rabia Balkhi hospital, I found a more reassuring window on a women's world.
Well-educated Afghan women doctors are in charge, trained female nurses attend to female patients.
In the hallway I run into a gaggle of young women in lilac-coloured medical coats and caps. They've come to the capital from remote impoverished areas of Daikundi province to train as community midwives.
Meela Sarwar, who heads the training programme, is also brimming with confidence, and the conviction of her mission.
"After two years we will send them back to their own areas, where there is no clinic, no nurse, no doctors, they are the nurse, doctor, midwife, everything," she tells me.
Afghanistan's maternal mortality rate, once one of the highest in the world, is now said to be inching down, partly because of the growing presence of competent midwives, and more clinics and better practises in some areas.
A comforting sense of order and routine is suddenly shattered when an elderly woman holding a baby swaddled in a tiny white blanket hurries toward us.
"Girl or boy?" I ask as she approaches.
"Dead," replies a grieving grandmother as she draws her arms more closely around the stillborn child. The distraught mother then rushes out the door in her all-enveloping blue burka. The garment, which only reveals a woman's eyes, cannot conceal her grief.
In a country where many women's main role in life is simply to bear children, it's a tragic turn.
Meela shakes her head. "She waited seven years to conceive but then waited through nine months of pregnancy before she came to the hospital to see us."
It's still the story of all too many women.
Female professionals in hospitals are also fighting on another front. A new department has been established to tackle gender-based violence.
"We deal with many cases - physical trauma, emotional trauma, sometimes sexual trauma including rape cases," Dr Aweed Dehyar, head of Rabia Balkhi hospital, explains as she sits in her office in her crisp white medical coat and cap.
She tells me about cases involving teenagers and even children as young as five, or even three years old. "Are there many cases that age?" I ask.
"I think one case in three months but in Afghanistan, all cases don't come to the hospital. Out of ten cases, maybe one comes here."
Last month the case of three-year-old Neelofar, attacked by an 18-year-old boy, shocked many. But women's activists hailed the fact that at least it came to light.
There are more legal weapons to protect Afghan women now. The landmark Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women went into effect in 2009 but, aside from a few exceptions, most evidence shows it is largely unimplemented and unenforced.
To advance women's rights, education is fundamental which is why the scenes at schools like Zarghuna in Kabul are so significant.
When the impressive Rita Faizi takes me along to her English class, I ask what seems like a whole classroom of confident girls whether they fear the return of the Taliban which once banned their education.
"With our knowledge, with our education, we want to defeat them," rises the defiant young chorus from the neat rows of wooden desks.
Last week, at the London Conference on Afghanistan, their newly elected President Ashaf Ghani made it clear that empowering women is one of his top priorities.
When I ask him whether he's ahead of his time in his still deeply conservative country he insists: "We have gone back in time. I just want to give opportunities to Afghan women that my grandmother had. What's wrong with that?"
In Kabul, I meet his wife Rula Ghani in her new office inside the heavily fortified palace for the first First Lady most Afghans have known.
"You know the expression, show don't tell?" Lebanese-born Rula Ghani asks. "I think my husband is showing in the way he's allowing me to proceed that women can have a role."
Now, as Afghanistan enters a new political chapter, millions more men, and women, are being called upon to do the same.
Speaking out, Losing Lives is  broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 20:00 GMT on Monday 8 December and 15:00 GMT on 31 December. You can also catch it online.


Genoa defender Armando Izzo has had his ban and fine over match-fixing allegations reduced.

Izzo was banned for 18 months and fined 50,000 euros (£42,972) last month for failing to disclose a match-fixing agreement when at Avellino in 2013-14.
Italy's Federal Appeal Court on Friday reduced the ban to six months and 30,000 euros (£25,783).
"It was a hard year, a year in which I suffered a lot," wrote Izzo on Facebook after the result of the appeal.
"But I was never afraid, I have always been confident in my honesty and I have never stopped fighting for the truth."
Izzo was called up to Italy's national squad last November but did not make the team.
Genoa are fifth from bottom in Serie A and only two points off the relegation zone.
Their last two games of the season are at home to ninth-placed Torino on Sunday (14:00 BST) and away to second-placed Roma (19:45 BST) on 28 May.


Plans to reintroduce beavers to the Welsh countryside after hundreds of years without them have moved a step closer.

The Afon Rheidol river in Ceredigion has been chosen as the location for their return next year.
Should the move go ahead it could see beavers brought in from the UK and around Europe.
But farmers have raised doubts about the suitability of reintroducing the mammal.
Adrian Lloyd Jones, co-ordinator with the Welsh Beaver Project, said six potential sites had been in the running as an beaver "des res" but it had now been narrowed down and the Afon Rheidol was "looking the most favourable".
"I can't see any problems, but if there are then a couple of others are also suitable," he said.
"If all goes well we are aiming for release this time next year," he said.
The trust said beavers disappeared from Wales because they were hunted for their meat, fur and scent glands, and not because their habitats were destroyed.
The idea of returning European beavers to Wales' river valley was drawn up after more than five years' research.
The Welsh Beaver Project sees beavers as having "considerable benefit for biodiversity".
"(The) reintroduction of beavers to Wales is considered appropriate because of the important ecosystem services beavers can perform - managing wetland habitats, and helping to clean and control water resources, as well as boosting tourism and local economies," it says.
A baby beaver, known as a kit, born in Kent this week could also be one of the new inhabitants of the river next year.
Some farmers are sceptical though and Bernard Llywellyn, National Farmers' Union (NFU) rural affairs board chairman in Wales, said not enough was known about the effect the creature could have.
"There's a certain amount of evidence that in Europe, in particular, that quite considerable damage has been done but in truth we don't really know what problems there will be... and I don't think anyone else does either," he said.
"I haven't seen any evidence that they'll contribute anything to the eco-system.
"The history as far as introducing mammals in particular is not a particularly good one.
"We've seen the grey squirrel, rabbits and even mink so in reality there isn't much evidence to suggest they do any good at all."


A member of Scotland's only inland lifeboat station has taken part in an exchange programme that took him to the stormy seas off Iceland.

Howie Whyte, 51, has been a volunteer crew member at Drumnadrochit-based RNLI Loch Ness since 2008.
He competed with 50 other RNLI volunteers from across UK and Ireland for the single place with the Icelandic Lifeboat Service.
Mr Whyte's trip was organised by the European Lifeboat Crew Exchange.
His experiences in Iceland included taking part in a night-time helicopter rescue training exercise in a Force 7 gale.
Mr Whyte also had a close encounter with Iceland's large marine wildlife while on another training exercise.


David Cameron's EU negotiations were a "theatrical sideshow" aimed at appeasing Conservative MPs, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said.

Mr Corbyn said the PM should have focused on issues like cyber crime, fair trade and the refugee crisis.
And he claimed the "influence of Tory Party funders" could be seen in protections for the City of London.
The PM told MPs leaving the European Union "could hurt working people for years to come".
Responding to Mr Cameron's Commons statement on the reform deal that has triggered the UK's EU referendum on June 23, Mr Corbyn said Labour was "overwhelmingly for staying in".
EU membership brought jobs and investment, he said.
Turning to the reform package, The Labour leader backed a so-called "red card system" allowing national Parliaments to club together and veto EU law, saying this had previously been proposed by his party.
But he said the majority of the PM's negotiations had not been about the future of Europe.
Highlighting what he said were "serious, pressing issues" that Mr Cameron should have focused on, he said welfare reforms should have addressed low pay in the UK, the undercutting of wages and the "grotesque" exploitation of migrant workers.
The prime minister said he disagreed with Mr Corbyn "on many things" but said they agreed that Britain should be part of Europe.
His draft deal, he said, implemented "almost every single pledge" on Europe that had been in Labour's general election manifesto.


A constitutional crisis over Brexit could be an "extremely good thing for Scotland", according to Alex Salmond.

The former first minister said it would put Nicola Sturgeon in a powerful position in negotiations over the UK's exit from the European Union.
His comments came ahead of the UK's biggest constitutional case in decades.
The Supreme Court is due to decide how the UK government can trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning the process of leaving the EU.
In the case that will begin on Monday, it will also hear evidence on whether Holyrood should give its consent to the process.
On the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland, Mr Salmond was asked what would happen if the  judges ruled in favour of a legislative consent motion.
He said: "It would certainly be a constitutional crisis that would have to be resolved.
"It's true that the House of Commons could try to invoke an override clause but of course you've got to remember that the House of Commons, the MPs, are more or less lined up in favour of Brexit because of the result of the referendum.
"But that's an altogether different thing if you start saying we're going to overturn a legislative consent motion or for that matter have a guillotine in constitutional legislation. The votes change given the question being asked.
"And certainly it would result in a constitutional crisis and that crisis might be an extremely good thing for Scotland because it would put us in an extremely powerful position in terms of securing the interests of Scotland in the negotiations."
UK chancellor Philip Hammond angered the Scottish government last week when he appeared to rule out a special deal for Scotland in Brexit negotiations during the visit north of the border.
Mr Salmond, the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman at Westminster, predicted that Mr Hammond would "beat a road back to Edinburgh and adopt an altogether different tone" if the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a legislative consent motion.
The Scottish Conservatives branded Mr Salmond's comments a "shameless admission".
Their chief whip John Lamont said: "This is Alex Salmond confirming what we already knew. The SNP is quite happy with constitutional upheaval so long as it forwards its separation goals.
"This is a shameless admission, and perhaps explains why the SNP didn't bother campaigning hard during the EU referendum."
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said it proved the SNP "thrives" on constitutional crisis.
She said both the Conservatives and the SNP were putting the union at risk.
"More than ever, we have two governing parties in Scotland that are out of step with what the majority of people in Scotland want," she said.
"The Tories want Scotland in the UK and out of Europe, and the SNP wants Scotland in the EU, but out of the UK. Continuing to pull our country in each of these directions risks breaking the union once and for all."
The leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie MSP said: "Alex Salmond's comments confirm that the SNP are only using the European issue to advance independence."


The NHS in south west Wales cannot continue to deliver services in the same way as it has done for 70 years, health bosses have warned.

They say "sticking plaster" solutions cannot tackle the "huge pressure" on services.
It comes as two health boards and Swansea University will soon submit  ambitious £600m plans for transforming healthcare.
It includes an eye-catching £225m "wellness" village near Llanelli.
This lakeside complex close to the coast would combine health facilities, life science research, sport and leisure with a care home and assisted living.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (ABMU) and Hywel Dda health boards - responsible for one million people - are working together with Swansea University in what is being described as a "totally unique" partnership.
The £600m proposals were first unveiled 18 months ago, but the Arch project has now progressed and will shortly go to Welsh Government for consideration.
It includes:
The move would mean it is less likely staff would be shared across the two Swansea hospital sites.
"There has been too much of a piecemeal approach to change (in the NHS) over the years," said Prof Hamish Laing, medical director at ABMU health board.
"We knew what we've wanted to do - just didn't have the mechanisms to do it."
Prof Laing added: "The NHS in south west Wales is under a huge pressure, a lot of financial pressure and workload pressure. We see Arch as our way of planning our way out of that - to address the primary problems, not just a sticking plaster."
But the plans are not only about re-designing treatment services - there is also focus on services that help us stay well.
One of the most ambitious elements is a plan to build a £225m "wellness and life sciences village"  - in association with Carmarthenshire Council -  on former industrial land close to the Llanelli coast.
The concept, which is described as a "world first", would bring together a range of services which help people lead healthier lives and deliver care closer to people's homes.
It includes an eco-park, community health centre and rehabilitation centre but also a "wellness hotel" with spa - to try to tap into the emerging wellness tourism sector.
Councillor Meryl Gravell, executive member for regeneration and on the board of Arch, said it was originally going to be just a leisure centre but they wanted to do much more and look at health in the round.
"We cannot go back to silo mentality," she said. "It's not just about austerity, this makes sense, this is what we should be doing, working together. The impact is going to be huge and I think this is a world first."
Bernardine Rees, chairman of Hywel Dda health board, hoped Arch would offer opportunities to address severe recruitment problems of medical staff in west Wales - with the idea of cutting edge healthcare and research taking place in rural as well as urban areas.
As it stands, nearly a quarter of the health board's spend on consultants is on temporary staff.
"It's no longer the geography of the place which attracts young, mobile consultants, it's about the ability to offer research and development, enable them to be innovative and to work with other professionals," said Ms Rees.
"This has never been done before."
A key element of the project is bringing in private sector companies to work alongside the NHS.
According to Prof Marc Clement, vice president of Swansea University and dean of the school of management, the institution will be instrumental in bringing about this culture shift
"Arch covers a population of one million and 30,000 healthcare workers. That's attractive to the private sector - it's a relatively homogenous stable population - a wonderful living laboratory, a test-bed for innovation."
He said innovation was essential to meet the NHS's challenges and the university could act as a conduit.
"We're seeing a level of interest (from international companies) that I haven't seen in my career previously," he added.
But according to Prof Clement, the collaboration would not be a smooth journey.
"This isn't easy - there are very robust discussions happening behind closed doors. There are challenges in building such a consortium.
"However the prize is just enormous and it's a duty on us to get this done."
It is hoped the Arch project could support the creation of more than 2,500 jobs and give the economy of south west Wales a boost of more than £350m over 10 years.
That in itself it is argued will have a positive impact on health and well-being.
But much of the funding behind the plans is based on the UK government giving the go-ahead  the Swansea Bay city deal.
That decision is expected within weeks.
CASE STUDY
Funding from Fujitsu and Intel has already established a "talent bank" to encourage local pupils to study science, technical and medical subjects
The project allows sixth formers from Gower College an opportunity to get first hand experience of working at Morriston hospital. They also are involved in master classes with bioscience companies.
It is hoped they will be encouraged to pursue careers in biosciences or healthcare and stay in Wales.
Student Matthew Sandford said: "I'm quite interested in microbiology and stem cells. We did a masterclass in the talent bank, when a group came in and talked about their design of the artificial pancreas for diabetics."
Fellow student Lucy Flett, who wants to go into midwifery, said: "We go out and look at workplaces, the insight of nurses and other people who work there and it has given us that extra push towards what we want to do and that extra motivation."


Three racially offensive place names in New Zealand could be replaced under proposals put to the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB).

NZGB said a member of the public suggested changing the "discriminatory and derogatory" names of the places, all of which feature a racist term.
All three are in North Canterbury, in the Southern Alps on South Island.
The public will have three months to give their views on changing the titles of the remote areas.
"These proposals were made by a member of the public who was concerned that these particular names did not show New Zealand in a good light, being in poor taste and causing offence," NZGB Secretary Wendy Shaw told the BBC.
If accepted, Niggerhead would become Tawhai Hill and Nigger Hill would become Kanuka Hills - both named after native trees. Nigger Stream would become Steelhead Stream - named after a local trout species.
The proposed new names were put forward by the same person that requested the current names be dropped. The person is not thought to be local to the area, although as it is extremely remote, very few people are.
The places are all uninhabited geographical features, not towns
NZGB said that while they had not been able to pin down exactly how or when the places got their names, two have appeared on maps since the 1860s, and the third from the 1910s.
They said the word may have come from a colloquial name for a type of tussock known as makura, or pukio in te reo in the Maori language.
NZGB is seeking opinions on several other name changes too, including altering the spelling of South Otago's Tokomairiro river to Tokomairaro - which it says is the correct Maori spelling - and changing the name of Rainbow Mountain to Maunga Kakaramea.
The consultations will not take the form of a vote. Instead, the NZGB's board will base its decisions primarily on the views it receives from the public.
Although the changes may strike many as long overdue, reports in 2010 quoted government officials saying that they were not aware of complaints about the names, nor of plans to change them.
It is not the only place in New Zealand, to have a seemingly offensive name. There are several places with "Darkies" in their title on the west coast of South Island.
They are seemingly references to a 19th Century African American gold prospector known as 'Darkie' Addison, according to Radio New Zealand.


"It's impossible for me to say anything that makes sense," says Valeria Collina Kadhija, the mother of one of the London Bridge attackers, Youssef Zaghba.

Ms Collina sits on the floor of the front room of her house.
The lights are off and the shutters are lowered. In the corridor, there is a shelf of hardback books including works by Hemingway and George Bernard Shaw. A certificate on a sitting room wall honours a relative's service in World War Two against Nazi Germany. There are no family photos on display.
Valeria Collina is a convert to Islam. She wears a veil, and speaks quietly to a group of journalists sitting around her.
"From 2016 there were problems with my son - the fact that he was stopped at Bologna airport [whilst trying to get to Istanbul and then to Syria].
"He would say to me 'Come on Mum let's go live in Syria. Over there, they have a pure Islam.'
"I told him 'Are you crazy? I have no intention of going to Syria with you or with anyone. I'm fine in my country.'"
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After he was stopped at Bologna airport in March 2016, Italian police began to monitor her son, a move that Valeria Collina supported. The Italians shared information with other countries' intelligence agencies, including the UK's.
But Youssef Zaghba, a 22-year-old Italian of Moroccan origin, was still allowed to travel abroad.
"After the whole incident at Bologna airport, I told him 'You have to be perfect now. You can't look at strange things on the internet or meet strange people.' But then when he went back to Londonâ€¦"
Her voice trails off.
In London she says that her son found work at an Islamic news channel. But she was worried that he sounded very sombre.
"He looked serious in his pictures. So I joked 'Can you send me a picture where you're smiling more?'"
They spoke for the last time two days before he carried out his attack.
"It was a very sweet phone call. We spoke normally."
After she heard of the London Bridge attack, Ms Collina tried to get in touch with her son. But she could not get through.
"We sent a friend of his to look for him at the house [in London]. At that point I thought that my son was afraid that the police would try to connect him to the attack. I thought he was in hiding."
But on Tuesday the police came to her house to inform her that her son was one of the attackers. She thinks now of the families of her son's victims.
"I can understand from my own personal tragedy. But I don't even have the courage to compare my pain to theirs. It's as if I were ashamed to say 'I'm also a mother, I'm also suffering.'"
She supports the decision of imams in the UK not bury her son.
"I understand that it is right and dutiful in this moment to give this strong signal. We need this kind of gesture. Because the press accuses Muslims of not taking a stand. But we do."
She distances herself from her son's actions.
"It's a horrible thing. It shouldn't have happened and it should never happen again. And I'm going to do everything I can to prevent this. We need more education for young people."
We left her alone, contemplating in the dark.


"Serious and widespread failures" have been found in children's services in Gloucestershire, a watchdog has said.

Ofsted said "too many children" were being left in situations of "risk of significant harm for too long" because dangers were not recognised.
It rated children's services as inadequate and said standards had "deteriorated significantly" since it was last rated inadequate in 2011.
The council admitted it had "fallen short" but has made "major changes".
The report, which covered an inspection period from 27 February to 23 March, said it had "serious concerns" about the services' senior leadership team.
It said a "lack of management oversight" was leaving children in "situations of risk" and its findings - along with an "unprecedented number of whistleblowing concerns" - showed that management was "failing to protect children and families".
Inspectors found a "significant number" of cases being referred back to the local authority because managers and social workers "failed to identify children at risk" or "respond appropriately to escalating risks in families".
The report also found only 60% of children were risk assessed within an "appropriate timescale", that current systems and processes were "ineffective" and that an "unprecedented number" of staff had raised concerns about a "culture of bullying and blame".
In a statement, the council said it has "changed the leadership team" and "made some major changes in management".
"Our social workers do very difficult and complex work - they are not to blame," a spokesperson said.
"The responsibility lies with their leadership and management team and we have taken swift action to deal with this."
Chief Executive Pete Bungard, said it has also brought in "social work specialists" to lead its staff.
"I am sorry that we have not supported our children and their families as quickly as we should have done," he said.
"We will continue to work very closely with the Department for Education, Ofsted and the Local Government Association."


The building from where Sir Terry Wogan broadcast his last Radio 2 breakfast show has been renamed after him.

BBC Western House, located next to New Broadcasting House in central London, will now be known as BBC Wogan House.
The Wogan family, who were on hand to see the building's new signage unveiled on Wednesday, said they were "extremely touched by such a wonderful gesture".
Sir Terry, who died in January, hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show from 1972 and 1984 and again from 1993 to 2009.
The much-loved DJ was last on air on Radio 2 in November 2015, presenting his Weekend Wogan show.
In a statement, the Wogan family said Radio 2 had been "such an important part of Terry's life".
"He spent so many happy years there doing what he loved - chatting and laughing with the listeners from his studio in BBC Western House every weekday morning," they said.
BBC director of radio Bob Shennan said Sir Terry had been "a much-loved Radio 2 personality".
"Each time we all walk through the doors of Wogan House we will be forever reminded of him - his warmth, wit and endless charm."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Six football fans suspected of plotting trouble at Euro 2016 have been prevented from travelling to France.

Four people stopped at the Port of Dover on Wednesday were issued with court orders under Section 21A of the Football Spectators Act.
Another man was arrested at the port on suspicion of breaching bail conditions.
A sixth man was stopped at the Channel Tunnel on Thursday, but failed to appear at court and was issued with a three-year ban in his absence.
Specialist officers looking for anyone who could potentially disrupt the tournament have been screening passengers leaving Kent for France.
Kent Police said hearings at Folkestone Magistrates' Court for four of the men - a 24-year-old from Southampton; a 22-year-old from Middlesbrough; a 27-year-old from Stockport and a 26-year-old from Shropshire - were adjourned but they were ordered to surrender their passports until after the Euro 2016 final on 10 July.
The man who failed to appear in court is 48, and from Darlington.
The hearing into a 25-year-old man from Shepshed, in Leicestershire, who was on bail was also adjourned until after the conclusion of the tournament.
Ch Supt Alison Roden, of Kent Police, said: "We want Euro 2016 to be remembered for all the right reasons and not for the actions of a minority intent on causing trouble in France."


Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has been ruled out for four weeks with an ankle injury.

The 21-year-old Spaniard was injured during the the north London derby against Tottenham on 6 November.
"He got injured in the last 10 seconds in a very strong tackle from Danny Rose," said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.
Bellerin, who has played in all 11 of Arsenal's league fixtures this season, could miss eight games, including the visit of Paris St-Germain.
He will sit out the Champions League trip to Basel on 6 December, as well as the EFL quarter-final against Southampton at Emirates Stadium on 30 November.
Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League as they prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday (12:30 GMT).
They will assess the fitness of Alexis Sanchez on Friday after the forward scored twice for Chile in a 3-1 win over Uruguay on Tuesday, despite being a doubt before the game.


A court in Bangladesh has sentenced a well-known Muslim cleric to death for crimes against humanity during the country's 1971 independence war.

Abul Kalam Azad's conviction is the first verdict handed down by the controversial tribunal.
The cleric, a presenter of Islamic programmes on television, shot dead six Hindus and raped Hindu women during the war, prosecutors said.
He is thought to be in Pakistan and was found guilty in absentia.
BBC Bengali editor Sabir Mustafa says the verdict is being seen as a triumph for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has made prosecuting war crimes a key goal of her government.
Critics of the tribunal, however, say the charges against Maulana Azad and others are politically motivated. The court is not endorsed by the United Nations.
Watershed moment
Key defendants
Article that changed history
Tribunal officials said Maulana Azad's family failed to co-operate with his court-appointed defence lawyer, and they did not provide any witnesses to testify on his behalf.
As a result, the case was concluded fairly quickly.
Mr Azad was a junior leader in the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party in 1971 and a member of the Razakar Bahini, an auxiliary force set up to help the Pakistani army by rooting out local resistance.
The Razakars were notorious for their operations targeting Hindus as well as civilians suspected of being sympathetic towards Bengali nationalists.
The International Crimes Tribunal was set up by the Awami League-led government to try those Bangladeshis accused of collaborating with Pakistani forces who attempted to stop East Pakistan (as Bangladesh was then) from becoming an independent country.
Those charged include a  number of senior Jamaat leaders and a former minister from the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
All of the people currently indicted by the tribunal deny the charges and opposition leaders accuse the government of carrying out a political vendetta.
Bangladesh government figures estimate more than three million people were killed during the independence war, although some researchers put the figure at between 300,000 and 500,000.


A man has pleaded guilty to raping a teenager in a secluded car park on the Isle of Wight.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Kevin Finch, 36, admitted attacking the 18-year-old woman in the car park off Old Blackgang Road, Niton, on 7 October.
Prosecutors said they would not seek a trial for four other alleged offences including kidnap and inflicting GBH.
Finch, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.
The court heard that the victim had been picked up from Sandown High Street and driven to a car park in Old Blackgang Road where she was attacked.


Walsall stunned League One leaders Sheffield United as they ended the Blades' six-game winning streak with a 4-1 thumping at the Banks's Stadium.

It was the Saddlers' third victory over the Blades this season, John Whitney's men having also won at Bramall Lane both in the league and in the EFL Trophy.
United almost led inside four minutes, 17-goal top scorer Billy Sharp crashing a shot on the turn against the bar from 12 yards.
But Walsall went ahead a minute later, Amadou Bakayoko's accurate finish finding the bottom corner from Joe Edwards' through ball.
The Blades levelled on 10 minutes, when Jack O'Connell nodded home from close range after on-loan Wolves defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell had headed a far-post free-kick back across goal.
But, after a quieter spell, Walsall regained the lead on 58 minutes when Jason McCarthy played a neat one-two with Bakayoko before trickling a shot past Moore at his near post.
Edwards sealed the points on 67 minutes, surging into the area before wrong-footing Moore with another near-post finish.
Moore did not cover himself with glory for any of Walsall's goals, completing his nightmare day on 77 minutes when he brought down George Dobson for a penalty which Erhun Oztumer coolly converted.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Walsall 4, Sheffield United 1.
Second Half ends, Walsall 4, Sheffield United 1.
Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Corner,  Sheffield United. Conceded by James O'Connor.
Foul by Leon Clarke (Sheffield United).
James O'Connor (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Kieron Freeman (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joe Edwards (Walsall).
Substitution, Walsall. Kieron Morris replaces Erhun Oztumer.
John Fleck (Sheffield United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by John Fleck (Sheffield United).
Simeon Jackson (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Sheffield United. Conceded by Eoghan O'Connell.
Attempt missed. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Paul Coutts (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Chambers (Walsall).
John Fleck (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall).
Substitution, Walsall. Simeon Jackson replaces Amadou Bakayoko.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Stefan Scougall replaces Caolan Lavery.
Goal!  Walsall 4, Sheffield United 1. Erhun Oztumer (Walsall) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty conceded by Simon Moore (Sheffield United) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Walsall. George Dobson draws a foul in the penalty area.
Foul by Billy Sharp (Sheffield United).
Jason McCarthy (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Walsall. George Dobson replaces Florent Cuvelier.
Attempt saved. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).
Corner,  Sheffield United. Conceded by Eoghan O'Connell.
Attempt blocked. Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Leon Clarke replaces Chris Basham.
Goal!  Walsall 3, Sheffield United 1. Joe Edwards (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Amadou Bakayoko.
Paul Coutts (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Erhun Oztumer (Walsall).
Attempt blocked. Erhun Oztumer (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United).
Attempt saved. Florent Cuvelier (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.


A band of heavy rain heading towards Wales has prompted the Met Office to issue a weather warning.

Forecasters have said up to 30mm (1.1in) of rain could fall in south, mid and west Wales between Sunday night and Monday morning.
A yellow "be aware" warning has been issued from 21:00 BST and is in effect until midday.
Localised flooding is likely, potentially worsened by wind-blown debris from Saturday's strong gusts.
The warning covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan.