Birmingham and Cardiff fought out an entertaining goalless opening day stalemate in the sun in St Andrew's.

Cardiff should have been ahead at half-time but Frederic Gounongbe missed an open goal and Tomasz Kusczak saved brilliantly from Peter Whittingham.
After the break it was Bluebirds goalkeeper David Marshall's turn to shine with outstanding saves from Diego Fabbrini and Jack Storer.
When a goalkeeper was beaten, Cardiff's Lex Immers' shot crashed off the bar.
New Cardiff head coach Paul Trollope's side - including defender Fabio, who is being linked with Middlesbrough - started with a purpose.
And had it not been for former Manchester United player Kuszczak's brilliance and some sloppy finishing Cardiff would have been out of sight at the interval.
With takeover rumours dominating the build-up to the game, it took Gary Rowett's Blues 50 minutes to hit their stride.
When they did, Scotland international Marshall was equal to the task, although substitute Storer should have scored.
The pace slowed in the energy-sapping heat, and Immers' late effort almost stole all the points for Cardiff.
Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett told BBC WM:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"It was probably the right result on the overall reflection of the game. I don't think we deserved to win but we didn't deserve to lose.
"To keep a clean sheet was a real positive and some strong displays from Ryan Shotton and Tomasz Kuszczak played leading roles.
"I admit that I am trying to bring in two players that will give us a bit more quality and win us games in the final third. We certainly need to improve in that area."
Cardiff City boss Paul Trollope:
"There is an influence from the Euros. Obviously a few teams used it in the Euros like the team I worked with. A lot of teams have used this system and got out of this division.
"With the players I have at my disposal at the moment I think it is a good way for us to go."
"We came with positive intentions to win the game but were frustrated we didn't win. We controlled good spells which was pleasing. We want to be progressive and dynamic but it is what happens in the box.
"The signs are good and we defended when we were put under pressure. It is, however, work in progress. Hopefully we will improve. A clean sheet on the road is not bad."
Match ends, Birmingham City 0, Cardiff City 0.
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 0, Cardiff City 0.
Attempt blocked. Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jonathan Grounds.
Attempt blocked. Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Foul by Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City).
Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Lex Immers (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Corner,  Cardiff City. Conceded by Ryan Shotton.
Attempt saved. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Declan John.
Attempt missed. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Lex Immers.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Robert Tesche replaces David Davis.
Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Jack Storer (Birmingham City).
Substitution, Cardiff City. Craig Noone replaces Anthony Pilkington.
Substitution, Cardiff City. Stuart O'Keefe replaces Joe Ralls.
Attempt missed. David Davis (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Stephen Gleeson.
Corner,  Cardiff City. Conceded by David Davis.
Attempt missed. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Kenneth Zohore.
Corner,  Cardiff City. Conceded by Michael Morrison.
Foul by Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City).
Michael Morrison (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Jack Storer (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Reece Brown with a cross.
Attempt missed. Jack Storer (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jacques Maghoma.
Substitution, Cardiff City. Kenneth Zohore replaces Frederic Gounongbe.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Reece Brown replaces David Cotterill.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Jack Storer replaces Diego Fabbrini.
Corner,  Birmingham City. Conceded by Jazz Richards.
Attempt blocked. Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) header from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Cotterill with a cross.
Corner,  Birmingham City. Conceded by Bruno Ecuele Manga.
Attempt saved. David Cotterill (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jonathan Spector.
Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City).
Offside, Cardiff City. Lex Immers tries a through ball, but Frederic Gounongbe is caught offside.
Lex Immers (Cardiff City) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box following a set piece situation.
Frederic Gounongbe (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City).
Attempt blocked. David Davis (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City).
Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City).


A Holyrood committee is to examine options for a "focussed inquiry" into the issues leading to the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

The infrastructure and capital investment committee will deliberate on ordering an inquiry next Wednesday.
It comes after the transport minister said bridge bosses considered replacing a cracked part of the crossing five years ago but decided not to.
Scottish Labour and the Conservatives have both called for a full inquiry.
The bridge is to be closed until the new year for repairs after a large crack was discovered in a truss under the carriageway.
Opposition parties raised questions about the maintenance of the structure and the events leading up to its closure.
A spokesman said members of the infrastructure and capital investment committee would "examine options for conducting a focussed inquiry into the issues that have led to the closure of the Forth Road Bridge".
Transport minister Derek Mackay has said he would be "more than happy" to co-operate with an inquiry if one was called.
Mr Mackay admitted in a BBC Good Morning Scotland interview that bridge bosses had considered replacing the part of the crossing which has now cracked in 2010.
Mr Mackay has been accused of misleading MSPs, after it emerged the comments apparently contradicted a statement he made at Holyrood.
Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone asked Mr Mackay if he was aware of a public contract tendering notice for work on the bridge lodged in 2010, but later cancelled.
He was told: "The works that the member has identified are not where the fault has occurred."
However in his interview with BBC Scotland, Mr Mackay said the 2010 work would have involved "the replacement of that area and much more".
Labour's James Kelly raised a point of order in the chamber, asking the transport secretary to come back and set the record straight.
He said: "Clearly these statements are contradictory and this is a serious matter. It would appear that Mr Mackay has misled parliament."
Deputy presiding officer John Scott said the statement was a matter for Mr Mackay and not a point of order, but told Mr Kelly: "Nonetheless, you have made your point."
Mr Mackay later returned to the chamber to address the issue, underlining that the fault currently being worked on had not been there in 2010.
He said the works proposed at that time had covered "a far greater area", adding: "A decision was taken by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority that it was not necessary to replace the entire area, which would have involved a lengthy and unnecessary closure of the bridge."
He said: "My priority is to get this bridge fixed and to get people moving across the Forth Bridge again."
The presiding officer told Mr Kelly that he "should be very careful before suggesting that a minister has misled parliament".


The funeral of a demolition worker killed in the partial collapse of Didcot A Power Station in Oxfordshire has taken place.

Ken Cresswell, 57, from Rotherham, was one of four men who died in the collapse on 23 February. His body was recovered earlier this month.
John Shaw, 61, Michael Collings, 53, and Christopher Huxtable, 34, were also killed.
Mr Cresswell's funeral took place early at Rotherham Crematorium.


A team of scientists think that Venus could once have been very similar to a young planet Earth.

Using computer simulations, they tried to turn back the galactic clock to see how Venus's climate has changed.
They made different versions of Venus, each with slightly different details, such as the amount of of the Sun's energy the planet received.
By looking at how these versions developed over time, the team began to see lots of similarities with earth.
One of the Venus simulations had pleasant Earth-like temperatures and even had some snowfall.
These tests help paint a picture of what Venus could have been like one or two billion years ago, when the Earth was only a young planet.
The team from Cornell University say more missions to Venus are needed to prove whether their simulation are right or not.
Today however, Venus is not exactly a habitable planet.
Temperatures there are hot enough to melt metal. Clouds of sulphuric acid cover the surface and the pressure on the ground is similar to being more than half a mile under the sea!
So, probably not a good idea to start planning on moving there anytime soon.


Joe Garner grabbed a second-half hat-trick as Rangers moved into the Scottish Cup semi-finals by thumping Premiership rivals Hamilton Academical.

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Accies disputed a penalty when Grant Gillespie was adjudged to have fouled Jon Toral, but there was no doubt about Martyn Waghorn's precise spot-kick.
Sub Garner added the second from close range after the break before Toral and Clint Hill stretched the lead.
There was still time for Garner to find the net twice in the closing minutes.
Rangers kept alive their hopes of a second successive Scottish Cup final appearance after falling short at Hampden Park against Hibernian last season.
And it meant that Hamilton, looking to end a run of 24 games without a win over Rangers, were denied a first semi-final appearance since 1935.
The enduring flaw in Rangers' play this season has been a failure to score enough goals.
The hosts peppered the opening period of the game with moments of brilliance - James Tavernier almost released Waghorn with a ball over the top and Barrie McKay tormented Hamilton right-back Ioannis Skondras.
It was McKay, with his drifting, darting menace, who created the first clear chance of the game, but Emerson Hyndman failed to convert from 12 yards out, hitting his first-time shot straight at goalkeeper Remi Matthews.
Kenny Miller came closer when his volley was tipped on to the bar by Matthews, but the breakthrough had only been delayed.
When Toral tried to shoot inside the area, Gillespie tried to manage the situation by wrapping his arm around the midfielder's waist.
There didn't appear to be any force applied and Toral's stumble happened moments later, but referee John Beaton felt he had seen a foul and awarded the spot-kick.
Hamilton were infuriated, while Waghorn converted the penalty with firm assurance.
Even the departure of Miller at half-time failed to disrupt Rangers, since his replacement Garner scored within two minutes, tucking the ball home at the back post after Rob Kiernan headed on McKay's corner.
Hamilton manager Martin Canning waited to speak to Beaton as the officials left the field at half-time.
He would have felt the penalty award was soft, but there was also an incident earlier in the half when Rangers goalkeeper Wes Foderingham waited for the ball to arrive in the penalty area from a Hamilton attack and, under pressure from Rakish Bingham, reached out and made first contact with the ball outside the area.
Canning's mood would have darkened further soon after Rangers' second goal.
Then, when Dougie Imrie collected the ball on the right touchline and moved it infield, Garner raced towards the midfielder to challenge.
Winding up to lash at the ball, he carried on even when it was out of reach and his kick and momentum carried instead into Imrie, who was felled.
It was a moment of rashness and over-aggression that could have had the striker dismissed. Beaton, instead, opted for a yellow card.
Once Rangers were in command of the scoreline, the game became an endurance for Hamilton.
They threatened once, when Bingham glanced a header wide, but otherwise their input to the game was some lax defending.
Toral had the time to control and shoot, with the ball being diverted high into the net by Scott McMann.
Another corner brought another goal for Rangers, when Hill bulleted a diving header past the helpless Matthews.
Having survived the possibility of being sent off, and later receiving a nasty gash to his eye in a clash of heads, Garner completed an eventful 45 minutes with two goals in two minutes.
The first came from a short Gillespie pass-back, with the striker then rounding Matthews to finish.
The third might have taken a nick off a player on its way in but remained Garner's to claim and ended a sore afternoon for Hamilton.
Rangers caretaker manager Graeme Murty: "I'm pleased for Joe going forward after his goals. He's had to be patient, but he's got his reward.
"I was worried he was going to get a red card but the referee didn't give it.
"I've looked at it again and it's more clumsy than malicious.
"He doesn't catch Dougie with his foot, it was more his knee or shin.
"But I can see how that could have looked dangerous and put us into a bad situation. Thankfully it didn't and we move on.
"I'm happy because the players were clinical and took their chances.
"It's great to get a clean sheet and score as many goals as we did."
Hamilton Academical manager Martin Canning: "If you look at the first half, I don't think there was an awful lot in it.
"I don't think it is a penalty that goes against us and the goalkeeper is probably a yard or two outside the box when he handles the ball and I think Garner's tackle is a sending off.
"So a lot of things have gone against us today, but that doesn't excuse our defending from set-pieces - we lose three goals from corners and one that we try to play from the back and pass it straight to them.
"It is quite easy to see why we are on the wrong end of a bad defeat when you put that all together.
"If the keeper goes off early in the game, it changes the game completely, and they could have been down to 10 men if Garner had gone off.
"I am disappointed in the decisions, but I will never criticise officials because they have a hard job."
Match ends, Rangers 6, Hamilton Academical 0.
Second Half ends, Rangers 6, Hamilton Academical 0.
Michael O'Halloran (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical).
Harry Forrester (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical).
Goal!  Rangers 6, Hamilton Academical 0. Joe Garner (Rangers) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner.
Attempt missed. Rakish Bingham (Hamilton Academical) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Hamilton Academical. Conceded by Rob Kiernan.
Attempt blocked. Ali Crawford (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal!  Rangers 5, Hamilton Academical 0. Joe Garner (Rangers) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Rangers. Harry Forrester replaces Emerson Hyndman.
Goal!  Rangers 4, Hamilton Academical 0. Clint Hill (Rangers) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Barrie McKay with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Dougie Imrie.
James Tavernier (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rakish Bingham (Hamilton Academical).
Goal!  Rangers 3, Hamilton Academical 0. Jon Toral (Rangers) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner following a corner.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Remi Matthews.
Attempt saved. Jon Toral (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Corner,  Rangers. Conceded by Giannis Skondras.
Substitution, Rangers. Michael O'Halloran replaces Martyn Waghorn.
Foul by Joe Garner (Rangers).
Massimo Donati (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Rakish Bingham (Hamilton Academical) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Greg Docherty replaces Gramoz Kurtaj.
Attempt missed. Lee Wallace (Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Martyn Waghorn (Rangers).
Massimo Donati (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jon Toral (Rangers).
Grant Gillespie (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Hamilton Academical. Scott McMann replaces Blair Adams because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Joe Garner (Rangers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
James Tavernier (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gramoz Kurtaj (Hamilton Academical).
Joe Garner (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Dougie Imrie (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joe Garner (Rangers).
Foul by James Tavernier (Rangers).
Massimo Donati (Hamilton Academical) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joe Garner (Rangers).


Justin Bieber has claimed the top two spots in the UK singles chart for the seventh time in a year.

Cold Water, his collaboration with Major Lazer, is at number one for a third week while Let Me Love You, with DJ Snake, is a new entry at two.
Before Bieber did so last year, no artist had held the chart's top two positions since Madonna did so in 1985 with Into The Groove and Holiday.
Indie group Blossoms topped the albums chart with their self-titled debut.
The band, who formed in 2013 and who came fourth in the BBC's Sound of 2016, were all born in the same Stockport hospital and honed their sound by rehearsing in their bassist's granddad's scaffolding yard.
"We're absolutely made up that album has gone to number one," they said.
"From the scaffolding yard to the top of the charts, who'd have thought it? Up Stockport!"
The five-piece sold 9,500 more albums than their nearest rival, grime star Giggs, to secure the number one slot despite never having had a hit single - an indication of the increasing split between the singles and albums charts.
Last week's number one album, a posthumous release by Blossoms' former support act Viola Beach, drops to number five.
There are new entries for indie rockers Wild Beasts, whose fourth album Boy King debuts at nine; and emo band Moose Blood, who make their first appearance in the Top 40 with Blush, at number 10.
Elvis Presley's final studio recordings, compiled under the title Way Down in The Jungle Room, enter the chart at 16; while Dinosaur Jr's first album in four years, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not, is new at 23.
It's not such good news for US producer DJ Khaled, whose latest album, Major Key, tumbles 27 places after debuting at number seven last week.
The singles chart is largely static, with most of the Top 10 shuffling down a place to accommodate Justin Bieber's new entry at two.
However, there are two major exceptions: Twenty One Pilots jump from 20 to nine with the glitchy ballad Heathens, taken from the Suicide Squad soundtrack.
And Chainsmokers' collaboration with US pop sensation Halsey, Closer, leaps from 33 to 12 - giving Halsey her first top 20 single in the UK.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The International  Criminal Court has opened a formal probe into war crimes in the Central African Republic (CAR).

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said there had been "endless" instances of rape, murder, forced displacement, persecution and pillaging since 2012.
She said both sides had committed atrocities in what has become a religious conflict between mainly Muslim rebels and Christian militias.
Almost a quarter of the 4.6 million population have fled their homes.
The turmoil began in the run-up to the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group seizing power in the majority Christian country in March last year.
Rebel leader Michel Djotodia resigned as president in January under intense diplomatic pressure but the killings continued.
Muslims had to flee revenge attacks from largely Christian militias, known as anti-balakas.
Last month, a power-sharing government was formed - but it has not eased tensions and the country has largely been split into a Muslim north and Christian south.
Ms Bensouda, who opened preliminary investigations in February, said her office had "scrupulously analysed relevant information from multiple reliable sources".
Other war crimes and crimes against humanity included attacks against humanitarian missions and use of child soldiers, the prosecutor said.
"The list of atrocities is endless. I cannot ignore these alleged crimes," she said in a statement.
"Let this be a message to would-be perpetrators in CAR and beyond: Such crimes will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law."
Earlier this month, the UN took over peacekeeping operations from the African Union force.


Heavy fighting has been reported in northern Syria as so-called Islamic State tries to capture the rebel-held town of Marea, near the Turkish border.

IS fighters began a surprise offensive in the area on Thursday and attacked Marea early on Saturday with tanks and car bombs, monitors said.
The UN fears for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the fighting.
The area between the city of Aleppo and the Turkish border is split between IS, rebel and government-controlled zones.
A nationwide, but often violated ceasefire, between rebel and government forces, brokered by the US and Russia in February, does not include jihadist groups such as the self-styled Islamic State.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said heavy clashes had taken place inside the walls of Marea overnight between IS fighters and rebels.
Marea has long been a bastion for non-jihadist rebel forces who have been fighting  President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's five-year conflict.
It lies within the so-called Azaz corridor - a key rebel lifeline of supplies that links Aleppo city with the Turkish border but which has previously been severed by government and Russian air strikes.
Azaz, 20km (13 miles) north of Aleppo, itself hosts tens of thousands of displaced civilians.
The IS militants' offensive initially captured six villages around Azaz and took them to within a few kilometres of the city, cutting off supplies to Marea to its south.
It is thought some 15,000 residents remain in Marea.
The UN's refugee agency said it was deeply concerned about the plight of more than 160,000 displaced people who are massed in the north of the country.
It said fleeing civilians were being caught in the crossfire of the IS offensive, and that they were struggling to get access to food, water and medical services.
The Marea fighting shows IS's ability to continue launching offensives, analysts say, despite losing ground in other parts of Syria and in Iraq.


Mention the words Worcestershire and Australia in the same sentence and it instantly conjures up a warmly-remembered slice of cricketing history.

Once upon a time, the Aussies would come to New Road in early May for the first game of an Ashes summer - and Don Bradman would help himself to yet another double century.
Much has changed in the game of cricket, of course.
Overseas tours no longer last a whole summer and Worcestershire count themselves fortunate to have been given the second of only two warm-up matches for the Australians prior to the Ashes series, which commences at Trent Bridge on Wednesday week.
But their return this week to New Road cannot help but stir the memories.
Putting figures on it is quite difficult, but we're well into six figures as far as ticket sales, hospitality and other things that go with it
Former Worcestershire all-rounder David Leatherdale, for example, will never forget the day 16 years ago when he took 5-10 in just five overs to bowl out a touring Australian team - captained by Mark Taylor and containing the likes of Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath - for just 121 as the county won by five wickets.
Waugh was so impressed that he made a special mention of Leatherdale's feat in his end-of-tour diary.
But he also labelled the Yorkshireman - a renowned stand-breaker, as well as a useful middle order batsman and brilliant fielder - as being the sort who "would not get a bowl in a Chinese restaurant".
Leatherdale told BBC Sport: "Gavin Haynes got four, then I got Justin Langer leg before and then cleaned up the tail, getting Brendon Julian, Michael Kasprowicz, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
"I then hit Greg Blewett for successive fours to win the game and walked off feeling pretty happy with life. To give the Aussies a good stuffing at home is as good as it gets."
He continued: "I did not know Steve kept a diary until months later, but it came back to haunt him.
"He came back four or five years later with Kent, when he was their pro for a few weeks.
"I got him out again and he got 'the rusty gate', as they say.
"Jamie Pipe was keeping wicket and he delivered a few appropriate words to send him on his way, telling him 'I'll have a number 57 please, with fried rice'."
As the county's chief executive, 45-year-old Leatherdale is now less concerned with takeaways and more with home takings, especially over the next three days, when Worcestershire could pull in their biggest gate receipts of the summer.
"Putting figures on it is quite difficult," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester, "although we're well into six figures as far as ticket sales, hospitality and other things that go with it.
"It's a reasonable windfall, but we've tried to budget sensibly because you never sure where you're going to be with the weather.
"With the current economic climate, the fact we've reached budget on ticket sales shows there's a fairly big appetite for Australia coming to Worcester.
"I know that Cricket Australia were quite keen to play here. They made a request about what they might want to do leading up to the Ashes series, then it was up to the England and Wales Cricket Board to try to accommodate it.
"We're lucky to get the Aussies, but there's no doubt all touring teams still love coming to play at Worcester because of the history and tradition, playing in the shadow of Worcester Cathedral, and our facilities are now 100 per cent better than they were.
"There's always a special buzz when the Aussies are in town."
Having had Tom Moody, McGrath, Andy Bichel, Matt Mason (now the county's bowling coach), Steve Smith and Phil Jaques on the staff, Worcestershire are not short on Australian connections.
Even Doug Bollinger, who did not enjoy too many champagne moments in his time at New Road, must have learned something as, within 18 months of his summer with Worcestershire coming to an end, he had been called up to play for Australia.
The current touring squad includes Phil Hughes, who successfully spent last season at New Road and would have done so again this year had he not been recalled by his country.
Watching from the sidelines will be Michael Johnson, their Australian wicketkeeper, not to mention special guest star Nick Compton, grandson of the legendary Denis.
And, had Worcestershire been successful with a bold bid to sign him, they might even have had Ricky Ponting in their team.
But, if it's Worcestershire v Australia on the agenda, then the talk this week will, sooner or later, inevitably turn to Bradman, McGrath, Waugh . . . and Leatherdale!


Belfast Royal Academy have been awarded a walkover to the semi-finals of the Schools' Cup after opponents Friends' were unable to field a team.

The Lisburn school wanted competition organisers to put back the last four clash with BRA because 17 of their squad were on a skiing trip in Austria.
But the plea was rejected and Friends were forced to admit they could not field a team for Saturday's match.
BRA play Methody in the last four while RBAI will face Ballymena Academy.
The RBAI v Ballymena game is on Monday 27 at the Kingspan Stadium with the second semi-final the following day.


US presidential candidate Donald Trump is to visit the border with Mexico after making illegal immigration the centrepiece of his campaign.

Mr Trump will travel to Laredo, Texas, on Thursday to meet border control agents and local police officers, according to his campaign office.
In June, he sparked controversy after calling undocumented Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "criminals".
Some recent polls put him top of a crowded field of Republican candidates.
But most of them were conducted before Mr Trump's comments on Senator John McCain's military record, in which he questioned the veteran Republican's "war hero" status because he was captured.
The attack was widely condemned and his rivals, who are increasingly frustrated by him dominating media coverage, hope it could damage his standing.
Mr Trump was invited to the Mexican border by the Laredo group of the National Border Patrol Council earlier this month.
Hector Garza, president of Laredo border agents, told reporters he was looking forward to giving Mr Trump "a boots on the ground perspective".
Earlier this week, the outspoken businessman received heavy criticism after giving out the mobile phone number of a rival at a campaign rally.
Mr Trump told supporters Senator Lindsey Graham was an "idiot" and told his supporters to call the number.
It followed Senator Graham denouncing Mr Trump as "a jackass" after condemning the real estate mogul's comments about John McCain.
On Wednesday, Republican favourite Jeb Bush criticised Mr Trump's rhetoric on immigration and his comments on Mr McCain but said his supporters had "legitimate concerns".
"I respect the sentiments people feel when they hear Trump talk," he said at a campaign event.
"The problem with Mr Trump's language is that it's divisive, it's ugly, it's mean-spirited. We have to separate him from the people that have legitimate concerns about the country," he added.
Meet all of the 2016 hopefuls


County Championship outsiders Lancashire kept their thin title hopes alive as they bowled out Division One bottom club Warwickshire for 200.

Ex-Zimbabwe paceman Kyle Jarvis took 6-67, well backed by South Africa's Ryan McLaren, all the wickets falling from the Statham End at Old Trafford.
It could have been worse for the Bears but for a ninth-wicket stand of 76 from Jeetan Patel (47) and Olly Stone (32).
Liam Livingstone then made an unbeaten 41 to help Lancashire close on 112-3.
With nightwatchman Stephen Parry seeing it through on 15 from 21 deliveries, the hosts still have Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jos Buttler to come in the morning.
Lancashire, in second place at the start of play, were actually closer to the top flight's drop zone, 40 points clear of danger with five games left, but 41 points behind leaders Essex.
Warwickshire began the game 31 points adrift of safety, although boosted by their first Championship win of the summer in their last game, against Middlesex at Lord's three weeks ago.
Since then, former Lancashire boss Ashley Giles' Bears have shown their greater aptitude for the shorter form of the game by reaching T20 Blast finals day for the third time in four years.
But, although former Northants paceman Stone has so far had a decent first-class debut for his new county after his year out with a knee injury, it was pretty much a case of normal service being resumed for the Bears on their return to Championship duty,
From 89-3 at lunch, including the loss of both new Championship captain Jonathan Trott and his predecessor Ian Bell to McLaren (4-45), Warwickshire slumped from 89-3 to be bowled out for 200 by tea. All Jarvis's wickets came in the afternoon session, including a run of four in 24 balls.
Lancashire seamer Kyle Jarvis told BBC Radio Manchester:
"It came after a pretty shaky start this morning when I didn't bowl well at all. I had a few tough words at lunch time and then got six in the session.
"It was two sessions completely different. I bowled terribly and had no rhythm from the James Anderson End, which is where I normally bowl from.
"I decided to switch it around. It then came out really nicely. I've not got many wickets from this end in my four-year career here. That's just the way it goes."
Bears first-team coach Jim Troughton told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"We spoke to Ashley Giles - and he said there were times when they might have bowled first on these types of pitches because they are a little bit tacky.
"Batting first was the right option, especially with them going in with three seamers and two spinners. We'll have to see over the four days how it behaves if there's a lot of sun on it.
"They bowled well and in good areas, but we didn't have that skill to stem the bleeding. Jeetan did well and Olly. That was a good effort to get us to 200."


A ball that disappeared in the middle of Royal Shrovetide Football, bringing the game to a confused end, has been discovered lodged in a hedge.

The annual game is played between Up'ards and Down'ards in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, over two days.
This year, the Up'ards took the honours on Tuesday but Wednesday's game ended when the ball was lost in Mayfield.
Some suspected foul play but organisers said it was an "ill-fated attempt" to launch the ball towards goal.
Shrovetide committee member Mike Betteridge, who turned up the ball on Wednesday, said: "There was frantic searching for nearly an hour before a group of Up'ards found it.
"It had lodged itself in the upper branches of the hedge, which was a leylandii, and no-one could see it."
Because nobody goaled the ball, Mr Betteridge gets to keep it.


Extracts from The Wind in the Willows were read out in court in an attempt to stop a hydro-electric scheme.

Part of Kenneth Grahame's novel was inspired by Goring Weir, which will be developed to provide electricity for 300 homes.
Charles Streeten, appearing for Goring Council, read out a passage where Mole is "listening to the pleasant sound of water lapping over a weir".
The judge described the excerpt as "telling" but dismissed the challenge.
Mr Justice Cranston said: "Books such as Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men In A Boat and Kenneth Grahame's Wind In The Willows have descriptions of the villages or drew inspiration from the site of Goring Weir."
He also said the stretch of the Thames between the villages of Goring and Streatley, located in a conservation area, had a rich cultural history.
However, he added the decision to give the scheme on the Oxfordshire and Berkshire border the go-ahead in March was not irrational and South Oxfordshire District Council was entitled to reach the planning judgment it did.
Mr Streeten fears the scheme will cause noise pollution and visually harm the site.
He read the passage out of the Mole character "mucking about in a boat on the river" to emphasise his point.
Part of the existing weir at Goring Lock will be demolished to make way for the three 3.5m (11ft) diameter screws needed for the scheme.
It will also include a fish pass, eel pass and a flood control gate.


Newcastle Falcons have signed former Harlequins scrum-half Sam Stuart from Championship side Richmond in a deal starting from next season.

Stuart has made 20 appearances in all competitions for Richmond this season, scoring three tries.
The 25-year-old left Harlequins in 2014, having played three Premiership games for the club.
Meanwhile, scrum-half Sam Egerton, 25, has left the Falcons to focus on a career in law.
Former England Sevens player Egerton made four Premiership appearances for Newcastle this season, but did not start a league game.


A hospital in Stockholm is to open Sweden's first emergency clinic for male rape victims.

The South General hospital already has a walk-in centre which provides urgent care for women who have been raped or sexually assaulted.
But it announced on Wednesday that it would be admitting men and boys from October.
Some 370 cases of sexual assault on men or boys were reported in Sweden last year, Swedish media report.
"The general perception is that men cannot be raped," Dr Lotti Helstrom told Radio Sweden.
She said the subject of male rape was still "extremely taboo" but that it was much more common than most people realised.
Dr Helstrom said that it was important for men to have equal access to emergency care.
The hospital already runs a 24-hour emergency service for female rape victims, providing access to doctors, midwives, nurses, psychologists and social workers.
A spokesperson for the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) welcomed the announcement.
Inger Bjorklund told The Local newspaper that a clinic focused on men would "contribute to the awareness of experiences of sexual abuse among men".


A Sussex NHS mental health trust which was at the centre of a police investigation into the deaths of five patients is due to reopen next week.

The Woodlands Centre for Acute Care, in St Leonards-on-Sea, closed in October after two suicides occurred within months of each other.
Sussex Police investigated their deaths and those of three other patients at Sussex Partnership NHS Trust hospitals.
No criminal charges were brought as a result.
An independent investigation into the centre also gave it the all-clear.
The unit has since undergone a Â£500,000, patient-led redesign and all 33 bedrooms and bathrooms have been refurbished.
Additional training
All staff have had additional training and development, with specific attention given to risk management and suicide risk reduction.
The centre was shut after John Blair, 40, and Sgt Richard Bexhell, 49, were found hanged less then two months apart.
Mr Blair was found hanging on 19 October 2009. He died three days later in the Conquest Hospital, in Hastings.
Sgt Richard Bexhell, 49, was discovered hanged at the unit on 29 August 2009 while Susanna Anley, 35, died at the Woodlands unit in April 2008.
Michael Stevens, 53, from Lancing, died at Worthing Hospital after he was found hanged in his room at the Meadowfield unit in Worthing in September the same year.
A 27-year-old man was found dead in the toilets of a public area of Millview Hospital in Hove on 8 March this year.


David Ford has led the cross-community Alliance Party since 2001 and is the longest serving leader of the party.

He took on the leadership after Sean Neeson resigned in the face of poor election results.
Mr Ford, a former social worker, has been Northern Ireland's justice minister since April 2010 - the first local minister in that role in nearly 40 years.
Mr Ford has represented South Antrim as an MLA since 1998. He was also a member of Antrim Borough Council.
Born in Kent, with a Welsh father and a mother from Northern Ireland, he grew up in England, but spent summer holidays on his uncle's farm in Gortin, County Tyrone.
He moved to Northern Ireland permanently in 1969 and studied economics at Queen's University in Belfast.
He joined Alliance at university and spent a year as a volunteer at the ecumenical centre, Corrymeela.
Mr Ford's entry into full-time politics was in 1990 when he became Alliance's general secretary.
He has campaigned for a better railway network and has a strong interest in agricultural and environmental affairs.
When the then Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble lost his assembly majority in 2001, Mr Ford redesignated as a unionist with two colleagues for 22 minutes.
It helped pave the way for Mr Trimble get re-elected as first minister of Northern Ireland.
At the time, Mr Ford, a father-of-four said he would never again allow himself to be what he described as the "back-end of a pantomime horse".
In February, MLAs voted against a proposed change to Northern Ireland's abortion legislation brought forward by Mr Ford.
The change would have legalised abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
His party also voted to endorse gay marriage in 2012.
Amid the ensuing controversy, Mr Ford stepped aside temporarily as an elder at his Presbyterian church in County Antrim.


Parliamentary candidates for Reading East have been debating how to speed up plans for a third bridge over the River Thames in Reading.

Labour and UKIP blamed the delays in the project on Oxfordshire County Council, while the Lib Dems said more traffic modelling research was needed.
The Conservatives said important progress had already been made with councils on both sides of the river.
The Greens oppose a third bridge and want to promote cycling and walking.
The idea for a new bridge to ease congestion in Reading town centre has been circulating for about 40 years.
There are three main routes over the Thames in the area, two in Caversham, Reading and one in Sonning, Wokingham.
Speaking during a live debate on BBC Radio Berkshire, Liberal Democrat candidate Jenny Woods said: "We have the traffic congestion within Reading but there are also people who are very concerned about where the bridge is going to go.
"We must see lots of very careful traffic analysis and modelling first to make sure we properly understand the effect this is going to have on our infrastructure."
Labour's Matt Rodda said: "I think the answer is to work on Oxfordshire.
"Reading and Wokingham are in agreement about this and actually all the three main parties are in agreement that we need a third bridge. The question is about how we deliver it and how you persuade Oxfordshire to come on side.
"We've taken a petition from local people from Emmer Green and Caversham over to Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire and I have engaged actively with them."
UKIP's Christine Forrester said: "One has got to consider the fact that Oxfordshire is the problem here and they don't want to be overdeveloped on that side.
"Actually, what we've got to do is get all the councils to work together and have a consensus on this. How about banging their heads together?"
Conservative candidate Rob Wilson said: "Taking a few hundred people on a petition is not the answer. The answer has been to get all the local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, all the local MPs together and I've done that by chairing three summits along with John Howell from Oxfordshire.
"The four councils have put Â£250,000 into a big traffic modelling study which will hopefully report later in the autumn and that is a very important step forward because we have never had Oxfordshire putting money into this before."
Green Party candidate Rob White said: "We think a third Thames Bridge, as well as being massively expensive, we don't think it's going to solve the problems.
"We want to tackle the problems Reading has got... We think the way to do that is to invest in public transport, walking, cycling, to cut down journeys over the existing Reading bridges.
"We can't just keep going on building more bridges, more car parks, more roads."
Click here to see the full list of candidates standing in Reading East and you can listen again to the BBC Radio Berkshire debate on the iPlayer.


Australia batsman David Warner has been suspended until the first Ashes Test match for an alleged attack on England batsman Joe Root in a bar.

Warner, 26, was also fined £7,000 (AU $11,500) after the incident, which took place in Birmingham on Sunday morning.
"A kid from the back blocks with a strong personality, Warner is outgoing, likes talking to people and always has an opinion. He is popular with his team-mates and respected in the dressing room. He has that lively and nocturnal side to his personality. But he is 26 now, and off the field he needs to change."
He will now miss the remainder of his country's Champions Trophy campaign.
Warner will also be absent for tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire, but can play in the first Ashes Test on 10 July.
England and Australia players were in the Walkabout pub in the early hours of Sunday when opening batsman Warner is alleged to have struck England batsman Root.
BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Murphy said: "I believe it happened around 02:00 (BST) at the bar in the centre of Birmingham.
"There was a private VIP area and some of the Australia players were in there. The three England players, Joe Root, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, were some way away and were larking around - wearing silly wigs and that.
"I understand Warner took umbrage and went over to Root and glanced him on the chin.
"Broad put his arm around Root as soon as it happened and said 'time to go back to the hotel' and I am also told that they were not worse for wear."
Warner, who has played in 19 Test matches for his country, was dropped for Australia's Champions Trophy game against New Zealand on Wednesday as a punishment.
He could have been sent home from the tour after pleading guilty to a charge of "unbecoming behaviour".
Media playback is not supported on this device
His suspension means he will not be allowed to play until the five-Test Ashes series begins at Trent Bridge.
But Warner is in a poor run of form, with seven single-figure scores in his last nine innings while playing for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League and one-day internationals for Australia.
Cricket Australia's behaviour commissioner, The Hon Justice Gordon Lewis, heard the disciplinary case in Melbourne via a teleconference.
In a statement, the England and Wales Cricket Board cleared their players of any blame.
"Following a full investigation, the England team management has concluded that the England player was in no way responsible for, nor retaliated to, the attack," said the ECB statement.
England bowler Broad told Sky Sports: "We were within our rights to be out, and we did nothing wrong. We are obviously on show as England cricketers and we need to be aware of that."
This incident is not the first time Warner has been in trouble with Cricket Australia and last month he was fined £3,700 for a foul-mouthed Twitter exchange with two Australian journalists.


Owners of homes in the Borders which have lain empty for a long period could see their council tax charges more than doubled.

At the moment, they pay 90% of the amount due if the home was occupied.
However, Scottish Borders Council is now considering using powers which would allow them to charge twice the standard level.
It has been estimated it could generate an extra Â£900,000 although that figure might fall as homes are occupied.
The levy would not apply to homes which are unoccupied because they are being renovated unless they then lie empty for two years or more.
New build properties would also be exempt from the measure if they are being genuinely marketed for sale or let at a realistic price.
The charge would also not be applied to holiday properties.
A report to councillors has recommended that the new measure be brought in from 1 April.
It stressed that the driving force behind the measure was not to raise money but to encourage owners of long-term empty dwellings to bring them back into use.


A man accused of shooting dead one Indian man and injuring another at a bar in the US state of Kansas faces hate crime and firearms charges, the justice department says.

Adam Purinton is accused of killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding Alok Madasani at the bar in the city of Olathe in February.
Mr Purinton also allegedly shot a bar patron who tried to intervene.
The attack drew worldwide condemnation and shocked the Indian-US community.
Mr Purinton was charged in February with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Federal prosecutors announced Friday that the 52-year-old was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly targeting two of the victims "because of their actual and perceived race, colour, religion and national origin".
He allegedly fired on Mr Kuchibhotla and his friend Mr Madasani, two 32-year-old Indian men who worked as engineers at GPS-maker Garmin, because he thought they were Iranian.
Witnesses said he inquired if their status in the US was legal before shouting "get out of my country" and opening fire.
Mr Kuchibhotla died and Mr Madasani survived. A third man, 24-year-old Ian Grillot, was wounded trying to intervene.
The US justice department indictment said that Mr Purinton "committed the offenses after substantial planning and premeditation".
It said he "attempted to kill more than one person in a single criminal episode, and knowingly created a grave risk of death to others on the scene".
The maximum penalty for such an offence is death or life in prison. The justice department said that a decision on whether to seek capital punishment would be made later.
After the shooting, Mr Purinton allegedly told a barmaid in nearby Clinton he had just opened fire on some "Iranian people".
The fallout from the attack reverberated across India and the large Indian community in the US.
US President Donald Trump condemned the shooting in a speech to Congress after earlier facing criticism for his silence on the attack.


Southend United have issued a complaint to the Football League over ticket prices at Oldham Athletic for Tuesday night's League One match.

Shrimpers fans are being asked to pay £22 but entry for home supporters is only £5 if bought in advance.
"I'm upset by the situation and I've made the Football League aware of it," Southend CEO Steve Kavanagh said.
"Four local promotions are allowed to take place every season but these have to be registered properly."
Manager Phil Brown told BBC Essex: "Hopefully our supporters will make £22 worth of noise and their supporters will make £5 worth of noise.
"Hopefully we'll come away with the spoils because of that."


"I think art is life, and I believe in a kind of art that comes from life and experience."

Behrouz Boochani is messaging me on WhatsApp from Australia's offshore detention facility in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), where he has been since 2013 after fleeing his home country of Iran.
The Kurdish journalist has just finished his biggest project yet - a full-length feature film, shot using his iPhone and smuggled out over the internet in small clips, beneath the radar of his guards.
"The movie is a record of Australian history. I hope that the next generations will know what Australia did in Manus and Nauru," he says, referring to Australia's other offshore detention facility for asylum seekers.
The project began last year, when Dutch-Iranian filmmaker Arash Kamali Sarvestani got in touch with Mr Boochani, who has made a name for himself as the island's most outspoken detainee, writing regularly for international publications.
Mr Sarvestani had attended a film workshop where the theme was the sea, and he had been looking into the possibility of speaking to children on Nauru.
He quickly realised that access to Nauru was too difficult.
"There is almost no internet connection, and people are scared to talk. They are scared for their future," he says.
That was when he started reading online about Mr Boochani, who he said seemed to be "shouting about what is happening" on the two islands.
Since it opened, the Manus Island facility has made headlines with riots and hunger strikes, including images of asylum seekers sewing their lips shut. But Mr Sarvestani's aim was not to show those kind of extremes.
"I wanted to show a painting, about what was happening there… I didn't want to show blood, the violence. I wanted to show the invisible violence within the camp," he says.
The idea was to film everyday scenes of the facility, to portray the agony of the mundane and the psychological suffering when one has no control over their future - the "invisible violence" Mr Sarvestani talks about.
"People [on Manus] are just losing their minds. They have lost the meaning of time," he says.
Over six months, the two men communicated over WhatsApp, recording and sending audio messages to one another, though never speaking directly.
"The internet wasn't strong enough to talk, but it was possible to send audio," Mr Sarvestani says. "That was vital to the project. We needed to listen to each other."
Mr Boochani had an iPhone that an Australian friend sent to him, and some connectivity on the island, but he had never filmed anything before.
He was guided by Mr Sarvestani at first, who told him which shots he was looking for.
He then sent the footage over WhatsApp, but the internet was very slow, and it could take one to two hours to send 30 seconds of video.
The covert nature of the project made it highly stressful for Mr Boochani.
"To take some of the shots I had to wait for several days until I had the opportunity to do it secretly, and I could only ever do one take," he says.
"As a journalist the system is always monitoring me, and I had to be careful because if the guards knew that I was making a movie they definitely would have stopped me.
"But now that I've done it, what can they do? Nothing."
The 88-minute film is called "Chauka, Please Tell Us The Time", after a bird native to Manus that starts singing at the same time every morning. "Chauka" was also the name given to the detention centre's solitary confinement area.
The two men have become great friends over the course of the film-making, after what Mr Sarvestani said amounted to "around 10,000 minutes" of indirect conversation.
"It's one of my dreams to one day meet him," he says.
The filmmaker holds hope that day will come, but there is no certainty.
Mr Boochani fled Iran after his work as an editor of a magazine, Werya, attracted the attention of authorities, who were unhappy with its promotion of Kurdish culture and politics.
When his colleagues were arrested in February 2013, Mr Boochani went into hiding. Later he tried to make his way to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
The same year, Australia did a deal with PNG, offering around A$400m (£235m; $300m) in aid if it agreed to house the detention centre and resettle refugees.
The Australian government said it made the decision to deter people-smuggling boats and thereby prevent deaths at sea.
Australia is now hoping the US will take up to 1,250 refugees from Manus and Nauru, so it can close the Manus centre by November after a PNG court ruled it was unconstitutional.
But with information so tightly controlled, it is unclear how many will go, and when. And if the deal goes to plan, there are questions over what happens to asylum seekers left in PNG.
Meanwhile, tensions are rising between locals, the police and those in the centre.
Last week multiple shots were fired and a group, including members of the Papua New Guinea defence force, stormed the facility.
Amnesty International called for an investigation.
Mr Boochani says PNG police believe his work is aimed at them, but he insists it is not.
"It is not just for refugees but for Manusian people," he says. "They will know how I respect their culture by watching this movie".
Screenings of Chauka, Please Tell Us The Time will be held later this year in Australia


President Francois Hollande has admitted France will miss its target on lowering the budget deficit this year.

France's deficit will "without a doubt" be 3.7% of its output this year, he said, above the 3% he promised to cut it to during the election last year.
The 3% deficit target is also one set by the European Union - but most of the major euro nations are in breach.
The news comes as France's economic progress  was criticised by a European Central Bank board member.
"The reform course in France seems to have floundered," Germany's Jens Weidmann said.
"The crisis that we are facing is a crisis of confidence, and this confidence cannot be gained if we postpone the tackling of the root causes of the crisis," Mr Weidmann said, referring to France, Italy and Cyprus as countries that still face tough financial situations.
Greece, Ireland and Portugal have been effectively shut out of borrowing long term on international financial markets, which forced them to seek help from European partners and the International Monetary Fund.
They all adopted austerity policies to cut public spending, but France has bucked the trend, raising taxes instead to protect its social model.
During the election last year, Mr Hollande vowed to bring the deficit to 3% from its current 4.5% and had insisted this was possible until now admitting defeat.
But he defended his record, saying that the deficit has come down from more than 5% in 2011.
"In two years, we have performed a structural recovery," the president said on Tuesday, that "is as unprecedented as it is significant".
"Addressing our accounts is a financial obligation... but it is also an obligation of sovereignty because France must never be in difficulty in the markets."
The ECB's other German board member, Joerg Asmussen, last month urged France to take "concrete and measurable" steps to bring down its budget deficit.
The number of jobless in France has now risen past 3 million.


Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said in an interview for Russian TV he will not quit under foreign pressure, saying the Syrian people must decide.

Western powers and much of the Syrian opposition say it is not conceivable for Mr Assad to lead a post-war Syria.
Mr Assad said Iran was supporting his government "politically, economically and militarily" but denied that Iranian ground forces had been sent.
The latest comments come as Russia increases its presence in Syria.
Mr Assad said that the president "comes to power with the people's assent through elections, and if he leaves, he leaves if the people demand it".
Mr Assad was re-elected in 2014 with 88.7% of the vote. However, the election only took place in government-held areas and the opposition said the vote had no credibility in the midst of a civil war.
In the interview Mr Assad also said the refugee crisis which has seen more than four million Syrians flee the country, and millions more internally displaced, was due to "terrorism".
He urged Western countries to "stop supporting terrorists" if they are concerned about an influx of refugees.
Mr Assad's message is not new, says the BBC's Sebastian Usher. From the first days of the Syrian crisis, when he was facing unarmed opposition from street protests, he has framed it as a battle against terrorism,
What has changed is the timing and the circumstances. Mr Assad and one of his main backers, Russia, are pointing to the refugee crisis and the rise of Islamic State (IS) as proof that their stance has been correct, our correspondent adds.
Russia sends signal over future role
On Tuesday US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in an attempt to clarify the reason behind Moscow's military build-up in Syria.
Mr Kerry warned that continued support for President Assad "risks exacerbating and extending the conflict", a statement said.
Russia says it is helping Syria fight Islamic State militants.
Moscow has increased its presence in the country just as the regime is losing ground to rebel groups.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged continued military support for President Assad and has urged other countries to join Russia in sending "military-technical assistance".
A Pentagon spokesman said on Monday that a steady flow of people and equipment near the north-western city of Latakia suggested Moscow was planning to establish a "forward air operating base" at an airport there.
Also on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would travel to Russia next week for talks with Mr Putin on Moscow's involvement in Syria.
He "will present the threats to Israel emanating from the increased flow of advanced weaponry" to Syria and from the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah and other militant groups, an Israeli official told Reuters news agency.


A police chief accused of sexually assaulting boys, subjected teenagers to military-style parades at an attendance centre he ran, a court has heard.

Former North Wales Police Supt Gordon Anglesea, 78, of Old Colwyn, denies sexually abusing two teenage boys in the 1980s.
Retired policeman John Kelly helped Mr Anglesea set up the attendance centre for "tearaway" teenage boys.
He told Mold Crown Court the boys would be lined and "inspected by Anglesea".
Mr Anglesea was in charge of the attendance centre while Mr Kelly, who previously lived next door to Mr Anglesea, was second in command.
During a police interview in 2014, Mr Kelly said a typical session at the centre started with a "military-style parade" where the boys were lined up and "inspected by Anglesea".
Mr Kelly told the court he would sometimes visit Bryn Alyn and Bryn Estyn care homes when boys absconded, but it was procedure to issue cautions at a police station rather than at the homes.
Asked in court if Mr Anglesea ever issued cautions at the homes, he replied: "On the odd occasion."
However, the court heard how in his police statement, he said: "I am aware that Gordon Anglesea on a very regular basis visited Bryn Estyn and Bryn Alyn and conducted cautions at the premises," adding: it became "almost became the norm".
During the prosecution opening of the trial, the court was told boys at the attendance centre would be made to do gym and drill parade sessions and woodwork classes on Saturday afternoons.
Mr Anglesea would then inspect the parade and make youngsters do naked sit-ups and squat thrusts.
But Mr Kelly said he saw no evidence of abuse at the centre.
The court heard that at the time Mr Anglesea was said to have committed the offences between September 1982 and September 1983, his five-year-old daughter died.
Defence barrister Tania Griffiths QC said: "She died on May 10, 1983.
"At the time he was said to be abusing somebody, his little girl was seriously ill. He spent a lot of time with Elizabeth and the family as they approached the end."
Mr Anglesea denies two allegations of indecent assault and one serious sexual assault on one boy, and the indecent assault of another.
The trial continues.


Custody staff used restraints on "compliant" female and child detainees, in prison vehicles, a report has found.

HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) carried out inspections at 13 crown and magistrates' courts in Sussex and Surrey, in August.
In the report, Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, said there were "serious shortcomings".
HM Courts and Tribunals Service said a meeting had been organised to "consider the report".
In 2013, the court custody service was restructured, to handle remand cases in fewer magistrates' courts.
A HMIP spokesman said: "This had resulted in the cells at those courts being overloaded, with detainees sitting on the floor on one day and all cells being empty the next.
"Physical conditions varied from good to very poor. Provision of basic toilet facilities, hygiene and cleanliness in some court custody suites was poor."
He added: "Women and children were transferred in cellular vehicles with male detainees (sometimes with all-male crews), which can result in women being harassed by male detainees.
"Staff used restraints with compliant detainees, including women and children and lacked the authority to challenge this."
A spokesman for HM Courts and Tribunals Service said since the inspection, inter-agency relationships had been "strengthened to ensure that operations are run effectively".
He said: "We will be working closely with GeoAmey [prison transport service] and the National Offender Management Service to deliver a joint action plan, which addresses the inspectorate's recommendations as soon as possible.
"A meeting of the agencies has been arranged to consider the report. A programme of deep cleaning is already in place and is carried out twice yearly for courts in Surrey and Sussex."


Having climbed into the world's top 20, Tyrrell Hatton is exporting his uncomplicated approach to golf to discover if it can bring success in the United States.

This week, the 25-year-old from Buckinghamshire begins what he is calling his "American adventure" when he tees off in the Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
He will then play the World Golf Championships event in Mexico, the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and the WGC Matchplay in Texas, before making his Masters debut at Augusta in April.
After that he will compete in the Heritage tournament and the Players Championship to complete a run that indicates he has truly arrived as one of the world's leading players.
But when this sometimes fiery character looks at the rankings and sees his name in such an elevated position, it still takes a while to fully register.
"That's really surreal for me," he tells BBC Sport. "In a way, I almost don't feel like it's me.
"It's obviously been an amazing last eight months and I just can't wait to get out there - they are new events for me."
We are sitting in the lounge of Harleyford Golf Club, near Marlow. Hatton has bought the coffees and is battling a cold brought on by returning to the February chill after finishing tied third at the Dubai Desert Classic.
That result lifted him to 19th in the world, and his career earnings are beyond £5m.
But he has not forgotten how it all started, and remains grateful to the members at Harleyford, 30 of whom threw £250 each into a pot to finance his early forays into the professional game on the EuroPro Tour.
Hatton's form yielded a quick return, and he has made steady progress ever since, graduating to the Challenge Tour before becoming a leading figure on the main European Tour.
At last year's Open, while the golf world was falling in love with the gregarious Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, Hatton quietly eclipsed his compatriot by finishing fifth at Royal Troon.
He quickly backed up that performance by coming 10th at the PGA Championship, and in so doing, cemented foundations that had been laid some weeks earlier, for his first Tour victory in the autumn.
In winning last October's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Hatton equalled the course record on the historic Old Course at St Andrews with a brilliant 62.
All this success is the product of a very simple philosophy forged in conjunction with his coach, who also happens to be his father.
"I trust my dad, he's coached me since I was 10 or 11," Hatton says. "We haven't changed my swing for so many years. We look at certain points of the swing and make sure that they are there and generally when they are, that's when I play my best golf.
"I don't think I would be where I am at the moment if I tried to change my ways. Technical stuff would fry my brain so it works out well that we keep it as simple as possible."
Jeff Hatton is a teaching pro and custom club fitter. It took concerted hard work from him and his son in the summer of 2016 to propel Tyrrell to his current position.
Hatton Jr had been struggling and, although his game was showing signs of improvement, he needed some paternal influence as he headed to the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, where he finished runner-up.
"It was close but I still wasn't happy so my dad came up," he says. "We did quite a lot of work on the Tuesday and I started to feel really comfortable with my game and from then on played really well and had a great week.
"I learned I have to keep practising and playing and that's what I did the week before the Dunhill.
"I'm not one for standing on the range beating balls, I much prefer just going out and playing.  I just went out and played on my home course.
"From Thursday onwards I didn't shoot worse than seven under. You just get used to shooting good scores, although it is around a course where I've been a member since I was 11 so I know it well.
"But, still, shooting those scores gave me the confidence and my swing felt great at the Dunhill."
So great, in fact, that he fired that 62 in the third round en route to a four-stroke victory.
"That was amazing," he says.
"I had never shot lower than eight under in a tournament. My lowest round, even at Harleyford, is nine under. So as I was playing the 18th at St Andrews, I really wanted to birdie the last to get into double digits under par.
"I was very happy when I saw my second shot go to a foot, and when I got to the scorers, they told me I had equalled the course record on the Old Course, which is just crazy."
Hatton is naturally modest, polite and respectful - a combination far removed from the bad-tempered image that occasionally surfaces when he is playing.
"Once I get out on the golf course, I'm quite fiery," he says. "I've always been that way. I know it is an area that I need to improve on."
This was evident at the end of his opening round in his last outing in Dubai. A reasonable start was squandered as he lost his head after missing a second putt on his final green.
A careless attempt to tap in for bogey led to a ruinous four-putt and from two under he slipped to level par, with the hard work of the rest of the round swiftly undone.
"It is what it is; red mist. Thankfully it was my last hole," he laughs. "It was just one of those days where I was a little bit on edge, a bit frustrated because I was actually pulling a lot of my putts.
"I just lost my head.  I'm sure if I look back and watch it on TV now I'd be cringing but it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I just have to try and learn from it and shouldn't do it again."
Hatton usually relies on caddie Chris Rice to bear the brunt of his fury.
So is he some sort of on-course therapist? "He'd probably say babysitter," Hatton smiles.
"But, no. We will chat about things and he's been really helpful. Last year was our first year working together and it's been very successful, so long may it continue."
That success has brought a Masters debut onto the horizon. Hatton is torn as to whether to go to Augusta for an early recce or turn up for the first time in the week of the tournament.
"At the end of the day, although it is the Masters and it will be amazing, it is just another golf tournament, so I shouldn't really prepare any differently," he says.
And while rookies rarely win the year's first major, this one has known from a very early age the feeling of wearing a winner's jacket.
"The first junior tournament that I won, when I was five or six years old, was the Wycombe Heights Junior Masters and the winner got a little green jacket," Hatton says.
"I still have it at home. It doesn't fit me now, obviously, but it's definitely a cool thing to keep."
He will stage his own Tyrrell Hatton Junior Masters event at Harleyford on September 2 this year.
More immediately, though, it is all about his American odyssey, which starts in Florida this week.
And just like his simple approach to his golf, his outlook for the coming weeks is very straightforward.
"I'm really excited and hopefully I can play well," he says.
Find out how to get into golf with our special guide.


Italian police say they have arrested 15 Muslim migrants after they allegedly threw 12 Christians overboard following a row on a boat heading to Italy.

The Christian migrants, said to be from Ghana and Nigeria, are all feared dead.
In a separate incident, more than 40 people drowned after another migrant boat sank between Libya and Italy.
Almost 10,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued in recent days. Italy has called for more help from the EU to handle the crisis.
More than 500 people from Africa and the Middle East have died making the perilous crossing since the start of the year. Earlier this week, 400 people were believed to have drowned when their boat capsized.
The 15 Muslim migrants involved in the row with Christians were arrested in the Sicilian city of Palermo and charged with "multiple aggravated murder motivated by religious hate".
The suspects, who are from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali and Guinea, were among 105 migrants travelling in an inflatable boat that left Libya on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses told police how the altercation resulted in Christians being thrown overboard, and that some of the survivors had formed human chains to avoid a similar fate.
Also on Thursday, the Italian navy plucked four survivors - a Ghanaian, two Nigerians, and a man from Niger - from the sea. They said their inflatable boat had sunk after leaving Libya with 45 people on board.
The International Organization for Migrants (IOM) says the missing 41 people have drowned.
The four survivors were taken to Sicily along with 600 other migrants trying to make the crossing in various vessels.
Earlier on Thursday Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy had "not had an adequate response from the EU" about the migrant crisis.
But European Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said the organisation had no "silver bullet" for the problem.
Last year a record 170,000 people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East made the perilous crossing to Italy.
With improving weather conditions, the number of people making the crossing of at least 500km (300 miles) has surged. But vessels provided by people smugglers are often underpowered and overcrowded.
€2.8m (£2m) a month goes on Operation Triton, the border control policy that operates off the Italian coast. Monitoring the Mediterranean may not be enough, says commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud. "We have neither the money nor the political support to launch a European border guard system," she told reporters.
Triton has proved an inadequate replacement for the Italian military search-and-rescue operation Mare Nostrum, which cost three times as much. That 2013 mission was activated after a similar tragedy, when 300 migrants drowned.
The Italian government has requested more financial help from the EU, but the question is: how much money are the 28 member states willing to invest?
Only 22 of the members are supporting the current system. Others, including the UK, opted out, describing the policy as unintentionally encouraging more migrant attempts to make the crossing.
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French anti-terror prosecutors are investigating an attack at Paris's Orly airport by a gunman who was eventually shot dead by security forces.

Ziyed Ben Belgacem, 39, was killed on Saturday after he put a gun to a soldier's head saying he wanted to "die for Allah", officials say.
Earlier that day he had been involved in a shooting and then a carjacking.
Belgacem is described as having been radicalised in prison, and was on a police watch-list.
His criminal record included convictions for armed robbery and drugs offences, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters late on Saturday.
Intelligence agents searched his home in Garges-les-Gonesse for evidence of Islamist sympathies, but reportedly found nothing. However, traces of cocaine were discovered during the search.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the picture is building up of a man on the criminal fringes of society, who also consorted with Islamist radicals.
The attack comes at a sensitive time. France has presidential elections starting next month and remains under a state of emergency.
The soldiers at Orly were part of Operation Sentinel - involving thousands of soldiers deployed to provide back-up to the police after the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015  and the Paris attacks of November 2015.
Early on Saturday morning, Belgacem was stopped at a checkpoint in Garges-les-Gonesse, north of Paris, where he lives.
He fired at police with a pellet gun before escaping in a car that was later found abandoned.
Police say he then stole a car at gunpoint from a woman at Vitry, south of Paris. That car was later found at Orly airport.
Belgacem arrived at the airport and attacked the military patrol in the south terminal.
He tried to seize the servicewoman's automatic weapon, put his gun to her head and said: "I'm here to die for Allah. In any case people are going to die."
He was then shot dead by two other soldiers.
A copy of the Koran was found on his body, Mr Molins added.
Orly -  located 13km (8 miles) south of Paris - is the capital's second-largest airport.
Both the west and the south terminals were closed during the security operation. An estimated 3,000 passengers were evacuated.
Flights were suspended for several hours. Both terminals reopened later on Saturday and flight operations gradually resumed.


A 17-year-old boy is being questioned by police after a night bus passenger "suffered potentially life-changing" injuries when he was hit by a brick.

The 65-year-old man was on the number 90 bus at Inns Court Avenue in Knowle, on Monday night when a brick smashed through a window and struck his head.
The police said the man's condition had improved but his injuries were "still potentially life-changing".
The teenager attended a Bristol police station following an appeal.
An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "The boy was voluntarily interviewed and inquiries are ongoing.
"We're not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident but we are still keen to speak to anyone who witnessed it."


A care company criticised by ex-staff for not allowing them enough time to go from one visit to the next has said it is to start paying staff travel time.

MiHomeCare, which operates Village Home Care, said the new rates would come in as part of its renegotiated contract with Carmarthenshire council.
Two ex-workers said stress over cutting visits short because of too-long travel time contributed to them leaving.
The company said it was in discussions with revenue staff over the changes.
A spokesman for Parent company Mitie said: "The email was only sent to our people who are working on the Carmarthenshire contract and only applies to them.
"The ex-employees have raised some serious allegations. We will conduct a detailed investigation into these matters."
The company is being examined by HM Revenue and Customs over pay following an internal review examining pay at its Penarth branch in the Vale of Glamorgan.
This found workers were effectively not being paid the minimum wage as they were not reimbursed for time spent travelling between appointments.
An email to staff stated: "We are in discussions with HMRC to better understand how travel time should be accounted for across our business so we are both compliant and consistent.
"On conclusion of these discussions, we will be changing rates of pay to ensure that our staff are paid for travel time."


Australian police have made the largest seizure of crystal methamphetamine in the nation's history, officials say.

The 903kg (1,990lb) haul of the drug, also called ice, is estimated to have a street value of A$898m (Â£546m; $680m), Justice Minister Michael Keenan says.
The drugs were found hidden in 70 boxes of wooden floorboards at a warehouse in Melbourne, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Two men have been charged with drug trafficking offences.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull praised the police operation, describing drug traffickers as "merchants of death".
"This was nearly a tonne of ice, so this is a great credit to our border protection and our police in confiscating this enormous shipment," he said.
The operation followed an investigation into an international group. Authorities said the drugs probably originated in Asia, but they did not say where.
"You can see a fairly sophisticated concealment methodology where organised crime groups are going to great lengths to try and thwart the activities of law enforcement, particularly our border controls," AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan said.
"But we are united in bringing these people to justice."
The arrested men, both from Melbourne, are aged 53 and 36. Police were looking for two other suspects.
In 2015, Australia's government established a national taskforce to tackle the growing use of crystal methamphetamine, which has become the most common illicit drug in the country.
The move followed a report by the Australian Crime Commission that found ice posed the highest risk to communities of any illegal substance.


Police have welcomed a report commending "very good progress" in meeting needs of victims and witnesses.

It follows the publication of the latest Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland report.
It found there had been improvements by justice organisations in carrying out earlier recommendations over the care and treatment of victims and witnesses.
However, the review also said that delay remains a major concern for many victims and witnesses.
The CJI report looked at progress in implementing recommendations from its separate reviews of the care and treatment of victims and witnesses and the use of special measures published in 2011 and 2012.
Of 28 recommendations made across the two inspections, 27 were said to have been achieved either in full or in part.
The chief inspector of criminal justice in Northern Ireland, Brendan McGuigan, said: "While there has been very good progress, and inspectors welcome that, there is no room for complacency.  I would urge a continuing effort to close the gap between standards and delivery.
"The commitment of various leaders across the criminal justice system and the clear political support, together with the personal interest of the minister of justice have been central to the good progress made to date."
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Chris Noble said: "We welcome this report, which reflects the commitment of the PSNI to work with the PPS, Victim Support and other key partners to develop a criminal justice system which is accessible and supportive and provides effective and supportive outcomes to victims and witnesses.
"The commitment of the police service to delivering better services to victims can be seen in our work with the PPS to deliver a joint victim and witness care unit, which provides a professional and more personal service to all victims and witnesses throughout their time in the justice system."


Irish celebrities have lent support to a campaign against homelessness after activists took over an ex-government building and turned it into a shelter.

Well-known Irish musicians, including Oscar-winner Glen Hansard, Dublin band Kodaline and Hozier, led campaigners in song outside the Dublin building.
Apollo House, a former government office block, is empty but there are plans to demolish and redevelop it.
Receivers are now taking legal action to end the '"illegal occupation".
They went to the High Court in Dublin on Tuesday to seek injunctions against the campaigners which could force them to leave the building.
Their barrister told the court there were serious health and safety concerns as the building was not suitable for residential use and currently has no fire insurance cover.
The campaign group, Home Sweet Home, includes representatives on the Irish housing network and trade unions.
It is supported by Oscar-winning songwriter Hansard and Oscar-nominated film director Jim Sheridan.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the building on Tuesday afternoon as Hansard led supporters in an Irish rendition of the American song This Land is Our Land.
Earlier, the High Court was told the receivers were very sensitive to the plight of the homeless, Irish national broadcaster RTÉ reported.
Their barrister said there were enough facilities available for the number of homeless people in Dublin at the moment, according to Dublin City Council.


A former detective says a double-murderer he arrested may be linked to missing York chef Claudia Lawrence.

Christopher Halliwell was jailed on Friday for the 2003 murder of Becky Godden, having already been convicted of killing Sian O'Callaghan in 2011.
Ex-detective Steve Fulcher told the Sunday Express Ms Lawrence's case fitted Halliwell's behaviour.
But North Yorkshire Police said they are "not aware" of any evidence to link Halliwell to Ms Lawrence.
She vanished in York in March 2009.
Mr Fulcher told the Sunday Express: "Halliwell's father lived a few streets away from where Claudia went missing.
"It fits his pattern of behaviour - abducting women walking alone either late at night or early in the morning."
Mr Fulcher resigned from Wiltshire Police in 2014 after being found guilty of gross misconduct for failing to follow the proper procedures when arresting Halliwell in 2011.
The 52-year-old taxi driver from Swindon was jailed for life in 2011 for killing Ms O'Callaghan, whose body was found in Uffington, Oxfordshire.
Becky Godden's remains were also discovered in 2011, in a field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire.
Ms Lawrence was last seen on 18 March 2009 and was reported missing the following day after she failed to turn up for work at the University of York.
North Yorkshire Police believe the 35-year-old was murdered, although no body has ever been discovered.
Following Mr Fulcher's claims in the Sunday Express, a spokesman for the force said: "The investigation team is aware of this matter and they will carefully assess the information in line with the on-going review of the Claudia Lawrence case.
"However, to be clear, the team is not aware of any evidence that would link this individual [Halliwell] to the disappearance and suspected murder of Claudia."
Martin Dales, friend and spokesman of Miss Lawrence's father Peter, said the claim should be investigated.
He said: "I think the retired officer in question has a detailed knowledge of things. The overriding point is really whoever has done whatever to Claudia, it has been an incredibly long time."
Claudia Lawrence disappearance timeline


A review into the circumstances surrounding the death of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne will investigate the authorities' involvement with his killer prior to the tragedy.

The 16-year-old died after being stabbed with a knife at Cults Academy in Aberdeen in October last year.
His killer is serving nine years detention for culpable homicide.
The independent review, led by Andrew Lowe, is expected to be published in September.
As part of the investigation, a "detailed timeline" will be drawn up showing which agencies were involved with the killer, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. In the review he will be referred to as Child A.
It will also look at information sharing between agencies during his childhood.
In addition, the scope of the review will include:
The review was commissioned by Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland in the wake of the trial of the schoolboy's killer at the High Court in Aberdeen.
The court heard that the schoolboy was fatally stabbed in the heart after a row over a biscuit.
Following the verdict, it also emerged that concerns were raised about the 16-year-old killer nine years ago, when he was in primary school.
During the review, its chairman, a former lawyer, will have access to all the necessary case files from the council, health board, the police and the Scottish Children's Reporter.
Andrew Lowe will also be able to draw on any additional independent professional expertise he requires to meet the terms of the review.
Mr Lowe is the independent chairman of child and adult protection for Renfrewshire and the chairman of the Glasgow Public Social Partnership for Learning Disability.


A man was arrested during a protest by members of the English Defence League (EDL) in Chandler's Ford.

The protest at Chandler's Ford Methodist Church on Saturday evening was over a conference to discuss plans to create a Muslim community centre.
Hampshire Constabulary said specially trained officers formed a line between the two groups "to ensure there was no physical confrontation".
The man, 24 and of Farnborough, was held over public order offences.
Mohammed Ansar, organiser of the conference, said they had hired the church to "bring together Muslims across Hampshire, aimed at talking about the needs of the Muslim community".
An EDL spokesman said the group held the protest to "stand against the Islamisation of our country".


Ecuador's new President Lenin Moreno has taken office, pledging to continue the left-wing policies of his predecessor Rafael Correa.

In his inaugural speech, he promised more subsidies for the poor and a major social house-building programme which would create millions of jobs.
But he also said he would streamline government administration costs.
Mr Moreno won April's closely contested presidential election, beating his conservative rival Guillermo Lasso.
"I am a president for all. I owe this to everyone. I respect everyone," President Moreno aid on Wednesday in the capital, Quito.
"I will work for absolutely no-one to be left behind."
Correspondents say Mr Moreno faces a tough job, as oil-rich Ecuador has suffered from the fall in global prices, and the country has mounting debts.


Iain Russell helped maintain Queen of the South's Scottish Championship play-off push with the only goal against bottom-of-the-table Alloa Athletic.

Russell nudged Queens ahead when he tapped in Derek Lyle's cross at the back post.
Jake Pickard, Russell and Mark Millar had earlier been denied by Alloa keeper Scott Gallacher.
Michael Duffy rattled the crossbar for Alloa while substitute Ryan Conroy had a free-kick tipped on to the post.


Concerns the BBC and other broadcasters show too many repeats at Christmas have been raised in the House of Commons.

William Hague, Leader of the House of Commons, said he hoped broadcasters would "be trying to give real quality to the public this Christmas season".
Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke had sought a debate on the issue, accusing the BBC "of lazily repeating more often than a hearty Christmas dinner".
A BBC spokesman said its Christmas repeats had been "carefully chosen".
He also claimed the corporation invested more in television at Christmas than any other UK broadcaster and that more than 90% of programmes shown at peak time on BBC One would be new.
The issue was raised following reports in the Daily Mirror and elsewhere that 63% of Christmas television on the four main channels - 729 out of 1,154 shows - would be repeats.
Previously broadcast editions of Only Fools and Horses, The Royle Family and ITV's Midsomer Murders are among the re-runs singled out.
"You may have noticed the reports this morning that this year the BBC at Christmas is showing more repeats than ever before," said Mr Shelbrooke in Parliament on Thursday.
"When I buy a DVD I don't expect to keep paying for it year on year," the MP for Elmet and Rothwell in West Yorkshire continued.
"Could we please have a debate on the BBC getting back to its remit and charter on public broadcasting?"
Mr Hague said he hoped the BBC would be "listening to what you say" but said he was unable to schedule a debate that would, in any case, "be unlikely to change the Christmas schedule".


Leeds United have appointed Steve Evans as their new head coach, replacing the sacked Uwe Rosler.

Evans, 52, who has signed a rolling contract until 30 June, is Leeds' sixth head coach since Massimo Cellino took over the club in April 2014.
Rosler, 46, was sacked on Monday after just 12 games in charge with Leeds 18th in the Championship.
Meanwhile, Cellino has been banned from running the club by the Football League for the second time in a year.
Cellino was found guilty of an offence under Italian tax legislation relating to the non-payment of VAT on the importation of a Land Rover vehicle, leading him to be disqualified under the owners' and directors' test.
The Italian has until 28 October to appeal against the decision.
He was banned by the Football League in December after they obtained documents from an Italian court, which had found Cellino guilty of tax evasion in relation to his failing to pay import duty on a yacht.
The former Cagliari owner returned to the club's board in May after having his initial ban extended from 10 April to 3 May.
Evans left Rotherham in September having led them to two promotions in his three full seasons in charge.
The Scot attended the final game of last season at Elland Road in a sombrero and shorts after vowing to do so if he kept Rotherham in the Championship.
Last season was his first managing in the second tier of English football, having previously managed Boston United and Crawley before taking charge of Rotherham.
Prior to his latest ban being announced, Cellino told BBC Radio Leeds: "We have a good team. I like his (Evans) passion, fight and he is determined."
Evans added: "I'm humbled and honoured to manage this giant of a club.
"Someone has got to get it right here. Why not me? I have won a lot of football matches.
"If I fail I become a statistic but I will put my life into the Leeds job. I will move into the city and the fans will see me."
The Whites travel to Fulham on Wednesday in what will be Evans' first game in charge.
Former Brentford and Wigan boss Rosler took charge at Elland Road in May but Saturday's defeat by Championship leaders Brighton means they are without a home win all season.
Rosler won only two of his 11 league games in charge and had lost his past three before being relieved of his duties.
He told BBC Radio Leeds on Thursday he was not aiming for promotion this season and he felt "relaxed in Cellino's company" despite his reputation for sacking managers.
Italian Cellino sacked 36 head coaches in his 22 years in charge of Cagliari, leading him to be nicknamed 'the manager eater'.
Rosler said last week: "Mr Cellino and myself are having daily conversations and I feel relaxed in his company.
"I can say what I want to say and he respects my opinions even if he doesn't always agree with them."
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted: "Uwe Rosler becomes the 5th Leeds manager to be sacked by Cellino. His hire 'em and fire 'em policy doesn't seem to be working too well."
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty tweeted: "Uwe Rosler sacked. Not quite sure what Leeds United's fans have done to deserve all this. The club now a monument to instability."


On Monday evening on ITV, Boris Johnson argued that it would be possible to negotiate a new trade deal with the EU within two years of the UK voting to leave.

He also made the following claim: "Don't forget that 70% of our trade currently takes place with countries with whom we have no trade deals at all."
But UK trade statistics don't bear that out. In January 2016, 47% of UK exports went to the EU. A further 9% went to Switzerland, which has a long-standing series of bilateral deals with the EU, plus smaller amounts to other countries where trade deals are in place. Only a minority of exports went to countries with whom we have no trade deal.
It was the same picture for imports: 53% of imports came from EU countries plus 3% from Norway, which has full access to the single market, and smaller amounts from other countries where trade deals were in place.
The figures do vary from month to month, but it's a fairly consistent pattern.
Reality Check verdict: False
READ MORE: The facts behind claims in the EU debate


Etihad Airways has said it is assisting Australian police with their investigation into a suspected terrorism plot to bring down a plane.

Police have been searching five properties across Sydney after four men were arrested in raids on Saturday.
Investigators have said the alleged plan most likely involved detonating an improvised explosive device.
Police did not name the airline involved, but officials have described the operation as "sophisticated".
"The Etihad Airways aviation security team is assisting the Australian Federal Police with its investigation and the matter is ongoing," the airline said in a brief statement on Tuesday.
"Etihad is complying fully with the enhanced security measures at airports in Australia and monitoring the situation closely." It did not give further details.
Local media reported the men planned to use poisonous gas or a crude bomb disguised as a meat mincer, but police have not confirmed details of the alleged plot.
Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull has said the raids had been a "major joint counter-terrorism operation".
On Sunday, a magistrate gave permission for an additional period of detention, meaning the four can be held for up to seven days without charge.
Police said no charges have been laid.
Australian airports have increased their security measures and passengers were left waiting in lengthy queues after being advised to arrive earlier than usual.
The national terror threat level remains at "probable".


A caravan made from more than 215,000 Lego bricks has been put on display at the NEC near Birmingham.

Twelve people took more than 1,000 hours to make the replica caravan which includes working electric lights, seats and a sink with running water.
Organisers of the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015, where it is on show, said it is the world's largest caravan built with interlocking plastic bricks.
Items made of toy bricks include toothbrushes and a frying pan.
The replica Tab caravan has been put next to a real one at the show.
James Bissett, marketing campaign director for NCC Events, organisers of the show, said: "To get the (Guinness) world record it had to be identical in every way in terms of the size, dimensions, look and functionality.
"Inside you can change the beds and the table as you can in the real thing."
It was unveiled at the show to celebrate 130 years of leisure caravanning this year, with the 2.2m tall and 3.6m long structure featuring "a full interior" according to show organisers.
The Lego brick caravan was certified the world's largest by an official Guinness World Records adjudicator, organisers said.
It is on display at the show until Sunday.