Doctor Who actor Matt Smith is to star in a musical version of the controversial novel American Psycho.

The 30-year-old has been cast as the psychopathic serial killer Patrick Bateman in the adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's 1991 thriller.
The production will run at London's Almeida Theatre from 3 December to 25 January 2014.
The show almost completely sold out within hours of Smith's involvement being revealed.
Set in the 1980s, American Psycho tells the story a 26-year-old Manhattan investment banker whose sanity slowly disintegrates, turning him into a brutal murderer.
It was previously adapted for the big screen in 2000 with Christian Bale in the lead role.
The show, which was announced minus cast details in January, will be directed by the Almeida's new artistic director, Rupert Goold, who developed the musical with his former company, Headlong.
Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik has collaborated with Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark scriptwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to adapt the book for the stage.
Smith said he was "excited" to be part of the production.
"The opportunity to work with Rupert Goold, a director of great vision and flair, combined with the brilliant story and music, seemed like such a cool challenge," he said.
Goold added: "Matt Smith is a wonderful stage performer and the perfect actor not only to lead our exceptional cast but also my first show as artistic director here at the Almeida."
Smith has just finished filming his final scenes for the Christmas special of Doctor Who, which will see his character regenerate into the 12th Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi.


The Rail, Maritime and Transport union will recommend its members accept a pay and conditions deal for the Night Tube service, its executive has decided.

The acceptance of the deal by unions will clear a big hurdle for the service which was due to begin last September.
The RMT's 10,000 members will start voting on 11 February.
The Night Tube service will take place on five lines - Jubilee, Victoria, Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines - on Fridays and Saturdays.
More on this story and other news from London
The proposed agreement includes a 2% pay rise in year one, RPI inflation or 1% (whichever is greater) in years two and three, and RPI plus 0.25% or 1% (whichever is greater) in year four, plus a £500 bonus for staff on lines where the night Tube will run.
But three other unions are still to decide on whether they accept the offer.
BBC London's transport correspondent Tom Edwards said the RMT executive's move was a "big step forward".
The train drivers' union Aslef and TSSA, which represents station staff, are yet to decide, although Aslef is said to be "looking like they will also accept".
But Unite, which represents engineering staff, has turned down the offer and wants further talks, Tom Edwards said.
The RMT union is still in talks with London Underground over a planned strike this weekend over the issue of job losses.


Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have set up a fourth-round tie at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - a re-run of this year's Australian Open final.

Fifth seed Nadal beat fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 7-5.
Switzerland's Federer, who won his 18th Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over Nadal in January, beat American Steve Johnson 7-6 7-6.
Novak Djokovic beat Juan Martin del Potro, while Angelique Kerber, who is set to become world number one, is out.
The German, who is guaranteed a return to the top of the rankings on Monday following Serena Williams' withdrawal from Indian Wells and the Miami Open, lost 3-6 3-6 to Russian Elena Vesnina.
Serb second seed Djokovic was hugely impressive as he won the deciding set 6-1 against Argentine Del Potro and he will play Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios, who earlier beat 18th seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3 6-4.
"That's why I came here, to play against guys like Rafa," said Federer, 35, before a 36th meeting with Nadal, 30. "I'd better be excited now otherwise I came for the wrong reasons.
"I try to see it really as another opportunity to build upon something for the rest of the season.
"So regardless of Australia, winning or losing, I'm going to try to go out there and play free again. I think it's really important."
In earlier matches, unseeded American Donald Young beat French 14th seed Lucas Pouille 6-4 1-6 6-3 in the men's draw, while Japan's fourth seed Kei Nishikori swept past Frenchman Gilles Muller 6-2 6-2.
American 17th seed Jack Sock edged a third set tie-break to beat Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 3-6 6-3 7-6.
In the women's draw, American 12th seed Venus Williams beat Peng Shuai of China 3-6 6-1 6-3, and Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova led Timea Bacsinszky 5-1 when the Swiss retired.


The impact of the recent explosion and fire at a Hindu temple in the south Indian state of Kerala that killed more than 100 people is being felt as far as 80km (50 miles) away in Nanniyode village, writes BBC Hindi's Divya Arya.

Nanniyode is a manufacturing hub for fireworks.
More than half of the 500 families in the village either own or work in the 100 fireworks manufacturing units situated there.
This would usually be a bustling and busy time in the village. Given that it is the "season of festivals", the demand for fireworks in Kerala this time of the year is traditionally high.
But when we visit Nanniyode, there is nothing there but an uneasy quiet - all the factories are shut.
Work has come to a standstill since Sunday's temple tragedy, and there is a palpable sense of fear.
"Whenever there is any kind of mishap related to fireworks in the state, the police rush to our village, raid workshops and arrest people," Nand Kumar, a factory owner tells the BBC.
Many in the village are worried.
Ramachandran who uses only one name, works at Mr Kumar's factory.  "Our work is seasonal, we have to earn enough to last the whole year, but we are now unemployed during this season of festivals," he says, pointing to a closed manufacturing unit.
Nanniyode has an interesting history of fireworks production.
The villagers took to manufacturing them in the 1970s after a few local men received training in the art.
Mr Kumar's grandfather was one of them.
The profession then was particularly lucrative, because temples, who have a long history of using fireworks to mark festivals, had just begun "competing" with one another to see who could put on a more impressive display.
However, Mr Kumar says that it was the "love of the craft" and not business that had attracted his grandfather to the profession.
Fireworks also play an important role in the local beliefs and folklore.
While some believe that gods "like fireworks as a form of worship", others believe that the smoke they generate is "good for respiratory ailments and purifies the environment".
But not all the fireworks manufacturing hubs in Nanniyode are legal - only 18 of the 100 manufacturing units in the village have the requisite government licenses.
These specify guidelines such as chemical usage and the distance units should maintain from residential areas.
Despite the dangers, manufacturing fireworks has been the sole source of income for many here.
Baby E, like many women in Nanniyode, prepares the chemical mix that is used in the fireworks.
It is not considered skilled work and is, therefore, mostly done by the village women.
"My husband fell sick after our wedding, this was the only work I knew," she says.
"It has helped me raise my children, marry them off and allowed me to build this small house."
But Baby E's children do not work in a fireworks unit, and work as daily wage labourers instead.
She is glad, because she believes it is a dangerous job, with a constant risk to life and threat of police action.
Mr Kumar also doesn't want his children to follow in his footsteps, though his reasons are different.
"I have two daughters, and here women do not run such risky businesses. But if I find a conscientious boy I'd be happy to impart my ancestral knowledge to him."


Science fiction has long imagined a future in which humans are ousted from their jobs by machines.

For 34 staff at a Japanese insurance firm, that vision just became a reality.
Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance is laying off the employees and replacing them with an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can calculate insurance payouts.
The firm believes it will increase productivity by 30%.
It expects to save around 140m yen (Â£979,500 / $1.2m) a year in salaries after the 200m yen AI system is installed later this month.
Maintenance of the set-up is expected to cost about 15m yen annually.
Japan's Mainichi reports that the system is based on IBM Japan Ltd's Watson, which IBM calls a "cognitive technology that can think like a human".
IBM says it can "analyze and interpret all of your data, including unstructured text, images, audio and video".
Fukoku Mutual will use the AI to gather the information needed for policyholders' payouts - by reading medical certificates, and data on surgeries or hospital stays.
According to The Mainichi, three other Japanese insurance companies are considering adopting AI systems for work like finding the optimal cover plan for customers.
A study by the World Economic Forum predicted last year that the rise of robots and AI will result in a net loss of 5.1 million jobs over the next five years in 15 leading countries.
The 15 economies covered by the survey account for approximately 65% of the world's total workforce.
Japan kicks off AI supercomputer project
Why Japan is embracing robots for the 2020 Olympics
Stephen Hawking - will AI kill or save mankind?


The Bank of England has today warned that the the stability of Britain's banking system could be put at risk by the economic slowdown in China and emerging economies.

In the last of my short films from the world's second biggest economy, which has shaped our prosperity since 1980, I talk to Chinese business leaders and investors about how bad it could get - and the probability of a fully fledged crash that could hurt us all.


The US state of Oklahoma has executed the first death row inmate since a botched lethal injection last year drew intense criticism.

Prison officials said that Charles Warner was injected with a mixture of drugs and did not suffer before dying.
Death row inmates and campaigners have complained that the use of drugs in executions presents an unconstitutional risk of pain and suffering.
Warner was convicted for the rape and murder of an 11-month-old girl in 1997.
He was supposed to be executed on the same night as another high profile murderer, Clayton Lockett, in April 2014.
But it was postponed because the lethal injection of three drugs in Lockett's case failed to work properly.
His execution was stopped after 20 minutes when one of his veins ruptured, preventing the drugs from taking full effect. He writhed and shook uncontrollably after the drugs were administered, witnesses said.
Lockett's execution was one of three that went wrong last year using the midazolam drug, the Washington Post reported, focusing attention on the few states within the US that still conduct capital punishment.
Another murderer, Johnny Shane Kormondy, was executed 12 minutes after Warner in the state of Florida - also with the same three-drug combination.
"Before I give my final statement, I'll tell you they poked me five times. It hurt. It feels like acid," Warner said before his execution started. "I'm not a monster. I didn't do everything they said I did.''
Correspondents say that although Warner complained that his body was "on fire", he showed no obvious signs of distress.
However his lawyer, Madeline Cohen, said there was no way knowing if Warner suffered because the second drug, a paralytic, would have prevented him from moving.
Both Warner and Lockett had unsuccessfully challenged a state law that shields the identities of companies supplying the drugs.
The problems surrounding Lockett's execution in particular were the centre of a wider debate over the legality of the three-drug method and whether its use violates guarantees in the US constitution "against cruel and unusual punishment".
Both men unsuccessfully challenged an Oklahoma state law that blocks officials from revealing - even in court - the identities of the companies supplying the drugs.
The state maintains the law is necessary to protect the suppliers from legal action and harassment.
Lockett and Warner argued they needed to know the names of the suppliers in order to ensure the quality of the drugs that would be used to kill them and to be certain that they had been obtained legally.
Warner's execution went ahead after five out of nine justices in the US Supreme Court voted in favour.


Seventeen oil workers were flown off a Moray Firth platform after a power failure.

They were taken off the Beatrice Alpha platform by Coastguard helicopters from Stornoway and Sumburgh after it suffered a loss of power shortly after 22:00 on Thursday.
Twenty personnel remained on board the installation, which is 15 miles off the Sutherland coast.
Beatrice Alpha is owned by Talisman, and operated by Wood Group.


A re-think of immigration rules which protect ballet dancers but not vital foreign nurses need re-thinking, the head of the NHS in England says.

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens made the comments over a new pay threshold for non-European workers.
It means means migrants will have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least Â£35,000.
Exemptions are in place for some, including ballet dancers, but not nurses.
The Royal College of Nursing has warned the rules would "cause chaos" for the NHS and waste money spent on recruitment.
The union has said that by 2017 more than 3,300 NHS nurses could be affected, and by the end of the decade the numbers could be double that.
Speaking at the Institute of Directors annual conference in London, Mr Stevens said: "We're having a national discussion about how to get immigration right.
"My responsibility is to point out that at time when the need for nurses is growing, when publicly funded UK nurse training places will take several years to expand, and when agency staff costs are driving hospital overspends right now, we need to better 'join up the dots' on immigration policy and the NHS.
"Most nurses I speak to struggle to understand why our immigration rules define ballet dancers as a shortage occupation - but not nursing.
"And most hospitals tell me that the idea that we would seriously consider deporting some of our most experienced and committed nurses solely because they're not earning Â£35,000 clearly needs a rethink."
The Home Office has said the rules are being introduced to reduce the demand for migrant labour and has said it is possible nurses could still be placed on the exemption list, which is for areas where there is a shortage of workers.
Although the government has so far argued the expansion in nurse training places should be enough to meet demand.
NHS Employers and the RCN have both welcomed Mr Stevens' comments.


Jersey Reds booked a place in the British & Irish Cup final by coming from behind to beat London Irish.

The island side were 10-7 up at half-time thanks to a Jordan Davies try at the Madejski Stadium, after Tom Parton had earlier gone over for the hosts.
Nick Haining powered over to extend the advantage, before Ciaran Hearn's score helped Irish edge ahead.
But Callum Sheedy's penalty and Nick Selway's try sent Jersey through to face Munster A in the final in Ireland.
The semi-final was played just eight days after a Championship meeting between the sides, when in-form Jersey inflicted a first league defeat of the season on their opponents.
Both Sheedy and Theo Brophy Clews missed early long-range penalties before the visitors edged 3-0 ahead.
Midway through the half, though, the Championship leaders caught Jersey off guard for the opening try when England Under-20 international Parton eased in down the left wing after a quickly-taken free kick.
Jersey hit back before the break thanks to the power and agility of former Sale centre Davies, who stretched out for the line after good work from Tongan Kuki Ma'afu.
The Reds started the second half brightly as Australian number number eight Haining sneaked in on the blindside for his try.
Errors started to creep in to Jersey's play as the prize of reaching the final grew nearer. and George Watkins should have gone over for a try but knocked-on, while Sheedy's penalty went dead instead of setting up a attacking line-out.
The Exiles capitalised when Hearn went over by the posts after a series of drives and then Brophy Clews put Irish 17-15 ahead after the Reds strayed offside.
But as the game headed for its climax, Gerard Ellis was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement at a maul and Sheedy bravely took the responsibility to put Jersey back in front.
With a man advantage and time ticking away, replacement hooker Selway burst off the side of a rolling maul for a converted try to seal a 10th consecutive win for his side.
Irish assistant coach Paul Hodgson told BBC Radio Berkshire:
"There's disappointment. We were out to win this semi-final and go on to win the cup.
"For this group of players, it's served a great purpose for us and given game time for those guys who haven't been playing regular Championship rugby.
"I thought the boys showed so much character out there. We wanted to show some physicality and intensity, which we did.
"There were just a few other areas of the game that didn't go our way and we'll have to definitely fix those going forward to the play-offs."
Reds head coach Harvey Biljon told BBC Radio Jersey:
"Who would've thought we could beat London Irish two weeks, back-to-back.
"I think immense credit must go to the players - to back up the physical performances there have been over the past four, five, six weeks is just something else.
"I think today was about, in the second half, rolling up the sleeves and getting on with it, it was just a tough, tough game."
London Irish: Tonks; Cokanasiga, Hearn, Neal, Parton; Brophy Clews, Allinson; Elrington, Gleave, Hoskins, Lloyd, Sinclair, Sexton, Gilsenan (capt), Nayalo.
Replacements: Ellis, Hobbs-Awoyemi, McNally, Narraway, McKibbin, Atkins, Ransom.
Jersey: Cuthbert; Watkins, Davies, Ma'afu, Scott; Sheedy, Hardy; Woolmore, Buckle, Kerrod, Phillips, McKern, Freeman (capt), Graham, Haining.
Replacements: Selway, McCarthy, Armstrong, Kolo'ofa'i, Argyle, Dudley, Eastwell.
Attendance: 1,394
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


Schools, the health service and planning laws will be used to boost walking and cycling in an action plan.

Ministers promised a response after AMs claimed the 2013 Active Travel Act had failed to achieve its potential due to a lack of funding and leadership.
Healthy travel will be promoted in school lessons, public health campaigns, and investment decisions, backed up by monitored targets.
Transport Minister Edwina Hart said there was a need for "culture change".
Local councils are obliged to provide routes for cyclists and walkers and to consider their needs when planning new road and rail links under the 2013 legislation.
But there was "considerable frustration" among supporters of active travel at the lack of progress, the business and enterprise committee reported in February.
Chairman William Graham claimed AMs felt the commitment of ministers had "started to waver before it has properly begun".
The Active Travel Action Plan published by the Welsh government on Tuesday sets out expectations in areas ranging from leadership and infrastructure to skills and training.
An annual progress report will monitor how many more adults and children have been encouraged to take up walking or cycling.
"Increasing levels of walking and cycling offers many health and social benefits," said Mrs Hart.
"We know that most people in Wales currently make no or very few walking and cycling journeys.
"This plan sets out how we can achieve our ambition of making walking and cycling part of everyday life through a culture change, both within organisations, and among individuals, as well as action to reduce barriers to active travel."


The last coracle shed in England, where the circular boats were made for use along the River Severn, is to be restored and opened to the public.

The shed, in Ironbridge, has been neglected since coracle maker Eustace Rogers died aged 88 in 2003.
He kept alive a 200-year family tradition, making the boats for museums and people around the world.
The Ironbridge Coracle Trust says the shed is the last one in England and the charity will now conserve it.
Mr Rogers' knowledge of the River Severn was legendary, and he often helped police in the hunt for people who were feared drowned.
But he had no family to pass on his craft-making skills to.
Terry Kenny, a local coracle maker and chair of the trust, said 'We are really pleased to have purchased the shed, which has stood neglected since Eustace died in 2003.
"It will stand as a memorial both to Eustace and to all those who made the Ironbridge coracle a unique part of our river heritage.
"We will be making the shed an important part of the Ironbridge Coracle Regatta on August Bank Holiday Monday this year to celebrate its story."
The flat-bottomed boats are built by weaving strips of wood into an oval-shaped frame.
They have been in use across Europe for thousands of years, particularly in the region of Wales and the Welsh borders, the trust said.
The trust has bought the shed with a Â£40,000 grant from Telford & Wrekin Council's Community Pride Fund and a further Â£10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund will go towards a training place on a local coracle-making course.


Councillors in Shetland have approved a 3% rise in council tax.

The increase adds £31.59 to a Band D property.
Local authorities have been increasing the basic rate of council tax by up to 3% for the first time since 2007, however higher-band properties are paying more automatically after MSPs approved changes.
The 3% rise will see Band H properties in Shetland pay £551.25 more.


Scientists in Norway think it may be raining worms in parts of the country.

19 April 2015 Last updated at 12:36 BST
Biologist Karsten Erstad says he came across thousands of earthworms scattered across the mountains while out skiing.
They were unlikely to have tunnelled through the snow because it was too deep, so it appears they rained down from the sky.
Karsten told The Local: "I saw thousands of earthworms on the surface of the snow."
"When I put them in my hand I found that they were alive," he said.
Worms start to emerge from the ground towards the end of winter, and it's possible that some were swept up by strong wind.
It's not unusual for the mountainous areas of Norway to experience high winds, so the worms could have been carried quite a distance, before falling back to Earth as earthworm rain.


The grave of a boy sailor hailed a World War One hero has been given Grade II listed status.

Jack Cornwell died aged 16 after fighting in the Battle of Jutland. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery.
Memorials across the country are being protected ahead of the centenary of the naval battle.
A ceremony will take place at Manor Park Cemetery in London, where Jack's family will visit his grave.
The battle on 31 May 1916 saw 6,094 British and 2,551 German personnel lose their lives.
Jack was serving on the HMS Chester on 30 May 1916 when it came under heavy fire from four German ships. All of Jack's gun crew were fatally injured.
He remained at his post awaiting orders, despite severe shrapnel wounds, but died on 2 June.
Following a national campaign which hailed him as the "boy hero" of the battle, Jack was awarded the Victoria Cross and buried in a new grave with full military honours.
BBC iWonder: How the Battle of Jutland unfolded
BBC iWonder: Who were the real winners of the Battle of Jutland?
David Evennett, World War One minister, said: "Jack Cornwell is one of the many brave sailors who lost their lives at the Battle of Jutland who we will honour at the centenary commemorations.
"It is important that their sacrifice is never forgotten. It is right that we list these important memorials to ensure they are protected for generations to come."


The PSNI has rebutted claims retired British soldiers are victims of a "witch-hunt" by police investigating Troubles killings.

A number of reports in recent days have claimed a new investigation has been launched into 302 killings by soldiers.
The PSNI has told the BBC there is no new investigation.
It was announced three years ago that deaths caused by the army were to re-examined as well as all of the other killings during the Troubles.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, who leads the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch said: "There is no witch hunt, there is no specific unit looking at the army, there is no specific probe into killings by the army.
"I have a statutory responsibility, under UK law, to make sure there are effective investigations into all of the 3,200 deaths during the Troubles."
The re-examination of killings during the Troubles began a decade ago, when a specialist police unit called the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) was established.
The team was disbanded three years ago after an inspection report was highly critical of the standard of its investigations.
A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary published in July 2013 was particularly critical of the way it handled deaths attributed to the army.
It said killings where the state was involved were investigated with "less rigour" than others.
The inspectors also said the HET's approach to cases involving the state was inconsistent with the European Convention on Human Rights.
In response to that report, the PSNI announced publically in July 2013 that it would re-examine military cases to ensure the quality of the review reached the required standard.
In a statement Mr Hamilton said: "Between 1 January, 1969, and 1 March, 2004, there were more than 3,200 homicides in Northern Ireland.
"The review of all these cases and, where investigative opportunities are identified, the further investigation of them, is the responsibility of the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch.
"There is no new single probe or bespoke inquiry into deaths attributed to the British Army. All Troubles related deaths will be reviewed by LIB using the Case Sequencing Model which does not prioritise military cases. This is not a new decision."
Speaking to journalists at Westminster on Friday, a spokesman for the Prime Minister was asked if Theresa May was in favour of re-opening investigations in to all military killings in Northern Ireland.
The spokesperson replied: "Not sure why there is a flurry of interest."
"This has gone on since the HMIC report in 2013. It was up to the PSNI to re-examine all military cases, it's a matter for them."
The spokesman also pointed out that a proposed new Historical Investigations Unit will re-examine all killings "across the board", and that "90 per cent of the killings were at the hands of terrorists."


Ireland men's hockey team have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after Australia beat New Zealand 3-2 in the Oceania Cup final on Sunday.

Australia's success left a place for Ireland as the team who ranked highest at the Hockey World League semi-finals in July, who had not already qualified.
Ireland finished fifth at the Antwerp event and are the 11th team to qualify.
It will be the first time in more than 100 years that an Irish hockey team has participated in an Olympic Games.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Ireland put themselves within touching distance of qualifying for the Olympics for the first time by beating Malaysia 4-1 in a play-off for fifth place at the World League in the summer, but had to wait more than three months to have their place confirmed.
The coronation of Australia as continental champions meant an extra place being allocated to the World League.
The Irish men, who made history by winning a bronze medal at the Eurohockey Championships in August, will become the first to represent Ireland in a team sport at an Olympic Games since 1948.
Ireland picked up silver medals in the inaugural Olympic hockey event, which took place in London in 1908.
"It probably hasn't sunk in yet but we're over the moon. It's testament to what the guys have achieved this year on and off the field," said Ireland coach Craig Fulton.
Ireland will join Brazil, India, Germany, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, Argentina, Netherlands, Australia and one remaining qualifier at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which take place from 5-21 August 2016.


President Vladimir Putin's assurance that Russia does not plan to attack any other country will not change many minds here at the Nato headquarters in Brussels.

They will simply point to the seizure of the Crimea and the Russian military's continuing support for the rebels in eastern Ukraine as a sure sign of Moscow's growing assertiveness.
Mr Putin also says that the Russian military threat is being exaggerated in the West to justify increased military spending.
Well there is certainly a good deal of hyperbole in some sections of the Western media.
The transit of the small naval task force led by Russia's sole and ageing aircraft carrier - the Admiral Kuznetsov - through the English Channel, for example, sent many British newspapers into a spin.
Frequent stories about the interception of Russian aircraft or Russian submarines all suggest a return to the more uneasy years of the Cold War.
The simple fact is that this is not a Cold War Mark II - far from it. Russia with its declining economy is nothing like the Soviet Union, which aspired to establish a different world order to that pursued by the capitalist West.
Russia is in many ways a weak country. Its leadership has a strong sense of encirclement - a view that the West is only eager to do it down - and, rightly or wrongly, this is driving Mr Putin's more assertive approach.
That is what is making Nato allies like the three Baltic Republics and Poland so worried. That is why countries like Romania and Bulgaria worry about Russia's behaviour in the Black Sea region.
And that is why Nato has sought to provide visible and highly symbolic reinforcements to its northern and south-eastern flanks.
But Nato has to square a circle here. Despite Mr Putin's barbs, there is no great enthusiasm for a new conventional arms race.
The economies of the European allies, for a start, are generally not in great shape. Indeed Europe is distracted by the migrant crisis sweeping in from the Middle East and the self-inflicted drama of Britain's planned exit from the EU.
So the problem here in Brussels has been to do enough both to reassure worried Nato members and to send a clear message of deterrence towards Moscow.
The Americans are sending a heavy armoured brigade to western Europe, bringing the total number of US Brigade combat teams on the continent to three.
The new brigade will initially go to Poland and then elements will deploy to Romania, Bulgaria and the three Baltic republics. Equipment for a further US brigade will be pre-deployed in Europe.
But the whole point of sending a signal of deterrence is not that the US shoulders all of the burden but that as many Nato countries as possible are involved.
The method of doing this is by the deployment of four multi-national battalions - one to each of the Baltic republics and the other to Poland. Each of these units will be about 1,000 strong, comprising in most cases mechanised infantry, with a few supporting arms.
The UK, for example, will lead the battalion going to Estonia.
It will have Warrior armoured fighting vehicles, a small number of tanks and additional companies of French and Danish troops.
The US will lead the battalion going to Poland, along with a small number of British and Romanian soldiers. Canada and Germany will lead the remaining two battalions again with small additions to give them a multi-national character.
Canada's Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan, told me his country would be commanding the battalion going to Latvia.
In his view, the deployment of these multi-national units early next year demonstrates the alliance "coming together, showing the ability to operate together and greater cohesion".
"It is", he said, "an open and transparent message of deterrence."
But the reassurance effort is not just northwards. Canada will be participating in a new air policing operation in the south-east - probably based out of Romania - and a Canadian warship will also be despatched to the Black Sea to help provide an enhanced Nato presence.
But I put it to him that in practice these are very small forces. Enhanced battalions are surely not going to impress Moscow? Not surprisingly the Canadian defence minister disagreed, insisting that the multi-national model sent "a very strong message to Russia".
Nato is taking small military steps to underline to Moscow that it still is very much in business and that despite all the clouds on Europe's horizons it can make decisions swiftly and deploy forces accordingly.
Of course, there is political and military theatre in all of this.
Are Russian tank armies ready to sweep westwards, as they were at the height of the Cold War? Probably not.
But is Russia ready to use force in Europe, where it can to secure its goals? Most certainly.
Countries like Georgia and Ukraine still have far more to fear from Moscow than Nato.
But the alliance's security rests upon meaningful guarantees that its member states are all in it together, both in good and bad times.
This week has been about consolidating and underlining those guarantees - the message to Moscow is clear.


An unexploded World War Two bomb uncovered by builders near Wembley Stadium posed "a genuine risk to life", the Army has said.

The 50kg (110lb) device was removed by a specialist Army team and safely detonated.
The bomb, thought to date from the early 1940s German air raids on London, was found on Thursday.
Homes and businesses were evacuated and the Army built a blast wall around the device in case it exploded.
The device was taken away by the Royal Logistic Corps disposal teams to a safe area to be detonated in a controlled explosion.
Police confirmed it was blown up in an unspecified location in Bedfordshire shortly after 17:00 BST.
After the bomb was removed from its position near Wembley, street cordons were taken down and people were allowed back into the area.
Wembley Stadium said its weekend games would go ahead including the Championship Middlesbrough v Norwich play-off on Monday.
"This weekend's games remain unaffected and we look forward to welcoming supporters of all six Football League Play-Off finalists to Wembley", it tweeted.
The Army said the bomb was located about 200m (656ft) away from Wembley Stadium but there was no risk to the venue. Empire Way had been partially closed and a 400m cordon was in place while bomb disposal experts dealt with the device.
The bomb was reported at about 15:00 BST on Thursday and Met Police officers said about 300 properties had been evacuated, which included the TV studio where Britain's Got Talent is filmed.
Ch Supt Mick Gallagher, from Brent Police, said the public had been "very mature" in its response to the bomb.
He said 70 people had spent the night in an evacuation centre and more people joined them in the morning.
"I must also thank our courageous soldiers from various Army regiments for working tirelessly for over 24 hours, using their skill and experience to safely bring this incident to its conclusion," he added.
An Army spokesman said: "This bomb is a live munition in a potentially dangerous condition so it's important that people listen to the police and evacuate their homes if asked.
"Any bomb, even under a controlled explosion, could cause significant damage to property and there is a genuine risk to life."
The Met Police said it had worked with disposal experts and partner agencies "to keep disruption to local residents and businesses to an absolute minimum", while ensuring everyone's safety.
In March, a 250kg (550lb) bomb was found in Bermondsey, south-east London. It was safely defused and taken to Kent to be destroyed.


Hearts are expected to confirm the signing of defender Faycal Rherras and striker Conor Sammon ahead of a return to pre-season training next week.

Rherras is a 23-year-old left-sided player of Moroccan descent who has spent the last year playing for Sint-Truiden in the Belgian top flight.
Sammon, the 29-year-old ex-Kilmarnock forward, has agreed a three-year contract as he leaves Derby County.
They will arrive as Hearts prepare for their first Europa League qualifier.
Six players left Tynecastle in the summer, with three first-team regulars - defender Blaze Augustyn, goalkeeper Neil Alexander and midfielder Miguel Pallardo - all now on the lookout for new clubs.


A security robot in Washington DC suffered a watery demise after falling into a fountain by an office building.

The stricken robot, made by Knightscope, was spotted by passers-by whose photos of the aftermath quickly went viral on social media.
For some, the incident seemed to sum up the state of 21st Century technology.
"We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots," wrote one worker from the building on Twitter.
"Steps are our best defence against the Robopocalypse," commented Peter Singer - author of Wired for War, a book about military robotics.
It is not the first accident involving Knightscope's patrolling robots, which are equipped with various instruments - including face-recognition systems, high-definition video capture, infrared and ultrasonic sensors.
Last year, a 16-month-old toddler was run over by one of the autonomous devices in a Silicon Valley shopping centre.
And earlier this year, a Californian man was arrested after attacking a Knightscope robot.
The man, who was drunk at the time of the incident, later said he wanted to "test" the machine, according to Knightscope.


The number of new businesses opening accounts with Scotland's major lenders last year was down on the 2014 figure.

The figures point to a sharp drop in the number of new firms operating in the oil and gas sector.
That energy category, known to statisticians as "mining and quarrying", dropped from 215 to 99 start-up businesses.
The total number of start-ups, compiled by the four main banks in the Scottish market, was down 1%, to 11,669.
The Committee of Scottish Bankers reported a 2% drop in the final quarter, compared with the last three months of 2014.
By region, Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire saw a drop in new companies from 1539 to 1382.
The east of Scotland was the only other region to report a fall, from  3139 to 2956.
Measured by council area, Edinburgh saw a fall but it was Glasgow that stood out for a significant drop compared with 2014 - down from 1468 to 1,330 new firms.
The decline of urban start-ups registered in these statistics may be partly explained by growing competition for business banking from lenders with a smaller presence in the Scottish market.
The Committee of Scottish Bankers includes Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale and TSB.  It does not include HSBC, Barclays or Nationwide.
According to the four main Scottish-based banks, most regions of Scotland saw a small increase in start-up business, except in the south of Scotland, where new firms registered by the bankers were up from 477 to 600.
One of the biggest business categories, recreation and personal services, fell from 1686 to 1382.
Adding most new firms was the real estate sector, rising from 3,186 to 3,371 start-up accounts.
There was a drop of 500 in the number of sole traders registering with banks, while the number of legally-constituted companies was on the rise.


Five-time Paralympic champion swimmer Ellie Simmonds has just arrived home from the Rio, where she won a gold and bronze medal.

22 September 2016 Last updated at 07:59 BST
Rio was her third Paralympic Games and she has now won an impressive eight medals including five golds.
Her first Paralympics were in Beijing back in 2008 when she was only 13 years old!
But what did she miss most when she away in Brazil? Find out as Naz asks Ellie some of your questions.


Urgent action is needed to deal with the UK's digital skills crisis, warn MPs, or it risks damaging the country's productivity and competitiveness.

It is thought 12.6 million adults lack basic digital skills, while 5.8 million have never used the internet at all.
"Stubborn digital exclusion and systemic problems" with education and training need to be urgently addressed, the report said.
It urged the government's digital strategy to be published without delay.
The report found that:
"Digital exclusion has no place in 21st Century Britain," the Commons Science and Technology Committee said.
"While the government is to be commended for the actions taken so far... stubborn digital exclusion and systemic problems with digital education and training need to be addressed as a matter of urgency in the government's forthcoming digital strategy," it continued.
The report calls for businesses to invest more and better training at all levels of education.
"The UK leads Europe on tech, but we need to take concerted action to avoid falling behind. We need to make sure tomorrow's workforce is leaving school or university with the digital skills that employers need," said the committee's chairwoman, Nicole Blackwood.
In response a government spokesperson said: "This government recognises the crucial role digital skills play in our society and economy. Our Digital Strategy, to be published shortly, will set out how we will help employers and individuals access the tools they need to power our digital economy.
"This will make sure we are well placed to remain a tech leader in Europe. We will consider the Select Committee's report and respond in due course," they added.
The Science and Technology Committee says there is no single definition but is generally understood to be the ability to use computers and digital devices to access the internet, the ability to code or create software and the ability to critically evaluate media, and "to navigate knowingly through the negative and positive elements of online activity and make informed choices about the content and services they use".


The Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's government against the Houthi rebels has declared a 48-hour ceasefire to begin on Saturday.

The ceasefire will begin at midday (0900 GMT), the Saudi government announced via state media.
The coalition said the truce could be renewed if the Houthis observed it and allowed aid to be delivered to rebel-held areas in the southwest.
More than 10,000 people have died in 20 months of civil war in the country.
There has been no word yet from the Houthis and several previous ceasefires have broken down.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week that the coalition and Houthis had agreed on a ceasefire to begin on Thursday.
But the internationally recognised Yemeni government, led by exiled president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, rejected the move, complaining that it had been being bypassed.
The truce announced by Mr Kerry held in some parts of the country but not others. More than 20 civilians were killed on Friday in the shelling of a busy market in the war-torn city of Taiz.
International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said one of its staff was also killed, calling it "another heartbreaking example of a hard-working citizen affected by this ongoing conflict".
Taiz has been one of the worst-affected cities in Yemen's conflict, witnessing some of the heaviest and most sustained fighting in the country.
The UN estimates that more than three million people have been displaced from the conflict and 21 million are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.
Two million people are malnourished nationwide, including 370,000 children who are severely malnourished.
The conflict has also ravaged Yemen's health system. More than half of the health facilities the country are closed or partially functioning, a survey by the World Health Organisation found earlier this month.


Unemployment in Scotland fell by 15,000 over the winter to stand at 123,000, according to official figures.

The jobless rate dropped by 0.5% to 4.5% in the three months to February, while the rate for the UK as a whole was unchanged at 4.7%.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also showed that employment north of the border fell by 8,000 to reach 2,596,000.
It now stands at 73.4% - below the UK average of 74.6%.
The number of adults under 65 counted as economically inactive rose by 18,000 over the quarter to 786,000.
The claimant count rose by 2,300 in March to 77,000.
Meanwhile, average weekly earnings, including bonuses, increased by 2.3% - the same as in the year to January.
On Tuesday, data showed inflation was running at 2.3%, above the Bank of England's 2% target.
The labour market figures come a week after new statistics showed that Scottish economic output contracted by 0.2% in the final quarter of last year.
Employability and Training Minister Jamie Hepburn said: "Despite economic challenges these latest figures show Scotland's labour market remains resilient with unemployment falling and our female employment rates and youth unemployment rates outperforming the UK.
"While we are doing all we can to support employment, clearly the biggest threat to Scotland's labour market continues to be a hard Brexit, which threatens to cost our economy up to Â£11bn a year from 2030, and cost the country 80,000 jobs over a decade."
Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said Scotland was "suffering from an SNP slowdown".
He added: "Growth is now in decline, and job creators across Scotland are ringing the alarm bells.
"Threatening us with a second referendum and making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK will only drive away jobs and investment.
Scottish Labour economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said the increase in economic inactivity and the fall in the number of people in work was "a worrying sign of the underlying problems in Scotland's economy".
She added: "The picture on high streets and in communities across Scotland is clear - the SNP is not doing enough to create high quality, well paid jobs.
"Labour has been calling for months for a review of economic inactivity in Scotland - these figures show why this is so important."
Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) general secretary Grahame Smith said: "Headline falls in unemployment are often held up to be a positive news story.
"Unfortunately the focus on this measure masks the underlying weakness of the economy.
"Unemployment may be falling but inactivity is rising, up by 59,000 across the year.
"Too many jobs are precarious and the number of those in part-time work but needing more hours remains high."


A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of an 18-year-old in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire.

Police believe Sean Banks may have been involved in a fight with a group of youths near a tunnel that passes beneath the M74.
The teenager's body was found in North British Road just after midnight.
His family said they had suffered a "tragic loss". A post-mortem examination will be carried out and CCTV images are being reviewed.
Det Ch Insp Gary Boyd, from Police Scotland, appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.
He said: "Around 22:40 hours last night there were a number of youths who were near the entrance to St John the Baptist Primary School in North British Road and we believe that Sean may have been involved in an altercation with someone from this group.
"We are studying CCTV from the surrounding area and would appeal to anyone near the school or in North British Road at this time to contact us.
"A local man has been murdered and I'm sure that local residents will be shocked by that news.
"However, I am sure they hold the key and I am appealing to them to contact us with any information, no matter how trivial it may seem, please pass it on to police."
Sean's family said in a statement: "We have suffered a tragic loss. Sean will be sadly missed and we would ask that everyone respects our privacy at this time."


Police were alerted to concerns about a man who died in his Edinburgh home at least two days before his body was discovered, it has emerged.

Andrew Bow, 36, was found dead at a house in the city 10 days ago.
A call about his wellbeing was handled by Bilston Glen - the same centre that dealt with a call about the M9 crash in July.
The police response is being examined by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc).
An investigation will look at how officers responded to initial concerns about the occupant of the house, who was understood to be vulnerable.
A Pirc spokesman said in a statement on Friday: "The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner has been instructed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to carry out an independent investigation after the body of Andrew Bow, 36, was discovered at a residential address in Edinburgh on 23 March 2016.
"The investigation will focus on the initial police response leading up to the incident, which included a report of concern about the welfare of the occupant of the property.
"A report on the commissioner's findings will be submitted to the COPFS in due course."
Staffing shortages at Bilston Glen were highlighted after an HM Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) report into the M9 crash near Stirling in July in which Lamara Bell and John Yuill died.
Ms Bell, who was discovered critically injured in the crashed car, had been in the vehicle next to her dead partner Mr Yuill for three days. She died later in hospital.
Police Scotland admitted they did not investigate a report they had received about the crash until three days after it happened.


Police investigations in Leicestershire are being carried out by a dedicated unit rather than beat officers, as part of changes to working practices.

The force said the new approach would allow local teams to focus on patrols, and issues like anti-social behaviour.
A spokesperson confirmed most investigations would be dealt with by a "default" team, but said that did not rule out local officers being involved.
Critics have raised concerns that fewer officers will be investigating crimes.
The changes are part of Leicestershire Police's bid to reduce spending by Â£30m.
Under the plans, the force is also reducing the number of local units from 15 to eight and will cut 300 of its 2,200 officer posts over the next two years.
Beat officers will now be known as dedicated neighbourhood officers to reflect the changes, which came into effect earlier, bosses said.
Half of the 68 officers in the new East County team, which includes Rutland, Melton and Harborough area, will be PCSOs.
Shadow policing minister Jack Dromey said the public should be concerned about the changes.
He said: "Because there will be far fewer officers investigating crime - more criminals are going to get away with it."
Rutland County Council leader Roger Begy said he feared the changes would also lead to longer response times.
"We are a very low crime area [in Rutland] but we want to keep it that way," he said.
However, Chief Constable Simon Cole said the force was "putting officers where the problems are".
"This transformation is the latest in a series of on-going changes in response to reducing budgets and changing public expectation and demand," he said.
"This new way of working will allow the teams based in our communities to dedicate their time to working closely with neighbourhoods and partners to resolve issues at a local level."


Hearts have bolstered their defensive options by signing Slovenian international Andraz Struna.

The right-back, 27, has joined until the end of the season, after leaving Greek outfit PAS Giannina, Hearts confirmed.
Struna made his Slovenia debut in 2012 and has earned 25 caps for his country.
"I'm an attacking full-back and I think I'll be a good fit based on the ideas presented to me by the club and the head coach," he said.
"I like possession football and I understand that is the way Hearts want to play, so I am optimistic."
Head coach Ian Cathro has been seeking to add to his defence after Igor Rossi left Hearts to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Faisaly Harmah.
Hearts also lost Alim Ozturk to Turkish club Boluspor, while full-back Callum Paterson is out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage and Faycal Rherras will be at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
Meanwhile, Paterson has undergone surgery on the knee injury he sustained in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on 27 December.
Scotland cap Paterson, 22, will be out of contract in the summer and scored 10 goals in 24 appearances this season.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A man has been charged with sexually attacking girls while he worked at a secondary school in Hampshire in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Richard Hilary, 66, is accused of committing 15 offences while he was a teacher at the Wavell School in Farnborough.
The alleged victims were under the age of 16 at the time.
Mr Hilary, of Northend Lane, Droxford, has been bailed to appear before Basingstoke magistrates on 2 May.


Uefa has defended its decision to host the Europa League final at St Jakob-Park, which has a capacity of 35,000.

The home of Swiss club FC Basel will become the second smallest venue to host the competition's final when Liverpool face Sevilla there on 18 May.
The executive committee of European football's governing body made its decision in September 2014.
"Of course, it is impossible to predict in advance which clubs will reach the final," Uefa said on its website.
"Europe's largest stadiums are usually selected to host the Champions League final, and Uefa tends to select slightly smaller, top-quality venues for the Europa League final.
"This means Uefa can give more of its national associations an opportunity to host a club final, and gives fans across Europe the chance to experience a major final in their home nation."
Liverpool have been allocated 10,236 tickets for the final, with Sevilla given a similar amount.
An additional 8,000 went on general sale, with the remainder taken by the local organising committee, national associations, commercial partners, broadcasters and the corporate hospitality programme.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, whose side overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Villarreal in the semi-finals, said he could find "30 million people who want to see the game".
"It is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to play this final but we cannot change the stadium so we cannot think about this," he said.
"I have been to Basel one or two times, it is a wonderful stadium and a wonderful city.
"It is even worth going there without having a ticket for the game to be around the stadium and enjoy yourself and enjoy life as a Liverpool supporter."
However, the club has urged supporters who do not have a ticket not to travel to the Swiss city for the final.


Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann is to make a 13-part musical series for streaming service Netflix.

Set in 1970s New York, The Get Down traces how the city gave birth to disco, new wave and hip-hop.
It will follow a group of teenagers from downtrodden, crime-ridden South Bronx who find solace in each other and their own musical abilities.
Luhrmann will direct the first two episodes, echoing David Fincher's input to Netflix's hit series House Of Cards.
Casting has yet to take place and no footage has been shot, but Netflix has posted a teaser trailer on YouTube, giving a hint of the series' tone.
Scored by the Apache - the song that begat hundreds of hip-hop samples - it contrasts archive footage of deprived, destitute 1970s New York with the explosive energy of block parties, breakdancing and graffiti art.
"In this golden era of TV, the Netflix culture puts no constraint on creative possibilities," said Luhrmann, "so it is a natural home for The Get Down, a project I have been contemplating and working on now for over 10 years."
"Throughout, I've been obsessed with the idea of how a city in its lowest moment, forgotten and half destroyed, could give birth to such creativity and originality in music, art and culture."
Luhrmann, whose most recent film was The Great Gatsby, has teamed up with The Shield creator Shawn Ryan to develop the series.
His wife, Catherine Martin, will establish the show's visual style, as she did on both Gatsby and Moulin Rouge.
The Get Down is expected to premiere in 2016.


A traditional Cornish pilot gig, built of Cornish elm and crewed by injured veterans, has rowed from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly.

The Help for Heroes gig H4H Valiant was built at the National Maritime Museum's dedicated workshop, supervised by boat builder Andrew Nancarrow.
The veterans left Sennen at 07:00 BST and completed the crossing to Tresco in eight hours and eight minutes.
The Great Big Cornish Gig Project was the brainchild of amputee Al Henderson.
The former Royal Marine, who was injured on a tour of duty in Afghanistan with 40 Commando in 2010, said the project had been a huge success.
"It's brilliant working with a great group of like-minded guys and people have got some good stuff out of it," he told BBC News.
"We've got people going on boat building courses and wood turning courses, so it's been a huge success,"
Describing the gig as "a gorgeous boat with a light and lovely glide", Mr Henderson said Valiant has been painted in Help for Heroes colours.
"You've got the Royal Air Force blue, then the Army red and the Royal Navy blue, then a strip of gold to simulate the medal on the badge," he said.
The gig will take part in the World Pilot Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly at the end of the month.
Project manager Mike Selwood said the aim of the project was to open up new opportunities for wounded military personnel as well as showcasing the heritage behind Cornish gigs.
All modern Cornish pilot gigs are based on drawings of a boat built in 1838 by William Peters of St  Mawes. They must be made from Elm and be 32ft (9.8 m) long and 4ft 10in (1.5m).


Fashion shopping app developer Mallzee is set to expand after securing £2.5m from investors.

The money was raised in a funding round led by the Royal Mail Group and backed by investors, including the Scottish Investment Bank, Par Equity and technology entrepreneurs.
Mallzee said the cash would allow it to "scale its global offering".
The company was founded in 2013 by 27-year-old Edinburgh-based entrepreneur Cally Russell.
Mr Russell pressed ahead with developing the app after turning down an offer of investment on the BBC's Dragons' Den programme.
Mallzee is a personalised shopping app, which allows users access to more than 100 fashion stores at one go.
It also lets shoppers build their own "style feeds".
Mr Russell said: "This round of investment is going to allow us to become the leading fashion shopping app in the world and the mix of investors is going to be vital to allowing us to achieve this.
"With Royal Mail Group we have a partner that plays a vital part in the online shopping environment and one which is well positioned to enable us to access new retailers."
Earlier this year, Mallzee secured an exclusive promotional link-up with tech giant Samsung.
In a separate development, daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel announced it had acquired Edinburgh-based mobile app developer Kotikan.
FanDuel said the firm had designed and developed its mobile offering and it was "logical" to bring the Kotikan team in-house to further innovate and develop FanDuel's mobile products.
FanDuel reported last week it was set for major expansion after raising $275m (£176m) in a funding round,
It was founded in Edinburgh in 2009 and only operates in North America.
The business focuses on US sports such as basketball, baseball and American football.


The New York Police Commissioner has apologised to James Blake after a group of plain-clothed officers tackled and detained the former top tennis player.

"I have concerns about the takedown," Commissioner William Bratton said of the mistaken arrest.
Mr Blake has alleged that the officers used improper force when they slammed him to the ground on Wednesday.
The police say an eye witness had identified him as a suspect in a fraudulent mobile phone racket.
Commissioner Bratton said on Thursday police were investigating whether the officers used excessive force and that he would like to speak to Mr Blake.
The officer who tackled him had been put on desk duty amid the inquiry, Commissioner Bratton said.
Mr Blake told the New York Daily News that he was detained and held for 15 minutes as he waited for a car to take him to the US Open.
Once it was determined that police had the wrong man, Mr Blake was released.
Commissioner Bratton had said that the arrest was not racially motivated. Mr Blake is mixed race; the officers are white.
"If you take a look at the photograph of the suspect, it looks like the twin brother of Mr Blake," the police commissioner told CNN. And a witness identified Mr Blake as the suspect.
Mr Blake, 35, said he suffered a cut on his arm and bruises on his legs, and wants an apology. He said the officers did not speak to him before they pushed him to the ground.
"You'd think they could say: 'Hey, we want to talk to you. We are looking into something',"  Mr Blake told the NY Daily News.
Once the fourth-ranked player in the world, Mr Blake was set to make an appearance at the US Open for the Time-Warner Cable company.
He retired following his US Open exit in 2013 after winning 10 singles titles in a career in which he also became the number one US player.
Police said a "co-operating witness" mistakenly identified Mr Blake as being involved in "a ring dealing in fraudulently purchased cell phones".
The department has recently been involved in a number of high-profile cases involving accusations of police brutality.
In the most prominent case, a man selling illegal cigarettes died in July 2014 after being subdued by several police officers. Eric Garner's violent arrest was filmed by a bystander.
A decision not to criminally charge the officers led to widespread protests across the city.


Designer Julien Macdonald, Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden and model Abbey Clancy will take to the dance floor in this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

They join BBC presenters Susanna Reid and Vanessa Feltz, Countdown's Rachel Riley and golfer Tony Jacklin, who had already been announced.
Others taking part include singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Hollyoaks actor Ashley Taylor Dawson, actress Fiona Fullerton and rugby star Ben Cohen.
The series returns on 7 September.
The 15-strong line-up is completed by Hairy Biker Dave Myers, former Casualty actor Patrick Robinson, Waterloo Road star Mark Benton and former Coronation Street actress Natalie Gumede.
The first episode will pair up the celebrities with their professional dancing partners, with the live shows beginning after a few weeks' rehearsal.
Five new professional dancers have joined for the 11th series: Anya Garnis, Iveta Lukosiute, Janette Manrara, Kevin Clifton and Aljaz Skorjanec.
Reid told BBC Breakfast she was "really excited" about taking part in the show but was worried about the competition from the other celebrities.
"When I saw them in rehearsals they already looked like pros," she said.
She added she was already feeling the strain of training and was "aching in places I've never ached before".
Designer Macdonald said he was looking forward to the wearing the costumes.
"I like the fact I can have the sparkles and the crystals, and the glamour that I've spent my life putting on other people," he said.
"I'm loving the rhinestones and lace, and the crystals. I just want more and more. I'll probably look like a Christmas tree by the end of it!"
Riley admitted the only dancing experience she had was an hour's lesson before her wedding.
"As my friends know, I'm really clumsy and I have never been graceful in my life so maybe now is the time to start."
Hairy Biker Myers admitted his ambition on the series was to be able to get far enough to dance in the live show from Blackpool.
"I can remember going to Blackpool Tower Ballroom with my mum and dad when I was a child and have such great memories so it would be fantastic to go back there," he said.
This year as well as voting for their favourites by phone, viewers will be able to vote online for free via the Strictly website.
Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly will return to host the series on BBC One on Saturday at 18:50 BST.


The death of a man whose body was found in a Leith house is being treated as murder.

Alexander Duncan, 59, was found in a flat in Primrose Street on Sunday.
Police Scotland is appealing for witnesses who may have seen anything "unusual or suspicious".
Det Insp Martin MacLean, of Police Scotland, said: " I am keen to speak to anyone who was in the Primrose Street area from Thursday 16th April onwards or who knew Alexander Duncan."


French skipper Francis Joyon broke the record for the fastest sail around the world by more than four days when he won the Jules Verne Trophy on Thursday.

Joyon, 60, and team-mates took 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds - Frenchman Loick Peyron held the previous record set in 2012.
Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide.
"It's the result of long years of work," Joyon said after arriving at the Channel island of Ushant.
The Jules Verne Trophy is open to any type of boats without restriction.


In 2015, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) built its general election campaign around the idea that its MPs might be kingmakers at Westminster.

Their posters bore the slogan "More Votes. More Seats. More Influence. More for Northern Ireland".
When David Cameron won his majority, that strategy was quietly forgotten.
But that's the position the 10 newly returned DUP MPs are in, despite leader Arlene Foster predicting it did "not look likely" at the campaign outset.
An arrangement with a Labour-led Rainbow Coalition is a non-starter. Senior DUP figures have made clear their antipathy towards Jeremy Corbyn because of his historic links with Sinn Féin.
Theresa May - or whoever succeeds her - would be a far more plausible partner for the DUP, which is pro-Brexit and right of centre on many issues.
DUP sources say it is too early to predict whether they might consider a formal coalition or a more informal "confidence and supply" arrangement. But what would they want in return for such support?
The Democratic Unionist Party is the largest political party in Northern Ireland.
It was the most Euro-sceptic party in the UK before the ascent of UKIP.
It opposes same-sex marriage, and is anti-abortion.
DUP MPs have been consistently critical of Jeremy Corbyn, particularly for his past links with Sinn Féin and his stance on security.
But they have made positive comments about Theresa May's leadership of the Conservative Party.
The DUP based its Westminster campaign around a call to defend the union, saying unionists had to turn out to rebut republican demands for a referendum on Irish unity.
Read more here.
On Brexit, the DUP want the border with the Irish Republic to be as "seamless and frictionless" as possible, and they reject the Special EU status championed by Sinn Féin, which they regard as watering down Northern Ireland's Britishness.
Other clues to what the DUP might demand can be gleaned from their manifesto, which includes retaining the "triple lock" on pensions, cutting VAT for tourism businesses, abolishing Air Passenger Duty, and reviewing the price of ferries between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The DUP's 10 MPs - a gain of two since the last election - are the fruit of a polarisation in politics in Northern Ireland.
The party had a difficult Northern Ireland Assembly election in March, when Sinn Féin made substantial gains.
This election was to some extent a return match and the DUP was able to rally its supporters in order to ensure Sinn Féin did not become the biggest party in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin has done well, winning a record seven seats. The casualties were the two smaller, more moderate nationalist and unionist parties - the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists - who have been wiped off the map.
The Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has reiterated that his new MPs will not abandon their abstentionism - the party's MPs do not take their seats in Westminster.
That means there will be no Irish nationalist voice in the House of Commons chamber as the forthcoming Brexit negotiations unfold.
The fact that the seven Sinn Féin MPs won't take their seats will also have an impact on the arithmetic of the hung parliament, reducing the winning post from 326 to something more like 322 seats.
So ironically Sinn Féin might, by staying away, make the management of the new parliament a little easier for the DUP and the Conservatives.
At Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, there is no power-sharing executive because of a stand off between the DUP and Sinn Féin, which has remained unresolved since the start of this year.
Talks were due to get going after this election, with the aim of restoring power sharing within the next three weeks.
But now it looks like the DUP will be double-booked, playing a role in forming a government not at Stormont, but at Westminster.


A man and a woman who died following a stabbing at a maisonette in Hertfordshire have been identified.

Hazel Wilson Briant, 27, and Olumide Orimoloye, 42, were found when police were called to the home in Turners Hill, Cheshunt, on Sunday afternoon.
Ms Wilson Briant was found dead while Mr Orimoloye was fatally injured and died shortly afterwards. Both had suffered knife wounds, police said.
Officers are not looking for anybody else in connection with the incident.
The case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which has launched an independent investigation.


A teenager has been stabbed to death in a street in Birmingham.

Sheriff Mbye, 18, died in hospital from multiple stab wounds sustained in a "scuffle" which left another man with serious knife injuries, police said.
It happened on Bristol Road South in the Northfield area of the city at 17:00 BST on Friday.
An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and police officers are seeking "a small number of other men".
Officers called to the scene found a 19-year-old in a barber shop being looked after by customers.
While they were there, reports were received from the Queen Elizabeth hospital that Mr Mbye, from Lee Bank, had been dropped off in a white coloured Audi, which then drove away.
The car was later found by police abandoned in Hickman Gardens, Ladywood.
Part of Bristol Road South remains sealed off for forensic examination.
Det Insp Harry Harrison, from West Midlands Police, said: "My condolences go to the family of Sheriff who are heartbroken at losing their loved one.
"I would like to reassure them that many people who were in the area at the time responded admirably to the terrible situation which confronted them.
"Both victims were tended to, details of possible people or vehicles involved were relayed to police and vital clues were guarded."
Door-to-door inquiries continue and murder detectives will be examining CCTV footage.


Yeovil Town goalkeeper Artur Krysiak has signed a new two-year contract with the League Two club.

The 26-year-old former Birmingham City trainee has made 60 appearances for the Glovers since signing from Exeter City in June 2014.
"He's been superb between the sticks," said Yeovil manager Darren Way. "He's kept us in many games with his bravery.
"He is a quality goalkeeper and I see him playing a major role in us becoming a force in League Two next season."
Poland-born Krysiak had loans spells with then Scottish Premier side Gretna, York City, Swansea City, Motherwell and Burton Albion, before leaving St Andrew's for Exeter in 2010.
Along with Omar Sowunmi, Ben Tozer, Nathan Smith, Ryan Dickson and Francois Zoko, Krysiak was one of six players offered a new deal.
Yeovil let 10 players go, including fellow keeper Chris Weale, following their 19th-place finish in League Two, 14 points above the relegation zone.


The Football Association reacted "dismissively" to worries about sexual abuse in the game when they emerged in the 1990s, the BBC has been told.

Ian Ackley, who was abused by a man with links to Manchester City, said his father's calls for better protection "fell on deaf ears".
Separately, a charity has claimed the FA was too slow to implement criminal record checks in the 1990s, which may have placed children at risk.
The FA said it was unable to comment.
However, letters seen by the BBC suggest the organisation, which runs football in England, was waiting for a change in the law before it updated its child protection policies.
The organisation has now commissioned an independent investigation into the way it dealt with abuse allegations.
Mr Ackley told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme that his father, who is now dead, felt the response to complaints he made to the FA was "very dismissive".
His father sent dozens of letters to MPs, government departments and sporting bodies, including the FA and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
In them, he had called for better protection for young players, including enhanced criminal record checks for coaches working in the game.
The letters followed a 1997 Channel 4 investigation, in which the first substantive allegations of abuse in football - focusing on coaches at Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra and Southampton - were aired.
Mr Ackley was one of a small number of young players involved in the programme to waive his right to anonymity and agree to speak openly about his abuse.
The letters, sent by his father and seen by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme, raised concerns about the case and the measures then in place to protect children in the game.
"This was pre-internet, pre-social media," Mr Ackley said. "Everything was handwritten and my father diligently wrote to anyone and everyone who he thought would be in a position of influence in order to affect this change. That was his real goal."
But he said his father felt that the FA and other organisations were "brushing off" attempts to improve safety in the game at the time.
"The replies were dismissive at best", said Mr Ackley. "They were always alluding to the fact it was somebody's else's problem... It was very much giving you snippets of information to appease you.
"Not only was I affected when I was abused, but when I, my Dad and the Channel 4 programme tried to bang this drum extremely loudly we were ignored for the second time."
In 2000, the FA did launch a new child protection strategy including better training and compulsory welfare officers at all clubs.
But many of the measures did not come into force for a number of years with compulsory criminal record checks not standard until at least 2003, and in some cases as late as 2007.
Meanwhile, a former Chelsea footballer, who was paid to keep quiet about allegations of sexual abuse, has said the Â£50,000 he received was "nowhere near enough for the pain and suffering".
Chelsea Football Club have apologised "profusely" for the confidentiality clause, but Mr Johnson told Victoria Derbyshire this was "too little, too late".
Mr Johnson joined the club as an 11-year-old in 1970 and said he had been groomed from the age of 13 by scout Eddie Heath, who died before the allegations against him were made.
Asked if he felt other clubs may have paid players to keep quiet about sexual abuse, he said: "There may be some truth to that".
In a statement on Saturday, Chelsea said Mr Johnson had "suffered unacceptably". The club said a review into the case would take place.
Other critics of the FA say the organisation was not fast enough to put in place enhanced criminal record checks for youth coaches and others working with children.
Those checks include details of convictions as well as so-called "soft intelligence" from local police forces about an individual and whether they should be allowed to coach under-18s.
Before 2002 it was only schools, local authorities and other statutory organisations which could ordinarily access that kind of information.
But in 1994 a Home Office pilot project was set up which allowed a handful of other groups to make use of those checks, including charities like Barnardo's and Fair Play for Children.
Jan Cosgrove, the chairman of Fair Play for Children, told Victoria Derbyshire that in 1997 he was approached by a youth league in Bristol to run checks on 50 managers and others involved in the local game.
The police force involved, Avon and Somerset, reported concerns about one coach who was asked to leave the club in question and was later convicted of child sex offences.
Mr Cosgrove wrote to the FA in April 1997 saying that "since Channel 4's documentary we are receiving regular enquiries from youth football clubs regarding our police checking service".
He said he later organised a conference at Leicester Football Club for other youth leagues, but he claims he was met by lack of interest and hostility by the Football Association at the time.
He claims executives at the FA contacted local clubs advising them not to take part.
"There was no reason other than we were on their patch. I can't understand that, you can't do that with child protection, you have to share," he said.
"We should have had a relationship with the FA, which would've done both parties no end of good, but more importantly it's the kids who come first, and they haven't here."
From 2003 the FA did bring in compulsory criminal record checks for anyone in the game working with children, though this does not apply when under-18s are playing in mixed-age football with adults.
The organisation says it now processes 55,000 checks every season.
The FA's independent inquiry into non-recent child sex abuse in football is being led by the barrister Clive Sheldon QC.
"The review will commence immediately," an FA statement said this week. "The findings of the review will be reported to the FA board.
"It is accepted that no final date can be agreed at this stage given the passage of time and the time it will take to recall files for review and to locate all those relevant people to interview who no longer work for the FA.
"The FA continues to work closely with the relevant authorities and respects the ongoing investigation by the police being co-ordinated by Operation Hydrant into childhood sexual abuse in football."
The BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.


The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have joined the stars of new James Bond film Spectre for its world premiere in London.

The royal guests were met by director Sam Mendes and producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson ahead of the screening at the Royal Albert Hall.
Daniel Craig, who has played 007 for a decade, was the first to arrive on the red carpet on Monday night.
He told the BBC: "It's changed my life and I've loved every second of it."
The star also admitted that he "hated" watching himself on screen, but said "I love playing James Bond".
Craig said Mendes was "one of the best directors there is" and that he had enjoyed being "creatively involved from the very beginning".
Other cast members on the red carpet included Naomie Harris, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista and "Bond girls" Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci.
Bellucci said it was a "great pleasure" to be part of the "amazing tradition" of Bond films.
"It's magic," she said. "It's incredible how James Bond represents so much, not just in England actually, but all over the world."
Scott, who plays a new character called Denbigh, said that the franchise had lasted so well because it kept "reinventing" itself.
The Sherlock star added: "The  storyline in this movie is about surveillance and how we're watched constantly. There's a lot of prescient subject matter in the recent Bond films."
Spectre is the first Bond film to open in cinemas on the same day as its premiere.
Mendes said he was delighted that the public were also getting to see the film. " I love the idea that cinemas around the country will be full tonight at the same time as we are doing the royal premiere."
"It's just fantastic to see everybody out tonight," said Daniel Craig as he arrived on the Spectre red carpet that snaked further than the eye could see around the Royal Albert Hall.
Hundreds of fans - some of whom had queued since Saturday - lined the route in the hope of a photo with Craig. He didn't disappoint them.
As several thousand guests surged into the famous domed venue, huge speakers pumped out Bond themes past and present, as clips from Spectre played out on giant screens.
Famous faces on the carpet included Dames Shirley Bassey and Joan Collins, Hobbit star Martin Freeman, musician Will.i.am and former Bond girl Maryam D'Abo from The Living Daylights.
For two hours the whole event was telecast around the world - just as cinema audiences prepared to watch the film for the first time.
When it comes to world premieres, nobody does it better than 007.
The 24th official entry in the franchise sees Bond battling a criminal syndicate led by Franz Oberhauser, played by Waltz.
Spectre is the third Bond film chosen for the Royal Film Performance since its inception in 1946. It follows previous premieres for Die Another Day (2002) and Skyfall (2012).
Early reviews have been positive, with some critics awarding the film five stars.
Speaking to the BBC last week, Craig said he had not made any decisions about whether he would carry on playing 007.
The actor, on his fourth outing as the superspy, had told Time Out magazine that he would "rather slash [his] wrists" than make a fifth Bond film.
But he told the BBC's Lizo Mzimba: "I'm quite straightforward and I say things when I feel it and then I change my mind. I'm just like everybody else."
Speaking to the BBC on the red carpet, producer Barbara Broccoli said: "I'm pretty determined to keep him!"
Spectre was shot at Pinewood Studios and filmed on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco.
The shadowy organisation Spectre - which was previously an acronym for the Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion - last made an appearance in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, with Sean Connery as Bond.


Dundee United say that Justine Mitchell has stepped down as a director as she wants to concentrate on the club's women's team and community involvement.

The Scottish Premiership club issued the statement after discussing the matter at a Monday board meeting.
But it did not shed any further light than her own social media statement.
Mitchell is United chairman Stephen Thompson's sister and the news broke 24 hours after United lost Saturday's Scottish Cup semi-final to Hibernian.
The Tannadice outfit are favourites for relegation as they are currently bottom of the Premiership, eight points adrift of Kilmarnock with five games remaining.
Mitchell had said on Twitter: "I have resigned as director of Dundee Utd. I remain a shareholder, fan & am committed to my work with the community and DUWFC (Dundee United Women's Football Club)."
United said on Sunday: "The board of directors confirms it has received notification of intent to resign from Justine Mitchell.
"This matter will be discussed at a previously arranged board meeting on Monday 18 April."
Following that meeting, the club added: "Dundee United can today confirm the resignation of Justine Mitchell as a director of Dundee United Football Company Limited.
"Justine has informed the board that she wishes to focus her efforts on the development of Dundee United Women's team and the club's community involvement."


In the wake of the disaster at a west London tower block in which 30 people have been confirmed dead so far, there have been accusations that the government has ignored lessons from previous tower block fires.

Over the past few decades, successive governments have made changes to fire regulations for residential premises, to try to reduce deaths. Modern high-rise buildings in England, Scotland and Wales must be fitted with sprinklers, but calls for more to be done to improve safety in older tower blocks increased following major fires in south London in 2009 and in Southampton in 2010.
Following the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower in west London this week, which quickly engulfed the 24-storey block, the government has been accused of failing to ensure sprinklers were fitted to older blocks and of failing to update building regulations.
Ministers have stressed that at this stage, the exact cause of the Grenfell Tower fire is not known, but Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC that following such a high number of deaths: "Clearly something has gone disastrously wrong ... something needs to change".
The former Conservative housing minister Mark Prisk told BBC Radio 5live that clearly not enough time had been spent reviewing fire safety in recent years and ministers "need to do more".
There has been criticism that warnings were ignored from a coroner's report in March 2013 following a deadly 2009 fire in south London - at Lakanal House in Southwark.
Coroner Frances Kirkham wrote to then Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, flagging up several areas of concern.
She did not say sprinklers must be installed in all high-rise blocks but recommended that the government "encourage" housing providers responsible for high rise flats "to consider the retro-fitting of sprinkler systems".
She said there was "insufficient clarity" on advice given to high-rise residents about what to do in case of a fire - and recommended the government publish new guidance about how advice to "stay put" should be seen in relation to the "get out and stay out" policy.
On building regulations, the coroner said one of the documents - Approved Document B, which relates to fire safety - was "a most difficult document to use" and recommended it be reviewed.
In particular it says the section relating to "external fire spread", regulation B4, should "provide clear guidance" with regard to "the spread of fire" over the outside of a building and whether "attention should be paid to whether proposed [building] work might reduce existing fire protection".
Shadow housing secretary John Healey has said the government should "start to act now" on the coroner's report by "installing sprinklers in the high-risk blocks", overhauling the building regulations and "make sure people do have clear advice and information when they live in high-rise blocks like this about what to do when there's a fire".
He has accused the government of having previously "rejected out of hand even encouraging the retrofitting of these sprinkler systems in other high-rise blocks".
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC "all recommendations were actioned" following the coroner's report.
His predecessor, Sir Eric Pickles, responded to the coroner that he was committed to making the safety of high-rise residents a "priority".
He said "detailed national guidance" had been issued to councils over fire safety advice and about "encouraging" housing providers to "consider" fitting sprinklers to older blocks, following another coroner's recommendation.
On the need to review fire safety building regulations, he said he had "noted" concerns and research had been commissioned which would "feed into a future review" which was expected to result in a new version of regulations to be published in 2016/17.
No new laws were brought in to require landlords to "retro-fit" older high-rises with sprinklers.
Since 2007 all new tower blocks in England over 30m high must be fitted with sprinklers by law. In Scotland, buildings over 18m high, must be fitted with sprinklers to meet building regulations introduced in 2005. In Wales, all new homes must have sprinklers.
Before the coroner's report, in 2011, the Lib Dem DCLG minister Andrew Stunnell told MPs:  "It is the chief fire and rescue adviser's view that it would not be economically viable or practical to fit sprinklers to all existing high-rise residential buildings" and it was up to individual landlords to decide if they were needed.
The British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA), the trade body for the fire sprinkler industry, said retrofitting Grenfell Tower with sprinklers might have cost Â£200,000. This is the figure for installing a sprinkler system but does not include potential maintenance fees or costs associated with the wider redevelopment of a building.
Costing will of course vary from building to building. After the Shirley Towers fire in 2010, it cost the council Â£1m to install sprinklers in three tower blocks.
The cost can be high because in blocks made of concrete and steel like Grenfell, the process is difficult and time-consuming. So the focus has been on other measures which would contain a fire to stop it spreading.
A review of building regulations relating to fire safety was promised in 2016 but has not yet been published.
Then housing minister Gavin Barwell - now Theresa May's chief of staff - said part B of the regulations would be reviewed following the Lakanal House fire.
The DCLG has said it was "simply not true" to suggest ministers had "sat" on the review and work was continuing, after Labour MPs accused the government of kicking the issue "into the long grass".
Ronnie King, the Labour chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on fire safety said the regulations "badly need updating" and "three successive ministers have not done it". He said he believed the government viewed the regulations as "red tape" that would place a burden on business.
A report to the Home Office in the early 1990s, by the architect Sam Webb reportedly warned that many buildings did not meet basic standards.
A report by the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee published in 2000 looked at how fire could spread via external cladding systems. It concluded that the evidence did not suggest most cladding posed a serious fire risk but added: "We do not believe that it should take a serious fire in which many people are killed before all reasonable steps are taken towards minimising the risks".
July 2001: One person killed in a 15-storey building in Ramsgate, Kent, after a fire breaks out on the ninth floor
July 2009: Six people, three of them children, killed at 14-storey Lakanal House, Camberwell in south London after a fire caused by a faulty TV
April 2010: Two firefighters die tackling a fire at a 15-storey block of flats
July 2010: A fire at a 15-storey tower block is tackled by about 100 firefighters - no one is killed
November 2011: Two women die in Deptford, south London, at a fire in the 17-storey Mermaid tower block.
January 2012: More than 100 people evacuated from 22-storey block in Swiss Cottage, north-west London, as fire guts the 17th floor
June 2016: A fire spreads from ground floor flat to other flats in 16-storey block in Brixton, south London, dozens of people are moved to safety
August 2016: Faulty tumble dryer is blamed for a fire which damages an 18-storey tower block in Shepherd's Bush, west London
September 2016: Sixty fire fighters sent to 17-storey block of flats in Portsmouth after fire breaks out


The most powerful commercial imaging satellite ever built has just gone into orbit from California, US.

DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 spacecraft will return pictures of the Earth's surface down to a resolution of 31cm.
Until recently, the company was restricted to selling images sharper than 50cm only to the US government.
DigitalGlobe's products will be familiar to anyone using Google or Bing maps - both run on views captured by the firm's satellites.
But its pictures also find wide application in areas such as scientific investigations, urban planning, forestry and agricultural monitoring, and in mineral exploration.
WorldView-3 is an important moment for the Longmont, Colorado-based company, however.
The market place for commercial Earth imagery is getting increasingly competitive, and being able to go to sub-0.5m resolutions gives DigitalGlobe a stand-out advantage over its rivals.
"It's important for them to be able to differentiate themselves by being able to say, 'we have the most high-resolution and highest-accuracy data available'," commented Adam Keith, the director of space and Earth observation at industry-watchers Euroconsult.
"That's a strong statement to make when there are new systems entering the market. It won't necessarily open up new markets for them, but it will certainly allow them to better serve the markets they already have."
There are still some security concerns over releasing such powerful imagery on to the open market.
The US Commerce Department, which licenses American commercial satellite imagery providers, says DigitalGlobe must wait six months before putting out any 31cm products.  This will give the authorities time to assess any unforeseen issues or sensitivities.
The current benchmark is set by DigitalGlobe's GeoEye-1 satellite, which was launched in 2007.
Its systems can deliver a 41cm capability in the panchromatic mode (essentially black and white images).
WorldView-3 is another step forward again, says Rob Mitrevski from Exelis Geospatial Systems, which designed the new satellite's optics.
He tells people to imagine putting WorldView-3 in Los Angeles and then pointing it at San Francisco - a distance greater than 610km (380 miles).
"If we had that imaging system in the 'o' of the Hollywood Sign, we could count the number of people on the Golden Gate Bridge; we could count the number of cars and the colour of the cars - probably, the year and make of the cars, as well," he says.
At the core of WorldView-3 is a large telescope with a 1.1m primary mirror.
This directs the light to instrumentation which senses a total of 29 spectral bands.
A key innovation on WorldView-3 is its CAVIS instrument, which will monitor the state of the atmosphere.
This information will be used to correct pictures when the satellite views the Earth in more challenging conditions, such as when it is hazy or there are a lot of particulates (aerosols) in the sky.
"WorldView-3 by itself can collect 650,000 sq km [of imagery] a day, and if you add in our [existing] constellation - we'll be collecting four million sq km a day. That is almost half the size of the continental United States," says DigitalGlobe's Kumar Navulur.
"To get that kind of information to the ground, we've had to implement a much higher data rate - 1.2Gbps, which is much faster than wifi networks here on Earth," adds Alex Churnushin from Ball Aerospace, which has built all of DigitalGlobe's satellites.
The difficulty then is in processing all that data, and DigitalGlobe has developed an array of automated systems to prepare the various imagery products it now sells.
"When we have the data in the memory, we can actually do millions and trillions of operations very quickly," explains Dr Navulur.
"We're leveraging gaming technologies and the computing speeds with cloud computing to start extracting information."
DigitalGlobe operates at the pinnacle of the market.  There is no publicly available imagery that is sharper (some military systems are reputed to deliver 15-20cm resolutions).
Its main competitor in Europe is Airbus Defence and Space, which has a diverse range of satellite types and can capture 70cm imagery (re-sampled to 50cm) with its Pleiades optical constellation.
Then there is a raft of smaller operators with systems that generally work at 1m and above, with one or two now providing satellite video as well.
Today, the image data market is worth about $1.5bn a year.
Euroconsult expects this to climb to about $3.6bn by 2023.
Phil Davies, whose company Deimos just launched a 75cm-capable platform, said: "What's interesting is that the market seems to be separating - into very high performance systems, such as WorldView, which are largely serving a US government market; and then other operators who are coming in with much lower-cost systems where the resolution is not as good but you still meet a lot of the market requirements."


Three people from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic have been hurt in a Florida plane crash on Monday.

Two men, pilot Grant Jordan and Al Ryan, both in their 50s, are in a serious but stable condition in hospital after the light aircraft crashed in Vinoy Park, St Petersburg.
A 17-year-old girl and another man had minor injuries, according to the St Petersburg Police Department.
The group from the Ulster Flying Club were on a trip to the US.
They were flying to Key West in a hired Piper PA28 Cherokee plane.
The plane reportedly lost power on approach to an airport. It is thought the engine failed and the undercarriage clipped a tree, according to John Hughes, the chairman of Ulster Flying Club.
The pilot's wife, Susan Clarke from County Down, is preparing to fly to the US. She told the BBC she had spoken to her husband on the phone and his injuries were not life-threatening.
Ms Clarke said Mr Jordan had several broken bones, none of which required surgery.
Chairman of Ulster Flying Club, John Hughes had been in contact with all four following the crash.
"Allegedly what happened is the engine stopped on the approach over the town and he [Mr Jordan] did an excellent job and got the aircraft into a small park just on the line of the approach to the main airfield," he said.
"He appears to have done an excellent job, but on the last part of the approach into the field from the witness statements that I've heard, the aircraft clipped a couple of trees which upset his final attempt to get into this park, but he still got in.
"The aircraft was substantially in one piece which explains why one of the passengers was able to walk away.
"They've been lucky in that if this had happened and they hadn't had the competence to do it [land] then things could have turned out worse."


Premier Oil has announced a "significant" oil find in the Outer Moray Firth, following a drilling operation.

The company said there were indications that the discovery, in a subsea prospect named Bagpuss, was "heavy oil".
Heavy oil is more viscous than other oil, and more difficult to extract from rock.
The well has been plugged and abandoned while further analysis is carried out.
Premier Oil's director of exploration and North Sea, Robin Allan, said: "The Bagpuss well has proven a significant volume of oil in place.
"We will now work with our partners to carry out a full analysis of the hydrocarbons and reservoir encountered to ascertain whether commerciality can be established."
The find comes a month after oil firm EnQuest reported a new discovery in the Central North Sea.
The company announced the "encouraging" find after completing drilling at an Eagle exploration well in the Greater Kittiwake Area (GKA).