Author Patrick Ness is in the running to become the first author to win the Carnegie Medal three times.

He has been shortlisted for the children's book award for The Rest of Us Just Live Here, which follows the lives of a group of teenagers.
Francis Hardinge, who won the Costa Book of the Year award for The Lie Tree, is also shortlisted.
Three illustrators are also in with a chance of winning the Kate Greenaway Medal for a record third time.
Children's Laureate Chris Riddell, former Children's Laureate Anthony Browne and Helen Oxenbury - who first won the award for outstanding illustration in a book for children in 1969 - have all made the shortlist, which is dominated by traditional picture books this year.
Browne first won the medal in 1983, while Riddell won for the first time in 2001.
Hardinge's Victorian murder mystery joins Lies We Tell Ourselves, author Robin Talley's first book which tells of two teenage girls falling in love across the race divide in 1950s America.
Sarah Crossan's One, about conjoined twins; Marcus Sedgwick's The Ghosts of Heaven, which looks at the search for the true meaning of life; Jenny Valentine's Fire Colour One, which looks at issues of authenticity and honesty; Kate Saunders's Five Children on the Western Front, about the impact of war on a family; and Nick Lake's There Will Be Lies, which sees a young girl reassessing her identity, make up the shortlist.
Sioned Jacques, chair of the judging panel for both awards, said: "These exceptionally strong shortlists reflect the huge range of writing and illustrating talent in children's publishing at the moment.
"The lists are a true celebration of the longevity of these wonderful talents, with Helen Oxenbury and Anthony Browne showing that they are still delivering incredible work decades after first winning a medal."
• One by Sarah Crossan
• The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
• There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake
• The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
• Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders
• The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
• Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
• Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine
• Willy's Stories illustrated and written by Anthony Browne
• There's a Bear on My Chair illustrated and written by Ross Collins
• Once Upon an Alphabet illustrated and written by Oliver Jeffers
• Sam & Dave Dig a Hole illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
• Something About a Bear illustrated and written by Jackie Morris
• Captain Jack and the Pirates illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, written by Peter Bently
• The Sleeper and the Spindle illustrated by Chris Riddell, written by Neil Gaiman
• Footpath Flowers illustrated by Sydney Smith, written by JonArno Lawson
CILIP president Dawn Finch said: "We are without doubt in a golden age of children's books. From stories set in Victorian times and World War One to a modern day library, from fantasy worlds to the future, these shortlists showcase the enormous talent and unlimited imagination currently to be found in children's storytelling."
The winners for the two medals will be announced on 20 June at the British Library.
The Kate Greenaway Medal winner has been awarded the £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize since 2000 - this year, the Carnegie Medal winner will also be awarded the same amount, from the same fund.
One title from each shortlist will also win the Amnesty CILIP honour, which is a new commendation for a book which celebrates freedom.


The Ukraine conflict has pushed Nato-Russia relations to a new low, and there are fears that the old Cold War suspicions and hostility are back.

Relations have been deteriorating for years, despite some fruitful co-operation in Afghanistan, anti-piracy efforts at sea and shared peacekeeping operations.
Nato accuses Russia of sending regular military units and heavy armour into eastern Ukraine to help separatist forces. Some are calling it an invasion by stealth. Russia denies the allegations and accuses Ukraine's pro-Western government of aggression.
What other tensions with Russia led to the current chill?
The end of communism brought a clamour from East and Central European politicians for Nato membership, as a bulwark against any future aggression by Russia. Nato membership was also seen as a mark of commitment to Western values and standards.
In 1999 - nearly 10 years after the Berlin Wall fell - Nato admitted three former Warsaw Pact countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
More former Soviet bloc countries joined Nato in 2004: the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Russia was particularly riled by the expansion of Nato to the Baltic states, which were formerly in the USSR and viewed from Moscow as part of the "near abroad". That phrase, commonly used by Russian politicians, implies that ex-Soviet states should not act against Russia's strategic interests.
At the Nato summit in Wales this week, Finland - not a Nato member - is due to sign a Host Nation agreement with the 28-nation alliance. It means Finland will give Nato forces logistical support - though not a base - on its soil. No Nato country has a border with Russia as long as Finland's.
Sweden has also decided to sign the agreement but a date has not yet been set. The two Nordic countries already co-operate closely with Nato and may become members in the future.
In early 2008 Nato also held out the prospect of future Nato membership to Georgia. The Kremlin saw that as a direct provocation, just as it saw closer Nato ties with Ukraine.
Last month Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said he would ask parliament to clear the way for a Nato membership bid. Such a move had been blocked by former President Viktor Yanukovych, a friend of Moscow, who was ousted in February after mass protests gripped Kiev.
The US-led development of an anti-ballistic missile defence system alarms Russia.
Nato argues that the missile interceptor shield will be purely defensive, posing no threat to Russia, and that it is intended to thwart any future missile attack by a rogue state. Iran and North Korea are seen as potential threats to Western security in that connection.
Russia wanted an equal partnership with Nato in developing such a system. But that option was not pursued, and Nato is beginning the deployment of interceptor missiles and radars in Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland.
In December 2013 Russia deployed mobile tactical Iskander missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave in response to the Nato project.
Russia's brief war against Georgia in August 2008 soured relations with Nato.
During the war Russia backed separatists in two breakaway regions of Georgia - South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia smashed the Georgian military, which had tried to reoccupy South Ossetia.
Russia poured troops into Georgia - at one point they pushed close to the capital Tbilisi - and the West called Moscow's actions disproportionate. Later Russia recognised the two breakaway regions as independent, but in reality it is a frozen conflict, as the regions are not recognised internationally.
Nato suspended the Nato-Russia Council created in 2002, then Russia suspended military co-operation with Nato. Relations thawed the following year.
Russia - a historic ally of Serbia - has been staunchly supporting Belgrade on the Kosovo issue.
Serbia has never accepted Kosovo's secession - achieved with Nato help in 1999 - though it has agreed not to block Kosovo's path to EU membership. Many other countries also reject Kosovo's 2008 independence declaration.
Russia froze military co-operation with Nato shortly after the alliance launched large-scale bombing raids on Serbia in 1999.
Kosovo, mainly populated by ethnic Albanians, broke away in an armed revolt by separatists and there was international outrage at the brutality of Serb security forces. Nato intervened when civilians fled the Serb forces en masse, pouring into neighbouring countries.
During that intervention there was a tense stand-off with Russian troops in the capital Pristina, but it was soon defused.
In 2007 Russia suspended its observance of the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty.
The treaty, limiting the amount of key military equipment in designated regions, was signed by Western and former Warsaw Pact states in 1990. It was revised in 1999 to take account of former Soviet satellites joining Nato.
However the alliance - unlike Russia - refused to approve the updates, insisting that Moscow must first pull its remaining troops out of Georgia and Moldova.
Nato has announced plans to deploy a rapid response force of several thousand troops in Eastern Europe, closer to Russia's borders.
The force could be mobilised within 48 hours, made up of member states' troops on a rotating basis.
Such a move would further undermine the CFE treaty, though Nato insists the new force would not have permanent new bases.


The chief rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth has paid tribute to former Israeli PM Shimon Peres, describing him as a "true giant amongst men".

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Mr Peres "was the greatest living example of an unshakable belief in the pursuit of peace against all odds".
Former British PM Tony Blair also paid tribute describing the Nobel Peace prize winner as "a political giant".
Mr Peres died aged 93 on Tuesday, two weeks after suffering a stroke.
He was one of the last of a generation of Israeli politicians present at the new nation's birth in 1948, serving twice as the country's prime minister and once as president.
He also won the Nobel Peace prize in 1994 for his role negotiating peace accords with the Palestinians a year earlier.
Rabbi Mirvis said Mr Peres "gave hope to millions of people" that a peace deal would be achievable.
He added: "Tragically, thus far, we have not succeeded. But from Shimon Peres we learned that we must never let go of that audacious commitment to peace, even when all around us are ready to do so."
He went on: "For those of us whom he inspired during his remarkable lifetime, we say: No matter what the future holds, your legacy lives on in the Jewish people who will never rest until we achieve our eternal dream of peace among the peoples of the world."
Mr Blair paid tribute to Mr Peres on twitter, writing: "Shimon Peres was a political giant, a statesman who will rank as one of the foremost of this era or any era, and someone I loved deeply".


A fire at a care home for elderly people in China's Henan province has killed 38 people, state media report.

Another six people were injured in the fire, which broke out at the privately run Kangleyuan home in Pingdingshan city on Monday night.
Two of the injured were in serious condition, said the Xinhua news agency.
President Xi Jinping ordered "all-out efforts" to care for the injured and bereaved relatives and to find out what had gone wrong, Xinhua reported.
Fifty-one people were reported to be living at the home. One survivor, 82-year-old Zhao Yulan, said only two of the 11 people she shared a room with had escaped.
A search and rescue operation was still under way on Tuesday morning at the apartment building which housed the rest home.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
In 2013, a fire at a home for the elderly in Heilongjiang province left 11 people dead. It was determined to have been started by one of the residents, who was among the dead.


Marta Vieira da Silva became a football hero in Brazil during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she captained the women's team.

4 December 2016 Last updated at 00:15 GMT
But in the country where football is a major passion, women are fighting for their place in the game.
They do not fit everyone's idea of what a footballer is, and have to battle sexism.
The BBC's 100 Women season speaks to Marta and hears her message for other female footballers.
Produced by: Renata MendonÃ§a, Dina Demrdash
BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre.
Other stories you might like:
'I married a man to keep my girlfriend'
Science turns its attention to the female orgasm
Who is on the BBC's 100 Women 2016 list?


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he will campaign in "all parts of the UK" in 2016, and the party was "united" despite criticism from MPs this week.

He said he would be "going for a cup of tea" with Caerphilly MP Wayne David, who said on Tuesday Mr Corbyn had "a heck of a lot to learn" on leadership.
Mr Corbyn also told BBC Wales said there was "no problem" with greater autonomy for the Welsh Labour party.
He is in Swansea, on his first visit to Wales as Labour leader.
"I will be campaigning in all parts of the UK - of course I will be campaigning in Wales," Mr Corbyn said.
"This is a big electoral possibility next year for Labour, to show that we're gaining support and that the increased membership of the party, now nearly 400,000, means something on the ground."
On greater autonomy for the Welsh party - something First Minister Carwyn Jones has called for - he said: "I'm very supportive of what Carwyn has put forward; there is no problem on this.
"I look forward to that autonomy that will come forward, but obviously it has to be agreed through the Labour Party structure.
"I'm the leader of the party, I'm not the controller of the party."
He backed the Welsh government's record on health - subject of persistent criticism from opposition parties - saying the Welsh NHS had a 91% approval rating, with the policy of offering free prescriptions proving popular.
Mr Corbyn was given a tour of Swansea University's new bay campus, alongside Mr Jones.
The first minister said it was important for all party members to be careful not to jeopardise Labour's chances in 2016, suggesting Labour MPs who criticise leader Jeremy Corbyn were "not helpful".
"Any party needs to show it's united going in to that election, and we need to make sure that's the case in May," he said
"It's not helpful, particularly, for the party, that's what we need to remember, and for the people who vote for us."
Mr Corbyn also called for a political settlement in Syria and described events in the country as "beyond appalling".
He said there was a "long way" to go before the implications of any UN resolutions on Syria could be considered.
The Labour leader also said it was not too late for the UK government to prevent the strike by junior doctors in England, suggesting ministers could learn from the approach taken by the Welsh government.
Mr Corbyn will join a rally of Labour party members in Swansea later.
It is unclear how often Jeremy Corbyn will be campaigning in Wales in the run up to the assembly election.
He has said himself he will be here "plenty of times".
The reality is he has a strong vested interest with the result in Wales, together with Labour's performance in the Scottish parliament and London mayoral elections, being a major test of his leadership.
The expectation is that his involvement will prove popular in Labour heartland areas, but some senior figures in the party are concerned about his impact in more marginal seats.


Some GPs in England have been warned they could lose extra funding if they fail to meet their commitments to keeping surgeries open for longer.

The government wants surgeries to open between 08:00 and 20:00, seven days a week, unless they can prove the demand is not there.
It said many patients were going to under-pressure A&E departments because they could not get GP appointments.
The British Medical Association accused ministers of "scapegoating" doctors.
Surgeries are currently expected to open between the core hours of 08:00 and 18:30, Monday to Friday.
Extra funding is available to those offering appointments outside those hours.
Downing Street said surgeries should do more to ensure they offered appointments in the evening and at weekends.
It said: "Most GPs do a fantastic job, and have their patients' interests firmly at heart.
"However, it is increasingly clear that a large number of surgeries are not providing the access that patients need - and that patients are suffering as a result because they are then forced to go to A&E to seek care.
"It's also bad for hospitals, who then face additional pressure on their services."
Why bother with seven-day GP opening?
Patient films A&E corridor bed 'chaos'
Leak shows full extent of NHS crisis
The government highlighted October 2015 figures from the National Audit Office (NAO), which showed that 46% of GP surgeries closed at some point during core hours, and 18% closed at or before 15:00 on at least one weekday.
Three-quarters of those that closed early were receiving extra funding in 2015-16 to provide access outside of core hours, the NAO said.
Number 10 also said ministers had been shown evidence that some GP surgeries were failing to tell patients about extending hours for appointments or ensuring they were at convenient times.
It said patients not seen outside working hours were "left with little option" but to go to A&E.
32,628
GPs in England
5,000 more planned for 2020
1 in 3 considering retirement in next five years
13% of GP training places went unfilled last year
It comes as figures show more than four in 10 hospitals in England declared a major alert in the first week of the new year as they faced unprecedented pressures.
The director of acute care for NHS England, Professor Keith Willett, has estimated that 30% of patients attending A&E would be better cared for elsewhere in the system, the government said.
Downing Street said the prime minister wanted to help reduce pressures on hospitals in a number of ways:
The British Medical Association (BMA) accused ministers of trying to "deflect blame" on to doctors rather than address the NHS funding crisis.
GP committee chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said pressure on A&E services was down to seriously ill patients for whom seeing a GP would not prevent a hospital admission.
The government must "take responsibility" and outline an emergency plan to tackle NHS under-resourcing, he said.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs said the "whole of general practice and primary care" was "close to the precipice" after being "under-funded and under-resourced for a decade".
Promises of more staff and resources had yet to reach the front line. She said: "So to put pressure on a system that's already cracking is unhelpful and it's going to demoralise GPs further."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the prime minister of being in denial about the state of the NHS.
In a speech in central London, he said Theresa May was blaming the "crisis" on "hard-pressed and under-pressure GPs", not underfunding by the government.
Later, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth told the BBC that the Conservatives had been promising a seven-day GP service for more than six years.
He said Mrs May's response to the "crisis" in the NHS was "increasingly incompetent and floundering", and urged her to "get a grip of the situation".
Health think tank the Nuffield Trust's chief executive Nigel Edwards said the problem was capacity, not timing.
"If you haven't got more GPs and more practice nurses to do it, you haven't increased the number of appointments, you've just put additional pressure on a service that's already under a very severe level of pressure," he said.
The government said ministers believed GP surgeries had a "vital role" to play in alleviating pressure on A&E.
A 14% increase in funding to general practice will ensure there will be about 5,000 more doctors by 2020, it added.


A Labour majority in the general election would be "difficult but doable", the party's election co-ordinator Douglas Alexander has said.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Alexander said polls indicated May's election was "winnable" for Labour and he was confident numbers would grow.
His comments follow a YouGov poll suggesting Labour have a four-point UK lead, but trail the SNP in Scotland.
The Conservatives said a vote for Labour was a "vote for higher taxes".
Mr Alexander said: "It is difficult, but it is certainly doable that we could get a majority, and we are confident that as we set out the core argument of this campaign - that Britain succeeds when working families succeed - that we will grow our numbers in the coming weeks."
Conservative business minister Matt Hancock said Labour's economic policy was in "total chaos".
"The last Labour government clobbered ordinary families with higher taxes last time and it's clear Ed Miliband has learned nothing from their past mistakes - a vote for Labour is a vote for higher taxes."
The YouGov poll of 1,799 adults, conducted on behalf of the Sunday Times, was carried out on 27-28 March put Labour on 36% and the Tories on 32% nationally.
A Scottish snapshot from the same poll put the SNP on 46% and Labour on 33% among the 159 voters in Scotland questioned.
A separate survey of 1,300 Scottish voters by the British Election Study (BES) from 6-13 March, also published on Sunday, put Labour 17 points behind the SNP.
Report authors Jane Green and Chris Prosser said it indicated Scottish Labour was "very unlikely" to win back voters it lost to the SNP during the independence referendum in time for the general election.
Mr Alexander said the SNP was trying "drive down the Labour vote in Scotland", but also to "drive up the Tory vote in England" to deliver an unpopular Conservative government that would boost support for Scottish independence.
"We have ruled out a coalition with the SNP and they have effectively done the same with Labour," he said.
The SNP's campaign co-ordinator, Angus Robertson, said his party offered a "stark contrast" to Labour.
"SNP MPs at Westminster will be a positive force for change, with an economic policy which invests in growth and jobs instead of imposing more cuts," he said.
"This general election is a tremendous opportunity for Scotland to make its voice heard at Westminster like never before - with real influence and power that only a strong team of SNP MPs can bring."


Nottingham's official Robin Hood said he had been overwhelmed by donations for Maid Marian - his wife who died of breast cancer.

Sally Pollard, 39, who had played the role for more than 12 years, died at their home on 16 June.
Tim Pollard, 53, said his wife was "absolutely brilliant".
About £6,000 has been raised which will go to the charities that helped her stay at home in her final months, he said.
Dr Pollard was a genetics scientist and lecturer at the University of Nottingham.
Mr Pollard has played Robin Hood for more than two decades.
The couple fell in love while playing the famous duo and married last September. They have a daughter, Scarlett, aged three.
Mr Pollard, who is employed by the city council to appear as Robin Hood at special events, said: "Sally was absolutely brilliant, not just as a Maid Marian, which she loved doing, being part of the Robin Hood legend and representing the city, but she was a great scientist, teacher, working at the university and helping others.
"Some of her research is ongoing and that's a great legacy for her."
Following his wife's death he decided to raise some money for the charities that had helped her.
He said: "We thought we might get a couple of hundred pounds, but the goodwill Sally has engendered means we've raised well over £6,000."
Sally Pollard's funeral took place on Friday.


It's 10 years since the death of the Northern Ireland soccer legend George Best, and to mark the anniversary there will be a special performance in Carlow on Wednesday night when musicians will accompany a German film from 1971 in which eight film cameras follow his every move on the pitch.

You have to imagine the scene.
You are in the crowd at Old Trafford and Manchester United are about to play Coventry City.
On to the pitch walks George Best and his team-mates - but you only have eyes for George with his beard and shoulder-length hair; you follow his every movement, and only his.
That's what the German film director, Helmmuth Costard did in his film over 40 years ago with his eight 16mm film cameras.
Matthew Nolan, a lecturer in film studies in Dublin, who first saw Costard's work ten years ago says he was awe-struck by what he witnessed.
"It was an amazing stylistic approach," he said.
"This notion that you could track a player in mid-shot or even close-up for the entirety of the football match was astonishing to me.
"And I've been thinking about the film from a pseudo-creative and musical perspective for nigh on a decade now."
So, Matthew decided the film needed a musical score to be played live for its audience;  in many ways a throw-back to the days of the silent movies.
And over the last two days Matthew, who is also a guitarist, and five other have been rehearsing for the performance in Carlow.
Among the performers, on cello, is Ernst Reijseger, the Dutch maestro who has written music for the movies of German director, Werner Herzog.
During the rehearsals, he jokes that the five musicians are a democratic collective.
This is because the cameras' focus is only on George Best. You don't get a sense of the match, only of him as he walks runs, dribbles and shoots.
The musicians, like Ernst, give their impressionistic take on what he might be thinking.
"What do we as musicians have in common with a football player?" he asks, and then answers: "Actually quite a lot.
"You have to be alert. You have to support your team mates in order to perform well.
"It's not a solo show.  You see in the film what George Best is doing. He is aware, alert and very much alive within the game and you feel that."
The Costard movie long pre-dates a similar film about the Real Madrid star, Zinedine Zidane, in 2006.
For the record, Manchester United won 2-0 and George scored one goal and assisted Bobby Charlton with the other.
Mathew Nolan says the project has the blessing of the Best family and he hopes to bring the movie and musicians to Belfast in the not too distant future.


A number of people were moved from their homes in Craigavon, County Armagh, due to a security alert.

A police patrol found an item on a footpath between Lakeview Court and Lismara at about 10:40 BST on Sunday.
Army technical officers were called to examine the object.
Police later said the object was examined and "found to be nothing untoward".


A woman who painted an armed forces memorial mural on her council house fence has been told it can remain.

Elaine Worsley painted it at her Stevenage Borough Council-owned house in July, inspired by members of her family killed in both world wars.
After a complaint, she was told she should have asked for permission and it might have to be removed.
But, after she applied for retrospective planning permission, the council has said it can stay.
Miss Worsley said she was "incensed" when the council said someone had complained and she must apply for the permission.
She maintained the fence herself, but added the mural after deciding the wood preservative she had used looked drab.
Miss Worsley said the mural on her York Road fence was not visible from the main road.
In her application letter to the council, she said: "It is certainly a lot nicer than graffiti sprayed all over the town and the derelict house next door."
Miss Worsley said she painted it to commemorate relatives and to honour ex-service personnel she worked with in her role as a carer.
"I have never had a single negative comment since painting the mural," she said.
A council spokesman said: "As part of our tenancy agreement, residents are asked to seek permission prior to modifying their properties."
She had been told it could take six weeks to reach a decision, however, after discussing her story on BBC Three Counties Radio, Miss Worsley was told the mural could stay.
The council said: "Whilst we were not consulted on this occasion, we have given the tenant permission to keep the fence panels as they are."


A new law to support rural education could be introduced by the Welsh Government, according to Education Secretary Kirsty Williams.

An agreement between the Liberal Democrat AM and the first minister included a pledge to look at the impact of current policy on rural schools.
Councils have to consider the number of surplus pupil places when making decisions about the future of schools.
Ms Williams said a policy consultation is likely to begin in the autumn.
The Brecon and Radnorshire Assembly Member was offered a place in Carwyn Jones' Labour cabinet on the basis of an agreement which included a promise to review current policy on surplus school places "with emphasis on rural schools".
Ms Williams said falling pupil numbers had increased the number of surplus places in rural areas, raising questions about the future of some schools.
She told BBC Wales: "It's absolutely right we need to spend our resources on children in schools and not necessarily funding surplus places.
"But it can mean that in some rural areas children are being asked to travel long distances to receive their education.
"So, this is just an opportunity to look at the impact of the policy on reducing surplus places and what that means on the ground in rural areas about the future of education provision".
She said current policy can mean short-sighted decisions, which may not take account of possible future population growth.
The push to cut surplus school places had "forced councils down one particular route", she said.
The education secretary said Wales, unlike Scotland and England, had never had a rural schools policy.
A consultation will assess the way forward, and drawing up a new law is an option, she said.
"I have had a discussion with the first minister and we've not ruled out the possibility of primary legislation if that's what we need to move this policy forward," said Ms Williams.
She said attracting and retaining staff and head teachers and the importance of schools as community resources should also be discussed.
BAD MEMORIES OF SCHOOL CLOSURE
Ysgol Mynyddcerrig in Carmarthenshire closed in September 2007.
There was a long campaign to save the village primary school, which, at the end, had 15 pupils.
It was one of three in the county to face closure because of a problem with 5,000 surplus school places. The education authority said at the time it was also struggling to attract senior teachers.
Emily Dix was one of the last pupils, aged seven at the time. She said the closure left her "devastated."
She went with two other pupils to another primary school but lost touch with other schoolmates.
"It was a unique, close, unbelievably-amazing community," she said.
"The community has never been the same. The school is what united us and brought us all together."
This week, Gwynedd council discussed proposals which would see head teachers taking charge of  several schools across the county, rather than closing schools.
The education secretary told AMs on Wednesday school federations "offer a number of opportunities" in driving up standards, creating economies of scale and keeping children in their communities.
The councillor in charge of education for Carmarthenshire council welcomed the Welsh Government promise to look again at the impact of policies on rural schools.
Councillor Gareth Jones said: "For rural Carmarthenshire, it's essential we keep as many of those schools open as possible.
"The empty places threat has always been above us for the last few years."
Ms Williams, who was left as the sole Liberal Democrat AM after May's election, has argued against closing some schools in her rural constituency in the past, and said during the campaign there should be a presumption against closing rural schools.
"I've seen at first hand the challenges facing rural local authorities in delivering education and I've seen at first hand the experiences of parents and pupils," she said.


A man in his early 20s has been charged by police investigating a serious sexual assault on a pensioner in the Republic of Ireland.

The woman, who is in her 70s, was attacked in Sneem, County Kerry, on 20 September.
The man was detained by officers in Killarney on Saturday morning.
He is due to appear before a sitting of Killorglin District Court on Sunday evening.


A trade union proposal aimed at saving jobs at a tobacco factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, has been rejected.

The move was confirmed after JTI Gallaher turned down the plan to save about 500 of those jobs.
Unite had proposed turning the factory into a centre of excellence for pouch tobacco and cigar production, meaning about  370 redundancies.
JTI Gallaher employs about 870 staff, but will shut down completely by 2017.
The union had said the redundancies would be voluntary, under its proposal.
Unite balloted its members last year, and they voted to support the plan.
On Wednesday, Unite regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said he was angry at the rejection of their plan.
He described the decision to close the factory as "an extreme case of social dumping where employers seek to minimise costs through chasing lower cost alternatives".
"The choice to close JTI's plant at Ballymena but leave production in Trier, Germany, reflects the fact that social protections for workers in Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole, are substantially weaker than in Germany," he said.
"It boils down to the fact that it is much cheaper for the company to make a UK worker redundant than a German one."
Mr Kelly called for immediate action from political leaders to put in place increased protection for UK workers and said Unite would now focus on securing compensation for its members at the Ballymena factory.
North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said it was disappointing that the closure of the factory had been confirmed.
He said he had continued to lobby the UK government to reconsider the introduction of plain-packaging and delay the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive.
However, he said "the die has been cast and the tentacles of european bureaucracy have reached in and stripped this factory bare".
He said it was now the responsibility of the relevant government departments to reskill the workers.
In a statement, JTI Gallaher said it was working in a challenging regulatory and operating environment and that it had "fought very hard" against plain packaging proposals in the UK, the EU's Tobacco Products Directive 2 (TPD2) as well as the trade in smuggled cigarettes.
It said its business must "prepare for the negative consequences of these".
The firm added that around 80% of cigarette production at its factory in Ballymena was for the UK and the Republic of Ireland and that from 2009 to 2014, cigarette production there had declined by 27%.
"These declines will be exacerbated by the implementation of TPD2 which bans small packs - 81% of our current pack formats will be prohibited, which means that 40% of the overall production at Lisnafillan will be affected," it said.
The factory has been a major employer in Ballymena, but in October, the firm began consultations on proposals to close its facilities in Northern Ireland and Belgium, with production possibly moving to Poland and Romania.
The firm said at that time its restructuring would be phased in, with factory closures completed between 2016 and 2018.
When Unite first unveiled its alternative plan in November, it warned it would mean "significant concessions in terms and conditions", as well as the large-scale redundancies.
However, it said that would have to be seen in context of the threat of "total loss of all employment at the plant".


Winston Churchill once described Joseph Chamberlain as the man "who made the weather", the figure who shaped the political agenda when the British Empire stood at the height of its power.

He is also noted for the mark he left on Birmingham, including building schools, swimming pools and libraries.
He was the father of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Austen Chamberlain, who became chancellor of the exchequer.
Historians, government ministers and MPs are meeting in Birmingham to mark his achievements, 100 years since his death.
Joseph Chamberlain was born in Camberwell, London, on 8 July, 1836.
While attending University College School in London he also worked in his father's shoemaking business.
At the age of 18 he was sent to his uncle's screw-making business, Nettlefolds, in Birmingham, mainly to protect his father's Â£10,000 investment in the firm.
By his 30s he had made enough money to retire, but had garnered an appetite for local politics and in 1867 joined what was then Birmingham town council.
It was not granted city status until 1889.
"He was strongly influenced to get into politics by the Unitarian church who believed the only form of faith was what they called 'up and doing' - putting a civic gospel into practice," said Dr Ian Cawood, from Newman University in Birmingham.
"He was one of the more successful at doing this because he had great business sense and the money to support himself."
Chamberlain became mayor of Birmingham in 1873.
His first major decision was to buy both the Birmingham and Staffordshire gas companies and effect a hostile takeover of Birmingham Waterworks.
The following year he launched his Â£1.75m city improvement scheme, which used money from the gas industry and public funds to build libraries, schools and  swimming pools.
It also included clearing slum housing to build a "Parisian boulevard-style" road, Corporation Street.
His legacy can still be seen across the city and includes the Victorian Law Courts on Corporation Street and his family home, Highbury Hall, built in 1880.
The estate, which includes Highbury Park, has been run by Birmingham City Council under the terms of a trust set up by the Chamberlain family in the 1930s. The hall is used as a wedding venue.
It was Chamberlain's achievements in Birmingham that catapulted him on to the national stage as Liberal MP for the then town in 1876 and President of the Board of Trade in William Gladstone's government in 1880.
Prof Peter Marsh, who wrote Chamberlain's biography in 1994, said: "Under his guidance Birmingham was known as the best-governed city in the industrial world.
"Although he had his critics, the thinking then was if you could carry Birmingham you could carry the country - it had huge national prominence."
The BBC's political editor for the Midlands, Patrick Burns, said: "His rise was fast - he was just over 40 when he became the first industrialist to hold a cabinet position.
"We have seen examples where people have been put forward after capitalising on local issues - David Blunkett was a big figure in Sheffield before he moved to government - but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule."
Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore said he believed local authorities now yearned for a return to Chamberlain's values.
"He showed that a great city must not only have thriving businesses, but powerful civic institutions and governance that cares about health, housing and the education of its citizens," said the Labour politician.
"Today, we are far too reliant on central government for funding and hemmed in by regulations.
In Birmingham there are a number of memorials to Joseph Chamberlain, but no statue.
There is the "Old Joe" clock tower at the University of Birmingham and a monument in Chamberlain Square. A college, a bar and a gym are named after him.
To coincide with the 100th anniversary of Chamberlain's death, historians are starting a campaign to have a statue erected.
A marble statue was put up in Westminster Abbey. It was later relocated to a corridor outside a House of Lords committee room.
Dr Ian Cawood from Newman University said the city council had looked at the idea of bringing the statue to Birmingham, but it would cost about Â£80,000.
"I believe if we were given more freedom we could really drive economic growth and improve the lives of our citizens."
Dr Cawood said Chamberlain was seen as Britain's "first truly modern, professional politician".
He is credited as the first MP to print and hand out propaganda leaflets, much like today's election flyers, he said.
But while his public persona grew, his ambitions to land the job of prime minister all but ended in 1886, when he resigned from the government over William Gladstone's Irish Home Rule proposals.
"Chamberlain believed giving Ireland a separate parliament could lead to the eventual break-up of the British Empire," said Mr Cawood.
"It was a desperate mistake which left him on the wrong side of the government divide.
"He ended up having to become an ally of the Conservatives, but neither they nor the Liberals really wholly trusted him after that."
Following the setback Chamberlain became colonial secretary in Lord Salisbury's government in 1895.
"His issue was empire building. He had worked to build up the screws business he had built up Birmingham and he used the same ethos for his work with the colonies," said Prof Marsh.
"He raised the Empire to the height of its power at the beginning of the 20th Century to see off the growing rivalry from France, Germany and the rising United States."
In September 1903, Joseph Chamberlain resigned from office so he could advocate a scheme abandoning free trade and imposing taxes on foreign imports.
The issue split the Conservative Party and resulted in a landslide victory for the Liberal Party in the 1906 general election.
The following July, days after his 70th birthday, Chamberlain suffered a stroke that paralysed his right side and ended his political career.
He died in July 1914 and was buried in Keyhill Cemetery, Birmingham, after his family turned down the offer for him to be laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.
"In Birmingham there are tributes to him, but the name of Joseph Chamberlain is not as famous as you would expect based on the colossal influence he had in his day," said Patrick Burns.
"I think to some extent it's the passage of time; partly it is because he never became prime minister and when people hear the Chamberlain name they think of his son Neville who did get to number 10."


After plenty of scares along the way, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are through to the next stage of the Champions League.

Of the Premier League's four contenders, only Manchester United failed to make it through, suffering a heartbreaking exit against Wolfsburg on Tuesday night.
So how did each and every group finish? Here's what you need to know ahead of Monday's last-16 draw at 11:00 GMT.
Qualified: Real Madrid, Paris St-Germain
Europa League: Shakhtar Donetsk
Eliminated: Malmo
This week's fixtures: Real Madrid, who had already qualified for the next round, ended the group in style by crushing Malmo 8-0 - Cristiano Ronaldo scoring four.
Paris St-Germain will join them, and they also finished on a winning note as Lucas Moura and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in a 2-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Qualified: Wolfsburg, PSV Eindhoven
Europa League: Manchester United
Eliminated: CSKA Moscow
This week's fixtures: It was a disastrous evening for Manchester United, who took the lead against Wolfsburg before being pegged back and eventually beaten 3-2 by the Germans, who top the group.
United would have qualified if CSKA had beaten PSV Eindhoven - and the Russians took a late lead. But it didn't last long and the Dutch side go through as runners-up, while Louis van Gaal's side drop into the Europa League.
Qualified: Benfica, Atletico Madrid
Europa League: Galatasaray
Eliminated: Astana
This week's fixtures: This group was wrapped up before Tuesday evening and Atletico secured top spot with a 2-1 victory over Benfica.
Qualified: Manchester City, Juventus
Europa League: Sevilla
Eliminated: Borussia Monchengladbach
Manchester City were desperate to top the group because it means they are likely to get a more favourable draw in the next round as they will face one of the group runners-up.
And they did it! A 4-2 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach was enough after Juventus slipped up against Europa League-bound Sevilla.
Qualified: Barcelona, Roma
Europa League: Bayer Leverkusen
Eliminated: BATE Borisov
This week's fixtures: Barcelona breezed through the group without defeat, leaving Roma and Bayer Leverkusen to fight it out for the spoils of second place.
The Italians sealed qualification, despite conceding 16 goals in six games, with a 0-0 draw against BATE Borisov.
Qualified: Bayern Munich, Arsenal
Europa League: Olympiakos
Eliminated: Dinamo Zagreb
This week's fixtures: Arsenal made hard work of qualification - losing their first two games, against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos - but came good when it mattered with an accomplished 3-0 away victory against the Greek side on the final match day.
Qualified: Chelsea, Dynamo Kiev
Europa League: Porto
Eliminated: Maccabi Tel Aviv
This week's fixtures: Despite finishing with 13 points, Chelsea took until the final group game to secure qualification. They did, however, top the group which means they are likely to get a more favourable draw in the next round.
Already qualified: Zenit St Petersburg, Gent
Europa League: Valencia
Eliminated: Lyon
This week's fixtures: All eyes were on Gary Neville, who took charge of Valencia with the La Liga side needing victory against Lyon in their final group game to stand any chance of pipping Gent to second place in the group.
As it was, Gent beat Zenit St Petersburg 2-1 meaning Valencia's defeat at home to Lyon mattered little.
Arsenal's possible last-16 opponents: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Wolfsburg or Zenit.
Chelsea's possible last-16 opponents: Paris St-Germain, PSV, Juventus, Roma, Benfica or Gent.
Manchester City's possible last-16 opponents: Paris St-Germain, PSV, Benfica, Roma, Dynamo Kiev, Gent.


A Japanese woman who makes art based on her vagina has been charged with obscenity, in a case that has sparked discussion on censorship.

Megumi Igarashi, 42, had allegedly displayed an "obscene" work at a Tokyo sex shop and sent 3D data of her genitals to other people.
She was arrested in early December and has been held in detention since then.
Ms Igarashi was previously arrested in July, but was later released following a legal appeal and public pressure.
On Wednesday Ms Igarashi was charged with obscenity for displaying a work modelled on her vagina and for distributing data that could be used to print out a 3D copy of her genitals, reported the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
Ms Igarashi, who goes by the name Rokudenashi-ko which means "no-good girl" in Japanese, pleaded not guilty.
Asahi Shimbun reported that she read out in court a prepared statement which said: "My works are all meant to induce friendly laughter because they involve cutely decorating sexual organs. The works are not obscene."
Japan's obscenity laws ban the depiction of genitalia, which are blurred in broadcast media and images.
If convicted, Ms Igarashi could be jailed up to two years and/or fined as much as 2.5 million yen (Â£13,350, $20,750).
Controversial kayak
Ms Igarashi made international headlines in July when she was arrested, after she raised funds online to make a vagina-shaped kayak using a 3D printer.
She had sent data that could be used to create 3D models of her vagina to those who had donated to her.
She was released after several days following a legal appeal and a petition signed by more than 17,000 people saying her work was art and not obscene, reported Japan Times.
But police arrested her again on 3 December on similar grounds.
They also arrested the owner of a Tokyo sex shop for allegedly displaying Ms Igarashi's "obscene goods" in her shop window from October 2013 until July this year. The woman was later freed after a judge refused to allow prosecutors to question her further.
Authorities however were allowed to continue to detain Ms Igarashi because the judge was concerned that she would "destroy evidence or flee", said Asahi Shimbun.
Her case has sparked debate on the nature of censorship and Japan's obscenity laws.
Correspondents say that opinion is split in Japan over whether Ms Igarashi's work is obscene, with some pointing out that images of penises are not seen as causing offence.
On her website, Ms Igarashi, who has made several items based on her genitals using a silicone mould, said she wanted to make vaginas "more casual and pop", much like how penises are regarded as "part of pop culture" in Japan.


The sighting of a high number of rare beetles at a Gloucestershire nature reserve is being celebrated by experts.

Eleven rugged oil beetles, which are believed to be in serious decline, were counted at the Elliott nature reserve on Swift's Hill near Stroud.
The Stroud valleys have been a stronghold for the beetle, as have reserves in Somerset and Wiltshire.
A Buglife spokesman said the beetles were usually found in low numbers, so to find 11 in one go was "impressive".
The beetle species was first recorded at the Elliott reserve in 2007 by entomologist Jon Mellings, from Dursley.
He returned to the site last November and recorded seven specimens which he reported to Buglife as part of their autumn rugged oil beetle survey.
Mr Mellings, said: "The beetles were feeding on various herbs and grass stems but were initially difficult to spot even with torchlight."
Subsequently a Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) ecologist visited the same spot a month later and recorded 11 beetles.
Kathy Meakin, from the GWT, said oil beetles were parasites of solitary mining bees and added that this particular species was "fascinating".
"It's a very good sign we are getting our habitat management right if we can find rare, specialised parasites," she said.
The rugged oil beetle - meloe rugosus - is one of four types of oil beetle believed to have suffered drastic decline in the UK, with another four oil beetle species now thought to be extinct.
Andrew Whitehouse, from the Buglife conservation charity, said the Stroud valleys were a "national stronghold" for the species.
"Somerset and Wiltshire are also 'hotspots' - we have historical records for a good number of sites," he said.
But he said they had fewer records in the past 10 years so wanted people to let us know if they see any of these brilliant beetles.


Notts County Ladies players will be allowed to sign for other sides after the club were liquidated, despite the English transfer window being closed.

Notts folded on the eve of the Women's Super League One Spring Series season, prompting concern that players would be left without a club for the campaign.
Players told the BBC on Friday that the timing had left them "abandoned".
Four of England's squad for Euro 2017 - Carly Telford, Jo Potter, Laura Bassett and Jade Moore - played for Notts.
A Football Association statement on Thursday said: "The FA can confirm that it has given Notts County Ladies players the opportunity to move to new clubs within England with immediate effect.
"Following Notts County's decision last week to terminate its women's team, the FA has worked closely with the PFA and wider stakeholders to enable players to find new clubs as soon as possible.
"Players are now in a position to sign for new clubs in England. They may also move to leagues in other countries where the transfer window is open."
A statement from the Professional Footballers' Association on Friday had said: "We have also been in discussions with the FA and FAWSL to ensure that players can register with other clubs outside of the transfer window given the exceptional circumstances the players find themselves in due to no fault of their own."
What remains unclear is how many WSL clubs will have contingency within their budgets for the Spring Series to sign additional players.


Treating stroke in specialised ambulances en route to hospital is feasible and could boost the number of patients who receive life-saving therapy, experts believe.

Mobile stroke units can halve the time it takes a patient to get clot-busting drugs, a small German trial found.
The drugs only work if given within four and a half hours of stroke onset.
Since not all patients are suitable candidates, a rapid assessment is critical, The Lancet Neurology
 reports.
Clot-busting drugs (thrombolytics) can be effective if the stroke is caused by a blood clot (the cause in about 80% of cases), but not if it is due to a bleed.
The faster an eligible patient receives clot-busting treatment, the better their chances are of surviving and reducing long-term disability.
The latest trial, which involved 100 patients in Germany, found treatment decision times were reduced by equipping ambulance staff with the necessary tools, including CT scanners, to diagnose and manage stroke.
In the study, thrombolysis was given within 35 minutes, on average, for those patients treated by mobile stroke units. In comparison, those sent to hospital for treatment in the usual way waited 76 minutes.
Patient outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups but the researchers point out that the study was not designed to evaluate this and that the number of patients involved in their trial was small. The follow up was also short - a week.
Experts say larger studies are needed to explore what impact earlier treatment will have on prognosis, and to confirm whether mobile stroke units would also work in other geographical regions, not just in urban areas with short journey distances.
Stroke is the third biggest cause of death in the UK and the largest single cause of severe disability. Each year more than 110,000 people in England will have a stroke, which costs the NHS over Â£2.8bn.
In 2007 the government set out a National Stroke Strategy to improve stroke services and recommended that patients with a suspected stroke should have a brain scan as soon as possible to determine if it was caused by a blocked artery or a burst blood vessel.
Only a minority of stroke patients reach hospital and undergo brain scanning within a few hours, which is necessary if these drugs are to be given.
But stroke care has been improving over recent years, audits show
.
Nikki Hill of The Stroke Association said: "When a stroke strikes time lost is brain lost, meaning that getting urgent medical attention quickly is absolutely essential.
"Treating suspected stroke patients at the site of the emergency is an interesting development and it could help to speed up the whole treatment process for some patients.
"However, this research was conducted in an urban area of Germany, and so it's difficult to say whether the same method would work in the more rural areas of the UK.  A lot more research is needed."
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "The results of this study are interesting, but we would need more evidence on whether mobile stroke units would be a clinical and cost effective addition to NHS stroke services.
"In some instances, it could be just as quick or quicker to get the patient to hospital in an ambulance as it would to get a mobile stroke unit to the patient."


Pakistan authorities have detained two men suspected of being involved in the killing of an exiled politician in London five years ago, officials say.

Dr Imran Farooq, a leader of Karachi's influential MQM party, was stabbed to death near his home in Edgware, north London in September 2010.
Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali were detained near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman, Balochistan province.
They are to be handed to Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency.
The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani in Pakistan says the murder was widely seen as a politically-motivated killing because Dr Farooq was reportedly planning to break away from the MQM leadership in London and start a new party.
The arrested suspects and a third man named Mohammed Kashif Khan Kamran worked for the MQM party, officials said.
In a statement, the MQM party denied any association with the suspects or involvement in the murder of Dr Farooq and accused the Pakistani government of political victimisation.
Dr Farooq was parliamentary leader in the Pakistani National Assembly when he went into hiding during a military operation against the MQM (Muttahida Quami Movement party) in 1992.


Fitness tracker data has helped to catch out a prominent food blogger who cheated while running a half-marathon.

Digital detective work revealed Jane Seo had missed out 1.5 miles of the 13.1 mile course of the Fort Lauderdale race.
It also showed she tried to cover up the deception by using data gathered by riding a bike round the course.
After being exposed, Ms Seo posted an apology to her Instagram page over her conduct, saying she was an "idiot".
Ms Seo, who regularly blogs about food for the Huffington Post, has now been disqualified for cutting the course.
If her time of 1 hour 21 minutes had stood, she would have come second out of the 4,000 runners that took part.
The analysis of the race data was carried out by Derek Murphy, a business analyst, who, in his spare time, runs the Marathon Investigation website that seeks to expose racing cheats.
In his analysis, Mr Murphy said his suspicions had been aroused because Ms Seo had run the second half of the race substantially faster than the first six miles.
Typically, he said, runners of endurance events slowed down as fatigue took its toll.
Also key was a photo showing Ms Seo with her finishing medal, which revealed she had worn a GPS watch to track her progress around the course.
Mr Murphy bought a copy of the photo, and when he zoomed in on the watch found it showed she had run only 11.65 miles.
Mr Murphy also analysed data Ms Seo had posted to the fitness tracking site Strava later on the day of the race.
Initially, Ms Seo claimed this vindicated her claim to have completed the course.
But Mr Murphy found the data had been submitted hours after the race and the character of the data suggested it had been generated by riding a bike.
When Mr Murphy confronted Ms Seo with his findings, she posted an apology to her Instagram account.
In it she said she had made a "horrible choice" and her actions had left her "ashamed".
Ms Seo has now deleted her Instagram account.
It is not clear why Ms Seo decided to miss out some parts of the Florida race course.
However,  some runners have been known to cheat because posting a fast time helps them gain entry to more prestigious races.
"This is yet another case of a runner making bad decisions," wrote Mr Murphy.


Nine people have been arrested by police investigating a number of arson attacks on the homes of serving police officers.

A number of officers in Gilford, Banbridge and Portadown had their vehicles and homes set on fire and, in some cases, destroyed between April and July last year.
Det Insp Keith Gawley described the attacks on the officers as "serious and life-endangering".
He appealed for information.
The arrests on Tuesday followed searches at houses in Larne, Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.
A number of items were taken away for examination.
The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Mark Lindsay, condemned the attacks.
"We've seen far too many attacks on the homes of officers. Families have been left traumatised," he said.
"Fortunately, no-one was injured. They are a clear attempt to bully, intimidate and terrorise, but they won't succeed."
The six men and three women are being questioned at Musgrave police station.
They have been arrested on suspicion of a range of offences, including arson with intent to endanger lives, theft, conspiracy to cause an explosion and possession of controlled drugs.
Det Insp Gawley said the police investigation was also focused on "offences involving drugs".


Poultry and captive birds in Wales are to be kept indoors for 30 days on government orders to protect them from the risk of catching a highly infectious strain of bird flu.

The measure by Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths is in line with similar orders in England and Scotland.
Cases of H5N8 have been found in countries across Europe including France, Germany and the Netherlands.
None have been reported in the UK and the measures are precautionary.
The prevention zone means keepers must either keep their birds indoors or take steps to keep them separate from wild birds.
Margaret Davies, a turkey farmer at Cuckoo Mill Farm in Haverfordwest, said she was "naturally concerned" about the outbreak in Europe.
"It's got the possibility of affecting business, to a point, but you have to wait and see," she added.
She said the advice would not really change the way things were done on the farm, as they only kept turkeys, they were all inside, and the doors were closed to keep out starlings.
Wales' chief veterinary officer Christianne Glossop said: "Poultry keepers are advised to be vigilant for any signs of disease in their birds and any wild birds and seek prompt advice from their vet if they have any concerns.
"Even when birds are kept indoors, a small risk of infection remains so biosecurity should not be compromised.
"Clothing and equipment should be disinfected, the movement of poultry should be reduced and contact between poultry and wild birds should be minimised."


SSE Airtricity is putting up gas prices by more than 7% from the end of this month.

The company supplies more than 140,000 customers in the greater Belfast area.
The price increase means a typical household customer will see gas costs rise by £36 a year.
The company said the price rise reflected "sustained increases in global wholesale gas costs which have risen by over 50% in the last 12 months".
The prices rise follows consultation with the utility regulator.
The regulator said: "We regulate the prices that SSE Airtricity Gas Supply can charge to its customers in the Greater Belfast area and have carefully reviewed each element of this new tariff.
"This increase will still leave the SSE Airtricity Gas Supply domestic tariff for Greater Belfast lower than the average standard tariff in the Republic of Ireland and amongst the lowest standard gas tariffs in the UK. "


British artists including Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran and Adele have helped the music industry return to meaningful growth for the first time in almost 20 years.

British artists accounted for five of the top 10 selling albums last year, as the global music industry generated $15bn (£10.5bn).
Overall, revenues grew 3.2%, reversing a 0.4% decline in 2014.
And digital music overtook physical records as the primary source of income for the first time.
Downloads and streaming accounted for 45% of revenue, ahead of CD and vinyl on 39%. The remaining income was generated by royalty payments and licensing music to film, TV and video games.
"The most striking feature of the recovery is its global nature," said Stu Bergen, president of Warner Music, one of the world's three major labels.
He said streaming and social media meant music was being shared in unprecedented ways.
"We're seeing geographic boundaries being dissolved and artists breaking around the world with astonishing speed.
Mr Bergen cited the example of Danish band Lukas Graham, whose single 7 Years has become a global hit without the band needing to travel to promote it.
"I predict we'll see far more diversity and nationalities in the mainstream charts in the coming years," he told the BBC.
After years of uncertainty and confusion over digital music, streaming appears to have rescued the industry from decades of decline.
An estimated 68 million people worldwide now pay for a music subscription service, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said, up from 41 million in 2014 and eight million when data was first compiled in 2010.
Helped by the spread of smartphones and a proliferation of services - including Spotify, Deezer, Tidal and Apple Music - streaming now represents 19% of the music industry's income, up from 14% in 2014.
In the US, 317 billion songs were streamed in 2015, while the UK figure was 25 billion.
The figures helped offset declines in both digital downloads and physical sales.
However, the music market is still worth significantly less than at the turn of the millennium, when revenues were $27.8bn (£19.4bn).
Sony Music chairman Edgar Berger told the BBC that, at the current rate of growth, it would take the music business "10 years to reach that market level" again.
"The music industry is performing way below its potential," he added.
The IFPI agrees there is a disparity between the amount of music being consumed online and the money being returned to artists, record labels and producers.
This difference - which the IFPI calls the "value gap" - has increased due to the growing popularity of music being streamed on services supported by advertisements, such as YouTube, SoundCloud and Daily Motion. They can claim exemption from normal rules about licensing when content is uploaded by users.
Mr Berger told the BBC such services which "comprise more than 900 million users, are generating only 4% of our revenues - that is a gigantic mis-match".
The IFPI said it would need intervention from policy-makers around the world to help turn the situation around.
In response to the IFPI's comments, YouTube's parent company, Google, told the BBC it was paying its way.
"To date, Google has paid out over $3bn (£2.1bn) to the music industry - and that number is growing significantly year on year," it said in a statement.
"Only about 20% of people are historically willing to pay for music. YouTube is helping artists and labels monetise the remaining 80% that were not previously monetised. The global advertising market is worth $200bn (£140bn). This is a tremendous opportunity."


One person was taken to hospital after what is believed to be a gas canister was let off in a Northamptonshire nightclub.

Two other people were treated for breathing difficulties at Bar Qbano in Ebenezer Place in Kettering at about 02:30 GMT.
Police said it is believed a "CS-type gas" was released.
The club was evacuated and ventilated. Officers said they were continuing to investigate and appealed for witnesses.
A spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Three patients required treatment for breathing difficulties and abdominal pain.
"Two of those were treated on the scene and one patient was taken to Kettering General Hospital."
More than 100 people are believed to have been in the club at the time.
A fast response paramedic vehicle and two ambulances attended, as well as Northamptonshire Police and the fire service.
A spokeswoman from the club said the venue had now reopened.


The relatives of a marketing executive shot by intruders at his home on Sunday said he "lived life to its full".

Guy Hedger, 61, was shot at his home in Ashley, Dorset, shortly after 03:00 BST and died in hospital.
Police said it was not thought the two offenders, who stole jewellery from the house, were known to the victim.
A family statement described Mr Hedger as "a caring and compassionate partner, son, brother and uncle" who would be "sorely missed".
It said Mr Hedger "enriched the lives of all those who knew him".
The statement continued: "We are devastated that Guy's life has been cut short in this way. Guy will be sorely missed by family, friends and colleagues, but he will live in our hearts forever.
"We ask for time to grieve in private."
Detectives are trying to establish why the home of the former Liverpool Victoria (LV) marketing executive, near Ringwood, Hampshire, was targeted.
Dorset Police said an element of pre-planning may have been involved and has urged anyone who saw people or vehicles acting suspiciously in the area in the days or hours before the shooting to come forward.
Det Ch Insp Sarah Derbyshire said: "This was a truly horrific crime and our deepest sympathies go out to Guy's family and friends.
"I want to reassure the public that we have the best detectives, officers and staff working day and night on this case.
"The violent offenders responsible for this crime are still at large and we are doing everything in our power to bring these individuals to justice."
A helicopter was used to search the area following the shooting, which police believe was a planned burglary that turned violent.
The shotgun used is yet to be recovered.


Three people have been arrested after rival fans clashed outside West Ham's new London Stadium.

Violence flared after the Hammers' 1-1 Premier League draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of affray and a third on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, Scotland Yard said.
Officers were also deployed inside the stadium during the match to deal with a separate disturbance, the Met said.
However, it was "quickly dealt with", the force said, and no arrests were made.
Police escorted Middlesbrough fans away from the stadium while officers contained some West Ham supporters.
There have been several crowd disturbances since the club moved to the former Olympic Stadium.
At the first Premier League match at the venue - against Bournemouth on 21 August - some fans arrived with tickets for seats that did not exist, while fighting broke out between rival supporters outside the stadium.
West Ham said 10 fans were ejected from the stadium during the 4-2 defeat by Watford last month.
The Met said more than 40,000 people had attended Saturday's match against Middlesbrough, and the "vast majority" had been good natured.


Protesters in Thailand have called on the Senate to replace the cabinet with an appointed administration.

The protesters, who have been trying to oust the government for six months, are moving their camp close to parliament and say they will act themselves if the Senate does not.
Last week a court removed PM Yingluck Shinawatra and several ministers.
But a caretaker administration from her ruling party remains in place and says it is working towards polls in July.
Thailand has seen months of deadlock since the protest campaign began in November.
On Sunday regional bloc Asean called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis "through dialogue and in full respect of democratic principles and rule of law".
Over the weekend both pro and anti-government groups rallied in Bangkok, raising fears of violence.
Why Thailand is in political turmoil
Thailand has faced a power struggle since Ms Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by the military as prime minister in a 2006 coup.
Mr Thaksin and his family are hated by an urban and middle-class elite who accuse them of corruption and abuse of power.
But Mr Thaksin's policies won him huge support in rural areas, and both the elections since the coup have returned Thaksin-allied governments to power.
The current anti-government protesters want to replace Ms Yingluck's administration with an unelected "people's council" to reform the political system.
Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban over the weekend called on the Senate to consult the presidents of Thailand's top courts and the Election Commission and appoint a new prime minister.
The Senate is due to hold a special meeting on Monday on the crisis.
It remains the only functioning part of parliament after February's snap general election - which the ruling party was expected to win - was disrupted by protesters and subsequently annulled.
Government supporters have warned that any move to replace the current caretaker administration - and its new Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan - could trigger violence.
They are already angered by a court decision last week to remove Ms Yingluck over what it called the illegal transfer of her security chief.
Ms Yingluck's supporters accuse the courts of bias, pointing to previous rulings that have removed Thaksin-allied governments from power.
What remains of Ms Yingluck's administration says it will continue to work towards holding a fresh general election on 20 July.


Manchester City have completed a £43m deal for Portugal attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva from French champions Monaco.

The 22-year-old, who will join City on 1 July, said: "I'm now at one of the best teams in the world".
Silva has made 58 appearances for Monaco this season - including two against City in the Champions League - scoring 11 goals and 12 assists.
He said the chance to work with Pep Guardiola influenced his decision.
"Of course when you have the opportunity of being trained by Guardiola, you don't say no," added the playmaker, who has played 12 times for Portugal, scoring once.
"If not the best coach in the world, he is one of the best."
Guardiola's City finished third in the Premier League this season, securing Champions League football next year.
Silva was integral to the Monaco side that reached the semi-finals, suffering eventual defeat to Juventus, who play Real Madrid in the final on Saturday, 3 June.
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live
I am surprised in that I think that is the one area of the pitch where they have enough options. Manchester City's attack has been sensational this season. Bernardo Silva is very similar to David Silva. I wouldn't let David Silva go, I think he's been tremendous.
You don't know if other clubs were ready to push the button and City thought 'we have got to do it'. There are some players that come along and you have to do it there and then.
Tottenham defender Danny Rose, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live
I played against him away this season and he's the best opponent I faced. It's a great addition and gives Pep Guardiola another attacking option.
BBC Sport's Simon Stone:
Silva was excellent in Monaco's 5-3 Champions League defeat at Etihad Stadium in February and Pep Guardiola decided the Portuguese was a man he wanted. So much so, in fact, that he is prepared to put him among the top five most expensive players in City history.
A product of the Benfica academy, Silva is an attacking right-sided midfield player and is, at 22, just the kind of age Guardiola likes - old enough to understand his role, young enough to absorb the intricate tactical lessons his new manager imparts.
If, as expected, Kyle Walker also arrives this summer from Tottenham, Guardiola will have the raw pace from his full-back that creates the danger - and space - for Silva to cut inside and slice open defences.
*Initial reported fees


A man with mounting debts has been found guilty of murdering his parents in their Newcastle home.

Eric Ruddy, 64, and his wife Carol, 54, were found dying in their home in December. He had been stabbed and beaten, she had been strangled.
Martin Ruddy, 29, stood to benefit from their savings of more than Â£80,000 as he was the sole beneficiary of their will, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He had claimed the pair were attacked by intruders who also injured him.
Judge Paul Sloan QC is due to set the minimum term for Ruddy's mandatory life sentence on Friday.
A jury heard that in the lead-up to the murders, Ruddy's life was running out of control and that his marriage was at breaking point.
He had also got himself into Â£5,000 of debt and had fallen behind on a scheme to pay the money back.
John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, said: "Martin Ruddy killed his parents and then set to cover his tracks by staging a burglary and inflicting injuries on himself with a brick and scissors."
The court heard Eric Ruddy had received a number of blunt-force traumas to the back of his head and Carol Ruddy had bruising around her neck after being strangled with a length of HDMI cable.
Andrea Hardy, who lived next door with her three daughters, said the walls of her terraced house were very thin and they would often hear doors closing and people walking up the stairs.
But on that night in December last year, she said she heard no noises at all until Ruddy knocked on her door and said his parents had been killed by a group of attackers.
Along with her partner, she followed him back to his parents' house where they tried to resuscitate the couple.
But Mr Elvidge said no CCTV or scientific evidence supported the claim that the killings had been carried out by a gang of intruders.
Following the attack the couple were taken to the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary, but were later pronounced dead.


Olympic medallist Kelly Sotherton's chances of competing at London 2012 have suffered a major blow after she lost her funding from UK Athletics.

The 34-year-old, who came third in the 2004 Olympic heptathlon, was targeting a 400m place but has lost her second-tier "podium relay" funding.
A defiant Sotherton tweeted: "Nothing changes! Goals are still the same! I'm the master of my own destiny!"
Mark Lewis-Francis drops from top-level "podium" funding to podium relay.
Progress was made in 2011 but there is still work to be done before next August to make our athletes perform better
There are three levels of funding in UKA's World Class Performance Programme.
Podium level funding is given to those athletes in contention to win medals and secure top-eight finishes at next summer's Olympics. Former Cuban Yamile Aldama and American-born Tiffany Porter have both been moved to that level.
Podium relay funding is given to athletes expected to play a part in the relay events at the Olympics, while UKA also offers development funding to promising young athletes.
Sotherton was part of the British 4x400m relay team which took silver at the 2011 European Indoor Championships, but she could only finish sixth in the 400m at the UK Championships in August.
She insisted the news "does not come as a major surprise to me and it is not a setback to my ambitions".
"I am very grateful for the support that UK Athletics has offered me up until now," she said. "Everything will continue as I had planned in the lead up to London 2012 and this decision by UK Athletics will not alter anything in my preparations.
"I still hope to compete at the Olympics next year and, once I am there, I have every confidence of producing a performance that will do myself and the nation proud."
She was coached to bronze in Athens by Charles van Commenee, who is now UKA head coach.
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "The main criterion for athletes to be on the world-class performance plan is that they have a strong chance to reach the top eight in the Olympic Games.
"Given the development of Kelly's performances over the last couple of years, it doesn't indicate that that's going to happen.
"For me, personal feelings I really have to put on the side because otherwise I can't make clear decisions. Personal relationships and feelings are not relevant in this process."
Among those receiving podium level funding are world champions Mo Farah and Dai Greene, along with silver medallists Phillips Idowu, Jessica Ennis and Hannah England, and bronze medallist Andy Turner.
European Under-23 champions Holly Bleasdale (pole vault) and Jack Green (400m hurdles) are among those elevated to top-level funding.
Scott Overall's shock fifth place at the recent Berlin Marathon sees him elevated to development funding.
See the full list of athletes on the UK Athletics website.


French newspapers have reacted with defiance to last night's attacks in Paris which left more than 120 people dead.

Commentators are in little doubt that bloodshed was a response to the country's support for operations against the so-called Islamic State group, which has since said it carried out the attack.
But the overriding message is that the attacks should not force France to alter its behaviour, either at home or overseas.
Editorial in Liberation:
"Even during the fiercest battles linked to the Algerian civil war in the nineties, France has never seen such a degree of violence. It is France, its policy, its international role that are targeted by the killers... It is impossible not to link these events to the battles that are taking place in the Middle East. France plays its role there. It must unblinkingly continue its action."
Front page of Le Parisien:
"This time, it is a war"
Le Figaro:
"Eleven months after the massacre at Charlie Hebdo, France once gain plunges into horror. The worst-case scenario, feared by the special services, the one of a multiple attack striking at the heart of Paris as well as a highly symbolic venue, became the reality on Friday night."
"Being part of the anti-Islamic State coalition for over two years, France focused its strikes on Iraq and decided to deploy its aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle in the Gulf in December. A declaration of war to which the terrorists responded with scenes of Apocalypse."
Le Monde, under the headline "Heavy heart, cool head":
"The terrorists will strike again: the means that they used today did not disappear with the heroic assault of our police in Bataclan... we will have to organise ourselves in the long-term, and not cease to function as free, creative and open societies. Permanently closing the living spaces of our cities would seal the victory of the terrorists. We must learn to live with danger, rather than cowering in misfortune or taking the easy option in dealing with the complexities of the Middle East."
Les Echos:
"By putting pressure on France to stop its intervention in Syria, the jihadists obviously seek to get the same result as al-Qaeda when it hit Spain in March 2004 (191 killed), punishing the country for its intervention in Iraq together with the USAâ€¦ A short while later, Spain's Socialist Party decided to stop military operations in Iraqâ€¦ Since then, Spain has not been targeted, although it is not possible to establish whether this was a decision taken by al-Qaeda, the result of the work of Spain's anti-terrorist police or the difficulty to plot large-scale attacks."
Sports newspaper L'Equipe:
"Security has already been the biggest concern of the European Championships. After yesterday's attacks and the attacks in January, fears have reached a peak."
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


A stalker who threatened to rape a police officer and bombarded four victims with messages on social media has been given a community sentence.

Kieran Dorian became obsessed with the women, who he knew from his school days in Dundee, over the course of four years.
In a separate incident, he spat blood at the officer's feet after making sexually offensive remarks towards her.
Dorian, 20, was sentenced to three years supervision.
He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and placed on the sex offenders register for three years.
A sexual offences prevention order was imposed on him for five years with conditions around his conduct, as well as a non-harassment order preventing him from contacting his stalking victims for five years.
Dorian, of Broughty Ferry, Dundee, admitted four stalking charges committed between October 2011 and May 2015.
He also admitted charges of assault and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Dorian also admitted making lewd sexual comments to two 13-year-olds in the queue at a McDonald's restaurant in Dundee on 30 July before sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl on the same date.
Defence solicitor Douglas McConnell said: "He wants to avoid going to custody and he will have to make any order placed on him work."
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told Dorian: "This kind of conduct is unacceptable and is firmly within the custodial range of sentences.
"However, in view of all the circumstances and the fact you have already spent some time in custody I can deal with this in a non-custodial way.
"If you breach this order it is very likely you will end up in custody."


Manchester City and England winger Raheem Sterling is to make a substantial donation to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

The 22-year-old grew up in north west London, starting his career at QPR.
A fire that engulfed the block of flats killed at least 17 people, a figure expected to increase.
Sterling told the BBC: "This is a deep and sad situation, one that's close to my heart and hard to swallow. I would like to help in the best way I can."
He added: "It is only a small step, but small steps lead to big changes if we all come together.
"My condolences to the affected families, also the individuals who lost their homes."
Queens Park Rangers' Loftus Road Stadium is a mile away from Grenfell Tower.


Gareth Bale scored four goals as Real Madrid hit nine-man Rayo Vallecano for double figures in a remarkable game.

Real trailed before Tito's red card - Danilo putting the hosts ahead before headers from Antonio Amaya and Jozabed.
Bale levelled with a header before Raul Baena was sent off in conceding a penalty which Cristiano Ronaldo scored.
As the game opened up, Bale added three more, Ronaldo scored a second and Karim Benzema netted a hat-trick - including number 10.
Real boss Rafael Benitez has been under pressure after losing three of their last five La Liga games.
But it remains to be seen if the farcical circumstances of their win over neighbours Rayo will ease much of that, as they were playing poorly before the sendings off.
It was the first time they hit double figures in a La Liga match since 1960, when they beat Elche 11-2.
Real remain two points off leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who both have a game in hand.
Real Madrid's win will never be forgotten by anyone who watched the game - but remarkably Benitez will still be under pressure.
Whistles were ringing out at the Bernabeu from unhappy home fans at 1-1 - moments before Jozabed put Madrid minnows Rayo into the lead. But the game changed when Tito was deservedly sent off for a dangerous studs-up, two-footed tackle on Toni Kroos.
And after Ronaldo made it 3-2 from the spot against nine men in the 30th minute, double figures always felt as a possibility as Real were able to launch attack after attack with limited options in defence for Rayo.
Real Madrid lead 1-0: Bale plays in Danilo to fire past Yoel
Rayo Vallecano level 1-1: Amaya heads home from a corner
Rayo Vallecano lead 2-1: Moments later Jozabed scores a second header
Read Madrid level 2-2: Bale heads home against 10 men
Real Madrid lead 3-2: Raul Baena holds onto Sergio Ramos' shirt and gets a second booking. Ronaldo scores the penalty
4-2: Bale is given space to run in on goal and slots home his second
5-2: Unmarked Benzema scores early in the second half
6-2: Ronaldo, with no defenders around him, heads home
7-2: Ronaldo crosses to Bale - in plenty of space - for his hat-trick. Benzema was standing behind him ready to pounce
8-2: Bale tries to find Ronaldo but his attempted pass is deflected back to him and he fires home
9-2: Unmarked Benzema converts Luka Modric's pass
10-2: In the final minute, Benzema gets his hat-trick and makes it 10 from 16 yards
Radio Marca's Juan Castro told BBC World Service: "At 11 v 11, Rayo were 2-1 up. Right now Rafa Benitez is not wanted by the Bernabeu. Even after the match people are not happy.
"The sensation of the game and the style, the relationship with the players is not the best. But if they keep on winning he'll remain coach of Real Madrid.
"It's not the right moment for Jose Mourinho to take over. Who knows in the summer? The fans here are 50-50 for and against Mourinho."


"Administrative failings" of the kind indentified by the British Red Cross (BRC) kept a refugee mother from her family for over a year, it is claimed.

Syrian asylum seeker Salma Alyounes was trafficked to the UK but an application for her family to join her was refused, apparently by mistake.
A BRC investigation into errors by entry clearance officers found failings in 35% of cases.
The Home Office said it made sure only those who qualified were granted visas.
Mrs Alyounes, a gynaecology and obstetrics surgeon whose life was in danger, paid an "agent" to smuggle her out of Syria and was flown to the UK from Turkey on a fake passport.
Her family later left Syria for Turkey, where they applied to join her in the UK.
Although the Home Office recognised Mrs Alyounes as a bona fide refugee it did not believe the children were hers, claiming she did not mention them in an interview even though a transcript shows she did.
Officials would also not accept copies of the birth and marriage certificates Mrs Alyounes had left behind in Syria.
BRC family reunion assistance programme manager Vanessa Cowan said entry clearance officers needed "better guidance".
The process is so complex legal advice was often needed to navigate it, she said.
The proportion of family reunion visa applications being refused has risen - 36% were turned down in the year to March 2015, up from 26% the previous year.
The Home Office said immediate family members are allowed to join refugees living in the UK.
It said applications are decided as quickly as possible and it is making improvements to the process.
Labour MP Chi Onwurah accused the government of "putting up barriers" to refugees' family reunions.
"Its target is to minimise numbers rather than to realise our humanitarian obligations and it needs a real investigation," she said.
Mrs Alyounes said being without her family was unbearable.
"Sometimes I walk, I see children school…. I'm cry, because all children I see, it is my children," she said.
Her family's new visa application to visit the UK has now been approved.


A stampede during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has killed at least 700 people and injured more than 860.

Here are some accounts from people at the pilgrimage, including BBC journalists who witnessed the crush.
"Where I'm standing, here in the centre of Mina city, I can see dead bodies wrapped in white cloth. Police have barricaded the area so I couldn't count them, but dead bodies stretch as far as my eyes can see.
"Surrounding the area some relatives are hanging around in mourning and other pilgrims who are in the tent city in Mina are also coming round to see the bodies and also to sympathise and mourn. Police officials are stopping people from passing through the area while they deal with all the dead bodies, while ambulances are moving in and out.
"Because of the lack of access, we don't know what the ambulances are doing. Helicopters are hovering over the area where the bodies are being kept."
"My group and I went there very early in the morning because we knew it would be too crowded.
"After the throwing-the-stone ritual we walked back to our tent. It was already packed, difficult to move and also difficult to breath. People were everywhere, forcefully trying to get their way further.
"People were starting to fall. I saw an Indonesian being cared for by paramedics. More people fell, or lay down, I thought because they were caught by heat, I'm not sure. Thanks to God, we managed to get to our tent at about 9am. Much later I heard about the stampede. It is horrible. The news left me in shock."
"I was in the crowd and most people, I would say 90%, are very peaceful. Then you get the young people and the heat is quite unrelenting as well. People want to do it quickly, they want to finish and, because it would get hot, people were pushing.
"I can't believe what happened. It's tragic. At the end of the day [we have to] put up our hands and ask Allah for mercy."
"I was at the centre of the stampede," Mr Bamidele told the Vanguard newspaper. "Saudi police and traffic officials who used to control movement were not available. In fact it was after the stampede that they arrived. I managed to escape unhurt."
"There was crowding. The police had closed all entrances and exits to the pilgrims' camp, leaving only one.
"I saw dead bodies in front of me and injuries and suffocation. We removed the victims with the police. They [the police] don't even know the roads and the places around here."
"People were going towards the direction of throwing the stones while others were coming in the opposite direction. Then it became chaotic and suddenly people started going down. There were people from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Senegal among other nationalities. People were just climbing on top of others in order to move to a safer place and that's how some people died.
"People were chanting Allah's name while others were crying, including children and infants. People fell on the ground seeking help but there was no-one to give them a helping hand.
"Everybody seemed to be on their own. It affected some members of our group. I lost my aunt as a result of the stampede and at the moment, two women from our entourage - a mother and her daughter - are still missing."
"A witness who escaped the stampede said that what actually happened was that the Saudi security at the scene blocked one of the roads to the Jamarat (stoning the devil).
"This happened as thousands of pilgrims from different countries like Iran, Cameroon, Ghana and Niger were going to the Jamarat. Therefore, as those who finished stoning the devil were coming back on the same route, they met those heading to the place.
"There was a kind of collision between the two groups moving in opposite directions on the same road. Those in the middle were the most affected."
"Last night, I was coming back from Muzdalifa to Jamarat with my family on the train. We were at the station before anyone else and the train was delayed. This led to a huge number of people gathered at the station. Finally when the train arrived at 02:00, there was chaos as tired pilgrims tried to board.
"During the journey, the train stopped in the middle of nowhere for about half an hour. People were getting agitated and some even tried to open the emergency gate as we were all suffocating due to the heat and exhaustion. Finally we reached Jamarat and after performing the stone-throwing we left, only to find out that a few hours later this sad incident had occurred.
"I discovered the reason for the delayed train was that the Saudi king was performing Hajj and they did not want anyone to enter Mecca. They stopped the trains and blocked the roads. And when he finished, everyone tried to get in at once."
"The organisation by the Saudi authorities has been fantastic. We cannot blame them. There are many safety precautions in place. I have been to Mecca to carry out the Hajj a number of times over the past 20 years. This time I am here with my wife, son, daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.
"From what I have seen on the ground, for the past 10 days there is great organisation by the Saudi authorities. We cannot blame them...
"I saw a man faint in the heat and of exhaustion and 10 medical staff ran to his aid. On every escalator there are people to help those on and off. The safety precautions are more than adequate. I would go as far as to say they are over-the-top."


Canada's Governor General David Johnston says a "slippy" carpet is to blame for an apparent breach of royal etiquette with the Queen.

He was pictured lightly touching the Queen's elbow during an event in London to mark Canada's 150th birthday.
Mr Johnston said he was simply concerned about the Queen's safety as she navigated a short flight of stairs.
"I was just anxious to be sure there was no stumbling on the steps," he told the CBC.
"It's a little bit awkward, that descent from Canada House to Trafalgar Square, and there was carpet that was a little slippy, and so I thought perhaps it was appropriate to breach protocol just to be sure that there was no stumble."
The Queen, 91, was accompanied by Prince Philip as she attended Wednesday's event at Canada's High Commission.
Mr Johnston, who is the Queen's representative in Canada, is not the first to make headlines for apparently breaching royal protocol.
Eyebrows raised in 2009 when former US First Lady Michelle Obama put her arm around the Queen.
In 1992, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating was called "the lizard of Oz" for wrapping his arm around the Queen during a royal tour.
Queen Elizabeth is also not the only member of the royal family to find people getting more friendly than royal etiquette recommends.
American basketball star LeBron James made news in 2014 after placing his arm around the Duchess of Cambridge.
And actor Tom Hiddleston was pictured in 2016 with an arm wrapped around the Duchess of Cornwall.
Mr Johnston, 76, will not have another opportunity for any royal missteps.
He is to leave his position in September and will be replaced in the official role by Canadian astronaut Julie Payette.
This trip was his final visit to the UK to meet with the Queen.


A murder investigation has been launched after a 23-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach in the City of London.

Police were called to Leadenhall Street to reports of a stabbing, and an ambulance took the wounded man to hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He was described as in a "life-threatening condition" and died at 03.41 GMT on Monday.
Next of kin have been informed.
Police believe a group of men were arguing inside the Caravaggio restaurant before leaving the venue and fighting in Leadenhall Street and St Mary's Axe.
Four men, aged 24 to 28, were arrested at the scene and have been bailed.
Detective Chief Inspector John Osibote, of the City of London Police's major crime team, said: "I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the argument inside Caravaggio or who saw a group of black males fighting in Leadenhall Street to come forward and speak to detectives.
"The victim went out on Saturday night to attend a party and has lost his life in a needless, violent act."