Through a thickening blizzard of Guinness and Geordie I can still make out the truth: Newcastle United must be the most blessed football club in the land, because there can be no set of fans more damned.

"They could field 11 monkeys in black and white tops at St James' Park and 50,000 would still turn up to watch. No word of a lie."
Plumbed into the bar of the Irish Centre, in the shadow of St James' Park, is a small oasis of glory. Men who remember when the pitch resembled a farmer's field, the ball flew like a suet pudding and the Leazes End doubled as a vast, open toilet. But also men who remember when players were just like them and shared their blazing fervour. And Magpies didn't mean bad luck.
"Aye, I was there when we won the Fairs Cup in '69," says Colin, recalling Newcastle's last major triumph, in the predecessor to the Uefa Cup. A month later, Colin witnessed another miracle, when man first set foot on the moon.
"Bobby Moncur got two at St James' Park, another in Budapest and we won 6-2. Those Fairs Cup days were unreal, 60,000 crammed into the ground like sardines, every match a celebration. But I'll not go back. I've done my time."
Sitting pretty in their England rugby jerseys, brothers Don and Adrian look like gluttons for punishment. But for them, too, the experience of being a Newcastle fan curdled from a celebration to a sentence, something they just had to escape from.
"I chucked my season ticket this season," says Don, 75. "Why? Because they're bloody rubbish. Last season was the final straw. It used to be my son, my brother and myself. But I says to them: 'Don't you dare try to persuade me to go back.' As it was, we all 'hoyed' our tickets in. But you still get 50,000 muppets going every week. Blind faith, that's what it is."
It is staggering that a club that hasn't won a major trophy for 46 years, the FA Cup since 1955 and a league title since 1927 should be the third-best supported club in England - and the 12th in Europe - with average attendances of 50,359 in 2014-15. It is also staggering that the 18th richest club in the world should be rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. Three points from eight, no wins, a 6-1 shellacking last time out. Blind faith sounds about right.
Indeed, some of the old-timers in the Irish Centre sound a lot like lapsed Catholics - inculcated with religion at a young age, finally wavering, but unable to let go completely, just in case God does exist. And his pearly gates are painted black and white.
"I still go to the pub and watch it," says Adrian, 70. "It's just mindless dedication, simple as that. The club is going further and further downhill but the fans are still there and they always be. We've seen the good times, so it's very sad to see the state they're in now. But it's the young fans I feel sorry for.
"Their fathers can sit them down and tell them about Malcolm Macdonald, Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer, players who gave the fans a little bit of excitement. There's no excitement there now. But the young fans just don't know anything else. Match day comes around and they've just got to go."
It's not all doom and gloom in the Irish Centre, and way beyond anger. "A young kid came in the other day in his black and white top," says Bobby, who is almost incomprehensible to this southerner but doing his very best to make himself understood. "On the back he'd had written: 'I hope we win something before I die.' He was only 25!"
Bobby dissolves into laughter, before adding: "The sad part is, I don't think they will. But they could field 11 monkeys in black and white tops at St James' Park and 50,000 would still turn up to watch. No word of a lie."
As the gallows humour flows on Gallowgate, I am reminded of an apt line from the final scene of The Big Lebowski: "I guess that's the way the whole darn human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself, down through the generations."
Bobby, too, was there when Newcastle beat Hungary's Ujpesti Dozsa in the Fairs Cup final. He also remembers the quarter-final first leg against Setubal, when Newcastle beat the Portuguese side 5-1 in a snowstorm. And he was at the semi-final second leg against Glasgow Rangers - 'The Battle of Gallowgate' - when Scottish fans swung from pylons, invaded the pitch and battled with police.
He also witnessed the near-misses of the Keegan managerial era, when a dashing Newcastle side blew a 12-point lead over Manchester United to finish second in the Premier League in 1996, before losing consecutive FA Cup finals.
Those agonies of the 1990s are all still crystal clear to Bobby - "because it's the last time there was any hope" - but it must all seem like ancient history to that poor 25-year-old kid.
Bobby's pal Norman finds it more difficult to see the funny side. For Norman, since Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007 life as a Newcastle fan has been mainly about sadness, disillusionment and despair.
"We've got the best supporters in the land and we're bottom of the league," says Norman. "And if Mr Ashley doesn't get his act together, we're going to go down. It would be difficult to find another set of fans in world football who have been so badly served. It breaks my heart to see how the club's being run."
A beaming Norman hands me a clipping from Wednesday's Newcastle Chronicle. It's a photograph of him sharing a beer with Newcastle luminaries Terry McDermott, Pat Howard and Tommy Cassidy, before the 1974 FA Cup final (which Newcastle lost to Liverpool). Norman is obviously proud of his connections, but he also wants to make a point.
"The players in those days cared about the town and the club," says Norman. "They spoke to the fans directly and the fans could identify with them. These were blokes who used to train up at Hunter's Moor, where there were cows in the field. We'd sit and watch them in a little tin hut. They used to play five-a-side matches in a car park. But they had a real passion for the town.
"Aleksander Mitrovic [Newcastle's Serbian striker] was in the Chronicle the other day saying the players still care about Newcastle. What a load of rubbish. That's what hurts the most, the lack of passion from the players. There's nothing there whatsoever."
The consensus in the Irish Centre is that nothing will change as long as Ashley is there. But walking, talking Newcastle United almanacs that they are, they appreciate the club has never really been well-run.
"Jackie Milburn, our greatest bloody player, had to wait 10 years for a testimonial," says Bobby. It is also pointed out that back in the grim 1980s, attendances at tumbledown St James' Park dipped to as low as 16,000. But at least they had Beardsley and Waddle back then. To a man, they believe that the club was primarily a business acquisition for Ashley and had little to do with any grand sporting ambition.
Under Ashley, they believe the club has lost its identity and become a tawdry toy for an easily distracted owner. There was the renaming of the stadium in 2011, followed by the sponsorship deal with a controversial loan company. Newcastle fans and rivals alike started referring to proud old St James' Park as 'The Wonga Bowl'. More of that gallows humour on Gallowgate, but hard for these proud men to take.
Paranoia and suspicion creeps like a fog across the town. The boys in the The Back Page, which specialises in Newcastle United memorabilia, flatly refuse to talk to me. Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner. Dark mutterings about a "Cockney mafia" persist, even after the departure of Alan Pardew.
With the benefit of hindsight, some think that Pardew, who led Newcastle into Europe in 2012 and is now Pearly King of high-flying Crystal Palace, should never have left. Certainly, none of those I speak to think Steve McClaren, Pardew's replacement, will still be on Tyneside this Christmas.
"McClaren has got three games to sort this out," says George, who has been watching Newcastle since Stan Seymour was the manager in the 1950s and is one of the few boys I speak to who still has a season ticket.
"The Sunderland game [on 25 October] is massive. If the players don't know what they've been playing for so far, they better know what they're playing for in two weeks' time. I'm just so disheartened by what's going on over there. But it will be a lot worse if we lose to the bloody Mackems."
George thinks the only way things might get better is if his beloved team go down. But even if St James' Park is hosting Rotherham and Brentford next season, George will probably still be there. At least he can close his eyes, summon the Gallowgate roar and pretend he's watching 'Wor' Jackie. Who can the kids close their eyes and dream of? Shola Ameobi?
"All my friends have chucked in their season tickets now," says George. "And they'll never go back. Lots of people have told me not to go back but I'll never stop. I don't know why I keep going - but I keep going. Maybe it's because I'm a fighter. But do I have any hopes for the future? Not many."
The blizzard grows still thicker. Norman, rheumy-eyed now, talks vaguely of somebody needing to wave a magic wand. Bobby, growing more garrulous, fondly recalls his boots filling with warm urine at the Leazes End and about the time he witnessed Vinnie Jones "grab Gazza by 'the clemmies'". As parts are apparently called in these parts.
But I can still make out George, supping on his Guinness and sadly incanting: "Aye, they were the good times. They'll not come back again."


The Chinese smartphone-maker Huawei has won a patent victory over its South Korean rival Samsung.

A Chinese court in Quanzhou has ordered the Galaxy S8-maker to pay 80m yuan ($11.6m; £9.3m) to Huawei for infringing the firm's smartphone cellular technologies.
The two are also suing each other over patents in other courts.
Huawei's victory was tempered, however, by news that it could face a sales ban in the UK.
Huawei launched the legal action against Samsung last May and has subsequently followed with other claims filed in its home city of Shenzhen and California, covering more than 10 patents.
It has alleged that more than 20 models of Samsung's phones and tablets make use of its technologies without permission.
Samsung countersued in July over six alleged infringed patents, saying it had attempted to resolve the dispute "amicably".
Huawei was the world's third-bestselling smartphone-maker in 2016 and Samsung the first, according to market research firm IDC.
Although intellectual property disputes that pitted one tech giant against another were common a few years ago, they have been fought out of the public eye in more recent times. Even so, many of the details of the latest case were redacted by the court because of commercial privacy concerns.
"Huawei notes the court's decision in this case," a spokesman told the BBC after the verdict.
"Huawei believes that respecting and protecting the intellectual property of others enables all companies to make a return on our R&D investments. We maintain that respect for intellectual property promotes innovation and healthy, sustained growth in the industry."
A spokesman for Samsung said it intended to review the court's decision and would decide its response later.
"Over many years, Samsung Electronics has pioneered the development of innovative mobile technologies through continuous investment in R&D to provide consumers with a wide selection of innovative products," he added.
The Chinese ruling coincides with a judgement from the High Court of England and Wales that Huawei must pay a US firm a global fee for its 4G patents or face a local sales ban.
The owner - Unwired Planet - had acquired the inventions from Ericsson. It does not make products itself and has been referred to in the past as being a "major patent troll" because of its efforts to extract payments from those who do.
The Nevada-based company is also suing Samsung, Google and Apple.
Huawei had argued that the amount being sought by Unwired was too high, which the court agreed with, so it still views the ruling as being a partial victory.
"Huawei is still evaluating the decision as well as its possible next steps," said a spokesman for the firm.
"Huawei does not believe that this decision will adversely affect its global business operations."
However, a lawyer for Unwired Planet also viewed the case a win for his client because Huawei faces having to compensate the firm for sales worldwide.
"Until now there has been a view that even if the infringing party is successfully sued, at the end of the day they would have to pay no more than the royalty rate they would have had to pay anyway, and only for the countries in which they were sued," explained Gary Moss from EIP.
"That gave an incentive for implementers to hold out in the hope of achieving a more favourable royalty rate. Today's judgement confirms that this need not be the case."


A near-complete ichthyosaur skeleton discovered on the Dorset coast after Christmas storms was hours away from destruction, fossil hunters have said.

Storms uncovered the 1.5m (5ft) fossil at the base of Black Ven near Charmouth on Boxing Day.
The giant marine reptile fossil was painstakingly removed over eight hours, shortly before another storm was due.
Professional fossil hunter Paul Crossley, who helped excavate it, said it was "a beautiful find".
"There was a very difficult, short window before another storm blew in so we were limited for time before it got ploughed out," he said.
With only part of the snout missing, but with most vertebrae and its rib cage in place, Mr Crossley said it was one of only a few ichthyosaur fossils found in such a complete condition on the Jurassic Coast in the past decade.
Ichthyosaurs (literally 'fish-lizards') were predatory dolphin-like reptiles that swam the world's oceans 200 million years ago at the time of the dinosaurs.
The fossilised remains were spotted by hobby collector Alan Saxon, from Chippenham in Wiltshire, who was on a post-Christmas visit to the Jurassic Coast.
"It was actually easy to spot - I just saw a long black snout against the grey shale. I had a closer look and could see jaws, teeth and backbones," he added.
Mr Saxon, 59, said he was considering the best approach to ensure the fossil was conserved.
"In the long term I'd like it to be available for people to see, especially in the Lyme Regis locality," he said.
Recent storm-force south-westerly winds hitting the crumbling cliffs have produced some of the most conducive conditions for fossil hunting on the beaches around Lyme Regis in several years.
Mr Crossley said: "The word is already out that Lyme Regis is the capital of fossil hunting at the moment, we've seen more people than normal on the beaches.
"We always advise going when the tide is falling and always stay well away from the cliffs and mudslides. Use common sense."


Viewers have been complaining about Love Island - but not for the reason you might think.

The ITV2 show sees single men and women put together in a Majorcan villa to find love and win a Â£50,000 prize.
So far this series, there have been several instances of, shall we say, intimate behaviour taking place.
But broadcasting regulator Ofcom says it has actually received far more complaints about scenes that show the contestants smoking.
The series airs after the 21:00 watershed but has still attracted 46 complaints to date.
More than half of those - 24 - were from viewers objecting to the portrayal of smoking.
Fifteen of the complaints were made about the promotion of "sexual material and promiscuity".
The remaining complaints were for bad language, grievances about a racial slur and violence (for the time when a contestant threw a cushion "aggressively").
Ofcom has said it will assess the 46 complaints before deciding whether to investigate further.
The ITV2 show has a large following and an audience that includes pop singer Adele.
Speaking at the second of her Wembley dates last week, she labelled one of the contestants a "tramp" for taking part in a show in which "real people have real sex on real TV".
Falling in love isn't easy - let alone falling in love on national television, writes entertainment reporter Genevieve Hassan.
But that's what 13 sexy singletons hope to do on Love Island, which is halfway through its third series on ITV2.
If you've never seen it before, the premise is to couple up and convince the public to keep you on the island in order to win Â£50,000 - all while trying to find your perfect match.
Think Big Brother but with board shorts, bikinis and more under-the-sheets shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, as the couples chop and change throughout the series.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Taking cannabis for medical reasons should be made legal, says a cross-party group of UK politicians.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform says there is clear evidence cannabis could have a therapeutic role for some conditions, including chronic pain and anxiety.
It says tens of thousands of people in the UK already break the law to use the drug for symptom relief.
But the Home Office says there are no plans to legalise the "harmful drug."
Plant cannabis contains more than 60 chemicals.
The All Party Parliamentary Group wants the Home Office to reclassify herbal cannabis under existing drug laws, from schedule one to schedule four.
This would put it in the same category as steroids and sedatives and mean doctors could prescribe cannabis to patients, and chemists could dispense it.
Patients might even be allowed to grow limited amounts of cannabis for their own consumption.
People with multiple sclerosis can legally take a cannabis-based medicine.
This licensed medicine, called Sativex, is a mouth spray and contains two chemical extracts (THC and CBD) derived from the cannabis plant.
Under current laws in England and Wales, cannabis is not recognised as having any therapeutic value and anyone using the drug, even for medical reasons, could be charged for possession.
The NHS warns that cannabis use carries a number of risks, such as impairing the ability to drive, as well as causing harm to lungs if smoked and harm to mental health, fertility or unborn babies.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform took evidence from 623 patients, representatives of the medical professions and people with knowledge of how medical cannabis was regulated across the world.
37
average age of patient
67%
try conventional medicines first
37% don't tell their doctor
72% buy street cannabis
20% grow their own
Co-chair Baroness Molly Meacher said: "Cannabis works as a medicine for a number of medical conditions.
"The evidence has been strong enough to persuade a growing number of countries and US states to legalise access to medical cannabis.
"Against this background, the UK scheduling of cannabis as a substance that has no medical value is irrational."
The group commissioned a report by an expert in rehabilitation medicine, Prof Mike Barnes, which found good evidence that medical cannabis helps alleviate the symptoms of:
And there was moderate evidence that it could help with:
But there was limited or no evidence that cannabis helps:
It found short-term side-effects of cannabis were generally mild and well tolerated, but that there was a link with schizophrenia in some long-term users.
"There is probably a link in those who start using cannabis at an early age and also if the individual has a genetic predisposition to psychosis. There should be caution with regard to prescription of cannabis for such individuals," says the report.
Also, there is a small dependency rate with cannabis at about 9%, "which needs to be taken seriously but compares to around 32% for tobacco use and 15% for alcohol use".
The evidence for cognitive impairment in long-term users is not clear but "it is wise to be cautious in prescribing cannabis to younger people, given the possible susceptibility of the developing brain", says the report.
Smoking cannabis in a joint rolled with tobacco can make asthma worse and probably increases the risk of lung cancer.
Prof Barnes said: "We analysed over 20,000 scientific and medical reports.
"The results are clear. Cannabis has a medical benefit for a wide range of conditions.
"I believe that with greater research, it has the potential to help with an even greater number of conditions.
"But this research is being stifled by the government's current classification of cannabis as having no medical benefit."
Cannabis is currently classified as a Class B drug, with possession carrying a maximum sentence of five years in jail or an unlimited fine.
Those supplying or producing cannabis face tougher penalties, with a maximum of 14 years in jail.
The drug comes in many different forms - hash is cannabis resin, while marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the plant.
A Home Office spokesman said: "There is a substantial body of scientific and medical evidence to show that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people's mental and physical health.
"It is important that medicines are thoroughly trialled to ensure they meet rigorous standards before being placed on the market.
"There is a clear regime in place, administered by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to enable medicines, including those containing controlled drugs, to be developed."
About 24 US states, Canada, Israel and at least 11 European countries already allow access to cannabis for medical use.
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For eight days, an important aspect of Canada's future has been on display.

It's a future the majority of Canadians appear happy to embrace, for now.
The Cambridges have only visited parts of the country where people have applauded them coming, not questioned their existence.
They know the monarchy needs to be seen and appreciated to survive.
The public presence, at strategic points during the tour, of Prince George and Princess Charlotte will have bolstered, at the very least temporarily, the survival of this ancient institution.
Of course, what has been left unsaid this week is that Prince William and Prince George are not next in line.
Prince Charles is waiting in the wings and his appeal in Canada is not as great as that of his son or his grandson.
Monarchists argue that's down to the allure of youth.
Those seeking an elected, Canadian-born head of state see a chink in the armoury of the House of Windsor.
At the start of the trip, I was very struck by the cheering of the crowd. On more than one occasion, it bordered on ecstatic.
The focus of their fervour was a youthful-looking man with a wife and children.
I saw him once hang out of his car, waving, before his motorcade moved off.
This wasn't a jetlagged prince embracing rock politics - rather, the tattooed boxer politician Justin Trudeau.
I've watched the Canadian prime minister weave along a red carpet shaking hands, hugging people and placing his hand on his heart.
The warmth of his reception has been striking to someone who lives in the UK where a more jaded view of all politicians tends to be on display.
Mr Trudeau, with his political opponents off duty, in Victoria and Vancouver where I've seen him in action, has appeared happy.
It's probably helped that while here, the duke and the duchess have been showcasing some of his policies.
When was the last time you saw a senior member of the Royal Family with refugees in the UK?
Precisely.
But in Canada, it's not a fraught issue.
When the Almahameed family met Prince William and his wife, the world was reminded of Mr Trudeau's open policy of welcoming, in their thousands, those fleeing the war in Syria.
The prime minister's attempts to demonstrate he is repairing his country's relationship with its indigenous population have proved more fraught.
William and Kate have met their representatives repeatedly.
And repeatedly, the sense of hurt has been palpable.
Speech after speech has focused on both past and current injustices inflicted on a people that make up 4% of the population.
Canada's aboriginal people have a deep and historic connection with the Crown.
Its representative, Prince William, heard their entreaties.
He'll want to help, but can he?
Can an unelected head of state in waiting do anything meaningful?
The prince will have plenty of time to mull it over and act if he so chooses.
As things stand, there'll be many more visits by the Cambridges to Canada.


A Bafta-winning composer from Wales is to take a red carpet walk at the Emmy Awards in Hollywood for his work with American star Matt Le Blanc.

Mark Thomas, 54, from Swansea, has been shortlisted for the theme tune to the transatlantic comedy series Episodes.
Mr Thomas, who won a Bafta for his score of cult film Twin Town, is competing against dramas including The Borgias, The Kennedys and Camelot.
The Somerset-based composer said: "I'm going there to enjoy the moment."
Mr Thomas left for Los Angeles on Thursday for the ceremony on Saturday, where he was nominated in the Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music category in the creative arts section of the Emmys.
From Penclawdd on the Gower peninsula, he is a trained classical violinist who studied music at Cardiff University.
He has worked as a freelance violinist for the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Ballet Orchestra and has worked on film scores - including three James Bond films - with composers such as John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and Michael Kamen.
Episodes stars British comedy actors Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig as a script-writing husband and wife team who try to develop a US version of their successful sit-com and have Le Blanc forced on them as the main character.
Mr Thomas said he plumped for a typewriter-based theme tune after one of the show's executive producers, Jimmy Mulville, described how the opening credits would show paper being blown from a typewriter in a London office across the Atlantic and America before being shot down in to a "Hockneyesque" Hollywood swimming pool.
He said: "The imagery of it was the typewriter. There are many people who still use typewriters, so I'm told.
"I did try more modern typing sounds but they were kind of characterless, whereas with a typewriter there is more variety, a palette of sounds that are more akin to an organic percussion instrument than a modern word processor.
"It's a relatively simple piece of music in terms of its ingredients but it seemed to work."
Episodes is the only comedy programme to be nominated in title music category for the 63rd Emmy Awards.
The show also has two nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards held a week later.
Former Friends star Le Blanc is in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category for his depiction of himself, while writers David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik are also shortlisted for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Mr Thomas, who now lives and works in Somerset, said he was pleased to be returning to Hollywood, where he has worked, as a nominee.
He said: "I'm not expecting to win but I'm very proud of be nominated in the category and proud to be maybe one of the few Welsh composers to have been nominated in this category.
"If you can win something for Wales, it's a good think. To be included in such a prestigious group of nominees is enough in itself."
* The Emmy was won by Trevor Morris for his theme for the series The Borgias.


UK troops posted to Kenya are returning home after diplomatic wrangling over British army training in the country was resolved.

The 900 troops were waiting to return home after completing their training because of delays over clearance for the officers who will replace them.
The hold-up was reportedly Nairobi's response to new UK travel warnings for Britons travelling to Kenya.
The Ministry of Defence said UK troops would continue to train in Kenya.
The Foreign Office has previously issued a "high threat" from terrorists advisory for parts of Kenya.
The two countries are in talks over a new Memorandum of Understanding on military co-operation between them. The current memorandum expires in April 2015.
"The delay in receipt of diplomatic clearances from the Kenyan authorities has now been resolved, and further UK training in Kenya will proceed", an MoD spokesman said.
"Troops who have completed training are returning to the UK."
Most of the soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, The Rifles have already arrived, and they all will have left Kenya by 4 July, the spokesman added.
They had been unable to return home because they would usually fly on the same charter aircraft that would carry the incoming troops.
But because of the delay in clearances, the MoD used commercial services to fly them back to the UK.
Earlier, Kenya's Standard Newspaper reported that five "senior military officers" had been expelled from the UK during the diplomatic row between the countries.
The MoD said some Kenyan Canine Regiment officers had "returned home recently during a break in training" and that their training would resume next week.
The military agreement between the two countries governs the UK's use of the Nanyuki training area, 125 miles north of Nairobi.
The MoD said it was confident of a "successful and rapid outcome" in the negotiations.
Warnings that UK nationals should avoid Kenya because of potential threats the militant Islamist group al-Shabab resulted in 400 UK tourists being evacuated from parts of the Kenyan coast in May.
Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October.


Welsh football fans have snapped up 10,000 tournament tickets so far ahead of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

The tickets cover all of Wales' five home games against Moldova, Georgia, Serbia, Austria and Republic of Ireland.
The final batch of tickets for members of the Wales Supporters Club goes on sale on Tuesday.
Football Supporters' Federation Cymru (FSF) said the number sold so far was "a good sign".
Paul Corkery, of FSF Cymru, said: "It's a sign not only of the team playing well in the Euros, but it's also coupled with the FAW doing wonders and keeping prices low.
"For 10,000 fans to be buying tickets for all five games so far in advance, with some not taking place until next year, it is very encouraging."
Tickets have been sold to club members in four staggered sales according to membership eligibility but are not on sale to the general public.
Wales kick off their qualifying campaign against Moldova on 5 September at Cardiff City Stadium.


Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad handed England a boost ahead of next week's first Test, but his side's encounter with Sussex ended in a draw at Hove.

Broad (2-31), playing in his second four-day match after injury, got rid of Luke Wells (73) and Chris Nash (86), who put on 161 for the first wicket.
Sussex had been set 434 to win but play was called off with the hosts on 198-2.
Matt Prior, who is hoping to be recalled to England's squad for the series with Sri Lanka, was 19 not out.
And while Broad, who took three wickets in the first innings, seems certain to be included when the squad is announced on Thursday, Prior's place is less clear.
But the Sussex keeper, and England, will be pleased he came through his first game since April unscathed.
Bad weather had been forecast throughout the day, but play surprisingly got under way at 13:10 BST.
Victory for Sussex seemed out of the question as they needed a further 406 runs, but they began in positive fashion as Wells and Nash found batting easy in their stand which lasted 43.1 overs.
However, Broad shattered the stumps of Wells and had Nash caught behind by Chris Read, but they were Nottinghamshire's only successes of the day.
After an over from opener Alex Hales, who smashed 167 with the bat on Tuesday, the two captains shook hands on a draw.
The result left fourth-placed Notts 17 points behind leaders Middlesex, with Sussex two points further back in fifth, although both teams have a game in hand.
BBC Sussex's Adrian Harms:
"The rain which delayed play until 13:10 and took 24 overs from the day's allocation spoilt any chance of a positive result for either side.
"For a fleeting moment when Chris Nash and Luke Wells were comfortably compiling a first-wicket partnership of 161, a run chase looked possible, but two quick wickets from Stuart Broad ended any remote thoughts Sussex might have had of victory.
"Sussex have been badly hampered by poor weather in recent weeks, and they now head to Taunton on Sunday hoping for four dry days and a chance to end a run of five Championship matches without a win."
BBC Radio Nottingham's Dave Bracegirdle:
"Another advantageous position failed to bring a positive result for Notts as the bat continued its dominance over the ball on the final day at Hove.
"A lifeless track stifled the impact of Broad and Peter Siddle, but at least the batsmen made merry, as they had done for the bulk of this contest.
"Samit Patel and Alex Hales were little short of sensational during this match. It has become the norm for Patel this season, but the return of Hales's best form was a delight for all to see.
"Notts are close to being a very good Championship side, but need to start picking up some wins, with Yorkshire at Headingley up next."


Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been suspended for six games after domestic violence incidents, the NFL announced.

The move came after a yearlong league investigation into claims he abused his then-girlfriend in Ohio in 2016.
Prosecutors decided not to charge Elliott, but the league's inquiry found substantial evidence showing physical confrontations with his ex-girlfriend.
The 22-year-old footballer has three days to appeal the decision.
According to a statement by the National Football League (NFL), Elliott will be suspended without pay for "violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy".
According to ESPN, the suspension also voids the guarantees in his four-year - nearly $25m (Â£19.2) contract - with the Cowboys.
He may also be forced to forfeit other payments received from the team including over $1m in signing bonus pay.
The ruling also requires Elliott to be evaluated for counselling or treatment and to provide evidence that he has followed up on any recommendations made.
The statement described the year-long "extensive investigation" by the league, in which they reviewed "thousands of text messages", spoke to medical experts, witnesses and the victim herself.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell consulted with a team of advisers, the statement says, adding that they were present along with Elliott's legal team when he was interviewed by league officials during a meeting on 26 June 2016 in New York City.
In a statement to ESPN, Elliot's reprensentatives Frank Salzano and Scott Rosenblum said the NFL findings were full of "factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions".
They said the report "'cherry picks' so-called evidence to support its conclusion while ignoring other critical evidence".
Tiffany Thompson, who alleges the abuse, described her relationship with the star athlete as "toxic".
She claims that he attacked her five separate times in July 2016 in Columbus, Ohio.
Prosecutors chose not to press charges after witnesses made conflicting statements and found evidence that Ms Thompson had asked friends to lie about one of the encounters.
But despite the decision by the attorney general, NFL officials said they found "substantial and persuasive evidence" of domestic assault.
In Elliott's rookie year with the Cowboys he scored 15 touchdowns and ran the ball for 1,631 yards, setting a team record for a new recruit.
The NFL has been rocked by several domestic abuse scandals in recent years.
Elliot has been involved in a number of off-the-field incidents.
A video in March showed the football star pulling down a woman's top at a St Patrick's Day parade in Dallas.
The NFL cited the video in its letter to Elliott, calling it "inappropriate and disturbing, and reflecting a lack of respect for women", but said it did not factor into its decision.
He also reportedly punched a man and sent him to the hospital during an altercation at a nightclub in July. He was not arrested or charged with any crimes.
If he chooses not to appeal the decision, Elliott's suspension begins on 2 September and he can return to the active roster on 23 October.


The UK may have to contribute to the EU's budget after leaving unless a deal is done, peers have been told.

European legal experts said the UK may still be liable after Brexit because of "concrete" obligations entered into.
Professor Takis Tridimas, from Kings College London, said commitments the UK had made under the EU's budgetary system would have to be "honoured".
The EU's current Multi-Annual Financial Framework, which sets a seven-year ceiling on spending, runs until 2020.
This has raised the question of what will happen if the UK leaves in 2019.
The UK is expected to begin official Brexit negotiations this Spring, with the talks scheduled to last two years.
Ending Britain's annual financial contributions to the EU was one of the key arguments during the referendum campaign, with Brexit supporters arguing money could be better spent on the NHS and other UK priorities.
The UK government has not ruled out voluntarily contributing to remain part of certain EU programmes, such as the student project Erasmus or Horizon, after Brexit.
But the more controversial issue of whether the UK may have to contribute to the EU's budget for a short period after it leaves has yet to be addressed.
Prof Tridimas chair of European law at Kings College London, told the Lords EU Financial Affairs sub-committee that the UK had signed up to commitments under the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MAFF), which was unanimously agreed by member states in 2013, until 2020.
While there was no precedent for a member state leaving, he said he believed these commitments were legally binding under existing EU treaties and the terms of the UK's entry into the then European Economic Community in 1972.
However, he said they could potentially be amended in "unforeseeable circumstances", if all member states agreed.
"MAFF can be revised and I think Brexit is grounds for revision," he told peers. "But to my mind unanimity will be required to affect it."
Pressed by committee chair Baroness Falkner whether it could be resolved as part of the Brexit negotiations, he said there was a "good possibility" of a deal.
"It would be wise to have one," he said. "It would be in the interests of both parties and will save a lot of trouble if it were to be achieved."
Rhodri Thompson, a barrister from Matrix Chambers, said that the UK may face a "significant liability" that could end up being decided by the courts.
He told the peers there was likely to be an "interesting" political discussion in 2018-9 about whether the question of outstanding payments fell within the jurisdiction of the British courts or the European Court of Justice.
"It will raise some rather familiar issues, namely who sets the terms of the deal, who is responsible for interpreting the deal and how much it will cost?" he said.
He raised what he said was the "golf club analogy" where a member who cancelled their subscription after a week was told "tough luck" by the authorities and asked to pay their dues for the remainder of the period.
Former cabinet secretary Lord Butler noted that the EU's annual budgets were agreed separately under the auspices of the MAFF and that, under the EU's rules, if no agreement was reached in any one year, the budget defaulted to one based on the previous year's agreement.
"If the UK was to withdraw in 2019 as subscriptions stopped, the EU could presumably set a budget without changing the MAFF," he asked. "Suppose there was no agreement on the 2020 budget and one defaulted to... 2019, is there any way the UK could be made liable for its contribution to the 2020 budget?"
Prof Tridimas said it was "not unreasonable" to take the view this might be the case.


Work on a £17.4m replacement railway station in Worcestershire has started.

Plans for the station in Aston Fields, to be built about 320ft (100m) from the existing Bromsgrove station, were approved last year.
The station will increase capacity to four platforms with a 350-space car park and should lead to a more frequent rail service between Bromsgrove and Birmingham, train operators said.
Stage one of the work is due to be completed by May 2015.
Further work to bring all four platforms into use could take 12 months longer.


A Belfast mother has appealed for young people not to abuse prescription drugs after the death of her son.

Ann-Marie Strong's son, Aaron, 19, died after taking a mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol.
Figures from the PSNI show that 10,000 fake diazepam tablets are shipped into Northern Ireland every week.
Prescription drugs have been linked to a number of deaths across Northern Ireland recently.
Aaron's mother said her son was in a coma for six days before they decided to turn off his life-support machine earlier this month.
She said he had taken tramadol, lyrica, diazepam and alcohol before falling into a coma.
"My heart was broken watching him in intensive care," said Mrs Strong.
"All I wanted to do was open his wee eyes and tell him that I loved him. But, I knew he was dead."
Mrs Strong added that she does not want another life to be lost in the same tragic circumstances.
She said: "Please kids, stop, don't do it. One tablet and that's you gone."
It is understood a number of young people have died in recent weeks from a taking a mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol.
But, it is impossible to say officially how many because they are usually recorded as heart attacks.
Diazepam is sold on the streets, along with tramadol and lyrica, under names likes blues and yellows.
There have been a number of drug raids, seizures and arrests across west Belfast targeting those selling prescription drugs.
Ch Insp Norman Hazlett, who works in west Belfast, said prescription drug abuse was a "significant" problem in the area but he added that the Police Service of Northern Ireland was "doing all we can to try and counter the issue".
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, the officer said the number of drug seizures, arrests and prosecutions had all increased across Northern Ireland over the past year.
"Since the first of April we have searched over 15 premises in west Belfast, we have made some significant finds of drugs including Â£60,000 of cocaine, Â£100,000 worth of suspected cannabis and a significant number of prescription tablets.
"We've had 10 arrests in total for varying offences including possession of Class A/Class B drugs and possession with intent to supply."
Alex Bunting from the charity, Addition NI, told the same programme that the abuse of prescription drugs - often taken in combination with alcohol and illegal drugs - was causing "huge concerns" for his organisation and a "collective" solution was needed.
"In terms of or prescribing rates and our GPs - they have to take some responsibility, but ultimately the people within our communities who are using these substances need to look at that as well," Mr Bunting said.
"We need to educate young people, we need to take away the demand for these drugs, rather than the supply."
Terry Maguire, a community pharmacist, said the drugs can be extremely dangerous.
"They all affect the brain and in affecting the brain, they will affect the way certain body organs work - particularly the heart," he said.
"In any circumstances, death is very often a consequence of misuse of prescription drugs."


In May this year, an under-pressure Andrew Flanagan told a committee of MSPs that "now was not the time" for him to step down as chairman of the Scottish Police Authority.

He was the boss of a watchdog still in its infancy and somewhat scarred by a difficult birth.
It came into being on April fools' day, 2013 - the same day Scotland's single police service began operating.
The journey to replacing the country's eight regional forces, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and the Scottish Police Services Authority was long and fraught with problems.
MSPs had put on record their concerns that control of policing had been taken out of the hands of locally elected councillors and transferred to a board appointed by Scottish ministers.
Putting the politics aside, the principal job of the 11-member plus Scottish Police Authority was simple - hold the new Police Scotland and its chief constable to account.
The SPA did not have the start it might have wished for.
Its first chairman, Vic Emery, got into a number of public spats with the first chief constable of the new police service, Sir Stephen House.
For both men, the job was huge - they were in charge of newly created organisations which in turn were in charge of more than 17,000 officers, 6,000 civilian staff and had an annual budget of Â£1bn.
Crucially they had to see through a small revolution in the way policing was done in Scotland.
In August 2014, a little over four months into the life of the SPA and Police Scotland, Mr Emery spoke of his dissatisfaction at not being consulted about armed officers on routine patrol across Scotland.
He told Holyrood's Justice Sub-Committee on Policing that it was time to "move on to a situation where we are consulted in advance of policy decisions being made, rather than simply scrutinising those decisions after the fact".
It was telling that he needed to reassure MSPs that the SPA "had a growing improvement in our relationship with the police" and "we are maturing that relationship".
However, there were two key areas of disagreement which never really went away - on saving money, and on trimming staff without trimming the service.
In September 2015, Mr Emery stepped down after deciding not to seek an extension to his contract.
He knew by then that Sir Stephen was also scheduled to depart.
At the moment of leaving, Mr Emery's tone was magnanimous, saying that Police Scotland's first chief constable had been the right person "to drive through a period of massive change".
So step forward Mr Flanagan, whose impressive CV was peppered with private, public and voluntary sector jobs.
The Glasgow University accountancy graduate began his working life at Touche Ross in 1976, moving on to PwC.
He did stints in Brussels and London before returning to Glasgow to become finance director at Scottish Television (STV).
In 1996, Mr Flanagan went on to take the reins at the broadcaster, known at that time as SMG plc.
His decision to resign after 10 years in the job came as a surprise to the company's staff and the rest of the Scottish media.
By December 2015, Police Scotland and the SPA were about to write a fresh chapter.
The SPA now had Mr Flanagan, and in his role as chairman he had helped to chose the service's new chief constable Phil Gormley.
It was meant to mark the start of a settled period.
However, a series of bad headlines began plaguing the 60-year-old.
Played out in the committee rooms of the Scottish Parliament, the public was told that MSPs 'do not have confidence' in the police board chief and that MSPs had been told the chairman was 'not fit to continue'.
Mr Flanagan was criticised for a lack of transparency in the way he had been running the authority.
One board member, Moi Ali, resigned after she had voiced opposition to the chairman's plans to cut the number of meetings held in public.
She said Mr Flanagan had told her that expressing disagreement publicly was a resignation matter, and told MSPs that her "removal from the board was straightforward punishment for speaking out".
There were also critical reports to contend with. The auditor general, Caroline Gardner, said she had again found "substantial issues" during her examination of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) accounts.
However, board members defended their chairman and the authority, with Iain Whyte characterising the SPA as "an improving board and an improving organisation".
Mr Flanagan was also willing to defend himself in the face of mounting calls for him to go.
Appearing before the justice sub-committee on policing on 18 May, he said he had reflected on the criticism and had acknowledged "my recent mistakes".
But he went on to say:  "I believe there is more that I have got right than I have got wrong, on strategy, on clarity and control, on refreshed leadership for policing and on many other aspects."
And his justification for wanting to keep the job?
"Policing is in a much better position than it was, but there is still a huge amount to do," he said.
"I believe now is not the time for yet another change of leadership in what will be a pivotal and challenging next three years for policing in Scotland."
Despite his public commitment, the clouds of discontent would not move on.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Douglas Ross did not shift from his position that Mr Flanagan's time must "surely be up".
Following the SPA chairman's defiant committee appearance, Mr Ross said: "Today's developments have done nothing to improve his reputation or restore confidence in the SPA."
And so, scroll forward almost a month and Mr Flanagan has announced his decision to go.
In a letter to the justice secretary, Michael Matheson, he said he would step down to avoid being a "distraction" to the new 10-year policing strategy.
He told the BBC that he had become the story and that took away from the "work of the SPA and policing more generally".
Mr Flanagan will remain in post until his successor is found.
And that appointment will mark the next chapter in the story of the authority's young and so far turbulent life.


An MP has blamed "militant feminists and politically correct males" for stirring up problems between men and women.

Conservative Philip Davies said there was an attitude in Parliament that equality "often applies just to women".
But his comments were criticised by fellow Tory MP Maria Miller, who accused him of trying to belittle discrimination faced by women.
They were speaking as MPs debated male suicide and International Men's Day.
International Men's Day is celebrated on 19 November, aiming to address issues including men's shorter life expectancy, higher suicide rates, and "the negative portrayal of fathers, men and boys".
Mr Davies, who had led calls for a debate on the subject, told MPs in Westminster Hall he did not think there was "an issue" between men and women.
He added: "I think often the problems are stirred up by those who might be described as militant feminists and the politically correct males who sometimes pander to it."
The Shipley MP said it was "depressing" that a select committee for women and equalities had been established, saying he "couldn't care less" if every MP in the Commons was a woman, "as long as they were there on merit".
He added: "It seems to me that we've therefore got this 'equality when - but only when - it suits' agenda in Parliament that often applies just to women."
Background to International Men's Day
Another Conservative MP,  Lucy Allan, said parents should not make their sons feel "ashamed of their sex" when raising them, adding that it was wrong "to blame today's men for the patriarchal society of yesterday".
Ms Miller, the former equalities minister, said equality was not a "competition between men and women", saying it was not a "myth" that women faced discrimination on a daily basis.
SNP MP Paul Monaghan said he found many of Mr Davies' remarks "unrelated to the title of the debate", saying the Scottish government was "deeply concerned" about suicide rates.
For Labour, shadow mental health minister Luciana Berger called for an "urgent review" of the government's suicide prevention strategy, which was published in 2012, and criticised a delay in producing official figures.


Great Britain Davis Cup players Kyle Edmund, Dan Evans and James Ward will play at the 2016 Aegon Open Nottingham.

The trio were all part of the Great Britain squad that won the Davis Cup in 2015 - their first title in 79 years - and are the first names to be confirmed for the event which starts on 18 June.
"We will have a strong contingent of highly-ranked international players," said tournament director Paul Hutchins.
"That's made even better by welcoming a number of the British Davis Cup team."
Edmund, 21, is the British number three and world number 82, while 25-year-old Evans - the British number four - played in the team that started their Davis Cup defence against Japan last weekend.
British number five Ward, 29, played a key role in the Davis Cup victory, coming back from two sets down to beat John Isner as GB beat the United States in a thrilling first-round tie.
Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin beat American Sam Querrey in straight sets to win last year's Nottingham final.


Volunteers are being sought from across Scotland for this year's Scottish Midge Forecast.

More than 100 people are needed for the project running between June and August.
They will be asked to hang up sticky traps to catch midges and submit their results for analysis.
The forecast's Dr Alison Blackwell said she hoped it would be possible monitor a wide range of habitats across the country.
She said the forecast combined current and historical biting midge population data with weather forecast information to provide five-day forecasts for key midge hot spots across Scotland.
"However, midge populations can vary significantly over a very localised scale and this new innovation should help provide a clearer picture of what is happening on a day-to-day basis," she said.
The hope is that should make the forecast more accurate.
Midgies are officially known by their scientific name Culicoides impunctatus, but people surrounded by a swarm of them on a still summer's day tend to use much shorter, much harsher names.
It might help to cope if you remember that both as larvae in the soil and as flying adults they play an important role in the ecosystem - working alongside earthworms, and as food for birds.
It's been cold so far this year so midge numbers are low. But the relatively mild winter means many will have survived.
So numbers will explode once the weather warms up.
The traps, along with computer software to calculate the number of midges shown in photographs submitted by the volunteers, will be paid for from a Â£22,441 grant by Innovate UK to Dundee-based APS Biocontrol.
The system could be developed in the future to alert farmers to possible risks from midge-transmitted diseases that affect livestock, including bluetongue virus and Schmallenberg virus.
Dr Blackwell said: "Ideally we would like to involve a mix of areas, including those popular with tourists.
"We are also keen to hear from the farming community, given the potential impact of biting midges on livestock."
People interested in volunteering can email midgewatch@apsbiocontrol.com for further information.
It is claimed the forecast, which is now in its 11th year, is accessed by over 50,000 people a year either online, or via a smart phone app.


Lukas Jutkiewicz's goal against 10-man Fulham gave Gianfranco Zola his first win since becoming Birmingham boss.

Zola had not won in 10 matches in all competitions since replacing Gary Rowett on 14 December.
The Blues took advantage after Ryan Fredericks was sent off for a reckless tackle on Craig Gardner, as Jutkiewicz converted Cheick Keita's cross.
Floyd Ayite had a late chance to salvage a point for Fulham in injury time, but the Togo forward fired wide.
Birmingham had previously picked up just three points from a possible 24 in the Championship under Zola, and the Italian also saw his side exit the FA Cup following a third-round replay against Newcastle.
They should have gone ahead on 19 minutes, but Jutkiewicz saw his header crash against the bar from four yards out.
Fulham rarely troubled home keeper Tomasz Kuszczak, with Chris Martin and Lucas Piazon directing headed efforts narrowly off target after the break.
Defeat at St Andrew's dents the west London club's play-off bid, with Slavisa Jokanovic's side dropping to 10th in the table, six points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday.
City, meanwhile, had fallen out of the promotion picture during Zola's winless start and are now three points behind the Whites in 12th.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Birmingham boss Gianfranco Zola told BBC WM: "The team played with everything today. There was a lot of passion and I'm so proud and delighted with their performance.
"I thought we looked dangerous going forward and had a good balance in defence. We had some moments in which they but us under pressure, but that's normal against a good team like Fulham.
"When you work hard and the results don't come you start doubting yourself, so it was very important to get the win. But this is just the beginning and we can only get better so we need to keep going."
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: "It was disappointing but generally we didn't produce our best play. Birmingham were more solid and the sending off of Fredericks killed us.
"I prefer not to make any comment on the sending off but the result was a big setback. Following our recent games we thought we could take the points, but we had problems with their long balls.
"We tried to find a solution after the sending off but I cannot complain about my team as they pushed hard."
Match ends, Birmingham City 1, Fulham 0.
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Fulham 0.
Floyd Ayité (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Craig Gardner (Birmingham City).
Attempt missed. Cyriac (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a set piece situation.
Floyd Ayité (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Robert Tesche (Birmingham City).
Attempt missed. Floyd Ayité (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin McDonald with a cross.
Foul by Stefan Johansen (Fulham).
Craig Gardner (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Hand ball by Scott Malone (Fulham).
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Robert Tesche.
Attempt missed. Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Craig Gardner with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Birmingham City. Conceded by Stefan Johansen.
Foul by Tim Ream (Fulham).
Che Adams (Birmingham City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Floyd Ayité (Fulham).
Cheick Keita (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Robert Tesche replaces David Davis.
Offside, Birmingham City. Lukas Jutkiewicz tries a through ball, but Che Adams is caught offside.
Corner,  Birmingham City. Conceded by David Button.
Attempt saved. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Craig Gardner (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Tom Cairney (Fulham).
David Davis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Kevin McDonald (Fulham) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Kevin McDonald (Fulham).
Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Fulham. Cyriac replaces Sone Aluko.
Foul by Scott Malone (Fulham).
Maikel Kieftenbeld (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Sone Aluko.
Attempt saved. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Craig Gardner with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Che Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal!  Birmingham City 1, Fulham 0. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cheick Keita.
Attempt missed. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) left footed shot from very close range misses to the left. Assisted by Che Adams.
Corner,  Birmingham City. Conceded by Kevin McDonald.
Attempt saved. Che Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by David Davis.
Attempt saved. Lukas Jutkiewicz (Birmingham City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Maikel Kieftenbeld with a headed pass.
Attempt missed. Che Adams (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Cheick Keita.


Defender David Wheater and ex-England striker Emile Heskey are to leave Bolton Wanderers following their relegation to League One.

Wheater, 29, made more 100 league appearances in five years at the club.
Heskey, 38, will also leave after scoring only three goals in 45 league appearances for Wanderers.
Goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, 34, midfielder Neil Danns and striker Stephen Dobbie, both 33, will also depart in the summer.
Defenders Oscar Threlkeld, 21, and Niall Maher, 20, will also leave.
Departures also include midfielder Liam Feeney, 29, striker Rob Hall, 22, and defender Hayden White, 21 - who ended the season on loan at Ipswich, MK Dons, and Blackpool respectively.
In addition, 10 development squad players will not have their contracts renewed.


An Australian man is asking Apple to warn the public about the dangers of mobile phone batteries after his iPhone 6 caught fire, leaving him with severe burns.

Gareth Clear, a 36-year-old management consultant from Sydney, told local papers the phone caught fire when he fell off his bicycle.
He posted pictures of his injury on Twitter.
Apple has not responded to requests for comment.
Mr Clear fell off his bicycle while cycling along a Sydney bike trail at the weekend. His phone was in a pocket of his shorts.
"I just saw smoke coming out of my back pocket... and then all of a sudden I felt this surging pain in my top right leg," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I could see it melting through my shorts. I just remember looking at my leg and I had this black discharge all down my leg and this smell of phosphorus."
Mr Clear said his injuries required skin graft surgery.
Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are involved in an impact.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it receives around one to two reports of consumer injuries from mobile phone batteries each year.
It recommends that people do not carry mobile phones in their pockets.
In the US, lithium ion batteries in "hoverboards" have been blamed for 12 incidents, in some cases destroying bedrooms and even entire homes.
Mr Clear said he wants Apple to do more to inform people of the dangers.
"Apple got back in contact with me saying that it looked serious and asking for more information so they could support me and replace the phone," he said.
"Imagine if that was a young child, banging a phone against a table or someone skiing or running and the phone explodes?"
Airline authorities in the US and Europe are considering bans on carrying lithium-ion batteries because of the dangers of an explosion on board.
Such a ban would apply to large shipments of batteries, rather than to individual devices carried by passengers.


Four leading car brands have announced deals with three tech giants to add virtual assistants to new cars.

Microsoft's Cortana netted two of the deals, the others went to Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant.
The announcements were made at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.
One analyst said there would be a "battle of the giants" over the adoption of virtual assistants in 2017, since they can be built in to a variety of appliances.
Nissan and BMW have opted to work with Microsoft to bring Cortana to selected vehicles in the near future.
Ford, however, has struck a deal with Amazon meaning its assistant, Alexa, will feature in some of its cars.
And Hyundai has said it will make its cars partly voice-operable with Google Assistant.
Apple's Siri assistant is already available in certain cars as well - via the firm's CarPlay software. Many brands - including BMW, Nissan, Hyundai and Ford - have produced models that support it.
Car-makers are interested in bringing such functionality to their vehicles as a means of making them easier to interact with - and to connect home appliances to drivers while they are on the road.
With Alexa, Ford plans to give drivers the ability to close net-connected garage doors, or to play an audiobook, picking up from wherever they had previously left off.
In Hyundai's case, Google Assistant will integrate with the firm's Blue Link software. Drivers will be able to start the car, adjust air conditioning, lock the doors or send destination details to the vehicle by voice alone.
A sample command given by the firm was: "OK Google, tell Blue Link to start my Santa Fe and set the temperature to 72 degrees."
BMW discussed a handful of ways drivers might use its digital platform, BMW Connected, and Cortana in future cars - including booking restaurant tables.
"BMW Connected can provide a reminder en-route of an upcoming appointment for which no location has yet been fixed," the company said.
"And Cortana can be used to make a suitable restaurant recommendation and reserve a table."
Toyota also announced a futuristic concept car at CES, the Concept-i. It features its own digital assistant, named Yui.
"It's really going to be a battle of the giants, starting in 2017," said Adam Simon, a tech analyst at Context.
"In exactly the same way that Amazon is doing a great job at the moment of building an ecosystem in the home, there'll be an ecosystem in the car," he told the BBC.
Some car manufacturers, including Ford, are already warning drivers not to be distracted when using such products.
Last year, researchers at the University of Sussex found that using a hands-free device while driving was as distracting as picking up a phone.
"In the very long play we can see vehicles becoming a real entertainment space - an extension of people's lounges," said Jack Wetherill, a tech analyst at Futuresource.
"The real endgame is we all put our feet up and watch movies, the digital assistant does the driving."
In the short-term, he said that Amazon was likely hoping to encourage more purchases of entertainment content from its online store - such content could then be listened to in the car or watched by passengers.
Follow all our CES coverage at bbc.co.uk/ces2017


At least four men have been detained by Chinese police after publicly commemorating the death of Nobel peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, an activist says.

The seaside memorial, which took place on 19 July, was part of a widely shared international campaign on social media mourning the dissident's death.
Wei Xiaobing, He Lin, Liu Guangxiao and Li Shujia are being held at a Guangdong detention centre, activist Hu Jia says.
Another activist who took part, Wang Xin, was missing, he added.
"The detentions are illegal," Mr Hu told BBC News. "There is no Chinese law that sanctions the punishment of a person who memorialises a death, no matter who that person was."
The four men had been informed by police that they had allegedly disrupted public order, said Mr Hu, who is a long-time Beijing-based activist and a member of the Freedom for Liu Xiaobo Action Group.
Last week, the group organised a global social media campaign asking supporters of Liu Xiaobo to post photos of an empty chair next to the sea with the hashtag #withliuxiaobo.
Mr Liu, an academic who became a pro-democracy campaigner, was represented at his Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 2010 by an empty chair because he was in prison in China.
The campaign started on 19 July, seven days after Mr Liu died from liver cancer in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang.
The seventh day is an important part of traditional Chinese funeral rites. That is the day when the deceased is believed to return to his or her home to say goodbye to their loved ones.
The Chinese Nobel laureate was cremated, and his ashes were scattered into the sea.
His supporters say the authorities wanted to avoid providing a burial ground where he could be commemorated.
Mr Hu said about 10 activists participated in last week's memorial, which took place at a beach in Guangdong province and was broadcast live by a news channel in Hong Kong.
In photos shared on social media, the activists held up three fingers to symbolise resistance, freedom and hope.
Mr Hu said some of the other activists who had not been detained were currently on the run.
He said the first of the group to be detained was Wei Xiaobing, who was apprehended in the early hours of 22 July. The others were detained shortly afterwards.
Liu Xiaobo's death has been marked in nations around the world but in China authorities have clamped down on commemorations, both in public and on social media.


The number of times banned items were thrown in to prisons in England and Wales has more than doubled in the last two years, the BBC has learnt.

More than 2,000 banned items, including drugs and mobile phones, were thrown in to prisons last year.
An information request also showed 730 knives and blades were found in prisons in the last six months of 2015.
The Ministry of Justice said it "must do more" to tackle the smuggling in and throwing over of contraband.
Banned items were thrown over the walls of prisons 2,151 times in 2015, according to figures released by the Ministry of Justice in response to a freedom of information request.
The figure has more than doubled since 2013 when contraband was recorded as having been thrown over 797 times.
John Attard of the Prison Governors' Association said: "It's not a fluke, people plan, they know the best parts of a wall to throw things over.
"There are all sorts of methods to get things over a prison wall. We've had people putting drugs in dead birds and sending them over with tennis racquets.
"We're talking about thousands of pounds worth of contraband but the criminals that are throwing them over are prepared to lose [part of] that to get some through."
Pentonville prison recorded only 15 incidents of banned items being thrown over its walls in the last year. A resident living near the prison said the figure was not a true reflection of the scale of the problem.
"They've missed off a zero there. In the last year alone, I've seen it a good couple of dozen times myself.
"It tallies with the attitude of the prison. They will not hear reports of this going on. They don't want to know.
"It starts off on a Friday, and can happen all weekend. Around two o'clock in the morning is a favourite time. The prisoners will burn holes [in the perimeter netting] to fish out items that have been thrown in."
The resident said items were attached to lines, thrown over the wall and pulled through holes in the netting by inmates.
The BBC spoke to one former prisoner who served five years in a number of prisons and wished to remain anonymous.
He said the method is one of the most popular ways of delivering contraband to inmates.
"They get thrown over the wall. If you go to any prison, walk the circumference of that prison, I guarantee you, you will see things hanging in the wires, there will be a parcel of phones hanging in the razor wire.
"How are you supposed to control it? You can't stop it. There's no way of stopping it if everyone's doing it."
He said drugs are often concealed in innocuous items.
"It can get thrown over the wall in tennis balls. They cut the tennis ball, fill them and throw them over. It's quite a military operation. I've seen it happen, balls flying over, people picking them up and they're going to the correct people."
The BBC has obtained photographs of juice cartons, tennis balls and shampoo bottles containing drugs and mobile phones that have been thrown over prison walls.
The Ministry of Justice said it had recently legislated to make smuggling spice into prison illegal.
"Those caught trying to throw packages over prison walls can now face up to two years in jail.
"However we must do more, which is why we are investing Â£1.3bn to transform the prison estate, to better support rehabilitation and tackle bullying, violence and drugs."
The BBC has also learnt that more than 1,000 weapons were found in prisons in England and Wales in the last six months of 2015.
An information request to the Ministry of Justice also showed that 730 knives or blades were discovered during that period, equivalent to four a day.
A total of 11 firearms were found in 2015, up from one each in both 2013 and 2014, and nine in 2012. This included four replicas, three toys, two homemade and two real firearms.
It comes as MPs warned that prison safety in England and Wales has "deteriorated further" and urgently needs improving.
The former prisoner said weapons were frequently used in prisons.
"There's hidden shanks and knives. You can make [shanks] out of your toothbrush. You melt your toothbrush with your razorblades. Cos you're working in workshops, it's easy to get a bit of metal back."
"I made a stabvest out of magazines so if anyone came from behind they'd be stabbing my midriff, that's normally where you get stabbed".
Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said "it's incredibly damaging to have a prison estate that is no longer safe.
"The whole purpose of the prison estate is to hold people safely and securely and to try and release them less likely to offend than when they arrived.
"If people are in a jail that's awash with weapons or where there's a high degree of self-harm and fear, you're not going to get that rehabilitation."
The Ministry of Justice said it was "committed to cracking down on the supply of weapons and other contraband in our prisons".


A former head of a Welsh health board has moved to England in order to get a cancer drug.

Mary Burrows, who was chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, moved from Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, to London two months ago.
She is staying with her son while she receives treatment for breast cancer.
"Treatments that have not been approved by Nice are not routinely available in Wales," a health board statement said.
A £200m-a-year cancer drug fund was set up in England in 2011. There is no similar fund in Wales.
Mrs Burrows said her consultant in Wales advised her to go to the Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey, for the next stage of her treatment because the drug she needed was not available in Wales.
She called the situation "distressing," adding: "A lot of people can't just move their family to another UK nation. There needs to be a debate across all of the UK about how we fund these treatments.
"Not just cancer treatments; advanced technologies and surgeries coming through that people will want to access."
Mrs Burrows left her role with the health board last January.
She said she had "arguments with myself" about the fairness of the Welsh government policy and if having a cancer drug fund takes resources from people with other illnesses.
Mrs Burrows' husband died two years ago of advanced melanoma after he was also unable to get treatment in Wales, she said.
Now she is calling for more investment in the NHS "across the board".
A Betsi Cadwaladr spokeswoman said: "Where a clinician wishes to use a treatment that has not received Nice approval, they can make an application to the health board under the all-Wales individual  patient funding request process.
"These requests are considered by an expert panel. Because each patient is different, each case has to be individually assessed."


The proportion of top A-level grades achieved by Northern Irish students has risen.

A* or A grades were achieved in 29.5% of A-level entries, a rise of 0.2% on 2015.
More than 28,000 received their A-level and AS-level results on Thursday.
The overall A*-E pass rate remained the same as 2015, at 98.2%. Girls have continued to outperform boys in gaining top grades.
Girls achieved A* or A grades in 31.3% of entries compared to 27.2% of entries from boys.
In 2015, 31% of entries from girls received A* or A grades compared to 27.2% of entries from boys.
The number of girls taking so-called STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and mathematics - at A-level has also increased again.
There was a significant rise of 1.4% in the number of students taking A-levels in mathematics.
It is the most popular subject, accounting for 10.6% of A-level entries.
Biology, history, English and religious studies complete the list of the top five most popular subjects.
However, there have been steep falls in the number of A-levels taken in subjects like music, drama, art and design and French.
Students were able to access their exam results from 07:00 BST on Thursday, but many were expected to go to their schools to discover their grades.
Some schools post results to their pupils.
There have also been steady rises in the numbers of students staying at school to study A-levels in recent years.
Many of those getting their results have already applied to university and will have their place confirmed if they get the grades they need.
Figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show there has been a slight rise in Northern Irish students applying to go to university this year.
Both Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and Ulster University (UU) will operate telephone enquiry lines for applicants in the wake of results.
Would-be students can call UU's enquiry line on 028 7028 7028 on Thursday, and the university is holding advice days at all four campuses on Friday.
QUB's enquiry line is on 028 9097 3838 and it will operate from 09:30 to 18:00 BST on Thursday and Friday.
The university is holding an advice session on Monday in the Whitla Hall between 14:00 and 17:00 BST.
Universities across the UK will run similar services.
Many students getting their grades will also pursue other options including apprenticeships, entry into further education, employment or a gap year.
The Department of the Economy's careers service will run an extended online advice facility from 09:00 - 20:00 BST on Thursday and Friday.
Careers advisers are also available by phone on 0300 200 7820.
Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in England and Wales are also getting their A-level results on Thursday.


A decade since it first opened, a significant milestone has been marked in the history of Wales' only dedicated hospital for children.

The first minister officially opened the £64m second phase of the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales.
It means almost all specialist care for children will be under one roof in Cardiff for the first time.
Doctors say children from across Wales will benefit from a children's hospital "in the premier league" for the UK.
Dr Allan Wardhaugh, clinical director of acute child health in Cardiff and Vale, said it was tremendously exciting.
"The new building is spacious and provides comfort and dignity to the patients coming to us and it brings a group of clinicians who need to work with children together for the first time," he said.
"We aim to provide as many of the comforts of home as we can to make their stay better - certainly more than the children's wards I started work on.
"There are beds in all the rooms for parents to sleep in. It allows them a little more normality as these are stressful times they're going through."
The new building includes five cutting-edge operating theatres, which will be used solely for children's surgery.
Having dedicated children's theatres help reduce the distress that can occur when children encounter seriously ill adults.
The theatres are also be kitted out with state-of-the-art ventilators which can deliver more accurate doses of anaesthetics.
The new wing's wards are significantly larger than in the original building - with more accommodation available for parents along with several play areas.
The second phase also includes a new hydrotherapy pool kitted out with the latest audio visual equipment and an "open" MRI scanner.
Such scanners are larger and less claustrophobic than traditional ones and allow children to see outside the scanner at all times.
Children can also follow cartoon images as a distraction and it is hoped it will the reduce the need to anaesthetise some children before a scan.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said a "good chunk" of Wales would be served by the hospital.
As well as young patients from the Cardiff and Vale Health Board area, the hospital also offers more specialist care for children across south, west and mid Wales.
"It's important to have expert centres such as this to ensure children have the best treatment they can," he said.
"Its a wonderful building, it's light and airy, it's a wonderful example of our determination to invest in the Welsh NHS."
As a result of ongoing discussions about centralising some services across south Wales it might end up doing even more.
Although they have space, as things stand there are not enough staff.
"There are two missing bits for me," said Dr Wardhaugh.
"One bit is the neo-natal unit, which is clinically excellent but we need to do some work to get the physical environment up to the standard we've got in the children's hospital.
"And we'd like a dedicated children's emergency department - whether it's alongside the existing emergency department or whether part of the children's hospital is something we're discussing but the latter has distinct advantages."


Syrian rebels and the opposition have accused the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah of attacking Syrian villages.

The Syrian National Council (SNC) said Hezbollah fighters attacked three villages near the Lebanese border in support of the Syrian government.
Hezbollah said three Lebanese Shia were killed in the clashes. Hezbollah has consistently denied it has sent its members to fight for the Syrian regime.
The UN meanwhile has said human rights abuses in Syria have got worse.
In a report issued on Monday, a UN-appointed inquiry team said the conflict had become "increasingly sectarian... radicalised and militarised", according to AFP news agency.
The panel said war crimes by both sides were growing, although it said abuses by rebels were not on the same scale as those committed by government forces.
UN human rights investigator Carla del Ponte said it was time the UN Security Council referred the issue of war crimes to the International Criminal Court.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels renewed sanctions - including an arms embargo - against Syria, whilst agreeing to provide more non-lethal support to rebels "for the protection of civilians".
However they did not go as far as easing the arms ban on those fighting the Syrian regime, as Britain had wanted.
Last week, the UN said it estimated 70,000 people had been killed in the conflict since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began nearly two years ago.
According to the SNC and Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) opposition groups, Hezbollah fighters crossed into central Syria on Saturday and attacked three villages in the Qusayr region of Homs.
"The Hezbollah force moved on foot and was supported by multiple rocket launchers. The Free Syrian Army [FSA] had to call in two tanks that had been captured from the Assad army to repel the attack," SRGC spokesman Hade al-Abdallah told Reuters news agency.
FSA spokesman Luay al-Miqdad called the alleged Hezbollah operation an "unprecedented invasion", according to a report in the Lebanese newspaper An Nahar.
"Hezbollah's invasion is the first of its kind in terms of organisation, planning and coordination with the Syrian regime's air force," Mr Miqdad was quoted as saying.
An unnamed Hezbollah spokesman was reported as confirming the three Shia deaths, but without saying whether they belong to the group.
AFP news agency quoted the spokesman as saying the dead fighters had been acting "in self-defence".
At least five Syrian rebels were also killed in the clashes, unconfirmed reports said.
Hezbollah is one of the biggest groups in Lebanon's governing coalition and is strongly backed by Iran, a close ally of President Assad. Mr Assad's minority Alawite sect is an off-shoot of Shia Islam.
Besides the Lebanese army, Hezbollah's armed wing is by far the strongest and best equipped in the country.
Lebanese officials have long accused Hezbollah's military wing, the Islamic Resistance, of fighting in Syria, while the US says Hezbollah provides training, advice, and logistical support to the Syrian military.
The latest reports come days after a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards was killed travelling from Syria to Lebanon.


Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas has been fined for being drunk and disorderly after an alleged row at a nightclub in the Lake District.

The 31-year-old was held by officers and taken to police cells before being given a Â£90 fine and released.
The actor, who plays builder Jason Grimshaw in the ITV soap, had earlier posted a photo of himself climbing to his 94,000 followers on Instagram.
He is due to leave the soap next summer after more than a decade.
The Greater Manchester-based actor was arrested at the Wheelhouse Club and Lounge in Bowness-on-Windermere early on Sunday morning.
He was taken to Kendal police station..
Thomas had been in the Lakes with a group of friends.
A Cumbria Police statement said: "Police arrested a 31-year-old man from Stockport on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly outside the Wheelhouse Club in Bowness on Windermere in the early hours of Sunday 25th October 2015.
"The man was issued with a fixed penalty notice and no further action will be taken at this time."
An ITV spokeswoman said: "Ryan is currently on leave so we have not been in a position to discuss this with him so we have nothing to add for the time being."


Andrew Waterworth scored a hat-trick as Linfield beat Coleraine 3-0 at Windsor Park to complete the Premiership and Irish Cup double.

The striker's near-post finish from Paul Smyth's low delivery put David Healy's men into a 29th-minute lead.
Waterworth was in the ideal position four minutes later to snap up a rebound from about eight yards after keeper Chris Johns had saved from Aaron Burns.
Smyth set up Waterworth again to complete the victory near the end.
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The Irish Cup triumph was the climax of former Northern Ireland striker Healy's first full season as Linfield manager, which also included a County Antrim Shield success.
Last week, 31-year-old Waterworth scored a hat-trick as Linfield beat Cliftonville to clinch the Irish Premiership title.
Linfield, the most successful club in Northern Ireland, have now won the Irish Cup on a record 43 occasions and they have won eight of their past nine finals.
Coleraine, who last lifted the trophy in 2003, will be hugely disappointed with their performance on the showpiece occasion.
Managed by former Linfield midfielder Oran Kearney, the Bannsiders took too long to get into any sort of rhythm and, by the time they did, they were two down and staring defeat in the face.
There were some who questioned whether Northern Ireland's record goal scorer Healy had the attributes to become a successful manager when he succeeded Warren Feeney in October 2015.
Was he too quiet? Did he know enough about the Irish League scene?
The 37-year-old will feel he has more than answered those questions.
Last spring, after six months in charge, Linfield were runners-up in league and cup, now they've gone one better.
Healy has had magical moments at this Windsor Park ground in the past - Northern Ireland's winner against England in a World Cup qualifier in 2005 and the brilliant hat-trick against Spain the following year.
Judging by his celebrations, the man who scored 36 goals for his country values this season's achievements just as highly.
Coleraine fans travelled in their thousands hoping to see the club celebrate serious silverware for the first time in 14 years.
But they were to be bitterly disappointed as Kearney's young side struggled to make a mark on the big day.
Six of their starting team were 21 or under and only striker Eoin Bradley had played in a previous Irish Cup final.
That inexperience showed and Coleraine were unable to play with the freedom and flair which had seen them go on a great run which earned them a third-place finish in the Premiership and a cherished appearance in the cup final.
They were better in the second half, and had some half chances, but could not produce a telling response.
Linfield manager David Healy: "This final was all about redeeming ourselves after we underperformed this time last year.
"I thought we were by far the better side and deserved winners today, it was a good performance from us. I'm so privileged to be manager of this club and work with the calibre of players that I have."
Linfield's hat-trick hero Andrew Waterworth: "It's been a long five years for Linfield but I'm delighted for everyone associated with the club. Hopefully we can kick on from here.
"I feel on top of the world. Three trophies in one season, I've dreamt of this for a long time."
Coleraine manager Oran Kearney: "I thought we started well but we struggled to keep possession of the ball after that.
"Congratulations to Linfield though. We couldn't cope with them for a 20-minute spell in the first half.
"A goal in the second half could have dragged us back into it but it wasn't to be."


A pedestrian has been seriously injured after being struck by a car in the Highlands.

The accident happened at about 05:00 on the A832 at Station Road in Avoch.
Police Scotland said a collision investigation was under way and the road was likely to remain closed for several hours.


A convicted murderer who absconded from an open prison has been found and re-arrested.

Stuart Brownhill, 59, was found to be absent during an early morning roll-call at North Sea Camp prison, near Boston, at 05:00 BST on Friday.
Lincolnshire Police said he was found on Saturday morning.
Brownhill murdered Lynne Taylor while her 11-year-old son slept in her home in Werneth, Oldham, in 1984.
He was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court the following year.
Brownhill met Ms Taylor on a night out and later set fire to her home.
He admitted he strangled Ms Taylor after trying to rape her and knew the boy was asleep in the property when he started the fire.


A US judge in Seattle has issued a temporary nationwide block on President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven mainly Muslim nations.

Federal Judge James Robart ruled against government lawyers' claims that US states did not have the standing to challenge Mr Trump's executive order.
Last week's move by Mr Trump triggered mass protests and has resulted in confusion at US airports.
The State Department says 60,000 visas have since been revoked.
Mr Trump's executive order brought in a suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days.
There is also an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees. Anyone arriving from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen faces a 90-day visa suspension.
Trump border policy: Who's affected?
The lawsuit against President Trump's ban was initially filed by Washington state, with Minnesota joining later.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has described the ban as illegal and unconstitutional, because it discriminates against people on the ground of their religion.
The ruling is a major challenge to the Trump administration, and means that nationals from the seven countries are now able - in theory - to apply for US visas, the BBC's David Willis in Washington DC reports.
The administration can appeal against the verdict.
President Trump has argued that his directive is aimed at protecting America.
He said visas would once again be issued once "the most secure policies" were in place, and denied it was a Muslim ban.
A number of state attorney generals have said the order is unconstitutional. Several federal judges have temporarily halted the deportation of visa holders, but the Seattle ruling is the first to be applicable nationwide.
Courts in at least four other states - Virginia, New York, Massachusetts and Michigan - are hearing cases challenging Mr Trump's executive order.
Earlier on Friday, a judge in Boston declined to extend a temporary ban that prohibited the detention or removal of foreigners legally authorised to come to America.
The ban - which only applied to Massachusetts - is due to expire on 5 February.


People with links to one of the world's most famous locomotives are being urged to come forward with their memories.

York's National Railway Museum (NRM) has launched an appeal to mark the Flying Scotsman's 93rd birthday.
The engine, which retired from service in 1963, has been restored for the NRM in a decade-long, £4.2m refit.
On Saturday it ventured on to the mainline network for the first time in 40 years as it took a test run through Cumbria and Lancashire.
Last month, the locomotive emerged into the East Lancashire Railway's Bury Bolton Street station after the final stages of the work at a nearby yard, thrilling hundreds of rail enthusiasts.
It is due to be painted in its new green livery on Wednesday and have its nameplates reattached before making its journey between London Kings Cross and York on 25 February.
Public services will begin later this month, alongside an exhibition at the museum.
Former fireman John Morgan, from Peterborough, said he was looking forward to seeing the Flying Scotsman steaming between the two cities again.
The 77-year-old became a fireman at 16 and worked on some of the most famous locomotives of the age, including the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard, the world's fastest steam train.
"I have a lot of very good memories of 60103 [Flying Scotsman's British Rail number]," he said.
"I did a lot of trips on the footplate and shovelled a lot of coal.
"There was a lot of interest, even back then. Whenever we'd back up into King's Cross there'd be a crowd of people around wanting to get up into the cab."
Bob Gwynne, associate curator of collections and research at the NRM, said: "As we've been planning our highly anticipated Scotsman Season, many people have already approached us with their special connections to the iconic steam locomotive and the famous train it was named after.
"We've heard from crew members that worked on board and their families, and even of some babies born on the train."


The mother of a five-year-old girl found alone at a bus stop near Brighton station has been found.

Sussex Police said the woman, who was seen with the child at the station on Friday, was traced to her home address in London.
They said the girl was now in the care of social services but have not given any information about the mother.
Police began an urgent hunt for the woman after being alerted by members of the public who saw the child alone.
CCTV footage showed a woman, believed to be the child's mother, walking with the girl along Queens Road from the station, where they had arrived on a train from London at about 12:30 BST.
Minutes later, concerned passers-by alerted police after spotting the girl on her own at a bus stop near the Ibis Hotel, about 100m south of the station.
Sussex Police said the Metropolitan Police had now taken over the investigation, but a Scotland Yard spokesman was unable to give more details.
Detective Inspector Lee Horner, of Sussex Police, said on Friday that it was not clear whether the girl had got to the bus stop by herself or whether she lost her mother there.