Irish airline Ryanair is to begin operating a new base at Belfast International Airport from March with flights to London's Gatwick Airport.

Five other routes, which have yet to be announced, will follow in October.
Belfast International Airport has described the announcement as "significant and far reaching".
Ryanair said the move represents a multi-million pounds commitment and will support hundreds of jobs in the local community.
Belfast International Airport has been eyeing up Ryanair ever since the airline quit George Best Belfast City Airport in 2010 over delays in a proposal to extend the runway.
But what has paved the way for the new base is Ryanair obtaining landing slots for Belfast flights at Gatwick, currently run by Aer Lingus, another Irish airline.
Aer Lingus is giving them up in March as part of a condition of its takeover by International Airlines Group last year.
The four-times daily Gatwick service will maintain the slots given up by Aer Lingus as part of the IAG takeover of that airline.
Graham Keddie, Belfast International Airport's managing director, said the four flights to Gatwick each day would "have a dramatic effect on our business".
But he criticised the Northern Ireland Executive, saying that bringing Ryanair to the airport had been achieved "against the drag of the regressive air passenger duty (APD)", a tax on short-haul flights.
"Just think what we could do if our Stormont administration bought into our vision for in-bound tourism growth, new routes and thousands of jobs," he added.
Ryanair currently operates a limited timetable from City of Derry Airport.
The airline has confirmed it has axed its summer service from that airport to Alicante.
It said the route "did not meet load factors" but that it would be increasing its flights from City of Derry airport to Faro.
The only route Ryanair unveiled on Thursday was Belfast to Gatwick, but others are understood to be close to finalisation.
Obtaining routes to Germany in particular are seen as high priorities for tourism and the wider economy.
Ryanair's chief commercial officer David O'Brien said the airline would make its decisions on destinations on a commercial basis.
"We are hopeful that we can introduce some new European routes of a business nature and some sunshine routes at much-needed lower fares," he said.
"But it will largely depend on the cost base available and it is fair to say the APD, that tax disadvantage, limits those opportunities."
Belfast International Airport handled 4.4 million passengers in 2015.
Both it and Belfast City Airport have been losing to Dublin Airport, which is breaking passenger records, helped by the Republic of Ireland's abolition of APD.
A move to reduce or abolish APD has previously been ruled out by Stormont because the tax revenue lost to the Treasury, which would amount to tens of millions of pounds, would have to be cut from the block grant provided by Westminster.
In a statement, Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell made no reference to APD but said he was taking a "keen interest in how we can maximise" the investment by Ryanair and Belfast International Airport.
However, Mr Bell added that he was close to making a final decision on whether to finance a new air route development fund.
Previously, grants of public money have assisted the start-up of services to the likes of New York.


Police have been criticised by a road safety charity after a driver who failed a breath test was not arrested.

Roadpeace, which supports the victims of crashes, said it was "appalled".
The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said cuts to the number of police officers may have been a factor in the decision.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the matter was investigated and the officer was given "management advice and guidance".
The unnamed driver was stopped and breathalysed near Cullompton, Devon, and found to be just over the legal limit of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The BBC has been told the police officer called a colleague for advice and was told to wait half an hour, then breathalyse the man again.
That sample came back under the limit and the motorist was allowed to drive away.
Nigel Rabbitts, chairman of the Police Federation in Devon and Cornwall, said: "Drink driving is a serious offence. But officers have the power of discretion, and in these days of austerity there are less officers and therefore they need to prioritise their jobs."
Analysis: Simon Hall, South West Home Affairs Correspondent
This has caused particular controversy because the drink drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is the joint highest in Europe.
Scotland cut its limit in December last year, and Northern Ireland is considering a reduction.
Many road safety campaigners and the Police Federation want to see the drink drive limit lowered for the rest of the UK, arguing the move would save lives.
Jeff Baker, a trustee of Roadpeace, said: "We're appalled. This sets a very dangerous precedent. The consequences could have been fatal."
The force said the officer has been given "advice and guidance" about future conduct following an investigation by its Professional Standards Department.
On its website, Devon and Cornwall Police states: "Even a small amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive."
A spokesman said the force would always "take robust action against anyone drink driving".
He said: " In this specific case, while there may be learning for the officer concerned, appropriate and proportionate action was taken."


More than a third of the workforce at a wind energy firm in Argyll and Bute have been told their jobs are under threat.

CS Wind informed workers that up to 60 jobs could be lost at the factory in Machrihanish due to lack of orders.
The South Korean company took over the site on the former RAF airbase less than a year ago.
It was unclear if the problems would affect plans to build a new factory for offshore wind equipment.
CS Wind was not immediately available for comment.
The company acquired the turbine infrastructure firm Wind Towers Scotland (WTS) last April, and promised to create new jobs at the rural site near Campbeltown. It currently employs about 150 staff.
Local councillor Rory Colville said he understood plans for a new factory to build offshore wind power equipment would still go ahead, with construction due to start in July.
He said: "There's no indication that has been put off. The firm is seeking assurances from the governments at Holyrood and Westminster that they are still committed to wind energy.
"It's really important for the local economy that we keep CS Wind going."
Mr Colville said investment had been made in deep-water facilities to boost the wind energy sector, but he also called for the former airbase to be given Enterprise Zone status.
The site  was sold to a community-led consortium for Â£1 in 2012 and is one of six sites in contention to become the UK's first space port.
Scottish Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said market conditions were difficult for onshore wind energy firms but he also criticised the UK ministers for their "failure" to provide a viable 'route to market' for new projects.
He said: ""The announcement is disappointing news for the workforce at Machrihanish and the wider Campbeltown community and will be an extremely difficult time for those affected and their families.
"I understand from my own discussions with management that this is part of CS Wind UK's drive to improve the long term sustainability of the Machrihanish facility in the face of challenging market conditions."
Argyll and Bute MSP Michael Russell said he had spoken to both the company and the energy minister about the jobs threat.
He said: "I have been seeking assurances on the future of the staff who have been put on notice about possible job losses."


The US says the replacement of martial law with new emergency measures in Thailand does little to restore democracy in the military-run country.

Thailand's army, which took power in a coup in May, declared martial law over on Wednesday after almost a year.
But a section of the new constitution has been invoked instead under which the military retains significant power.
Critics have said Article 44 could lead to more draconian leadership and gives PM Prayuth Chan-Ocha unchecked power.
Security forces are still able to make arrests without warrants and detain people without charge, while Gen Prayuth - who led last year's coup - can rule by executive order in the name of national security.
The media remains heavily restricted and political gatherings of more than five people are still banned.
The US said it had wanted to see an end to detentions and the limits on freedom of expression.
"We are concerned that moving to a security order under Article 44 will not accomplish any of these objectives," a State Department official said.
"We would welcome the actual, full restoration of civil liberties in Thailand."
The move was also criticised as inadequate within Thailand.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist and director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, told reporters Thailand was "functionally in the same boat".
"Similar restrictions are still in place. And where there are pockets of dissent and political expression it is likely to be more draconian."
The Thai military government - officially known as the National Council for Peace and Order - has promised to restore democracy and hold elections in late 2015, but there is concern it is consolidating its power before then.
Officials had said the civil restrictions were necessary to maintain stability after the political unrest that preceded the coup. But the government had come under increasing pressure both from rights groups and from the vital tourism sector to end martial law.
On Wednesday, Gen Prayuth insisted Article 44 would be "exercised constructively", telling Thais: "Don't worry, if you're not doing anything wrong, there's no need to be afraid."


Experimental songwriter Jack Garratt has topped the BBC's Sound of 2016 list, which highlights the most exciting new artists in music.

The singer, from Buckinghamshire, said he was "unbelievably, overwhelmingly grateful" for the honour.
The list was compiled using tips from a panel of 144 DJs, journalists, festival bookers, bloggers and critics.
Last year's winners were pop trio Years and Years, who joined the likes of Adele, Sam Smith and Ellie Goulding.
Hailing from Little Chalfont, Garratt has come a long way since 2005, when he entered the British heats for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and placed eighth - out of eight.
The then-teenager went back to the drawing board, creating a genre-defying twist on pop music, which takes emotive singer-songwriter melodies and treats them with sparse, electronic beats and plummeting basslines.
He got his big break through the BBC's Introducing scheme, which allows aspiring artists to upload their songs for consideration by local and national radio stations, and has seen tracks like Breathe Life and Weathered championed by BBC Radio 1.
Like Ed Sheeran, the 24-year-old performs all his shows as a one man band - singing live while playing guitars, keyboards and drum pads.
Among the people who voted him onto the Sound of 2016 list was Anna Karatziva, head of talent and music for MTV Networks.
"I first saw Jack Garratt perform at the Great Escape in Brighton early last year and was blown away with his performance and his personality," she said.
"We were all mesmerized throughout the entire set and from then I knew he was going to be successful."
The Sound Of... list began in 2003 and has become a useful predictor of commercial success in the music industry.
Years & Years, who topped last year's list, saw both their debut single and album top the charts; ending up as one of the year's best-selling acts.
They said their advice to Garratt was "just enjoy it".
"It's quite nerve-wracking but in a good way," said keyboard player Emre Turkmen. "It's a real opportunity because many more people will have their eyes on you."
"Dear Jack Garratt," added his bandmate Mikey Goldsworthy, "you're going to be really busy."
Garratt, who has also won the Brits Critics' Choice prize, beat Canadian pop star Alessia Cara to top the BBC list; while third place went to leftfield soul singer NAO.
He called the honour "a moment of elevation", but promised to keep his feet on the ground.
"To have this kind of validation from my peers is ultimately one of the highest forms of respect that I can receive," he told the BBC. "But I have worked very, very hard to not let this kind of success get to me."
The musician also praised the "versatility" and "diversity" of the 15 acts on the Sound of 2016 longlist.
He added: "What really excites me is to know that UK music is at the forefront of changing the idea of what a 'genre' is and encouraging exciting music."


Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine are trying to find out who assassinated one of their commanders, considered a war criminal by Ukrainian authorities.

Russian-born Arsen Pavlov, nicknamed "Motorola", was killed by a bomb blast in the lift of his apartment block in the city of Donetsk on Sunday.
The rebels accused Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko of declaring war.
A video appeared online purportedly from a Ukrainian neo-Nazi group claiming it had killed Motorola.
But the claim from the mysterious "Misanthropic Division" has to be treated with great caution, the BBC's Tom Burridge in Kiev says. Propaganda, often vicious and cynical, is a feature of the conflict, he says.
Little is known about the "division". The clip was tweeted by Alexander Kots, a Russian war correspondent, and showed four masked men with guns.
The division's leader says his group had nothing to do with the video.
Motorola commanded a rebel battalion called Sparta, which took part in major offensives against Ukrainian government forces at Donetsk airport and Ilovaisk.
Ukraine accused him of war crimes.
Born in Komi, northern Russia, in 1983, Motorola called himself a "volunteer", the term used by the Kremlin for all Russians fighting in rebel ranks. Many of the rebel commanders are Russian citizens.
Last month President Poroshenko said Motorola had shot and killed a Ukrainian prisoner-of-war, Ihor Branovytsky, and said "the monster will answer" for that crime, the daily Ukrainskaya Pravda reported (in Russian).
In April last year Motorola told the Kiev Post that he had shot dead 15 Ukrainian soldiers captured by the rebels.
Commenting on the assassination, Donetsk rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said: "As I understand it, Petro Poroshenko has violated the ceasefire and declared war on us."
He described the killing as "terrorism".
Russia backs the rebels, who run a self-declared "Donetsk People's Republic" (DNR).
Rebel commander was Russian veteran - by Tom Burridge in Kiev:
The video posted online must be treated with great care.
It is striking that the men make a Nazi salute. But little is known about the group mentioned and there are already reports that the video is a fake.
There are some far-right groups in Ukraine and far-right battalions in the army enjoyed some success early on in the war.
However, Russian propaganda has overblown their importance and, in an almost farcical way, has portrayed the conflict in the east as a struggle against fascism.
In reality, far-right political parties enjoy minimal support in Ukraine.
Pavlov was born in Russia, previously served in the Russian military in Chechnya, and rose to prominence in the DNR militia during key battles in eastern Ukraine.
Many Ukrainians have reason to want him dead.
In a chilling taped phone call last year, Pavlov admitted killing Ukrainian prisoners-of-war.
Eastern Ukraine's unrecognised separatist republics are international pariahs and therefore economically dependent on Russia.
And Russian money, Russian culture and propaganda shape the discourse in these two isolated, war-torn regions.
According to some reports, an ethnic Abkhaz commander in the rebel ranks had fallen out with Motorola and may have been motivated to have him killed.
The continuing use of heavy weapons along the front line in eastern Ukraine is undermining the fragile ceasefire.
Ukraine, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia has supplied the rebels with heavy weapons and regular troops. Russia denies that, but it is hostile to the Kiev government and openly supports the rebel cause.
In the video, the "Misanthropic Division" warned that it would next target Mr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky, the rebel leader in the neighbouring Luhansk region.


Former Wycombe Wanderers forward Dean Morgan has joined Newport County for the rest of the season.

Morgan has also played for Reading, Luton Town, Crewe Alexandra, Southend United, MK Dons, Chesterfield, Oxford United and Woking.
The 32-year-old had a spell with Italian side U.S. Ancona 1905 earlier in the season before signing for Warren Feeney's side.
"The manager is someone I have known for a good number of years," Morgan said.
"I'm hoping that I can now get match fit and help the team progress and push on in the league."
"I feel that I have been playing consistently throughout my career and now I want to push
on and score a few goals during my time here with Newport."


People in Madagascar are puzzled why some children aren't getting enough nutrients - so are shorter than their peers - in an area where there is plenty of food.

In a community nutrition centre in a suburb of Antsirabe - one of the main towns in the central highlands region of Madagascar - two little girls, just under three-and-a-half years old, have come for a check-up.
When Jiana and Rova stand near each other the difference between the two is shocking.
Rova is a full head shorter than Jiana. She weighs just 60% of Jiana's weight and looks so much more fragile.
The staff at the centre suspect Rova could be suffering from chronic malnutrition.
Like many developing countries, Madagascar has a problem with this form of malnutrition.
Almost half of children under five are affected. The central highlands region, however, presents a particular paradox when it comes to chronic malnutrition.
The area has fertile soils and produces masses of food. Poverty and sanitation indicators are not the worst in the country and the healthcare infrastructure is relatively good.
Yet the central highlands - the area of Madagascar which includes the capital Antananarivo - have the highest rates of child chronic malnutrition in the country.
How this can be is a question that experts like Simeon Nanama, head of nutrition at the UN children's agency Unicef in Madagascar, are urgently trying to answer.
"We are here facing a dilemma that we all want to understand," Mr Nanama said. "In some of these regions 60% of the kids are affected."
Chronic malnutrition is different to acute malnutrition.
A child suffers acute malnutrition when there is a severe lack of food. Children with acute malnutrition are very thin and sometimes have swollen abdomens and limbs.
The outward signs of chronic malnutrition are not as easy to spot and this type of malnutrition is mainly caused by a lack of essential nutrients.
Children with chronic malnutrition are of course smaller and thinner than other children the same age, but otherwise they can look quite healthy.
The tragic thing about chronic malnutrition is that it has long-term effects on children's brain development.
Miora Randriamamonjy, Jiana's mother, knows children who have suffered from chronic malnutrition at a young age will not do as well at school and will not be as productive as adults, even if their living conditions improve later in life.
Her eyes well up with tears when she talks about how powerless she feels about the situation. She says she only has just enough resources to look after her own children.
"It's so sad and I can't do anything about it. They are just kids," she said.
Mr Nanama wants to understand more, so he can put money into the areas that would make the most impact.
But at the moment he says they need to continue investigating. He's hoping a report due soon will shed some light on the issue.
In the meantime, there are all sorts of theories about what could be the main factors behind the high rates of chronic malnutrition in the central highlands.
They range from the type of meals families prepare, and lack of childcare, to the fact that so much food produced in the region is transported to the capital, Antananarivo, for sale there.
One theory that I heard from a few different people during my visit to the area was that too many people farm land owned by others, rather than having the resources to work their own plots.
Vololona Ranaivoson is the community nutrition agent for the village of Ambalapaiso about 20km (12 miles) outside Antsirabe.
"People don't have the money to buy the things they need to farm themselves and the things they need to live at the same time," she said.
On top of this, she said there the problem of access to farmland.
If this is the reason some children are shorter than others, then eradicating stumped growth will not be simple.


Captain Alastair Cook has challenged his England players to "guarantee" their places by performing well in the final Test against South Africa.

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Cook's team hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series but does not want standards to drop.
"This side has a long way to go and there's a huge amount for the guys to play for personally," he said.
"As long as our attitude is right and people focus on what they can do to help the side, then we should be OK."
Nick Compton, James Taylor and Alex Hales have only played in 12, six and three Tests respectively and Cook wants them to impress before a busy summer that includes three Tests against Sri Lanka and four versus Pakistan.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5 live, Cook added: "Alex Hales got a good 60 in Cape Town and will be desperate to make his mark, as will some others, so they are guaranteed picks for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley.
"Hopefully they can go out and show the world how good they are. What a great stage to do that when you're 2-0 up in the series.
"It has been a really good tour, we haven't lost, and we've played some really good cricket. Winning in South Africa is another stepping stone but it is not the end of the road for the guys."
Cook needs 117 more runs to become the first Englishman to score 10,000 in Tests.
Despite losing the series, South Africa captain AB de Villiers expects his side to capitalise on England's "weaknesses".
"Their bowling is experienced but some of the guys have lost some pace over the years," said De Villiers.
"The batting is not 100% best-in-the-world material, there are areas we can expose if we start well with the ball. We can find cracks. They are not unbeatable.
"England seem to know what they are doing, they understand their roles really well, but there's also no doubt there are weaknesses there."
England, who are without the injured Steven Finn (side strain), will choose between Chris Woakes, Mark Footitt and Chris Jordan on Friday morning.
"It is quite a big decision to make. All three are different options and all three are desperate for it to be them who gets selected," said Cook.
"When you're weighing up a lot of options you can overcomplicate it, so I think it's just a case of playing our best side."
South Africa are set to include opening batsman Stephen Cook, while seamer Kyle Abbott and off-spinner Dane Piedt could return to the side.
BBC Radio 5 live's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew:
"Before the final match in the last Ashes, with England in an unassailable position, Alastair Cook phoned every member of the team and urged the need to stay focused. It did not work and England were thumped, so the challenge here is to ensure that does not happen again.
"There are people like Hales, Compton, Taylor and Finn's replacement, whoever that might be, and for them this match is crucial for their futures. But even established players like Cook himself and Anderson need to stamp their mark on this series.
"There is grass on the pitch and further changes to an unsettled South Africa team, possibly including a debut for 33-year-old Stephen Cook, the son of former opening batsman Jimmy Cook."


Children may be at risk because the system designed to prevent abuse in sport is not working properly, according to a report by MSPs.

Holyrood's health and sport committee also accused the SFA of being "asleep on the job" over the issue.
The committee launched its inquiry after allegations emerged of young footballers being abused by coaches.
BBC Scotland later found that 2,500 youth football coaches did not have full background checks.
The committee said there was a "compelling case" for the current voluntary Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG) to be made mandatory for all sports organisations in Scotland.
The Scottish government plans to have new legislation in place by 2019.
But the committee said it believed action needed to be taken now to strengthen the PVG scheme and to ensure "unsuitable people" were prevented from doing regulated work.
It also called for a strengthening of the "minimum operating requirements" that sport governing bodies are required to meet in relation to child protection.
And it recommended that future grants from SportScotland to governing bodies be "conditional on adequate procedures not only being in place but being timeously adhered to".
The report highlighted concerns raised about a backlog of checks waiting to be carried out on coaches and officials working with young footballers.
Committee members also said the Scottish Youth Football Association (SFYA) "misled government officials and the committee in relation to the levels of backlog being experienced since at least August 2016".
Committee convener Neil Findlay said the evidence had highlighted variations in how the PVG scheme operates in sports across Scotland.
The Labour MSP added: "Ultimately, we believe the current system of PVG checks may not be preventing unsuitable people from doing regulated work with children.
"We're talking about the safety of children - urgent action is needed now to strengthen the scheme as 2019 is too long to wait for new legislation."
Mr Findlay said the committee had raised "serious concerns" about the ability of the SYFA to ensure PVG checks were carried out efficiently.
He said: "We cannot, even now, be confident that the SYFA is being truthful in relation to the size of their backlog and consequently that as an organisation they are committed to undertaking the appropriate PVG checking expeditiously.
"We consider the SFA to have been asleep on the job and continuingly complacent in this area. Based on the information provided, we are left with concerns about the current protections being afforded to youth footballers in Scotland."
The PVG scheme, which has been in operation since 2011, is a registration system for people who work, whether paid or unpaid, with children and protected adults.
The checks are carried by Disclosure Scotland and searches are made of databases, including criminal records.
A spokesman for the SYFA said it placed the safety of Scotland's youth footballers at the heart of everything it did.
He added: "We are one of the country's largest users of PVG checks and register thousands of new officials every year.
"We have tightened our procedures in recent months and are amongst the very best-performing youth sports bodies in the country when it comes to ensuring Disclosure Scotland checks are carried out in a timely fashion.
"We are very disappointed with comments that we in any way misled anyone about our procedures and have been open and honest in all our dealings with the parliament."
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the SFA said it was in "full agreement" that the PVG scheme should be overhauled as soon as possible.
But he said the organisation "strongly refutes and does not recognise" Mr Findlay's claim that it was complacent over the issue.
The spokesman added: "The responsibility for PVG checks in youth football rests with the Scottish Youth FA. It is important to stress that all coaches and staff engaged directly by the Scottish FA are fully compliant with the PVG legislation.
"We are fully aware of our own responsibilities as the governing body and reiterate our commitment to reassuring young players and parents that Scottish football is a safe environment in which to play."
Sport Minister Aileen Campbell said: "The deputy first minister announced a review of the PVG scheme last year which will review all aspects of the scheme.
"The review will lead to a formal consultation and we will take forward any legislation necessary to ensure the PVG scheme retains its essential purpose of safeguarding."
BBC Scotland revealed in December that 2,500 of the 15,385 coaches registered with the SYFA did not have PVG clearance.
The SYFA said it would tighten up its procedures - with hundreds of youth football coaches and officials and 18 youth football clubs from across Scotland subsequently being suspended for failing to complete the background checks.
It later emerged that 14 of the 45 sport governing bodies that responded to a BBC Scotland query may also have unchecked coaches.
Sports organisations gave a number of reasons for coaches not being checked at the time of the survey.
Some coaches are self-employed, others are involved with school clubs where the local authority was responsible for checks, some were in the process of becoming qualified, while some were doing unregulated work that did not require a check.
More than 20 UK police forces - including Police Scotland - have confirmed they are investigating claims of historical child abuse in football.
A BBC Scotland investigation revealed that former youth coach and referee Hugh Stevenson was allowed to carry on working in football for several years after being reported to police and the SFA over child sex offences.
And Jim McCafferty, a former youth coach who was the kit man for Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk, was arrested in Belfast after allegations were made against him.
Separately, allegations have also been made against coaches who were formerly involved with clubs including Motherwell, Partick Thistle and Rangers.
The allegations involve incidents said to have happened between the 1970s and early 1990s.


Bath have signed Scotland back-rower David Denton from Edinburgh.

The arrival of Denton helps the Premiership club cover the departure of Sam Burgess, who left to return to rugby league last week.
Denton, 25, has 32 Scotland caps and appeared in four World Cup games earlier this year.
"We've been looking to bolster our back row for some time now so we're very excited that David is joining us," said Bath head coach Mike Ford.
Born in Zimbabwe, Denton played for Eastern Province in South Africa before moving to Scotland.
"He had an excellent World Cup, especially in the quarter-final when he managed to outshine one of the best Australian back rows I've seen for a long time," added Ford. "He's going to fit in very well with the team and the way we play here."
Denton made 78 appearances for Edinburgh following his arrival in 2010, and can switch between blindside flanker and number eight.
The back-rower, for whom Bath paid a fee to bring to The Rec, said it had been a tough decision to leave Scotland.
"I've had an incredible six years at Edinburgh," he said. "It's been the hardest decision I've ever made, as I am going to miss the club, but I am really looking forward to an opportunity to play at one of the premier clubs in Europe."
Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson said the move represented an "excellent opportunity" for the player to experience playing in the Premiership.
"It came out of the blue, and while it wasn't an easy decision, we weren't going to stand in the way," said Dodson.
"Edinburgh Rugby is well covered in the back-row department and this gives young, local talent like Jamie Ritchie, Magnus Bradbury and Hamish Watson further opportunities to play."


A sapphire and diamond coronet given to Queen Victoria by her beloved husband Albert has been placed under a temporary export bar, preventing it from being taken abroad.

What other cultural objects have been dubbed "national treasures" in an effort to keep them in the UK?
Every year, a panel of experts advise ministers on whether objects which are more than 50 years old and have been sold to overseas buyers should be "saved" for the nation.
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest has the power to place bars on such treasures - giving UK-based individuals or institutions time to raise money to keep them.
In 2013, US singer Kelly Clarkson was thwarted in her bid to buy a ring which once belonged to 19th Century novelist Jane Austen.
Clarkson bought the turquoise and gold ring for £152,450 at auction, outbidding the Jane Austen's House Museum - which is located at the author's former residence in Hampshire.
Following a temporary export ban, the museum's "Bring the Ring Home" campaign saw donations from across the world and enough money was raised to buy it.
The ring was accompanied by papers documenting its history within the author's family.
A successful fundraising appeal was launched by the Tate in 2006 after JMW Turner's 1842 painting of the Rigi mountain, seen from Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, was sold at auction for £5.8m - a then record price for a British watercolour.
The Blue Rigi, Sunrise was described by then Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota as a "truly extraordinary work of ineffable beauty".
More than 11,000 donations totalling £550,000 were received from the public in the UK and other nations, including from artists David Hockney and Peter Blake.
The Tate pledged £2m and was also given £500,000 by The Art Fund charity, while the National Heritage Memorial Fund made up the rest of the cost.
The work was kept in the UK and went on display at an exhibition at Tate Britain in 2007.
A donation from US gallery owner and philanthropist Ronald S Lauder helped to retain a rare medieval panel by Italian artist Giovanni de Rimini.
Scenes From the Lives of the Virgin and Other Saints, painted around 1300-1305, was in the Duke of Northumberland's Alnwick Castle collection.
A temporary export bar was put in place after it was sold at auction at Sotheby's in 2014.
Mr Lauder provided the funds to enable the National Gallery to buy the work for £4.91m. The deal means that the panel will be loaned to Mr Lauder during his lifetime but it will return regularly to the National Gallery during this period.
The "Birkin" Bentley Blower became the most expensive British car sold at a public auction when it was snapped up by an anonymous bidder at the Goodwood Festival of Speed for £5.1m in 2012.
It was one of seven classic cars and two motorcycles owned by Isle of Man watchmaker Dr George Daniels, who died in October 2011.
The single-seater racing car - a supercharged version of Bentley's 1927 four-and-a-half litre car - gained its nickname because it was designed by the aristocrat Sir Henry Birkin.
The car was driven by Sir Henry at the Brooklands track in Surrey - the world's first purpose-built motor circuit.
British Motor Industry Heritage Trust objected to it going abroad, saying it was one of the most important racing cars to have survived from the pre-war era.
But by the end of the temporary bar period, no offer to purchase the racing car had been made and an export licence was finally issued.
Pablo Picasso's Child With A Dove was one of the earliest works by the artist to enter a British collection when it was bought in 1924.
But no institution was able to raise the funds to buy the painting back from a private collector based in Qatar, who paid a reported £50m for it in 2012.
It was sold by auctioneers Christies on behalf of the Aberconway family in Wales, who were bequeathed the painting in 1947 and loaned it to public galleries.
Child With A Dove was seen as marking a transition from Picasso's celebrated Blue Period, when he moved away from a broadly Impressionistic style.
The reviewing committee had argued the painting from 1901 had achieved "iconic status" which, with its long history in British collections, made it of outstanding importance to the UK's national heritage.


Scotland's national rugby and football stadiums could host a regular-season NFL game in future.

Murrayfield, with a 67,000 capacity, and the 52,000-capacity Hampden Park have been identified as possible options for more expansion in the UK.
London will stage four more NFL games this autumn, two at Wembley and two at Twickenham, after three games in 2016.
With overseas matches continuing until at least 2025, the league is keen to branch out into other European cities.
"It is great to see how passionate the fans are here," said Charlotte Offord, the director of marketing for NFL UK, on a promotional visit to Glasgow.
"They are travelling quite long distances to come to NFL games, which is great to see.
"Hampden Park and Murrayfield are two venues that are well equipped and have the right pitch size to host an NFL game.
"Although the focus for us right now is expanding the London games, conversations have certainly taken place and will continue to take place around whether a game is possible in Scotland in the future."
American football's profile in Scotland has plummeted since the demise of the Scottish Claymores, who competed in the World League of American Football (later renamed NFL Europe) between 1995 and 2004.
The Claymores were initially based at Murrayfield, before later alternating their games between the capital and Hampden Park. Officials at both venues would be keen to stage the sport again.
A spokesman for the national football stadium told BBC Scotland: "Hampden Park was the spiritual home for the successful Scottish Claymores...and a logical choice should the NFL seek to expand their horizons in the future."
And the Scottish Rugby Union said: "We are very open to welcoming NFL matches to BT Murrayfield. We have nothing planned, but always welcome discussions."
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The NFL claims it has 13 million fans in the UK, and its players are happy at the prospect of branching out into new territories.
"The more places we can go, the better," Christian Kirksey, a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, who will play Minnesota Vikings at Twickenham in October this year, told BBC Scotland.
"It is all about expanding your fan base and letting people see you, rather than just watching you on TV.
"I think it is a good idea for us to keep travelling to different spots and get more exposure for the NFL."
Thomas Morstead, a kick-off specialist for New Orleans Saints, who play Miami Dolphins at Wembley later this year, would also be happy to play a regular-season game in Scotland.
"What's an extra 30 minutes or hour's flight?" said the 2010 Superbowl winner. "I don't think it matters where it is.
"If there are passionate fans that want to see us play, I am sure if they can fill a stadium and that the NFL would love to play here at some point."


This season's FA Cup is as significant for Louis van Gaal's future as Manchester United manager as it was for Sir Alex Ferguson in 1990, says Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew.

Palace meet United at Wembley next month in a repeat of the 1990 final. Winning that trophy reportedly helped keep Ferguson in his job 26 years ago.
"I remember Sir Alex's career hinged on that game and maybe LVG's career will hinge on this," said Pardew, who played for Palace in the 1990 final, which United won after a replay.
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Ferguson went on to achieve unprecedented success with United, winning 13 Premier League titles and four more FA Cups during a trophy-laden career before retiring in 2013.
This season's FA Cup represents the last chance for United to win any silverware during an inconsistent campaign in which Van Gaal's position has come under increasing scrutiny.
United are fifth in the Premier League table, five points off the Champions League qualification places - albeit with a game in hand - and it has been assumed by many that Van Gaal will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season to be replaced by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Following United's 2-1 semi-final win over Everton on Saturday, Van Gaal said he would leave it up to the club's board to decide whether he should remain at the club.
"I like the guy [Van Gaal]," said Pardew. "He's had some terrible, terrible press and I look forward to seeing him in the final."
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Pardew's side beat Watford 2-1 to book their place in the final, with Connor Wickham's goal proving the winner after Hornet's striker Troy Deeney had cancelled out Yannick Bolasie's opener for the Eagles.
The Palace boss likened Bolasie's goal - a header at the back-post following Damien Delaney's flick-on - to his own winner in the 4-3 semi-final win over Liverpool 26 years ago.
"We paid a bit of homage to that side with the flick-on for the corner," added Pardew. "Steve Coppell can take a bit of credit for that one.
"This is a different team, with a different spirit, but the characteristics are similar to 1990. They are hard-working, diligent, with good defenders and some pace on the attack.
"I just hope the destiny isn't the same result in the final."
Meanwhile, Pardew has agreed a contract extension with Palace but says he will not sign it until the club's Premier League status has been secured.
The Eagles are 16th in the table on 39 points - eight above the relegation zone - with three games left. Sunderland in 17th and 18th-placed Norwich are on 31 points but have a game in hand.
"I'm not ready to sign yet because the decision I made was that I wouldn't sign it until we're mathematically safe," said Pardew.
"We have to keep our focus and ensure the team is ready for three important league games. We need to get the points, and then we can enjoy the cup final."
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The UK Government will publish its draft plan to tackle illegal levels of air pollution after it decided not to appeal against a High Court ruling.

Last week, the High Court's rejected a bid by ministers to delay publication of the plan, which was prompted by high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
This means the document should be published in the next week.
Courts had given ministers until Monday 24 April to set out the draft guidelines.
But on the Friday before the deadline, the government lodged an application to delay release until after the general election on 8 June.
They argued that publication would fall foul of election "purdah" rules.
Bid to delay air pollution plan fails
A special hearing was held on Thursday 27 April to discuss this application, but it was rejected by the judge, Mr Justice Garnham.
Now, Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman has said the plan will be published between Thursday's local government elections and the deadline of 9 May imposed in the hearing last week.
This is five days after the local elections, but long before the general election on 8 June.
He told a regular Westminster media briefing: "We have looked at the judgment from last week and we will not be appealing.
"The court deadline was May 9 and we will be meeting that deadline. We will publish at the earliest opportunity after local election purdah is over and before the deadline."
The 31 July date for publication of the final plan remains unchanged.
The development is the latest move in a long-running legal battle between the government and ClientEarth, a group of environmental lawyers.
ClientEarth chief executive James Thornton said: "We're delighted the government has decided to stop dithering and delaying and look forward to seeing its air quality plans after the local elections.
"We'll be analysing these plans and making sure they are up to scratch.
"We must see truly robust measures, including a national network of clean air zones to keep the dirtiest diesel vehicles away from pollution hotspots in our towns and cities."


Djibouti is clearly a little nervous about democracy, as within 48 hours of arriving to report on the forthcoming elections, I was among a three-man BBC team detained and expelled without explanation.

The Red Sea nation is an important security hub, hosting military bases from the US and France.
It was my first visit and I was most looking forward to seeing how the country operated with so many military personnel representing different interests.
As well as focusing on the election and its attraction to the world's military powers, we wanted to see how its economy was developing.
The heavy military presence is a win-win situation, Foreign Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told me a few hours after our arrival.
Djibouti, which borders Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, gains revenue and expertise from some of the best military forces the world had to offer as well as also enjoying good security, he said.
Later that evening, we went out for dinner to have a feel of Djiboutian life and a taste of the election fever.
Our team included a cameraman and producer, and as we weaved through several narrow streets, at one point a group of children ran past chanting: "I-O-G! I-O-G!"
We had seen these initials, referring to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, on buildings and vehicles everywhere - and on a brief drive out of the capital city the next day we noticed that they had even been painted in white on the hills in the distance.
It was a strong reminder of the dominance of the man who has led Djibouti for 16 years - and looks likely to defeat any opposition challenge in this week's elections.
Omar Elmi Khaireh is one of two candidates actually running against the president, with three of the country's seven opposition parties choosing to boycott the poll entirely.
Mr Khaireh is no stranger to confronting authority, having got into trouble with French colonialists during the struggle for Djibouti's independence.
On the day after our arrival, we interviewed him just before he set out for a rally.
With a yellow sash draped around his neck, he complained that the government was not providing a good atmosphere for opposition parties to operate.
Djibouti is not generally considered a safe haven for dissent.
It ranked 170 out of 180 on last year's World Press Freedom Index by the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, with reports that legal and illegal means have been used to stifle journalists.
So we were not surprised to see the silver Suzuki car trailing us as we moved around the city, or the man secretly filming us on his mobile phone when we stopped outside a shop.
But we didn't anticipate what happened next: A group of at least six men approached us in a tranquil cafe where we were having lunch.
They flashed green ID cards and said they were from "national security".
Their leader, a tall man, possibly in his mid-thirties, announced they were taking us back to our hotel to get our equipment.
Our hotel was just across the street, but bizarrely, they tried to force us into a minivan with blacked out windows to get there.
We refused and eventually they agreed to walk with us, having confiscated our mobile phones.
The receptionist at our hotel tried to stick up for us, protesting at the aggressive behaviour of the men as they crowded the entrance to the hotel, demanding we hand over our cameras.
But his attempts only brought trouble on himself, and soon two men with "Police" spelled out in bold on the back of their polo shirts descended on him and bundled him into another vehicle.
They drove our team away in the first minivan, forcing us to put our heads down unless we wanted to be blindfolded.
We headed east from our hotel, stopping at a building where we were held for most of the next 19 hours.
We met a man who hesitantly identified himself as Abdi. He appeared to be the person in charge and said this was a matter of national security.  He offered us coffee and water.
We were interrogated for about eight hours in total, sometimes as a group, but mostly individually.
Why were we interviewing an opposition candidate?
Why had we chosen this specific time to be in Djibouti?
At times, their questions made me wonder if we had got the election dates wrong.
They also accused us of posing a threat to the president and of being sponsored by the opposition.
They scanned and photocopied our passports.
It was almost laughable how they could not even decide what they wanted to charge us with.
Eventually Abdi, the man in charge, said the decision had been made from higher up to expel us from the country.
At this point in our detention, we had still not been allowed to communicate with anyone in the outside world.
The people holding us left for the day and handed us over to another bunch.
These ones were younger, mostly in their twenties and appeared less willing to reason with us, preferring to focus on chewing mouthfuls of khat, the plant traditionally used as a stimulant in the region.
At one point they told us it was time to leave. They took us to the airport but they could not get us on the 23:30 GMT Kenya Airways flight, so we were taken back to the national security building.
This time we were shown a room, which I suppose was for security guards. In it there were mattresses on the floor for us.
As the three of us lay there, we thought and talked about our loved ones and colleagues who would be trying to reach us.
We barely slept until daylight. Later in the morning we were taken to the airport again.
We rushed to the plane, which had been delayed for us.
This time we had our mobile phones in hand and were able to announce that we were safe.


A stable fire in Puslinch, Ontario in Canada has killed 43 horses despite dozens of firefighters working to douse the flames.

The fire began around 23:00 local time (04:00 GMT) on Monday, and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze as -15C (5F) temperatures froze water lines, the CBC reported.
The damaged multi-million dollar Classy Lane Stables is widely known in Ontario's horse-racing community.
"This is devastating for our community. This is the highest loss that our community has faced by far," the area fire chief, Steven Goode, told the CBC. "Unfortunately, none of the horses could be saved."
The Canadian broadcaster said that the 50 fire fighters from five departments fought the blaze, trucking water to the site since no hydrants were located in the remote area. It was first reported by a neighbour who spotted it and called emergency services.
Puslinch is located about 38 miles (61km) southwest of Toronto.


A 21-year-old man has told a court an alleged serial killer drugged and raped him at his east London flat.

The man said Stephen Port, 41, told him he had a lubricant but then injected him with a syringe in August 2015, the Old Bailey heard.
A month earlier, Mr Port had twice tried to inject a 35-year-old man with drugs, jurors were told.
The chef denies 29 charges, including four of murder as well as rape, sexual assault and drugging.
Both men told jurors they had gone to Mr Port's flat in Barking for sex.
The 21-year-old said he was in the lounge of the property when Mr Port left and returned holding something he could not fully see. He then felt a "bite" and "physical pain".
"I realised it was a syringe. He was injecting something into me without my consent," he told the court.
After stating that he did not take drugs, Mr Port then allegedly "injected it a second time immediately after I said that".
The man, who cannot be named, said he felt "very dizzy" and that his "brain was not functioning properly". He soon fell unconscious.
When he came round 11 hours later, Mr Port was having sex with him in bed, he told the court.
He tried to resist but fell asleep again, the jury was told.
When he woke again he "couldn't sit up in the bed" but there was further sexual contact when he asked Mr Port "shall we have some fun?"
When asked why he did this, he said: "I don't know. I couldn't make any sound judgement at the time."
Earlier, a 35-year-old man said Mr Port had tried to insert something "plastic" into him.
The defendant had told him it would "feel good in a couple of minutes", but the man, who also cannot be named, said "it didn't feel right," and that he felt a "slight burning" which was "unpleasant".
The man told the court the pair met met via dating app Grindr, and Mr Port sent him two photos purporting to be of himself.
There were no lights on and this obscured the defendant, the court heard.
The man told jurors Mr Port pretended to put the item away but then quickly tried to reinsert it, to which he immediately said "that's it" and got off the bed.
When he turned a light on, he said, Mr Port looked "totally different" from the pictures he had seen on the app.
After asking who he was, he "quickly ran to the front door in case he (Mr Port) tried to stop me. I was panicking," he told jurors.
The trial continues.


A Chinese shopping mall which houses Pizza, dubbed the "world's saddest polar bear", says it is planning an expansion.

The Guangzhou Grandview Aquarium said it wanted to take in giant pandas among thousands of other animals.
The aquarium was criticised internationally after footage emerged of Pizza living in cramped conditions unsuitable for his species.
A UK wildlife park's offer to rehouse the bear was recently dismissed.
The aquarium has been at the centre of controversy after it opened in January inside a shopping mall.
The mall told the BBC it was planning an indoor zoo, about 5,900 sq m in size, which will house pandas and white tigers among other animals.
It is already home to beluga whales, walrus calves, a wolf and arctic foxes.
"It concerns me that they're trying to house any large mammals within the shopping centre," said Welfare Director Dave Neals of Animals Asia, an animal charity that has been petitioning to close down the site.
"I don't believe there would be enough space or that they would be able to provide adequately for those animals,"
Pizza lives in a small enclosure, with a constant stream of visitors taking photos or tapping on its glass exhibit.
Animals Asia said the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, home to a specially created polar bear habitat, offered to house Pizza but was turned down.
Mr Neale called this decision "disappointing".
"It was an opportunity for them to actually do something that was going to improve the bear's welfare and ultimately there's very little you can do within that type of enclosure to make that type of bear happy and healthy," he told the BBC.
The owners of the indoor zoo in Guangzhou insist they have made improvements to the park since July.
But Animals Asia said conditions were still cramped, with "nothing natural".
The mall said it had submitted its expansion plans to the authorities, and hopes to finish building work by 2017.


A woman has admitted kidnapping a nine-week-old baby boy in Telford.

Kelly Mahon, of John Broad Avenue, Arleston, was arrested after the infant was reported missing from his home on 24 February. He was found safe and well the same day.
Mahon, 41, admitted one charge of kidnap at Shrewsbury Crown Court and was remanded in custody.
Judge Robin Onions told the defendant she was likely to receive a custodial sentence "of some length".
During a hearing at Telford Magistrates' Court last month the prosecutor told the court the kidnap had been "pre-planned".
Kelly Crowe told magistrates on 26 February: "When officers go around there (to Mahon's home) a number of baby items were present; cots, clothes, baby clothes, both female and male and also a to-do list.
"She made reference to sterilisers, nappies, and milk for babies."
The case has been adjourned until 12 May.


Lee McCulloch has ruled himself out of taking on the managerial role at Kilmarnock permanently.

The former Rangers midfielder, in caretaker charge following Gary Locke's resignation, gave a flat "no" when asked if he wanted the job.
"It's a day at a time for me," the 37-year-old former Scotland international told BBC Scotland.
"I'll be in charge for Saturday's game at Fir Park and then we'll see what happens. I am quite happy with that."
Kilmarnock will interview former Scotland international Graham Alexander for the vacancy within the next 24 hours.
Discussions have already taken place with former Huddersfield, Birmingham and Blackpool manager Lee Clark and former Swindon boss Mark Cooper.
McCulloch led the Ayrshire side to a Scottish Cup replay with a goalless draw against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.
"I'm sure the board will make the right appointment," he said. "They don't want to be rushed into it. They will do what's right for the fans and the club.
"I try not to get involved in anything other than the team on the pitch and I think that's the way it should be."
Asked if he might want the job until the end of the season should relegation-threatened Kilmarnock beat Motherwell at the weekend, he replied. "I doubt that.
"The board know my feelings. They know exactly where I stand and I know where they stand."


Barcelona have "no plan B" to Luis Enrique, whose future as manager will be decided in April, the Spanish champions' president says.

Enrique's contract expires at the end of this season, and some fans booed him during Sunday's 2-1 win over Leganes.
"The priority is still for Luis Enrique to continue," Josep Maria Bartomeu told Catalan broadcaster TV3.
"In the last few years, he has won almost all competitions. The Barca supporters are very happy with him."
Former Barca and Spain midfielder Enrique, 46, was appointed in 2014. He won the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey in his first season in charge, adding a domestic double last term.
But this season has been more difficult. On Tuesday, Barca were beaten 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris St-Germain.
Sunday's win over Leganes, secured with a 90th-minute Lionel Messi penalty, ensures they remain a point behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid.
"We will speak to Luis in April to see how he feels. There is no plan B," Bartomeu added.
"He is doing an extraordinary job and now we enter the most important stage of the season."
Madrid, who have not won the league since 2012, beat Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday. They have two games in hand on Barca - the first of which comes on Wednesday at 17:45 GMT, away to Valencia.
Barca, who have already set up a Spanish Cup final with Alaves, play the return leg of their tie with PSG at Camp Nou on 8 March.


Across the world there has been a decline in piracy and sea robbery, but one precarious expanse of ocean waters in South East Asia is bucking that trend, as maritime defence expert Swee Lean Collin Koh explains.

There was a time when news of pirates and kidnap-for-ransom dramas in the waters off Somalia dominated global news headlines.
In 2011, at the height of the crisis, a total of 237 incidents were reported in the area. Since then, however, piracy has decreased significantly off the Horn of Africa, despite a recent attack against a Comoros-flagged tanker and one reported incident in the third quarter of last year.
In Asia, there are reasons to be optimistic: reported piracy and sea robbery incidents, including cases of fuel-oil siphoning, have more than halved from 2015 to 2016, due to measures undertaken by both government agencies and shippers.
But there is one small stretch of ocean waters in South East Asia that could potentially be one of the riskiest regions in the maritime world.
Few people will have heard of it and it has barely hit the global headlines, compared to key waterways such as the Malacca Strait, but the Sulu-Celebes Sea, encompassing the waters around Indonesia, Malaysia's eastern Sabah state and the Philippines, has become an area of growing concern.
Since March 2016, a spate of kidnap-for-ransom incidents have been reported there and in the waters off eastern Sabah.
These attacks were attributed mainly to the Abu Sayyaf militant group operating out of the southern Philippines, although some appear to be criminal groups.
What is worrying is their evolving modus operandi. They initially targeted slow-moving, low-freeboard vessels such as tugboats (typically towing barges laden with coal bound from Indonesia to the southern Philippines) and fishing trawlers.
But they have since become more brazen, making attempts on larger ships in the area. Notably, a South Korean-flagged heavy-load carrier was attacked in southern Philippine waters in October 2016.
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have held a series of high-level meetings and issued joint statements envisaging the creation of something called a Trilateral Co-operative Arrangement (TCA).
A four-point action plan was agreed between the three countries' foreign ministers back in May 2016, but progress has not been as swift as some might have expected, even though a model exists in the form of joint co-ordinated patrols in the Malacca Strait.
Jakarta initiated this proposal and has eagerly pushed for the TCA's implementation, given that many of the kidnap-for-ransom victims are Indonesians.
But frustration within the Indonesian government at the slow progress led to it imposing a moratorium on coal shipments to the Philippines, to be extended "until there is a guarantee for security from the Philippine government".
The two countries later forged an agreement - based on a 1975 border pact - which allows Indonesian forces to conduct "hot pursuit" into Philippine territory.
Successive joint statements continued to agree to explore measures such as co-ordinated patrols and a safe vessel transit corridor through the Sulu-Celebes Sea.
The growing threat posed by the Islamic State hastened moves by the three countries including, notably, an agreement to establish command posts in Bongao in the Philippines, Tawau in Malaysia and Tarakan in Indonesia.
Stop-gap measures were put in place while the three nations worked with their domestic institutions on a deal. For example, Jakarta and Manila formalised co-ordinated patrols to take place twice a year.
Following a spate of attacks on East Malaysia-registered fishing boats crewed by Indonesians late last year, Jakarta sought assurances from the Sabah local authorities regarding the safety of roughly 6,000 Indonesian fishing crew working in Malaysian waters.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also chimed in, appearing to hint at his frustration about the slow progress in the TCA when he remarked "Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines [must] talk about this and once for all, come up with a solution".
"There's a need for usâ€¦ to talk about this seriously and to put a stop to it because it has somehow paralysed the trade and commerce in that area," he added.
International shippers have shied away from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao because of the attacks, denying the Philippine region much-needed foreign investment.
In December, Malaysian security forces clashed for the first time with Filipino gunmen in waters off Semporna, killing three of them and capturing three others. This seems to have had an effect. Late that month, Kuala Lumpur revealed that it was in final talks with Jakarta and Manila on implementing the TCA.
But a spate of new attacks this year - on a Sabah-registered fishing vessel and a Vietnamese vessel - highlighted the urgent need to go beyond mere talks.
Manila has asked both China and the United States to contribute to maritime security in international waters in the area. And in March, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines finally agreed to begin patrolling the proposed transit corridor. Shippers could heave a sigh of relief, at last.
However, successfully carrying out this trilateral maritime security framework will require all three governments to sustain their commitments, including the need to put aside political concerns - such as the question of sovereignty between Kuala Lumpur and Manila over Sabah, since Mr Duterte has insisted that his administration "will stick to our claim".
If the TCA succeeds, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines would not only prove to the international community that the Sulu-Celebes Sea is not a "new Somalia", but also demonstrate their ability to put aside political and diplomatic concerns to pool their efforts to deal with a common threat.
Swee Lean Collin Koh is a research fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, part of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, based in Singapore.


Alibaba boss Jack Ma, the head of China's largest e-commerce company, is in Detroit to woo US businesses to his platform, as China looks to replace America as the world's largest consumer economy.

About 7,000 US brands market and sell using on Tmall, Alibaba's marketplace, according to the company.
Mr Ma said in January he wants to attract one million US small firms.
His push comes as US President Donald Trump emphasises increasing US exports.
At a meeting with Mr Trump in January, Mr Ma said he thought the US could add one million jobs over the next five years, if he successfully attracted firms to his business.
That's not necessarily an easy sell. The average Chinese customer still lags when it comes to spending power. Mr Ma has also faced concerns over counterfeit goods sold through his sites.
At the conference in Detroit in Wednesday, Mr Ma said Chinese families were hungry for US goods.
He said the internet empowered small businesses to benefit from globalisation and boasted of the size of China's market of nearly 1.4 billion people.
"Please view China as an opportunity," he said. "Don't miss this chance."
The Detroit conference attracted brands such as Gerber, Martha Stewart and LuckyVitamin.
Alibaba is best known for its e-commerce business, which it told investors this month accounts for 11% of retail sales in China.
But its scope extends into cloud computing, logistics, media and financial services, rivalling Amazon in ambition.
The firm reported nearly $23bn in revenue for its 2017 financial year and about $6bn in profits.
Amazon, by comparison, reported nearly $136bn in revenue and $2.4bn in profits in its most recent financial year.
Mr Ma said more than 200 million people shopped via mobile phone on an Alibaba site every day.
The firm also helps deliver about 60 million packages each day - a number he expects to see jump to one billion in 10 years, he said.


"From that moment all my religion died, after that journey all my teaching and belief in God had left me - never to return."

This was how Charles Bartram, a 23-year-old former colliery worker from Doncaster, described his experience of the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
It is one of more than 500 remarkable first-hand accounts of the World War One battle donated to the Imperial War Museum, the "vast majority" of which have never been seen before.
Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the museum, says it is "quite amazing" to have come across so much previously unseen material about a battle that ended 100 years ago this week.
What makes these testimonies "incredibly unusual" he says, is that they talk so candidly about killing in hand-to-hand fighting - and often the remorse felt afterwards.
"It's very unusual for people from World War One to talk about the actual act of killing.  It's usually skirted around."
It was an "uncomfortable" subject for returning soldiers, he says, and memoirs and letters tended to avoid it.
But these accounts have some graphic details.
John Kirkham of the Manchester Battalion described how he could not shake off the memory of striking a German soldier with a club with metal spikes.
"It sank deep into his forehead. In the scuffle, his helmet flew off, and I saw that he was a bald-headed old man. I have never forgotten that bald bead, and I don't suppose I ever will, poor devil."
The accounts were gathered more than 40 years ago for a classic history of the Somme, written by Martin Middlebrook. But much of the material was never published and only this summer was given to the museum.
This might have been the only time that soldiers recorded their feelings.
"You ask me to tell you about things I saw, you will be the only person I have ever told this to. The reason, they would never believe me," recorded Robert Payne of the Royal Garrison Artillery.
This soldier won the Military Medal, but his account includes stories of "self-inflicted wounds, several cases of madness" and a "poor chap" who threw down his gun and refused to move.
There are other accounts of an officer with shell shock having to be physically restrained by his "burly batman".
Despite the violence of the conflict, these stories are deeply humane and lacking in any self-glorification.
George Mayne, a 19-year-old Royal Fusilier describes a sense of "bewilderment" and feeling "woolly headed" as he went over the top and charged across no man's land.
When he stormed into the opposing trench he found a dying German soldier, calling for his mother and for water.
"I am glad to this day that I gave him a drink from my precious water," he wrote.
There were moments of bleak humour too.
Tom Short, a 19-year-old with the London Rifle Brigade, had charged a trench spotted by aerial reconnaissance, to find that the "trench" was only two feet deep.
Horribly exposed, Tom faced a German bayonet charge and thought that it was all over.
"In a split second before the moment of connecting my stomach with a bayonet, at which I was nearly passed out in terror, a terrific shout of "halt" came from somewhere and knowing how disciplined the German soldier is, the bod coming at me slid flat on his back, his rifle shot straight up in the air and his legs shot between mine. It appears a German officer gave this order."
These were young men - and some were younger than they should have been.
George Rudge was only 17 at the Battle of the Somme and had given a false age when he enlisted.
"It seemed to me that everyone around me had been killed or wounded for I was the only one of my regiment I could see," he wrote, describing the advance.
He recalled his feelings about shooting the enemy.
"This was the first time I had killed anybody, as far as I know, and when things quieted I went and looked at a German I knew I had shot, and I remember thinking that he looked old enough to have a family and I felt very sorry."
He was in no doubt "we were just meant to be sacrificed, as we ran into a wall of steel" and talks of advancing with a "chap who had the bottom of his jaw blown off and still kept going forward till he dropped".
None of this was known to the soldier's own family.
His grandson, George Ward, who lives in St Ives in Cambridgeshire, says they knew their grandfather had fought in World War One, but not that he had served on the first day of the Somme.
"He was very private when it came to that," said Mr Ward.
"All he said was: 'I was in a battleâ€¦ Change the subject.' He wouldn't talk about it."
"It was just too horrific to talk about. They just tried to forget it. But it was there in their mind all the time."
Mr Ward says his grandfather's health suffered after the war from being gassed and he also had a breakdown.
Looking for the first time at his grandfather's account, he says "it's very emotional".
It's difficult not to be struck by the immense courage of these youngsters. Frank Graves describes the machine guns and watching lines of men being "cut down like grass from a scythe".
But there was compassion for those overcome by fear.
John Kirkham, who had had his arm shattered by a bullet and returned to his own lines, reported seeing "two unfortunate boys" who had been "terrified" and who he was convinced had been summarily shot for cowardice.
It was also physically and mentally exhausting.
Reginald Moore of the Northamptonshire Regiment, who had gone over the top at 07:30 and had been engaged in the battle all day, describes how it "caught up with me" when night fell.
"I started to shake and tremble and they had to put another fellow with me until I was calm again.
"That sir was 1 July, I was 18 years."
Do you have any family memories of the Somme? The Imperial War Museum wants to find out more about some of these soldiers so they can add to their www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org archives. You can carry on the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/BBCFamilyNews


The European Commission has issued new guidelines for the labelling of some products made in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian and Syrian land.

Agricultural produce and cosmetics sold in EU member states must now have clear labels showing their place of origin.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the EU "should be ashamed of itself".
The EU considers settlements built on territories occupied by Israel in 1967 to be illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this position.
The EU says settlements constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible.
Mr Netanyahu, who was in Washington on an official visit, called the decision "hypocritical and a double standard".
The Israeli foreign ministry has summoned the EU ambassador to Israel and said it would suspend diplomatic dialogue in the coming weeks.
At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the European Commission adopted an "interpretative notice on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967".
The Commission says the territories comprise the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, which were captured from Syria.
Mandatory indication of origin applies notably to fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, honey, olive oil, eggs, poultry, organic products and cosmetics. Voluntary indication of origin applies to pre-packaged foodstuffs and the majority of industrial products.
For products from West Bank or the Golan Heights that originate from settlements, the expression "Israeli settlement" or equivalent needs to be added, in brackets, for example. So, "product from the Golan Heights (Israeli settlement)" or "product from West Bank (Israeli settlement)" could be used.
Products from the West Bank not originating from settlements could be labelled "product from Palestine" or "product from West Bank (Palestinian product)".
Source: European Commission factsheet
Since 2009, the UK has implemented voluntary guidelines for labelling, which distinguishes West Bank produce made in Israeli settlements from Palestinian West Bank produce. Similar guidelines have been put in place by Denmark and Belgium.
An EU source told the BBC that the labels would have to include the word "settlement", as under EU consumer law it would be misleading to simply mark them as products from Israel or from the Palestinian territories.
The source said this was not a new obligation or a political decision, but designed to clarify member states' obligations to ensure consumers are fully informed.
The EU, the source added, does not view the occupied territories as legally part of Israel, so products from there cannot be labelled as from Israel or benefit from preferential trade agreements.
Since 2004, produce from settlements have not benefited from trade preferences, and EU law already requires the places of origin of fruits, vegetables and honey to be labelled.
Israel's economy ministry estimates that the impact of Wednesday's decision will be about $50m (€47m; £33m) a year, according to Reuters.
EU imports from Israel were worth around €13bn ($14bn; £9bn) in 2014.
"We regret that the EU has chosen, for political reasons, to take such an exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired by the boycott movement, particularly at this time, when Israel is confronting a wave of terrorism targeting any and all of its citizens," Israel's foreign ministry said, referring to a recent wave of stabbings of Israelis by Palestinians.
"It is puzzling and even irritating that the EU chooses to apply a double standard concerning Israel, while ignoring that there are over 200 other territorial disputes worldwide."
The EU says Israel's occupation means the situation in the Palestinian territories is considered not comparable to other territories like Cyprus or Western Sahara.
The Israeli foreign ministry also said product labelling would not advance the peace process, but "strengthen the radical elements advocating a boycott against Israel and denying Israel's right to exist".
"It may also have implications for Israel-EU relations," it warned.


The failure of a restaurant business in Leeds has led to the loss of 70 jobs.

The Anthony's chain of food outlets included restaurants in the city's Corn Exchange building and a patisserie in the Victoria Quarter.
The firm was founded in 2004 by chef Anthony Flinn and his father, also called Anthony Flinn.
Lines Henry Ltd have been appointed as administrators and said there was not enough money for the firm to continue trading.
Michael Simister, of Lines Henry, said: "It is sad when such a well-known business runs into difficulties.
"Unfortunately, the business has had to close, with the loss of 70 jobs, because there is not enough money available to continue trading."
He added despite good reviews the business had struggled with increased competition and difficult economic conditions.


A planned shake-up of Welsh councils is to be redrawn by the autumn, the new local government secretary has said.

Mark Drakeford said the plan to cut the 22 councils to eight or nine had gone.
In his first interview since taking up the post, he told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales he was looking for a "wider sort of conversation".
Bob Wellington, leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, said it was time to "move on" from mergers and look at other efficiency solutions.
The merger plan faced criticism from opposition parties in the assembly, and from Labour council leaders who felt they could save money by working more closely.
Leighton Andrews, the former public services minister promoting the shake-up, lost his seat at the election in May.
He had told an assembly committee in February "people need to grow up" and reach agreement on the matter.
First Minister Carwyn Jones has since said the proposals would have to be revisited to gain enough support across the assembly.
Mr Drakeford told BBC Wales he was "not committed to any particular solution... we've got to be prepared to have a wider sort of conversation".
"People are very willing to agree that there are challenges facing local government that have to be faced up to and have to be solved," he said.
"Lines on a map is part of it, but only one part of it.
"The reality is that we couldn't in the last assembly - and we know that we couldn't in this assembly - summon the votes together to put that map into legislation.
"We must accommodate ourselves to that reality and find a different way forward."
Mr Drakeford said he wanted to have a new plan drawn up by the autumn.
Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Welsh Conservative spokesperson for local government, said it was "a step in the right direction, but when exactly he intends to announce these plans remains unclear".
She said: "Any plans going forward must be declared as soon as possible with maximum transparency, and need to be done in consultation with all parties, key stakeholders and - above all - local communities."
Speaking for the councils, Mr Wellington said: "The map is gone, let's now join together again and look for new solutions."
Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, pointed to the success of councils co-operating on regional projects such as the £1.2bn Cardiff city deal for investment in transport and infrastructure.
He said such schemes could provide "vast benefits without the cost of reorganisation".
Newport council leader Debbie Wilcox said: "Clearly we won't end up with the same model as we have now.
"There will be changes and there will be rationalisation and there will be some structural change, but not this whole scale 'throwing the baby out with the bath water' and the map as it was."
Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea council, told the programme his authority would still be open to merger "for the right reasons".
He added that he was looking forward to working with Mr Drakeford.
"He's somebody we feel we can talk through a detailed process with and I think we'll have an excellent relationship with him."
Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 11:00 BST


Forward Jonny Gray says Scotland were determined not to repeat the mistakes of previous narrow losses as they held on to beat Ireland in the Six Nations.

The Scots have lost in the dying minutes in two meetings with Australia and in home Six Nations defeats by France and Italy in recent years.
"The experiences we've had before, there's been a lot of pain in the Scotland shirt," Gray said.
"It's how you learn from that. We've still got a lot to grow."
After scoring three tries in a breathless first half - Stuart Hogg crossing twice with Alex Dunbar grabbing the other - the Scots repelled a storming Irish fight-back to seal a first opening day championship win since 2006.
"We talk a lot about not making the same mistakes," the Glasgow Warriors lock said.
"In life and in rugby when you make mistakes it's important to learn from them. Personally and as a team we've got a lot of improvements to make. We're happy, it's a good start but it's going to be tough going forward.
"The belief is there. We want to do the jersey proud and you do that by making yourself better."
The Irish did come back to lead by a point following Paddy Jackson's converted try, but the Scots held firm and replied with two Greig Laidlaw penalties to close out the match.
"Ultimately it comes down to times like that," said Gray, who made 27 tackles in a Herculean defensive effort.
"It was hard, the boys were tired and sore. It was tough out there. There could have been a moment when we put our heads down but we knew we had to grind and luckily we got the win in the end and we're absolutely delighted. That's just the first game. We'll enjoy this and have an extra day's recovery and then back on it for France [next Sunday].
"When you look at the French side, the individuals they've got, they're unbelievable talents. We're under no illusions how tough it's going to be out there. It's going to be very physical when you look at the players and stars they've got in their team."
Fly-half Finn Russell will be assessed on Monday before he is cleared to train following a head knock picked up against Ireland.
Russell was assessed during the match after a heavy collision with Robbie Henshaw. He was passed fit to return to the action in the 45th minute after a head injury assessment, and also showed no signs of concussion after the match.
Hooker Fraser Brown has been cleared to train after an eye injury forced his first-half removal against the Irish.
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A man has been arrested on suspicion of flying a consumer drone close to planes as they prepared to land in Tel Aviv.

The 21-year-old was held after footage was posted to YouTube and shared on Facebook and Twitter.
Israeli reports say that he has been put under five days of house arrest and the police have confiscated a drone and mobile phone while they carry out further investigations.
Israel's Transport Ministry described a "disturbing and serious incident".
The YouTube posting suggested the drone had been flying as close as 90ft (27m) to the passenger aircraft.
However, the suspect was later quoted on the Hebrew-language Israel Today news site as saying that the true distance had been more than three times that figure.
The video, which is still online, states a Mavic Pro drone was used to capture the footage of aeroplanes making their final descent to Sde Dov airport.
In some cases, the planes appear to be the same altitude as the drone. In others, the jets are closer to the sea.
The video also appears to show a man, filmed from above, controlling the drone while seated outside a bar.
The edited material was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday and shared on other social media the same day.
It has since clocked up more than 70,000 views, with many of the resulting comments criticising the film-maker's "stupidity" and saying that viewers had reported it to the local authorities.
DJI - the Chinese-maker of the Mavic Pro - has also condemned the filming.
"We stand ready to assist national aviation authorities as they investigate a recent wave of photos and videos showing clear and intentional lawbreaking in ways that pose real danger to manned air traffic," it said in a statement.
DJI said its drones came equipped with software that should prevent them flying within five miles (8km) of Sde Dov airport unless the feature had been disabled.
Consumer drones are an increasing headache for airport operators across the globe.
Earlier this month, Gatwick Airport, near London, had to close its runway and diverted flights after a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was spotted close by.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating a suspected midair collision between a drone and a light aircraft near to Adelaide.
Research by Cranfield University into aircraft-drone collisions indicates they need not be fatal but lithium-ion batteries used by UAVs mean they can pose a greater threat than bird strikes.


A cold and wet summer across the UK has caused a "dramatic fall" in the amount of honey produced by British bees, a survey of beekeepers has revealed.

Yields are down 72% compared to 2011, research by the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) suggested.
An average of 8lb (3.6kg) of honey was produced per hive this year, compared to the annual average of 30lb (13.6kg).
The majority of those surveyed (88%) said the rain and cold weather was the main reason the harvest was poor.
More than 2,700 beekeepers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were surveyed in the BBKA's annual Honey Survey.
The honey harvest was lowest in London, where hives produced an average of 5.6lb (2.5kg) of honey.
In Northern Ireland, hives yielded the highest average of 25.8lb (11.7kg) of honey - but the figure is only half the amount normally produced by bees in the area.
Earlier this year, the cold and wet conditions forced the organisation to issue a mid-summer warning to feed honey bee colonies with sugar syrup if necessary to avoid starvation.
Honey bees produce honey as a food store. Normally, this store would be enough to see them through the winter months.
The BBKA warned the worst may be yet to come, as a lack of food for bees and wet conditions mean breeding queens have been unable to produce a large enough brood to see colonies through the winter.
Peter Hutton, a beekeeper in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, described 2012 as "the most difficult year I have known in my 53 years of beekeeping".
"Bad weather in spring prevented honey bees in many areas from collecting nectar from early flowering crops such as oil seed rape, and the rain continued in many places throughout June and July preventing honey bees from foraging on later crops," he said.
In London, where yields were hardest hit, beekeeping experts said that in addition to the bad weather there was a lack of food for bees in the city.
Angela Woods, secretary of the London Beekeepers' Association, said: "Rather than putting beehives on office roofs, we encourage companies in London who want to help to look at different ways of supporting bees and beekeepers.
"We need more forage for the bees and better-educated beekeepers."
Tim Lovett, the BBKA's public affairs director, said there has been greater emphasis on "training and developing" beekeepers in recent years.
He added: "We need more resources to put into training, education and bee health research, to continue to support our honey bees and other pollinators.
"Well trained beekeepers are better equipped to deal with the adverse conditions we have seen this year.
"Without training, this year's situation might have been a lot worse."
Wildlife campaign group Friends of the Earth called on Prime Minister David Cameron to launch an action plan to help British bees.
Paul de Zylva, a senior nature campaigner, said: "A winter drought followed by the record-breaking wet summer has affected farming, gardens and bees alike.
"There is a wider issue with the decline of the more than 260 species of wild bees that don't make honey but are vital to pollinating our plants crops and trees.
"Bees need our help."


A quiet room for Manx patients flying to Liverpool will be provided by the city's airport following a U-turn.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport rejected the plan last month as there were "already a number of quiet spaces within the departure lounge".
Manx Breast Cancer Support Group, which claimed the airport had gone back on a pledge, said it was thankful there had been "a change of heart".
The airport said a "quiet area can be developed within the departure lounge".
A spokesman said: "The airport has been working with representatives of Manx cancer patients over a number of weeks to understand their needs.
"This area would be available for all passengers looking for a quiet space, and we would work with and support all parties in communicating to those passengers as required."
Manx Breast Cancer Support Group said the room, which could be available at the end of July, would be made open to anyone travelling for hospital treatment - not solely cancer patients.
Julie Stokes, from the charity, said: "Thankfully Liverpool Airport has recently had a change of heart.
"We want this facility for all patients to use - some are young children and some are very elderly."


Businessman and reality TV star Kevin O'Leary has unexpectedly dropped out of the leadership race for Canada's Conservative Party.

Mr O'Leary said he had failed to gain support in the French-speaking province of Quebec.
The Shark Tank and Dragons' Den star is now supporting prominent Quebec politician Maxime Bernier for leader.
Mr O'Leary has been likened to US President Donald Trump for his TV and business background and brash manner.
Mr O'Leary said on Wednesday his lack of popularity in Quebec made it near impossible to beat Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the next general election in 2019, even if he were to win his bid for leadership of the Conservatives.
Party members vote for a new leader on 27 May.
French-speaking Quebec is Canada's second most populous province, but Mr O'Leary spoke mostly English.
He skipped all the party's French-language candidate debates.
During the race, he faced criticism for skipping other debates and then popping up on US cable news.
He was also dinged for spending too much time in the US since launching his short-lived bid was launched in January.
Mr O'Leary said his US television punditry served Canadian interests.
"I am probably the most known Canadian that's on American television, and I'm going to talk about what we mean to Americans and how we should be considered in trade wars," he said.
There are 13 other contenders left in the crowded race to replace former Conservative leader Stephen Harper, who stepped down as party leader in November 2015 after losing the federal election to the Trudeau Liberals.
Mr O'Leary, a millionaire businessman, was seen as a self-promoting political outsider with no experience in elected office.
He has taken to referring to Mr Trudeau as a "surfer dude" on Twitter.
His support for Maxime Bernier, a former foreign affairs minister and free-market libertarian, may give him a big boost in a crowded race.
The party says it has sold an estimated 150,000 new party memberships since January, with Quebec support driving growth.


A woman who has lived in the UK for 48 years has been told by the Home Office she may have to leave because she is now considered an illegal immigrant.

Winnie Birkenhead, from Burnley in Lancashire, came from Malaysia in 1967 on her mother's passport.
But her employers recently received a letter saying her permission to be in the UK had expired.
The Home Office said: "It is down to Ms Birkenhead to regularise her immigration status".
They added they would "consider any application we receive".
Ms Birkenhead, who is a care worker, assumed she had become a British citizen along with her mother a year after moving to the UK.
"I've got a driving licence, I've got an NHS number - why was nothing picked up then? Why wasn't I told earlier and I would have done something about it."
She added: "I've paid my way in this country and my life is here, everything is here and I just can't understand why all this has happened. It frightens me to death that somebody could come and knock on my door and take me away."
Ms Birkenhead has been told she now has to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK - a process that could take between six months and a year.
She has also been warned she may not be able to work in the meantime.
She is now gathering evidence for the authorities to prove she has lived in the UK for 47 years and said the response from friends and strangers was "so supportive".


An Indian Ocean cyclone is lashing the French island of Reunion, where residents have been told to stay indoors amid torrential rain.

The storm has led to power cuts in more than 60,000 homes, French TV reports.
Cyclone Dumile is sweeping southwards between Reunion and Madagascar. Winds are reaching 180 km/h (112mph).
Reunion's air traffic and shipping are at a standstill. So far there are no reports of serious injuries, but some roads have been flooded.
The storm is expected to intensify on Reunion later on Thursday, though the eye of it is forecast to remain offshore.


Plans to impose visa restrictions on Brazilian tourists have been put on hold by Home Secretary Theresa May.

Like US, Canadian or Australian citizens, Brazilians can visit the UK for up to six months without a visa.
The home secretary was considering introducing restrictions amid concerns about illegal immigration from Brazil.
But Mrs May has shelved the plan following protests about its impact on efforts to boost business links with the country.
Brazil is fifth in the top 10 of illegal immigrant nationalities in the UK, according to Home Office figures for 2011, and is the only country on the list for which short-term visitors do not need a visa.
But the government is attempting to develop closer trading links with Brazil - seen as an emerging economic powerhouse.
A government spokesperson said: "Brazil is an important partner for the UK and we are investing greatly in our diplomatic and economic ties.
"We have no current plans to impose a visa regime on Brazil."
Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed the decision to keep visa-free access for Brazilian tourists at Prime Minister's Questions, after a Lib Dem MP, John Thurso, warned imposing restrictions could harm the tourist trade.
Mr Cameron told MPs: "The National Security Council met recently to consider some of these border issues and it has decided not to put these visas on to Brazilian nationals.
"We want to work with the Brazilians to enhance border security."
He also hinted that Chinese tourists could face less stringent checks in future, telling MPs the government was "looking at a number of steps to make sure we attract tourists from the fastest growing economies, including China and elsewhere."
Brazil is the only one of the four so-called fast-growing BRIC nations - which also includes Russia, India and China - to have no visa restrictions for short visits to the UK.
The Home Office said this was a "long standing" agreement - but stressed Brazilian nationals entering the UK for other purposes, such as work or study, must ensure that they have the appropriate visa.
Conservative MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the all-party group on Brazil, welcomed the government's decision.
"I am delighted it is not going to happen because Brazil is one of the most important nations on earth and we have to build as close relations with them as possible."
Such a move would have "given out a signal to Brazilian business" that the UK was closed for business and would have been a "retrograde" step, he added.
Mr Halfon lobbied the government to scrap its planned visa restrictions, pointing out, in a letter to the Financial Times, that Brazilian tourists spent £302m in the UK in 2011, 25% more than spent by Chinese visitors, who must apply for visitor visas.
But campaign group Migration Watch said the government's decision appeared to have been taken for "all the wrong reasons".
"Three years ago there was significant abuse from Brazilians who were coming here for short stays, or as visitors, and staying on," Migration Watch vice-chairman Alp Mehmet told the BBC.
"Serious consideration was given at that time to visas, and I assume the situation has not changed."
He said Mr Halfon was "simply wrong" to suggest it would send out the wrong signal to business.
"It doesn't send out any sort of signal at all. The number of business visas from all over the world, including countries where there is a visa regime, has gone up."
Mr Mehmet added: "Of course we want to make it as unproblematic as possible for people to come here and spend their money and have a good time."
But the answer was to introduce simple, workable visas rather than continue to have no visas at all, he argued.
In 2008, the then Labour government warned Brazil and 10 other countries they faced restrictions on  short-term visas unless they took steps to improve passport checks and "significantly reduce" abuses.
The following year, visas were introduced for visitors from South Africa, Venezuela, Bolivia, Lesotho and Swaziland.
But Brazil, Namibia, Malaysia, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago and Mauritius continued to enjoy visa-free access for short visits.