Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been sentenced to 35 years for a string of child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby.

Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court last month to 13 child sex offences.
His two co-defendants, who are the mothers of children he abused, were jailed for 14 and 17 years.
Sentencing the three, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity".
Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on licence, but he will be eligible for parole after serving two thirds of the prison term.
He was sentenced alongside the two mothers known as Woman A and Woman B who also pleaded guilty to child abuse charges.
Woman A was jailed for 14 years and Woman B was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.
He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.
During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said: "Those who have appeared in these courts over many years, see here, a large number of horrific cases," he said.
Ian Watkins has been given what is called an extended sentence. It is used for public protection in the case of offenders who are deemed particularly dangerous.
His total sentence is 35 years, 29 of which will be served in prison plus a six year period served in the community on licence. If he were to breach the terms of that licence, he could be immediately returned to prison.
He will have to serve two thirds of the 29 year custodial part of his sentence before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board - it does not mean he will be released at that point. At the time of release from prison, the six year extension on licence kicks in.
The legislation says the extension period is "of such length as the court considers necessary for the purpose of protecting members of the public from serious harm".
"This case breaks new ground. Any decent person... will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity."
He added it was a "classic case that the evidence was so overwhelming" there should not be credit given.
The judge said Watkins had a "corrupting influence", and had shown a "complete lack of remorse". He also said Watkins posed a significant risk to the public in particular to women with young children.
He told Woman A: "What you were both doing is both sickening and incomprehensible" and said to Woman B that she did not regard her child as a human being.
Earlier on Wednesday, defending barrister Sally O'Neill QC said how Watkins "belatedly realised the gravity of what happened" and was "deeply, deeply sorry".
She told the court how he had developed an "obsession" with filming himself having sex and had become addicted to drugs at the age of 30.
She said Watkins had no memory of the crime involving Woman A and her son, where he admitted to the attempted rape of a baby.
"Because he had no memory he could not believe he had done that," she said, adding he had now "confronted reality" over what he had done.
Watkins was on 15-minute suicide watch while on remand, the court heard.
Jonathan Fuller QC, defending for Woman A, said she felt genuine remorse and was devastated by what she had done.
Christine Laing QC, defending Woman B, said she was clearly remorseful for her behaviour and the loss of her child was her punishment.
Meanwhile, South Wales Police are investigating whether Watkins also committed offences in Germany and America and the IPCC has confirmed it was investigating three police forces over the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle, senior investigating officer, said the sentences reflected the gravity of the crimes and the investigation uncovered "the most disturbing child abuse evidence" he had seen in his 28 years as an officer.
"Today's sentence does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve.
Police watchdog the IPCC is investigating three forces over their handling of allegations made about Ian Watkins between 2008-2012.
South Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and South Wales are being investigated over information received about Watkins prior to his arrest in December 2012.
Three other forces, Essex, West Yorkshire and the Metropolitan Police, also supplied information that they had been given about Watkins for the inquiry but are not currently under investigation.
An officer from South Wales is the focus of the IPCC probe there.
Three reports were made to South Yorkshire between March and May 2012 relating to Watkins.
A member of the public reported an allegation of child abuse against Watkins in October 2012 to Bedfordshire Police.
"In the last few weeks we have received further information that will now be looked at by the investigation team."
Earlier he said the investigation was large scale because the amount of data involved - 27 terabytes - was "four or five times" the size of the databases held by South Wales Police.
And he said how he was sure there were other child victims.
Suzanne Thomas, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS Wales, said Watkins was the ringleader and the defendants conspired to commit "appalling crimes of abuse against young and defenceless victims".
She added: "He is a highly dangerous and manipulative individual who preyed on his victims in a calculated manner.
"The other two defendants were active participants in the most shocking abuse of their own children. They too have received sentences that reflect their admissions of guilt for these offences.
"It is incomprehensible that adults would commit such appalling acts against children and young people and our thoughts remain with the victims and those close to them."


A cancer diagnosis is one of the most common life-changing events in Scottish life, with more cases than marriages or first births, the latest figures show.

Macmillan Cancer Support said there were 31,467 cancers diagnosed in 2015 compared with 29,691 marriages and 23,695 first births.
Cancer was also named as the disease people in Scotland most feared, ahead of conditions such as Alzheimer's.
The research is part of a campaign to remove the fear of a cancer diagnosis.
The figures showed that - excluding non-melanoma skin cancer - there were just over 1,700 more new cases of cancer each year in Scotland than new marriages or 8,000 more cases than women having a child for the first time.
The number of people with cancer in Scotland has risen by 18% in five years, according to Macmillan.
Across the UK, Cancer Research UK says there has been a 12% rise since the 1990s, with rates among woman up by 16% and 4% for men.
Macmillan said as well as trying to remove the fear of a cancer diagnosis, its Life With Cancer campaign aimed to highlight the support available to people with the disease.
Of the Scots asked, 41% said they feared getting cancer over any other disease, while one in eight said cancer was scarier than terrorism or losing a loved one.
Trisha Hatt, Macmillan's partnership manager in Scotland, said: "This research highlights that for many people, cancer will be a fact of life.
"Survival rates from the illness are increasing, and even those with incurable cancer often live for many years.
"This report is about highlighting what life with cancer really looks like for a lot of people - looking after their children, seeing friends and even going to work.
"Most people say they want to keep life as normal as possible after treatment. That's why it's vital they get the support they need to deal with the emotional, practical and financial problems cancer can cause."


Scotland brought an end to a nine-match losing run in the Six Nations with a precious 36-20 win over Italy in Rome.

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Vern Cotter's team thundered into a 17-3 lead with clinical early tries from John Barclay and John Hardie.
Italy responded with scores from Leonardo Ghiraldini and Marco Fuser, while Scotland lost Finn Russell and WP Nel to the sin-bin in the last quarter.
But Greig Laidlaw's nerveless goal-kicking and Tommy Seymour's late try saw them over the winning line at last.
Key to Scotland's win was their scrum. It was exceptional, winning penalty after penalty, lifting several sieges and affording the outstanding Laidlaw the opportunity to bang over three-pointers, which he did like a metronome.
Kelly Haimona opened the scoring with an early penalty for Italy, but that was just a precursor to that explosive passage from the Scots.
Barclay's 10th-minute try had its origins in fast ruck ball. When Scotland attacked space, Tim Visser drew two Italian defenders and found Stuart Hogg, who took the contact, hit the floor and offloaded to the on-rushing Barclay.
It was a clinical score and it was followed by another seven minutes later.
Russell made the initial incision, slipping through a gap and putting the Italians on the back foot. The fly-half had an arriving army of forwards to support him, among them Ryan Wilson, who had come into the starting line-up as a late replacement for the injured David Denton.
Wilson was outstanding in those early moments and it was his pass that put Hardie over in the left corner.
When Laidlaw added a penalty just before the half-hour, Scotland led 17-3 - alien territory for a team that had forgotten how to win these games.
The visitors became strangely passive after they built their lead and Italy roused themselves at last.
The hosts got their hands on the ball, showed patience and power and, when Gonzalo Garcia blasted over Laidlaw, veteran hooker Ghiraldini crashed over.
Haimona added the conversion to make it 17-10, before Laidlaw missed his only shot at goal with the last kick of the half.
He and Haimona traded penalties early in the second half before the Scotland captain boomed over another kick close to the hour to give his team a 13-point cushion.
That feel-good factor was seriously threatened when Russell saw yellow for hands in a ruck and then Fuser went over for a converted try.
Credit Laidlaw, though. When Scotland needed their captain, he delivered. He kicked everything after the interval - four penalties and a third conversion, for a 21-point personal haul.
The penalty that made it 29-20 in the 66th minute was massive. It was from distance, but he nailed it and kept his team calm in the process.
Moments of concern did follow, though. Scotland struggled desperately at re-starts and put themselves under pressure, but they stood up. Russell returned but Nel exited - for a deliberate knock-on - and still Scotland held firm.
The last significant act was that try from Seymour. It began right down the other end of the pitch, where Italy were attacking. When the Azzurri spilled it, Russell hacked a kick downfield and when the space opened up, Hogg threw a gorgeous pass out the side door to Seymour, whose 13th Test try was greeted rapturously by his team-mates.
The relief in the voices of the Scotland players was palpable. Next up for Scotland: the brutish French at Murrayfield in a fortnight.
For the first time in two years they will go into a Six Nations game on the back of a victory. The challenge now is to kick-on and win two Six Nations games in the same season for just the second time in a decade.
TEAM LINE-UPS:
Italy: David Odiete, Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Gonzalo Garcia, Mattia Bellini, Kelly Haimona, Edoardo Gori; Andrea Lovotti, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Lorenzo Citttadini, Marco Fuser, Joshua Furno, Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni, Sergio Parisse.
Replacements: Davide Giazzon (for Ghiraldini, 58), Matteo Zanusso (for Lovotti, 58), Martin Castrogiovanni (for Citttadini, 58), Valerio Bernabo (for Furno, 37), Andries Van Schalkwyk (for Minto, 68), Guglielmo Palazzani (for Gori, 79), Edoardo Padovani (for Haimona, 72), Andrea Pratichetti (for Garcia, 75).
Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Mark Bennett, Duncan Taylor, Tim Visser, Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw; Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford, Willem Nel, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray; John Barclay, John Hardie, Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: Stuart McInally (for Ford, 64), Moray Low (for Barclay, 79), Tim Swinson (for R Gray, 79), Josh Strauss (for Wilson, 68), Peter Horne (for Bennett, 64), Sean Lamont (for Visser, 73).
Not used: Rory Sutherland, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.
Referee: Jaco Peyper (RSA)
Touch judges: Pascal Gauzere (FRA) & Nick Briant (NZL)
TMO: Graham Hughes (ENG)


Ireland wing Tommy Bowe will miss Saturday's Six Nations match with Grand Slam-chasing England after suffering a suspected broken leg against Wales.

The Ulster player was injured late in the 22-9 defeat and Leinster's Fergus McFadden takes his place in the squad.
Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton are expected to be fit for the Dublin game after picking up injuries in Cardiff.
Scrum-half Murray sustained a shoulder injury while fly-half Sexton was not concussed after a head knock.
Sexton was taken off for a head injury assessment and returned after clearing the medical tests.
"He has a big black eye - with any contact to the head there will be an HIA done," said Ireland team manager Paul Dean on Monday.
"There are three stages to that. He came through all three of them no problem and there's no concern for concussion."
Murray suffered a shoulder injury while attempting to tackle Welsh try-scorer George North in the first half.
Dean added: "Conor's fine - he got a stinger. The full power [of the arm] is slow to come back. It didn't come back quickly enough for him to stay on the pitch but it's come back 100% now."
Bowe was introduced in the 79th minute and sustained the injury to his left leg just seconds later.
"It's a suspected fracture. We wish Tommy all the best and a speedy recovery," said Dean.
"It was very unfortunate. I don't think he was even on for a minute. We're really sorry for him."
Ireland's hopes of a third Six Nations title in four years were ended at the Principality Stadium.
Joe Schmidt's team stayed in second spot but eight points behind England, who are aiming for back-to-back Grand Slams.


New York and New Jersey's cargo terminals were shut down on Friday as workers walked off the job.

Over 1,000 workers left their posts, preventing ships from being unloaded.
It is unclear what sparked the action. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued a statement calling for employees to "return to work immediately".
The port is the biggest on the US East Coast. In 2014 over $200bn (Â£140bn) in cargo came through the port.
The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) which represents the worker was not available for comment. The ILA has clashed with the Port Authority in recent years over hiring practices and policies such as drug testing.
The port employs close to 3,500 longshoremen.
The port- which consists of five container terminals in New York and New Jersey - is the third largest in the US.
Approximately a quarter of US gross domestic product is accounted for within a 250-mile radius of the ports.


A hive of honey bees has been destroyed at an apiary in the Highlands after the insects were found to be infected with the disease, American Foulbrood (AFB).

AFB was confirmed at the apiary at Scaniport, near Inverness, on Friday.
There is no permitted treatment in the UK for the disease, which kills bee larvae.
The Scottish government said there was a ban in place on the movement of bees and related equipment from the affected area.


Championship side Sunderland reached the second round of the EFL Cup with a hard-fought win at League One Bury.

George Honeyman lifted the ball over Bury keeper Joe Murphy after a neat move to win the tie in the second half.
That came after a first 45 minutes of few chances at Gigg Lane, the best of which saw Murphy deny Aiden McGeady.
The Black Cats were wasteful late on as they pushed for a second goal, but Lee Clark's hosts rarely looked likely to force an equaliser at the other end.
Victory was new boss Simon Grayson's first in a competitive game since taking charge of the relegated club, following their draw with Derby in their Championship opener on 4 August.
Sunderland will now go on to play Carlisle United in the second round.
Match ends, Bury 0, Sunderland 1.
Second Half ends, Bury 0, Sunderland 1.
Foul by George Honeyman (Sunderland).
Greg Leigh (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by James Vaughan (Sunderland).
Zeli Ismail (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
James Vaughan (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Zeli Ismail (Bury).
Foul by Didier Ndong (Sunderland).
Andrew Tutte (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joel Asoro (Sunderland).
Tom Aldred (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joel Asoro (Sunderland).
Tom Aldred (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Bury. Conceded by Brendan Galloway.
Foul by James Vaughan (Sunderland).
Craig Jones (Bury) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Didier Ndong (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Adam Matthews.
Attempt missed. Jermaine Beckford (Bury) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Nicky Ajose with a cross.
Attempt missed. James Vaughan (Sunderland) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt saved. Joel Asoro (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by George Honeyman.
Foul by Lynden Gooch (Sunderland).
Andrew Tutte (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jermaine Beckford (Bury) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Andrew Tutte with a headed pass.
Attempt missed. Greg Leigh (Bury) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is too high. Assisted by Andrew Tutte.
Substitution, Sunderland. Lynden Gooch replaces Wahbi Khazri.
Darron Gibson (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Craig Jones (Bury).
Foul by Tyias Browning (Sunderland).
Jermaine Beckford (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Harry Bunn (Bury) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
George Honeyman (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Zeli Ismail (Bury).
Foul by Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland).
Tom Aldred (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Bury. Jermaine Beckford replaces Tsun Dai.
Foul by Joel Asoro (Sunderland).
Greg Leigh (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Bury 0, Sunderland 1. George Honeyman (Sunderland) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Didier Ndong.
Attempt saved. James Vaughan (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Darron Gibson.


A deaf-blind dementia sufferer was made to sit in a chair soaked with his own urine by a care home manager, his daughter has claimed.

Rhona McKinlay said 84-year-old William was left "utterly humiliated" for hours at the Latimer Grange home with a circle drawn around his chair.
The ex-prison officer said she had seen inmates treated better than her father.
Home owner Anthony Lampitt was contacted by the BBC, but a solicitor and PR firm responded on his behalf.
A spokesman for the home said it took "all allegations very seriously" and was "confident we provide a good standard of care".
Northamptonshire County Council and Northamptonshire Police are investigating.
Mrs McKinlay said her father also suffered bruising, flea bites and was not fed properly by carers at the home in Burton Latimer.
She recorded all her concerns in a diary, in which she wrote: "Dad saturated in urine, sitting in chair, wet to his knees and up his back.
"Anthony Lampitt drew a chalk ring around my Dad and made him sit back down. He was utterly humiliated."
One former care worker, who did want to be named, told the BBC it had been her job to return Mr McKinlay to the chair.
A chalk circle had been drawn around the furniture to alert others it had been soiled and required cleaning, which is common practice in homes.
She said: "Mr Lampitt said to put him back there 'as he is not going to urinate everywhere else'.
"He wanted to keep him there. That made me feel guilty. I felt like crying."
Mrs McKinlay said matters reached a head when Mr Lampitt said her father was being put on a new drug.
She said she denied him permission to do so, but was shocked to find he had told carers to administer the medication anyway.
The home's spokesman said it was legally required to follow the advice given by GPs and community psychiatric nurses and it had a robust medicines management policy.
Mrs McKinlay said on another occasion she found a large bruise on her father's stomach, but staff could not explain how it happened.
"The weight was falling off my dad. At one point he was covered in flea bites. They had to have the place fumigated," she said.
"They couldn't be bothered feeding him. He couldn't see the food put in front of him and doesn't have the mental capacity to eat properly himself.
"It was terrible."
The carer said if there was a shortage of meals on a specific day food "would not [be given] to residents with dementia as they would not remember".
Another member of staff, who also wanted to remain anonymous, alleged residents were left for months without being bathed.
"One time we took [William's] top off and he had 16 flea bites because there was a cat in the home," she said.
The care home said pets were allowed on the premises to provide a "home-away-from-home care experience" but pro-active flea treatment was undertaken.
They added there had been times the home had been "unable to meet" Mr McKinlay's care needs.
"Our home is not equipped to support individuals suffering from advanced sight and hearing loss, as well as challenging aggressive behaviours."
Mrs McKinlay said her father had been crying when she visited and had since moved to a different care home.
"The guilt was killing me," she said. "Sometimes now my dad says, 'please don't make me go back to the bad place'."
The council said prior to the launch of its investigation into Mrs McKinlay's concerns, it had suspended new admissions to Latimer Grange after a routine contract monitoring visit.
The home said it was working with the authority on a number of actions and the "health, welfare and safety" of residents was "our primary focus."
A council spokesman said it was aware of the issues raised by Mr McKinlay's family about the quality of care at the home.
"We are working closely with the private care home provider and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to investigate those concerns," they added.
In light of Mrs McKinlay's concerns, the CQC inspected the care home in February but found standards were good.
A CQC spokeswoman said it had shared details of the complaint with the home and the authority and all "had been subject to safeguarding alerts".
She added: "We are continuing to monitor this service."
Mr Lampitt previously owned two other care homes, the Da-Mar Residential Care Home in Northampton and Clifton Residential Home in Rushden.
Both were wound-up due to financial problems and had been told they required improvement following inspections.


Dan Evans joined Andy Murray in the last 16 of the Australian Open with a brilliant performance to give Britain two men in the fourth round.

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Top seed Murray made short work of American Sam Querrey, winning 6-4 6-2 6-4 in one hour and 59 minutes.
Evans, the world number 51, then upset Australian 27th seed Bernard Tomic with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) victory.
Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski reached round four at Wimbledon 15 years ago.
It is the first time Evans has made it so far at a Grand Slam, and he next faces French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Murray, meanwhile, plays Germany's Mischa Zverev, the world number 50.
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Querrey was the man who upset then world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last summer, but Murray made sure he did not fall victim to another shock after the Serb's surprise defeat by Denis Istomin on Thursday.
With six-time champion Djokovic out, Murray is a clear favourite among many observers to finally land the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
"I don't worry about that, really," said Murray, who has lost four Melbourne finals to Djokovic.
"Obviously, if you're to get to the final, then it has an effect. A lot of the times when I've been in the final here, I've played against him. Had some tough ones."
Querrey gave the Scot plenty to think about in the early stages of their third-round match, attacking the net and hurrying the top seed, but a first-serve percentage of just 57% was not enough to keep Murray at bay.
The American missed a fleeting chance with a break point in game eight and Murray immediately took advantage, getting the break himself in the next game with a beautiful lob.
He took a firm grip on the match with a run of six out of seven games, easing through the second set with two more breaks.
There was a flurry of resistance as Querrey reeled off three straight games to lead 3-2 in the third set, but Murray once again turned up the pressure with his return to break for a fifth time on his way to a comprehensive victory.
"Sam, especially in the first set, was hitting a huge ball," added Murray, who had no problem with the ankle he turned during his previous match.
"There was a key moment at 3-4 when I saved a break point and then managed to break the next game and had the momentum after that."
British number three Evans is set to move inside the world's top 50, with 180 ranking points already secured in Melbourne, plus at least £135,000 in prize money.
After failing to convert a match point against Stan Wawrinka in the third round of last year's US Open, the 26-year-old from Solihull grabbed this opportunity with both hands.
"It was tough, Bernard is difficult," said Evans. "He is unorthodox and I found it hard at the start. I am happy to come through in three tight sets. It could have gone either way."
Evans followed the best win of his career over seventh seed Marin Cilic on Wednesday with another terrific performance, setting the pace and holding firm when under pressure late in the second and third sets.
He was broken after holding two set points on serve in the second set but recovered superbly when facing two set points two games later, then raced through the tie-break with some brilliant all-court tennis.
When Tomic threatened again late in the third set, Evans fought off another three break points with some magnificent play that even drew applause from his opponent.
There were worrying signs of possible cramp, and a brief rain shower came to the Briton's aid when serving at 5-5, 40-40, allowing him to recuperate and dominate a second tie-break to clinch the win.
Evans, who is without a clothing sponsor, has been buying his own T-shirts in Melbourne.
"I am happy with them at the minute," he said. "One shrunk in the wash so I had to change it, but I reckon they look all right."
Murray will start as a strong favourite against Zverev, but there is plenty of danger lurking on the Scot's side of the draw.
Former winner Stan Wawrinka, the US Open champion, is through to the last 16 after a 3-6 6-2 6-2 7-6 (9-7) win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki.
The Swiss, a potential semi-final opponent for Murray, will play Andreas Seppi next after the Italian beat Belgian Steve Darcis 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-2).
Should Murray get past Zverev on Saturday he could face a daunting quarter-final against four-time champion Federer, seventh seed Berdych or fifth seed Kei Nishikori.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller in Melbourne
In two of his previous Grand Slams, Evans had come tantalisingly close to breaking into the fourth round - especially at the US Open last September, when he had match point to knock out eventual champion Stan Wawrinka.
Against Tomic, he looked from the first point as if he believed this was a match he was going to win. The third set in particular was very physical, as the Australian dragged Evans around the court, and yet he was still fresh enough to win the tie-break in convincing manner.
Evans will be a top-50 player for the first time after the Australian Open - some rise from the position of 772 he found himself in just 20 months ago. Perhaps hitting his mid-20s and developing a taste for the big occasion from Davis Cup ties spurred him to commit to the ceaseless dedication, and long spells away from home, required to be a top player.
Evans should be at his peak over the next four years. With help from his coach Mark Hilton, he has built the foundations to allow this not to be as good as it gets.


Energy company Drax has announced a 64% fall in pre-tax profits from £166m to £59m in the year to December 2015.

It said it had been affected by the government's U-turn on green energy support and low energy prices.
Drax chief executive Dorothy Thompson described it as a "challenging year".
However, she said the company had achieved its ambition of becoming a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator.
Drax's shares were down more than 2% in morning trading.
Drax's shares have fallen dramatically following changes in government policy last year.
They dropped by a third on the day the Chancellor, George Osborne, scrapped the climate change tax levy exemption in the budget last summer.
The government has reduced support for the use of wood pellets, a renewable biomass fuel, that the company burns at its plant in North Yorkshire.
Its chairman said that the chancellor's announcement cut its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation by £30m in 2015, an impact that will double in 2016.
Earnings for 2015 of £169m were below those of 2014 at £229m.
Last year Drax abandoned a £1bn project to introduce carbon capture technology to cut emissions, because of cuts to government subsidies.
It said despite lower energy prices these were not matched by a corresponding drop in coal prices.
The company warned that two factors, the "continued deterioration in commodity prices" and the issue of support from the government would be the two chief influences on its future performance.


Actors Maxine Peake and Willem Dafoe and artist Tracey Emin have been named on the line-up for this year's Manchester International Festival.

They will join Sir Kenneth Branagh, Massive Attack and The xx, who had already been announced for the event.
The festival, which takes place in July, specialises in staging new work and one-off events from across the worlds of music, theatre and art.
The venues will include a derelict railway station and a disused chapel.
The newly-announced events include:
Sir Kenneth will appear in his first Shakespeare play for more than a decade with his debut performance as Macbeth. That will take place in a deconsecrated church.
He said the festival had "a hell of a programme, so we are very proud to be part of that".
Recalling the last time he performed Shakespeare in the city, he said: "I've never forgotten it and I've always wanted to come back.
"That was 25 years ago and along that time, the one play by Shakespeare that follows me everywhere is the Scottish play. Of all the plays, it's the one that sits in the loo and has travelled with me all over the place and that I've talked and thought about, and I've always circled around it.
"Over all of those years, there was something happening to me as an artist that wanted to come and meet that play and that role at some point, if I was lucky enough to have the opportunity."
Tickets for the intimate production have already sold out, but the closing night on 20 July will be relayed to 5,000 people via a big screen in the city centre.
Speaking about her play, Maxine Peake said the story of the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, in which 15 protesters demanding parliamentary reform died when they were charged down by cavalry, was "more relevant than ever, especially where we are politically".
"This was about people coming to protest for a voice, for a vote," she said. "This was the beginning of radical Manchester.
"And where are we now? People are struggling to get by and are getting marginalised and ignored because they're poor, because they're different."
Festival director Alex Poots said a number of the works focused on the current social and political climate.
He said: "Probably because we're living through unprecedentedly troubled times, there are a number of artists making work who are responding to questions around power, the individual, coexistence, compassion. We've not had that before.
"Another theme in the festival is people discovering places they've never been. Massive Attack and The Rite of Spring will be in the Mayfield depot, which has been closed to public access for over 50 years. It's an amazing, huge, cavernous space right next to Piccadilly station."
This is the fourth edition of the festival, which takes place every two years.


A reward of £5,000 is being offered over the attempted murder of a man outside a Glasgow primary school.

Ross Monaghan was shot in the back by a man pushing a buggy near St George's Primary School, Penilee, on 16 January.
The shooting happened as Mr Monaghan, 35, was dropping off a child at the school. He was released from hospital later the same day.
The reward for any information leading to a conviction is being offered by the Crimestoppers charity.
Crimestoppers said the gunman was wearing a blue padded jacket, blue jeans, a woollen scarf pulled up to cover his face and a dark woollen bobble hat.
The attack took place just after 09:00.
Angela Parker, national manager of Crimestoppers in Scotland, said: "It's shocking to think that this attempted murder happened right in front of a busy primary school in broad daylight at the start of the school day.
"The parents of the schoolchildren and the nearby Penilee estate have a right to feel safe, especially when they are dropping of children in front of the school gates.
"We are now offering a substantial reward for information given to Crimestoppers and urge local people or anyone who is in the know to please pick up the phone or log on to our website and pass on information in compete anonymity."
Police Scotland said last week that Mr Monaghan had left Scotland and gone to Spain shortly after the attack on Muirdykes Road.
Mr Monghan was cleared of killing gangland figure Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll in 2012 after a judge ruled there was no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.


Bushmills Whiskey has made an approach about buying the Michelin site in Ballymena, which is due to close in 2018.

The owners of the world famous drinks brand recently submitted a planning application for a Â£30m expansion at its existing north Antrim premises.
However, a spokesperson confirmed it has explored acquiring the site of the tyre factory.
No other details were provided.
Michelin told the BBC it had been contacted, but pointed out production will continue in Ballymena for another two-and-a-half years.
The factory is to close in 2018 with the loss of 860 jobs.
The decision was part of restructuring which will increase production in Dundee and modernise another facility at Stoke-on-Trent.
The company said the decision had been made due to the "significant downturn" in demand for truck tyres in Europe since the financial crisis of 2007.
North Antrim MLA Jim Allister said he would watch developments with interest.
Mr Allister, Traditional Unionist Voice leader, said any expansion by Bushmills involving additional posts would be welcome.
But he cautioned against the displacement of jobs from one part of the constituency to another.
Jose Cuervo bought Bushmills Whiskey from Diageo in 2014.


Family and friends of a girl who has been missing since the Grenfell Tower fire have released balloons to mark what would have been her 13th birthday.

Jessica Urbano has not been heard from since the 14 June blaze that claimed the lives of at least 80 people.
She had been sleeping in the family's flat on the 20th floor while her mother and and sister were at work and her father visited a neighbour.
A vigil was held in Avondale Park, west London, at about 16.30 BST on Tuesday.
Balloons bearing messages, such as "God bless you" were released by dozens of children, many wearing "Happy Birthday Jessie" T-shirts.
Jessica's parents thanked the crowd for coming.


A fresh assessment of the Provisional IRA in the Republic of Ireland has been published.

It was commissioned by Irish Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in August following the political row over the murder of Kevin McGuigan in Belfast.
She said there was "very substantial common ground" with the assessment carried out in Northern Ireland.
She added: "Most importantly, there is a common assessment of the reality of the security threat posed by PIRA."
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said that while the IRA's ruling body, the 'army council', still exists, it has a "wholly political focus".
In the Garda report, it said there was "no evidence of a Provisional Army Council, in the generally accepted sense, meeting or functioning in this jurisdiction".
"There is evidence that a type of 'residual leadership', committed to peaceful means, continues to exist and has become involved from time to time in dealing with 'legacy' issues," it said.
Ms Fitzgerald said part of "the Provisional IRA's brutal legacy is the involvement in organised crime of a significant number of people who have been associated with PIRA".
She said they "make full use of the reputations which they acquired as members of PIRA and do not hesitate to use their previous terror tactics".
The head of police in the Republic of Ireland, Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan, said its findings "remain consistent with our previous assessments" and those of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), a paramilitary activity watchdog that issued its last report in 2011 before being wound down.
"It was never the position of the IMC - nor has it been the position of (Republic of Ireland police service) An Garda Siochana - that PIRA had disbanded and, accordingly, ceased to exist," she said.
"But the issues surrounding the continuing existence of PIRA are inevitably complex."
Ms O'Sullivan said it was "noteworthy that there is no evidence that there has been any recruitment to PIRA in recent years".
She added: "I should mention that the assessment deals essentially with security issues and involvement in organised crime.
"You will be aware that there are separate criminal investigations under way in relations to sexual abuse by PIRA members."
The Garda report said that since November 2010, 70 people had been charged before the Republic of Ireland's non-jury Special Criminal Court with terrorist related offences.
No-one investigated or charged was affiliated to PIRA when they were arrested, the report said
Thirty three of those charged had past associations with the Provisional IRA at the time of arrest before defecting to dissident republican groups.
It said that during the time that the Provisional IRA was "engaged in what it called armed conflict", a substantial element of its activity in the Republic of Ireland concerned logistical support.
It said there was no evidence of any so-called military departments currently in operation in the jurisdiction.
However, it said there was clear evidence that a significant number of persons who have been associated with PIRA remain criminally active, particularly in organised crime, and continue to associate together".
"They make full use of their 'legacy' reputations and in some cases their former terrorist tactics," it said.
The report said there was no evidence that this was directed by the leadership of the organisation or was for anything other than personal gain.
It said the Criminal Assets Bureau, a body set up to seize cash, property and other assets of suspected criminals, had since 1996 seized 28m euros from more than 50 individuals who have had connections or associations to PIRA in the past.


Erik Sviatchenko views Celtic's trip to Inverness on Wednesday as a chance to make up for the only Premiership points they have dropped this season.

Inverness earned a 2-2 draw at home last September, Celtic's only failure to win in 26 Premiership matches.
"It will be a motivation because we want to succeed and we want to win," said the Danish defender.
"Some games you will lose points but it hasn't been lately so we will do everything we can."
Celtic have defeated Inverness twice since then, but this is the defending champions' first visit back to the Caledonian Stadium.
They are currently 24 points clear of second place Aberdeen, and need 13 more points to secure their sixth consecutive title.
"It is obviously a place we want to win at and we will do everything we can to see if we can get the three points because we always need to be the team that needs to win," Sviatchenko said.
"I would certainly say it is not getting easier. It is all about the mental preparation and the approach to the game because every game will be important and we need to be thinking it is going to be even more difficult now because it is so many games we play.
"We all want to be, or are, winners in some ways so you never get tired of winning games.
"The feeling after you have won a game is the best feeling and that is why we never give up. We want to keep pushing forward and get as many points as we can.
"We are playing for the title. We will do everything we can [to win it] as soon as possible but we have the most respect for every team we play."
Sviatchenko says it will "be a dream" to go through the league season undefeated and admits that he is often asked about the prospect of the team completing a treble, having already won the Scottish League Cup this season.
"If it will be so [that] we go unbeaten, [it will be] one day at a time, [and] it will be a huge achievement, but at that this stage it is too early to say," he said.
"The second [trophy of the season] is quite close and the Scottish Cup is something that we also want to win so we will do everything we can to secure them but we are not talking about it."


It was more like Brexit Questions than Welsh Questions, with 11 of the 14 questions tabled focused on Britain leaving the EU.

We know that Theresa May's government won't provide a running commentary on the Brexit process so what did we learn today?
With the government looking at protecting certain industries in Brexit negotiations, former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb highlighted the importance of Europe to the automotive and aerospace industries in Wales.
He asked Alun Cairns: "Given that Brexit probably won't mean retaining full membership of the single market will you nevertheless commit to fighting and doing everything you possibly can to retain full single market-style benefits for those critically important sectors in the Welsh economy?"
Mr Cairns told him the UK had landed some important investments. "We want to retain the most open market arrangements and I think the confidence shown by Nissan demonstrates that they understand the priority we are placing on that."
Labour's shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens wanted Ford in Bridgend to be offered the same deal as Nissan in Sunderland. She also highlighted the "potentially disastrous" impact of the loss of European Investment Bank funding.
Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats were worried about the impact of Brexit on farming and the Welsh red meat industry. Plaid parliamentary leader Hywel Williams (no vegetarian, he) asked Mr Cairns what steps he was taking "to ensure that in the future French, Italian, Spanish and German people continue to have Welsh meat and eat it?"
Alun Cairns and Guto Bebb gave little away about the government's plans. We did learn that Wales is "open for business" - whatever that means - and that Mr Cairns had had meetings with "key stakeholders".
On European funding, he suggested that Brexit offered an opportunity to do things differently with regional funds, again questioning how well Â£4 billion has been spent in the poorest parts of Wales over 16 years.
Mr Bebb sidestepped a question from Labour MP Paul Flynn who invited him to condemn the suggestion from Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies that after Brexit farm subsidies be decided at Westminster rather than in Cardiff.
But Ministers agreed that they they do want people in EU countries to have access to Welsh red meat. To have their steak and eat it, to coin a phrase.


Doubts have been cast over whether one of Wales' biggest celebrations of equality will take place in 2017.

Thousands of people turned out to Pride Cymru in Cardiff on Saturday, to march through the city before making their way to Cooper's Field for events.
The city council said there were "challenges" over the date next year, as the field would be used as a Champions League final fan zone.
Pride Cymru chairwoman Lu Thomas said she was "disappointed".
Speaking to BBC Radio Cymru's Taro'r Post programme, she said council officers told her no events would take place at Cooper's Field this time next year because of re-turfing work after the hosting of the fan zone.
Ms Thomas said there was nowhere else suitable in the city and organisers did not want to take the national event away from the capital.
She said: "It is inconceivable that the capital city of Wales may not have a Pride event in 2017.
"However, we believe that a solution to the current situation can be resolved."
In response, a council spokesman said: "The council has not cancelled the 2017 event, but there are challenges with some of the dates in next year's diary.
"The council events team are currently assessing all alternative possibilities and will continue to work closely with the organisers and continue to support the event."
Saturday's parade was the fifth through the city's streets -  a spectacle that attracted 1,000 people last year.
South Wales Police officers joined the parade and showed support for the LGBT community with a new Pride car.
It will tour the area, promoting the importance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and raising awareness of hate crime.
The force's LGBT network chairman, Scot Anderson, said the move was partly influenced by a shooting in a USA gay nightclub where 49 people died.
"Since the tragic events in Orlando, the LGBT community has been shocked to its core," he said.
"Officers and staff have a clear message, we stand together, to protect and keep you safe."


Opposition MPs in Kenya have stormed out of parliament in the capital, Nairobi, saying that they have been assaulted in the house.

The chaos came during a debate on changing the electoral laws to allow manual vote-counting for next year's presidential election.
The government wants a back-up to the electronic system but the opposition says it is a way of rigging the poll.
The initial debate on Tuesday also saw rival MPs exchange punches.
Kenyan politics is known to be highly partisan and this is not the first time MPs have fought in parliament.
In 2014, four lawmakers were assaulted and one had his shirt torn.
Africa Live: More on this and other news stories
The opposition Cord coalition said one of its MPs had a bloody face following Thursday's confrontations with MPs from the governing Jubilee party.
After leaving parliament, some Cord MPs went to court to seek an injunction to block the changes.
In their absence, government-allied MPs passed the amendments.
Cord has now called for mass action on 4 January 2017 to protest over the new law.
When the fights first broke out on Tuesday evening, the live video feed from parliament was cut and journalists were ordered out of the press gallery.
Kenyans have roundly criticized their lawmakers this week, dubbing parliament a "House of Chaos" as insults were traded and fistfights ensued over proposed amendments to election laws.
The underlying concern is that the acrimony surrounding the debate is planting a seed that will produce poisonous fruit in the general elections next year.
A parliament viciously divided along political lines goes against the calls for unity that Kenyans want to heed in the highly charged campaign period to come.
With the elections less than eight months away, the current disagreement on an issue as fundamental as what method the electoral commission should use to conduct the polls is also raising fears that deadlines will not be met, or preparations will be rushed.
Thursday's session was also not broadcast on national TV and at least one journalist was briefly detained for filming proceedings.
During that debate, Cord MP Millie Odhiambo attacked President Uhuru Kenyatta, calling him "extremely stupid".
Mr Kenyatta gave his initial response to that attack at an event to usher in the festive season, saying "some idiots continue to insult me" but added that it was part of their freedom.
But Mr Kenyatta seems to have now ended his war of words with Ms Odhiambo, as a local media station on Wednesday shared a picture of a Christmas card from the president addressed to the MP.
Calling for mass protests, Cord leader Raila Odinga told reporters: "No transparency, no elections.''
According to a recent opinion poll, Mr Odinga is President Kenyatta's closest challenger in the upcoming election.
The poll by Ipsos credits him with about 22% of the intended votes as opposed to 50% for Kenyatta.
To improve his chances for a win, the opposition leader is understood to be working to put together a larger coalition to back his bid.
The passing of the bill has been condemned by the Catholic church, which has 11 million followers in a country of 40 million.
The chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Justice and Peace Commission, Rev Cornelius Korir, said it went against the spirit of jointly negotiated amendments to reform electoral laws passed in August by parliament.


A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two police officers were assaulted in Hampshire.

The pair were injured while attending a "domestic incident" in Pegasus Avenue, Aldershot, on Tuesday, police said.
One officer was discharged from hospital overnight while the other was moved to a second hospital for "specialist treatment". Details of their injuries have not been released.
A 41-year-old from Aldershot is in custody.
Hampshire Constabulary said it had agreed with the officers not to disclose the nature of their injuries.
The force said many people were in the area at the time of the incident and it is appealing for witnesses.
Det Insp Sion Margrie said: "It is likely someone saw or heard what happened, or even filmed the incident on their mobile phones."


Sussex have signed batsman Laurie Evans on a three-year contract after Warwickshire released him a year early from his deal at Edgbaston.

The 29-year-old helped the Bears win the One-Day Cup last season, scoring 257 runs at an average of 64.25 in 10 appearances in the competition.
Evans joined Warwickshire in 2010 and also won the County Championship in 2012 and the T20 Blast in 2014.
Sussex head coach Mark Davis described Evans as "player of great ability".
He added: "He plays in all formats of the game and is a brilliant acquisition for the club. I believe Laurie's best years are in front of him, and he is driven to achieve his undoubted potential."
Evans has predominantly played white-ball cricket for Warwickshire, but has scored 2,926 runs at an average of 34.02 in first-class cricket.
He had a spell on loan with Northamptonshire in 2016.
Bears first-team coach Jim Troughton said: "Laurie has played an important part in our white-ball cricket for several years, but has been unable to secure a regular place in the team for first-class cricket.
"Whilst it's naturally disappointing that Laurie has decided that he no longer wants to play for Warwickshire, we do not wish to stand in the way of his ambitions in the game and we wish him the very best in his career with Sussex.
"We are also aware that he has been keen to move closer to his family in London and being based on the south coast will work better for him."


It's all change in the world of literary prizes.

This year will be the last Women's Prize for Fiction has the word Baileys attached to it.
The liqueur company, owned by Diageo, said it had "regretfully decided to make way for a new sponsor".
Orange sponsored the award for 17 years up to 2012 before Baileys took over in 2014.
The shifting nature of commercial partnerships means that book prizes can often change their names every few years.
It can just be a minor tweak - such as a simple change of prefix.
But sometimes well-known prize names can be rendered suddenly unrecognisable.
Up until 2015 the the most prestigious non-fiction prize was known as the Samuel Johnson Prize.
In 2016 it became the Baillie Gifford Prize to reflect a new sponsorship deal.
First awarded in 1999, it has also been known as the BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize and then the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction.
The Costa Book Awards started out as the Whitbread Awards in 1971 and only became known by their current name in 2006. The overall 2017 winner is announced this week.
The best-known literary prize of them all, the Man Booker Prize, was founded by the Booker McConnell company in 1968. Investment company Man Group began its sponsorship in 2002 and retained Booker in the official title.
The Folio Prize is a new kid on the block in terms of book awards.
It was first announced as the Literature Prize in 2011 amid a row about the decision by Man Booker Prizes judges that year to focus on "readability".
It was the first major English language book prize open to writers from around the world.
Under the sponsorship of The Folio Society, its first Â£40,000 accolade was handed out in 2014.  After the 2015 award, the Folio Society announced that it would not renew its partnership.
The prize took a year off in 2016 while it searched for a new sponsor and is back in 2017 as the Rathbones Folio Prize, with backing from Rathbone Investment Management.
Andrew Kidd, co-founder of the Folio Prize and of digital book club Alexi, knows all about the challenge of changing sponsor.
"We are a very young prize and we are still building public awareness," he says. "We haven't established ourselves enough to say we have a right to exist. We were born out of a particular moment."
During its year off it was decided to open the fiction prize to any literary genre, including non-fiction.
Mr Kidd says the search for a new sponsor wasn't as hard as he had expected.
"Because we waited until we had our own USP [Unique Selling Point] it was not that difficult at all. We had a compelling story to tell."
This year's winner will be announced on 24 May, with the Egyptian author Ahdaf Soueif as chair of the judging panel.
Its co-founder, novelist Kate Mosse, is, as you might expect, optimistic.
"We feel very confident about attracting a new sponsor," she told the BBC.
"We know that brands want to be associated with something that's inspirational... and we know customers like to be involved with companies that have some sort of social purpose."
Mr Kidd agrees: "Even when it was the Orange Prize everybody knew what it was. They've been so successful at building that unique brand that I would imagine it will be relatively easy to find a sponsor."
He said that having such a high profile advocate in Kate Mosse also puts them in a strong position.
"There's no question that there's an important place for a prize that focuses on female voices," he added.
"I would imagine that a lot of sponsors will be interested in associating themselves with something that has such a strong purpose."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Former England captain Chris Robshaw can still make this summer's British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand despite a 12-week injury lay-off, says his club coach John Kingston.

Robshaw missed all of England's triumphant Six Nations campaign with a shoulder injury.
But the 30-year-old returned to play a starring role as Harlequins thrashed Newcastle 53-17 on Saturday.
"It's a brave man who discounts Chris from the Lions," said Kingston.
"His ability to come back after four months out and put in a performance like that over 80 minutes is a reflection of the guy.
"Chris gets better the longer he plays; he just keeps going and going, you would never know that he's been out."
Lions head coach Warren Gatland will name his touring squad on 19 April, with the first game not until 3 June.
Quins only have four games left in the regular Premiership season for Robshaw to prove his fitness and earn a place.
The Londoners are in sixth place as they chase the top-four finish that will extend their campaign into the play-offs.


For a while, it was impossible to move without Gangnam Style pounding the eardrums — whether it was SuperBowl commercials, flash mobs, primetime TV performances or mobile ringtones chiming away, writes Omid Scobie, an expert on the entertainment industry and K-pop genre.

Every corner of the globe, it seemed, had become obsessed with Psy's viral hit in 2012.
But despite two successful follow-up singles and promises of a US-produced album, there has been very little noise from the South Korean rapper since.
K-pop was officially on the map, but did its unofficial ambassador give up?
Hardly. Having earned an estimated $55m (£36m) from his work in the West, Psy is now racking up similar amounts from the lucrative Chinese market, where his collaboration with world-class pianist Lang Lang is currently producing a run of consecutive number ones.
"Chinese fans love his music and the song," Hyun Suk "YG" Yang, his manager and founder and chairman of one of Korea's biggest entertainment companies, YG Entertainment told the BBC.
"It topped [all the] Chinese music charts."
Psy's decision to focus on the Asian music market may be an indication of where the entertainment industry turns over the highest profits for musicians - China's entertainment market was last valued at $95.7bn - but it also put a sudden end to the epic K-pop tidal wave he was supposed to be riding in to the West.
That could be about to change.
Talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered the likes of pop megastars Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen, told the BBC that it was Psy who opened his eyes to South Korea's hottest commodity and its line-up of talented idol stars ripe for export.
When he first saw Psy's Gangnam Style video "something in my gut went off" says Braun, who immediately signed the singer to his US-based label, School Boy Records.
"K-pop as a genre invests a lot in their music videos, with unique and vibrant visuals and even a bit of an exoticness to them," he says.
"These larger than life visuals allowed fans who may not understand the language to still understand the music."
Which explains why, with virtually no marketing whatsoever, K-pop music videos continue to rack up millions of daily video views by overseas fans, many of whom simply discover the genre by chance.
In fact, more than 90% of K-pop YouTube streams are now consumed outside Korea, many in North America.
"The fact that fans around the world can see content online is really helping to establish K-pop outside of Korea and Asia," Braun says.
As are the K-pop concerts. South Korean boy band, Big Bang's 2013 Alive Galaxy Tour performed at 48 international stadiums, including sold-out shows at London's Wembley Arena.
Read more stories from the South Korea Direct season:
The woman who liberated Korean housewives
In Pictures: Fish, fruit and veg in South Korea's markets
How good are Kim Jong-un's hackers?
And for those still unaware of the genre, Braun's next discovery could be about to change things. Step forward 24-year-old Korean pop sensation, CL.
Hailing from one of K-pop's biggest girl groups, 2NE1, the singer and rapper has more than 45 million Asia single sales under her belt and is already a favourite among US producers and elite fashion designers.
Moschino's creative director Jeremy Scott, who has worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Rihanna, credits her as his muse.
"My team first saw CL perform with 2NE1 in Seoul at one of Psy's concerts," says Braun. "We were extremely impressed with her stage presence… [she's an] amazing performer.
"We wanted to help her bring her talent to the US," explains Braun.
So, can CL singlehandedly drive the K-pop takeover that Psy almost pulled off?
"I grew up listening to English bands and American pop,"  CL says.
"Now that I've been an artist in Asia for eight years, I feel like challenging a new crowd. I definitely have a long way to go, but I feel like I have the right people around me, a good team."
Plus great connections.
In the past year, Braun has helped CL (real name Chaerin Lee) rap on tracks for producers Diplo and  Skrillex. In April, she appeared alongside young Hollywood's elite, including Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Ariana Grande, for a viral video style lip-sync cover of Jepsen's I Really Like You.
Last week, her collaboration single with Diplo, Riff Raff, and OG Maco, called Doctor Pepper was released.
Diplo, whose back catalogue includes hits for Beyonce, Madonna and Chris Brown, calls the hip-hop track "the right balance between glossy K-pop attitude and keeping CL positioned where she belongs - as the baddest, coolest female out right now."
Like many idols in the K-pop industry, CL began training with her agency at the age of 15.
Trainees are expected to juggle school and long hours of daily practice, which include singing, dancing, acting, language classes and, in extreme cases, plastic surgery makeovers.
It is a gruelling process that can last years before an artist is deemed ready to debut though the rewards for those who succeed are worth the intense training periods.
Korean entertainment agencies are known for signing artists to golden handcuff-like contracts, anywhere from seven to 13 years.
These guarantee long and profitable careers for the artist and a lucrative return for the agency, who will have spent seven-figure sums on training.
2NE1's label mates Big Bang, a five-member male group who debuted in 2006, reportedly earned $71m in 2014, just $4m shy of One Direction in the same year.
But for every success story there are, of course, cautionary tales.
It is not uncommon for hopeful artists to dedicate years of their lives to training with an agency, only to never properly debut.
Some trainees just do not live up to expectations, says a staffer at a well-known agency (who asked for anonymity).
Instead of being dropped they will be tested out in different fields such as a variety show or TV presenting.
"If that doesn't work, it might be behind the scenes - styling, writing, choreography," says the staffer.
"Because the company has invested so much in to the training, they often refuse to let them go from their contracts until they have made some of the money back."
Ida Simmons began training with SM Entertainment, one of South Korea's other major talent agencies, at 14.
With a Korean mother and German father, her unique looks and note-perfect singing voice should have had her destined for big things with a company behind some of the top names in the industry.
But while her peers went on to the big stage, Simmons failed to catch the attention of new fans during focus groups and TV appearances.
Having signed a 13-year contract with SM, Simmons was technically benched by the agency and found a job by the company as a DJ on Korea's Arirang Radio to sit out the remainder of her contract.
"It was definitely difficult," Simmons, now 29 and free of her contract, has said.
"Now I'm just happy to be able to move on with my career."
Nevertheless, there is much the Western music industry is keen to learn from the well-oiled system in South Korea.
"The entire structure of developing a new artist in the US is completely different than it is in Korea," talent spotter Braun says.
"In Korea, there is no real distinction between management and the record company. They are one and the same and invest heavily in finding and grooming talent from a young age.
"I've actually learned a lot from YG and his company's system and really admire the work they do."
Over the next year, we could see more of Western music's big players looking for a slice of the K-pop pie.
Rapper Kanye West's creative team recently announced plans to launch Seoul-based joint-stock company 10-Jones, incorporating brand, agency and entertainment branches.
The Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy group (LVMH) recently invested $80m in YG Entertainment.
As for CL - who will release a full solo album later this year - she has fan and personal friend, Chanel and Fendi creative director, Karl Lagerfeld rooting for her.
"CL is beautiful… you can't take your eyes off her. This year she will help K-pop take over the world."
About the author: Omid Scobie is the European Bureau Chief for US Weekly magazine and founder of Korean entertainment news site, IdolWow!


Viewed from the West, Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, is in the diplomatic dog-house.

His annexation of Crimea and military involvement in eastern Ukraine broke the settled pattern of post-Cold War relations in Europe.
The Russian military's increasingly aggressive patrolling and exercises on the margins of Nato have raised genuine concerns - even in a country such as Sweden - that a conflict with Russia can no longer be regarded as impossible.
Reluctant Nato governments are slowly increasing defence spending, and the US is taking steps to reinforce its forward presence in Europe.
Russia, of course, puts the boot on the other foot and blames Nato's expansion for its increased military readiness.
But this is a government widely believed to have sent its agents to poison an opponent in London, leaving a radioactive trail across the city.
Curiously then, the prevailing Western response to Russia's engagement alongside President Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria has been to argue Russia and the West potentially share some common ground.
Russia - at least up to a week or so ago - was seen as a co-sponsor of the diplomatic effort to bring peace to Syria and a vital element in any solution.
Whether this view - in hindsight largely wishful thinking - will survive the onslaught by the Syrian Army and its allies on Aleppo remains to be seen.
It is Russian air power more than anything that has changed the fortunes of the Syrian government.
And this offensive - coming just as a new round of talks was getting under way - effectively poisoned the discussions before they really began.
Russia's Syrian build-up looks long term
Where key countries stand on Syria
So might this be a moment when the scales will fall from Western eyes and Russia's true intentions become clear?
We are not talking here about morality or what is right - there is precious little of that to go round on any side.
Syria is an appallingly complex problem, and no single party can be blamed for the continuation of the war.
What we are talking about is Realpolitik. And here, Moscow has given Western capitals an object lesson in what can be achieved.
To the Western view there is no military solution in Syria, Moscow has effectively begged to differ.
It chose a side - a side credible militarily in the sense it had too much to lose if defeated.
That side had reasonably effective allies such as the Hezbollah fighters and various militias recruited by Iran and guided by Iranian commanders.
And Russia itself deployed sufficient resources to make a difference.
It took a little time, but the results on the ground are now clear.
Russia set for itself an achievable goal - to bolster the Syrian government and ensure it retained control over a significant part of the country.
In so doing, it has unleashed its air force largely against militia fighters backed by Turkey, the Gulf Arabs and the West, and it is winning.
Contrast the Western approach, beset by problems and contradictions at every turn.
The West backs so-called moderate militias - but who exactly are these moderates?
Many are being forced into alliances with groups close to al-Qaeda.
Yes, Washington and al-Qaeda are objectively on the same side - contradiction number one.
Of course, the West is largely in it to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS).
But is this the primary goal of its regional allies such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey?
No, their chief goal is to secure their strategic stakes in Syria - ideally by destroying President Assad.
IS is their enemy, but in many ways a secondary one - contradiction number two.
Then, of course, there is the Kurdish question.
The West's most effective allies on the ground are Kurdish fighters.
But the Turks see them as a threat and any nascent Kurdish entity as a nightmare to be avoided at all costs - contradiction number three.
By contrast Mr Putin's life is simpler.
It is often said he has the advantage over his Western peers of not having to worry about public opinion.
Thus, the downing of a Russian airliner created little of the waves of protest at government policy that might have happened if a Western plane had been destroyed.
But think this through logically.
Is anything about Western policy a reflection of public opinion?
The publics are as confused as their political masters.
How do you react to drowning refugees, terrible suffering, and apparently intractable conflicts in places at one and the same time far away but also so terribly close?
Mr Putin is not just achieving his military goals in Syria.
His success threatens to reduce the country to two enclaves - a coastal rump dominated by the Syrian government and the rest broadly in the hands of IS.
What will the West's choices be then?
Mr Putin has shown Russia remains a force to be reckoned with in the Middle East, just at a time when the Americans seem best characterised by vacillation.
He has shown Russia has a limited but nonetheless impressive expeditionary military capability, and he has given a runout to much of Russia's latest hardware.
So, for now, Mr Putin has a victory of sorts.
I suppose the question is how long will it last?
Russia's own underpinnings are shaky. And with low oil prices set to persist, can the president really afford to behave like a kind of throwback to the Soviet era?
But, make no mistake, the Syrian peace process is stillborn.
The fighting will continue, with so-called moderate forces squeezed between government forces and IS.
The Kurdish question will continue to rear its head.
And the refugee flow towards western Europe will continue unabated.
In unifying ends and means, Mr Putin knows what he wants. And, for now, he seems to be getting it.


In Case You Missed It: a round-up of interesting technology-related links shared over the weekend.

Here are Silicon Valley's big losers
Silicon Valley companies took a hammering in the markets last week - spooked, the Silicon Valley Business Journal says, by instability in the Chinese economy. The Journal has rounded up the biggest losers in the Valley.
Google wants to help you post food photos on Maps
As if some people needed more encouragement, Google is testing out an idea that would make it easier for people to attach food pictures to Google Map locations, bolstering its restaurant reviews.
Tesla partners with AirBnB, subsidises chargers
High end AirBnB properties may soon come with a Tesla charging point. Tesla is putting up the money for several locations in California.
Pro-government Twitter bots try to hush Mexican activists
An interesting look at how Twitter bots - which Wired describes as pro-government - drowned out dissenting voices in Mexico.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC


France's competition authority, the Autorite de la Concurrence, has fined 20 package delivery firms €672m (£488m) for colluding to artificially raise prices annually.

The UK's Royal Mail was among those fined for its part in the cartel.
It will pay a reduced fine of €55.2m, down from €67.6m, because it agreed not to contest the fine.
The price rises, which happened between 2004-10, were agreed during "secret meetings", the watchdog said.
The Royal Mail's French division, General Logistics Systems (GLS), accounts for about 17% of Royal Mail's revenues.
"Royal Mail recognises the absolute need to comply with European and national competition law and the necessity to prevent infringements," the firm said in a statement.
"It has implemented an enhanced compliance programme in GLS France in order to strengthen the culture of competition law compliance."
The companies fined include the French divisions of FedEx Express, TNT and DHL Express. TLF, the delivery union, was also among those fined.
The authority said that the price rises especially damaged small businesses.
An additional fine of €1.4m was issued to 15 of the companies, for agreeing on a system designed to pass on higher diesel prices to customers.
It outlined one case, in which some of the companies had planned an annual 5% price increase, but after secret meetings with other delivery companies, decided to raise prices by 7% instead.
"Meetings were organised regularly before and after new pricing rounds, which enabled the companies to homogenise their price demands and secure their commercial negotiations," the competition watchdog said.
"The discussions were kept secret and there was no official record taken."


Graeme McDowell posted a final round of three-under-par 69 at the Qatar Masters in Doha to end the tournament in a tie for 28th place on eight under par.

McDowell carded five birdies and two bogeys in his closing 18 holes.
Korea's Wang Jeunghun secured his third European Tour title in less than a year after beating South Africa's Jaco van Zyl and Joakim Lagergren in a play-off.
Wang, 21, birdied the first extra hole, while Van Zyl and Swede Lagergren could only record par fives.
Van Zyl three-putted for par from long range and Lagergren was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
The trio had finished tied on 16 under par after Wang, who won back-to-back events in Morocco and Mauritius last May, left a birdie putt to win inches short on the 72nd hole.
France's Michael Lorenzo-Vera had been tied for the lead after he eagled the 16th, only to three-putt the 17th from short range and then pull his second shot on the last into the water.
Wicklow man Paul Dunne recorded a level-par 72 to lie joint 21st on nine under.
McDowell's best round was a 66 on Thursday and he also posted a two-under 70 on Saturday, but Friday's disappointing 75 cost him a higher placing on the leaderboard.
The Portrush man began the tournament 89th in the world rankings and the 2010 US Open champion, as it stands, is not in the fields for either the WGC World Match Play in March or the Masters a month later.


As commentators across the world begin to assess the outcome of G20, which closed in Brisbane on Sunday, some note that the event was overshadowed by criticism of Russia over its role in Ukraine.

Others are pleased that climate change and the Ebola crisis made it into the leaders' final statement, which was more than some expected.
One Indian daily says world leaders must not allow political disputes to undermine their efforts to overcome the global economic crisis.
In Russia, state media and pro-Kremlin commentators appear to be downplaying what some observers see as the cool reception given to President Vladimir Putin by other world leaders.
Most TV channels this morning are focusing on Mr Putin's interview with Germany's ARD channel and a gas explosion in Moscow, seemingly steering clear of suggestions that Mr Putin left Brisbane earlier than planned, reportedly to avoid further snubs.
The English-language RT, however, did say that "Putin may have had a lukewarm reception" but added that "he certainly stuck to his guns".
On Sunday, TV channels briefly reported on Mr Putin's early departure and quoted his own explanation that he needed sleep.
The RBK liberal daily quotes international relations expert Andrey Sushentso saying Mr Putin gave a "reasonable" explanation for his early departure and the Western media's reaction is "of secondary importance".
But in the same paper, Alexei Makarkin is quoted as warning that Russia is being "increasingly isolated", adding that "BRICS nations won't quarrel publicly with the US for Russia's sake".
The isolation theme is picked up in Germany where a commentator in the widely-read Bild newspaper, warns that Russia must not be left in the cold.
"Putin has written off the West. And in the main the West has written Putin off," Bela Anda writes.
"So [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel did well to negotiate with Putin for four hours during the night. We cannot afford to give up on Russia. The price would be too high."
Elsewhere, papers in Turkey, which is due to take over the rotating presidency of G20 this December, and China debate if the body can deliver on big issues, such as climate change or curbing the spread of Ebola.
"It is important that [Sunday's] final communique stated the need for a more comprehensive discussion at the G20 summit on the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus, and - upon Prime Minister Davutoglu's insistence - the need to focus on the plight of refugees, and its recommendation that international institutions should do more to provide aid," writes Istanbul-based Yeni Safak.
With G20 countries making up two-thirds of the global population, the body should be "the most vociferous defender of the people's right to live in humane living conditions."
Chinese papers see Beijing's nomination to host the G20 summit in 2016 as a sign of the country's growing influence in international affairs. They focus on President Xi Jinping's call for a more efficient and inclusive global financial system.
The widely-read China Daily praises Beijing's own achievements in carrying out economic reforms, but another influential paper, The Global Times, points out that the international community must do much more to solve the global economic crisis.
In India, the Amar Ujala daily is pessimistic about future summits.
Whilst acknowledging that the Brisbane meeting pledged to tackle some important issues it appeals to leaders not to allow political disputes to dominate.
"Economic reforms must be above politics," it said. "But it's really very concerning the way regional and global organisations, which were formed with an aim to boost mutual cooperation, are continuously becoming platforms for political disputes."
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


League One Port Vale are trying to sign on-loan striker Alex Jones permanently from Birmingham City, says chairman Norman Smurthwaite.

The 22-year-old is Vale's top scorer so far this season, having scored eight times in 12 league games.
Jones' deal is set to expire in January but Vale are keen to keep him, and would prefer to sign him outright.
"I think the way forward is to acquire him as a contracted player in January," Smurthwaite told BBC Radio Stoke.
"I'm in the process of building a football club. He's embraced the club very well. He's a great lad and he'd be a great addition to our squad.
"I've spoken to Birmingham and put forward a proposal."
Smurthwaite says one of the club's brightest young talents may end up leaving.
Defender Nathan Smith, 20, won the EFL's Young Player of the Month for August after making his league debut at the start of the season and was rewarded with a new three-year contract extension.
"There's some interest from the Premier League," Smurthwaite said.
"I'll be honest, if the right offer is made and Nathan wants to go, he'll be leaving us in January.
"This lad isn't motivated by money, he's motivated by the craft and if it's not right for him, he won't go.
"When the right opportunity comes for him, Port Vale will be recompensed but he will control that decision, not us."


Dippy, the iconic dinosaur guarding the entrance to London's Natural History Museum, has developed itchy feet.

He is off on tour. Dippy is a model of the original diplodocus who has been around for at least 145 million years.
So what's another two years' wait for the dinosaur lovers of Northern Ireland who will welcome him to Belfast's Ulster Museum in September 2018?
His journey around the United Kingdom will begin earlier that year and he is set to visit eight venues.
The organisers hope to inspire millions of natural history lovers.
Dippy is a star in his own right. He has dominated the central hall in the London museum since 1979, enthralling hundreds of thousands of small children.
He starred in films including Paddington and Disney's One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing - a 1975 movie where the thieves did not nick Dippy as he was a little on the large side.
He has endured other inconveniences too - the tip of his tailbone is fairly small and has been stolen several times.
The species lived sometime between 156 and 145 million years ago and belongs to a group called sauropods, meaning "lizard feet".
When railroad workers unearthed the fossilised bones of the diplodocus in Wyoming, USA in 1898, newspapers billed the discovery as the "most colossal animal ever on Earth".
Dippy is one of 10 replicas of the original Diplodocus carnegii in museums around the world, including Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and Moscow.
The 292-bone skeleton arrived in London in 36 packing cases and was unveiled to the public four months later in a lavish ceremony for 300 people, on Friday 12 May 1905.
He was a media darling, attracting headlines like: "Welcome colossal stranger" and "The greatest animal that ever lived."
During World War II, the skeleton was taken apart and relocated to the basement to protect him from bomb damage.
Earlier this year, the museum announced he would be replaced in his prime spot by the skeleton of a blue whale.
So what better time to go on tour?
Kathryn Thomson, National Museums Northern Ireland, said: "We are thrilled that Dippy will be coming to the Ulster Museum in Belfast, where he can be assured of a very warm Northern Irish welcome!
"It will give us a fantastic platform to uncover and connect to stories from our own extensive Natural Sciences collection.
"We look forward to creating an exciting programme of events for Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure that will appeal to all ages and inspire our visitors to engage more with the natural world in our area."


First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has told BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor that she would do all she could to keep Scotland in Europe's single market.

13 October 2016 Last updated at 18:42 BST
During a half-hour webchat the SNP leader also said that she would be "guided by what was right".
Ms Sturgeon told her party's conference that next week she would publish a consultation on a draft independence referendum bill.


Kurdish parties say they are planning to declare a new federal system in areas they control in northern Syria.

The Kurds already operate "autonomous administrations" in three enclaves bordering Turkey - Afrin and Kobane in Aleppo province and Jazira in Hassakeh.
The federal system would also include predominantly Arab and Turkmen areas captured from so-called Islamic State.
The idea was dismissed by Syrian government negotiators at peace talks in Geneva and by Turkey's government.
Both stressed the need to preserve Syria's national unity and territorial integrity.
Kurds made up between 7% and 10% of Syria's population of 24.5 million before the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began five years ago.
Although they were denied basic rights and suffered decades of political suppression by the Arab-led state, most Kurds avoided taking sides when a wave of protests swept the country.
When government forces withdrew from Kurdish areas to concentrate on fighting predominantly Arab rebels elsewhere in mid-2012, Kurdish militias swiftly took control, led by the Popular Protection Units (YPG) of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
In January 2014, the PYD and other Kurdish parties created autonomous administrations based in the enclaves, or "cantons", of Afrin, Kobane and Jazira.
They stressed at the time that they were not seeking independence from Syria, but "local democratic administration" within a federal framework.
In September 2014, the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) launched an assault on Kobane, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee to Turkey. With the help of US air power, the YPG regained control of the town after a four-month battle.
Since then, the YPG has inflicted a series of defeats on IS and established control over 26,000 sq km (10,000 sq miles) of Syria, according to one estimate, including a 400km (250-mile) stretch of territory along the Turkish border.
The plan to create a federal system to administer the three cantons and the territory captured from IS was circulated ahead of a meeting of about 200 Kurdish representatives in the town of Rmeilan on Wednesday.
Kurdish official Idris Nassan told the Reuters news agency that a federal arrangement would widen "the framework of self-administration that the Kurds and others have formed" and would represent all ethnic groups.
An official declaration was expected on Wednesday but was postponed for "logistical reasons" and because of concerns expressed by local Arab and Assyrian communities, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
When asked about the Kurdish plan, the Syrian government's chief negotiator at the peace talks in Geneva said he would not comment on "unilateral statements coming from here and there".
But he warned: "Betting on creating any kind of divisions among the Syrians will be a total failure."
Turkey, which backs Syria's opposition and sees the PYD as an extension of the rebel Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), also rejected the idea.
"Syria's national unity and territorial integrity is fundamental for us. Outside of this, unilateral decisions cannot have validity," a foreign ministry official told Reuters.


A mental health trust that provides services for 1.2m people in the West Midlands has been told by a health watchdog it "requires improvement".

Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust runs services from over 50 sites.
Inspectors criticised the safety of medicines management and said there was a high use of prone - or face-down - restraint.
Bosses at the trust said improvements were being made.
See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here
The inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the trust as "requires improvement" overall. It was previously rated as "good", in 2014.
Inspectors said:
However, inspectors highlighted several areas of good practice and said staff were caring, compassionate and kind and treated patents with dignity and respect.
The CQC added staffing levels were generally safe and sufficient to provide good care.
The trust said it has already made improvements, including appointing a medication safety officer.
Chief executive John Short, said: "We recognise that the CQC has identified some areas where we did not meet the high standards we set ourselves.
"Since the inspection, work has already been completed in a number of key areas and is under way to address the other concerns raised."
The inspection took place between 27 and 31 March.


Waze, the Google-owned traffic app, says it is not to blame after two Israeli soldiers drove into a Palestinian refugee camp.

Their arrival sparked fierce fighting, with Israeli reinforcements also then deployed to the Qalandia camp site.
A 22-year-old man was killed and several were injured.
Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said the soldiers had apparently been using Waze to find their way. But Waze said a safety feature had been turned off.
"[Waze] includes a specific default setting that prevents routes through areas which are marked as dangerous or prohibited for Israelis to drive through," the company said.
"In this case, the setting was disabled. In addition, the driver deviated from the suggested route and, as a result, entered the prohibited area."
The company was developed in Israel and acquired by Google in 2013.
The search giant reportedly paid $1.3bn (Â£835m) for the app, which combines online maps with updates from other users about traffic jams, road works and accidents.
Mr Yaalon said despite the rise of GPS technology, "you cannot neglect locating yourself with a map".


Theresa May called the election because she wants a democratic mandate of her own to pursue what will almost certainly be very tough and complex negotiations with European leaders over the UK's exit from the European Union.

Formed in the 1830s as a right-of-centre party, in favour of capitalism, free enterprise and minimal intervention by government.
Dominated British politics in the 20th Century, holding power for 57 years. Margaret Thatcher's administration (1979-90) had arguably the most profound impact, introducing a range of free-market reforms, and limiting the power of the trade unions.
The party spent 13 years in opposition following the 1997 landslide achieved by Labour's Tony Blair, but regained power as the senior partners in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats under David Cameron in 2010.
The largest party in Westminster with 330 seats. Against expectation, David Cameron achieved a majority in 2015 when nearly all polls suggested another hung parliament. However, he resigned just over a year later after losing the referendum vote on whether the UK should leave the European Union.
As of December 2013, the last time figures were published, the Conservative Party had 149,800 members.
Prime Minister Theresa May. She may have emerged as leader only after her rivals fell by the wayside in rapid succession, but in 10 months, helped by increasingly glowing personal opinion poll ratings, she has stamped her authority on the party, and heads into the election as the most secure leader since Mrs Thatcher in her pomp.
It hasn't all been plain sailing - the rapid U-turn on plans to increase national insurance contributions for the self-employed announced in the Budget raised eyebrows. But Mrs May has set herself up as the calm and considered voice of strength and reason, and the key to the Tories' electoral success will rest squarely on whether the public is prepared to take her at her word.
Away from Mrs May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has a remarkable ability to grab headlines. His critics think he has a similarly remarkable ability to put his foot in it.
Ruth Davidson has gained credit for leading a revival in Conservative fortunes in Scotland.
"I'm not a showy politician. I don't go drinking in parliament's bars. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve, I just get on with the job in front of me and you can judge me by my record."
"Instead of being open and willing to listen to differing views and incredibly complex issues, she's retreated into government by mantra: 'Brexit means Brexit', 'no running commentary', 'no deal is better than a bad deal' - bland phrases designed to shut out dialogue," Sir Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit secretary.
Theresa May wants a resounding majority to strengthen her hand in upcoming Brexit negotiations with the European Union. She is also thought to be keen to ditch some of the manifesto commitments of her predecessor, which have tied her hands.
Brexit. The public voted to leave the European Union, and although Mrs May described herself during the referendum campaign as a "reluctant Remainer", she has been equally decisive in styling herself as the one domestic political leader who can achieve that aim.
For it. Mrs May favours a "clean" Brexit. The UK would leave the EU single market, and the customs union, which Brexiteers argue is necessary to allow the UK to strike trade deals with other countries around the world.
The vast majority of Conservative MPs backed her position, although a few, such as Ken Clarke, Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan continued to bang the Remain drum, along with veteran Europhile Michael Heseltine.
But, if press reports are to be believed, Mrs May's tough stance hasn't gone down well with her EU counterparts. EC President Jean-Claude Juncker is allegedly sceptical that a deal can be reached any time soon.


The refurbishment of a 19th Century lighthouse will see it taken off English Heritage's "at risk" register, a senior councillor has said.

Seaburn's Grade II* white lighthouse will be repaired as part of Sunderland City Council's seafront regeneration.
It has been considered "at risk" since structural issues were identified in December 2014.
Council cabinet secretary Mel Speding said it had a "very special place in people's hearts."
He said it was one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city.
"It's also a really important Grade II* listed building so I'm delighted that we've been able to find the money to secure its future and take it off the at risk register," he said.
Built in 1856, the lighthouse was moved to Cliffe Park from the entrance to Sunderland's South Pier in 1983 during improvements to the harbour.
The council plans to start the restoration after the Sunderland International Airshow in July and finish in the autumn.
It has spent Â£10m on the Roker and Seaburn seafront since 2010, it said.


The Daily Record devotes most of its front page to a report on urban hunting gangs who attack wild animals with dogs.

The tensions over North Korea, and its failed missile test, are the lead for The National, which asks if the US was involved in sabotage.
"Stressed out" teachers are turning to drink - and to coffee - to help them cope, says the Scotsman.
The Herald highlights the pension disaster waiting to happen for many women who have, on average, only a third as much as men saved for retirement.
A theory that drone footage may have inspired thefts from a fire station in Dundee gets an outing in the Courier.
The Scottish Sun says Prince Harry sought therapy over issues connected to the death of his mother. So does the Scottish Daily Mail.
More pension concerns in the Scottish Daily Express, which reports on the many people who will not receive the full state pension.
The Daily Star is excited about revealing pictures of a minor celebrity.


Double Olympic gold medal winner and world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux says he will put on an "amazing show" Cardiff's Ice Arena Wales on Saturday.

WBA world super bantamweight champion Rigondeaux, 35, boxes in the UK for the first time as he defends his title against Liverpool's Jazza Dickens.
He is widely considered to be one of the world's top pound-for-pound boxers.
"I know you guys are great boxing fans and I am ready to go for you," Rigondeaux told BBC Wales Sport.
Rigondeaux is undefeated in 16 bouts as a professional and recorded 475 victories in 487 contests as an amateur.
The Cuba-born fighter won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and in 2004 in Athens.
He co-headlines a bill featuring WBO world lightweight champion Terry Flanagan's defence against former IBF world champion Mzonke Fana.
British and Commonwealth super welterweight champion Liam Williams, from Clydach Vale, also defends his titles against Gary Corcoran in front of his hometown fans.
Rigondeaux's coach Pedro Diaz, who also trained the now Miami-based boxer in his amateur career, says his fighter could well be the best in the world.
"If he is not the best he is the most complete," Diaz told BBC Wales Sport.
"It is difficult to speak about who is the best, there are a lot of good boxers.
"For us, he is in a class of his own, he is an extraordinary boxer. He is the only champion to only fight boxers with winning records."