The Islamic State (IS) militant group has been driven out of most of the northern Syrian town of Kobane, a Kurdish commander has told the BBC.

Baharin Kandal said IS fighters had retreated from all areas, except for two pockets of resistance in the east.
US-led air strikes have helped push back the militants, with another 14 conducted over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the new UN human rights commissioner has called IS a "potentially genocidal" movement.
Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein described the group as the antithesis of human rights.
Speaking by phone, Kurdish commander Baharin Kandal told the BBC's Kasra Naji that she hoped the city would be "liberated soon".
Ms Kandal said her militia group had been receiving arms, supplies and fighters but she refused to say how, reports our correspondent, who is on the Turkish border near Kobane.
At the scene: BBC's Kasra Naji on the Turkey-Syria border
Kurdish defenders have victory in their sights. After exactly a month of fighting, they say they have driven Islamic State from most of the city.
But from a hilltop across the border in Turkey, it is clear there is still fighting going on, particularly in the north of the city. Small and heavy arms fire can be heard, as well as occasional explosions. There have also been several air strikes this afternoon by the US-led coalition.
One 32-year-old Kurdish militia commander, who leads the fighting in the east of the city, told me she hoped the city would be "fully liberated" very soon.
Her comments reflect an air of optimism here in Turkey among the Kobane refugees who are hoping to go back to their town in the next few days.
The battle for Kobane, which is also known as Ayn al-Arab, is regarded as a major test of whether the US-led coalition's air campaign can push back IS.
US Central Command said that bomber and fighter aircraft had conducted 14 air strikes on Wednesday and Thursday, all of them targeting IS around Kobane.
The strikes "successfully struck 19 IS buildings, two IS command posts, three IS fighting positions, three IS sniper positions, one IS staging location and one IS heavy machine gun", a statement said.
It said the air strikes had "continued to slow IS advances, but that the security situation on the ground in Kobane remains tenuous".
A Kurdish official in Kobane, Idris Nassen, confirmed to the AFP news agency that IS had pulled back from some areas and that "the international coalition has fought IS more effectively during the last few days".
But he warned: "We need more air strikes, as well as weaponry and ammunition to fight them on the ground."
Meanwhile, IS militants released another propaganda video featuring British hostage John Cantlie on Thursday.
The journalist, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012, has appeared in several videos released by IS that have all followed the same format - with Mr Cantlie addressing the camera from behind a desk.
There are no signs of violence in the videos but Mr Cantlie has made it clear he is speaking as a prisoner whose life is in danger.
Earlier, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, the new UN human rights commissioner, described IS as the antithesis of human rights and "a diabolical, potentially genocidal movement".
He said: "The way it has spread its tentacles into other countries, employing social media and the internet to brainwash and recruit people from across the globe, reveals it to be the product of a perverse and lethal marriage of a new form of nihilism with the digital age."
Activists say more than 600 people have been killed since the jihadist group launched its assault on Kobane a month ago.
More than 160,000 people have fled the mainly Kurdish town in the face of the IS advance.
Capturing the town would give the group unbroken control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border.
IS fighters, who have seized large areas in Syria and Iraq, have gained a reputation for brutal tactics, including mass killings and beheadings of soldiers and journalists.


A 27-year-old man has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to the rape of a young girl in Denbighshire last month.

Jonathan Baines of Prestwich, Manchester, handed himself into police the day after the offence in Rhyl.
"I've come to report a crime I've done," he told Rhyl police station.
Baines was told he would serve seven years in prison, but when released would be on an extended period of licence for five years.
Caernarfon Crown Court recorder Jeremy Jenkins accepted he had a high degree of remorse.
Baines will remain on the sex offenders' list for life.


Coach Wayne Pivac praised Scarlets centre Scott Williams after his try-scoring return in the 34-20 Pro 12 win over Dragons on Judgement Day IV.

Williams was playing for the first time since last September and scored in the 11th minute and had a hand another try.
The Wales international was substituted after 52 minutes to save him for next week's Pro12 showdown with Munster.
"I didn't expect him to go that well to be honest with you. If anything I thought he over-achieved," said Pivac.
"I thought he played very very well first game back.
"His decision making, the timing of the pass just to hold the defenders and put guys away - that's class.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I guess it would have put a smile on [Wales coach] Warren Gatland's face with the summer tour just around the corner."
Wales play a three-test series against New Zealand in June.
Williams suffered knee ligament damage in Wales' 2015 World Cup pool win over England at Twickenham.
The match against Dragons was the centre's first of the season for Scarlets, who could yet claim a place in the Pro12 play-offs.
If they beat Munster in Thomond Park next week and Ulster lose at Ospreys, Scarlets will clinch fourth place.
Williams said he wanted to get "a good week training" before the match in Munster after a pleasing return.
"It was better than I thought," he said.
"It's great to be back - it's been a long time and I'm just happy to be back with the boys.
"But it was tiring and I thought I might not make it to half time."
Asked about his Wales tour prospects, Williams said he was just concerned with the Scarlets' remaining match.
"Those things are out of my hands," he added.


The Conservatives have won a Scottish Parliament by-election in the Borders held on the same night as the general election.

Rachael Hamilton - who stood down as a list MSP to fight the seat - took Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire with a majority of more than 9,000.
She held the constituency for her party from closest rival Gail Hendry of the SNP.
Labour's Sally Prentice was third with Lib Dem Catriona Bhatia fourth.
The by-election was called after John Lamont stood down to fight the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk seat at Westminster which he also won.
"We had an all-female line-up and I was just pleased to be one of those," said Ms Hamilton.
"I am pleased to be going back to the Scottish Parliament - I am absolutely delighted.
"And I am also delighted for John in his Westminster seat as well. The number of seats that we are winning throughout Scotland for Westminster - I think that is really encouraging as well - I think the Conservatives are on the up."
She added that the push for another independence referendum had definitely helped her "on the doorsteps".
"We can stand up and oppose independence and I believe that is what voters in the Borders were really gunning for," she said.


Bristol City came from behind to win against Championship newcomers Wigan Athletic in the first league game at the fully-redeveloped Ashton Gate.

Wigan went ahead when new signing Alex Gilbey latched onto Yanic Wildschut's left-wing delivery to fire home.
Tammy Abraham, who joined Bristol City on loan from Chelsea, levelled from close range with 10 minutes to play.
Bobby Reid scored a late winner for the hosts when Wigan failed to clear their lines and his deflected shot went in.
Reid's strike helped Bristol City to their first win on the opening day in the Championship since their 1-0 victory against Blackpool in 2008.
Defeat for Wigan in their first game back in the Championship after a one-season absence means they have won just one of their last seven opening day games, their last victory having come against Barnsley in 2013.
Gilbey, who scored five goals in 37 League One games last season, joined the Latics from Colchester United on a three-year deal this summer.
Having scored 74 goals in 98 youth games for Chelsea at different levels, Abraham got on the scoresheet late on with his first goal in senior football.
Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson: "We put an awful lot of work into signing Tammy Abraham, meeting his parents and convincing Chelsea of our philosophy.
"But we felt he was worth waiting for. He is a top talent and we now have two centre forwards capable of getting a lot of goals this season.
"I am looking forward to helping a top young player improve. He is a very grounded lad with great parents and we need to keep his feet on the ground and help him develop."
Wigan manager Gary Caldwell: "The first half was very positive and we can take a lot from it. If we had continued in the same way I couldn't see us losing.
"Our squad looks light and we need to strengthen with some new faces who can add some quality at Championship level.
"The players we have need some help. We showed for 45 minutes that if we stick to our game plan we can do well, but we have to maintain our form for 90 minutes."
Match ends, Bristol City 2, Wigan Athletic 1.
Second Half ends, Bristol City 2, Wigan Athletic 1.
Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Lee Tomlin (Bristol City).
David Perkins (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left following a set piece situation.
Foul by Gary O'Neil (Bristol City).
Max Power (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Hördur Bjorgvin Magnusson (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Colclough (Wigan Athletic).
Jonathan Kodjia (Bristol City) hits the left post with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Gary O'Neil.
Goal!  Bristol City 2, Wigan Athletic 1. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Gary O'Neil.
Attempt missed. Gary O'Neil (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Aden Flint (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Joe Bryan with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is blocked.
Luke Ayling (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic).
Attempt blocked. Jonathan Kodjia (Bristol City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Freeman.
Luke Freeman (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Donervon Daniels (Wigan Athletic).
Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Ryan Colclough replaces Yanic Wildschut.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Alex Gilbey.
Goal!  Bristol City 1, Wigan Athletic 1. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Gary O'Neil with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by Dan Burn.
Donervon Daniels (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Donervon Daniels (Wigan Athletic).
Attempt blocked. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Freeman.
Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Donervon Daniels replaces Luke Burke.
Foul by Bobby Reid (Bristol City).
Yanic Wildschut (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Bristol City. Luke Freeman replaces Callum O'Dowda.
Corner,  Bristol City. Conceded by David Perkins.
Attempt blocked. Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Yanic Wildschut.
David Perkins (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by David Perkins (Wigan Athletic).
Dan Burn (Wigan Athletic) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Michael Jacobs replaces William Grigg.


A woman has told the Historical Abuse Inquiry how she was sexually abused by a nun when she was a young child.

The woman, now in her 50s, said she was aged four or five at the time and lived in Nazareth House, Londonderry.
The inquiry is investigating abuse claims against children's residential institutions in NI from 1922 to 1995.
The woman claimed she had been sexually and physically abused by nuns and older girls, and said she had prayed she would never have children herself.
"I couldn't bear to see them going through the pain and hurt I suffered," she said.
The inquiry, being held in Banbridge, County Down, is chaired by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart and is considering cases in 13 residential institutions.
Public hearings are due to finish in June 2015, with the inquiry team to report to the Northern Ireland Executive by the start of 2016.


Sir Ben Ainslie's British boat finished fourth in the third leg of the America's Cup World Series in Bermuda.

Land Rover BAR came third in the first race, but endured a tough second round after a technical issue saw them slip from first to last place.
They came second in the final race, while the regatta was won by Artemis Racing who are led by Britain's two-time Olympic champion Iain Percy.
Land Rover BAR are third overall with Emirates Team New Zealand leading.
"It was one of those days. We're still third, we still feel we've got the best team and I believe we will win the World Series," said Land Rover BAR crew member David Carr after his team finished fourth out of the six boats that competed.
The Bermuda leg followed events in Portsmouth and Gothenburg this summer.
Light wind saw racing abandoned on Saturday in Bermuda, which will host the America's Cup itself in 2017, and three shorter rounds were held on Sunday.
The Bermuda leg is part of a lengthy qualification process that will count towards the 2017 America's Cup Challenger Series, the winner of which will take on Oracle in the 2017 America's Cup.
It will be the 35th staging of the oldest competition in international sport which was first raced in 1851 around the Isle of Wight.


Five Romanian men have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of stealing iPhones worth 500,000 euros ($590,000; £447,430) from a moving truck.

They allegedly tailgated the vehicle before one of them climbed onto the bonnet of their van and broke into the truck in front of them.
Boxes of iPhones were then passed back through the van's roof.
The theft took place on the night of 24 July, on the A73 motorway near Horst.
Dutch news outlet ED said such gangs often modify their vehicles by putting an anti-slip mat on the bonnet.
The risky theft tactic was first seen in Germany in 2008, the outlet said. Belgium has witnessed similar incidents, almost all targeting smartphones. Sometimes, a grinding wheel is used to break into the truck.
Police spokesman Ed Kraszewski said Dutch police had been investigating truck thefts for some time, but doubted a theft like this could be pulled off.
"The truck was taking its freight from A to B and did not stop. Even so [the phones] were gone," he said. "So it must have happened that way. And now we finally have the evidence, with the van and the loot."
The men, aged from 33 to 43, were arrested on Saturday at a holiday park in Otterlo, in the central province of Gelderland.
Police found iPhones at the address, and the van they believe was used in the crime.
The men are set to appear before a judge on Tuesday.


Health and safety standards in the oil and gas sector have dropped in the past six months, according to Unite.

The union surveyed more than 700 offshore workers, and more than 58% claimed standards had fallen, with 38% saying it had stayed the same. Just over 3% reported an improvement.
The union said 38.5% of respondents felt unable to report an incident because of fear of victimisation.
Industry body Oil and Gas UK said safety was its highest priority.
Unite called for a whistleblowing helpline to be set up.
Regional officer William Wallace: "This survey shows a very worrying picture
"Companies should never - ever - make cuts that threaten health and safety and put the lives of our members at risk.
"The lessons of Piper Alpha should never be forgotten.
"We will be calling on the industry to work with health and safety bodies, with the trade unions, and with government so that we can get a confidential helpline created.
"No worker should feel victimised for raising these issues. The consequences could be catastrophic."
Trish Sentance, health and safety manager at Oil and Gas UK, said: "Just under 50% of those who responded felt health and safety offshore had stayed the same or improved, but we do acknowledge that  concerns have been raised.
"Safe operations has to be at the heart of everything we do and there is always more work to be done. However, it is good to see that the majority responding have felt able to report an incident.
"Industry takes the issue of health and safety very seriously and we would always encourage those with concerns to come forward to report these.
"For those wishing to make an anonymous report there is an industry wide confidential Health and Safety Executive phone-line already in place."
The industry body said senior in senior industry representatives meet regularly with the offshore unions, through the Offshore Co-ordinating Group, and health and safety is "always central to the discussion".
Offshore workers can contact the HSE via a raising concerns section on its website or by calling 0300 003 1647.


The Welsh Rugby Union has told Six Nations organisers it is not prepared to stage Friday night matches in the next two years.

Having hosted six of the seven Friday night games since they were introduced in 2009, Wales have now said they will not host any matches in 2018 or 2019.
WRU chairman Gareth Davies says Wales feel they "have done their bit".
"We basically made that comment, we feel other nations should share the burden," he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
Wales beat Ireland 22-9 last Friday.
Wales were also involved in the one Friday match that they did not host, in Paris in 2009, which France won 21-16.
WRU chairman Davies says the Friday night games have been unpopular with supporters.
"Commercially the Friday night games have done very well," he said.
"They have been sell-outs and other sales on the business end have performed well.
"But it is incumbent upon us to take into account what supporters are saying.
"It is pretty inconvenient to get into Cardiff on a Friday night.
"We have taken into account what our loyal customers have told us."
Davies conceded Wales will have no control over playing on a Friday evening if they are selected for one of those fixtures as an away side.


Farmers will fall into one of three new payment strands as part of a radical change to the financial support they receive to help them produce food.

Payments which come from the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are due to fall and farmers are predicting tough times ahead.
Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies revealed payment details on Tuesday.
But unions described the announcement as a "major hit" for many farmers.
Outlining the plans for the three-tier payments, Mr Davies said farmers will receive £16.50 per hectare for moorland over 400 metres above sea level.
These are radical, significant changes - possibly the biggest for a decade.
This is the government and the minister Alun Davies taking the long view.
Of course, there are criticisms in terms of potential loss of income for some farmers and potentially this could see food prices go up.
But broadly it has been welcomed.
Many farmers will see changes in terms of how much they will get in farm income from now on.
But there will be an adjustment period of five years until 2019.
Farmers with severely disadvantaged land will get £166 per hectare (2.47 acres) and almost £200 per hectare will be paid for low lands.
There will be a transition period for the new payment scheme over five years until 2019.
"My decisions are aimed at placing the Welsh farming industry in the best possible position to face the future with confidence," said Mr Davies.
"They will result in an industry that can make the most of new opportunities, increase productivity, and is better placed to cope with exceptional circumstances, such as the harsh weather experienced last spring.
"The new arrangements will also lead to a fairer and more transparent distribution of funding, with a move away from historic payments, and will help ensure we use and safeguard our natural resources more effectively."
Last year it was announced that direct farm payments for Wales would be around €2,245m (£1,870m) over 2014-2020, with €355m (£296m) allocated for rural development schemes.
But the budgets for both are being reduced by 12.6% and 5.5% respectively after allowing for expected inflation.
And there are also plans to use 15% of money for rural development projects rather than direct payment to farmers.
The Farmers' Union of Wales called on the Welsh government to use "every tool in the box" to minimise the impact for farmers who will lose out.
President Emyr Jones said: "While we have repeatedly expressed concerns about the amount of preparatory work done to investigate payment systems which would reduce the impact of a new payment system, it has to be accepted that whatever system was implemented would have led to large numbers of businesses losing significant sums."


Warwickshire coach Jim Troughton says that one of the main aims in his new role is to take enough responsibility off Ian Bell to help the Bears get the best out of their skipper.

In his first season after becoming county captain, Bell, 34, made only 678 runs in 15 Championship games.
But Troughton will act as a buffer in 2017 under sport director Ashley Giles.
"For me, it is all about taking as much responsibility as I can off Belly," Troughton told BBC WM.
"He can then concentrate on the team on the field and looking after his own game. If he does that, then he's going to be scoring lots of runs for Warwickshire, the team are going to be playing for him and we'll be winning games of cricket."
Troughton, who first became Bell's Bears team-mate in 2002, has always had a close rapport, strengthened by the fact that he is married to Bell's sister-in-law.
But the 37-year-old, who played six one-day internationals for England admits: "Anything he's achieved on the field, or I have on or off it, is pretty much separate and has nothing to do with the fact that our two wives are sisters.
"Within the relationship I've had with him from a very early age, I've got to know what he's all about as a leader. And we're both big and ugly enough to be able to challenge each other in many ways.
"There are going to be times when you're not going not going to agree but, if it's for the better of the team, then you're willing to have those conversations."
The Bears' new backroom set-up was finally unveiled on Monday, a wait of over two months from previous boss Dougie Brown's departure to persuading Lancashire to release Giles from his existing Lancashire contract.
It was not until Christmas Day that Giles told his family about his new job back at Edgbaston, four years on from his exit to work as England's limited-overs boss.
But, while Bell has been busy sharpening up his T20 skills in Australia's Big Bash, scoring 160 runs in five matches for Perth Scorchers, plans were already being made back at Edgbaston.
Giles' main brief is to find the next generation of Bells and Troughtons, leaving the coach and the captain to concentrate on first-team results, especially in the Championship, in which the Bears only won three times in 16 matches last season.
"It does feel like coming home," said Giles. "But I have to be careful with saying that because I enjoyed two really good years with Lancashire and I don't want it to look like I simply shot off when a job came up near my house.
"The personal aspect was a big one. Being away from home became very difficult in my second year. But the role I have is now different and much broader. Had it been the same as before, it would not have been the right role."
Jim Troughton & Ashley Giles were talking to BBC WM's Richard Wilford.


A man who was convicted of raping two women while they slept has been described by a judge as an "opportunist sexual predator".

Zimbabwean national Patrick Gwatidzo raped his first victim, who was 21, at a flat in Glasgow on 8 September 2010. He raped a 25-year-old woman at another flat in the city on 7 December 2014.
A jury rejected Gwatidzo's claims that the victims had made up lies about him.
Sentence was deferred and he was remanded him in custody.
Following the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Paul Arthurson QC told Gwatidzo: "You have been convicted on the basis of substantial and compelling evidence. You victims gave evidence with considerable dignity and courage.
""You can be described as an opportunist sexual predator."
The court heard how the first victim felt betrayed as she had regarded Gwatidzo as "like a brother".
She told the court she woke up to find him having sex with her.
When interviewed by police, Gwatidzo, 31, denied raping her. He claimed she had tried to initiate sex with him, but nothing happened.
His second victim also said she woke up to find Gwatidzo having sex with her. She was so distressed she grabbed her clothes, ordered a taxi and left.
Advocate depute Paul Kearney, prosecuting, said: "Two women, who were completely unknown to each other, gave compelling evidence.
"But each went to the police with a similar story of what the accused had done to them.
"What are the odds against that. He must if what he says is true be the unluckiest man on the planet."
Gwatidzo, a social care worker, claimed that both women had made up malicious lies about him, but the jury did not believe him.
He will be sentenced next month.


Gunmen dressed in military uniforms have stormed the office of the attorney general in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 65.

Four attackers were seen entering the office, followed by heavy gunfire and several explosions.
Five security officers - including a police chief - were among the dead and 26 government officials among the hurt.
A spokesman for the Taliban said they carried out the attack.
The siege ended seven hours after it began and all four gunmen were killed by the Afghan National Security Forces which had surrounded the area.
Police said they rescued the attorney general from his office, which is just 200m (650ft) from the office of the governor of Balkh province.
The governor's aide told the BBC that the governor, Atta Muhammad Nur, was at home when the attack began but was taken to his office to monitor the situation.
In a statement seen by the BBC, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: "Breaking News: This noon suicide [attackers] stormed office of the attorney and appeal court of Balkh province. Heavy casualties for enemy, battle continues."
The Taliban has targeted Afghanistan's legal system in the past. In June 2013, the group detonated a car bomb in front of the compound of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, killing 17 and wounding 39.
And in December of 2014, Atiqullah Raufi, the chief of the secretariat of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, was assassinated by Taliban gunmen in the west of Kabul.
The attack in Mazar-e-Sharif comes a day after an American soldier was killed in a fire fight between US and Afghan troops in eastern Afghanistan.


Foreign visitors to North Korea are for the first time being allowed to take their own mobile phones with them into the country, according to reports.

Previously, all foreigners had to leave their mobiles at the border and collect them when they left.
Visitors can now buy a SIM card at the airport, which will let them make international calls. But they cannot make local calls or go online.
Most North Koreans have limited or no access to the internet.
China's state news agency, Xinhua, said the changes had been in place since 7 January this year.
A report of phones being allowed in came from a China-based tour group, Young Pioneer Tours.
A spokesman said they had been preparing to hand over their mobiles as they entered North Korea, but a border guard simply asked whether the devices were equipped with GPS and then indicated they should carry them through regardless of the answer.
"He just motioned for us to put them in our bags. Zero explanation," said the company's managing director, Gareth Johnson.
Mr Johnson said his North Korean counterparts later confirmed that this was "a new policy".
An Associated Press report out of Pyongyang said the SIM cards would also allow foreigners to contact foreign embassies in Pyongyang and international hotels.
North Korea's mobile network is run by a joint state-owned and Egyptian company, Koryolink.
An Egyptian employee of Koryolink told Xinhua the new policy was a result of talks between the company and North Korean officials.
He said internet services would soon be made available to foreign visitors, adding that there was no technical issue preventing this.
But he dismissed speculation that it was connected to the recent visit to North Korea by the head of Google, Eric Schmidt.
Mr Schmidt visited North Korea in early January, though after the new policy is reported to have come into effect.
He urged North Korea to end its self-imposed isolation and allow its citizens to use the internet.
It is believed that only the elite in the country have access to the internet -  few people have access to a computer and those that do can usually only access a domestic web service and not the internet.


Wales recovered from their opening Six Nations defeat by England to secure a hard-fought win at Murrayfield that leaves Scotland without a point.

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Scottish full-back Stuart Hogg ran in the opening try but Leigh Halfpenny's three penalties and a slick Rhys Webb score put Wales 16-10 up by half-time.
A disallowed Liam Williams effort and a missed Halfpenny penalty gave Scotland hope that they could recover.
But Jon Welsh's late try was not enough after Jonathan Davies had powered over.
Wales are now back on track to mount a championship challenge, but despite the Scots' improvement, they still seem a little short of the Six Nations heavyweights.
Warren Gatland's side arrived in Edinburgh reeling from that loss to a patchwork England side.
Scotland also began the tournament with a defeat, to France in Paris, but there was enough in their display to give their fans hope they could beat Wales for the first time in the Gatland era.
The Scots had spoken of keeping the penalty count down, but they conceded three in the first five minutes, one of which was kicked by Halfpenny to give Wales the lead.
As the Welsh began to build pressure, they were hit by a breakaway try.
Alex Cuthbert lost possession and Richie Gray shipped the ball wide to Hogg, who showed great speed to race past the cover defence and score under the posts. Laidlaw's conversion and a subsequent penalty put the Scots 10-3 up before Halfpenny responded with a three-pointer of his own.
Scotland lost fly-half Finn Russell to the sin-bin on the half-hour when he was judged to have taken out opposite number Dan Biggar with a dangerous tackle in the air. Halfpenny brought the score to 10-9 with the resultant penalty.
Wales did not take long to make their one-man advantage count, a sweeping move from inside their own half stretching the Scots' defence to breaking point, and scrum-half Webb diving over in the corner.
Halfpenny added the extras to put Wales 16-10 up at the break.
Two Laidlaw penalties either side of a successful Halfpenny kick kept the Scots within three early in the second-half.
Wales had a Liam Williams try ruled out for an off-the-ball infringement by Alun Wyn Jones, but the referee could not save Scotland 15 minutes from the end when Davies scored Wales' second try.
The British and Irish Lion came on to a Biggar pass at pace and, after powering through some soft midfield tackling, the centre coasted under the posts to leave Halfpenny with the simplest of conversions to give Wales a 10-point lead.
That looked to have ended the match as a contest, but the Scots refused to buckle, with Mark Bennett and Hogg making searing line breaks.
They did force a try in the dying seconds when Welsh ploughed over from close range, but it was too late and once again the home side had to be content with the 'gallant losers' tag.
Scotland: Hogg; Lamont, Bennett, Dunbar, Visser; Russell, Laidlaw; Dickinson, Ford, Cross, R Gray, J Gray, Harley, Cowan, Beattie.
Replacements: Scott for Dunbar (58), Hidalgo-Clyne for Laidlaw (71), Reid for Dickinson (61), F Brown for Ford (71), Welsh for Cross (50), Hamilton for R Gray (56), Strokosch for Beattie (58).
Not Used: Tonks.
Sin Bin: Russell (32).
Wales: Halfpenny; Cuthbert, J Davies, Roberts, L Williams; Biggar, Webb; Jenkins, Hibbard, Jarvis, Ball, A Jones, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau.
Replacements: M. Phillips for Webb (74), James for Jenkins (71), Baldwin for Hibbard (60), Andrews for Jarvis (60), Charteris for Ball (60), Tipuric for Lydiate (61).
Not Used: Priestland, S Williams.
Sin Bin: J Davies (37).
Att: 67,144
Ref: Glen Jackson (New Zealand).


A BBC investigation has found evidence of an agency that provides staff in the supermarket supply chain using an unlicensed gangmaster.

BBC Look North filmed undercover at a Lincolnshire farm after learning of claims of poor working methods in the vegetable picking industry.
It revealed Local Link Recruitment appeared to employ Rafal Czerwiak as an unlicensed gangmaster.
The firm said it was licensed and that Mr Czerwiak did not work for it.
A reporter posed as a worker on a farm understood to supply cabbages to three major supermarkets.
Following the 2004 cockle picking tragedy in Morecambe Bay, anyone who provides workers to farms should have a licence from the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
Gangmasters and migrant workers: What you need to know
Local Link Recruitment does have a licence in the name of managing director Iwona Lebiedowicz but workers believe unlicensed Rafal Czerwiak is in charge.
"Rafal is the main boss in the business," one labourer said. "He gives instructions to supervisors and what they need to do. All people know Rafal talks to farmers. I have never seen any other boss from the company."
Secret filming showed Mr Czerwiak collecting people for work and getting them to sign their job sheets.
He was also recorded saying complaints about Local Link Recruitment workers should be made to him, not the farm.
Another worker said: "Everyone knows that Rafal is the boss. Supervisors work on orders directed from Rafal. He is the boss."
The BBC tried to contact Mr Czerwiak but he failed to respond.
Ms Lebiedowicz, via her solicitors, said he stopped working for the company in October 2014 and records show he resigned as company secretary in 2009.
But BBC filming clearly shows Mr Czerwiak working in September and October this year and he was photographed at an Institute of Directors awards ceremony with Ms Lebiedowicz in June.
The secret filming also revealed a high-pressure working environment and labourers complained of the repeated threat of losing their jobs.
The undercover reporter also witnessed Local Link Recruitment failing to provide health and safety equipment including gloves and waterproofs.
The accusations were strongly denied by Ms Lebiedowicz who said she employed a health and safety consultant.
Her solicitor's letter stated: "Our client strongly suspects the "information and complaints" that you have received, at least in respect of our client, have at least been instigated by competitors or others with a personal grievance against our client."
The British Retail Consortium, which represents the supermarkets, said any information should be passed to the Gangmasters Licensing Authority so it could take action if necessary.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said: "Ensuring the welfare of workers that work in our supply chains is a primary focus for retailers.
"We know this requires close work with suppliers, a strong licensing system and effective enforcement which is why we are so supportive of the GLA."
A spokesman for the GLA said it would "consider as a priority any information or evidence of labour exploitation the BBC may have".
The BBC spoke to workers employed by other agencies as part of its investigation.
It found labourers, who are unconnected to Local Link Recruitment, said they were regularly bullied and even sexually abused.
Yurga said some women would be told they could only work if they slept with the boss.
"Several times from in the morning to the afternoon my gang supervisor offered me money to sleep with him. He offered me Â£100 for my body," she said.
Another woman, too afraid to be named, said she was held with a knife to her throat. When she reported it to police she struggled to find work again.
Watch these women tell their story


Signed and dropped by three major record labels, Laura Pergolizzi had all but given up on a pop career.

Instead, she became a songwriter for hire, donating hits to the likes of Cher, Christina Aguilera and Rihanna (more on that later). Then fate came calling...
"I got an Instagram message from a guy in Greece who said, 'Hey, I really think your music would work over here and I'd like to license it.'"
"With all my experience, I didn't really know what licensing meant," says the New York native. "I figured it was for a film or television programme."
Instead, her mysterious Greek contact put out a single, Lost On You, and sent it into the Top 10.
Soon, the song was charting in Italy, then Sweden, France, Poland, Belarus and Israel. At one point, it was the fourth most Shazamed song in the world.
"It's just a wild thing to be going on," marvels the singer.
"I know all too well what it takes to have a hit: A little bit of luck, a little bit of work, a little bit of talent.
"I've worked with so many people, but I've never seen anything like this happen. I feel so lucky to be experiencing it."
In fact, the 36-year-old is so in-demand that she's speaking to the BBC as she boards a flight to Los Angeles; a task that's not without its pitfalls.
"Can you hold on for just a second?" she cackles. "I just found out I have to take six kilos out of my luggage because I bought so much crap over here."
Undeterred, she talks me through her story as she unpacks.
Pergolizzi's dad was a lawyer and her mum sang opera, but gave it up when she had a family.
Although it was a musical household (they listened to the classics, not the pop hits) her father advised against a career in entertainment, saying it would "never pay the bills".
But when her mum died in 1997, Pergolizzi finished high school, moved to Manhattan and pursued her passion; adopting the stage name LP after a nickname given to her by a camp counsellor.
"It's LP personally and professionally," she says, after I make the mistake of calling her Laura. "Even my girlfriend calls me LP."
Gigging around New York, she caught the attention of alt-rock band Cracker, who invited her to sing on their 1998 album, Gentleman's Blues. Singer David Lowery then produced her independently-released 2001 debut, Heart-Shaped Scar.
Enigmatic and androgynous, she cut a striking figure with her tumbling black curls and surgically-attached shades.
"I do rock the sunglasses," she concedes. "To a rude point, at times. But I don't care, it's my first defence. I'm shy, so I've gotta have something. I need some protection, man."
In 2006, she made a semi-legendary appearance at the music industry festival SXSW, triggering a record label bidding war.
Among her suitors was American Idol judge and all-round big cheese LA Reid, who signed her to Island Records - but their relationship quickly soured. (LP later accused Island of "taking a little tomboy and putting her in a dress").
To her horror, the pattern was repeated over and over again.
"I've had so many record deals now. I'm like on my seventh one. I've had so many chats about how much money I was going to make, it's shocking."
"Three or four record deals in, it feels like life has smacked you in the face."
Incredibly, she doesn't hold any grudges, taking a philosophical view of her "'quote-unquote 'failures'".
"Trying to launch a career as an artist is like trying to run through a crowd holding hands with five people. It's so difficult."
By 2007, she'd given up on the idea of solo success, becoming a professional songwriter after one of her Island rejects, Love Will Keep You Up All Night, ended up on a Backstreet Boys album.
Her big breakthrough came when she contributed to Rihanna's hit single Cheers (Drink To That), a dizzy, Jameson-swilling party anthem from the star's Loud album.
Incredibly, LP claims to have bashed out the song on a "cheap Hawaiian-brand ukulele" she'd brought along to the studio on a whim.
"It's a nice, off-the-cuff thing to bring to a session," she explains. "It's a little more organic. After we were done writing melodies, I could sit in the corner and write words with it, you know?"
She's since adopted the ukulele as her signature instrument - she even has her own, custom-made model from uke legends CF Martin & Company.
"Unknowingly, the ukulele started to worm its way into my heart," she says.
"I would sit in bed with it and whistle these little melodies. It was like, 'Wow, I love this. Maybe I should make it into a song?'"
"And that's where my trajectory of becoming an artist again came from. It was like me working my way back to enjoying music again."
But the main catalyst for her new material was a painful break-up with her girlfriend of five years. Lost On You is a primal howl, lamenting all the time she wasted on the relationship.
"Let's raise a glass or two / To all the things I've lost on you," sings LP.
"When I wrote that song, I was still about a year away from the breakup," she says. "It was like a long, winding, circle-the-drain situation."
The beginning of the end came when her partner asked to have an open relationship.
"The thing that upset me most was I knew she could see that I didn't want to go along with it.  But I tried it because I was really in love with her."
A couple of months into the experiment, though, LP fell for someone else. Hard.
"I was like, 'oops, I just fell in love with someone else'. And it's still going. I'm still with that woman a year and a half later."
"It's a happy ending - but also with some scars and some baggage, for sure."
LP's new girlfriend - musician Lauren Ruth Ward -  even appears at the end of the video for Lost On You, which the singer describes as a cautionary tale.
"That story is something you definitely don't want to hear if you're the person that decides to have an open relationship," she laughs.
It's easy to see why Lost On You has connected with so many people. LP sings with unfiltered angst about trying to wake up a lover who's lost interest; while the song's spaghetti-western arrangement betrays the hopelessness of the situation.
Like the lonesome cowboy she is, LP whistles throughout the track - sorrowfully echoing the hook and, at one point, apparently hailing a cab.
"I have a bunch of whistles I can do," she laughs, "and we were like, 'let's take my whistling to another level!'"
It's not very fashionable, though, is it? The last great whistling song was Peter, Bjorn and John's Young Folks 11 years ago, and it's not like people were gagging for a sequel.
"I feel good about whistling," protests LP. "A lot of people don't get it [but] I use it as an instrument.
"I do two things that are normally super-gimmicky, that I refuse to accept as gimmicks in my music: ukulele and whistling.
"I just use them unabashedly. Let's do both!"
Lost On You features on LP's Death Valley EP, which is out now on Vagrant Records.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


A 59-year-old man who died in a motorbike crash in south west Scotland has been identified by police.

Ian David Purdie, who was from the Castle Douglas area, was killed in the accident on the Old Military Road near the town on Wednesday.
He died after his black Triumph motorbike left the road and collided with a wall.
Police have asked anyone who travelled on the road between 16:30 and 23:30 on Wednesday to get in touch.


Ross Taylor became the first New Zealander to hit a double century against Australia as the Kiwis fought back in the second Test at the Waca.

Starting the third day on 140-2, the Black Caps were 419 runs behind after David Warner hit 253 for the hosts.
Taylor almost matched the Aussie's tally, hitting an unbeaten 235 as his side reached 510-6, 49 runs behind.
Kane Williamson scored 166 - his fourth century this year - and shared a third-wicket partnership of 265 with Taylor.
The pair took their side to 352 before Australia finally made a breakthrough, with Josh Hazlewood snaring Williamson, caught by Mitchell Johnson at mid-on.
Following Williamson's departure, Brendon McCullum contributed 27 runs to an 80-run partnership with Taylor before being bowled by Mitchell Marsh.
BJ Watling (one) and Doug Bracewell (12) also came and went as Australia responded in the evening session, but Taylor remained unmoved, passing his previous best Test score of 217 and reaching 5,000 Test runs in the process.
Australia, who lead the three-match series 1-0, look set to be without batsman Usman Khawaja for the final Test in Adelaide after he injured a hamstring.


Plans to develop a major new art gallery in the south west of Scotland have received a funding boost of more than £900,000.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant is a major contribution to the Kirkcudbright Art Gallery project.
Kirkcudbright's town hall will be redeveloped to house "nationally significant" collections.
Work by artists including the Glasgow Boys and the Scottish Colourists could be among the exhibitions on display.
A Viking hoard of more than 100 items of gold and silver, which was found nearby, may also join the collections.
The overall cost of the project is expected to be just over £3.1m. The HLF has agreed to a £931,200 grant.
Lucy Casot, head of the HLF in Scotland, said the "transformational" plans would give Kirkcudbright a gallery worthy of the "exceptional" art works it will house.
She added: "The future of the historic town hall has been secured and not only will it attract more tourists to the area but will benefit the wider community as they're encouraged to explore and enjoy the area's rich art heritage."
Work is expected to start on the gallery in spring 2016 and it is scheduled to open in summer 2017.
Councillor Tom McAughtrie, of Dumfries and Galloway Council, said: "Given the growth of cultural tourism, the Kirkcudbright art gallery project offers our region significant, long-term and sustainable economic impact.
"This award from the Heritage Lottery Fund is very exciting as it will enable us to develop a fabulous facility for the people of Dumfries and Galloway and for visitors to our region."


At first sight there is not a lot in common between playing badminton and dancing the Samba.

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However, Sebastião Oliveira, who has coached Brazil's two Olympic badminton players. realised that the nation's dance culture could help in preparation for the game.
His own start in life was not easy. He was placed in care at the age of six and on release was so poor he had to scavenge food from a rubbish dump. "I  had to fend off vultures to get my food," he says.
But discovering badminton later in life inspired him to give disadvantaged children a route out of poverty and crime. He went on to establish Brazil's most successful badminton centre and set out to get Rio's children into the game. "We need to reach them before the drug dealers do," he says.
Engaging the children in badminton however proved more of a challenge. But introducing Samba into the sessions to improve fitness transformed performance and attendance.


A former teacher-turned animal rescue worker is due to receive a wildlife award for her work to protect the herring gull.

Alex Farmer volunteered at a veterinary practice alongside her day job before starting the Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary.
The herring gull is the most common bird the sanctuary rescues, with vets often treating shot or poisoned birds.
Ms Farmer will receive her Animal Action Award from broadcaster Bill Oddie at the House of Lords on Tuesday.
The sanctuary cares for more than 300 animals and receives food donations from Whitby Fish Market and local shops.
The International Fund for Wildlife Rescue said the gull was a "much-maligned species which is often the target of cruelty".
Ms Farmer, 27, said: "The end goal for me is always to have a successful rehabilitation and release back into the wild.
"People often say don't you get sad to see them go when it's time for release, but that moment is the most rewarding of all."


Deutsche Bank has said it will cut 15,000 jobs as it announced a third-quarter €6bn (£4.3bn) loss.

Germany's biggest bank said it would cut 9,000 full-time jobs and 6,000 contractor roles.
It is also planning to sell businesses employing 20,000 people over the next two years.
By 2018, "we expect to see the benefits of our hard work and potentially be in the midst of a powerful turn-around," said John Cryan, co-chief executive.
The cuts represent just less than 15% of the firm's total workforce. The bank's shares fell 5.5% in Frankfurt trading.
Deutsche is trying to cut €3.8bn of annual costs as European banks struggle with sluggish economic growth in their home markets and stricter regulation.
In times of low growth, reducing costs through job cuts is seen as a way to improve profits.
The bank also plans to spin off Postbank with a stock market listing and sell its 20% stake in China's Hua Xia Bank.
It has also said it will stop dividend payments for 2015 and 2016.
Mr Cryan told a news conference that the bank faced "hard decisions" as it was restructured. "We must reduce Deutsche Bank's complexity," he added.
The bank said it would close businesses in Malta, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Finland, Peru, Uruguay, Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand.  Some branches in Germany would close as well, Mr Cryan said.
The third-quarter loss was caused by more than €5.8bn of charges in writedowns and legal expenses at its investment bank and on assets it wants to sell, as well as higher litigation charges.
Of the 9,000 full-time job cuts, about 4,000 will take place in Germany.
The lender employed 98,000 people as of the end of last year, according to its annual report.


Matt Kvesic will leave Worcester Warriors at the end of the season to join near rivals Gloucester.

The 20-year-old has signed a two-year deal at Kingsholm.
Kvesic, who was born to English parents in Germany, came through the academy at Worcester and has now made 55 appearances for the first team.
He was promoted from England Saxons to Stuart Lancaster's Six Nations training squad, as a replacement for the injured Tom Johnson, but is yet to be capped.
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"He's been influential in all the teams he's played for," Cherry and Whites director of rugby Nigel Davies told BBC Gloucestershire.
"As an out-and-out seven he's one of the best out there at the moment. He's also a leader and in successful teams you need leaders on the park.
"He's a young boy who is one of the rising stars in English rugby and for us to sign him is a big statement of intent."
Kvesic will compete for a place in the Cherry and Whites line-up with Andy Hazell, who is out of contract in the summer, and Matt Cox, whose deal runs until 2014.
"Andy is a great seven in his own right and brings a different dynamic," added Davies. "He's a Gloucester boy through and through. It's important we hold on to him.
"Matt is still developing - he can play six or seven - and is a very aggressive player. It gives us a lot of options and a lot of balance in what is a crucial area of the game."


Salford bounced back from defeat by Bradford to ease to victory at Halifax in The Qualifiers.

Niall Evalds crossed twice in the first 15 minutes for the Red Devils before Dane Manning went over for the hosts.
Tries from Greg Johnson and Ben Jones-Bishop made it 6-22 at the break.
Scott Murrell, James Saltonstall and Jacob Fairbank scored to give the hosts hope but Evalds, Jones-Bishop and Johnson all completed their hat-tricks before Adam Tangata's consolation try.
Victory for Salford, who parted company with coach Iestyn Harris this week, means they have three victories from their four matches in The Qualifiers.
Championship side Halifax have lost all four of their games in the second stage of the season and are set for another season in the second tier.
Halifax: Martin, Heaton, Eccleston, Tyrer, Saltonstall, C. Robinson, Murrell, Tangata, Kaye, Cahalane, Moore, Manning, Fairbank.
Replacements: Ambler, Bracek, Maneely, A. Robinson.
Salford: Evalds, Jones-Bishop, Thornley, J. Griffin, Johnson, Lee, Dobson, Taylor, Tomkins, G. Griffin, Hansen, Maitua, Paterson.
Replacements: J. Walne, Hood, Forster, Krasniqi.


A Ugandan king facing terror charges should have a private cook and a small fridge in prison, a court has ordered.

Charles Mumbere, the king of Rwenzururu, is entitled to these privileges because he suffers from hypertension and diabetes, it added.
But prison authorities say an outsider will not be allowed into the prison to prepare his meals.
The king was arrested last month after a security force raid on his palace in western Uganda's Kasese district.
More than 80 people were killed in the clashes.
The 64-year-old monarch denies any involvement in violence.
He was arrested with more than 150 people, including royal guards.
His lawyer, Caleb Alaka, told the BBC he will ensure that prison officials comply with the court order.
Mr Alaka said he initially thought there was a royal cook among those arrested but they had all "perished" during the raid on the palace.
The monarch would accept a cook appointed by prison authorities, he added.
Officials also said there were no plugs in the cells to power fridges, local media reports.
But Mr Alaka told the BBC the king's medication must be "kept under a certain temperature".
He was prepared to install a plug in the monarch's cell so that he can have a fridge, Mr Alaka added.
The king is being held at the Luzira Maximum Security Prison in the capital, Kampala.
It is not clear whether the terrorism charges relate to the recent clashes or to separate charges over the murder of a police officer in March.
He has not yet been asked to plead and is due to appear in court again on 28 March.
The government has accused the Rwenzururu kingdom in Kasese district of recruiting and training militants that are seeking secession from the rest of Uganda to create their own republic, to be called Yira.
The region, which lies on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been plagued by clashes between the army and armed groups, which have claimed dozens of lives in recent months, including members of the armed forces and civilians.
Before becoming king, Mr Mumbere spent many years living in the US, where he worked in a Pennsylvania nursing home.


Climate change is helping pests and diseases that attack crops to spread around the world, a study suggests.

Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Oxford have found crop pests are moving at an average of two miles (3km) a year.
The team said they were heading towards the north and south poles, and were establishing in areas that were once too cold for them to live in.
The research is published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Currently, it is estimated that between 10% and 16% of the world's crops are lost to disease outbreaks. The researchers warn that rising global temperatures could make the problem worse.
Dr Dan Bebber, the lead author of the study from the University of Exeter, said: "Global food security is one of the major challenges we are going to face over the next few decades.
"We really don't want to be losing any more of our crops than is absolutely necessary to pests and pathogens."
To investigate the problem, the researchers looked at the records of 612 crop pests and pathogens from around the world that had been collected over the past 50 years.
These included fungi, such as wheat rust, which is devastating harvests in Africa, the Middle East and Asia; insects like the mountain pine beetle that is destroying trees in the US; as well as bacteria, viruses and microscopic nematode worms.
Each organism's distribution was different - some butterflies and insects were shifting quickly, at about 12 miles (20km) a year; other bacterium species had hardly moved. On average, however, the pests had been spreading by two miles each year since 1960.
"We detect a shift in their distribution away form the equator and towards the poles," explained Dr Bebber,
The researchers believe that the global trade in crops is mainly responsible for the movement of pests and pathogens from country to country.
However, the organisms can only take hold in new areas if the conditions are suitable, and the researchers believe that warming temperatures have enabled the creature to survive at higher latitudes.
Dr Bebber said: "The most convincing hypothesis is that global warming has caused this shift.
"One example is the Colorado potato beetle. Warming appears to have allowed it to move northwards through Europe to into Finland and Norway where the cold winters would normally knock the beetle back."
The researchers said that better information about where the pests and pathogens were and where they were moving was needed to fully assess the scale of the problem.
"We also need to protect our borders, we have to quarantine plants to reduce the chances that pests and pathogens are able to get into our agricultural systems," added Dr Bebber.


Portsmouth striker Marc McNulty says their FA Cup fourth round tie against Bournemouth will be a chance to play against 'the country's best players'.

McNulty scored as Portsmouth beat Championship club Ipswich 2-1 in a third-round replay at Fratton Park.
And League Two Pompey will host Premier League club Bournemouth on 30 January.
"Everyone's excited, it will be a sell-out. It's not just exciting for the players, it's great for the fans too," McNulty told BBC Radio Solent.
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Portsmouth and Bournemouth last met in a competitive fixture in February 2013, when goals from Lewis Grabban and Marc Pugh gave the Cherries a 2-0 victory in League One.
Since that match, the two clubs have gone on differing paths, but Pompey are among the contenders for automatic promotion from League Two.
"That's the great thing about the FA Cup," Sheffield United loanee McNulty added. "You get the chance to test yourself against the best players in the country.
"We're really looking forward to it, playing against a Premier League side is very exciting."


Wing George North is prepared to switch to centre amid Wales' growing World Cup injury crisis.

Scott Williams (leg) and Hallam Amos (shoulder) seem set to be ruled out of the tournament.
Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards says the duo are "long-term" injury concerns.
North moved to midfield when Williams departed during Wales' 28-25 win over England and told the media on Sunday he would play centre if called upon.
"If need be, I'll play centre. If need be, I'll play on the wing... that's the World Cup - you've got to adapt," said North.
Wales coach Warren Gatland hinted at the 2011 World Cup North could move to centre with the 23-year-old having played there during his formative years.
North went on to do so as Wales beat France 27-6 in the 2014 Six Nations.
Full-back Liam Williams also came off at Twickenham with concussion and is unlikely to face Fiji in Cardiff on Thursday.
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Edwards said: "Hallam Amos and Scott Williams are definitely the biggest concerns, long term."
But Edwards says Wales are unlikely to rest "too many players" when they take on Fiji.
Wales will announce on Monday which players are unable to continue in the tournament while also naming call-ups.
Versatile backs Gareth Anscombe and James Hook could come into consideration, but Ospreys wing Eli Walker's hamstring injury has not healed.
Cardiff Blues player Anscombe missed out on World Cup selection because of an ankle injury that was expected to heal during the tournament.
Walker was named in Gatland's initial squad, but was omitted because of a hamstring strain and replaced by back-rower Ross Moriarty.
Hook has played fly-half, full-back and centre for Wales during a 78-cap career that has included Grand Slams in 2008 and 2012 plus a 2013 Six Nations Championship win.
After Wales lost Blues centre Cory Allen in the win against Uruguay, Newport Gwent Dragons' Tyler Morgan was called in.
Wales' summer training squad also included another Dragons centre, Jack Dixon after established midfield star Jonathan Davies was ruled out by a knee injury.
But after being omitted from Wales' plans Dixon suffered a kidney injury that has ruled him out of contention.
Watch all the analysis on Scrum V Rugby World Cup Special, 19:00 Sunday, 27 September, BBC Two Wales.


There is no scientific evidence that eating the placenta after childbirth can protect women against depression and boost energy, US research suggests.

Claims that the placenta contains vitamins which could benefit a woman's health have increased interest in the practice in recent years.
But a review by Northwestern University found no proven benefits and no research on the potential risks.
The Royal College of Midwives said it should be the woman's choice.
The researchers said the popularity of eating placentas had risen in the last few years but this may have been due to women being influenced by media reports, blogs and websites.
Their review, published in Archives of Women's Mental Health, looked at 10 published studies related to placenta eating.
But it could not find any data to support the claims that eating the placenta raw, cooked or in pill form carried any health benefits.
Placentophagy, as the act of eating placentas is known, has been said to reduce pain after delivery, increase energy levels, help with breastmilk production and enhance  bonding between mother and child.
Some are also convinced that it replenishes iron stores in the body, but the research team said this was based on subjective reports rather than scientific research.
The review also said there were no studies which looked at the risks of eating the placenta.
The organ acts as a filter to absorb and protect the developing foetus from toxins and pollutants.
As a result, the scientists said, bacteria or viruses could remain within the placenta tissues after birth.
Lead study author Cynthia Coyle, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern University, said: "Our sense is that women choosing placentophagy, who may otherwise be very careful about what they are putting into their bodies during pregnancy and nursing, are willing to ingest something without evidence of its benefits and, more importantly, of its potential risks to themselves and their nursing infants.
"There are no regulations as to how the placenta is stored and prepared, and the dosing is inconsistent.
"Women really don't know what they are ingesting."
Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, said there was not enough evidence for them to be able to advise women about eating their placenta.
"It must be the woman's choice if she chooses to do so.
"Women should be aware that like any foodstuff, placentas can go off, so care will be needed about how they are stored."
She added: "If woman is intending to do this, they should discuss it with their midwife ahead of the birth so that arrangements can be made to ensure she gets her placenta."
Dr Daghni Rajasingam, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said although the placenta is very rich in blood flow, there were potential risks to ingesting it.
"What women do with their placenta is up to them - but I wouldn't recommend they eat it."


Plaid Cymru's leader has said she would be prepared to accept efficiency savings of 10% in the NHS.

At Tuesday's manifesto launch the party set out plans to find annual efficiency savings of ??300m, or around 4%, in the health budget.
Now, in a BBC Wales Today interview, Leanne Wood said she would be prepared to go further.
"I want to save as much in terms of efficiencies as we possibly can in the NHS," she said.
The money from the efficiency savings would be re-invested in the overall NHS budget, which Plaid say would be ??925m higher in total in 2020-21 than this year.
Plaid say they would set up an expert commission to find the details of the savings if they win power.
In response to repeated questioning about efficiency savings in the overall health service budget, Ms Wood said: "If business people in that commission identify 10% of efficiency savings in the NHS to plough back into front-line services for staff, for doctors, for nurses then I will take that, but let us see what they come out with first."
The Welsh NHS currently implements 3% efficiency savings every year, covering areas like wages and the cost of medication.
Plaid plans to introduce efficiency savings of ??300m in line with a review which was carried out in England by the end of the next assembly term.
The proposed savings amount to 4% of the budget, and are in addition to ??300m of savings elsewhere in the public sector and a separate saving of ??150m a year by merging back-office functions in the public sector in areas like payroll and IT.
Plaid plans to re-invest the savings back into front-line services.
Ms Wood said: "We are not saying that we would fully implement all the recommendations that those business leaders would identify.
"Political decisions would take place and we would ensure that when savings are made they would not impact on the people who are worst off in our society, but they will tighten up the operation and they will make efficiency savings and things leaner."
Following the interview, a Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: "It is very clear from the quote used in BBC reports that Leanne Wood was referring to the Budget Savings Commission which has been tasked with finding ??200m of savings, and to suggest otherwise is misleading.
"Ms Wood said in the interview that if the commission identifies 10% of those ??200m worth of savings within the NHS budget then of course she would be prepared to consider them, and would implement them if it meant more money for front-line NHS services.
"Plaid Cymru yesterday became the first party ever in a Welsh Assembly election to openly publish its financial proposals for the next 5 years."
We're not used to hearing Leanne Wood talk about creating lean organisations, bringing in the private sector and tightening up the public sector.
But those are the words being used by the Plaid leader, who has been so closely associated with the language of anti-austerity in the past.
Leanne Wood is keen to stress the savings will be re-directed to the front-line, in other words they are not being cut.
But the decisions behind those savings would inevitably be unpopular, and require major changes to workers, even possibly redundancies.
Savings on this scale are unusual in a Plaid manifesto but the party is keen to show it's serious about being in government and serious about introducing what it says are radical policies.


Connah's Quay were denied a notable Europa League draw as Vojvodina struck a late winner in a one-sided second qualifying round first leg.

The visitors withstood heavy pressure in a goalless first half as goalkeeper John Danby was kept busy in Serbia.
Vojvodina had 24 shots to the Nomads' one, with 87% possession, and the Welsh side were finally beaten by Aleksandar Palocevic's 86th-minute goal.
The second leg takes place at Rhyl's Belle Vue Stadium on Thursday, 21 July.
Connah's Quay are Wales' only remaining representatives in the competition after Bala Town and Llandudno bowed out.
The Nomads progressed to the second qualifying round after beating Norwegian side Stabaek 1-0 on aggregate.


Jared Payne is unlikely to feature in Ireland's crucial Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff on Friday after missing training on Monday.

The Ulster centre returned to the Ireland squad for the Six Nations' final two rounds after recovering from kidney damage sustained in November.
Payne, 31, played all of Ulster's 19-7 Pro12 win over Treviso on Friday night.
But he sat out Monday's session owing to new bruising so Garry Ringrose is set to continue at outside centre.
Full-back Rob Kearney completed Monday's session with no ill effects, so should now be ready to start in Wales after shaking off a hip complaint.
Ireland forwards coach Simon Easterby revealed on Monday that Jared Payne, Tiernan O'Halloran, Dan Leavy and Joey Carbery all "stepped out of training today with a few bumps and bruises".
"Jared has bruising, it's nothing worse than that. He has been out for a long time and some players will take a little bit more to recover from games, especially when they have been out for so long," observed Easterby.
"We have been pretty comfortable with what we have picked so far and we're happy with the guys who have been playing in those positions.
"For Jared it is great to have him back around and hopefully we will see him train on Wednesday and then we will take it from there."
Payne has operated as Ireland's backline defensive co-ordinator under coach Joe Schmidt, but suffered a nasty kidney problem in the 27-24 win over Australia in the autumn.
The New Zealand-born midfielder had initially been expected to miss the entire Six Nations.
Ireland must win in Wales to keep their trophy chances alive, and a victory would most likely tee up a title decider against England in Dublin on Saturday, 18 March.
Leinster young gun Ringrose has continued to build his Test match confidence across the Six Nations, with Easterby backing the 22-year-old to shine again in Cardiff.
"He is a young man in years but he certainly looks like he is playing beyond those years in terms of his understanding of the game, his awareness," said Easterby.
"He is an intelligent rugby player, he sees things that a lot of players can't see and guys who have been around a lot longer than him.
"We've known for a long time that he is something special and he hasn't done too much wrong."


Children are spending more time online than watching television for the first time.

A new survey shows that kids are spending three hours online each day compared with around two hours of TV each day.
You Tube is the favourite website and is visited every day by almost half of all five to 16 year olds.
More young people are using tablets to go online too with 67% owning one.
Each year Childwise looks at the way children watch programmes. More than 2,000 five to 16 year olds took part in the survey.
This year's report showed that Netflix was more popular than any normal television channel.
Simon Leggett, Childwise research director, "Children are now seeking out the content of their choice. They still find traditional TV programmes engaging but are increasingly watching them online and on-demand or binge watching box sets."


Organisers of a comic convention have accused a council of elitism after being told a theatre is not the right venue for their audience.

Almost 1,000 people attended the second King Con event at the Gala Theatre in Durham in October.
Organiser Dan Pye said Durham County Council then told him to find another venue as comic fans would not "feed into" other events at the theatre.
The council has now said all are welcome at the Gala.
An email Mr Pye received said: "We do not feel (the Gala) is the best place for your event and we would encourage you to look elsewhere for a venue for 2016.
"This is a cultural building with a holistic approach to programming.
"The offer we make to our audiences should allow journeys through the variety of work.
"We do not think that the King Con audience are people who then feed into other areas of the programme."
The email also said the event led to more work for theatre staff impacting morale and October was a busy time for the venue.
Mr Pye from Willington said it smacked of anti-comic snobbery.
He said: "It seems they are saying my audience is not going to go to any other events at the theatre but that is ridiculous.
"We had people of all ages and backgrounds enjoying King Con, whole families, to say none of them would go to other events is utter nonsense.
"It feels like they do not like us and the people we brought in."
Robin Byers, Durham County Council's service manager for place and experience, apologised for the email being "interpreted in a way in which we did not intend".
He also said he will meet with Mr Pye to discuss next year's event.
He said: "We would like to reiterate that everyone is welcome at Gala."


A blood test can determine whether prostate cancer patients are likely to respond to drugs, scientists say.

Tests on 97 men, described in Science Translational Medicine, were able to tell whether tumours were already resistant to the drug abiraterone.
Doctors at the Institute of Cancer Research in London will now trial the test to see if it can extend lives.
Prostate Cancer UK said such a test would also avoid unnecessary side-effects for men.
Abiraterone is a potent drug able to shrink tumours, but only some men benefit.
Cancers can evolve resistance to drugs over time, so the team of scientists set about looking for evidence in the fragments of tumour DNA that float in the blood stream.
Abiraterone works by hitting the male hormone receptor on prostate cancer cells.
But the team discovered that mutations affecting the male hormone receptor stopped the drug from working.
The men were more than seven times more likely to respond to treatment if they did not have these mutations.
Dr Gerhardt Attard, from the Institute of Cancer Research, told the BBC News website: "We have identified a group that should not have abiraterone and another set who have great benefit.
"This is the first study in prostate cancer to predict which patients are going to respond, it's very compelling data to suggest we could have a test."
Only 17 men in the trial had tumours shrinking in response to the therapy.
Fifteen of them had normal male hormone receptor, and only two had the abiraterone-resistance mutation.
And those two, who seemingly responded, had only a short-lived effect and their cancer rapidly rebounded.
The researchers are now trailing the test in 600 men to see if those with abiraterone-resistant tumours would be better off being given chemotherapy straight away.
Dr Attard said several new drugs were being developed for advanced prostate cancer.
"It's a very exciting time in prostate cancer, but we do not know which treatments to give to which patient," he said.
Blood tests - also known as liquid biopsies - are seen as crucial for determining which patients will respond to therapy.
One of the key advantages they have is the ability to picks up mutations from every tumour throughout the body.
A traditional biopsy can test only the area that has been sampled.
The drug abiraterone was rejected for use by the NHS in England because of the cost.
A test to determine who will respond could make the drug more cost-effective.
Dr Iain Frame, the director of research at the Prostate Cancer UK charity, said: "We know that a one-size-fits-all approach to treating prostate cancer doesn't work.
"When the clock is ticking for a man with advanced prostate cancer, finding out early that his treatment needs changing can not only save precious time, but can also help avoid unpleasant side-effects from a treatment that no longer works for him."
Dr Emma Smith, from Cancer Research UK, said: "If these important early results bear up in larger clinical trials it could lead to a test which would indicate which patients might benefit more from trying other therapies instead."
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Labour's David Keane has ousted the Conservative candidate in Cheshire to become the new Police and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Keane was elected on a count of second preference votes and polled 84,601 votes when first and second preferences were added.
His Conservative rival John Dwyer, was the first Cheshire PCC elected in 2012, and polled 81,652 votes.
Overall turnout in the election was 23% and Mr Keane said he was "honoured".
He said he had pledged to "deliver real neighbourhood policing", to get officers "back on the streets fighting crime" and to "deliver a police service you can be proud of".
BBC News App users: tap here to see the results.
More information is available on the Choose my PCC website.


Universities in England are already announcing a tuition fee increase above the £9,000 limit before Parliament has even finished debating plans which would pave the way to raise fees.

Tuition fees for 2017 are listed on Durham, Kent and Royal Holloway websites as £9,250.
MPs will vote in the autumn on whether to allow an increase in tuition fees.
The government will support an increase if universities can show they have high quality teaching.
Announcing a higher level of fees of £9,250 was attacked as "disgraceful arrogance from some universities" by the Liberal Democrat education spokesman John Pugh.
The proposal to raise fees is "not a done deal", says Mr Pugh.
Sally Hunt, leader of the UCU lecturers' union, said: 'Those universities foolish enough to advertise higher fees will be doing nothing to quell concerns from students and parents that they are simply after as much cash as they can get."
The higher level fees now being advertised are for undergraduate courses starting in autumn 2017.
Students will start applying for these courses after the summer holidays.
There are references on university websites to fees being "subject to government confirmation" and "inflationary changes", but this comes before MPs have voted on legislation which will link fee increases to standards of teaching.
There will also be a separate vote by MPs in the autumn on whether to permit an increase in tuition fees above £9,000.
Under the government's proposals, if universities meet a threshold of good-quality teaching, they will be able to increase fees with inflation, which for 2017 is calculated as allowing an extra £250.
At this rate, tuition fees could be over £10,000 within the next four years.
The plans in the Higher Education and Research Bill are before Parliament and in a debate on Tuesday, Labour's Gordon Marsden warned this inflation link meant there was no guarantee on how high fees could rise.
The process that will be created to measure teaching quality in universities is called the "teaching excellence framework".
This framework does not yet exist, but for its first year the government has said that almost all universities will be assessed as having reached a quality threshold, allowing them to push their fees above the £9,000 upper limit.
It means that almost all universities will be able to charge £9,250 for their autumn 2017 intake, making it in effect the new upper limit.
Labour's shadow education minister Gordon Marsden said it was a "back-door attempt to raise fees, without a proper and open debate in Parliament, by linking it to a teaching excellence framework which hasn't yet been defined".
But the Liberal Democrats' Mr Pugh said "The real question is whether government is giving these institutions the green light to advertise higher fees.
"They've not even shown their plans for linking fee rises to Parliament. So why are they giving universities the impression that they will pass their teaching quality assessment?"
The University of Kent said the fee increase represented inflation of 2.8%, which could be applied "where higher education providers achieve a rating of 'meets expectations' under the teaching excellence framework".
A statement said it had published the higher fee "to ensure that both potential students and existing students are provided with as much notice as possible" and to comply with consumer protection guidelines.
Durham University issued a statement saying it was setting fees in line with what the government was going to allow and said "we are required to provide comprehensive and transparent information to applicants".
Responding to MPs' concerns about tuition fee increases, Education Secretary Justine Greening told the House of Commons on Tuesday: "This will rightly continue to require the same level of parliamentary scrutiny as before and the Bill will allow the maximum fee cap to keep pace with inflation."
The government argues that without an inflationary increase, the value of tuition fees, providing £11.6bn to universities, will be eroded.
Other universities are still advertising fees at £9,000, but with a warning about a possible increase.
Manchester Metropolitan University advertises fees of £9,000 for 2017, but with a note that says "these fees are regulated by the UK government, and so may increase each year in line with government policy".
The University of Newcastle quotes a £9,000 fee but says it might increase with inflation for those entering in 2017.
Other universities, such as University College London, have so far not published fees for 2017 on their websites.
The increase in fees in England to £9,000 per year was introduced in 2012 by the coalition government and prompted angry protests from students.
In Scottish universities, students from Scotland do not have to pay tuition fees. Northern Irish students at Northern Irish universities have fees of up to £3,925 and Welsh students have fees of £3,810.
Sorana Vieru, vice president of the National Union of Students, warned of higher levels of debt for students.
"A further fee rise will have a damaging impact on students and it is frustrating to learn universities were lobbying the minister for the fee rise before the reforms were published."
A government spokeswoman said: "The teaching excellence framework will allow universities to maintain fees in line with inflation only if they meet a quality bar, as set out in the recent higher education White Paper."


Online subscription service Netflix is set to order its first original British drama The Crown, a £100m series inspired by the life of the Queen.

Peter Morgan, who wrote 2006 film The Queen and recent stage play The Audience, will write the script with director Stephen Daldry also involved.
Dame Helen Mirren is not currently attached to star in the series.
Netflix is already home to successful US dramas such as House of Cards, which helped launch the service in the UK.
Original commissions like the Kevin Spacey political drama and Orange is the New Black have been credited with changing the face of television viewing habits - in part by delivering each full season online in one go.
Left Bank Pictures, owned by Sony Pictures Television, will produce The Crown and is understood to be close to completing their deal with Netflix.
Both the BBC and ITV had also expressed interest in the show, which will chart Queen Elizabeth II's reign from the moment she succeeded her father George VI, at the age of 26, to the present day.
It is understood the script will focus as much on the changing political landscape as the Queen herself, in a similar way to last year's West End production of The Audience, which followed her meetings with various Prime Ministers.
It saw Dame Helen crowned best actress at the 2013 Laurence Olivier Awards, having previously won an Oscar, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for her performance in the film The Queen.
However, insiders have suggested she will not be involved in The Crown.
Morgan also wrote Frost/Nixon for the stage and adapted it for the big screen and The Damned United while Daldry is known for The Reader, The Hours and Billy Elliott.
The Crown is set to be 20 episodes in length, with reports Netflix has committed a budget of at least £5m per episode.
"What our members love watching most and what we have focused on with our own series are highly-serialised stories," Netflix's spokesman for Europe, Joris Evers told the BBC last month.
"We like the kind of series that have a longer story arc where, over multiple episodes and multiple seasons, you follow a storyline as opposed to a procedural show... where somebody gets killed in the first 10 minutes and within that hour you find out who it was and they get locked up."
The internet video streaming firm revealed it had added 2.25 million new subscribers during the first quarter of 2014, bringing its total global membership to 48 million.
This week it also unveiled plans to expand to a further six European countries before the end of the year.


In the days leading up to 11 November, you will see people on the TV and in the streets wearing a poppy.

This is a symbol to remember those who have given their lives in war.
This year, over 45 million poppies will be given out by 150,000 volunteers.
But why do we wear these red flowers to remember people in this way?
The reason poppies are used to remember those who have given their lives in battle is because they are the flowers which grew on the battlefields after World War One ended.
This is described in the famous World War One poem In Flanders Fields, which you can read below.
Ever since then, they have come to be a symbol of remembering not just those who gave their lives in World War One, but all those who have died on behalf of their country.
Every year, volunteers make poppies available throughout the country and people make a donation in order to get their poppy.
The money raised from these donations is used to help servicemen and women who are still alive, whose lives have been changed by wars that they fought in.
It might help them to get jobs and somewhere to live, and will also help older war veterans with any support they may need.
It is also used to help those who have lost loved ones because of wars.
The charity that runs this Poppy Appeal is called The Royal British Legion.
Wearing poppies like this to raise money to help people who had fought in wars started in 1921.
This was year that the Royal British Legion was founded on 15 May.
However, back then the poppies weren't made out of paper like they are today. They were made out of silk.
They sold out straight away and raised more than Â£106,000 for those whose lives had been affected by the war, by helping to find them jobs and somewhere to live once they were no longer serving in the army.
In 1922, a factory was set up where disabled former soldiers were employed to make the poppies.
This factory is still running - and producing many millions of poppies each year - to this very day.
While the majority of people wear their poppy on their chest, there is in fact no right or wrong way to wear a poppy.
As the Royal British Legion says: "We only ask you to wear it with pride."
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
-
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
-
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.


Britain's departure from the EU is "an historic moment from which there can be no turning back", Theresa May has said.

She was speaking after Britain's EU ambassador formally triggered the two year exit process by handing a letter to EU Council President Donald Tusk.
A sombre-looking Mr Tusk said it was not a "happy day" for him or the EU.
The European Parliament warned security cooperation was not on the table as it fired its opening salvo in what are expected to be tough negotiations.
In her letter to Mr Tusk triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, Mrs May said failure to reach a trade deal within the two-year time limit could "weaken" cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism.
But Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator, said he would not accept any attempt to "bargain" between trade and security, adding: "I think the security of our citizens is far too important to start a trade off from one for the other."
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said the UK could end intelligence-sharing with Europol, the EU policing agency, if there was no agreement.
But in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Neil, on BBC One, Mrs May said on security that she "would like to be able to maintain the degree of co-operation on these matters that we have currently".
Downing Street insisted Mrs May's comments were not intended as a threat to EU negotiators, saying it was a "simple fact" the existing arrangements would lapse if Britain left the EU without a deal.
But opposition MPs accused her of jeopardising public safety by attempting to use security co-operation as a "bargaining chip" in the forthcoming negotiations.
Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty gives both sides two years to reach agreement so, unless the UK and the 27 remaining EU member states agree to extend the deadline for talks, the UK will leave on 29 March 2019, a Friday.
At a press conference in Brussels, Donald Tusk held up Mrs May's letter, saying: "We already miss you."
In a brief statement, he said it was not "a happy day" for him or for the EU and promised to begin arrangements for the UK's "orderly withdrawal".
He said the EU's aim in negotiations was "damage limitation" and to "minimise costs" for EU citizens, businesses and member states.
In a statement in the Commons, Mrs May said: "Today the government acts on the democratic will of the British people and it acts too on the clear and convincing position of this House."
She added: "The Article 50 process is now under way and in accordance with the wishes of the British people the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.
"This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back."
She said Britain would now make its own decisions and its own laws and "take control of the things that matter most to us - we are going to take this opportunity to build a stronger, fairer Britain, a country that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home".
She told MPs that this marks "the moment for the country to come together".
Mrs May said it was a "moment of celebration for some, disappointment for others" and promised to "represent every person in the whole United Kingdom" during the negotiations - including EU nationals, whose status after Brexit has yet to be settled.
She said that while the UK would remain the "best friend and neighbour" to its EU partners, it would also look beyond the borders of Europe, saying the country can "look forward with optimism and hope and to believe in the enduring power of the British spirit".
"I choose to believe in Britain and that our best days lie ahead."
A six-page letter from Mrs May triggering Article 50 was handed to European Council President Donald Tusk by the UK's ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow.
Alex Forsyth's analysis: "In this section the prime minister is attempting to highlight the mutual benefits to both the UK and the EU of reaching an agreement about their future relationship - and warning of the dangers if that doesn't happen. It's a carrot rather than a stick, albeit one that comes with a health warning."
Read Alex's full analysis of the letter's key points
In a leaked draft position paper, the European Parliament, which has a final say over any deal struck with Britain, says Brexit could be revoked, despite opposition from the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier to making references to the reversibility of the process.
It also suggests that the European Court of Justice, the EU's top court, will be the "competent authority for the interpretation and enforcement of the withdrawal agreement".
MEPs also insist that any trade deal between the UK and the EU can only be struck after Britain has left.
On the shape of a likely trade deal with the EU, Mrs May told Andrew Neil: 'What we're both looking for is that comprehensive Free Trade Agreement which gives that ability to trade freely into the European single market, and for them to trade with us.
"It will be a different relationship, but I think it can have the same benefits in terms of that free access to trade."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected Mrs May's call for negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU to run in parallel with talks on defining their future  relationship.
"The negotiations must first clarify how we will disentangle our interlinked relationship... and only when this question is dealt with, can we, hopefully soon after, begin talking about our future relationship," said Mrs Merkel in Berlin.
There is also likely to be a big row over outstanding debts the UK will have to pay when it leaves. Mrs May promised a "fair settlement" - the EU wants Â£50bn.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his party would "back" Mrs May if she meets his party's tests on the Brexit deal - including full access to the single market and protection for workers' rights.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who opposes Brexit, said Mrs May was "twisting the will of the people, leaping into the abyss without any idea of where our country will end up".
He said it was "still possible for the British people to stop a hard Brexit and keep us in the single market - and if they want, it is still possible for the British people to choose to remain in the European Union".
"It is a tragedy that Labour are helping the Conservatives in doing this damage to our country," he added.
The SNP accused Mrs May of breaking a promise to secure a UK-wide agreement before triggering Article 50 - and took a swipe at the prime minister's claim that "now is not the time" for another Scottish independence referendum.
The party's foreign affairs spokesman, Alex Salmond, said: "After nine months of this prime minister's approach to Brexit Northern Ireland is deadlocked, the Welsh are alienated, Scotland is going for a referendum, the English are split down the middle, and Brexit MPs are walking out of Commons committees because they don't like home truths.
"Has the prime minister considered, in terms of invoking Article 50, that 'now is not the time'?"
Negotiations with other EU nations are expected to begin in mid-May.
On Thursday the government is expected to publish details of its "Great Repeal Bill", which aims to convert EU law into domestic legislation and repeal the European Communities Act, which says EU law is supreme to the UK's.
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US President Donald Trump has taken a swipe at "so political" courts, as his immigration travel ban faces a major legal test.

Mr Trump told a gathering of police chiefs in Washington DC that he has the right to enact his executive order.
His remarks came a day after an appeals court heard a challenge to the Republican president's policy.
It temporarily suspends the US refugee programme and bans travel for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.
Democrats and other critics have said Mr Trump's comments about the judiciary undermine a core principle of US democracy that courts are supposed to be independent.
The judiciary is a co-equal branch of the US government, along with Congress and the president's executive branch, under the Constitution.
Addressing police chiefs on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump said he would not "ever want to call a court biased".
He added: "Courts seem to be so political and it would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to read a statement and do what's right. And that has to do with the security of our country, which is so important."
During his remarks, the president also said a Boston federal judge who had ruled in favour of his policy was a "highly respected" and "perfect" jurist.
His criticism of the judges has sparked condemnation, even from within his own party. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned "it is best not to single out judges" when asked on Sunday.
Also on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump criticised retailer Nordstrom after it decided not to stock the new clothing line of his daughter, Ivanka Trump.
"My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom," Mr Trump tweeted.
"She is a great person - always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!"
Shares of the retailer fell 0.7%, before rallying.
In Tuesday's hearing, the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals posed tough questions at those challenging and defending Mr Trump's travel ban.
The court is expected to issue a ruling this week.
But the case will probably end up at the Supreme Court, the nation's top judicial body.
The court must decide whether Mr Trump acted within his authority or violated the US Constitution's prohibition on laws favouring one religion over another, as well as anti-discrimination laws.
The 9th Circuit is expected to rule on whether a lower court judge in Seattle - whom Mr Trump described as a "so-called judge" - acted properly last Friday in temporarily halting enforcement of the president's order.
Mr Trump's 27 January order seeks to bar travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days.
It would also ban all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely exclude those from Syria.


A 32-year-old man has appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court charged with causing the death of an 11-year-old girl by dangerous driving.

Christopher Hannah is also charged with causing injury by dangerous driving and other road traffic offences.
He made no plea and was remanded in custody.
Sophie Brannan died following what was described by police as a hit and run incident in the Maryhill area of Glasgow on Friday.
Her 10-year-old friend and 36-year-old Joseph Lloyd were also injured in the incident.
Mr Hannah is expected to appear in court again next Wednesday.