Channel 4 has been named channel of the year at a television industry awards ceremony.

It was one of seven prizes for the network at Wednesday evening's Broadcast Awards.
Catastrophe picked up best comedy programme while The Paedophile Hunter was named best documentary.
The Broadcast judges said Channel 4's output was "at its strongest since [chief creative officer] Jay Hunt took over in 2011".
The channel performed particularly well in factual categories - winning in the news and current affairs category for Dispatches: Escape from Isis.
It also picked up best popular factual programme for The Secret Life Of 4 Year Olds and best documentary series for The Romanians Are Coming.
The wins come at an uncertain time for Channel 4. Last year, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said it was looking at a range of options for the channel's future after rumours that proposals to privatise the network had been put forward.
It was not a clean sweep for Channel 4, however, as the station lost out in the drama category to BBC One's Doctor Foster.
The list of winners included a special recognition award for the BBC's long-running satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You.
The programme was commended by the judges for "remaining reassuringly familiar, while somehow striking the right tone on many of the complex and upsetting news stories that have come its way".
Britain's Got Talent won best entertainment programme, after a difficult year for its creator Simon Cowell as viewing figures for his other major ITV show, The X Factor, decreased significantly.
Other winners at the ceremony, which was presented by Jonathan Ross, included Emmerdale for best soap and Peter Kay's Car Share for best original programme.


Avatar actress Zoe Saldana will play the lead in NBC's forthcoming mini-series of Rosemary's Baby.

Saldana, who starred in 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness, will play the young pregnant wife who becomes convinced she is the target of a satanic cult.
Mia Farrow famously played the role in Roman Polanski's 1968 film.
NBC's Quinn Taylor called Saldana "one of our most gifted actresses" adding that she had "the perfect combination of spirit and gravitas" for the role.
Based on Ira Levin's 1967's horror novel, the four-part drama will be directed by Oscar-nominated Polish director Agnieszka Holland, who has worked on The Wire and The Killing.
"With Zoe leading the cast under the direction of Agnieszka Holland, this re-imagined event mini-series is off to a great start," added Taylor.
Saldana recently completed shooting the lead role in the forthcoming Nina Simone biopic, Nina.
The decision to cast her was criticised by singer Aretha Franklin and Simone's daughter who claimed she did not sufficiently resemble the star, who died in 2003.
The biopic is due out later this year.


Russia's President Vladimir Putin has cancelled a planned visit to France amid a row over Syria.

He had been due to meet French President Francois Hollande and open a new Orthodox church later this month.
But after France's government said talks would be confined to Syria the visit was halted, French presidential sources said.
On Monday, Mr Hollande suggested Russia could face war crimes charges over its bombardment of Syria's city of Aleppo.
The French presidency had told the Russians Mr Hollande would attend only one event with Mr Putin during the visit planned for 19 October - a working meeting on Syria, according to the sources.
But after this Russia "let it be known that it wanted to postpone the visit", they added.
A Kremlin source cited on Russian state media confirmed the meeting would not go ahead.
It comes a day after Mr Hollande told French TV prosecutions over Syria could take place in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"These are people who today are the victims of war crimes. Those that commit these acts will have to face up to their responsibility, including in the ICC," he said.
Neither Russia nor Syria is a member of the ICC.
Moscow has repeatedly denied attacking civilians, and says it targets terrorist groups in Syria.
Last week Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution drafted by France calling for an end to the bombing in Aleppo.


Students have been moved from university tower blocks after they were found to have the same cladding as the Grenfell Tower block in London.

Three of seven blocks at Byron House at Nottingham Trent University have the Reynobond ACM PE panels.
The university and the building owners are working with the local fire service to decide the next course of action.
Nottingham Trent University said 30 students in the blocks were relocated to alternative rooms.
The nine-storey Bryon House is located on Shakespeare Street directly above the university's student union facilities.
More news from around the East Midlands
National Student Union vice-president Shelley Asquith said: "We are demanding the government takes immediate action to ensure all halls are included in fire safety checks.
"This needs to happen urgently to reassure students due to enrol in September."
At least 79 people are feared to have been killed in the blaze at Grenfell Tower in London on 14 June.
Prime Minister Theresa May has called for major national investigation into the use of cladding on high-rise towers.
The university and University Partnerships Programme, which owns and runs the Nottingham halls, said they are "liaising with the fire service as a matter of urgency to agree an appropriate course of action".
They said the blocks have "an extremely high-standard fire detection and alarm system, regular alarm testing and fire drills".
The Â£60m Nottingham complex has a total of 559 student rooms and was completed in September 2013.
Earlier this week in Edinburgh, it was revealed that the same panels were being used on parts of a new hall of residence at Napier University.
The cladding will be removed as a precautionary measure.
Cladding from 120 high-rise buildings in 37 local authority areas in England has now failed fire safety tests which were carried out in the aftermath of the tragedy.


League Two champions Northampton Town won their final game of the season against play-off contenders Portsmouth.

The Cobblers took the lead when Nicky Adams crossed in for Jack Whatmough to put the ball into his own net.
The hosts had Kieron Freeman sent off for a challenge on John Joe O'Toole but restored parity a minute later when Kal Naismith fired from 25 yards.
James Collins sealed victory for the visitors when he tucked home David Buchanan's cross from close range.
Because the result meant they finished sixth, Portsmouth will now play Plymouth in the play-offs.
Paul Cook's side will play at Fratton Park on 12 May in the first leg before the reverse fixture at Plymouth's Home Park on 15 May.
Northampton's victory means they have gone 24 games unbeaten in League Two, as they finish the season 13 points clear at the top of the League Two table.
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Portsmouth assistant manager Leam Richardson told BBC Radio Solent: "It is a 2-1 defeat, it is not in good taste.
"Obviously going down to 10 men so early in the second half doesn't help. With 11 men on the pitch we would have expected a different result.
"There were two good teams on the pitch, we are playing against the champions so you have got to give them every credit."


A Tunisian military doctor seeking to retrieve his son who had joined so-called Islamic State (IS) was one of the victims of the attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, reports say.

Brig Gen Fathi Bayoudh was reportedly trying to secure the release of his son, who had been detained by Turkish troops on the border with Syria.
Tuesday's gun and suicide bomb attack killed more than 40 people.
No-one has so far admitted carrying out the attack, but Turkey blames IS.
Unnamed Tunisian sources told local and international media that Mr Bayoudh had been in Turkey for several weeks in an attempt to repatriate his son with the help of diplomats.
"Bayoudh travelled to Turkey in an effort to meet his son, who joined the Islamic State in Syria a few months ago with his girlfriend," a security source was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
"Bayoudh's son travelled with his girlfriend who studied with him at the Faculty of Medicine a few months ago, which prompted several attempts by his father to persuade him to return."
The head of consular affairs at Tunis' foreign ministry, Faycal Ben Mustapha, told AFP: "It was to do with their son. We don't know exactly what he did, but he went to Iraq and then Syria and ended up in detention in Turkey."
A separate source told the news agency that the doctor was at the airport to meet his wife when the attack took place.
Thousands of Tunisians have gone abroad to wage jihad, including to Syria and Iraq, the birthplace of IS.
Estimates vary between 3,000 and 6,000 of them, making Tunisians the largest number of foreign fighters to join the group's ranks, according to some researchers.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said the early signals indicate IS was responsible for Tuesday's attack in Istanbul.
The group has carried out a string of bomb attacks across Turkey recently.


Manchester City will meet Scottish champions Celtic and manager Pep Guardiola's former club Barcelona in the Champions League group stage.

German side Borussia Monchengladbach will be the other team in Group C.
Premier League champions Leicester will play Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen in their debut campaign.
Arsenal have been drawn alongside Paris St-Germain, Basel and Ludogorets, with Tottenham facing Monaco, CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen.
Spanish side Real Madrid beat neighbours Atletico on penalties in last season's final, becoming European champions for a record 11th time.
Zinedine Zidane's side meet German outfit Borussia Dortmund, Portugal's Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw of Poland.
Guardiola, who replaced Manuel Pellegrini at the end of last season, is Barcelona's most successful boss, leading the Spanish club to 14 major trophies between 2008 and 2012.
He helped the Catalans, who are five-time European champions, win the Champions League in 2009 and 2011.
After leaving the Nou Camp, the former Spain midfielder took charge of German side Bayern Munich and lost to his former side in the 2014-15 Champions League semi-finals.
City, who lost to champions Real Madrid in the semi-finals last season, qualified for the group stage thanks to a 6-0 aggregate win over Romania's Steaua Bucharest.
As well as facing Barcelona for a third time in four seasons, City also return to Monchengladbach, whom they beat home and away in last season's group stage.
"It is not a nightmare draw because we are in a wonderful competition - but it is a very tough group," City director of football Txiki Begiristain said.
"Pep knows the group very well - obviously Barcelona but also Borussia Monchengladbach from his time in Germany."
Leicester produced one of the great sporting shocks to win last season's Premier League title and qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
The Foxes' last involvement in European football saw them knocked out of the Uefa Cup in the first round by Red Star Belgrade in 2000.
Claudio Ranieri's side could have been drawn in a group with last season's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven and Turkish league winners Besiktas.
Although they face Portuguese champions Porto, who have reached the group stage for a sixth successive season, Belgian title winners Club Brugge and Danish champions FC Copenhagen have shown little Champions League pedigree in recent years.
Brugge are competing in the group stage for the first time since 2005-06, while Copenhagen are 81st in Uefa's club rankings.
"With the history of all the clubs we could have been drawn against, it was always going to be an interesting draw," said Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin.
"These are three very established European football clubs and strong teams."
Russian side Rostov - the only other Champions League debutants this season - face Atletico and German champions Bayern Munich.
Tottenham mark their return to European football's top competition for the first time in six seasons, while Arsenal will aim to qualify for the knockout stages for a 13th successive year.
Spurs, who reached the quarter-finals in 2010-11 with wins over both Milan clubs, have avoided the European heavyweights despite being drawn in pot three.
With White Hart Lane's capacity reduced as work begins on a new stadium, Tottenham will play their Champions League games at Wembley this season.
Their toughest test is likely to come against Russian champions CSKA Moscow, the 2005 Uefa Cup winners.
"We know very well that Russia is always difficult and CSKA are sure to have a very good team," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Arsenal, who reached the last 16 last season, and PSG will be favourites to progress from Group A.
French champions PSG knocked Chelsea out in the last 16 before losing to Manchester City, but have not met Arsenal since the 1993-94 Cup Winners' Cup semi-final.
Group A: Paris St-Germain (France), Arsenal (England), Basel (Switzerland), Ludogorets (Bulgaria).
Group B: Benfica (Portugal), Napoli (Italy), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Besiktas (Turkey).
Group C: Barcelona (Spain), Manchester City (England), Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany), Celtic (Scotland).
Group D: Bayern Munich (Germany), Atletico Madrid (Spain), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Rostov (Russia).
Group E: CSKA Moscow (Russia), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Tottenham (England), Monaco (France).
Group F: Real Madrid (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), Legia Warsaw (Poland).
Group G: Leicester City (England), Porto (Portugal), Club Brugge (Belgium), FC Copenhagen (Denmark).
Group H: Juventus (Italy), Sevilla (Spain), Lyon (France), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia).


Ipswich Town's David McGoldrick and Luke Hyam are both set to miss lengthy periods through injury.

Manager Mick McCarthy confirmed striker McGoldrick, 28, will not need surgery but will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks with an ankle ligament injury.
Midfielder Hyam, 24, is set to miss up to a month with a knee injury.
The Tractor Boys will also be without striker Brett Pitman, 28 and 21-year-old Everton-loanee Conor Grant when they face Wolves on Tuesday.


A car bomb has exploded outside the French embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, wounding two French guards and several residents.

The blast in Tripoli destroyed the embassy's ground-floor reception area and perimeter wall, as well as damaging neighbouring homes and shops.
French President Francois Hollande called on Libya to act swiftly over this "unacceptable" attack.
It is the first major attack on a foreign embassy in the Libyan capital.
Tuesday's explosion happened shortly after 07:00 (05:00 GMT) in a smart residential area of Tripoli.
One of the embassy's guards was severely injured while the other suffered lighter injuries. Several residents were also slightly hurt.
In pictures:  'Car bomb' in Tripoli
One young girl suffered a spinal cord injury and was being transferred to neighbouring Tunisia for treatment, her father told the BBC.
The blast took place in a small side street and left a scene of devastation, the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli reports.
As well as extensive damage to the embassy building and perimeter wall, two nearby homes were badly damaged and others affected, while the windows of a shop were blown out and two parked cars were burnt out.
Many neighbours who gathered in the street to survey the damage were shaken and upset by what had happened, our correspondent says.
They told her that there was a lack of proper policing for such a potentially high-profile target.
By Rana JawadBBC News, Tripoli
It was an unfamiliar scene in the Libyan capital's upscale residential neighbourhood - and left many breathless and confused, unsure of how to react.
First came the tears of a young 15-year-old, shocked by the impact of the blast just metres from his now partially wrecked home.
His uncle stood on a pile of concrete rubble in their courtyard.  "You can't even fix the water, look!" he shouted at military personnel who were telling people to stay back as the street flooded from a pipe that had burst as a result of the explosion.
Another man sat silently amidst the debris on the floor of the house next door, framed by what was left standing of the blasted concrete.
Many questions are reverberating across Tripoli. People know what has happened, but they don't understand why, or who did it.
These are the answers they will be demanding of their officials, who are still reeling from the complex network of armed groups that have emerged since the war, as they try to rebuild the nation's security apparatus.
Unless they get lucky, these officials are unlikely to be able to deliver the answers anytime soon.
"It was a big mistake to site the French embassy in our neighbourhood," a local resident said.
President Hollande said the attack had targeted "all countries in the international community engaged in the fight against terrorism".
"France expects the Libyan authorities to shed the fullest light on this unacceptable act, so that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice," he said.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius - who has arrived in Libya to see for himself the damage - said French officials would work closely with the Libyan authorities to find out who was responsible for what he called an "odious act".
Libyan Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz condemned the bombing as a "terrorist act", but did not speculate on who might be behind it.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
French embassies across northern Africa have been on high alert since France sent in troops to help fight an Islamist insurgency in Mali in January.
France, under Nicolas Sarkozy, was at the forefront of Nato-led air strikes in 2011 that helped rebel forces topple long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi was attacked by armed men in September 2012, leading to the killing of ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other American officials.


The Assad government may have got "stronger" in recent months, but more can be done to help Syria's opposition forces, David Cameron has said.

The UK prime minister told the BBC there was a "stalemate" on the ground, but work must continue internationally to try to find a solution.
UK military chiefs have warned of the risks of arming rebel groups.
Mr Cameron said there was "too much extremism" among the opposition, but moderate groups still deserved support.
Syrian government forces have taken the initiative in recent months, and have been bolstered by the capture of the strategically important town of Qusair in the west of the country in June.
Most of the much bigger city of Homs has been recaptured by government troops backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Washington and London have been looking at ways to increase logistical support for opposition groups and the UK announced last week it was sending Â£650,000-worth of protective clothing to guard them against chemical and biological attacks.
By Emily BuchananBBC world affairs correspondent
Today's interview shows just how far David Cameron has rowed back from his previous bullish calls for action.
Last November he called on the newly re-elected Barack Obama to address the Syrian crisis as a priority. Then, in December, he pushed the EU for an early review of the arms embargo.
But as the conflict has dragged on and more evidence of the involvement of extremist groups has emerged, discomfort over getting involved in a bitter civil war has grown.
It's unlikely that arming the rebels could now be passed through Parliament with dozens of Conservative MPs opposed.
Although the prime minister still wants to help moderate forces, how that can be achieved is far from clear. He called the conflict a stalemate.
With Russia still supporting President Assad, so too it seems is Western policy on Syria.
But reports have suggested support for supplying weapons to rebel groups is receding, due to strong political opposition and widespread concerns about arms falling into the wrong hands.
Mr Cameron told the Andrew Marr show that President Bashar al-Assad was an "evil" man who was doing "terrible things to his people".
But he also said the UK "should have nothing to do" with elements of the opposition also reported to have committed atrocities.
"It is a very depressing picture and it is a picture which is on the wrong trajectory," he said of the conflict.
"There is too much extremism among the rebels. There is also still appalling behaviour from this dreadful regime using chemical weapons. There is an enormous overspill of problems into neighbouring countries."
He added: "I think he [Assad] may be stronger than he was a few months ago but I'd still describe the situation as a stalemate."
Despite the UK's concerns about the actions and views of some opposition groups, Mr Cameron said the UK had a duty to support those pushing for a "democratic, free and pluralistic" country.
"You do have problems with part of the opposition which is extreme, that we should have nothing to do with. But that is not a reason for pulling up the drawbridge, putting our head in the sand and doing nothing.
"What we should be doing is working with international partners to help the millions of Syrians who want to have a free democratic Syria, who want to see that country have some form of success."
Mr Cameron also said reports in the media that his wife had been a strong influence on his policy were a "total urban myth".
Samantha Cameron visited a refugee camp in Lebanon in March in her role as ambassador for Save The Children, in which she met families and children displaced by the conflict.
It has been suggested that she has since pressed for a stronger humanitarian response.
The UN says the refugee crisis is the worst for 20 years, with 1.7 million forced to seek shelter in neighbouring countries and an average of 6,000 people fleeing every day this year.
Mr Cameron said his wife had been "very moved" by what she had seen and heard from people who had lost loved ones and whose communities had been destroyed.
But he added: "She does not influence my policy on this. I have been very passionate about this for a long time."


Hibernian manager Alan Stubbs says "all the pressure will be on Falkirk" if his side beat Dumbarton on Tuesday ahead of the final round of Championship games.

Victory would see the Scottish Cup finalists draw level on points with The Bairns, who currently hold second spot.
Both are at home on Sunday - Hibs to Queen of the South, Falkirk to Morton - but Falkirk have a superior goal difference of +26 to Hibs' +19.
"If anything there is a lot more pressure on Falkirk now," Stubbs said.
"It is amazing how it flips round. It is all against us now to score eight goals (over their two games), and even if we did, that doesn't take into account that they might score more to add to that.
"We have to think that Falkirk are going to win their game but it is all to play for.  There will be a real pressure on them to win and it won't be easy against Morton.  As you saw on Saturday, they are a well organised team."
Hibs' failure to win at Cappielow means Falkirk are in pole position to claim second spot, which would put them straight into the promotion play-off semi-finals.
If Hibs have to settle for third, they would need to negotiate a quarter-final play-off against fourth-placed Raith Rovers, with the first leg next Wednesday, 4 May, and the second on Saturday, 7 May.
"I have said all along, playing extra games is not going to affect us because we have played extra games anyway," noted Stubbs, whose side could play another seven games after the end of the regular season on Sunday, including the Scottish Cup final on 21 May.
"We had 10 days' break last season (before the play-offs) and it didn't necessarily help or hinder us.  Some people say if you win the two extra games, then you go into the next two with confidence and momentum.
"The most important thing is we have to win the game on Tuesday, first and foremost.  If we can make inroads into the goal difference after that, fine, but it isn't as easy as that unfortunately.
"If we win, there is no pressure on us going into Sunday.  All the pressure is on Falkirk because they desperately want to finish second."
Hibs have only scored more than three goals twice this season, although one of those was a 4-2 home win over Dumbarton back in October.   But they lost both away games to The Sons, who are already safe from relegation.
Stubbs has defender Liam Fontaine available again while midfielder Dylan McGeouch could return on Sunday against Queen of the South, with Danny Carmichael also likely to be back for the play-offs.


A police custody sergeant struck a detainee up to 12 times around the face and head after a dispute over a phone call, a court has heard.

Jason Hayles, 44, of West Midlands Police, denies assaulting Clinton Copeland causing him actual bodily harm at Stechford police station in Birmingham on 25 February last year.
He is alleged to have used excessive force against the robbery suspect.
Jurors were told Mr Copeland was trying to bite Sgt Hayles' arm and chest.
The officer is alleged to have used excessive force after grabbing the 30-year-old detainee around the neck when he lunged forward.
Describing CCTV footage to the jury at Birmingham Crown Court, prosecutor Simon Davis said it showed Mr Copeland leaving a room where he had seen a doctor.
Mr Davis said: "You will then see him go and sit on a bench as he was waiting to make a phone call to someone he had nominated."
After a "lively debate" Sgt Hayles walked out from behind a custody desk towards Mr Copeland where it is alleged the officer struck him a number of times to the face, the court heard.  Mr Davis added: "We say that this wasn't self-defence".
Mr Copeland admitted lunging towards and swearing at Sgt Hayles before he was restrained and allegedly assaulted, but claims he did so in order to make his way back towards a cell.  He denied he had lunged at the officer in a bid to assault him.
He told the court his face was left covered in blood and he required an emergency head scan after being taken to hospital.
Jurors were told Mr Copeland has numerous convictions for violence.
The trial continues.


More than two years after the uprising began in Syria, the opposition remains fractious and deeply divided.

The wide variety of political groups, exiled dissidents, grassroots activists and armed militants have been unable to agree on how to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
Several groups, however, have tried to form coalitions to unite opposition supporters in Syria and gain international help and recognition.
Here is a guide to some of the most prominent alliances.
In November 2012, Syrian opposition factions agreed to set up a new and more inclusive leadership council at a meeting in Doha, Qatar.
It was hoped the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, which includes members from within Syria and abroad, would gain widespread international recognition as the country's sole legitimate representative, become the conduit for all financial and possibly military aid, administer areas controlled by rebel forces, and plan for a post-Assad transition.
A blueprint for the National Coalition was outlined in a document published by the veteran dissident Riad Seif, who was subsequently elected one of its two vice-presidents. His proposals were based on the Cairo conference documents agreed in July 2012, which called on revolutionary and political opposition factions to "unite under one leadership framework".
Following the Doha meeting, the National Coalition declared on its Facebook page that it was working "to aid and support the revolutionary forces struggling to overthrow the Assad regime and to transition Syria towards a democratic and pluralistic civil state".
"The coalition also plays an important role in liaising between the needs of the Syrian people and the international community," it added.
According to its website, the National Coalition is dedicated to:
The Doha meeting was a response to increasing pressure from the opposition's foreign backers to form a new alliance that superseded the Syrian National Council (SNC), which was widely viewed as ineffective, consumed by infighting and little respected on the ground. Reaction within the SNC was mixed, with some groups concerned that they would only control 22 seats on the leadership council, but the alliance's chairman George Sabra asserted at the time: "This is a serious step against the regime and a serious step towards freedom."
The National Coalition also includes members of the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), a network of grassroots opposition activists, as well as representatives of the local revolutionary councils. It also has the support of the rebel Supreme Military Council (SMC) of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
However, it does not include the National Co-ordination Committee, which represents the internal political opposition groups that reject violence and want to negotiate with the government, and several militant Islamist groups fighting alongside the rebels, including the Nusra Front.
International reaction to the National Coalition was generally positive. The six member states of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) were first to recognise it as "the legitimate representative" of the Syrian people, followed by France, the UK, EU and US.
In December 2012, 100 countries at the Friends of the Syrian People conference in Marrakech also recognised the coalition. Absent were Russia, China and Iran, which have backed President Assad or blocked action by the UN Security Council.
Despite its international support, the National Coalition has suffered many of the problems experienced by the SNC, on which it is still dependent operationally and organisationally, including internal divisions and outside interference.
The National Coalition's first president, Sunni cleric Moaz al-Khatib, declared that he was resigning in March 2013, complaining that foreign powers were placing too many conditions on aid to opposition and armed rebel groups, and were trying to manipulate events for their own interests.
The resignation came five days after Ghassan Hitto was elected prime minister of the National Coalition's interim government, whose creation Mr Khatib believed was premature. Mr Hitto's candidacy was backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, which dominates the SNC, and the National Coalition's secretary general, Mustafa Sabbagh, a businessman who has strong links to Qatar.
The previous month, the SNC had publicly criticised Mr Khatib for saying he would be ready to attend talks with Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa in a third country if the Syrian government met several conditions, including the release of tens of thousands of political prisoners.
The National Coalition has also been unable to assert overall command over Syria's rebel forces, particularly jihadist groups.
It has similarly struggled to address the humanitarian crisis, in part because of a lack of funding. An Assistance Co-ordination Unit was set up, but it has struggled to carry out anything on a significant scale. The coalition has also so far failed to administer liberated areas and provide basic services and supplies.
In May 2013, a coalition of leading rebel groups issued a joint statement sharply criticising the National Coalition, accusing it of failing to fulfil its duties, and of allowing itself to be taken over by regional and international players.
The National Coalition overhauled its leadership at a conference in Istanbul in July 2013, with candidates backed by Saudi Arabia defeating those supported by Qatar in a series of elections. Ahmed Jarba, an influential tribal figure with close ties to Riyadh, was named president after he narrowly defeated Mr Sabbagh in a run-off vote.
At the same time, Mr Hitto announced his resignation as prime minister, citing an inability to form an interim government to administer so-called "liberated" zones, co-ordinating the provision basic services and supplies.
He was replaced in September by Ahmed Tomeh, a moderate Islamist and former political prisoner who is secretary general of the Damascus Declaration, a coalition of political parties, human rights groups and pro-democracy activists named after a 2005 document that demanded Syria's transformation from a "security state to a political state".
In his first speech, Mr Tomeh said he wanted to restore order and security to rebel-held areas, protect people's property, revive the economy and invest in national resources.
In September 2013, Mr Jarba parked a storm of protest within the National Coalition's leadership when he told the UN in New York that he would participate in an international conference in Geneva aimed at finding a political solution the conflict in Syria.
The US and Russia want the Syrian government and opposition to accept a solution based on the core elements of the final communique issued after the UN-backed Action Group for Syria meeting in June 2012. The communique called for a transitional government that could include officials serving under President Assad and members of the opposition.
The Syrian National Council (SNC) is a coalition of opposition groups formed in October 2011 to offer a credible alternative to the Syrian government and serving as a single point of contact for the international community.
The current president is George Sabra, a Christian and a veteran leftist dissident.
He replaced Abdelbaset Sayda, a Kurd, in November 2012, shortly before the creation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.
Mr Sayda and his predecessor, Burhan Ghalioun, were both criticised for failing to reconcile different groups within the opposition and present a united front.
The SNC's website says it is committed to the following principles:
It has laid out plans for a transitional period which would see it:
The new Syria, the SNC states on its website, will be a "democratic, pluralistic, and civil state; a parliamentary republic with sovereignty of the people based on the principles of equal citizenship with separation of powers, smooth transfer of power, the rule of law, and the protection and guarantee of the rights of minorities".
The SNC, which is dominated by Syria's majority Sunni Muslim community, has struggled to win over Christians and members of President Assad's Alawite sect, who each make up about 10% of the population and have so far stayed loyal to the government. The council's primacy has also been challenged by the National Co-ordination Committee (NCC), an opposition bloc that still functions within Syria and is led by longstanding dissidents, some of whom are wary of the Islamists within the SNC. Several members of the SNC have also complained about its ineffectual leadership.
The SNC has also found it difficult to work with the Free Syrian Army. However, the two groups have agreed to co-ordinate their operations and the SNC has urged the international community to support the rebels.
In November 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the SNC could "no longer be viewed as the visible leader of the opposition" and called for an opposition leadership structure that could "speak to every segment and every geographic part of Syria".
Following the creation of the National Coalition, Mr Sabra insisted that the SNC would not be "subsumed under anybody".
"The SNC is older than this initiative or any other initiative, and it has a deep political and regional structure," he said.
In October 2013, Mr Sabra said the SNC would not attend a meeting in Geneva planned by the US and Russia to find a political solution to the conflict. He also threatened to pull out of the National Coalition.
"The Syrian National Council, which is the biggest bloc in the coalition, has taken the firm decision... not to go to Geneva, under the present circumstances," he told the AFP news agency. "This means that we will not stay in the Coalition if it goes."
Formed in June 2011, the National Co-ordination Committee (NCC) for Democratic Change is an alliance of 16 left-leaning political parties, three Kurdish political parties, and independent political and youth activists. Its chairman is the veteran left-wing opposition activist Hassan Abdul Azim, leader of the Democratic Arab Socialist Union. His deputy and spokesman abroad is Haytham Manna, a Paris-based academic and  rights activist.
Unlike the Syrian National Council and the National Coalition, the NCC is open to the idea of a political settlement with the government. Its call for dialogue is conditional on a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the army from towns and cities, and the release of all political detainees.
The NCC believes the Free Syrian Army is an essential part of the revolution and plays an important role in protecting society, but rejects calls to arm it or for foreign military intervention.
NCC leaders accused the SNC and the National Coalition of being beholden to Turkey and Gulf Arab states that provide shelter, financial support and weapons to rebel groups. It also objects to what it calls the Muslim Brotherhood's domination of the exiled opposition. In turn, the SNC and National Coalition have portrayed NCC leaders as isolated and lacking support among Syrians.
In September 2012, the NNC organised the Syrian Salvation Conference, a meeting in Damascus tolerated by the authorities. A statement agreed by participants called for the following:
Afterwards, Mr Manna said regime change was inevitable. "This regime is dead in the hearts and minds of all Syrians," he explained. "There must be negotiations on a peaceful transition of power."
The Kurdish Supreme Committee was formed in July 2012 by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Kurdish National Council (KNC), an alliance of 13 Kurdish parties, under the initiative of the President of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani.
It was hoped the committee would administer the de facto autonomous Kurdish zone created in north-eastern Syria when government forces withdrew in the summer of 2012.
However, the KNC has complained that the PYD has not honoured the power-sharing agreement. The PYD's armed wing, the Popular Protection Units (YPG), has been accused of refusing to share security responsibility in most of the towns and villages in the Kurdish area with the KNC's fighters. Parties in the KNC have also claimed that the Kurdish Supreme Committee has become a tool of the PYD.
There has led to disagreement over how Syria's Kurds should be represented at an international peace conference in Geneva proposed by the US and Russia. The US and Turkey reportedly want the KNC to be represented by the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, which it joined in September 2013. The PYD meanwhile wants Kurds to be represented by the Kurdish Supreme Committee. And Mr Barzani is said to want the KNC to represent itself.


Labour's general election manifesto will contain a pledge not to raise VAT, shadow chancellor Ed Balls will say.

The party will make a "clear pledge" not to increase the tax, which it says "hits pensioners and the poorest hardest", if it wins the election.
Labour has repeatedly claimed the Conservatives would have to increase VAT due to the scale of spending cuts planned for after the general election.
The Tories said Labour planned "hikes" in income tax or national insurance.
The Liberal Democrats say their deficit reduction plans would not require an increase in VAT, with planned tax rises focused on the wealthy.
VAT, which is levied on most business transactions and many goods and services, was increased from 17.5% to 20% in Chancellor George Osborne's first Budget in 2010.
In a speech in Birmingham on Tuesday, Mr Balls will say:  "The next Labour government will not raise VAT.
"We will not put up VAT. And we will not extend it to food, children's clothes, books, newspapers and public transport fares.
"We will not raise VAT because it's the tax that hits everyone. It's the tax that hits you every day. And it hits pensioners and the poorest hardest."
Labour's announcement was "fully funded and paid for", he said.
VAT is a key part of Labour's economic attacks on the Conservatives. Responding to last week's Budget, opposition leader Ed Miliband claimed the Conservatives would be forced to increase the tax because they would not be able to deliver their planned "colossal cuts" to unprotected areas of public spending.
A Conservative spokesman said Labour had "let the cat out of the bag".
He added: "Ed Miliband and Ed Balls have repeatedly said they will raise taxes.
"It is time that they came clean with the British public about which taxes they will raise - income tax or national insurance."


Millions of pounds are expected to be made available for the development of Brandywell stadium in Londonderry.

The money, which comes from Stormont, has been freed up by a deal agreed between Linfield and the Irish Football Association.
As far back as 2006 plans were drawn up for a 6,000 seater stadium, and more recently there have been calls for urgent funding to carry out essential safety works at Derry City's home ground.
It now looks as if a share of a pot of  Â£31 million will be made available, which will be directed towards the redevelopment of Brandywell and also a new stadium for Glentoran.
A significant sum has also been earmarked for a national academy.
The money was freed up through a new 51-year-deal between the IFA and Linfield over the use of Windsor Park.
The chairman of Derry City, Phil O'Doherty, dismissed concerns that the stadium should not benefit because the club doesn't play in the Irish League.
"We pay tax, we pay VAT so we should be entitled to the same facilities that would be in any Belfast football club," he said.


Tube passengers are set to have their journeys disrupted for almost a year when Central Line trains cease stopping at one of London's busiest stations.

From Saturday, Central Line trains will not stop at Tottenham Court Road.
Transport for London (TfL) has advised people to change at Oxford Circus or Holborn for alternative routes.
The work is intended to improve access to Central Line platforms, with new entrances and lift access from the ticket hall and to the Northern line.
Northern Line trains will continue to stop at Tottenham Court Road.
By 2016, TfL said the station will be fully accessible and the ticket hall will be five times larger than its current size.
Currently around 150,000 people use Tottenham Court Road daily but TfL expects this to rise to more than 200,000 when Crossrail serves the station in 2018.
The station will have eight escalators, five lifts, new Art on the Underground installations, improved CCTV cameras and better lighting.
The refurbishment of Tottenham Court Road Tube station is part of London Underground's (LU) Â£10bn programme of modernisation.
Central Line services are expected to return to Tottenham Court Road next December.


Mae cwmni General Dynamics wedi cael cytundeb gwerth £330m gan y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn, fydd yn creu 125 o swyddi yn ei safle yn Oakdale, Sir Caerffili.

Bydd y cwmni'n dylunio'r genhedlaeth nesaf o system gyfathrebu ar gyfer y lluoedd arfog.
Fe fydd y system yn disodli'r un bresennol sydd yn cael ei defnyddio, sef system Bowman, oedd hefyd wedi ei datblygu gan General Dynamics yn Oakdale.
Ynghyd â chreu 125 o swyddi newydd, fe fydd y cytundeb hefyd yn galluogi 125 o beirianwyr ychwanegol i symud o weithio ar Bowman i'r system newydd, fydd yn cael ei galw'n EvO (Evolve to Open).
Bydd yn cael ei defnyddio ar gyfer fflyd newydd General Dynamics o gerbydau arfog AJAX y lluoedd arfog, sydd yn cael eu gosod a'u profi ym Merthyr.
Fe fydd y system newydd yn cydlynu cerbydau ar y ddaear gyda'r pencadlys a chyfleu gwybodaeth i beilotiaid yr Awyrlu.
Mae'r diwydiant amddiffyn yn cyflogi 5,000 o bobl yng Nghymru, gyda'r mwyafrif yn swyddi o safon a chyflogau uchel.
Cytundeb EvO yw'r rhan gyntaf yn rhaglen newydd MORPHEUS y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn ac mae'n adlewyrchu newid cyfeiriad gan y Weinyddiaeth, wrth roi cytundebau mawr i gwmnïau o Brydain.
Mae rhai cytundebau'r Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn wedi eu beirniadu yn y gorffenol am yr oedi cyn eu cwblhau, ac am y gost.
Mae'r newidiadau hyn yn golygu y gall gwahanol gwmnïau wneud cynnig am waith ar wahanol rannau o raglen MORPHEUS, gan ddatblygu gwaith sydd wedi ei gwblhau'n barod gan fusnesau eraill.
Gallai hyn olygu fod y lluoedd arfog yn llai dibynnol yn y dyfodol ar un cwmni'n unig i gwblhau cynllun ar amser ac o fewn y pris disgwyliedig.
Dywedodd Ysgrifennydd yr Economi, Ken Skates fod y buddsoddiad yn "newyddion gwych".
"Mae General Dynamics yn gwmni angori gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac rydyn ni wedi gweithio mewn partneriaeth am flynyddoedd lawer i gefnogi eu twf yn ne Cymru.
"Rydyn ni wedi buddsoddi swm sylweddol mewn prosiectau ymchwil a datblygu yn General Dynamics sydd wedi galluogi'r rhaglen Esblygu i Agor, i helpu i sicrhau'r contract gwerth £330m yma, gan greu 125 o swyddi newydd a diogelu 125 yn rhagor o swyddi yn Oakdale."


A controversial scheme to allow addicts to take drugs safely in "self-injection rooms" will cost more than £2.3m a year to run, according to a new report.

The proposed service allowing drug-users in Glasgow to consume drugs under supervision would be the first of its kind in the UK.
A business plan identifies potential sites in the south-east of the city.
It argues that money would be saved in the long-term by improving health and reducing offending in the city.
Members of the health board, city council and police agreed the proposals in principle last October in a bid to address the problems caused by an estimated 500 users who inject on Glasgow's streets.
A report to the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board reveals that the costs of the facility (SDCF) and a separate heroin assisted treatment (HAT) service are estimated at £2,355,680 a year.
It said it would be funded by redirecting existing resources and using contingency funding for three years.
Under the HAT service, some heroin users would be prescribed diamorphine by specially-licensed doctors.
The report also reveals that the facility would house 12 individual "injecting booths" and possibly a small drug inhalation room. There would also be a reception and an after-care area.
It argues that the facility is needed in a city where 90 new HIV cases have been diagnosed in Glasgow since 2015 among people who inject drugs.
Susanne Millar, of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, said: "The need for a safer consumption facility is about improving the health of those involved in public injecting.
"Our aim is to provide a route to recovery for a group of people often disengaged from support services and improving the general amenity of Glasgow city centre.
"Public injecting of drugs places considerable financial costs on the health, social care and criminal justice systems.
"Existing research suggests the average monthly spend on health, addictions, housing and criminal justice service for people in Glasgow with complex needs ranges from £1,120 and £3,069 per individual per month.
"These proposals are backed by evidence indicating SDCFs not only improve health outcomes for people who inject drugs, but are also highly cost effective and contribute to savings for health and social care services."


In his first interview since being indicted in 2009 for masterminding the second-largest Ponzi scheme in history, convicted US fraudster Allen Stanford has told the BBC he is innocent.

"I didn't do anything wrong" said the 65-year-old Texan, speaking from a maximum security penitentiary in Florida. "Will I apologise? No. Mark my words... I am going to walk out the doors of this place a free man."
Stanford says his life behind bars is "hell". He describes being assaulted by fellow inmates in 2009, saying the treatment he received by the authorities after the attack was "barbaric".
Stanford's lack of contrition is sure to anger the victims of his fraud, thousands of whom have little hope of ever recovering the money they lost in his $7bn (£5bn) scam.
The former Houston banker was handed a 110-year sentence in March 2012 on fraud, conspiracy and obstruction charges after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shut down his global empire.
Prosecutors said the former billionaire had run a massive, two-decade scam centred on the sale of certificates of deposit. They alleged he was a swindler, misusing the money of thousands of clients to fund risky investments and an opulent lifestyle, including the sponsorship of cricket tournaments.
Once considered one of the richest men in the world, Stanford has always insisted he is is not a conman, blaming the federal government, the SEC and a court-appointed receiver for tearing down his business empire and preventing investors from getting their money back. In October an appeals court rejected his bid to overturn his conviction but Stanford has now filed for a rehearing.
"I am going to win this" he said. "And I'm going to win for the people who were harmed also."
Stanford is housed in the high-security Coleman II federal prison in Sumterville, Florida. He is not eligible for release before 2105 and for the last three years he has been helping a fellow inmate write a book, Brutal Takeover, detailing his demise.
It says he was made a scapegoat by the US authorities for the financial crisis in 2008, and following their failure to detect infamous financier Bernard Madoff's record $65bn fraud.
"I am in this situation caused by the wrongful actions of the US government and particularly the SEC," he insists.
"There is no question that I was a scapegoat for what happened in 2008 and 2009, post-Madoff... They needed a head on a block."
Stanford was born into a lower middle-class family in the small Texan town of Mexia in 1950. After his early business ventures ended in failure, he founded Stanford International Bank in 1991 on Antigua, laying the foundation of his empire and becoming the island's largest employer. At its most successful, the Stanford Financial Group claimed clients from 140 countries with assets of $50bn under management.
By 2008, Stanford was one of the richest men in America, worth an estimated $2.2bn, and living an extravagant, jet-setting lifestyle in which he enjoyed power and privilege.
But amid suspicions he was treating the savings of depositors as his own personal piggybank, and using certificates of deposit sold as safe investments for far riskier private equity and real estate, the SEC filed a civil complaint, accusing Stanford of fleecing about 25,000 investors worldwide. Jim Davis - Stanford's right-hand man since the 1980s and the company's chief financial officer - then agreed to testify in exchange for a reduced sentence.
In 2012 Stanford was convicted on 13 of 14 criminal charges against him. Calling Stanford arrogant and without remorse, prosecutors asked for a 230-year sentence, with defence lawyers arguing for a lenient term of 44 months.
Throughout his trial, he steadfastly maintained his innocence, insisting his businesses were legitimate. He said that Mr Davis's testimony was false, and that he had been scapegoated by the authorities, but the jury rejected his story, and believed Mr Davis. Federal prosecutor William J Stellmach called Stanford's version of events "obscene". "This is a man utterly without remorse," he said. "From beginning to end, he treated all of his victims as roadkill."
"I did not do anything wrong," Stanford counters. "When I was sentenced I got up before the judge and the packed courtroom, and I looked everyone in the eye and I said 'I did not do what you have accused me of doing, and I am not guilty but I'm going to prison and if I go to prison for the rest of my life, I will go to bed in a prison cell at peace with myself knowing that I never did anything illegal or unethical'. I never stole a damn penny from anyone in business in my life. I was audited every single year  for 12 years, prior to the SEC coming in, by the Internal Revenue Service."
"This is the biggest unjust act ever committed by the SEC and probably by the Department of Justice in the history of the US. As I am sitting here right now, and as God is my witness, I did not misspend one penny ever. What I earned, I earned legally, ethically, honestly.
"If I was in somebody else's shoes and for seven years all I had seen and heard was 'this guy is the biggest Ponzi schemer that ever lived, he stole money from widows and orphans', yeah, than I would probably think, 'Allen Stanford got what he probably deserved, and he's a sorry son of a bitch'.
"But on the other hand if you take the time to read the book, you understand that there is another side to this story, not just the government propaganda of disinformation, their trawling of lies. They have hood-winked everybody, it will shock you. This story is as big as it gets… what anybody thinks of me quite frankly at this point in my life, I don't give a damn."
To date only around $292m has been recovered, with $73m returned to Stanford's estimated 28,000 investors. Many are elderly and more than 170 have died since the scandal broke in 2009. Stanford is highly critical of the way the receivership has been handled, describing it as "a court-sanctioned theft of unimaginable proportions".
Some $90m has been paid in fees and expenses to receiver Ralph Janvey and other professionals working on the case. "My business was effectively ruined, with assets sold at fire sale prices immediately under a receivership, all before I was ever convicted," says Stanford. "There had been no proof of fraud, no proof of wrongdoing, assets were frozen, were starting to be spent on attorneys, accountants and other so-called professionals to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. What if I had been found not guilty? Who was going to undo the damage that had been done? I had to be found guilty.
"Let me tell you what my feelings are to the people who have been impacted by this in a negative way because of the actions of the SEC, the Department of Justice, and the US government. I am so incredibly sad for what happened to you and I cannot do anything about that, but do I owe you an apology? No. Will I apologise? No. Will the government ever apologise? I don't know. But they are going to financially make whole these people. Can they undo what they have done?  Can they take back the seven years of my life, the seven years of damage to these other real victims? No. But nobody lost a single dollar until the government of the US stepped in, and only then did anybody suffer any financial harm."
In a statement, a law firm acting on behalf of US victims told the BBC, "Allen Stanford, the group of brokers, and third party institutions supporting the Stanford Platform have destroyed the lives of working people. Victims are left wondering, where does this story end? No one knows what will happen and who will recover what monies."
In a statement, Mr Janvey said his work was court-approved and complex, and that $200m of frozen assets in Switzerland could not be released until Stanford's appeals were concluded. "It is Stanford's wildly delusional persistence in his innocence that is the major immediate stumbling block to the return of those assets…he stands convicted of a crime of epic proportions," he said.
In September 2009 while awaiting trial, Stanford was severely beaten by fellow inmates. He was transferred to a federal prison medical facility as the result of an addiction to anti-depressants, which he developed after the assault. His lawyers claimed this led to memory loss.  After two year delay, a judge determined he was fit to stand trial.
"I was on the phone trying to reach my daughter inside a four-man cell that they had crammed 10 of us into, and I was attacked from behind. Some guys slammed my head into a concrete wall, split my skull open and then proceeded to put me in a choke hold... and then they stomped on my face and broke 32 bones in my head and face... After my brain swelling went away five days later they did an eight-hour operation to repair the damage. Thirty-two fractures were put back together with mesh and titanium screws. They then put me into a 7 by 6 ft 'hole' - that's the slang we use for the special housing unit where they separate you from everyone else. And I was left there for a month to recover and I saw the doctor one time in that 30 days to remove some stitches. I was given no antibiotics and no painkillers. I was put on psychotropic drugs which is the worst thing you can do for someone with a severe brain injury. I had severe concussion and my skull was cracked.
"I was pre-trial, I was presumed innocent… I was denied bail and my treatment, I would call it barbaric. It was something you'd think you'd receive if you were in North Korea or Iran or Russia or somewhere, but not the US.
"My memory began to go on me... I was having residual bleeding on my temporal lobe which they refused to do an MRI on and refused to give me proper neurological care on.
"It's really beyond comprehension when you're in a penitentiary - there's four levels of custody: camp, low, medium - and I'm in the maximum security setting - and I'll just use some penitentiary language here; a penitentiary is violent... and it is a violent existence, and it will test everything you are made of.
"I have been able to weather this storm from hell probably better than most people could have, and you don't really know what you're made of until these things unfortunately come your way. I certainly never thought I'd spend now nearly seven years of my life in a US penitentiary and be subjected to things that are really horrific but mentally I'm back, I think, close to where I was before all this started. Physically I'm doing very well, thank God, and I'm fighting every single day. I am not going to lose this, this was a wrongful prosecution and I am going to win.
"There's a points system in prison in the US. It goes from 1 to 46, 46 being the most violent and most lengthy of criminal history, 1 being the least. I am a 1. I've been told I am the lowest points-system inmate in the whole prison. I would normally qualify for a camp or a 'low' prison, but they've stuck me here... The purpose for that - there's no question - is to make it more difficult to continue to fight. This is not conspiratorial, conjecture or whining - I'm certainly not whining about a damn thing.
"I have seen people stabbed I have seen people beaten senseless. I have seen guards attacked, inmates attacked, I've seen some pretty bad things happen. I've been in the middle of a riot, 100 guys right in the middle of a big riot, then they bring in the real guns and shoot with real bullets, I've pretty much seen it all.
"I read a Bible verse every morning... without that belief I could not let this anger go, I could not let this hate that boils up in me from time to time go. So it comes and then I just let it go because ultimately you hurt yourself, it will eat you alive and I have seen it do that to a number of guys in here… I miss my freedom. Like anybody in a penitentiary, you cannot even begin to tell someone what it's like to lose your freedom until you have lost your freedom.
"It is hard to believe every single, waking, moment, that I am inside this penitentiary, and now going on almost seven years of this hell it is still hard to realise. But as they do say, you either become stronger or weaker. In my case, I think I've shown I've become a stronger person and I've been supported by my family, and a handful of friends.
"The darkest moment was probably when I was... coming off this addiction that the government got me on... the government turns me into a damn drug addict. While I was getting off these psychotropics, my mother moved up to to visit me... and I was having trouble remembering that both my younger brothers had died tragically years ago, and that was a very difficult time for her emotionally."
After serving three of his 110 years behind bars, Stanford filed an appeal on his own behalf, without an attorney. In October 2015, a court rejected 10 arguments, including that he was not competent to stand trial, that the SEC did not have jurisdiction over his offshore business, that the government did not prove its case, that the sentence was too long, and that the trial judge was biased toward prosecutors.
"We find no evidence that the district court was partial to the government in derogation of Stanford's right to a fair trial under the Constitution," the circuit judge wrote. Stanford was found to have manipulated financial reports to show fake profits, bribed an Antiguan official, impeded SEC scrutiny and orchestrated a fraudulent financial empire. He denies any wrongdoing and has lodged a further appeal.
"I was not fit to go to trial, I did not have the preparatory time. All four of my attorneys... unfortunately were spineless. They did they best they could. They didn't even bring up issues that should have been addressed. They didn't understand what they were really doing. It was an enormously complex case, the government had three and a half years, they used Stanford money, receiverships, assets, civil investigatory powers to get and do things illegally to get me and prosecute me.
"There was no misrepresentation of any annual report. When 2009 rolled around and the financial crisis was at its worst, when the SEC came in, we were under the regulatory look-and-see of 14 countries and 70 different regulatory and other bodies that examine your business, including our insurance underwriters who have to do risk audits of the way you manage your assets. We never had any issues other than the normal 'you can do better here and there' - nothing of any significance, never had any issues ever.
"The whole thing about bribes was manipulated by the SEC… The SEC did not have the regulatory authority nor the jurisdiction to do what they were wanting us to do, but to bend over backwards we invited them to come and see for themselves. The Antiguan authorities then agreed they would send with them their regulators, their internal auditors to go look at the books with them should they choose to do that - both times they said no.
"I work non-stop, I'm working seven days a week on my case, that's all I do. I just work on my case. I don't think about dying in prison, my thought is on winning, I plan to win.
"What happened to my six children was wrong, terribly wrong… They got put out on the street, they got the silver spoon taken out of their mouth, their billionaire father who was providing for them that got yanked out from underneath them, they did not whine, they did not cry, they did not complain, they sucked it up and showed me they had the grit and determination to carry on. And it's just been an awe-inspiring thing for me to watch my children all six of them - how they have been able to show me what they're made of.
"I am sad for what they have had to go through but I don't feel guilty for what they have had to go through. I didn't cause that. What I have a guilt for is that before any of this happened I didn't spend the time I should have spent with my children, instead I spent it in my business… But in terms of what's happened, I have nobody to be apologetic to, I have nothing to apologise for, I have done nothing wrong.
"I owned six jets, I had a Global Express, two Gulf Streams and three Hawker jets. All of those were corporate aircraft, all used for business purposes. Without that I couldn't have done what I did, which was travel constantly, and I worked my rear end off. So to that end I needed the aeroplanes. I was one of the wealthiest men on the planet and anybody in my position would have his own aeroplane. You're going to have planes because we had business in 140 countries and offices in 14 countries. The opulent lifestyle is really a funny thing to me. What is opulent? I had a 112ft sports yacht. Is that a big boat? Of course it is, if you have a 14ft boat as a dream boat. But if you are Larry Ellison and you've got four 300ft boats maybe it's no more than a tender. It's all relevant. I lived very modestly in terms of how I could have lived. My lifestyle in terms of my profile was probably much bigger than how I actually lived personally.
"Let's not talk about if, let's talk about when I'm released.
"I will go back to being who I was, but more in tune to what I do with my family and my children... I want to be back in the Caribbean, that's my favourite place in the world and I love the people in the West Indies, they're my second family. I love Antigua, I miss it greatly.
"I know it's going to happen, so it's not a dream, it's reality and it's right around the corner so yes, I think about it very, very often and I have a smile on my face, and I know it's going to happen. And I feel very confident it's going to happen very, very soon."
You can hear the full interview on 5Live sport from 21:00 GMT on January 11


A helicopter has crashed into a crane on top of a 50-storey building in Vauxhall, central London, showering the street with burning debris and aviation fuel and leaving two people dead and nine others injured.

Vauxhall station has been closed and several buildings were evacuated.
The crash happened in a busy part of London at the height of the morning rush hour and was witnessed by many residents, workers and commuters.
Here people describe what they saw and heard.
Steve Carslake told BBC Five Live he saw the aircraft hit the crane after he got out of a van in Mill Street.
He said: "We heard a mighty bang, looked up and saw the helicopter just catch the edge of the crane.
"It didn't hit the tower block itself, it hit the crane and then just came down in a fireball. We ran round the corner. There was a great big lot of black smoke everywhere and there was a couple of cars.
"We heard someone was actually trapped in the car. We went to run towards the car and there was just a large explosion again.
"It was quite devastating to watch, I'm afraid. It was very, very sad to watch."
Drew Lovell was in his van on the way to picking up waste bins in St George Wharf when he heard the helicopter hit the crane.
"I heard the helicopter and it was absolutely deafening. It sounded like it was above the van so I reversed it up and got out," he said.
"I heard a massive big bang. I could hear the rotas going then suddenly nothing. I looked again - it was like slow motion - and there was a massive plume of black smoke, so I jumped out of the van and ran across.
"It was carnage, absolute carnage.
"There was a guy walking towards me, he'd just made it through bridge and he was smouldering. He must have been thrown off the motorcycle. He was worried about his motorcycle as it was leaking oil on the floor.
"I tried to help him, his back was on fire, the back of his coat was melted."
Mark Osbourne, from Metropolis Motorcycles, a bike shop near the scene, said he ran to try to help the injured.
"There was lots of wreckage and fire," he said. "I saw a woman on a motorcycle that must have missed the carnage by six feet. It felt like a war movie, it was surreal.
"The police arrived within minutes so the response was excellent."
Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan told BBC News: "I was walking towards Vauxhall tube station from Lambeth Palace area where I have a flat.
"There was suddenly an enormous bang - I thought something exploded. It was coming from beyond Vauxhall Tube station.
"Then clouds and clouds of black smoke. I presumed what it was I heard was the crane collapsing or the helicopter crashing into it. I heard the bang then saw the clouds of smoke but there was too much in the way to see much at that point."
Michael Gavin, who was waiting for a train on a platform at Vauxhall station, said: "I heard the bang - the top of the crane was obscured by the fog so I did not see the impact but I did see the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane.
"It was really quite shocking - there was a group of us on the platform waiting. We could not see where it hit because it was blocked by a wall at the end of the station.
"There was a lot of worried people around. I must have been on one of the last trains to get out.
"There was a lot of smoke for about 15 minutes."
Market worker Andrew Ross said: "I was going about my business at work and I saw a helicopter.
"I heard a loud bang and I saw this helicopter falling out of the sky.
"Then I heard a loud bang and an orange glow and lots of smoke coming up.
"It was flying below cloud cover - it was still foggy and a little bit dark.
"There was just a loud bang then the helicopter just fell out of the sky.
"I can see part of the crane on the building hanging down."
Angela Henderson was also on a train platform at Vauxhall.
She said: "I was walking on the platform looking up at the tower and noticing the top was shrouded in mist.
"As I was looking up I heard a massive sound - I thought [it] must be a bomb.
"What really struck me was what fell down. I saw a huge cylindrical object - it looked like a Zeppelin. A huge object plummeted to the ground and as it landed it was surrounded by debris.
"Then it was just silence and everybody ran to the edge of the platform.
"There was a huge bang then we saw a huge plume of smoke just getting bigger and bigger."
Electrician Rob Easton said:  "I was working in the arches. I heard an almighty bang.
"I saw the reflection in buildings of a lot of smoke then I went down to the side gate and there was a fireball in the road.
"People were panicking and they were evacuating buildings nearby."


Bedouin Arabs living in Israel have been protesting in the Negev Desert and towns and cities over government plans to resettle them.

Thousands joined what was termed a "day of rage" in the Negev itself, Haifa, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
The Bedouin say the plan will force them out of their ancestral land.
Israeli officials say it aims to provide better services and infrastructure - and settle long-standing land disputes.
Police in the Negev used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators, some of whom were throwing stones, reportedly injuring 15 officers.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that 28 people were arrested during protests in Haifa and the Negev village of Hura.
The resettlement plan - which envisages Bedouin being re-housed in newly built state-planned towns - still has to pass two more readings in parliament.
An open letter backing the campaign against the legislation, and signed by celebrities including Peter Gabriel and Julie Christie, was published in a British newspaper on Friday.
Before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, groups of Bedouin Arabs lived a semi-nomadic life in the Negev but in modern times many have settled in what are known as "unrecognised villages".
Because they have no formal planning status, they have no access to government services including supplies of electricity and running water. Some are no more than collections of flimsy shacks made from corrugated iron.
However, the Bedouin and their supporters see the resettlement move as a smokescreen for a programme to cut the historic links between the Arab communities and their land, and to replace them with new Jewish settlements.
Israeli officials say the plan calls for the vast majority of Bedouin to live where they are, while allowing them to preserve their traditions in a modern state.


An Eritrean man believed to be at the heart of the operation to smuggle migrants from Africa to Europe has been extradited to Italy, prosecutors say.

Mered Medhanie, known as The General, was held in Sudan in May and was flown to Rome on Tuesday.
Britain's National Crime Agency said he is thought to have arranged the transit of a boat that sank near the Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013.
At least 359 migrants died when the boat, travelling from Libya, capsized.
Most were from Eritrea and Somalia.
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Europe's migrant story enters new phase
Crisis in seven charts
Italian news agency Ansa said Mr Medhanie was accused of being "the leader and organiser of one of the largest criminal groups operating between central Africa and Libya".
The investigation is being led by investigators in Palermo, Sicily. Mr Medhanie is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
The National Crime Agency said they tracked him down to an address in Khartoum, where he was then arrested.
British investigators had been supporting Italian officials looking into the Lampedusa tragedy.
The NCA said Mr Medhanie, 35, was known as The General, as he styled himself on the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
The organisation said telephone intercepts acquired by Italian investigators showed Mr Medhanie co-ordinated journeys across the Mediterranean and across Africa to Libya.
In one recording, he is reportedly heard laughing at the deadly overloading of migrant boats.
"Medhanie is a prolific people-smuggler and has absolute disregard for human life," said Tom Dowdall, the deputy director of the NCA.
"Although he was operating thousands of miles away, his criminal activity was impacting the UK. Medhanie no doubt thought he was beyond the reach of European justice but we were able to support the Italians by tracking him down to Sudan."
Italy's Corriere Della Serra newspaper reported that Mr Medhanie boasted of being in league with local officials in Tripoli, Libya, while also having a network of workers in Italy.
He charged migrants up to â‚¬5,000 (Â£3,900; $5,680) to travel from African countries to northern Europe, the newspaper said (in Italian).
Up to 500 people were on the boat when it broke down then sank in early October 2013.
Those who survived said that some of those on board set fire to a piece of material to try to attract the attention of passing ships, only to have the fire spread to the rest of the boat.
In 2014, the year after the Lampedusa tragedy, the number of migrant arrivals to Italy jumped to 170,000, before dropping to 153,800 last year. Close to 40,000 people have arrived in Italy so far this year.


People in Wales are generally happy with public services but there are big regional variations in how they rate the performance of local councils, a national survey has suggested.

The research found 90% were satisfied with their GP care and 91% with their last NHS hospital appointment.
But only 24% of adults in Blaenau Gwent agreed their council provided high quality services, the lowest figure.
Conwy performed best on that measure - 61% said services were high quality.
Ceredigion was next with 58% and Cardiff 57% in figures released in the latest National Survey for Wales.
Authorities following Blaenau Gwent in scoring badly on how their services were perceived included Anglesey, where 34% said they were high quality, Powys 35%, and Merthyr Tydfil 38%.
The survey was conducted by the Office for National Statistics for the Welsh Government.
On health matters, 87% of respondents said they were satisfied with emergency ambulance services, but that figure had fallen from 90% in 2014-15.
Social care and support services were rated excellent or good by 70% of people, lower than for NHS services but similar to the figure recorded in the 2014-15 survey.
At a personal level, 47% of adults said they had a physical or mental condition expected to last a year or more and 33% stated their condition or illness limited their ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.
Around 59% said they had done some physical or sporting activity in the previous four weeks, with 34% of people saying they had walked more than two miles.
With education, 90% parents said they were satisfied with their child's primary school and 85% with their secondary school.
Asked about their local area as a whole, 72% said they felt like they belonged there and that people of different backgrounds got on well together, whilst 73% felt people treated each other with respect and consideration.
Those figures are lower than in 2014-15, when around 80% answered yes to those questions.
The survey found 17% of people in Wales to be lonely, using an internationally recognised scale of measurement.
Some 15% said they were materially deprived, meaning they could not afford to pay for basic needs such as keeping the house warm.
Around 66% said they had no difficulty keeping up with paying their bills and credit commitments, a big increase on the 48% figure in 2012-13.
The survey found 85% of adults were now using the internet, compared to 77% in 2012-13, and one in five said they could speak Welsh.
On environmental matters, 67% reported they were concerned about climate change - 21% were very concerned and 46% very concerned.
Around 93% believed the world's climate is changing, with 51% saying they thought it was either partly (51%) or mainly (37%) caused by human activity.
Some 9% thought climate change was prompted by natural processes and 2% did not believe climate change was occurring.
Around 97% said they were recycling to protect the environment and 47% reported they were reducing the amount of energy they used at home.
Buying more energy efficient appliances (41%) and locally produced food (39%) were other popular ways people said they were thinking of the environment.
10,493 interviews with adults aged 16+ were carried out between 30 March 2016 and 31 March 2016 by the Office for National Statistics.


Ryan Mills has signed an extension to his contract with Worcester Warriors.

Mills, who can play at fly-half or centre, joined from Gloucester in 2014 and helped Warriors win promotion to the Premiership in his first season.
The 24-year-old has kicked 99 points in 14 appearances this term, skippering them in the European Challenge Cup.
"Recent changes that have happened behind the scenes were massively important in me making my decision to stay," Mills told the club website.
Mills produced a metronomic performance against reigning Premiership and European champions Saracens in February, scoring all of his side's points in Worcester's 24-18 victory.
Worcester have not disclosed the length of Mills' new deal.
He added: "I'm extremely happy off the field and on the field we've been making big progress in recent weeks.
"Now we're all focused on finishing the season strongly and to give us a great platform going into next year."


Northern Ireland's four-time Paralympic gold medal-winning swimmer Bethany Firth has been recognised with an MBE.

The swimmer, who won three gold medals at the Rio Games last year, received the award at Buckingham Palace.
Her golden hat trick came with wins in the 100m backstroke,the 200m freestyle gold and the women's SM14 200m individual medley.
The 100m backstroke win to retain her London 2012 title set a new record.
At the Brazil Games, she also won silver in the 100m breaststroke, the weakest of her four events.
The 21-year-old from Seaforde in County Down competes in the S14 class for swimmers with an intellectual disability.


Britain's Andy Murray says he is not afraid to play in the Davis Cup final despite security concerns in Belgium.

Next week's final takes place in Ghent. The city is 35 miles from Molenbeek, the focus of a manhunt for one of the suspects involved in the Paris attacks.
"I don't want to live in fear each time I step on a court," said Murray, 28, who has been named in the provisional five-man squad for the tie.
Tuesday's football friendly with Spain in Brussels has already been cancelled.
Belgium's government has raised the terror threat level to three in the country, and the International Tennis Federation said in a statement on Monday it was "continuing with preparations" for the Davis Cup final "with the emphasis on security operations".
Meanwhile, the Lawn Tennis Association, British tennis' governing body, said: "The LTA is in regular dialogue with the ITF on event security relating to the Davis Cup final. We are also taking advice from the Foreign Office and will continue to closely monitor the situation.
"The safety of everyone in the British contingent, including our players and fans, remains our number one priority."
Aside from British number one Murray, James Ward, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot are also on the provisional list for Great Britain's final against Belgium, which will take place from 27 to 29 November.
GB captain Leon Smith no longer has the option of bringing in British number two Aljaz Bedene. The 26-year-old's appeal in Prague has been adjourned until next year, so he is ineligible.
Bedene played in the Davis Cup for Slovenia three times before gaining UK citizenship in March, but a Davis Cup rule change prevents players representing a second country. Bedene is appealing on the grounds his passport application was lodged before the rule changed at the start of 2015.
Smith will name his final four at the draw in Ghent on the eve of next week's final.


A major street art festival which saw paintings appear on buildings across Aberdeen could be returning for the next three years.

Nuart has taken place in Stavanger, Norway, since 2001 but was introduced in Aberdeen earlier this month.
Images both large and small appeared on city buildings.
Business-led initiative Aberdeen Inspired will decide next month whether to bring the festival back. Council backing would then be sought.
The images attracted intense interest on social media.
Walking tours organised to guide members of the public around the artwork also proved popular.
A council spokesman said: "Given the enormous success of Nuart, there is a desire from both Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeen Inspired to see the festival return to the city in the near future.
"It is hoped that Nuart will become a fixture in the cultural calendar and officers have been asked to look at what needs to be done to help secure its presence in the longer term."


"Do not underestimate the determination of the quiet man," Iain Duncan Smith declared as his then leadership of the Conservative Party faced grumbles in 2002.

The following year at the party's conference, he said: "The quiet man is here to stay and he's turning up the volume."
As it turned out, he didn't last that much longer as leader, but in the years that followed he bounced back to become a respected and influential figure in the party and the government.
Whatever you think of his welfare reforms, there is no arguing with their ambition, or with his passion and dedication to the brief as seen from his resignation letter to the prime minister.
Yes, there must already have been tensions, given that he was one of the handful of cabinet ministers to declare they were campaigning for the UK to leave the EU in the forthcoming referendum, against the side favoured by David Cameron.
But his resignation, at the culmination of a 48-hour post-Budget row about plans to cut back the amount being planned to be spent on a disability benefit, still came as a bolt from the blue at Westminster.
But who is Iain Duncan Smith? Here is a look at his background, written by Mary Ann Sieghart for BBC Radio 4's Profile programme in 2010:
At the 2010 Conservative Party conference, Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, was introduced as a round peg in a round hole. The man who was a failure as party leader had at last found his niche.
His department accounted for about a third of public spending, and welfare reform was at the heart of the government's plans to tackle the deficit and balance the books.
He had not only reinvented himself, but had won the admiration of his party.
It was Iain Duncan Smith, or IDS as he is widely called, who was credited with moving the Conservative Party back to the centre ground on poverty and public services.
This was not what you might have expected from a pin-striped former Guards officer on the right of his party.
So what sort of man is he?
The Tory MP Bernard Jenkin, who was his campaign manager when he became leader in 2001, points out that IDS is "not emotionally available. For someone who is so closely associated with compassion he is personally very old-fashioned you might say".
But IDS can be funny. He is a talented mimic and - as befits the youngest of five children - is happy to be teased.
But he does sometimes rub people up the wrong way.
Mr Duncan Smith, now 61, had a very stable childhood with an old-fashioned and Christian upbringing.
His father was a highly-decorated fighter pilot who downed 19 enemy planes during World War Two. His mother was a ballerina and his great-grandmother was Japanese, from Samurai stock.
His most formative memory is of watching his much-admired father with tears streaming down his face at Winston Churchill's funeral. He had never seen his father cry before.
At 14, Mr Duncan Smith was sent to HMS Conway, a boarding school on Anglesey for boys aiming to join the Navy.
Clive Plummer was a schoolmate and remembers that: "We didn't have any cleaners, so brushing parade decks, cleaning classrooms and dorms were all managed by the cadets. So in managing teams, you would make sure that not only were the most able utilised but also the less gifted.
The young Iain was not particularly academic, but he was very sporty. He won the national schools' triple jump and came second in javelin.
He later joined the Army and went to Sandhurst, but not university. Michael Mitchell met him while he was serving in Germany and says that he was not like your average Guards officer. He read widely, wrote poetry and painted.
He was also mischievous.
"He was best man at my wedding in Belgium," Mr Mitchell said.
"At Belgian weddings the bride, groom and parents have to stand in a line and receive guests for two, three hours, and I had a call of nature and asked Iain to stand in my place. And when people asked: where's Michael? He'd say - 'ooh, the last time I saw him he was walking down the road with his suitcase', or he'd say: 'Madam, are you sure you're at the right wedding?' Typical Iain - wanting to inject fun into something."
But no-one then thought he had political ambitions.
IDS left the Army against his father's wishes after just six years, and joined the defence company GEC-Marconi. His Conservative Party biography claimed he was a director, which was not correct. And his own biographical notes said he studied for a degree at Perugia University, when he only did a language course in that city.
In 1982, he married Betsy, daughter of Lord Cottesloe. They have four children.
IDS entered the Commons in 1992, in Norman Tebbit's old seat of Chingford and Woodford Green.
As a Eurosceptic, he rebelled over the infamous Maastricht treaty, knowingly risking his chance to get a promotion to government.  He told his former press secretary Nick Wood: "I'll fight for what I believe and if I don't get a job - so be it."
The then Prime Minister John Major never did give IDS a job, but when William Hague became party leader he appointed the Maastricht rebel to shadow defence and then social security.
It was a surprise to everyone when he ran for the Tory leadership in 2001. It was perhaps even more of a surprise that he won, having reached the run-off by only one vote.
He defeated the runner-up, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kenneth Clarke, only because he was more sceptical on Europe.
He really was the accidental leader. Tim Montgomerie, who went on to run the Tory activist website, ConservativeHome.com, wrote speeches for him and eventually became his chief of staff. He says that, as leader, IDS was "completely unprepared. He had no staff, no infrastructure, no worked-out agenda".
Mr Duncan Smith knew that the Tories had to shake off the image of being the so-called "nasty" party. His response was to shift the focus towards public services - like health and education - and tackling poverty.
A formative experience was a trip to the sink estate of Easterhouse in Glasgow.
Mr Montgomerie remembers that "on that cold grey day when he visited Easterhouse and was taken round by a Baptist minister, and stopped in a stairwell where he saw paraphernalia of drug abuse next to a child's teddy - something came together.
"Something suddenly clicked," Mr Montgomerie adds. "He realised here was his personal mission and a mission for the Tory party."
His problem though, was that he was struggling to connect with the political establishment.
He did try, such as when he told the Tory conference in 2002: "There are those who do not know me yet, who will come to understand this. When I say a thing I mean it. When I set myself a task I do it. When I settle on a course I stick with it. Do not underestimate the determination of the quiet man."
Labelling himself "quiet" was not considered a masterstroke in political rhetoric.
Stuart Wheeler, then one of the Tory party's biggest donors, threatened publicly to withdraw his funding unless IDS went.
"As leader I think he was a disaster," he said.
"He lacked gravitas and came over as weak. He was a bad communicator. One read that he was high-handed with his staff and that his office was shambolic. He'd lose important papers down the back of sofas."
In the end, Mr Duncan Smith's own MPs forced him out through a vote of no confidence.
Enoch Powell once said that all political careers end in failure, but for Duncan Smith, failure came in the middle of his career instead.
For after losing the leadership, he decided to devote himself to improving the lot of the poor.
He set up the Centre for Social Justice, whose work became the cornerstone of Conservative policy on welfare reform, and which he himself is now putting into practice in government. It has already caused controversy, with opponents claiming the poor will be hardest hit by the government's spending cuts.
But it remains his belief that the best way to alleviate poverty is to get people off benefits and into work. By all accounts it was a huge surprise to him to get the call offering him the Work and Pensions Secretary job after the 2010 election.
There has always been a sense of tension between his department and the Treasury - he had to win a bruising battle with the Treasury right at the start to get the go ahead for universal credit.
The on-going effort to introduce Universal Credit has been a constant while he's been in his job. His resignation cites the "enormous strides" made but suggests that those tensions with the Treasury have been more heated than thought.


Exeter City forward Alex Nicholls says the squad are working as hard as they can to end their recent poor run.

Exeter lost 4-1 at home to Oxford on Tuesday, their worst defeat at St James Park since October 2011 and their third loss in a four-game winless streak.
"It's difficult to put your finger on things at the moment, things are bit of a mess," Nicholls told BBC Sport.
"We're working our hardest to try to put things right, we all just need to be pulling in the right direction."
The losses come just a few weeks after a three-game winning run in League Two had left the club four points off the play-off places.
"We're stuck in a bit of a rut over the last two weeks, but we don't feel like a lot has actually changed," added the former Northampton Town player.
"It's a time where we need to stand up and be counted, because there's only us in the dressing room that are going to get us out of it.
"We just need to keep the positive turn on things and try to improve things game after game."
Exeter's gap to the play-off places is now eight points with 14 games to go and Nicholls believes that, while it will be difficult to make the play-offs, it will not be impossible.
"We're going to have to turn things around quickly if we're going to achieve something this season," he said.
"I think everybody in the dressing room still believes we can do it, I know it's going to be tough, but we have to believe that we don't want the season to peter out and the mindset of the group is that.
"We want to put some performances together, get some wins and get back really in touch with the play-offs."


Is the internet entering the era of personalisation, where web firms know so much about us that they are able to serve us up a view of the world which is like looking in the mirror?

That's the argument of Eli Pariser's book The Filter Bubble, which we explored in a film for Newsnight on Tuesday evening.
Mr Pariser says web giants, from Google to Facebook to AOL, are racing to gather more information about our likes and dislikes so that they can send us targeted advertising - which will prove more valuable to them.
He fears this will mean that we don't get to see information that challenges our world view, and will ultimately be bad for democracy - if you're an American in favour of gun control, for instance, you will tend to see information that reflects your views, while members of the National Rifle Association will be served up sites that chime with their stance.
But Sam Barnett, whose advertising technology firm Struq helps to track and target consumers according to their habits, told us that personalisation was a positive force.
He says that better targeted advertising is vital to the economics of the web - and that will mean that we can all go on enjoying the free services we get now.
We also tested an example of personalisation that Eli Pariser cites in his book. He found that Google's personalised search system, switched on for everyone at the end of 2009, meant that two people doing identical searches got very different results.
He cites an example where two people from the same area of the United States search for BP - one finds investment information, the other news about the oil spill.
I did a number of Google searches - then visited two neighbours and asked them to type the same terms into the search engine. Lo and behold, they confounded the Pariser theory and came up with identical results to mine.
Here are the top links we all found for the term "is wind power economic?" and then "banana bread" .
Maybe three people in the same street were too similar - in location anyway. So let's try to crowdsource this experiment. Try the searches yourself and let us know whether you too get the same results as mine.


West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford has been suspended from bowling in international cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Shillingford, 30, and team-mate Marlon Samuels were both reported to the ICC for suspected illegal actions during last month's Test series in India.
Meanwhile, Samuels, 32, has been banned from bowling his quicker deliveries.
Shillingford's arm was found to extend more then the permitted 15 degrees for his off breaks and doosras.
Samuels exceeded the 15-degree limit for his quicker balls, but he is allowed to continue bowling his standard off breaks.
A batting all-rounder, he has played for the Windies as a specialist batsman before now, although Shillingford - a specialist bowler - now faces withdrawing from international cricket until he remodels his action.
The pair have 14 days to lodge a written appeal to the ICC, although West Indies are currently in the middle of a Test series in New Zealand.
Shillingford and Samuels both played in the first two Tests, although Samuels did not bowl.
The third Test begins in Hamilton on Thursday, with one-day and Twenty20 internationals to follow.
Both players have previously been suspended from bowling in international cricket for illegal actions.
However, they were allowed to resume bowling after undergoing remedial work and further testing.
Samuels was banned from bowling in February 2008 because his arm extended more than the permitted 15 degrees for off-breaks and quicker deliveries.
Although the Jamaican continued to play as a batsman, he did not resume bowling in international cricket until September 2011, having served an unrelated two-year suspension from cricket between May 2008 and May 2010 for passing information to a bookmaker.
Shillingford, from Dominica, was reported after his international debut in November 2010 and banned a month later when his average elbow extension was found to be 17 degrees. He was cleared to return in June 2011.