Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba has travelled to Belgium to have a minor heart operation.

Muamba, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest during Bolton's FA Cup tie at Spurs on 17 March, with doctors saying he was "in effect dead" for 78 minutes.
The player spent a month in hospital, and was fitted with a device that can re-start his heart should it stop.
His latest surgery is routine and has no bearing on whether the player will return to action.
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However, it is the next stage in his recovery from the cardiac arrest which saw him collapse on the pitch at White Hart Lane.
He was given 15 defibrillator shocks before his heart started beating again and he spent around four weeks in intensive care.
Muamba revealed earlier this month he had played football with friends while on holiday, and he has hopes he may make a possible playing return.
In July, he carried the Olympic flame as it made its way from Greenwich to Waltham Forest on day 64 of the torch relay.
He has been joined in Belgium by his partner Shauna, who used her Twitter account to thank well-wishers ahead of the operation.
"Thank you guys for the support," she tweeted. "If it is God's will Fabrice will play again, even better and stronger than before. Faith can move mountains."


Dozens of accounts of systematic abuse in Scottish schools, residential homes and hospitals have been published.

The allegations released by the National Confidential Forum include child sex abuse, violence and bullying.
Many of the 59 testimonies describe a "veil of secrecy" within institutions, with victims and witnesses scared to speak out.
The majority of those who described their childhood experiences are now aged in their 50s.
However, some were in care as recently as five years ago, while others were sharing experiences from 80 years ago.
The National Confidential Forum, which was set up by the Scottish government in 2014, said it has passed on 38 allegations of abuse to the police.
The forum said most of the abused children came from troubled backgrounds, with many describing being taken into care after physical and sexual abuse within their own family, often accompanied by parental alcoholism, rejection, or neglect.
Once they were in care, the victims described the "distress, fear and confusion" they felt, with many not knowing how long they would be staying in an institution, why they were there, or whether or not parents wanted to maintain contact.
While not all of the 78 people spoken to by the forum suffered abuse, several described how physical, sexual and emotional abuse happened on a regular basis.
For some, abuse was part of a regime of punishment and control that was at the core of the institution in which they lived.
The forum said it had heard about individual abusers carrying out systematic and hidden abuse, as well as accounts of whole staff teams abusing or colluding with the abuse.
One victim described the institution he was sent to as being like a "systematic torture chamber", with "systematic abuse a way of life all the time, morning and night".
Another said: "She'd fill a bath with cold water and throw you in it, with the towel wrapped around your head, which I think is called waterboarding. And then pour buckets of water over your head."
And a third recalled: "They took me into the night duty room and wanted me to do things. They gave me cigarettes to keep it quiet."
Among the allegations contained in its report were accounts of routine forms of punishment such as beating, force-feeding or withholding food or sleep - sometimes apparently being delivered for the enjoyment of the abuser.
Bedwetting was also dealt with severely, with children being forced to sit in a cold bath as punishment, beaten by staff with wet towels, having their head wrapped in a towel and held under running water, and in some cases having to parade around naked with their soiled sheets.
Sexual abuse was talked about by several people and often linked to specific members of staff within institutions.
A veil of secrecy was described in which other children were similarly victimised, witnessed or knew what was happening, but did not speak up.
The forum's report said: "We heard that sometimes the only available love and affection were for the purposes of grooming children for sexual abuse.
"In abusive institutions, people described accepting affection from an adult making them vulnerable to being sexually abused.
"Those who rejected affection for fear of the consequences described missing out on any chance of love and nurturing."
It also said the child victims were often either too scared to speak out, or the abuse regime represented normality for them, with the children not knowing that adults should not be allowed to behave in abusive ways.
When children did report the abuse, they generally did not remember any action being taken - although at least one person recalled the abuser being removed.
Other responses included the abused child being punished or moved to another institution, which added to the child's self-blame and sense of shame.
Many people also said that adults' views and accounts were always believed over children's, and that this reflected a perception of children in care as "deviant".
After the children left care, generally between the age of 14 and 16, they were often completely unprepared for adult life, lacking in social skills and with nobody to turn to for help and support.
Homelessness continued to be a risk for many well into adulthood, leading to loss of precious belongings, substance misuse and unemployment.
Years of exposure to violence and hardship also increased the risk of getting involved in crime - with some people giving their testimony to the forum from prison.
The National Confidential Forum was set up to allow people who spent time in institutional care as children to come forward and share their experiences, whatever they were.
All hearings, where people tell of their experiences, are "confidential and non-judgemental and aim to contribute positively toward the health and wellbeing of those who take part".
Separately, the Scottish government has set up an independent inquiry into the abuse of children in care.


Premier League clubs are discriminating against their own fans, according to a leading disability charity.

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Joyce Cook, chair of Level Playing Field, was responding to a BBC study that found that only three top-flight stadiums currently provide the required number of wheelchair spaces.
In terms of where you're put, it's sometimes an afterthought
Of the 20 clubs in the Premier League, eight fail to offer even half of what they should under national guidelines - a situation that has remained largely unchanged for more than five years.
She called for radical change, claiming football has become "stuck" on the subject of disability.
"The experience for a disabled football fan is very varied, but it's nothing like that of a non-disabled fan," she said.
"It's hard to get tickets, specifically for away games and especially for wheelchair users. When you get there, the sight lines can be pretty grim and it can be quite a miserable experience.
"There are a few good examples... but I think some of it is based on trying to manage a poor situation - a complete lack of sufficient seats."
Asked if she felt Premier League clubs are being discriminatory and letting down their fans, Cook said: "I would say so, yes."
We will continue to work with our clubs, fans and their representative organisations to make sure that the views of disabled supporters are taken into account
When BBC Sport took its findings to the Premier League, it insisted it was working hard to accommodate disabled supporters.
"The highest standards of access are generally at clubs with new grounds, but all clubs, even those working within the constraints of older stadiums, work hard to make sure that disabled fans can attend matches and enjoy their football," read a statement.
"We will continue to work with our clubs, fans and their representative organisations to make sure that the views of disabled supporters are taken into account as we make improvements in this area."
But Arsenal fan and wheelchair user Anthony Joy said guidelines on disabled facilities were not being adhered to "in any way, shape or form".
"There are not enough spaces around the country," he said. "Also in terms of where you're put, it's sometimes an afterthought.
"My worst experience was this season at Crystal Palace. Arsenal won 2-0, but I saw next to nothing of the game.
"If you put disabled supporters halfway up a stand, you need to raise them up so they can see above someone's head if they do stand. The next time we play at Selhurst Park, I don't know if I'll go."
We have an old ground which has been under invested for many years by previous owners
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish says the club has taken steps to address the situation.
He said the club has already blocked off three rows in front of the disabled section to improve the viewing experience.
"We have an old ground which has been under invested for many years by previous owners," said Parish.
"I can assure you we are committed to improving the experience of every fan coming to Selhurst, with particular attention to ensure disabled fans can enjoy the game equally with others."
But Joy, who has been following Arsenal home and away for more than 20 years, says he often has a very different experience from the friends he travels with.
If we progress with a proposed stadium development, then we would look to significantly increase the number of wheelchair bays as part of any expansion
At three Premier League grounds - Upton Park, Villa Park and Anfield - a limited number of wheelchair spaces means he is forced to sit with the home fans.
"I don't want special treatment," he said. "I don't think any person with a disability wants special treatment, they just want equality. They want a chance to go and see the game, and ideally sit with their friends."
Liverpool say Anfield's age limits what they can do and insist they have carried out a number of feasibility studies into moving the wheelchair section for away fans.
"Currently, it can't be done as travelling distance to the accessible toilets are outside the permitted maximum," read a statement.
"However, if we progress with a proposed stadium development, then we would look to significantly increase the number of wheelchair bays as part of any expansion."
Current guidelines on how football clubs in the United Kingdom should cater for disabled spectators have been in place since 2004 in the form of the Accessible Stadia Guide.
The document sets out a minimum standard that all new grounds have to meet in the provision, location, and quality of facilities for disabled fans.
Wheelchair spaces provided as a percentage of Accessible Stadia Guide recommendations
The number of wheelchair spaces a stadium should provide is based on its capacity.
Old stadia are not exempt and, just like the local shop or parish church, football clubs must continually make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure everyone can access their services.
When considering what is "reasonable", financial resources are taken into account.
But even though the Premier League is richer than ever, Joy believes little has changed in the past 10 years.
"Of course it's going to be an issue with older stadiums," he said. "I can kind of make allowances for that. But with the amount of money in the game, I think there should be some level of redress.
"While there's a lot of money being spent on the corporate and hospitality side of the game, general standards of grounds are poor. That's not just for people in wheelchairs."
Since the implementation of the Equality Act in 2010 and legislation dating back to 1995, it has been illegal for service providers, including football clubs, to treat disabled people less favourably than other customers.
Barrister Catherine Casserley says clubs that do not adapt to the needs of their disabled fans could be breaking the law.
"One of the things that courts will do to establish what adjustments it is reasonable to make is to look at what other guidance is around," said Casserley.
"If that says that clubs should have a certain number of wheelchair spaces and they don't have that - and they don't really have any rationale for not having that - then the court might well decide that they breach the Equality Act."
Access to tickets is another issue facing disabled fans.
Disabled fans got a real taste of what is possible during the London Paralympics and they realise they're getting a really raw deal
Several clubs in the league have different ticket policies for disabled supporters, with restrictions that do not apply to non-disabled fans.
Casserley, an expert in discrimination law, says the majority of the football-related cases she has worked on involve ticket policies, but that fans are often reluctant to take action.
"I think football clubs are in a privileged position in that they probably rely on the loyalty of their supporters in not bringing claims," she said.
"I have to say that the people that I've seen really have come to me at the end of their tether because they really don't want to bring claims against their clubs but they want the same experience as non-disabled fans. Why shouldn't they have that?"
Cook, however, thinks more football fans are willing to act.
"Disabled fans got a real taste of what is possible during the London Paralympics and they realise they're getting a really raw deal," she said.
"There's always an argument about new and and old stadiums, but, quite frankly, you can pretty much make any stadium accessible if you have the intention, some smart design and clear thinking.
"It's time we all come together and really put this right once and for all."


Intensive care services for babies in north Wales are to be centralised at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, the Welsh government has decided.

The announcement follows an independent review which also considered Wrexham Maelor Hospital as the sole location for intensive care for babies.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health carried out the review.
However, babies needing the highest care level will need to go to Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, the largest health organisation in Wales, said it now had to make the business case for creating a "sub regional neonatal intensive care centre".
The board faced a campaign by local people as well as opposition from AMs of all four parties in Wales after its 2012 consultation document Healthcare in North Wales is Changing suggested moving specialist intensive care for babies across the border.
Currently both Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor provide specialist neonatal care, at what is known as level 3 care.
The announcement on Tuesday confirms that intensive care for those being treated in north Wales will be centralised at Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire.
But some babies needing the highest care level - estimated at around 36 each year - will need to go to Arrowe Park hospital on the Wirral, as originally envisaged by the health board.
That follows the recommendation made by the Royal College review, which recognised that in the short to medium term the necessary investment and medical expertise would not be in place in north Wales.
In a statement welcoming the decision by First Minister Carwyn Jones, the chair of the board, Dr Peter Higson, said: "It ends a period of uncertainty for our dedicated and committed staff, as well as local people."


Scientists say they have solved the mystery of why mothers tend to cradle newborn babies on the left.

This position activates the right hemisphere of the brain, which is involved in functions that help in communication and bonding, they say.
The "positional bias" is not unique to humans, with their advanced brains, but is also found in animals, according to researchers in Russia.
Similar behaviour has been seen in baby mammals following their mothers.
They include kangaroos and horses on land and walruses and orcas in the sea.
Dr Yegor Malashichev of Saint Petersburg State University, said the position helped in survival and social bonding.
"If there is no eye contact, or it is wrong, there is no activation of the right hemisphere of the infant... the right hemisphere is responsible for social interactions," he told BBC News.
"All the [11] species we studied demonstrated the lateral bias.
"We suggest that this bias is even more widespread and may be a characteristic of all mammals, with few exceptions. "
It has long been known that humans and great apes tend to cradle their babies on the left, particularly during the first weeks of an infant's life.
Various explanations have been proposed, including physical contact - so an infant can hear their mother's heart beat - or practical benefits to the mother, who can keep a hand free for other tasks (if right-handed).
Alternatively, some have proposed it could be related to eye contact and its effect on the brain.
When a mother cradles her baby to the left and face-to-face, the left eyes of the mother and infant are directed towards each other, say the researchers.
Thus, the visual information goes mostly to their right hemisphere of the brain, the side involved in functions such as attention, memory, reasoning, and problem solving (all of which contribute to effective communication).
The researchers looked at humans and 10 wild animals:
The scientists found the young animals kept close to the right side of their mother.
This meant they watched her mainly with their left eye, activating the right hemisphere of the brain.
While doing this, they were less likely to get separated from their mother and more likely to be able to find her again if they got lost.
Animal mothers tended to move to monitor their young with their left eye at times of stress.
For example, the researchers found that orca mothers swam to the right of their infants when the researchers approached them in a boat.
This happened regardless of the side from which the boat was approaching.
This runs contrary to the expectation that the mother would  "defend" the infant by placing her body in between the calf and the boat, they say.
Dr Malashichev said the "cradling or positional bias" was not unique to humans or species with advanced brains such as whales but was "really widespread"; so the mechanism was likely to be "ancient and really basic".
The research could also have implications in studying development disorders associated with reduced eye contact between mother and infant, such as autism spectrum disorder, he added.
The study, by teams based in Russia, the US and Australia, is published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Follow Helen on Twitter.


A petition calling for Donald Trump to be stripped of an honorary degree awarded by an Aberdeen university has been signed by thousands of people.

Republican US presidential candidate Mr Tump was presented with a Doctorate of Business Administration by Robert Gordon University (RGU) in 2010.
There was opposition to the decision to award the accolade at the time.
More than 3,500 people have signed the petition, which accuses the tycoon of  "hate speech".
The online petition states: "We respectfully request that Robert Gordon University strips Donald Trump of the honorary degree it bestowed on him with immediate effect.
"Why is this important? We feel that Donald Trump's unrepentant, persistent verbal attacks on various groups of people based on nationality, religion, race and physical abilities are a huge detriment to RGU.
"Hate speech must not have a place in academia, in politics or on the world stage. We are confident RGU will agree with the petitioners, and act swiftly."
Mr Trump has since said many Muslims nurse a "hatred" towards America.
In a campaign statement, he called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
There has been condemnation from Mr Trump's fellow Republicans.
At the time of receiving his honorary degree, Donald Trump said  it was "a great university and a great honour".
However, David Kennedy, principal of RGU between 1987-1997, said he was "appalled" that Mr Trump was getting the award.
Mr Trump's golf resort at Menie in Aberdeenshire has divided opinion for many years.


The value of fish landings in Scotland reached a new record last year.

In 2016 the value of the country's catch hit more than half a billion pounds to stand at a new £563 million high.
That represented a 29% rise in value on fish landings in 2015, driven by a 41% jump in the value of landings for pelagic fish such herring and mackerel.
The latest figures, which show the total volumes up by 3%, were welcomed by Fisheries Secretary Fergus Ewing.
Compared with 2015, the total volume of landings in 2016 rose by 3% to 453,300 tonnes, while total value rose 29%.
There was a 26% rise in the value of shellfish landings, while the total worth of demersal fish caught such as cod or haddock rose by 18%.
Haddock was the most valuable demersal stock in 2016, bringing in £38m.
But Mackerel continues to be the most valuable stock brought to shore and accounts for £169m or 30% of Scottish landings, the Scottish Government statistics showed.
The figures show the shellfish or nephrops category, which includes Norway lobster and langoustine, was valued at £79m, 30% higher than in 2015.
Mr Ewing said: "The fishing industry plays a key role in our rural economy.
"It supports jobs and businesses at sea but also in our coastal communities, and contributes significantly to Scotland's world-class food and drink success story."
He added: "These positive figures reflect the hard work of all those involved with our sea fishing sector."


Drivers are being put in "very real danger" by youths throwing so-called muck bombs in Derry, says a local councillor.

A house and a number of cars in the city's Hazelbank area have been targeted in recent days.
It is believed youths fill a drain pipe with mud before launching it like a catapult at homes and vehicles.
Sinn Féin councillor Eric McGinley has called on those involved to stop immediately.
"Apart from the mess which has been created, there is a very real danger that an accident will occur if passing cars are struck by this debris," said Mr McGinley,
"When motorists are targeted it can cause damage to the car and could scare a driver into crashing, so there are very serious implications.
"Drivers have been in touch telling us that these incidents were taking place over the weekend."
Mr McGinley made a further appeal to parents in the area to be aware of where and what their children are up to.
"These muck bombs are going to detract from the general appearance of the area," said Mr McGinley.
"So, parents need to impress upon their children the dangers of their actions.
"I've been in contact with the housing executive about this and they have given me assurances that the mess will be cleaned up as quickly as possible," he added.
A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: "There is a tenancy at this property and a number of issues have arisen, which we are currently working to resolve.
"We have taken measures to protect our property."


Antrim led throughout as they booked a place in the Christy Ring Cup final for a second year in a row by beating Down 4-23 to 0-15 at Cushendall on Saturday.

Second quarter goals from Conor Johnston and Ciaran Clarke helped the Saffrons to a commanding 11-point lead at the break, 2-12 to 0-7.
The same players found the net in the second half as Antrim won by 20 points.
Carlow will be the Saffrons' opposition in the decider after they defeated neighbours Wicklow by 0-24 to 2-8.
Clarke netted his second inside a minute of the re-start, with Johnston completing his goal double seven minutes from the end.
Antrim and twice winners Carlow will contest the final for the first time since 2006.
Meanwhile, hurling's third-tier Nicky Rackard Cup final will be an all-Ulster affair between Armagh and Derry.
The Oak Leafers booked their place in the decider for the first time in 11 years, with a 6-17 to 1-12 demolition of Monaghan in Inniskeen
The sides were tied twice in the opening 12 minutes, but a 14th-minute Alan Grant score handed the visitors a lead they would not relinquish.
Goals from Brian Cassidy and Mehaul McGrath helped Derry to a 2-7 to 0-5 interval lead, with further goals from Brendan Rodgers (3) and Ruairi Convery in the second half.
Tadhg Campbell netted for Monaghan, but Trevor Hilliard's side came out second best by some margin.
Monaghan finished the game with 14 players, following the dismissal of Sean Leonard for a second yellow card.
Davy Carvill fired 1-11 for Armagh in their 2-25 to 1-14 win over Tyrone in Carrickmore.
Armagh led by 1-8 to 0-0 early on, with Carvill bringing his tally to 1-5, before Conor Grogan opened the hosts account.
Armagh led by 1-13 to 0-5 at half-time, but Tyrone worked hard, in no small part to the work of Damien Casey from frees and play.
A Bryan McGurk goal ensured a 1-17 to 1-8 score-line, but Armagh finished strongly with the final four points, with Conor Corvan, Ryan and Dean Gaffney, and Carvill on target late on to book their place in the decider for the third year in succession.
HURLING FIXTURES
Saturday
SUNDAY


Thousands of people in England are dying from bowel cancer because their disease is not being spotted early enough, a charity has warned.

Beating Bowel Cancer found wide variation within the NHS in England in diagnosing the disease.
It says 3,200 lives could be saved each year if every NHS region did as well as the best performing areas.
In some regions, less than a third of cases are detected before the cancer has started to spread around the body.
Part of the problem is people not coming forward for checks.
A bowel-cancer screening programme was introduced in England in 2006, but figures show that uptake among the eligible 60- to 74-year-old age group has been around the 60% mark.
Early detection is vital.
Those diagnosed with the disease in its advanced stages have a 7% chance of living another five years.
This compares with a 97% chance of survival if the cancer is detected at the earliest possible stage.
The regional diagnostic figures quoted by Beating Bowel Cancer come from the National Cancer Intelligence Network's Cancer Commissioning Toolkit.
It captures data from more than 150 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) caring for hundreds of thousands of NHS patients.
Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer, said: "It's unacceptable that there are CCGs in England that diagnose less than one in three patients at an early stage.
"If they all performed as well as the best, thousands of lives could be saved and millions of pounds could be freed up to be used for other bowel cancer treatments, which patients are frequently told are unaffordable.
"This will require further improvements in screening, renewed efforts to raise awareness of signs and symptoms, and investment to support improvements in GP performance in investigating and referring patients appropriately."
In the UK, about 41,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and about 16,000 die of the disease.
Nick Ormiston-Smith of Cancer Research UK said: " There are a number of reasons why cancer may be diagnosed at an advanced stage - for some cancers, symptoms are often only noticeable once the tumour has already started to spread. But for many others there are chances for the cancer to be picked up earlier.
"It's vital that people are aware of their body and if they notice anything unusual they should visit their GP."
The main symptoms to look out for are:


The fantasy adventure TV series Game of Thrones has contributed an estimated £110m to the Northern Ireland economy.

That is according to new figures from Northern Ireland Screen, which has provided production funding for the HBO series.
The programme, some of which is filmed in Northern Ireland, has been nominated for 24 Emmy awards.
Two of those nominations are for Northern Ireland production crew members.
Ronan Hill, who won an Emmy in 2012, has been nominated again for outstanding sound mixing for a drama, while Carla Stronge has been nominated for outstanding casting for a drama.
Northern Ireland Screen has invested £12.45m in the series since it began in 2010.
For that investment, it is estimated that £110.7m has been spent on goods and services in the Northern Ireland economy.
From 2010-14, Game of Thrones brought in between £21m and £23m a year to Northern Ireland. Those figures have been audited.
In 2014-15, in which series five of Game of Thrones was filmed, NI Screen invested £1.6m in the programme, and the return that created is estimated at £22m.
Game of Thrones is filmed at the Titanic Studios in Belfast, and many other locations across Northern Ireland.
Many local companies are involved in providing services when the series is in production, and sites from the show have become tourist attractions.
Damian Carr, from Game of Thrones Tours, said fans come from all over the world to visit the filming locations.
"We've had people from North and South America, all over Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan - and all across Europe.
"We started off running one tour a week; now we're running five."
Richard Williams, chief executive of NI Screen, said Game of Thrones had established Northern Ireland as a world-class location for film and TV production.
"Additionally, films and television programmes have a significant, positive effect on tourism; they contribute to a wider 'branding' of people, society and culture, all of which has a very strong influence on creating a desire to travel.
"There is no doubt that Game of Thrones is spearheading this set-jetting phenomenon and we have made no secret of the fact that we hope the show will do for Northern Ireland what Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand," he said.


David Cameron risks losing the support of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists over the Tories' handling of Scotland.

In a letter to the Guardian,  Nigel Dodds said that the Tories were in danger of "abusing" the House of Commons over Scotland.
He said he was both "alarmed" and "concerned" about the election campaign in England.
He also warned about the risk of fuelling "nationalist paranoia".
Mr Dodds' comments in a letter published in the Guardian on Monday, could affect the prime minister's hopes of remaining in office.
A recent YouGov/Sunday Times poll suggests Mr Cameron would need DUP support to stay in Downing Street.
The DUP could hold an influential number of votes if the general election results in a hung parliament.
Mr Dodds, who was leader of the DUP group in the last parliament, has already outlined demands from a potential government partner and has not ruled out working with Labour or the Conservative Party.
In his letter, Mr Dodds said the UK needed "responsible politicians", adding that "the current state of the campaign greatly concerns me".
He said the SNP was his first concern.
"In a hung parliament, regardless of ideology, these are not politicians set on stability and good government," he wrote.
Nevertheless, he defended the right of Scots to vote in the Commons.
"That's why we fought and won the referendum: to enshrine the rights of Scots to go on sending representatives, fully equal to every other, to Westminster," he said.
"Glib and lazy talk about SNP MPs somehow not being as entitled to vote in every division in the Commons as any other British MP, simply fuels nationalist paranoia".
Mr Dodds was highly critical of Tory moves to build up the SNP as a way of damaging the Labour party in Scotland.
In his letter, his focus was on the Conservative Party's tactics, particularly the idea of offering English votes for English laws, (Evel).
He claimed that using William Hague to "drum up support for Evel"  was "not just a flawed political tactic, it's also a constitutional mess".
Mr Dodds said the House of Commons could not be used as "a part-time English Assembly"
"It's the union parliament and abusing it in this way wouldn't and couldn't answer England's real needs," he said.
Nigel Dodds is a candidate for Belfast North.  Also standing in the constituency are Fra Hughes, Independent; Gerry Kelly, Sinn Fein; Alban Maginness, SDLP; Jason O'Neill, Alliance Party and Gemma Weir, Workers Party.
Mr Dodds' party is defending eight seats in Northern Ireland. It hopes to recapture Belfast East, the seat formerly held by DUP leader and first minister Peter Robinson for 31 years, up to 2010.


Washington's Metro, the second busiest subway system in the US, will reopen on Thursday after a unprecedented all-day shutdown over safety concerns.

A series of electrical fires led to the system-wide shutdown as workers spent Wednesday inspecting power cables.
Traffic increased significantly on the city's roads, but police reported only minor accidents.
The federal government encouraged employees to work from home, but local schools remained open.
A fire caused major delays earlier this week. And last year, a similar incident caused a train to fill with smoke in a tunnel, killing one passenger.
City officials feared the closure would cause major disruption in the US capital, but the expected commuting nightmare failed to materialise.
Washington's bike-sharing programme offered free 24-hour memberships and buses and streetcars saw increased ridership.
The 40-year-old underground rail system has been halted before for hurricanes and major snow storms, but never over safety concerns.
Local and federal transport officials said the Metro system, which carries more than 700,000 passengers each day, needs more funding to overcome these safety issues.
Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said the inspection indentified 26 defective areas and repairs were under way.


England paceman Mark Wood completed his first five-wicket haul in almost three years to help limit Durham's damage as Worcestershire took control on a rain-affected day two at Chester-le-Street.

After his three wickets on Monday evening, Wood finished with 5-54 as he proved his fitness for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa.
Brett D'Oliveira completed his century (122) in the visitors' total of 367.
Wood's England team-mate Moeen Ali made 58 to earn Worcestershire a 170 lead.
In gloomy conditions in County Durham on the second day of an experiment with pink-ball day-night Championship matches, the floodlights were on right from the scheduled 14:00 BST start.
And only 43.4 overs were possible, as Worcestershire were bowled after a key stand of 73 between Ross Whiteley (43) and Ben Cox (32 not out), before the umpires called off play at 19:30 BST.
Prior to heading off on England one-day duty, Wood took only three wickets in two matches for Durham at a cost of 206 runs at the start of the season as he felt his way back from ankle surgery.
But, backed by Ryan Pringle's 4-73, he finished off the Worcestershire innings by knocking over Ed Barnard's off stump with his seventh delivery with the new ball, before forcing last man Josh Tongue to fend a catch to short leg.
Durham and England fast bowler Mark Wood told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"The pink ball held together well but it seemed to go soft quickly, so I think the jury is still out. Moeen Ali said he struggled to time it because it wasn't coming off the pitch.
"Getting wickets is a big confidence boost for me. My rhythm wasn't there in early season, but I'm fine now.
"Ben Stokes has been really unlucky over the last two days. A lot of the runs off him have gone to third man."
Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach told BBC Hereford & Worcester:
"It was an outstanding innings by Brett D'Oliveira and all credit to the other batsmen for getting us in a strong position.
"We had the perfect situation with a lead of 170 and a new pink ball to bowl with under the lights, so it's a pity we didn't get back out there."


A body has been found in the water at an Aberdeenshire harbour.

The discovery was made at Whitehills harbour at about 13:30.
Police Scotland said: "Inquiries into the circumstances are at an early stage."


Some 40,000 people have gathered on an Oslo square to sing a popular peace song which mass killer Anders Behring Breivik condemned at his trial.

The right-wing extremist had accused the singer of Children Of The Rainbow, Lillebjoern Nilsen, of being a Marxist who sought to brainwash children.
Nilsen led the crowd on Thursday in singing the song on Youngstorget Square, close to the courthouse.
Inside, the trial heard testimony from survivors of the Oslo bomb attack.
It is the ninth day of Breivik's trial for the killing of eight people in Oslo and 69 on the island of Utoeya, as well as the wounding of more than 200 others.
He admits the attacks on 22 July last year but denies guilt or insanity.
The five-strong panel of judges at Breivik's trial will make a ruling on his sanity at the verdict in July.
Breivik may eventually face a term of 21 years in jail, which could be extended if he is thought to be a continuing danger to society.
He says he launched his attacks to defend Norway from multiculturalism, and Muslim immigration in particular.
In court last Friday, Breivik attacked Norway's educational system and singled out Nilsen as a "good example of a Marxist who infiltrated the cultural sector, [who] writes music that is used to brainwash children".
On Thursday, Nilsen led the singing in the square of Children Of The Rainbow, a Norwegian version of US folk singer Pete Seeger's My Rainbow Race, which is an anti-war song from his 1973 album of the same name.
Standing under umbrellas in the rain, the crowd sang both the Norwegian and English versions of the song.
Its lyrics include the lines: "Some want to take the easy way/Poisons, bombs! They think we need 'em./Don't they know you can't kill all the unbelievers./There's no shortcut to freedom."
People also gathered in other Norwegian towns to perform the song, with the event promoted on social media.
"I grew up with this song and have sung it to my child," said Lill Hjoennevaag, one of the organisers of the demonstration.
"Everybody I know feels strongly about this song and we need to take it back," she told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
Singers later headed to the courthouse where the trial was under way, to attach flowers to the security barriers.
"Hopefully they can all hear the song inside," Oslo blogger Fredrik Giertsen told the BBC News website.
Ragnhild Holmas, another Oslo blogger who joined the singers, remembered the mass anti-violence rallies that followed the 22 July killings.
"Glad to see that the love from last summer wasn't just a one-time thing," she told the BBC News website.
While the song might be Utopian, she said, "the message is far from cheesy. Breivik thinks we're brainwashed anyway, but it's important to show our distance."
Harald Fosker had to have surgery on his face as a result of the blast in the government quarter, which killed eight people and injured 209 others.
Testifying on Thursday, the justice ministry employee described the impact of the explosion: "I only remember spitting out teeth.
"The shock was so great that I did not feel pain there and then. That came the next day."
The trial heard in detail of the numerous operations he underwent as surgeons rebuilt his face and worked to restore his hearing and vision.
He is now back at work part-time and hopes to be fully employed again in time for the first anniversary of the bombing.
Breivik listened expressionless as the court heard other harrowing accounts of the impact of the blast, correspondents say.
Anne Helene Lund, 24, was just 7m (23ft) from the explosion, which left her in a coma for a month.
When she woke up she had lost her memory, unable to even remember the names of her parents.
Her father, Jan Erik Lund, fighting back tears, described seeing his daughter injured in hospital: "It was like experiencing the worst and the best in the same moment.
"It was fantastic that she was alive, horrible that she was as injured as she was."


Eight children's centres could close and nine more could be moved to libraries under plans revealed by Northamptonshire County Council.

The authority is trying to cut its annual spend on such centres from £10m to £7m.
Those earmarked for closure are in Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough and Bugbrooke.
A six week public consultation on the closures is open online with a decision expected in May.
County council deputy leader and cabinet member for children's services Councillor Heather Smith said the proposals had been devised in consultation with "our providers, Action for Children, Spurgeons and the Corby Children's Centre Consortium".
"Reduced funding from central government and unprecedented demand for public services means the county council will have to make £65m savings in the coming financial year, including a £3m reduction in children's centre services."
Those listed for closure are at Wootton, Headlands and Parklands in Northampton: the Ronald Tree centre and Thornton Centre in Kettering; the Croyland and Oakway centres in Wellingborough, and the centre in Bugbrooke.


Here teachers in France tell the BBC about their struggles to assert the country's traditional values of free expression and secularism in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

Some have asked to remain anonymous so have only given their first names.
The minute's silence went relatively well because we only had two incidents. The pupils involved showed reticence so they had a chat with the civics teachers.
The school was at the heart of the events, close to the Charlie Hebdo offices. One of my students heard the shots being fired by the Kouachi brothers. Many of our pupils skateboard in Place de la Republique. It all meant a lot to them. They needed to make sense what had happened.
We discussed the issues: it was the first act of war in Paris for a long time. We talked about caricatures, blasphemy, freedom of speech. A few loudmouths said: "They [Charlie Hebdo] were asking for it." We discussed this in class and some of them ultimately revised their opinion. So what we had was mostly blustering.
It was very spontaneous. On the Thursday morning I saw some of my final-year students as I came in. They asked me for adhesive tape because they wanted to make banners. They took the initiative very quickly. They went to see the head teacher to get authorisation for their plan. They made a speech to younger students after the minute of silence on Friday, then demonstrated across the city, and of course took part in the main [unity] rally on Sunday.
The initial reaction was one of unanimous revulsion among pupils. On the Thursday everyone agreed that you don't kill people because you are offended by drawings, regardless of your beliefs.
On the Friday, frictions started to creep in. Then there was the mass "Je suis Charlie" demonstration at the weekend. When the pupils returned to school on the Monday, the disruption began. Two pupils found conspiracy theories on the internet: The Kouachi brothers were innocentâ€¦ Wasn't it strange that police had found the ID card left in the car? It was obviously a plot by intelligence servicesâ€¦
I asked what purpose there could be in killing people of various ethnicities and religions.  They came back with the answer: "To sully Islam." I was surprised because those two boys of North African origin had never said that sort of thing. But they were defiant. I represented the official version, and they had access to a hidden truth.
Problems in the school system run deep. Courses on the Enlightenment, for instance, can be a problem. In a class last week I was analysing an article by Voltaire on religious fanaticism, which is on the national curriculum. As I was talking, the pupils were listening so intently that there was silence. Suddenly two of them made increasingly loud snoring noises that ended up covering my voice.
Secularism is not the only sensitive issue. It is also difficult to teach colonial wars. You will be challenged, some will whistle or hum to stop you talking. You will be accused of dishing out propaganda. I noticed an abrupt change in 2001, when I was teaching in an immigrant suburb. My students refused to observe a minute's silence for the victims of 9/11. The most radical among them started singing Hamas songs. I was a young teacher and did not know what to do.
Discipline is a big problem. When people talk in class and the teacher tells them to be quiet, a common retort is: "I'm not talking to you" - meaning you're interrupting my conversation. What plays against me is that I am a woman - some pupils will not respect me.
If I have two or three troublemakers per class here, I can only imagine what it must be like for my colleagues who have remained in deprived suburbs. Boosting civics courses and encouraging pupils to sing the Marseillaise (as the education minister suggested following 200 reported incidents during the minute's silence) does not go nearly far enough to tackle the underlying problems.
When I heard pupils recycling conspiracy theories after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, it reminded me of 9/11. The very next day, on 12 September, a boy said in class that Jews were behind the attack. He knew this because there were no Jews in the twin towers at the time. I said: "You must be really smart! We still don't know the number of victims, but you already have the list, with their religion." Everybody laughed. The kid felt a bit silly and I defused the situation that way.
When I am confronted with that sort of thing I now use texts by Hitler, Stalin, Bin Laden and other classics of the conspiracy genre to show the similarities between their visions of the world: a hidden elite is pulling the strings - often the same people incidentally. And I show that such ideas have serious consequences: tens of millions of people killed in the case of Nazism and Stalinism.
It can be tricky teaching some subjects - such as the Holocaust, colonial wars, or the Middle East - but this is mostly a problem of teacher training. When a kid tells you a genocide has been committed by the French in Algeria or by the Israelis in Gaza, you have to refer to the official definition of a genocide and see whether its applies. You are going to be challenged: background knowledge and a good relationship with pupils are vital to meet that challenge.
Today teachers are competing with other sources of information - notably social networks and the internet. Teachers are no longer the ultimate source of knowledge.  So you have to be extremely strong on learning in order to have authority. And if there is an emotional bond with the pupils, you can deliver any message.
On the Thursday (a day after the Charlie Hebdo attack) I was shaken by what I had seen on TV.  I spoke to the head teacher, who gave me permission to post a "Je suis Charlie" banner in my classroom. But he also said something that surprised me: he would not force teachers to enforce the minute's silence (declared by the education minister) on the Friday. He had anticipated problems - but I had not. I could not imagine that pupils would not observe a minute's silence.
Then I faced my class of 14 to 15-year-olds, with whom I have a wonderful relationship. I asked how they felt about the events of the previous day, without giving my own reaction. Their response hit me in the guts: "Miss, the journalists got what was coming to them"; "You should not mock the Prophet."  Only the Muslim pupils spoke - about a third of the class. The others did not say a word. When they saw the tear on my face, they held back: they did not want to upset me.
In my younger class, they were even more virulent. "When you receive death threats you have to stop what you are doing," they said. On the Friday they all observed the minute's silence, but I did not feel it was out of respect for the victims - but out of respect for me. Some of my colleagues who do not have that sort of relationship with their pupils had problems; others did not observe it at all.
More recently, a boy mimicked the killings in a corridor, firing an imaginary Kalashnikov and shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is great, in Arabic).
I thought the battle of secularism had been won, and that after several years in school they had absorbed all this. But I now realise that this is not the case. But I will not give up. I will continue to fight for my convictions. I am a daughter and granddaughter of teachers: secularism and the values of the Republic are in my genes. If there were more teachers like me - more teachers who believe in what they do and stop looking the other way, things would be better.


England Under-19 all-rounder Callum Taylor has signed a new Essex contract to keep him with the county until the end of the 2017 season.

The 18-year-old made his only first-class appearance to date against Glamorgan in May, making 26 and 22.
Taylor is a member of the England Under-19 squad for the winter tour of Sri Lanka.
He told the club website: "Hopefully the next two years can be successful for the team and myself."


Joe Schmidt says Jared Payne could be in contention to return to Ireland duty in the Six Nations game against Wales on 10 March.

Payne, 31, made his return after three months out because of a kidney injury in Ulster's Pro12 win over Zebre in Parma on Sunday.
Schmidt said Payne is among a number of players who could be considered for inclusion in the Cardiff game squad.
"Jared is probably one of them," added the Ireland coach.
"There are a few other guys in contention as well, the likes of Dave Kilcoyne, who is working away pretty hard, and Denis Buckley is working hard."
Full-back Rob Kearney underwent a scan on Monday after being forced off in Saturday's win over France because of a groin injury.
While there was no detail on the scan results on Monday, the Ireland management appear reasonably confident that the Leinster man will be available for the Wales game.
"We'll see how the scan goes but it's not too bad," said Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek.
If Kearney was ruled out, Payne would be a full-back option although a switch for Simon Zebo from wing to the number 15 jersey might be a more likely scenario.
Payne came off the bench in the second half of Ulster's game in Italy to make his first appearance since sustaining a fractured kidney on Ireland's game against Australia in November.
The New Zealand, who has been a regular at centre alongside Robbie Henshaw since Brian O'Driscoll's retirement, is expected to get further game time with Ulster against Treviso on Friday.


A nursery that was investigated by police over alleged assaults on a child in Merseyside faces no further action.

Officers examined an allegation of "a small number of assaults" at It's The Little Things Children's Day Nursery in Maghull in November 2015.
The Crown Prosecution Service said no further action would be taken following the investigation also involving Sefton Safeguarding Services and Ofsted.
Co-owner Scott McCubbin thanked parents and staff for their support.
He said: "We're pleased to hear the police investigation has concluded and there will be no further action.
"We'd like to thank our staff and parents for their loyalty throughout this difficult time."
The case has been filed pending further information. No arrests were made.


Wayne Routledge scored twice as Swansea City sealed a comfortable 4-0 victory at Wolves in their penultimate pre-season game.

Routledge struck home with a volley to give Swansea the lead.
They doubled their lead when Kyle Naughton scored from an acute angle while Routledge tapped in his second and Oliver McBurnie sealed the win.
Wolves sacked ex-Swansea boss Kenny Jackett and appointed Walter Zenga as head coach hours before kick-off.
Former Wales international Jackett was Swansea manager between 2004 and 2007 and led them to promotion from League Two, the League One play-off final and the Football League Trophy.
The Swans, still without their Euro 2016 contingent of Neil Taylor, Ashley Williams, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Lukasz Fabianski, dominated much of the game against a poor Wolves side who failed to trouble keeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt in the second half.
Francisco Guidolin's side's final pre-season friendly comes at home against French Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennais on Saturday, 6 August (15:00 BST).
Wolves begin their Championship season away at Rotherham on the same day.


About 150 vehicles remain at Gwynedd's Festival No.6 park-and-ride car park after hundreds became stuck following heavy rain.

Up to 200 people took refuge at a Porthmadog leisure centre on Sunday, after being stranded overnight.
Councillors have called for an inquiry into how authorities allowed the car park to be sited on a flood plain.
But Natural Resources Wales said organisers were aware of flood warnings.
A statement on the festival's website warned festival-goers to expect long delays after the car park reopened following an overnight closure on safety advice.
On Monday afternoon, they posted a message on their social media accounts stating 90% of cars had left after 18 tractors were used to clear the site.
Many of the remaining vehicles are expected to be collected later in the week after their owners had to return home.
Gwynedd council tweeted at about 22:00 BST on Monday to confirm the makeshift rest centre in Porthmadog leisure centre had closed.
However, a local hotel said it had accommodated two couples who were still waiting to collect their cars.
Gwynedd councillor Selwyn Griffiths praised the local response, saying: "The community really rallied round.
"I can't praise the local farmers enough for turning up with their tractors and working for 12 hours or more to get cars out of the mud."


A British geologist whose work has improved the ability to forecast deadly volcanic eruptions is to receive the 2015 Vetlesen Prize.

The award being given to Prof Stephen Sparks, of the University of Bristol, is considered the "Nobel Prize of the earth sciences".
Prof Sparks headed monitoring efforts when Montserrat's SoufriÃ¨re Hills volcano came to life in the 1990s.
He will be awarded a medal and $250,000 at a ceremony in New York in June.
Elected to the Royal Society at the age of 38, Prof Sparks is among the world's mostly highly-cited geologists.
He is credited with being one of the first to apply maths and physics to the interpretation of volcanic processes and deposits in the field, bringing volcanology into the modern era.
He pioneered methods for assessing the danger posed by active volcanic eruptions, helping governments to improve decisions about evacuations and rebuilding.
Prof Sparks, who was born in London and raised in Chester, is a father-of two who now lives in Bristol with his wife Ann.
Barry Voight, a volcanologist at Pennsylvania State University, said: "Everyone has an egotism that drives their research, but Steve never lets it get in the way of working with others.
"You know he's not going to pick your brain and run off with your ideas. Instead, he will often improve on them."
The Vetlesen Prize is supported by the G Unger Vetlesen Foundation and administered by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University.
Prof Stephen Sparks' career


A children's play area has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack just days after it was opened.

Three crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue were called to the wooden castle playhouse in Wells Recreation Ground on Saturday night.
Fireworks residue was found on site and fire officers believe the blaze was started deliberately.
The £160,000 park opened last Sunday after four years of planning by the community and Mendip District Council.
Gavin Ellis, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said an investigation was under way.
He also said a witness saw some people using fireworks in Wells Recreation Ground before the blaze, which began shortly before 20:00 GMT.
Councillor John North, chair of the Bishops Barn and Recreation Ground Trust in Wells, said: "Initially I was incandescent with anger about this and in some ways I still am," he said.
"It took a group of people, Better Play Areas for Wells and the board of trustees four years to deliver a destination play area for Wells.
"Within six and a half days of it being opened... it's been burned down by someone.
"It was a great asset for the community, it brought families together."
Resident Matthew Hartnett, said: "It took nine months to build, and destroyed in five minutes.
"Everyone is absolutely devastated, there's a real sense of loss to everyone, a lot of people were due to take their children there today."
The Better Play Area for Wells group said much of the play area was open, but its wooden castle will need replacing.
"The trustees will be having an emergency meeting this week to review their options," it said.
A crowd funding page has since been set up to rebuild the park.


As the Afghan government and its international allies intensify efforts to bring the conflict to an end, the role and influence of mystics is being sought to help bring the Taliban into talks on a political solution.

Sufism or Islamic mysticism was once suppressed by the Taliban, but the sect is recovering its place in the country and its millions of followers are once more emerging from the shadows.
Sufis have considerable influence in both rural and urban settings - they are an effective popular force to bring change into society - and people consider them as disinterested mediators in disputes.
''The influence of Sufis will be very significant in bringing peace and tranquillity,'' says Sayed Mahmood Gailani, a Sufi master.
''There are a few people with Sufi backgrounds who are involved in the peace process. But there hasn't been any concerted effort to give the Sufis a systematic and prominent role in it.''
Sufism in Afghanistan is considered an integral part of Islam. People in general respect Sufis for their learning and believe they possess "karamat" - a miraculous spiritual power that enables Sufi masters to perform acts of generosity and bestow blessings.
Ziyarats - Sufi shrines - are popular pilgrimage sites all over the country.
In addition to Afghanistan, Sufi orders have millions of followers in both Pakistan and India too.
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the following armed resistance by the mujahideen resulted in the arrival of thousands of Middle Eastern fighters and the introduction of foreign ideologies including Wahabism.
Wahabism insists on a literal interpretation of Islam and sees Sufism and its ideas as anathema. This created tension between Sufis and Ulamas (religious scholars) in some parts of the country.
But it was during the Taliban's rule (1996-2001) when many Sufis were driven underground.
A number were initially part of the Taliban movement but gradually people influenced by the Wahabi ideology became more prominent. Sufis were silenced.
Some Sufis, especially members of the Chishtiyya Sufi Order which considers music to be an effective route to reach Allah, were prosecuted.
"The Taliban invaded Sufi gatherings, humiliated and beat up many of them and their musical instruments were smashed,'' said Afghan Culture Minister Sayed Makhdoom Rahin, who has a Sufi background.
''Sufis are free to hold their ceremonies once again with the same old exuberance denied to them by the Taliban.''
Given the respect and influence Sufis enjoy among the local population, their involvement at the grass roots level could help the peace process in war-torn Afghanistan.
Although Taliban members come from various backgrounds, some have great respect for Sufis and are even followers of Sufism.
"Influential and knowledgeable Sufis can persuade a large number of Taliban to lay down their arms and can also provide guarantees to the Taliban about their safety and peaceful future,'' a Sufi leader, Ahmad Shah Maududi, said.
''But we need to be careful and vigilant because many so-called Sufis have exploited and fooled ordinary people in the garb of Sufism.''
Sufism has been part of Afghanistan almost as long as Islam itself - more than 1,300 years. Afghanistan is commonly called "the home of Sufi saints". The mystics have been an integral part of the life of the people for centuries.
The word Sufism is derived from "suf", the Arabic wood for wool, and refers to woollen robes worn by early ascetics.
Sufis seek to achieve communion with God during mystic moments of union brought about by various methods, including meditation, Zikr (reciting the names of God and other sacred phrases), dancing, hymn singing, music and physical gyrations.
Sufis maintain that human beings are creatures of Allah and they should be served and respected.
''Tolerance, kindness and love to all and malice towards none are the virtues of Sufis,'' says Maulana Obaidullah Nahrkarizi, a prominent Afghan Sufi master from Kandahar province.
''This is the solution to the nation's trauma and battle of the past 30 years''.
Many Afghan cities are among the most important centres of Sufism. Herat is called "the soil of Sufi saints" while Ghazni is known as "the place of Sufi saints".
Some of the greatest Sufi sages of the Muslim world originated from Afghanistan. They refined their insights in the country's lush plains and hidden valleys - and spread their message of peace and love to other parts of the world.
The intensely personal poetry of Sufis has been expressed in Dari, Persian and Pashto, the main languages spoken in Afghanistan.
There are several prominent Sufis  in contemporary Afghanistan including Ali Hujwiri, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and Jalaluddin Balkhi Rumi - founder of the famous Mawlawiya (the Order of Whirling Dervishes).
Another famous Sufi is Pir Roshan, the founder of the Roshaniya Sufi Order, now known as Arzan Shahi - which has a big following in India.
Three Sufi orders are prominent in Afghanistan today - Naqshbandiya founded in Bokhara (Uzbekistan), Qadiriya founded in Baghdad and Chishtiya originated at Chisht-e-Sharif in the western province of Herat.
Their continued growth is arguably a major bonus in Afghanistan's continuing search for peace.


Japan says it believes in the authenticity of a newly released photo purporting to show a Japanese journalist held hostage in Syria.

The image, posted online on Sunday, shows a heavily bearded Jumpei Yasuda holding a sign saying: "Please help me. This is my last chance."
Mr Yasuda is believed to have been seized by the jihadist group al-Nusra Front, allied to al-Qaeda, in July.
Japan's government said it was doing everything it could to help him.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday: "We believe the photo is of Yasuda."
Cabinet Spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the government was "making use of a broad net of information and doing everything we can to respond".
In March, a video emerged of Mr Yasuda apparently accusing the Japanese government of ignoring him.
Last year, the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria beheaded Japanese war correspondent Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa, leading to accusations that Japan had not done enough to save them.
Japan's Kyodo news agency quoted an unnamed source claiming to be a mediator for the Nusra Front saying Mr Yasuda would be passed to IS if the government did not negotiate.


Work to clear a backlog of claims for the NHS to fund costs for ongoing health problems is "not good enough".

Darren Millar, chairman of the public accounts committee, said feedback suggests health boards have not put enough resources into resolving this.
NHS Continuing Healthcare allows people with complex ongoing illnesses to apply for an assessment and all care needs are paid for by the NHS.
The Welsh government said more staff are being hired to focus on the claims.
For those found to be eligible, all care needs - including nursing home costs of up to Â£40,000 a year - are met by the NHS.
It is not means-tested and the funds are potentially available to anyone over the age of 18.
Local health boards are responsible for ruling on claims and paying the bill and Mr Millar expects an update from the Welsh government next week on efforts to address the long-standing issue.
In the past, many people did not claim the payments because they did not know they could or because they were told they did not qualify for the funding.
Over the past decade, more than Â£50m in wrongly-paid care home fees and interest has been returned to Welsh families - often after a lengthy delay.
While a central team based in Powys has helped reduce the backlog of appeals, solicitor Lisa Morgan said significant delays remain for those cases that have been retained by local health boards.
She told BBC Radio Wales' Eye on Wales: "They didn't have dedicated teams to consider retrospective cases and it's clear that it wasn't a priority for the local health boards.
"Unfortunately, families have been waiting a significant time for their case to be considered."
The public accounts committee has looked into continuing NHS healthcare twice in the past two years. Its latest report made nine recommendations, all accepted by the Welsh government.
Mr Millar said: "What we need to see is some determined action from health boards and the Welsh government to put the necessary resources in so we can clear the backlog.
"Because there are cases which, regrettably, go back a number of years and in some cases people have passed away in the interim. That's not good enough."
In 2014, the Welsh government took steps to reduce the number of appeals and retrospective claims, meaning the national framework for decision makers was revised and staff training bolstered.
The Welsh government said: "Health boards are appointing extra staff to focus on retrospective claims and we will be investing additional resources in training to help staff get it right first time and avoid or reduce the need for retrospective payments."


More than 30 NI students have had offers of loans to fund their postgraduate study withdrawn, the BBC has learned.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) said "human error" on their part was to blame.
The mistake affects 31 students who began Master's degrees at English universities in September 2016.
They have been told that loans of up to £10,000 were "incorrectly awarded" to them, and they will not receive them.
The parent of one of the affected students said their son had been left "distraught" and "in limbo" due to the error.
They did not want to be identified as their son is considering appealing the decision by the SLC to withdraw the loan offer.
They said their son had signed a number of agreements after being originally told he would get the £10,000 loan.
"He finalised the arrangements for his accommodation and he travelled over to England to register with the university and settled in to his new accommodation," they said.
"The letter he got from Student Finance England, which approved his loan, said the expected payment date of the first instalment would be 26 September.
"However, when he checked his bank account and the money wasn't there he telephoned the Student Loans Company to find out what had happened and it was at that stage they told him he wouldn't be getting the money.
"He was on the phone telling me what had happened, asking: 'What'll I do? Am I going to have to come home? What about my rent? What about my master's course? How am I going to pay for this?'"
They said their son does not know if he will be able to raise the money to complete his master's degree.
"He is still in limbo," they said.
"This is causing a lot of stress to students and their families and it's messing about with people's lives."
A student loan system for postgraduate Master's degrees - which usually take a year to complete - began in England in September 2016.
The government-backed loans are worth up to £10,000 and can be used to pay tuition fees and living costs.
Thirty-one Northern Irish students received letters from Student Finance England, on behalf of the SLC, in early September, which confirmed they would receive a loan.
The students had completed undergraduate degrees in England and believed they were eligible for the postgraduate funding there.
However, the students were subsequently notified, after the university year had started in late September, that the funding had been "incorrectly awarded" and that they would not receive their loan after all.
They were told that they did not "meet the residency requirements to be eligible for a postgraduate loan," as they had moved to England to study.
NUS-USI President Fergal McFerran said the withdrawal of loan offers was a "very troubling development that could have massive negative ramifications for the 31 students affected".
"These students will likely have planned and budgeted their year ahead on the basis of having this loan after being given an offer of this loan," he said.
"Why should the financial situation of these students potentially be put in jeopardy because of a change of mind from the Student Loans Company? I do not see how the Student Loans Company can see this as an acceptable situation."
In a statement to the BBC, SLC said that the mistake arose "as a result of human error in the interpretation of the regulations when processing" the loan applications.
"If a student believes that the decision Student Finance England made in relation to their funding application is incorrect they have the right to appeal," they said.


How officers responded to a disturbance that led to a 26-hour siege in Greater Manchester is being investigated by the police watchdog.

Police were sent to a house in Shaw, Oldham, in the early hours of 25 July amid concerns for a woman's welfare.
They later returned at 03:15 BST to reports of a man allegedly armed with a gun, holding a woman and two children hostage.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is now investigating.
The woman, 27, and a child received injuries requiring hospital treatment, the IPCC said.
Marc Schofield, 30, was charged with false imprisonment and two counts of possession of an imitation firearm.
He is due to appear at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on 25 August.
Catherine Bates, of the IPCC, said: "Our independent investigation is in its very early stages.
"We will look at the police response to the initial report of a domestic incident and the actions of officers involved in dealing with this report."


Dungannon Swifts have appointed Rodney McAree as head coach on a permanent basis in the wake of Darren Murphy's resignation as manager on Saturday.

McAree had been working alongside Murphy, first as head coach and then first team coach, since December 2011.
Murphy stepped down after losing 1-0 at Ballymena and has become an Elite Development Coach with the Irish FA.
"I look forward to getting started with a group of players who I have a lot of time and respect for," said McAree.
The former long-serving Dungannon Swifts midfielder, 41, also played under his father, Joe, who had several spells in charge of his hometown club.
Dungannon are second from bottom in the Irish Premiership having picked up just two wins and accumulated eight points from 13 matches this season.
"Looking at our league form, we need to target picking up points, and I believe the squad of players are capable of getting the results that we need to put us in a better position," said McAree.


The Football Association of Wales spent the £6.4m Euro 2016 participation fee before the tournament began - to help the squad prepare for France.

Wales play Portugal in Lyon on Wednesday in their first ever semi-final at a major tournament.
"I got the board to spend our participation money to give the boys the very best opportunity for success," FAW chief Jonathan Ford told BBC Sport.
"And they've paid us back in their droves."
Wales topped Group B after wins over Slovakia and Russia, either side of a narrow defeat by England, knocked out Northern Ireland in the last 16 and Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Chris Coleman's team face Portugal on Wednesday with the winners meeting either France or Germany in the final in Paris on Sunday, 10 July.
It is the biggest match in Welsh football history and the most significant in British international football since hosts England reached the Euro 1996 semi-finals.
Ford, who has been in charge of the FAW for the past six years, said this approach gave Coleman and his players the best chance of success throughout the qualifiers and into the finals.
"It is about marginal gains," Ford said.
"Every time, during the qualification cycle, we came around, we said what do we need to do more? What can we do better? And it was those one percents.
"When we planned this event we wanted to make sure we gave the team the very best opportunities.
"We found the best hotel, we wanted to invest in the facilities that were there, we put in the best gym we could, we got the best aircraft that we could.
"Not spending money unnecessarily so, but spending money to ensure that the players can do their job to the best of their ability.
"That's exactly what they've done and we're in the semi-final. We invested more into those facilities, the whole purpose of which was to give the boys on the field the very best chance - no excuses.
"They've had no excuses and they needed no excuses."
Including the participation fee, the FAW could receive at least £14.5m for reaching the last four.
Going on to lift the trophy would add a further £6m-plus to prize money.
The FAW made a profit of £20,000 in its last financial year.
Ford said all the "bits of the jigsaw" have fallen into place in this campaign, but added the FAW would not "stop here".
"We will work harder than we have before," said Ford. "We'll literally throw out the rule book. You can't just sit here and think 'we had success last time, let's just do the same thing'.
"We will look at everything - what can we do better? What can help us to achieve qualification for World Cup 2018?
Participation in tournament - 8m euro (£6.4m)
Each win in the pool stages - 1m euro (£812,000)
Reach last 16 - 1.5m euro (£1.2m)
Reach quarter finals - 2.5m euro (£2m)
Reach semi finals 4m euro (£3.2m)
Champions 8m euro (£6.4m)


A report commissioned by the G20 group of the world's biggest economies has warned oil prices could be vulnerable to a Libor-style rigging scandal.

According to the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
, the current system of oil price reporting is "susceptible to manipulation or distortion."
Benchmark prices are compiled by price reporting agencies.  The biggest, Platts, says "there is absolutely no similarity" between Libor and oil.
Trillions of dollars of securities and contracts are based on these oil and gasoline prices.
Both the Libor inter-bank lending rate at the heart of a global rate-rigging scandal and spot oil prices are based on a system of trust.  They are, effectively, unregulated.
Traders at various banks voluntarily report the prices they pay for oil contracts to Platts, Argus or one of their competitors.  The price reporting agency use a number of trades to decide what the benchmark price, quoted to the outside world, should be.
IOSCO said that "this creates opportunity for a trader to submit a partial picture, i.e. an incomplete set of its trades in order to influence the assessment to the trader's advantage."
Journalists working at Platts or Argus are trained to check any figures which appear suspicious or spurious.   However, they do not have powers to challenge or investigate banks or individuals responsible for these submissions.
Platts - the biggest player in the market - insists that the competition between it and Argus as Independent Price Reporting Organisations (IPROs) provides "critical distinctions" from Libor which is regulated by a single body, the British Bankers' Association.
IOSCO also criticised a lack of transparency about the way banks compile their submissions. Platts says the data is based on "bids and offers that are tested in the marketplace." However, IOSCO raises the issue that there are insufficient safeguards to prevent collusion between two or more banks as is currently suspected in the Libor scandal.
The G20 had originally asked IOSCO, oil cartel OPEC, the International Energy Agency and the International Energy Forum to contribute to a report into oil price reporting in March.
But, the Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA) - which represents large financial organisations - is also critical of the perceived independence of Platts and its competitors:  Argus, OPIS and ICIS-LOR, which also compile oil and gasoline prices for the market.
In its statement, Platts said: "Platts and other IPROs have no vested interest in the markets they cover. We are subscription-based companies and never pay in any fashion for market participants to submit data to our assessment processes."
However, Simon Lewis, chief executive of the GFMA wrote in an open letter to IOSCO: "there is potential for conflicts of interest to arise where PRAs engage in revenue generation, price reporting and news services on oil markets, as incentives may arise to favour those who pay greater subscriber fees or provide greater access to market information."
Mr Lewis called for "barriers or fire walls to minimize contamination risk of information."
IOSCO submitted a report update containing its preliminary findings to the G20 in June. The full report is currently scheduled to be published in time for the G20's next summit in November.


Turkey has voted in a general election which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic.
However his hopes may be scuppered if the pro-Kurdish HDP crosses the 10% threshold and enters parliament.
Explosions at its election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday killed four.
Officials said the blasts were caused by improvised bombs.
HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas criticised Mr Erdogan's response to the killings.
Casting his vote on Sunday Mr Demirtas commented: "The election campaigning process was not a fair and equal race."
However he added: "Hopefully we will wake up to a new and freer Turkey on 8 June."
Polls across Turkey's 81 provinces opened at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) local time and closed at 17:00 (14:00 GMT). First results are expected late on Sunday.
If the left-wing HDP succeeds in winning seats in parliament for the first time, it would reduce the number of seats won by Mr Erdogan's AKP, thwarting its plans to change the constitution and transfer the prime minister's executive powers to the president.
A strong showing from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the third-placed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could even force the AKP into a coalition, correspondents say.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the CHP echoed Mr Dermirtas and called the campaign period "unequal". He promised however to "continue to work with a sense of responsibility".
Turkey's current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shied away from accusations of unfairness telling reporters: "Whatever [the people's] will, it is a will that must be respected by everyone.''
The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says Sunday's election is the biggest electoral challenge for the AKP since it came to power 13 years ago.
Growth has stalled, he says, critics talk of an authoritarian President Erdogan who has eroded free speech and burnt bridges with the West - and they are desperate for change.
The result may have ramifications beyond Turkey's borders.
The country is a vital Nato member in a volatile Middle East and a rare mix of Islam and democracy, our correspondent notes.


Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has ordered the air force to provide support to Kurdish forces fighting Sunni militants in the north.

It comes after the Islamic State (formerly known as Isis) seized two towns and two nearby oilfields from Kurdish troops over the weekend.
Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga, say they are planning a counter-attack.
Militants seized large swathes of northern Iraq from government control in June.
Since then, relations between the autonomous Kurdistan Region and Baghdad have been strained. Correspondents say Mr Maliki's offer of air support could indicate a degree of rapprochement in the face of the Islamic State advance.
In a statement on Monday, Iraqi army spokesman Qassem Atta said: "The commander in chief of the armed forces has issued orders to the leadership of the air force and the army's aviation units to provide air support to Peshmerga forces."
Kurdish leaders have not yet responded to the offer.
Earlier, a Kurdish official told Reuters news agency that Peshmerga forces had been overstretched but were now calling in large numbers of fighters to hit back.
"It is a very dangerous situation for the region. Something needs to be done soon," the official said.
A Syrian Kurdish group, the PYD, said its fighters had crossed the border on Monday. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) also urged all Kurds to take up the fight against the Sunni militants, Reuters reported.
The PKK has spent three decades fighting for autonomy for Turkey's Kurds and is currently engaged in a peace process with the Turkish government.
The UN said tens of thousands of people from Iraq's minority Yazidi community had fled their homes after the Sunni militants captured the towns of Sinjar and Zumar at the weekend.
Many of those who fled were said to be in exposed mountainous areas near the towns.
Who are the Yazidis?
Iraq: The minorities of Nineveh
The UN special envoy to Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, told the BBC their situation was desperate.
"We have the supplies in place and we can move them immediately as soon as the security situation permits us to do that," he said.
"The situation is quite dramatic. We have increasing reports of people who have no access to drinking water, not to speak of food or lack of medication."
The Kurdish minority in Iraq managed to establish an autonomous region in the north in 2005 after decades of political and military efforts to seek self-rule.
When jihadists from the Islamic State swept across northern Iraq in June, Kurds seized many areas abandoned by the Iraqi army.
Peshmerga fighters were regarded as one of the few forces capable of standing up to the Sunni insurgents.
In July, the Kurdish political bloc ended all participation in Iraq's national government in protest over claims by Mr Maliki that Kurds were sheltering militants.
IS describes the territory under its control in Iraq and Syria as a caliphate.


Prominent republican Thomas "Slab" Murphy's brother managed his cattle herd and farming activities, his lawyer has told his trial for tax evasion.

The 66-year-old from Ballybinaby, County Louth, denies nine charges.
The prosecution's case is that he had significant dealings in relation to cattle and land and received farming grants, but failed to make tax returns.
The defence lawyer said there was "reasonable doubt" as to whether Mr Murphy was involved in farming.
Mr Murphy is being prosecuted on foot of an investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in the Republic of Ireland.
Thursday was the second day of closing speeches at the trial at Dublin's Special Criminal Court.
Mr Murphy's defence lawyer asked: "Who was the chargeable person [the person chargeable to tax on income]?"
"Was it Thomas Murphy?" he asked. "Or is there a reasonable possibility, which cannot be excluded, or a reasonable doubt, that it could have been Patrick Murphy [the accused brother], who was in fact the chargeable person, and was in fact the farmer?"
The lawyer also brought up the question of the accused's residence.
"Where is the evidence Thomas Murphy was living in Ballybinaby or even in the state?" he said.
He told the judges that Thomas Murphy was the only member of the Murphy family not arrested, detained and interviewed in March 2006, when the CAB searched properties at Ballybinaby.
"Because he wasn't there," the lawyer said.
The trial is due to resume on Tuesday, when the defence lawyer is expected to conclude his closing speech.


Warrington Wolves achieved the first win for an English club over Australian opponents since 2012 as they beat Brisbane Broncos in the first match of the 2017 World Club Series.

Kevin Brown excelled on his Wire debut, scoring a try in the second minute.
Ryan Atkins and Matty Russell helped the hosts into a 20-0 lead and Tom Lineham also crossed before half-time.
Declan Patton added 11 points with the boot, while Corey Oates, James Roberts and David Mead replied for Brisbane.
Leeds' World Club Challenge win over Manly five years earlier had been the last time a northern hemisphere side had beaten one of their NRL counterparts, and Super League clubs had lost all six matches since the expanded World Club Series began in 2015.
Super League champions Wigan Warriors host NRL Grand Final winners Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the World Club Challenge on Sunday (15:00 GMT).
Brisbane, coached by England boss Wayne Bennett, do not begin their league season until 2 March and a lack of match practice appeared to contribute to their slow start, for which they were clinically punished.
Warrington made the perfect start when Joe Westerman raced 60 metres after charging down a kick and Brown, a winter signing from local rivals Widnes, darted over after Westerman had been hauled down short of the line.
Last season's beaten Super League finalists were 20-0 up after 19 minutes as Atkins powered over and Russell showed neat footwork to evade three Brisbane defenders.
Oates went over acrobatically in the corner for the Broncos but winger Lineham's score for Warrington, given after consultation with the video referee, helped the Wire to an 18-point lead at half-time.
Brisbane improved after the break and Roberts' 80-metre dash for a try gave the Australian side some heart, but Patton's drop goal and a fifth successful kick from the tee established a three-score advantage which was rarely threatened.
Warrington prop Ashton Sims told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra:
"We wanted to get Super League off to a good start. Not too many people gave us a chance but we know the belief in our squad and it was good to put a good performance out.
"I felt like our ball control was good, especially in that first 20 minutes, and our kicking game was great. That's a great way to kick-start our year.
"We wish Wigan and Cronulla all the best for Sunday. I had 11 or 12 great seasons in the NRL and I love that competition. May the best team win, but hopefully people will look a little bit differently at Super League after that result."
Warrington: Gidley; Russell, Evans, Atkins, Lineham; Brown, Patton; Cooper, Clark, Sims, Hughes, Savelio, Westerman.
Replacements: Westwood, Livett, Philbin, Dwyer.
Brisbane: Boyd; Oates, Roberts, Kahu, Mead; Milford, Hunt; McGuire, Gillett, Thaiday, Ofahengaue, Ese'ese, McCullough.
Replacements: Glenn, Pangai Jnr, Arrow, Fai.
Referee: Phil Bentham


Scotland's top police officer has said force support staff face further job cuts next year.

Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Stephen House said he was confident of making a target to save £1.1bn by 2026.
But he warned the path ahead was "not smooth" and said every area, apart from police officer numbers, would be considered in the drive for savings.
About 2,000 civilian staff have been cut through voluntary redundancy and early retirement schemes since 2009.
Sir Stephen told the Scottish Parliament's justice committee that further cuts in that area were likely, but there was "no specific target" on numbers.
Amid plans to cut police control rooms, he added: "Inevitably, there will be more voluntary redundancies, early retirements in that area, because the staff know what our plans are going forward with control rooms," Sir Stephen said.
The chief constable added that plans to review custody centres could see further reductions in civilian staff, while the force was also looking into making savings in areas like human resources and IT.
"That might mean offering more redundancies to more civilian staff, so, yes, I anticipate there will be more reductions in civilian staff," he said.
Sir Stephen said Police Scotland was on course to balance its 2014-15 budget, with savings in the region of £60m, with a similar level of savings is also needed for 2015-16.
Also appearing before the committee, the new justice secretary Michael Matheson said the government was committed to maintaining police officer levels at 17,234.
He said: "We remain committed to the 1,000 extra officers from our 2007 commitment and I would expect both Police Scotland and the SPA to operate within that commitment."


There have been two attacks in Spain's Catalonia region involving people driving cars at crowds at high speeds.

Here is what we know so far.
On Thursday afternoon at 16:50 local time (14:50 GMT) a white van smashed into people on Las Ramblas, a famous boulevard in central Barcelona that runs 1.2km (0.75 miles) and was packed with tourists.
The van driver is said to have zig-zagged to try and hit as many people as possible along the pedestrianised area, knocking many to the floor and sending others fleeing for cover in shops and cafes.
He killed 13 people and injured more than 100, and managed to flee the scene.
Spanish police have described it as a terror attack.
About eight hours later, an Audi A3 car ploughed into pedestrians in the popular seaside resort town of Cambrils, 110km (68 miles) south-west of Barcelona, authorities said.
A woman who was critically injured later died in hospital. Five other civilians and a police officer were hurt.
The attackers' vehicle overturned and five people who got out, some of whom were wearing fake suicide belts, were then shot by police. Four died at the scene and one later died of his injuries. They have not yet been named.
The Las Ramblas and Cambrils attacks are believed to be linked.
A massive manhunt is under way to find Moussa Oukabir, who is thought to be 17. He is suspected of using documents belonging to his brother, Driss Oukabir, 28, to rent the van that mowed down people on Las Ramblas.
Although he is suspected of driving the van, police say that cannot yet be confirmed. It is also possible that Moussa Oukabir was one the five suspects shot dead in Cambrils, police have added.
Driss Oukabir was arrested in Ripoll, a town in Catalonia, on Thursday.
Catalonia's Interior Minister Joaquim Forn, quoted by the Associated Press, said: "We had local police on the scene, but we were unable to shoot him, as the Ramblas were packed with people."
Three others. One person from Spain's north African enclave of Melilla was arrested in Alcanar on Thursday, and two others were arrested on Friday, one in Ripoll.
Police said on Friday that three of those arrested were from Morocco and one was from Spain, but gave no details.  It remains unclear how many people were involved in the plots.
Police are linking the attacks to an explosion on Wednesday night that completely destroyed a house in Alcanar, 200km south of Barcelona, killing one person and wounding seven. The house was reportedly filled with bottles of propane and butane.
Police said on Friday that they believed the blast had thwarted plans for an even bigger attack.
"They were preparing one or several attacks in Barcelona and an explosion in Alcanar stopped this as they no longer had the material they needed to commit attacks of an even bigger scope," said Catalonia police official Josep Lluis Trapero.
In another incident, a car was driven into officers at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Barcelona on Thursday evening.
The car was later found with a dead man inside it, but the interior ministry has denied earlier reports he was killed by police gunfire. Officials have not ruled out a connection with the Las Ramblas attack but investigations are ongoing
Also, on Thursday, not long after the first attack, a second van thought to be a getaway vehicle was found in the town of Vic, 80km north of Barcelona.
Aftermath of Barcelona attack in pictures
They come from all over the world, with at least 34 nationalities represented.
People from Ireland, the UK, France, Australia, Pakistan, Venezuela, Algeria, Peru, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Ecuador, the US, Argentina, Romania, Cuba, Austria and the Philippines are all reported to be among those hurt.
Read more about the victims
Francisco LÃ³pez RodrÃguez, a 60-year-old from Granada, is the first Spanish victim to be named. Belgium said one of its citizens had been killed and Italy's foreign ministry said two Italians had died.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed that at least one US citizen had been killed.
France said 26 of its nationals were injured, 11 seriously.
The Australian government said at least four citizens were injured, while a seven-year-old boy from Sydney is reported to be missing. Thirteen German citizens were wounded, some seriously.
A "small number" of Britons were injured, the UK's Foreign Office said.
So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it was behind the Las Ramblas attack and that IS "soldiers" carried it out. But it did not provide any evidence or details to back up the claim.
The country is one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations but in recent years has not seen the kind of jihadist violence that has rocked France, the UK, Belgium and Germany.
Still, Spain has been targeted before - several trains in Madrid, the capital, were bombed by al-Qaeda inspired militants in 2004, killing 191 people.
The IS news outlet, Amaq, said the attack was carried out as part of efforts to target states fighting in the US-led anti-IS coalition.
A few hundred Spanish soldiers are in Iraq, training local forces fighting the Sunni militant group.
The number of operations carried out against jihadists has increased significantly since Spain raised its terror alert level to four out of five in June 2015, meaning there was a "high risk" of a terror attack.
Before these attacks, 51 suspected jihadists had already been detained in the country this year, while 69 were detained last year, and 75 were detained in 2015, according to El Pais.
Spain's long anti-terror experience
Security and surveillance was stepped up in the wake of truck attacks in the French city of Nice in July 2016 and the German capital Berlin in December.
On Twitter, the Spanish royal household posted: "They are murderers, nothing more than criminals who are not going to terrorise us. All of Spain is Barcelona."
World leaders have offered support and message of solidarity.
British Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "sickened by the senseless loss of life in Barcelona".
US President Donald Trump quickly condemned the attack on Twitter but has come under fire for invoking a debunked myth about a general who fought Islamist militants by using pig's blood to commit mass executions.


Lewis Hamilton says he wants to race in Formula 1 for another seven years after being voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

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The 29-year-old Mercedes driver beat golfer Rory McIlroy and athlete Jo Pavey to the award, a month after winning his second world championship.
"I feel like I've got another seven years in F1," he told BBC Sport.
"That's the goal. I got the first title in 2008 and now a second title, so the sky is the limit from here."
He added:  "I've just got to keep pushing."
If Hamilton continues in the sport for another seven years, he will be 36.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, 35, is currently the oldest driver in Formula 1, while Max Verstappen, 17, will be the youngest when he makes his debut with Toro Rosso next season.
Britain's Jenson Button was this year on the verge of losing his drive, aged 34, before securing a late deal to race once more for McLaren for next season.
Hamilton is one title behind his hero Ayrton Senna and trails Alain Prost by two. Juan Manuel Fangio is three clear, while Michael Schumacher holds the record with seven.
Last month, Hamilton claimed his second world title, six years after his first, with a dominant victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
It concluded a year-long battle with childhood friend and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg which featured a number of heated episodes between the pair on and off the track.
Hamilton became only the fourth Briton to win two titles, joining Jim Clark and Graham Hill.
It was an achievement that was recognised as he won Sports Personality with 33% of the vote, 86,175 votes clear of McIlroy.
The Briton is the first Formula 1 driver to win the award since Damon Hill triumphed for the second time in 1996.
Hamilton, who was accompanied by his bulldog Roscoe on the red carpet and at times had trouble keeping him under control, had twice finished runner-up - in 2007 and 2008 - losing out to boxer Joe Calzaghe and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy.
But he was not to be denied a third time, finally triumphing at a spectacular ceremony at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
"I was really not expecting this," added Hamilton, who was close to tears as he gazed at the names of past winners emblazoned on his trophy. "I never thought in a million years I would be up here standing with greats."
"I don't have a single trophy in my house, my dad has them all. But I think I'm going to keep this one.
"Rory has just blown everybody away, so I'm just taken aback by it. I feel very privileged to be representing the country.
"I came second twice, in 2007 and 2008, but just being there was humbling experience. Back then, I was much younger, so I perhaps I didn't appreciate it as much as I do now."
Following his victory, Hamilton plans to fly to Colorado, the traditional location for his winter break, on Monday where he will reunite Roscoe with his other dog Coco, who has just recovered from an operation, before catching up with friends.
After a Christmas break with family, the Briton will return to the Mercedes team factory next month to begin preparations for his title defence.
Pre-season testing starts on 1 February in Jerez, Spain, with the season starting in Melbourne, Australia on 15 March.


Relatives of a family who were killed in a crash in North East Lincolnshire have visited the site of the collision.

Angela and David Cockburn, 48 and 49, their daughters Carley Ann, 21, Bethany, 18, and Bethany's one-year-old daughter Lacie, died on the A18 near Grimsby in April 2013.
A coroner and the relatives visited the scene as part of an inquest, which opened at Cleethorpes Town Hall.
The family, from Ouston in County Durham, were travelling to Skegness.
They were on their way to a dance competition when their car collided with a lorry in Laceby.
Addressing the inquest, Dean Cockburn, Carley and Bethany's brother, said: "They were just sisters, like best friends really.
"Carley used to keep us right, Bethany was my little sidekick."
Reading a statement about his parents Angela and David, he said: "Both my parents were totally devoted to each other.
"They both doted on Lacie, especially my father. She was very much the apple of his eye."
The inquest continues.