Police can face a backlog of up to five months to analyse computers linked to suspected paedophiles, a report has found.

MP Ann Coffey highlighted the delays as part of a study into child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester.
The report found the number of "known or suspected" child sex offenders in the region had risen to 1,139, double the number recorded in 2014.
Police in the region investigated 9,035 reported offences since 2013, it said.
The report, entitled "Real Voices, Are They Being Heard?" is a follow-up to a 2014 study commissioned to assess improvements in protecting youngsters after nine men were jailed in 2012 for running a child sexual exploitation ring in Heywood and Rochdale.
It widely praised Greater Manchester Police and said "cultural changes" and "better training and awareness" had led to "significant increases" in reporting offences, identifying offenders and intelligence tip-offs.
However, it criticised delays at the force's digital investigation unit.
It highlights the case of a mother whose 13-year-old daughter was being groomed and reported it in 2013, handing in her child's computer and mobile phone to police.
Ten months later the family had heard nothing, the report claims.
In the meantime the man had gone on to groom another girl and sexually abuse her. He was eventually charged and jailed for four-and-a-half years in November 2016.
GMP said there had been an improvement in waiting times since June 2014 when there was a backlog of more than 16 months for non-urgent computer cases to be analysed.
According to data from December 2016, the oldest case awaiting investigation was five months, the report found.
Det Supt Joanne Rawlinson said examining computers and mobile phones could be a "lengthy process" and required "specific specialised skills".
"Given a significant proportion of grooming and other similar offences takes place online, the demand for investigations of this kind has grown at a faster rate than we've been able to recruit and train staff to interrogate devices," she said.
"We are aware this is an area that requires improvement and are working hard to develop and speed up our process, while ensuring our investigations remain thorough and leave no stone unturned."
Ms Coffey, a leading campaigner on issues of child sex abuse, said: "The major challenge facing GMP is dealing with the demand on resources created by online offenders who often have multiple victims.
"Any delay in examining computers, tablets or phones and retrieving evidence for use in prosecution increases the danger to children as offenders will continue to try and make contact with hundreds of children."
Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd, who commissioned the report, said that while its findings were "shocking", it also "shines a positive light" on the police and other agencies working to tackle sex offences against children.


Leigh Halfpenny is close to committing his immediate future to RC Toulon and turning down an offer to return to Wales with Cardiff Blues.

The full-back is out of contract with the French Top 14 side this summer.
Toulon have made an offer reported to be worth £750,000 per year.
Halfpenny is set to announce an extension to his current deal for at least another season after the club's European Champions Cup quarter-final against Clermont-Auvergne on Sunday.
The Welsh Rugby Union and Blues have offered the 28-year-old British & Irish Lion a national dual contract (NDC), but Blues chief executive Richard Holland admitted it is "unlikely" Halfpenny, who joined Toulon from the region in 2014, would accept.
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Among the stumbling blocks was the length of the NDC with Halfpenny seeking a 28-month deal while the WRU were only willing to offer either a two or three year contract.
Halfpenny, who has played 74 times for Wales and scored 668 points, has also since been linked with a potential move to Bath for the 2018-19 season.
Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal is eager to keep the club's top points-scorer for a fourth season but agreed to delay contract talks until after the Six Nations.
Halfpenny had a week off following Wales' controversial climax to the Six Nations Championship against France in Paris, in which he scored all of Wales' 18 points in their defeat.
On Sunday he will make his first appearance for Toulon since January in their European tie. Wales prop Aaron Jarvis is named on the bench for opponents Clermont.
Boudjellal previously told BBC Wales Sport: "He is like Jonny Wilkinson, he is a very special player and he makes his own decisions.
"We have spoken before but I don't know yet his decision."


The sole remnant of France's once-extensive possessions in North America, the Atlantic islands of St Pierre and Miquelon lie off the Canadian island of Newfoundland.

Fish processing is the main economic activity although tourism is increasingly important and the territory capitalises on its image as "France in North America". It depends on France for subsidies and Canada for goods and transport links.
After periods of French and British rule, the territory was restored to France in 1816, becoming a French "territorial collectivity" in 1985.
The prohibition era of the 1920s made the territory a centre for shipping whisky, wine and rum to the US but its end in 1933 plunged the islands into economic depression.
The first Europeans were attracted by fish stocks around the islands, with a French fishing post being established in 1604. The descendants of the first settlers - including Bretons, Normans and Basques - make up much of the present population.
Population 6,100
Area 242 sq km (93 sq miles)
Major language French
Major religion Christianity
Life expectancy 76 years (men), 80 years (women)
Currency euro
Head of state: French President
A prefect appointed by France represents the Paris government in the territory. An elected General Council oversees local affairs. The territory sends representatives to the French National Assembly and to the Senate.
Radio & television


The family of a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) killed in a traffic collision have described him as a "wonderful husband" and "much-loved daddy".

Stephen Lewis, 41, from south Wales, died after a crash involving his bicycle and a Skoda Citigo near Ilfracombe, north Devon, on Monday.
Devon and Cornwall Police has appealed for witnesses.
On Wednesday, the father-of-three's family said they were "in shock".
In a tribute, they added: "Steve was a wonderful husband to Helen, much-loved daddy to Rebekah, Lowri and Cian, as well as being a loving son, brother, uncle and friend.
"We cannot believe this has happened and are all in a state of shock at Steve being taken from us in the prime of his life.
"He loved his job as a Police Community Support Officer and would get much satisfaction in being able to help people in times of need."
Mr Lewis, who had been a PCSO since 2006, was on holiday when the fatal accident happened.
Emergency services were called to Ridge Hill at Combe Martin around 07:30 BST.
Another rider, a 43-year-old man, cycling with Mr Lewis was treated for minor injuries, while the female driver of the car was not hurt.
Mr Lewis, described as a "great ambassador" for South Wales Police, suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at North Devon District Hospital.
Colleagues have paid tribute to Mr Lewis, who was stationed with the community safety team at Neath, Neath Port Talbot.
He was a keen triathlete and was in training for Ironman Wales in September, having competed in the event last year, when he died.
Mr Lewis also played rugby for his local clubs Cwmtwrch and Ystradgynlais, in Powys.


Four senior partners at the Belfast office of KPMG have left the firm, months after they were arrested in connection with suspected tax evasion.

In a statement the accountancy firm said they "have now retired following a period of administrative leave".
Jon D'Arcy, Eamonn Donaghy, Arthur O'Brien and Paul Hollway were detained by HM Revenue and Customs on 25 November.
KPMG subsequently ordered its own internal investigation.
However, it said the arrests were not connected to its business or clients.
The company employs more than 200 people in its Belfast office.
KPMG added on Friday: "The firm has co-operated fully with the HMRC investigation which relates solely to the personal affairs of the four individuals."
The four are directors in a property investment company, JEAP Limited, which made a Â£4m loss when the Irish property market crashed in 2008.
Mr Donaghy was KPMG's head of tax in Belfast and was heavily involved in the campaign to devolve corporation tax powers to Northern Ireland.
Mr Hollway was the firm's head of corporate finance in Ireland and Mr D'Arcy its chairman.
The Belfast office will now be headed up by John Hansen.


A 40-year-old floating bridge connecting Cowes and East Cowes is being put up for sale.

A new Â£3.2m chain ferry is being built in Wales and is due to begin operating on the River Medina in late March.
The old vessel, which has run 18 hours each day, will leave service in January. Isle of Wight council has invited offers for its purchase.
It said the new craft would have "increased capacity and improved facilities".
Shirley Smart, executive member for public transport and tourism, said: "We are looking forward to the arrival of the new floating bridge which will have an increased capacity and improved facilities for foot passengers and cyclists.
"I am pleased that the construction of the new floating bridge is progressing well and look forward to seeing it start service this spring, serving the communities of Cowes and East Cowes for years to come."
A replacement launch for foot passengers will operate between 2 January and the introduction of the new vessel while vehicles will be diverted via the roads.
The new chain ferry, being funded by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, is currently being built by Mainstay Marine Solutions Ltd in Pembroke.
A new ticketing system using self-service machines and pre-paid cards is also due to start later in the spring.


The global trade in bees is driving a pandemic that threatens hives and wild bees, UK scientists say.

A deadly bee disease has spread worldwide through imports of infected honeybees, according to genetic evidence.
Stricter controls are needed to protect bees from other emerging diseases, researchers report in Science journal.
The virus together with the Varroa mite can kill-off whole hives, putting bee populations at risk.
Lead researcher Dr Lena Bayer-Wilfert of the University of Exeter said European bees are at the heart of the global spread of what she calls a "double blow" for colonies.
"This is clearly linked to the human movement of honeybee colonies around the globe," she told BBC News.
"It shows a piece of evidence we can't argue with."
The pattern of the spread shows the movement of the virus around the world is manmade rather than natural, say scientists.
Co-researcher Prof Roger Butlin of the University of Sheffield said Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) was a major threat to honeybee populations across the world with the epidemic "driven by the trade and movement of honeybee colonies".
In the research, scientists at the University of Exeter, Sheffield and Salford tracked the emergence of DWV by analysing genetic samples from honeybees and Varroa mites in 32 locations of 17 countries.
They found that the epidemic largely spread from Europe to North America and countries such as New Zealand, with the European honeybee as the main transmitter.
Prof Stephen Martin of the University of Salford said the combination of the virus and the mite were at the heart of the crash in honeybee populations.
"It supports the idea that DWV is the main cause for the colony losses associated with Varroa and that this comes from European bees," he said.
Scientists believe the combination is particularly deadly because the parasite feeds on bee larvae, while also injecting the deadly virus into the body of grown bees.
The double threat is thought to have wiped out millions of honeybee colonies over recent decades.
The researchers are calling for tighter controls on importing honeybees, such as mandatory health screenings and more checks on movements across borders.
And they say every effort should be made to stop Varroa entering the few areas that are free of the mite to provide a refuge for conservation purposes.
Dr Bayer-Wilfert added: "We must now maintain strict limits on the movement of bees, whether they are known to carry Varroa or not."
Commenting on the study, Prof Mark Brown of Royal Holloway University of London said there were already trade controls in place for honeybees - such as checks by vets - but these were clearly not sufficient.
"We need better regulation if we want to stop this happening in the future for other viruses that are likely to emerge," he said.
The European honeybee is used worldwide for commercial pollination of crops such as nuts and fruit as well as for honey production.
Follow Helen on Twitter.


Widnes Vikings wing Patrick Ah Van and prop Gil Dudson have become the latest players to sign new contracts with the Super League side.

Ah Van, 28, moved to the club in 2012 from Bradford after starting his career at NRL side New Zealand Warriors.
Wales international Dudson, 25, joined last season from Wigan, having previously played for Celtic Crusaders.
Both players have agreed new two-year deals which tie them to the Vikings until 2018.
"When the club approached me to re-sign I was only ever really going to sign here," Ah Van told the club website.
Dudson said: "I feel I have developed as a player within the team and I am looking forward to building on the exciting things that are starting to happen here."
There have been a number of players who have signed new deals with Denis Betts' side in recent weeks, including Rhys Hanbury, Stefan Marsh and Chris Dean.


US shoppers went to town over the Thanksgiving weekend, with retail spending up sharply on last year, a survey suggests.

A record 247 million people visited stores and websites between Thursday and Sunday and spent a total of $59.1bn (Â£36.9bn), 13% more than last year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said.
The average shopper spent $423 over the weekend, up from $398 last year.
Surveys suggest Americans also plan to spend big on so-called "Cyber Monday".
"Millions of Americans found time this Thanksgiving to make the most of retailers' promotions and enjoy a special family holiday," said NRF chief executive Matthew Shay.
"To keep their customers excited about holiday shopping, retailers will continue to offer attractive promotions through December, and provide strong consumer value with low prices, enhanced mobile and online offerings, and unique product assortment."
Retailers, which make a large portion of their annual revenue during the November/December festive period, made special efforts to entice shoppers over the weekend, with a number of stores opened early to make the most of the sales rush.
Online sales also jumped sharply.
According to data company Comscore.com, online sales rose by a quarter on so-called "Black Friday" to break the $1bn mark for the first time, while online sales on Thanksgiving were up by a third.
The company also expects shoppers to spend $1.5bn online on Monday, 20% more than last year.
Despite the jump in sales over the weekend, there are concerns that the rise in spending over the festive period as a whole will be weaker this year.
The NRF has forecast a 4.1% increase in retail sales during November and December, less than the 5.6% jump recorded last year.


TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has said comments he made last week criticising the BBC were meant as a joke.

The Top Gear host gave an expletive-filled description of the corporation's bosses while at a charity event in London on Thursday.
An investigation into the 54-year-old's current suspension following a "fracas" with a producer is still ongoing.
But writing in the Sunday Times, Clarkson said his comments were "all meant in jest".
He said his "choice language" was to help boost the price of his auction item - a lap of the Top Gear test track.
"By being brief, controversial and a bit sweary, I woke the room up and the auction prize I was offering... raised £100,000," he said.
Clarkson's comments at the Roundhouse Gala were made more widely public on Friday after a video of the event was posted online.
During his speech, the presenter also suggested he expected to be "sacked" by the BBC, auctioning what he described as his "last lap" on the race track.
In his newspaper column on Sunday, he appeared to further hint he was no longer working for the corporation writing: "I used to work on a television show called Top Gear."
'Protest never works'
The presenter was suspended from the BBC Two show on 10 March, following an alleged altercation with producer Oisin Tymon.
A report over the incident is due to be handed to BBC director general Tony Hall next week, who will consider the evidence and "set out any further steps".
An online petition calling for the presenter's reinstatement has been signed by more than one million people since his suspension.
Clarkson thanked his supporters on Friday via Twitter saying: "Many many thanks to all of the people who have called for my reinstatement. I'm very touched. We shall all learn next week what will happen."
However writing in The Sun on Saturday he said: "Protest never works. Because we are all plankton. And the world is run by whales.
"You can be a big and important plankton but that doesn't make a jot of difference if a whale has decided to eat you up. You can get a million other plankton to dress up and wave banners but Mr Whale won't even notice."
The BBC said it would "not be offering further commentary" on any issues involving Clarkson until the current investigation was concluded.


Premier League previews and reports as Spurs are held to a draw and Leicester beat Southampton to move seven points clear at the top.

Leicester City 1-0 Southampton
Manchester United 1-0 Everton
Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea
Arsenal 4-0 Watford
Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City
Norwich City 3-2 Newcastle United
Stoke City 2-2 Swansea City
Sunderland 0-0 West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United 2-2 Crystal Palace
Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur


After picking my teams of the week over the course of another compelling Premier League campaign, it is time to reveal which players have made my best XI of the season.

Champions Chelsea, unsurprisingly, provide five players after sealing their sixth top-flight title with two games remaining.
Fifth-placed Arsenal and seventh-placed Everton both get a man in the side, but one of the top-four squads misses out entirely.
Do you agree with my selection or would you go for a different team?
Why not pick your own team of the season from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share it with your friends?
Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends.
There cannot be many Premier League goalkeepers who can claim to have had a better season than Manchester United's David de Gea - but Thibaut Courtois can.
The Chelsea player has already won the title and is another game from completing his first Premier League and FA Cup Double. There are not many players who can claim that either.
What has impressed me the most about the 25-year-old's season is that every save has been completed with the minimum of fuss.
The Belgium international has produced some outstanding performances and his Golden Gloves award is a fitting tribute to a marvellous season.
Cesar Azpilicueta might not be the best defender in the Premier League but he has certainly been the most consistent player for Chelsea. What a season he has had.
The Spain international has not missed a league fixture. The only other Chelsea player with such consistency in recent times is former favourite Branislav Ivanovic and I thought he was irreplaceable. Apparently not - Azpilicueta seems to have done it.
John Terry aside, you would have to go back to the days of Eddie McCreadie and Ron Harris - who played for the Blues in the 1960s and 1970s - to find defenders who played every league fixture. It is virtually unheard of in the modern era.
What does this say about 27-year-old Azpilicueta? Well it says he is remarkably fit, looks after himself impeccably well and probably only drinks the finest Rioja!
I have been fascinated by the performances of Toby Alderweireld. He has performed brilliantly all season but remains slightly anonymous among the stars at White Hart Lane.
Yet I sense if Alderweireld were to leave Tottenham then he would, in my opinion, be the most difficult player to replace.
I say this because it was in my FA Cup interview for Football Focus, before the semi-final with Chelsea, that I raised the issue about his contract with the Belgium defender. To my amazement he had not signed it at the time and, with Barcelona always on the look-out for top-class defenders, suddenly visions of him defecting to the Spanish giants became plausible.
However, it gets worse. At odds of 18-1, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino sounds like a great bet to join Lionel Messi and the Catalans and, if that were to happen, Alderweireld would almost certainly follow the Argentine out of the Lane to the Nou Camp.
These things are not rocket science in football. However, if Spurs were found to be asleep at the wheel and allow such a catastrophe to happen it would signal the end of what could be a great team in the making.
I don't know what to say about David Luiz that I haven't already said this season. He has been the defender of the year for me.
The Brazil centre-back has played this season with an authority that I have only seen in great defenders. Dutch master Rudi Krol and Italian great Paolo Maldini both had it, while Liverpool legend Alan Hansen and Arsenal hero Tony Adams also produced such performances in their careers.
Needless to say all the players I have mentioned won honours befitting their status. David Luiz is having the season football players dream about. Only losing the FA Cup could possibly spoil it.
Just before it was announced who was about to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, Spurs legend Clive Allen turned to me and said: "I really hope its N'Golo Kante."
I agreed with the remark but so did five other guests who had remained silent until that point. Needless to say when Kante was announced the winner we joined in the standing ovation in glorious adoration of this wonderful player.
However what was most striking was that we were in the company of the most adorably humble human being. I never thought they made professional footballers like that.
Last season I saw a very disenchanted player substituted in the Champions League last-16 match at Stamford Bridge against Paris St-Germain.
He was unfit, lacking in attitude and totally uninterested in the fixture. He wasn't the only Chelsea player at the time, to be fair, but make no mistake Eden Hazard was in crisis.
Fast forward to summer 2017 and the Belgium international, 26, must have every top team in Europe inquiring about his services.
The question is, can Chelsea keep him? If they can they must be in with a great chance of winning Europe's biggest club competition. Lose him and they can kiss any Champions League hopes goodbye.
This lad has the world at his feet and it presents the 21-year-old midfielder with some amazing opportunities. I am fascinated to see what he intends to do with them.
There is no doubting his talent but he's not the finished article by any means. The title 'young' player of the year is very fitting, however. Dele Alli's development is not only crucial to Spurs but to the England team.
As Wayne Rooney's spectre sadly begins to fade, Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate will need a star to replace him. I believe Alli is that star and Spurs and England must protect him.
People who read my team of the week on a regular basis will know what I think of Philippe Coutinho. Frankly, Liverpool would have been sunk this season without him.
If you don't believe me, look at Liverpool's form when he was out of action for two months with injury. Yes, they lost Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations at the time but Mane without Coutinho is like having Rush without Dalglish.
Coutinho is a genius and Liverpool finishing in a Champions League spot has saved Jurgen Klopp, I believe, from losing the Brazilian to one of the European giants.
Next season Anfield will come alive again when they host Champions League fixtures once more and they have a special player in Coutinho to grace those occasions.
In all my time in football I don't think I've seen a season like this at Arsenal. Fans arguing with each other over whether Arsene Wenger is fit to run the club, all because they think they are entitled to win the Premier League? And now it appears those in the boardroom are at it.
Throughout all this turmoil Alexis Sanchez has shown himself to be above all the angst in the club and able to perform in a way you expect from a world-class player.
The 28-year-old Chilean almost single-handedly kept Arsenal in the hunt for a Champions League spot right until the last kick of the season and at the same time allowed Wenger and the club some dignity.
Sanchez will also have something to say in the FA Cup final as well. The bigger the game, the more he seems to like it. However the issue for Arsenal is whether the former Barcelona player will remain at the club after a season like this. Doesn't he deserve better?
To score over 20 goals in one season is impressive, but to do it for three consecutive seasons is quite remarkable. To win a second Golden Boot in your third season is a fitting tribute to Harry Kane's exploits.
I'm delighted for the player because the Spurs striker carried the can for England's debacle in the European Championship and it nearly destroyed him.
Nevertheless, I couldn't believe the headlines granting the player world-class status after his four-goal blitz of Leicester City in midweek. What poppycock!
The 23-year-old definitely has the potential to be world class, of that I am in no doubt. But not yet.
Robert Lewandowski, Didier Drogba and Thomas Muller have all been, or are, world class but all won trophies to demonstrate the fact.
Kane would do well to ignore such hollow praise and stick to the task ahead. Make Spurs world class and you will inevitably be world class with them.
Now here is a player who has done more than any other to try to elevate Everton into a top-six side under Ronald Koeman. Sadly it hasn't happened this season but that was not Romelu Lukaku's fault. The player could not have done any more.
What it has done is alert Chelsea and Arsenal to the big man's ability to hit 20 goals a season. However, there is only one team Lukaku can seriously consider and that is his former club Chelsea.
The Everton striker is the nearest thing I have seen to Didier Drogba and, under Antonio Conte, I think Lukaku will suit their style of football perfectly.
The 24-year-old Belgian is no Drogba yet but I really would like to see him in the Chelsea set-up again. This time around the player is so much more mature and capable.
Lukaku has unfinished business at Stamford Bridge and the Champions League is the natural progression.
I knew what Antonio Conte had achieved at Juventus, and I observed his antics on the touchline when managing the Italian national team, but I never took him that seriously. He hadn't managed in the Premier League, that was why.
Unlike former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, or Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City, both of whom had ploughed their way through an unrelenting campaign to win the Premier League title in their first seasons, Conte still had something to prove.
We don't have winter breaks here where players disappear up into the mountains with their managers to opulent soccer retreats and bathe their weary legs for a month in preparation for the second half of the season. This the Premier League and Ancelotti and Pellegrini just about survived it with their reputations intact.
Their efforts put Conte's spectacular Premier League debut campaign into perspective.
He has Eden Hazard playing the football of his life, and getting Diego Costa playing so effectively again and scoring goals, after the player was dropped over a dispute with a coach about his fitness amid speculation of Chinese Super League interest, was pure genius.
Keeping it all together when players and others are trying to rip your dream apart, and all under the Premier League spotlight, is what separates Conte from the rest.
I have spent a lot of time at Stamford Bridge this season and Conte has proved to be a warrior on the touchline and a thoughtful, sophisticated, well-mannered gentleman off it. Well done, Antonio.
You took Jose Mourinho's misfits and turned them into champions. Now that is management.
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From a majestic natural spectacle to a high-octane technological thrill ride, here's our guide to the big science events of 2017.

If reports are to be believed, 2017 will offer up what's been described as the eclipse of the century.
In August next year, skywatchers from all over the world are expected to converge on the United States for this spectacular cosmic event.
The excitement is understandable, since it's the first such eclipse with a path of totality crossing from the Pacific to the Atlantic coasts since 1918.
Over the course of one-and-a-half-hours, the Moon's shadow will trace an arching path from Oregon in the west diagonally downwards towards South Carolina.
In addition, several large urban centres, such as St Louis, Missouri, and Nashville, Tennessee, lie in the path of the eclipse.
There isn't much cutting-edge science to be done on eclipses, but next year's event is sure to provide one of the greatest natural spectacles in recent memory.
In 2017, one of Nasa's most successful ever missions will build up to a dramatic end. The Cassini spacecraft was launched in 1997, arriving in orbit around Saturn in 2004.
The array of discoveries made during the mission is staggering: giant hurricanes at Saturn's poles, geysers erupting from the icy moon Enceladus, rain, rivers and seas on the planet's biggest satellite Titan.
But starting at the end of 2016 and continuing through early 2017, Cassini will carry out more than 20 dives at the outer edge of the majestic ring system that surrounds Saturn.
This will give scientists the opportunity to study the rings in unprecedented detail.
"We have two instruments that can sample particles and gases as we cross the ring plane, so in a sense Cassini is also 'grazing' on the rings," said Linda Spilker, Cassini's project scientist.
They will also be able to observe the menagerie of small moons that orbit in or near the edges of the rings.
In April, Cassini will begin repeated dives through the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings. Finally, on 15 September, the probe will end its mission by plunging through Saturn's atmosphere - a finale designed to prevent it crashing into potentially habitable moons and contaminating them with any Earth bugs that have hitched a ride.
It should be a thrilling and spectacular ride.
The British Bloodhound project aims to smash the land speed record with a rocket-powered car.
The project has already been delayed several times, but the team behind the record attempt will be hoping that 2017 is their lucky year.
Most of the car is already built; most recently, the team has been testing the car's fuel system.
Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the vehicle should be subjected to trials at Newquay Airport in the UK in July and then Hakskeen Pan in South Africa later in the year.
The British team wants to accelerate the car to 800mph, exceeding the current land speed record, by the end of the year.
Then, after a hiatus, the car should return to South Africa in 2018 to achieve its ultimate goal of breaking the 1,000mph mark.
A British car being entered for next year's World Solar Challenge won't need to get anywhere near those speeds. But it will require impressive feats of engineering to drive the sleek vehicle 3,000km through Australia's interior.
Will this be the year that Elon Musk's SpaceX launches its Falcon Heavy rocket? The super heavy-lift launcher was first mentioned in 2005, but the date for its maiden flight has slipped several times, most recently because of the explosion of SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 rocket in September.
While Musk's company works to successfully return that rocket to flight in 2017, it's just possible that we might see its more powerful cousin launch next year. The rocket, which effectively consists of three combined Falcon 9 boosters, is designed to lift heavy payloads into orbit, including the heaviest commercial and military satellites - and, perhaps one day, crewed spacecraft.
But the repeated delays have prompted some interested commercial customers to look at other options for planned satellite launches over the next few years.
The demonstration launch could either occur from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California or Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With so much else in play at the moment, SpaceX may further delay the launcher's debut.
Follow Paul on Twitter.


A supporters' group says English Football League fans are "angry" about the cost of tickets for away games, with some paying 40% more than Premier League prices.

In March, Premier League clubs agreed to cap away ticket prices at £30.
But seven of the Championship's 24 teams will be charging more than that for their first away game this season.
Aston Villa fans at Sheffield Wednesday face the highest cost, with the cheapest adult ticket selling for £42.
The cost has prompted Villa fans to arrange protests at the game, with some planning to attend wearing robbers' masks at Hillsborough.
The Premier League's decision to cap prices at £30 for the next three seasons came in during a campaign in which admission prices for away fans peaked at £85 for the most expensive adult ticket.
A spokesman for the Football Supporters' Federation, Liam Thompson, says some clubs outside the top flight "treat away fans as an opportunity to make as much money as they possibly can".
In League One, Sheffield United's supporters are paying the most of any team in their division for their season opening trip to Bolton Wanderers, with entry to the Macron Stadium costing £30.
Huddersfield Town, Burton Albion and Reading offer the cheapest tickets to visiting fans in the Championship for their first home games at £20, while Gillingham and Crawley charge the lowest amount in League One and League Two respectively at £16.
"There's a lot of anger at the moment I think this season, particularly because the prices in the EFL [the new name for the Football League] have been thrown into sharp contrast against the Premier League," Thompson told BBC Sport.
"But there's lots of clubs who are doing a lot of good things, Reading have capped their away ticket prices at £20.
"So there are clubs in the Championship and in the EFL who have shown it is possible to give affordable away tickets to fans even outside of the Premier League's TV money bonanza."
In contrast to falling prices in the top division, Aston Villa fans travelling to Hillsborough will pay £12 more than the £30 Premier League cap.
At £42, entry costs three pounds more than the most expensive away ticket in the second tier last season.
But a spokesman for the EFL said in March that its clubs offered "excellent value for money", and added that ticket sales make up a greater proportion of revenue for teams outside the Premier League.
A statement from Sheffield Wednesday said pricing for their season opening game was dictated by demand and calibre of opposition, with Villa playing in the second tier for the first time since 1987-88.
"Sheffield Wednesday have in place a flexible ticketing structure that we implemented last season, whereby each fixture is categorised and priced respectively," the club said.
"This strategy worked very successfully amongst our fan base in 2015-16, borne out by a significantly increased average attendance at Hillsborough, and as such will be extended into the new season.
"The first game of what promises to be an exciting campaign for both ourselves and Aston Villa was priced accordingly and we are pleased to say there will be an attendance in excess of 28,000, with fantastic support from both clubs."


A suicide bomber has killed 20 people at a police headquarters in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say.

At least 29 others were wounded in the blast in the west of the city, the interior ministry said.
Some reports suggest most of those killed and injured were police officers. Earlier reports said most of the dead were civilians.
The Taliban said they carried out the bombing - one of a string of attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in recent months.
Monday's attack happened at the entrance of the headquarters of the National Civil Order Police, a unit that has a counterinsurgency role against the Taliban.
Officials initially blamed a suicide car bomber, but later said the attacker had joined people queuing to get into the police station before he detonated his explosives.
"I saw three dead bodies on the ground and a number of other people wounded, then ambulances arrived and took all the victims away from the attack site," one man told Reuters news agency.
A spokesman for Nato-led forces in Afghanistan, Brig Gen Wilson Shoffner, said: "This attack on the Afghan police shows the contempt the Taliban have for the rule of law in Afghanistan and for those who commit themselves daily to defending the Afghan people.
"The Taliban have no plan for the development of Afghanistan. Targeting those who defend their fellow Afghans does not advance the cause of peace."
The bombing follows a spate of attacks in January, one of which killed seven staff from the Tolo media group in Kabul. Several other attacks were near foreign diplomatic missions.
There has been speculation that the attacks may be aimed at destabilising attempts to revive peace talks with the Taliban.
Others have suggested that the Taliban's winter offensive may be an attempt by their new leader to strengthen his hand in any talks.
Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani warned that if negotiations did not start by April the conflict would intensify, with consequences across the region.
"Time is not a friend," he told the BBC. "We all understand that February and March are crucial."


A Grade II listed sundial dating to 1761 has been stolen from a churchyard in Conwy and its stonework smashed.

The stonework holding the bronze sundial at Conwy church was smashed into three pieces.
Rev David Parry, vicar of Bro Celynnin, said the theft was noticed on Friday morning and reported to police.
"It's very sad. In taking the top, the thieves have severely damaged the stone. It's been part of Conwy's history for a long long time," he said.
"It's a well known landmark, listed in its own right, and we're at a loss to know why someone would want to damage this."


Former Leeds, Newcastle and Birmingham midfielder Lee Bowyer has been named Charlton assistant manager.

Bowyer, 40, who won one cap for England in 2001, started his career with the Addicks before leaving for Leeds in 1996.
He bought fishing lakes in retirement and first joined Karl Robinson's coaching staff at Charlton last season.
Meanwhile, captain Johnnie Jackson, 34, has been appointed to a player-coach role with the League One side.
Jackson, who started his career with Tottenham, joined the Addicks in 2010 and has made 261 appearances for the club in all competitions.
On returning to The Valley, Bowyer said: "It's felt a bit like a homecoming. There are a few faces who are still here from when I was a kid.
"I have a lot more experience now that I can pass on to the lads. I've worked under a lot of good people in my career and Charlton is where it all started, so it's a bit of a fairytale for me."
Bowyer first went into coaching at Watford as part of their development squad alongside former Leeds team-mate Harry Kewell in October 2015.


William Dunlop will ride the road racing season in 2017 for the former leading British Superbike Championship outfit Halsall Racing.

Halsall have opted out of next year's British Superbike series after running Suzuki's official challenge in the Championship this season.
However, Halsall have signed Dunlop, 31, for the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix.
A decision on which machinery Dunlop will compete on has yet to be made.
The Ballymoney man will be Halsall's sole rider during the road racing season.
Dunlop has suffered badly from injuries in recent seasons which included crashes at the Isle of Man TT.
The Halsall outfit will competing in the international road races for the first time.


Users are still getting hold of the drugs once known as legal highs despite them being banned, a charity claims.

The cost has increased and many addicts are begging to fund their habits, Changing Lives said.
Brian Aitken from the Newcastle charity said dealers had "stockpiled supplies".
The production, distribution, sale and supply of new psychoactive substances - cannabis and cocaine substitutes such as Spice and Black Mamba - became a criminal offence in May.
Possession for personal use is not a criminal offence, unless the user is in prison.
Packets of the drugs which had cost Â£5-Â£10 were being sold for over Â£20, Mr Aitken said he had been told by users.
"Those people who were buying in bulk at a cheap price, they're able to command quite a high price now and they're making a fortune," he said.
Bill, 22, who sleeps rough in Newcastle, said the drugs were difficult to get hold of.
"It's really hard, people are having to go through other people, they've having to get it from Manchester, people are having to mission all over for it," he said.
"The ban coming in, it's made it worse, really, because, with it being harder to get, most people aren't being able to feed their addiction so they're getting quite violent and stuff like that."
Last year legal highs were linked to more than 100 deaths in the UK and a rise in violent assaults in prison.
Northumbria Police said the Psychoactive Substances Act gave officers "specific legislation to help us tackle what is a very, very difficult issue".
When the ban was introduced charities helping homeless people, addicts and young people warned it could drive sales underground and onto the black market online.


Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appears to have softened his stance on temporarily barring Muslims from travelling to the US.

Responding to remarks by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Mr Trump told Fox News Radio the ban was "just a suggestion".
Mr Khan has expressed concern that he would not be able to travel to the US under a Trump administration because of his Muslim faith.
Mr Trump had offered to make an "exception" for Mr Khan.
Mr Khan refused Mr Trump's offer, saying the New York businessman's views were "ignorant" and would make the UK and the US "less safe".
Mr Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the US after attacks in Paris killed 130 people last year.
The suggested ban has been widely criticised in the US and abroad but Mr Trump until now has stood by the proposal, saying it was needed to ensure US security.
"It's a temporary ban. It hasn't been called for yet," Mr Trump said on Wednesday. "This is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on."
Mr Trump has shifted positions in the past on a variety of issues only to change his stance days later.
It's likely no coincidence that Donald Trump has softened the rhetoric surrounding his call for a sweeping ban on Muslim immigration into the US on the eve of his closely watched Washington meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan.
When Mr Trump first unveiled his proposal, Mr Ryan's response was short and sharp.
"This is not conservatism," he said.
At the time Mr Ryan's voice was just one of many in the Republican establishment condemning what seemed an extremely controversial proposal from the New York businessman.
Now Mr Trump is the presumptive nominee, and that Republican establishment has been moving - grudgingly - toward backing their new standard-bearer. Mr Ryan has been a holdout, however, saying he wants evidence that Mr Trump shares conservative values and principles.
Mr Trump's latest rhetorical swivel could be an olive branch to the speaker - and, perhaps, a fig leaf allowing Mr Ryan to eventually offer his support.
He has often given conflicting accounts on issues including his tax plan, abortion and transgender people accessing public toilets.
This flexibility has led to concerns among Republican Party leaders about his candidacy.
Top Republicans including House Speaker Paul Ryan have said they are not ready to support Mr Trump in the general election.
Mr Trump will meet Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Mr Ryan and others on Thursday in an attempt to resolve differences.
Also on Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney - who ran against President Barack Obama in 2012 - separately raised questions about Mr Trump's tax returns.
Mr Trump has so far refused to release his tax records - a common practice among presidential nominees. Mrs Clinton has posted her past eight tax returns on her website.
"It is disqualifying for a modern-day presidential nominee to refuse to release tax returns to the voters, especially one who has not been subject to public scrutiny in either military or public service," Mr Romney said.


When you think of lifesaving blood transfusions, an image of a dog attached to a drip doesn't immediately spring to mind.

But an emergency Facebook appeal by a County Down vet for doggie blood donors is helping to change all that.
It was issued after Creggy, a 12-year old springer spaniel, from Ballyhalbert, suddenly became unwell.
Owner David Reaney said he first noticed Creggy's breathing becoming heavy, but initially blamed the dog's age and the hot weather.
"I went to the vets where they diagnosed him with an enlarged spleen and said it needed to come out," he said.
"They knew that when they took it out he would lose a lot of blood, so they needed to find a donor."
The vet usually uses his own dog for blood donations, but as the animal had given blood recently he could not donate again so quickly.
Vets can also get blood reserves from a national charity, Pet Blood Bank UK, that operates in Leicestershire, but has a blood-sharing scheme across the UK.
As delivery takes longer to Northern Ireland, a practice in Belfast can supply to other vets - but this service was not available at the time.
In desperate need of an alternative donor, a social media appeal was issued in an attempt to get Creggy his urgent transfusion.
One of those who replied was Lora Fawcett, whose seven-year-old Labrador, Tucker, came to Creggy's rescue.
"They gave him a little bit of light sedation.  But he was fine and comfortable because they all know him there," she said.
"The vet nurse gave him two big meals and took him for a walk.
"When he got home he had a wee nap and had dinner like normal. It hasn't affected him in any way."
Bangor vet Stephen McLean said there had been an "overwhelming" response to their appeal, with dozens of owners offering to come forward.
He said he was "pleased to see so many dog lovers who were committed to help".
Tucker, along with many of the pets of people who contacted the surgery on social media, is now on a list of emergency donors in case a similar situation arises again.
Only dogs of a certain weight and in a particular age range are suitable for blood donation.
They can only give blood every few months and must not be on any medication. They are carefully weighed and tested to make sure only the right amount is taken from them.
Dogs have different blood types like people, but they can receive an initial, unmatched blood sample in an emergency situation.
Pet Blood Bank UK do not offer donor sessions in Northern Ireland at the moment, but most local vets have to use blood transfusions several times a year.
Usually it is dogs with blood conditions such as anaemia that require the service, but the process can also be life-saving in trauma situations, as seen with Creggy.
As for him... well his owner is simply delighted with the outcome.
"I'm astounded so many people offered to help. I am so grateful to them for saving Creggy's life" he said.
The spaniel had his emergency surgery and after a spell of rest is now getting back to normal - pestering his owner for walks.


A man who raped a teenager in Aberdeen has been jailed for eight years.

Adrian Ruddock, 38, was found guilty at the High Court in Aberdeen earlier this year. He had claimed sex had been consensual.
The victim, who cannot be named, said in evidence she had attempted suicide twice after the attack, which happened in a flat in December last year.
Lord Bracadale, at the High Court in Glasgow, said: "She has been profoundly affected by the experience."
The judge also ordered that Ruddock should be kept under supervision for a further three years.
The woman, now aged 20, said she was "happy" with the sentence.
Ruddock was put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.


Bastia must play their next home game behind closed doors at a neutral ground after their Ligue 1 match with Lyon was abandoned on Sunday.

Kick-off was delayed by 55 minutes, as Bastia fans tried to attack visiting Lyon players during their warm-up.
Lyon were then persuaded to start the match - having initially refused - before a further incident caused the abandonment at half-time.
Bastia's next home game is against Rennes on 29 April.
The French league's disciplinary commission said that "in view of the seriousness" of the incidents, it had suspended the Armand-Cesari stadium as a precautionary measure and would "relocate SC Bastia's next home game to a neutral ground behind closed doors".
The league also ordered the space allocated to visiting fans to be closed at Bastia's away games, without specifying how long this closure would last for.
Bastia are bottom of Ligue 1, three points from safety.
The Corsican club were made to close part of their stadium for three matches after a group of supporters shouted racist insults at Nice striker Mario Balotelli during a 1-1 draw in January.


Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will further delay his track retirement to race in the Diamond League final in Zurich on 24 August, organisers say.

Farah, 34, says his last race on the track in Britain will be the 3,000m at the Birmingham Grand Prix on 20 August.
But having qualified for the 5,000m Diamond League final, he is now set to end his track career in Switzerland.
He will focus on marathons after the World Championships in London, which run from 4-13 August.
Farah won European 5,000m and 10,000m gold at Zurich's Letzigrund Stadium in 2014.
"Now, he plans to bid the track farewell in the legendary arena," said organisers in a statement.
Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m golds at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics.
He will attempt a third successive 5,000m/10,000m double at the World Championships next month.
Zurich is not the final IAAF Diamond League event of the year, but is the conclusion of the men's 5,000m, with the event not included in the Brussels programme in September.


The authorities in Guatemala say an army officer convicted of killing an outspoken Catholic bishop has died in a prison riot.

Byron Lima had been serving a 20-year sentence for the murder in 1998 of Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi, an opponent of the then military regime.
His lawyer said he had been shot by a rival gang within the jail.
The former army captain is reported to have been one of the most powerful inmates in Guatemala's prison system.
He was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to 30 years in jail, but his term was later reduced to 20 years.
His lawyer said he had reports from prison inmates that Lima had recently forbidden a rival gang from selling drugs in the prison where he was serving his sentence.
Lima was convicted along with his father, an army colonel, and a third soldier of the murder of Bishop Gerardi.
The cleric, who was the head of the Guatemalan Catholic Church's division on human rights, was killed two days after publishing a report in which he blamed the Guatemalan army for most of the human rights abuses committed during the country's 36-year armed conflict.


Norwich City won their third Championship game in a row as Cameron Jerome's first-half header earned them three points against Cardiff City.

The visitors took the lead when Jerome nodded Wes Hoolahan's free-kick past Bluebirds keeper Allan McGregor.
Peter Whittingham almost levelled with a free-kick after an hour's play, but John Ruddy caught his powerful drive.
Cardiff could have rescued a point late on when Ruddy saved Craig Noone's close-range effort.
They were unhappy that  Rhys Healey and Kadeem Harris had penalty appeals turned down late on by referee Chris Kavanagh.
And the result meant Cardiff have now lost their last four league games against Norwich and slipped a place to 16th in the table.
Meanwhile, Norwich are just a place outside the Championship play-off places and three points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday.
Jerome's goal was his third in four games for Norwich and the second time in successive games he has scored against a former club, having found the net against Birmingham City on 28 January.
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock: "I'm disappointed with the penalty appeals, seven out of 10 referees would have given them.
"The referee said Healey dived for the first penalty, and then for the second one we've got a superhuman linesman from 40 yards away, who thought the defender got the ball.
"I've heard some excuses but nothing like that."
Norwich boss Alex Neil: "We're starting to hit good form at the right time. This is the time in the season to build momentum.
"We've now won three in a row after a good spell and it feels as if the players have real confidence at the moment.
"We haven't been doing the ugly side of the game but we more than did that against Cardiff.
"Neil Warnock has got them organised and they'll make it tough for you and you'll get beat if you don't stand up to them."
Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Norwich City 1.
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Norwich City 1.
Attempt saved. Sol Bamba (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Aron Gunnarsson with a cross.
Jazz Richards (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nélson Oliveira (Norwich City).
Corner,  Norwich City. Conceded by Aron Gunnarsson.
Substitution, Norwich City. Ryan Bennett replaces Wes Hoolahan.
Sean Morrison (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nélson Oliveira (Norwich City).
Substitution, Cardiff City. Declan John replaces Matthew Connolly.
Attempt missed. Kadeem Harris (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt saved. Craig Noone (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rhys Healey.
Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Nélson Oliveira (Norwich City).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ivo Pinto (Norwich City) because of an injury.
Substitution, Norwich City. Nélson Oliveira replaces Jacob Murphy.
Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Russell Martin (Norwich City).
Foul by Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City).
Jacob Murphy (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jonny Howson (Norwich City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Kenneth Zohore (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonny Howson (Norwich City).
Rhys Healey (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card.
Rhys Healey (Cardiff City) has gone down, but that's a dive.
Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City).
Josh Murphy (Norwich City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Craig Noone (Cardiff City).
Josh Murphy (Norwich City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Cardiff City. Rhys Healey replaces Peter Whittingham.
Jazz Richards (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cameron Jerome (Norwich City).
Substitution, Norwich City. Josh Murphy replaces Yanic Wildschut.
Substitution, Cardiff City. Craig Noone replaces Junior Hoilett.
Alexander Tettey (Norwich City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Junior Hoilett (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Mitchell Dijks (Norwich City).
Corner,  Cardiff City. Conceded by Wes Hoolahan.


A man has appeared in court in Glasgow charged with murdering student Karen Buckley, whose body was found on a farm four days after she went missing.

Alexander Pacteau, 21, made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody following the private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Miss Buckley's body was found by police at a farm to the north of Glasgow on Thursday.
She had gone missing following a night out in the city's west end on Saturday.
Mr Pacteau, from Glasgow, is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He will appear in court again next week for a full committal hearing.
A candlelit vigil was held in Glasgow's George Square from 17:00 on Friday in memory of Miss Buckley, with many of those attending bringing flowers and candles.
The vigil was attended by Miss Buckley's parents John and Marian as well as other family members, who were joined by hundreds of members of the public.
A separate event titled Silent Vigil For Our Neighbour Karen Buckley has been organised to take place in the Garnethill area of the city, where Miss Buckley lived, on Saturday.
Mr and Mrs Buckley visited Glasgow Caledonian University earlier on Friday, where they met some of their daughter's friends and teaching staff and looked at floral tributes that had been left.
A special prayer service was held near her home in Mallow on Wednesday, and a fundraising page set up by Miss Buckley's former classmates to support her family has raised more than Â£50,000.
Miss Buckley, 24, from Cork in Ireland, had been seen on CCTV leaving the Sanctuary nightclub with a man in the early hours of Sunday. Her friends raised the alarm after she failed to return to her flat in Hill Street.
Specialist police divers, a helicopter crew and search dogs were all involved in the search for the qualified nurse, who moved to Glasgow in February to study occupational therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).
Her handbag was discovered in Dawsholm Park, in the Kelvinside area of the city, on Tuesday and officers later began searching land around High Craigton Farm near Milngavie.
It was announced in the early hours of Thursday that officers had found a body at the farm, which was later confirmed to be Miss Buckley.
Speaking at a police media conference on Thursday, Det Supt Jim Kerr said: "We cannot imagine the pain and suffering of Karen's family and friends and our thoughts are with them at this very sad and distressing time."
The police officer thanked members of the public in Ireland and Scotland for their assistance, and described their efforts as "very, very helpful".
Det Supt Kerr also read a statement on behalf of Karen's father John.
It said: "Marian and I, together with our sons Brendan, Kieran and Damian, are absolutely heartbroken.
"Karen was our only daughter, cherished by our family and loved by her friends. She was an outgoing girl who travelled the world where she met lots of people and thoroughly enjoyed her life. We will miss her terribly.
"We would be very grateful if we could now be left alone to grieve with her family and friends."


A council has pledged to visit all streets hit by the Birmingham bin strike by the end of the week.

Refuse workers have been taking action in a dispute over job losses with the action now in its sixth week.
It has led to rubbish mounting up on streets across the city, with Birmingham City Council facing a huge backlog.
The authority said its recovery plan was aiming to deal with "100 per cent of wards by the end of the week".
See more updates on this story and others across Birmingham and the Black Country here
A council spokesperson said: "We are now well into our recovery plan to address the backlog of waste caused by the ongoing industrial dispute.
"As of yesterday, we have visited approximately two-thirds of the city's 8,200 streets.
"We are adopting a different approach that does not involve the regular collection schedules, with the aim of having dealt with 100 per cent of wards by the end of the week ahead."
On Avon Street, in Sparkhill, bags of waste were piled up on the pavement, with waste, including nappies, spilling from torn bin bags.
Resident William Turner, 73, who has lived on the street for 34 years, said the bins have not been collected for three weeks.
"It's unhealthy and dangerous," he said.
"They ask us to leave it out and then don't collect it. The council tax is being paid and up to date [but the service] is below zero. I would like to see a refund with some interest."
Mr Turner, who said he supports the refuse workers, added the two sides must now come together to reach a resolution.
The conflict centres on restructuring plans that trade union Unite says are threatening the jobs of more than 120 refuse collectors.
The council says plans will modernise the service and save Â£5m a year.
On Monday the union said there had been further contact with the council, which had been positive, but there was no breakthrough in finding a resolution.


A man who tried to kill his wife as they walked their children to school has been jailed for life.

Sylvan Parry, 46, of Caernarfon, Gwynedd, attacked mother-of-six Fiona Parry on the first day of the school year on 3 September.
He was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury on Thursday following a trial at Mold Crown Court.
He must serve a minimum of seven-and-a-half years before he can apply for parole.
Mrs Parry was left with a brain injury, physical difficulties, memory loss and impaired speech.
Sentencing Parry, Recorder of Cardiff Eleri Rees said his attack was ferocious and he posed a risk of harm to all who crossed him.
She said mothers and schoolchildren "looked on in horror" as Parry punched his wife to the ground as she pushed their baby in a pram, accompanied by two of their other children.
The court heard he stamped on her head and face up to 10 times and kicked her as she lay motionless on the floor.
Witnesses saw him kick her "like a footballer taking a penalty" and he had to be stopped from stamping on her head.
Judge Rees said had fire officers from a nearby fire station not intervened "you would have continued and you would probably have killed her".
The court was told it was the fourth time he had attacked his wife and he had been involved in serious violence for more than 20 years.
Mrs Parry had said she hoped he would get a life sentence and is now divorcing him.
In a victim impact statement, she said she spent several weeks in hospital after the attack in an induced coma and would need her house adapted because of her poor balance.
"I want to move on and have a happy life for me and my children," she added.
Det Sgt Gary Williams, who led the investigation, said: "This was a horrific act of violence witnessed by members of the public and in particular young children on their way to school."


Striker Fernando Llorente insists he is very happy at Swansea City despite being linked with a return to Italy within four months of joining them.

He came off the bench to score twice in stoppage time and earn a dramatic 5-4 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
"I am very happy here. It is difficult for me because of the language, I would like to speak well, but I need to continue to study," said Llorente.
He also admits to having struggled on his return from a knee injury.
"After my injury I lost my performance level, but I always kept working in training and the coach sees this," said the 31-year-old former Juventus forward.
"Now I'm very happy because these two goals are very important for me, for my confidence and now I feel very good and I feel like I have helped the team."
The victory against the Eagles was Swansea's first in the Premier League since the opening day of the season, a result which took off the bottom of the table and above relegation rivals Sunderland.
Manager Bob Bradley met the Spaniard after "twisted" headlines suggested Llorente was looking to leave the club in January.
The American said, "It's typical, it is headlines that get twisted and people try to make a story out of something that's not really accurate.
"Fernando and I had a really good discussion.
"After arriving at Swansea, coming with an injury, and then having a few knocks after he arrived, we agreed that he wasn't at the level that we both knew he could reach.
"We understood that he's an important guy for the team and we had to move things forward the right way.
"The conversation that we had was so professional and neither one of us got bent out of shape by the way it was twisted in the press.
"We just said and agreed that we'll keep working together in the right way and against Crystal Palace he came on the field and made a difference for our team and it just shows you that he's a good man."
The Swans are 19th, two points adrift of moving out of the relegation zone and face three of the four teams around them in the table next month with Llorente hoping Saturday's win can transform them.
"What has happened is very important for me and for the team," he said.
"The situation in the table is close. This is now the time for change.
"After this I think the team have grown up a lot and this team need confidence."


Ukrainian social media users have called for a boycott of Coca-Cola after it posted a festive map of Russia that included Crimea.

The company originally posted a map that excluded the annexed peninsula, but backtracked when it received protest from Russians.
It quickly republished the photo to include Crimea, only for Ukrainians to threaten to boycott the company.
Coca-Cola has now removed the image altogether and apologised.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the US drinks manufacturer said it did not "support any political movements", adding: "The company has removed the post and apologises for the situation that occurred."
The US embassy in Ukraine had earlier condemned the inclusion of Crimea, saying in an online statement: "Coca-Cola's actions violate the official US position condemning Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea, which is and has always been an integral part of Ukraine."
Coca-Cola posted the original message on VK, Russia's biggest social network, on 30 December, with the caption: "Celebrate winter holidays from Moscow to Vladivostok."
Following condemnation from Russians, it republished the image to include Crimea and went further, including the Kuril Islands - seized by Russia shortly before Japan's surrender in World War Two in 1945 - and Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave annexed from Germany in the same year.
Ukrainians were quick to respond on social media, with many using the hashtag "#BanColaCola".
Ukrainian MP Mustafa Nayem backed the boycott, saying: "All countries which are the main market of Coca Cola like the European Union, the United States, they actually (are) recognising Crimea as a part of Ukraine and they've put sanctions against Russia.
"I think that a company like Coca Cola, which is an international company, should follow these rules and they should follow this way and recognise the same."
Oleh Lyashko, a populist Ukrainian politician, vowed that he would "never ever in (his) life drink Coca-Cola again". He also posted an edited image of the Coca-Cola poster, with the words "Betrayal" replacing the brand's name.
Some - like Facebook user Volodymyr Petrenko - accused Coca-Cola of being "fascists".
Crimea was taken over by Russia in 2014 following months of protests that led to the downfall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. The majority of Crimea's 2.3 million population identify as Russians and speak Russian.
The EU and US condemned the annexation of Crimea and announced travel bans and asset freezes against a number of Russian and Ukrainian officials.


Progres Niederkorn's Paolo Amodio was pleased just to avoid a thrashing at Ibrox but now thinks his side can knock Rangers out of the Europa League.

The head coach was delighted that his Luxembourg outfit left Scotland only 1-0 behind after the first leg.
"I think all the pressure is on Rangers to make sure they go through," he said.
"They probably expected to win tonight by five or six goals and it's not the case, so anything could happen next week."
Progres, who have yet to win any of their 13 games in European competition, finished fourth in Luxembourg's top flight last season, 21 points behind champions F91 Dudelange.
But they will go into next Tuesday's second leg at the 4,800-capacity Stade Jos Haupert with renewed hope of a famous victory.
To do so they will have to improve on their two best European results - a 1-1 draw with Glentoran in 1981, thanks to their only goal in European competition, and a 0-0 with Shamrock Rovers in 2015.
"We will do our best," said Amodio. "We will start with 0-0 next week and anything is possible in football."
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha stressed after the first leg that his side, playing their first European tie in six years, needed time to gel.
Midfielder Ryan Jack, one of the three summer signings to make their competitive debut, is confident there is more to come from Rangers and was delighted with the reception he received followin ghis move from Aberdeen.
"I really enjoyed it," he told Rangers TV after a game won by Kenny Miller's first-half goal. "The atmosphere was incredible, coming out of the tunnel was outstanding and it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
"Those are the types of nights I signed for Rangers for. The European nights under the lights are always special and we got the result in the end, but we know it is far from over.
"I think maybe the final pass was missing or the final cross. We just want to be more clinical as a team to finish the tie off.
"I thought they just sat in and made it frustrating for us, but that is what is going to happen when teams come to Ibrox."
Jack admitted he was still adapting to his new team and coach.
"Sometimes it is difficult on your debut and I am still trying to get used to my team-mates and they are probably still trying to get used to me," added the 25-year-old.
"There are another few new signings in the side and we are still trying to gel together.
"On the whole, we are happy with the performance, but we know we need to step it up again next week."


Leaders Cardiff Devils came from 3-0 down to beat their main rivals for the Elite League title in Belfast.

The remarkable victory means the Devils have a five-point advantage over the second-placed Giants.
New signing Jerome Leduc scored twice and Mike Forney got the other as the Giants took control of the contest.
Mark Richardson gave Cardiff hope and Sean Bentivoglio got it back to 3-2 before Joey Haddard equalised and Patrick Asselin netted the winner.
It was a devastating final period for the Giants who had hoped to cut the Devils lead to a single point.
Now Derrick Walser's men must pick themselves up immediately as they host Cardiff again in Belfast on Saturday night.
As befitting a clash between the top two teams, the game started at a frenetic pace which lasted the entire first period.
Both keepers were kept busy but it was the Devils' Ben Bowns who was beaten first as debutant Giant Leduc, signed only this week, finished with aplomb in front of goal to give the home side the lead in the 14th minute.
With 48 seconds of the period remaining, a Forney shot sneaked past the unsighted Bowns to raise the roof at the SSE Arena as the Giants snatched a two-goal advantage.
Leduc's fine start in a Giants shirt continued in the second period when he slammed in his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 on a Belfast power play.
The visitors were not daunted by that deficit and came back hard at the Giants with a number of impressive saves from Stephen Murphy keeping the three-goal margin intact.
But there was an almighty twist in the tale. The Devils struck early in the final period as Richardson arrowed the puck into the top corner of the net past Murphy.
Now it was the small but vocal contingent of fans from Wales who were making all the noise in the arena as the scoreline became 3-2 as a Bentivoglio shot was deflected into the net off Giants' player-coach Walser, setting up a tense finale.
Haddard then made it 3-3 with less than six minutes remaining.
Then, incredibly, Patrick Asselin's close-range finish completed a remarkable turnaround by the Devils in what could well have been a huge step towards the Elite League title.


An experienced and healthy 90-year-old sailor drowned off the Ceredigion coast after his small boat capsized in gusty conditions, an inquest has heard.

Arthur Roy Taylor probably drowned near Gwbert within 30 minutes of his boat capsizing, Aberyswyth Justice Centre heard.
Mr Taylor's dinghy was found the day after he went missing but his body was not found for another two weeks.
Coroner Peter Brunton recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure.
He said the Gwbert Boat Club member was "fit, healthy and good for his age and no amateur sailor" and "knew what he was doing" in a boat.
Mr Taylor moved from the area to Lancashire after his wife's death in 2001 but kept a caravan in a friend's garden in Gwbert and had a small sailing boat.
The inquest heard Mr Taylor's boat capsized at about 10:30 on 15 April and a witness described the sea as "choppy".
Witness Peter Merryweather, whose house overlooks the estuary, told the inquest he saw a boat on its side that morning and someone holding on to the sail boom inside the hull.
He said it was not unusual for boats to capsize in the estuary and the owners normally managed to turn them back over.
For that reason he did not think it was an emergency, so did not contact the coastguard.
The coroner said the water would have been very cold and while Mr Taylor was wearing a life jacket, he was not wearing any specialist warm clothing.
Mr Brunton thought a man of 90 probably would not have survived in the water for more than 30 minutes and concluded Mr Taylor died at about 11:00.
His body was found between Llangrannog and Ynys Lochtyn and the inquest heard that area of coastline was Mr Taylor's favourite sailing location.
He recorded the probable cause of death was drowning as there was no cardio-vascular problems shown from the post-mortem examination.


Teachers have complained about "cheating watches" being sold online to give students an unfair advantage in exams.

These digital watches include an "emergency button" to quickly switch from hidden text to a clock face.
The watches hold data or written information which can be read in exams.
But a deputy head from Bath has warned about the scale of this "hidden market" and says it could tempt stressed students into cheating.
Watches are advertised on Amazon with the claim that they are "specifically designed for cheating on exams".
One model promises 4GB of electronic storage for text files or images, to be read on the screen of the watch.
If the "emergency button" is pressed, the other buttons on the watch are disabled, as the watch switches to a conventional digital clock face.
This "watch for easier studying" is also marketed as being compatible with a mini wireless earpiece.
Another advert promises a watch that is "perfect for covertly viewing exam notes directly on your wrist".
Another is offering a new model for this year with 8GB capacity, which could hold video files.
Smart watches or digital watches with concealed content would be covered by rules banning electronic devices from exam halls, such as mobile phones or any other computer technology.
But Joe Sidders, deputy head at Monkton Combe Senior School in Bath, has contacted the BBC to warn that the rise of small wearable devices risks becoming a "nightmare to administer".
"I expect the hidden market for these sorts of devices is significant, and this offering on Amazon is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.
The deputy head says that it is irresponsible to try to sell such items to under-pressure pupils, who might get caught and disqualified from all their exams.
He wants exam boards to take a tough line on this - and to challenge businesses making such devices available.
And he raises concerns that if such devices were in wide circulation it would call into question the validity of results.
There is a model on Amazon on sale in the US for $61 (Â£43) which can be shipped to Europe. It is also advertised in the UK but described as currently unavailable.
Another advert for the UK market has a cheating watch for Â£44, but via a US-based seller. There are also "cheat pens" on offer, which allow students to conceal information inside a pen.
Cheating watches are also advertised on eBay or can be bought online directly from retailers.
Concerns about the dishonest use of smart watches is already affecting examinations, according to people contributing to the BBC's Facebook page.
Eugene Beirne said he was currently taking airline pilot's exams and "one of the many things you are not allowed is a watch regardless of the make".
Abigail Lauze said: "My microbiology professor does a watch check every time we have a test. If it's not an old school analogue it has to come off and go in the cell phone bin."
The Joint Council for Qualifications, speaking on behalf of exam boards, said schools should tell students "what is and what isn't allowed in the examination room".
"A candidate found in possession of anything used for cheating - like these watches - would be reported to the awarding organisation whose examination was affected.
"This could result in the student being disqualified from the exam and the overall qualification."


The son of one of the founders of Cirque du Soleil has died in an on-set accident.

Technician Olivier Rochette died on Tuesday, in what police have called an "industrial accident", when he was struck by a telescopic lift.
The 43-year-old had been setting up for a performance of "Luzia" in San Francisco.
Rochette's father, Gilles Ste-Croix, was one of the founders of the world-touring circus.
"I am heartbroken," said Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre in a statement. "Olivier has always been a member of our tight family and a beloved colleague."
Rochette's death comes just days after a serious fall left a performer in a head brace.
Australian Olympic gymnast and acrobatic performer Lisa Skinner fell during her aerial hoop routine in Brisbane on Sunday.
She broke her vertebrae and her arm, her mother said.
In 2013, a performer died during a live show in Las Vegas. Investigators said Sarah Guyard-Guillot fell 28m (94ft) to the floor when a safety wire became detached due to her rapid ascent.
The company was fined.
Cirque du Soleil was founded in 1984 by Mr Ste-Croix and Guy Laliberté.
With headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, it was a Canadian company until 2015, when it was bought by US private equity firm TPG Capital and Chinese investors Fosun Capital Group.


Three children have been rescued from the water in Ballycastle, County Antrim, after being spotted by a member of the public.

The Coastguard said the boy and two girls were paddling in a small river when they lost their footing and got swept out into the sea.
The children are believed to be from Ballycastle and aged 10, 11 and 12.
Nat Hunter, from Ballyvoy, was walking on the beach with his wife when he saw the children in the water.
Mr Hunter told BBC News NI: "We saw the children playing in the mouth of the river where it meets the sea.
"But when we came back they had got caught up in the current of the river and been pushed out to sea.
"They had started to panic and get stressed out, so I went to get the buoyancy aid up on the beach and went out to them.
"I threw the ring out to the child who was furthest away, about 50m out.
"It was two little girls and a boy, I think they were about ten."
Mr Hunter was helped by another man to bring the children to safety.
"When we left the coastguard was with them and the ambulance had just arrived," he said.
"I think they were alright, but they are bound to have been freezing and a bit shook up."
The Coastguard said they were called by a member of the public at about 20:30 BST on Wednesday.
"The current was strong and would have taken them out," said a spokesperson.
The children were all taken to the Causeway Hospital and are in a stable condition.


The Scottish SPCA has appealed for information after a cat was found dumped in a recycling bin in Stranraer.

A dog walker found the animal trapped inside the bin on Friday in an area known locally as The Approach.
The cat - which has been named Dusty - had been left with a puppy blanket but no food or water.
It is now being looked after at the charity's animal rescue and re-homing centre and being treated for eye and ear injuries.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Geraldine Lawrie said, "Dusty is a very friendly and affectionate wee man so he's obviously belonged to someone.
"He's lucky that he was found by the member of the public whose dog took an interest in the bin.
"Dusty was inside the bin with the lid closed."
She said that a vet who had seen the cat was confident it would recover from its injuries.
"We are appealing for anyone who has any information, or noticed any suspicious activity to get in touch with our animal helpline on 03000 999 999," she said.
The Scottish SPCA said that abandoning an animal was an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.
It said anyone found guilty of doing so could expect to be banned from keeping animals for a fixed period or for life.


South African tech innovators have been selected to help the BBC reach young African audiences through digital platforms.

The young digital specialists from RLabs were chosen from 12 teams.
They had participated at a BBC "hackathon" event held in Cape Town in April looking at making BBC audio more accessible to young people.
Their digital widget which plays BBC audio clips will be funded to pilot and user test prototypes over six months.
During the BBC hackathon, teams presented ideas on new ways of delivering audio in a cost-efficient way to reach younger audiences.
RLabs will develop their CatchUp digital widget which can be placed on websites. By activating the widget, users can hear short clips of BBC audio content.
Latest African news updates
RLabs team leader, 25-year-old  Kurt Appolis, said his team's idea focuses on a piece of BBC content without distraction.
BBC World Service Group Digital Development Editor and judging panellist Dmitry Shishkin called the widget simple and elegant.
He said reaching out to the local tech scene was part of the BBC's commitment to Africa.
"It complements our renewed digital investment into covering Africa better," he said.
At a similar event in Nairobi in February two Kenyan teams were selected to develop their products. They both aim to connect with younger audiences, one by using local languages, while the other uses instant messaging apps.
More than half of African browsers currently come to BBC.com using their mobile devices - a proportion that is expected to grow in the future.


Lufthansa has struck a deal to solve a five-year-long dispute with pilots that has cost it millions of euros.

Germany's largest airline and the Cockpit union have agreed upon an arbitrator's proposal for a new wage agreement that covers about 5,400 pilots.
The firm has agreed to a four-stage 8.7% total wage increase and a one-off 30m-euro (Â£25.5m) payment.
That works out at some 5,000 euros to 6,000 euros per employee.
Cockpit union spokesman Markus Wahl said although union negotiators had agreed upon the deal, its members would have the final say on whether to accept.
The dispute has seen pilots take part in 15 strikes.
The union had wanted an average annual pay rise of 3.7% for its members in Germany, backdated to 2012.
Despite a record profit last year, the company said it had been forced to cut costs to compete with budget rivals such as Ryanair in Europe and the likes of Emirates on long-haul routes.


Well-known Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori has been arrested after a woman said he had forcibly removed eggs from her at his clinic.

Dr Antinori has been placed under house arrest and banned from practising pending a police investigation.
The complaint, rejected by the doctor's lawyers, was made by a 24-year-old Spanish woman.
Dr Antinori shot to fame in the 1990s when he helped a woman give birth at 63, a first at the time.
The 70-year-old was arrested at Rome's Fiumicino airport and is now under house arrest in the Italian capital.
According to Italian investigators, the Spanish woman, who was temporarily working at Dr Antinori's Matris clinic in Milan, had her mobile phone taken and was forcibly immobilised and anaesthetised before her eggs were harvested.
Lawyers for Dr Antinori, nicknamed the "grandmothers' obstetrician", said the doctor was an innocent victim of extortion.
Prosecutors believe his may not be an isolated case, according to the Italian media.
Donata Lenzi, an Italian MP, said: "The arrest of Severino Antinori is extremely serious because it indicates the existence of a market in eggs that will not stop at anything."
Dr Antinori became famous worldwide in 1994 when he gave fertility treatment to Rossana Della Corte, an Italian who at the time became the oldest woman to give birth.
He also helped Patricia Rashbrook, who became the UK's oldest mother in 2006.
In 2003, the controversial doctor said Italian authorities were persecuting him over his human cloning projects.
This followed his announcement that one of his patients would give birth to a cloned baby.


Watford produced a stunning performance to come from 2-0 down to beat West Ham.

Two headers from Michail Antonio had put the hosts firmly in control with 33 minutes played.
However, Odion Ighalo's deflected shot and a wonderful effort from Troy Deeney levelled it before the break.
Etienne Capoue's powerful half-volley put the visitors in front and Jose Holebas sealed Watford's first victory of the season with a shot from 18 yards out.
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There had been little indication of what was to follow when Antonio headed home Dimitri Payet's rabona cross with just over half an hour played.
The Hornets were utterly outplayed in the opening exchanges of this game and were lucky not to be further behind, Daryl Janmaat inexplicably passing the ball against his own post when under no pressure.
Ighalo got the ball rolling for his side when he drifted inside from the left and his low shot went in after a kind deflection from James Collins.
Collins' afternoon went from bad to worse just before the break when a breakdown in communication saw the Wales international head the ball over the onrushing Adrian and Deeney picked up the loose ball before curling home a superb shot from just inside the area.
The Hammers had half-time to regroup but simply could not match Watford's intensity in the second half.
Capoue scored his third goal of the season when a deep ball came to him at the back post and Holebas grabbed his first goal in English football with a shot from the edge of the area that Adrian should have done more to keep out.
From there on in the Hornets had further chances to add to their score but Adrian kept out efforts from Isaac Success and Roberto Pereyra.
It has not been a great start to the season for the Hammers.
Slaven Bilic's side were knocked out of the Europa League by Romanian side Astra Giurgiu for the second season running and they have now lost three of their first four Premier League matches.
Bilic gave a first start of the season to Payet and for the first 30 minutes the Frenchman was absolutely magnificent.
His corner was headed in by Antonio as the hosts took an early lead and he then set up the second with possibly the best pass of the campaign so far.
He turned Holebas inside out before stopping and sending over a rabona cross with his right foot that Antonio converted for a fourth league goal of the season.
After that Payet faded as his team totally lost control of the match.
Like many of his team-mates debutant Simone Zaza started brightly, releasing Antonio with an overhead kick with just his second touch in English football, but by the time he was subbed off on 77 minutes he had become an isolated figure.
Hammers striker Andy Carroll is still a couple of weeks away from returning and, on this evidence, they desperately need his presence to bolster their attack.
BBC pundit Alan Shearer on Match of the Day
Taking nothing away from Watford, who showed great character to come back, but the defending was comical.
For the second goal, it was laughable defending. West Ham were all over the place. Watford were superb in coming back though.
West Ham have pledged a "full review" of security at the London Stadium after fighting broke out during the match.
Trouble flared between rival supporters and the club later released a statement citing "zero tolerance" on fan violence. It said offenders would be "banned for life from any West Ham fixture".
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "It was a shock to be 2-2 at half-time but there were still 45 minutes to go.
"We let them score two goals in the second half without putting them under pressure. It was too easy for them.
"We can not defend like that or we are not going to win a single game.
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Watford boss Walter Mazzarri said: "We didn't start very well but we started to concentrate better and the result came.
"We changed a couple of things in our formation at half-time and that allowed us to not risk as much.
"It was a great win but I look at the way we played and we have to correct the mistakes we made.
"This win gives us the confidence to know we are a very good team and can go on to have a very good season."
West Ham visit West Brom on Saturday while Watford host Jose Mourinho's Manchester United on Sunday lunchtime.
Match ends, West Ham United 2, Watford 4.
Second Half ends, West Ham United 2, Watford 4.
Attempt missed. Cheikhou Kouyaté (West Ham United) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini with a cross.
Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).
Isaac Success (Watford) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, West Ham United. Dimitri Payet tries a through ball, but Winston Reid is caught offside.
Corner,  West Ham United. Conceded by José Holebas.
Foul by Winston Reid (West Ham United).
Stefano Okaka (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Stefano Okaka (Watford) is shown the yellow card.
(West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Winston Reid (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Substitution, West Ham United. Gökhan Töre replaces Sam Byram.
Sam Byram (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Sam Byram (West Ham United).
Isaac Success (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  West Ham United. Conceded by Daryl Janmaat.
Attempt saved. Stefano Okaka (Watford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Isaac Success.
Arthur Masuaku (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Stefano Okaka (Watford).
Substitution, Watford. Sebastian Prödl replaces Younes Kaboul.
Attempt missed. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Dimitri Payet.
Foul by Winston Reid (West Ham United).
Stefano Okaka (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Offside, Watford. Younes Kaboul tries a through ball, but Stefano Okaka is caught offside.
Corner,  Watford. Conceded by Adrián.
Attempt saved. Roberto Pereyra (Watford) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stefano Okaka.
Substitution, Watford. Stefano Okaka replaces Troy Deeney.
Offside, West Ham United. Manuel Lanzini tries a through ball, but Ashley Fletcher is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Dimitri Payet (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, West Ham United. Ashley Fletcher replaces Simone Zaza.
Dimitri Payet (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Valon Behrami (Watford).
Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).
Isaac Success (Watford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini.
Corner,  Watford. Conceded by Adrián.
Attempt saved. Isaac Success (Watford) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Valon Behrami.


There's no bigger world stage than the United Nations General Assembly.

A record number of presidents and prime ministers are here for the opening of this year's 70th annual session.
Each has their own national interest and agenda to pursue, of course, but few dispute that the crisis which overwhelms all others is the agony of Syria, and the Syrians.
But, and it is a very big but, the UN's dominant body, the Security Council, has been impotent in the face of more than three years of civil war.
That's precisely because the most powerful members of the Security Council, Russia and the United States, are on opposite sides in the Syrian war.
President Putin increasingly arms and supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his embattled government in Damascus. President Obama and his Western allies call Mr Assad a war criminal and a butcher.
When Mr Obama sat down with Mr Putin on Monday night, after almost a year without face-to-face contact, expectations were already low.
In the event, the two leaders opened with a brief, unsmiling handshake for the cameras. They barely made eye contact, hinting at the scale of the gulf between them, before disappearing for talks.
An American official said the two men met for about 90 minutes and apparently spent half their time discussing Syria, the other half on Ukraine.
It was a "business-like back and forth. I think they worked through a lot of different issues. This was focused".
The Americans say the two sides fundamentally disagreed on the role that President Assad would play in resolving the civil conflict there.
The Russians see Mr Assad as a bulwark against extremists; the Americans see him as continuing to fan the flames of sectarian conflict in Syria.
So how about this for understatement? "I think the Russians certainly understood the importance of there being a political resolution in Syria and there being a process that pursues a political resolution," said the American side.
"We have a difference about what the outcome of that process would be," particularly as it relates to Mr Assad, they said.
Now for the Russian version of what happened.
There's a fascinating contrast here. President Putin himself spoke to Russian reporters, as if to emphasise the confidence he apparently feels about his position. He told them that Russia had not ruled out air strikes in support of Syrian forces fighting Islamic State militants and was thinking about how to strengthen further the Syrian army.
Mr Putin pointedly said any Russian strikes would respect international norms such as a request from Syria's government, unlike the strikes carried out by the US-led coalition.
An extraordinary situation is now emerging, with both sides - American and Russian - apparently directing their militaries to talk to each other to avoid conflicts between their operations in Syria: in other words, making a terrible and very risky mistake and fighting each other.
The Americans sounded conciliatory, insisting that the United States does not view Russia's military build-up in Syria as necessarily destructive to a positive outcome in Syria, provided Moscow's military are solely used to fight the extremists of so-called Islamic State (IS).
"That might be OK," the official suggested. But if the Russians used their might to continue to strengthen Mr Assad's battle against his own people, that would be negative.
Does any of this imply a meeting of minds between the two presidents? Far from it. Nothing either side said appears to bring the prospect of peace any closer.
Still, it's clear the West is willing to climb down from its previous insistence that President Assad had to go before - not during - any process of transition to end the civil war.
That concession is supremely distasteful to the United States, the UK and their allies. It also seems to contradict the Western logic which argues that Mr Assad cynically and deliberately gave space to extremists in Syria, including IS.
But the real question may be: Who is now the larger enemy of the West? From an American perspective, it's no longer Mr Assad, however much he may profit from the particular horrors IS has unleashed. Mr Obama didn't quite admit that, but he came close.
All of which apparently leaves Washington somewhat reliant on Russia's political co-operation, hoping Moscow will eventually ease Mr Assad from power, even if they clearly won't drive him out.
Diplomatically, it feels like a horrible mess. Mr Assad continues to play with awful skill what looked originally, more than three years ago, like a very bad hand of cards. And there does not yet seem to be any prospect of reviving or recasting the series of Syrian peace talks which have so far led precisely nowhere.
Part of the analysis in Washington, and in Whitehall, is that Mr Putin has been weakened by overextending himself in Crimea and in eastern Ukraine, as well as by the spectacular fall in the oil price on which Russia's failing economy so heavily depends.
The argument goes that he should now be ready to drop Mr Assad - another liability - as an ally in Syria.
The problem for the United States and her allies is that Mr Putin does not seem to be following that script.