UK inflation edged up to a 12 month high in January, as a fall in petrol prices eased.

Inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, rose by 0.3%. It was helped by smaller falls in food and fuel prices than a year ago.
Annual inflation has been below the Bank of England's 2% target for two years, and last year it was zero.
The BoE said earlier this month that it expected inflation to stay below 1% this year.
North Sea oil prices dropped to a 12 year low of $27.10 last month and have almost halved over the past 12 months.
But the Office for National Statistics measure of fuels and lubricants costs was only 7.3% lower than in January 2015, the smallest drop since November 2014.
Continuing low inflation makes the chance of an interest rate rise in the near future unlikely.
Few economists expect the BoE to raise rates before late this year at the earliest, and some analysts see a risk that the BoE could instead have cut to rates below the record low of 0.5% where they have been for almost seven years.
Financial markets do not currently expect interest rates to rise until the end of the decade due to concerns including a global economic slowdown and continuing low oil prices.
Food prices fell by 0.6% between December and January as opposed to a 1% fall a year earlier.
Supermarkets have been engaged in a long-running price war, and discounters such as Aldi and Lidl continue to take market share from the "big four" supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisions.
But the ONS said alcohol prices rose 5.2% between December and January, with spirits increasing by 7.5%, beer climbing by 3.6%, and wine up 4.8%.


Warrington's first-half blitz laid the platform for a convincing win against Wigan Warriors, and keeps them top of the Super League table.

The Wire were up 22-4 at the break thanks to tries from Ben Currie, Tom Lineham, Kevin Penny and Stefan Ratchford, with Dom Manfredi replying.
Free-scoring winger Manfredi completed his hat-trick with a second-half double as Wigan improved after the break.
However, the visitors scored again through Ryan Atkins to seal the points.
Wigan were unbeaten in 21 months on home turf in Super League before last month's defeat by Widnes, but have now lost twice this term and trail Warrington by two points.
Shaun Wane's side gave a debut to Jack Higginson amid their injury concerns, and saw influential captain Sean O'Loughlin limp off at half-time with a hamstring problem.
Meanwhile, Warrington gave a fine performance to cement their early title ambitions, and win their first game in five at the DW.
Atkins' score was his fourth in as many games, but Warrington also lost two key personnel in Chris Sandow to a hamstring issue of his own and Rhys Evans with a shoulder problem.
Warrington coach Tony Smith:
"I couldn't care less if Wigan were going to win it, I was worried about my players. It was tough, we couldn't rotate them after losing those two players in the first half.
"We had a number of players who shouldn't have been on there after a while with some of the knocks they took.
"I saw the determination of the players - they weren't going to let it slip. Their defence was enormous tonight."
Wigan coach Shaun Wane:
"We didn't start well, we were a little bit soft in that early period, but overall I am very proud of the effort.
"With the players we have out and the situation we are in it was a really good effort against a strong Warrington team. They were the best team and deserved to win.
"I thought we could have sneaked it, there were a couple of periods in the second half when there were some poor decisions from the officials where they missed things - and it put us under pressure."
Wigan Warriors: Sarginson; Manfredi, Higginson, Gildart, Charnley; O'Loughlin, Smith, Mossop, Powell, Clubb, J. Tomkins, Farrell, Burke.
Replacements: Tautai, Sutton, Isa, Gregson.
Warrington: Russell; Penny, R. Evans, Atkins, Lineham; Gidley, Sandow; Hill, Clark, Sims, Currie, Hughes, Westwood.
Replacements: Ratchford, Westerman, G. King, Cox.
Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL)


Two Indian soldiers have been shot dead in the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, officials say.

The Indian army said a patrol was attacked by Pakistani soldiers in "a grave provocation" near the so-called Line of Control.
Pakistan denied the accusation. The deaths came two days after a Pakistani soldier was killed near the LoC.
Kashmir is claimed by both nations in its entirety and has been a flashpoint between them for more than 60 years.
Tuesday's shootings took place near Mendhar, 220 km (140 miles) north of the Indian city of Jammu, Indian officials said.
The Indian army said in a statement that a group of regular Pakistani soldiers crossed the LoC, "having taken advantage of thick fog and mist in the forested area".
The soldiers "were moving towards [their] own posts when an alert area domination patrol spotted and engaged the intruders", it said.
A firefight broke out between Pakistan and Indian troops, lasting about half an hour before "the intruders retreated back towards their side" of the LoC, the Indian statement said.
The dead soldiers were named as Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh.
"This is yet another grave provocation by [the Pakistan army] which is being taken up sternly through official channels," the statement went on to say.
But Pakistani military officials denied what they described as an "Indian allegation of unprovoked firing".
"It appears to be Indian propaganda to divert the attention of the world away from the Sunday raid on a Pakistani post by Indian troops in which a Pakistani soldier was killed," they said.
Pakistan has alleged that Indian soldiers crossed the LoC at the time of Sunday's incident, a charge denied by the Indian army.
Exchanges in the disputed area are not uncommon but rarely result in fatalities.
There has been a ceasefire in Kashmir since late 2003.
India suspended a peace process with Pakistan following attacks by Pakistan-based militants in Mumbai in 2008. Negotiations resumed in February last year.
Last month, the nations signed an agreement to ease visa restrictions on travel for some citizens.


Ciara Mageean followed her impressive 1500m outing in Rome on Thursday night by clinching a comfortable 800m win at the Northern Ireland Championships.

The Portaferry woman admitted to some tiredness after a busy day of travelling on Friday and further morning drive from Dublin to Belfast.
"My legs are a little heavy but I came here to get the win and I did that," said Mageean after clocking 2:07.49.
Mageean's 4:04.49 1500m in Rome booked her place at the World Championships.
In the loaded field at Thursday's Diamond League meeting, Mageean finished 10th but that still represented a fine run with several world-class performers behind the county Down woman.
Mageean set her personal best of 4:01.46 at the Diamond League series in Paris last August but she admits that she is still having to get used to racing in such high-class company.
"You are super nervous but that's where I want to be. I want it be a regular occurrence that I run in Diamond League meets."
Last year's European Championship bronze medallist will race in the London Diamond League meeting on 9 July and before that will have an 800m outing in Sligo the week after next.
The majority of the local athletes to have achieved Commonwealth Games consideration standards were in action at the Mary Peters Track although Rio Olympian Kerry O'Flaherty had to pull out of the 1500m after suffering a recurrence of her recent calf problem following a steeplechase outing in France on Friday.
Sprinter Leon Reid went closest to adding to the list of athletes with Commonwealth standards as his 200m heat time of 20.81 was only 0.04 outside the Gold Coast standard.
With a less favourable wind, Reid clocked 21.12 in the final to complete a sprint double after winning the 100m in 10.59 which left him ahead of Paralympic star Jason Smyth (10.76).
Emma Mitchell, who has the Commonwealth 10,000m standard, won the women's metric mile in 4:24.18 after showing an impressive turn of foot to pull away from Ann-Marie McGlynn on the final lap.
Letterkenny athlete Danny Mooney's hopes of achieving the 1500m standard of 3:41.10 were dashed as he ran out of gas on the final lap to clock 3:44.40 after being paced to 1000m by his club-mate Darren McBrearty.
Derry Track Club athlete Adam Kirk-Smith, who has the 3,000m steeplechase standard, finished third in 3:50.45 with City of Derry's Conor Bradley just over three seconds behind Mooney.
Michael McKillop showed encouraging form in the same race as a time of 4:04.17 left him in 10th place as he prepares for the IPC World Championships in London next month.
"I ran 4:16 recently so that was a big improvement today. I was very happy with that," said the four-time Paralympic gold medallist.
Amy Foster, who has achieved the 100m consideration standard, won the women's 200m in 24.13 which left her ahead of southern pair Steph Creanor (25.19) and Roisin Harrison (25.26) with 400m hurdler Christine McMahon (25.27) in fourth place.
After securing the Commonwealth 110m hurdles consideration standard with a 13.60 clocking last weekend, Ben Reynolds crossed the line in 13.99 on Saturday as windy conditions again affected a sprint event.
One of the performances of the day was produced by 16-year-old Beechmount Harrier Davicia Patterson who cut over a second off her 400m personal best as she clocked 54.50 to finish second.
DCH athlete Catherine McManus (54.36) was pushed all the way by the Belfast youngster who will represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas later this summer.
The men's 400m was also an excellent race as Ballymena & Antrim winner Craig Newell (47.31), runner-up Ben Maze (47.55) and Nenagh's Paul White (47.88) were all under 48 seconds.


Data stolen from a dating website aimed at "beautiful people only" has been traded online.

The details of more than a million members including their weight, height, job, and phone numbers were discovered unencrypted online in December 2015.
They have now been sold on the black market, said security expert Troy Hunt.
The firm said the data belonged to members who joined before July 2015 and that no passwords or financial information were included.
Security researcher Chris Vickery, who originally discovered it, told the BBC the firm acted quickly after he notified them - but by then, data had already been sold on.
"They published it openly to the world with no protection whatsoever," he said.
Beautiful People originally claimed the content was from a test server but Mr Vickery said the data itself was still genuine.
"Whether or not it's in the test database makes no difference if it's real data," he added.
It also transpired that a second researcher had identified the same weakness on the same day.
"The breach involves data that was provided by members prior to mid-July 2015. No more recent user data or any data relating to users who joined from mid-July 2015 onward is affected," Beautiful People said in a statement.
"As far as we were aware, at that time [in December 2015], only the two security researchers who informed us of the breach had access to this data."
Now the compromised data appears to have been sold on the black market, security expert Troy Hunt told Forbes.
"Now it's public, cybercriminals have the opportunity to use this information to steal personal identities or more," said David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
"Unfortunately, once a breach of this nature has been made, there is not much that can be done."
Cybercriminals use the genuine identities to synthesise new ones, and they tend to act within a month of receiving stolen data, said John Lord, managing director at identity data intelligence firm GBG.
"Organisations need to take action and use more data, analytical insights and triangulation of multiple-identity proofing techniques to minimise the potential effects of identity theft for both the user and the businesses serving them," he said.
People hoping to join the Beautiful People website submit photographs which are then rated by existing members of the opposite sex for 48 hours.
If they get enough positive votes, they are then granted membership.
The firm claims more than 700 marriages have taken place between people who met on its website.


The first migrants have been prosecuted for illegal border crossing at the county court in Szeged, Hungary.

It comes after Hungary closed its border with Serbia and began enforcing restrictions on those caught trying to enter the country illegally.
All other criminal cases have been suspended to make way for cases against asylum seekers.
Illegal crossing of the border fence and damaging or hindering its construction are now criminal offences.
Ahmed Suadi Talib, an Iraqi student in his early 20s, was one of the defendants - led into court in handcuffs by a policeman wearing plastic gloves and a hygienic face mask.
He and his brother, who was also caught, could have been jailed for three years. In fact, the court reportedly ordered him to be expelled from Hungary and prohibited from returning within one year.
The defendant broke into tears as he described how three of his brothers had been killed in Iraq.
He said he had fled Syria, where he studied at the Mamoun Science and Technology University of Aleppo, in order to escape Islamic State.
Speaking through a translator, he apologised for breaking Hungarian law, and said he did not know it was a criminal offence to cross Hungary's border.
"We didn't know about this law. If we had, we would not have entered there. We respect the laws of countries," he said.
There was a hole, and he and his brother went through it.
According to the testimony of the police sergeant who arrested him, he was caught as one of a larger group of mainly Syrian citizens arrested on the Hungarian side after coming through the fence at dawn on Tuesday.
His case was the first of several taking place simultaneously in the Szeged County Court.
The defendant said that he and his brother were given money by their parents for the journey and were hoping to reach the Netherlands.
They crossed from Turkey by boat to Greece, then made their way up through Macedonia and Serbia to Belgrade by train and taxi. They then walked from Belgrade to Roszke - a distance of over 200km (125 miles).


Pope Francis has named 17 new cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church from around the world, many of whom will help choose his successor.

The new cardinals come from five continents, and include the Vatican's envoy to Syria.
The range of backgrounds "represents a break with custom", said the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
Pope Francis has now chosen close to a third of the College of Cardinals who will ultimately pick who succeeds him.
Read more: The role of cardinals
Profile: Pope Francis
Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote on the next Pope. Thirteen of those named cardinals on Saturday are under 80, and are now eligible to succeed him.
It is the third time in three years that Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope, has named new cardinals. He has used each opportunity to promote members from outside the College's traditional European base.
The new cardinals come from countries including the Central African Republic, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Mauritius, among others.
During the ceremony, Pope Francis decried what he said was a "growing animosity" between people, and raised concern over those who "raise walls, build barriers and label people".
"We live at a time in which polarisation and exclusion are burgeoning and considered the only way to resolve conflicts," he said.
Mario Zenari, Italy (who will remain in his role as Papal Nuncio to Syria)
Dieudonne Nzapalainga, Central African Republic
Carlos Osoro Sierra, Spain
Sergio da Rocha, Brazil
Blase J Cupich, USA
Patrick D'Rozario, Bangladesh
Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, Venezuela
Jozef De Kesel, Belgium
Maurice Piat, Mauritius
Kevin Joseph Farrell, USA
Carlos Aguiar Retes, Mexico
John Ribat, Papua New Guinea
Joseph William Tobin, USA
Anthony Soter Fernandez, Malaysia
Renato Corti, Italy
Sebastian Koto Khoarai, Lesotho
Ernest Simoni, Albania


British number one Andy Murray reached his first Italian Open final with a straight-set victory over unseeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

Murray, seeded second, won 6-2 6-1 in a rain-interrupted semi-final at Rome's Foro Italico to make Sunday's final.
He now meets Novak Djokovic - who beat him in last week's Madrid Open final - after the Serb defeated Kei Nishikori.
In the women's singles, top seed Serena Williams will face Madison Keys on Sunday in an all-American final.
World number three Murray, who will be 29 on Sunday, broke serve four times as he won in 59 minutes.
The first semi-final was delayed by an hour because of heavy rain, and the players were forced off for 15 minutes during the first set.
"I think it is the first time since I've been on Tour that I've not had a chance to hit balls before going on to the court," said Murray.
"It pretty much rained non-stop and then they flipped the schedule around so I didn't feel that comfortable coming on to court.
"But he made a few mistakes and I served well to make it easy for myself."
In between the showers, Murray was at his ruthless best against world number 52 Pouille, playing his first ATP Masters semi-final.
The 22-year-old looked nervous as he dropped serve from 40-0 in the fourth game and - after that brief rain delay - Murray broke again to clinch the set.
It was a similar story in the second set, with Murray repeatedly drawing his opponent into the net and setting up the passing shot.
Two more breaks of serve gave Murray the match and he left the Centrale Court in sunshine, having surpassed his best effort of reaching the last four in 2011.
"A lot of the best players of all time have played, won and competed for the title here, so I'm very happy to get the chance to do that," added Murray.
"After 10 years of kind of struggling on the clay and especially this event maybe not playing my best, I'm happy to be there."
Murray completes his preparation for the French Open, which starts on 22 May, by facing world number one Djokovic in Sunday's final.
The Serb, 28, needed to dig deep to beat Nishikori in the second semi-final, eventually prevailing 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in a match lasting a minute over three hours.
"Any time you get the chance to play the best players, especially right before a Slam, is great preparation," said Murray, who has won just one of his past 13 matches against Djokovic.
"Regardless of who I play in the final, I know I will be pushed hard. That's what you want."
Murray is bidding to win the third clay-court title of his career after finally succeeding on the surface in back-to-back tournaments last year.
"Clay is not my most natural surface, but because of the wins I've had on it in the last few years, once I've played a few matches and had a bunch of practice sessions on it, I do start to feel much better," said Murray, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
"I believe that I can compete with the best players on this surface now, because of the wins I've had in the last two years."
Williams reached her fourth Italian Open final with a 6-4 6-1 win over Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu.
The world number one missed the start of the clay-court season through illness, but is finding form before her title defence at Roland Garros.
Williams is one Grand Slam victory away from equalling Steffi Graf's record of 22 singles titles in the Open era.
And, after beating world number 35 Begu in one hour and 26 minutes, she is one victory in Rome away from her 70th career title.
Keys, 21, stands in her way after a shock 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over third seed Garbine Muguruza.
The unseeded American, ranked 24th in the world, had already produced the best European clay-court performance of her career to reach the last four.
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A Western Australian city will not be allowed to hold citizenship ceremonies on its alternative national day.

Fremantle council last month decided to move traditional Australia Day events from 26 to 28 January because of Aboriginal cultural sensitivities.
A "culturally inclusive alternative" is now due to be held on 28 January out of respect for the Indigenous community.
But authorities say holding citizenship ceremonies on that date would send an anti-Australia Day message.
"Citizenship has got to be apolitical, non-commercial, bipartisan and secular," Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke told ABC radio.
"It's really important... we've got hundreds of councils administering this around the country... that they don't get the idea they can use citizenship as a political football."
The Australia Day public holiday is traditionally held on 26 January across the country, marking the arrival of Britain's First Fleet on 26 January 1788.
Fremantle council voted in August to scrap its popular Australia Day fireworks event from 2017 after deeming the celebration "culturally insensitive".
Fremantle mayor Brad Pettitt was subsequently accused on social media of grandstanding, being politically correct and not seeking the advice of Aboriginal leaders.
To quash rumours local indigenous elder Robert Eggington last week posted a photo of dozens of elders meeting with the council in September, saying the decision was 50 years ahead of its time.
"It's a clarification of history, because celebrating the day the first gunshots ploughed our blood into the earth is horrific for Aboriginal people," he wrote.
"I believe Brad Pettitt will become a historic figure because of the decision."


The former director of a Newry food company which was at the centre of the horsemeat scandal has said his firm did nothing wrong.

James Fairburn gave evidence to a Westminster committee on Tuesday.
In February, a consignment of beef being stored at Freeza Meats was found to contain horsemeat.
It did not belong to Freeza Meats and none of their products tested positive for horsemeat.
Mr Fairburn, who is now retired, said the beef belonged to another company, McAdam Foods, and that his firm has suffered.
He told MPs the scandal had led to his firm missing out on multi-million pound orders and had resulted in 31 jobs being lost in Newry.
Quizzed by MPs on the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee about the horsemeat scandal, Mr Fairburn described it as a "fraud" and said it was "being perpetrated by a big organisation".
He also said he suspected it had been "going on for some time".
He told MPs that the illegal meat trade originated in other parts of Europe and did not come from the UK or Ireland.
He rejected a suggestion from the Conservative MP Anne McIntosh that "all roads lead to Ireland".
Asked if the scandal originated in Ireland, Mr Fairburn said "not at all".
Mr Fairburn faced questioning from Conservative and Labour MPs and the South Down SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie.
MPs also heard evidence from the Food Standards Agency.
Tests carried out on the meat stored at Freeza Meats found that samples from the consignment contained about 80% horsemeat.
It followed the discovery of horse DNA at a plant in the Republic of Ireland.
Newry and Mourne Council confirmed that tests on Freeza Meats' burgers were free from horsemeat DNA.
Martin McAdam, whose firm owned the contaminated meat, said there was "clearly an issue" with their Polish supplier.


A Canadian national has been arrested in Colombia after trying to board a flight to Toronto with a phony pregnant belly stuffed with cocaine, police say.

The tourist caught the attention of a policewoman at Bogota's International Airport who allegedly asked her how far along she was.
She reacted aggressively, which aroused the suspicion of officials who went on to search her.
This year, nearly 150 people were caught with drugs at Bogota's airport.
About a third of them were foreign nationals, according to the Colombian authorities.
The Canadian national had entered Colombia at the beginning of August and was about to board a flight to return to Toronto, when a policewoman asked her how long she had been pregnant.
"[The Canadian] didn't like the question, which made the official suspicious. Instinctively, she then very delicately touched the lady's belly, realising it was too hard and extremely cold," said the deputy director of Colombia's police anti-narcotics section, Colonel Esteban Arias Melo.
The woman allegedly said she was seven months pregnant.
After performing a body search, the police found two sealed bags stashed inside the latex belly, which contained 2kg (5lb) of cocaine.
Colombian authorities say the Canadian national will be charged with drug trafficking, possession and production and could be sentenced to between five and eight years in prison.
The drugs would have had a street value of around $60,000 (Â£38,000), Colombian police said.
Government officials say 874 foreigners are currently being held in the country's jails, the majority on drug charges.


Morale in Leyton Orient's squad is high despite their poor start to the season, says midfielder Michael Collins.

Orient are in the League Two relegation zone having won one of their last nine games and some fans have called for president Francesco Becchetti to quit.
But Collins told BBC Radio London: "It certainly doesn't seem like a place that's down. Training has been positive and the lads have been positive."
Collins, 30, made his debut in Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Crewe.
He joined the O's on a three-month contract last week, having been a free agent since leaving Indian side Bengaluru earlier this year.
And the former Huddersfield, Scunthorpe and York midfielder believes his new side can climb away from danger.
"There have been some disappointing results but I don't think it would take much to turn it around," he said.
"I've been in sides before where you know there are problems and I don't sense that here. Sometimes in football you just need a bit of luck and over the coming weeks hopefully we'll get that.
"Nobody is shirking and nobody is hiding."


The son of a Pakistani politician, recently freed after four years in captivity, tells the BBC he is "deeply touched" by the public's support.

Shahbaz Taseer was seized by gunmen in Lahore in August 2011, months after his father Salman was killed for opposing Pakistan's blasphemy laws.
There was no news from Mr Taseer until last month, when he was released in mysterious circumstances.
Mr Taseer has taken to Twitter to answer questions about his ordeal.
In one of his first comments to the media since his release, he told BBC Urdu's Nosheen Abbas: "A lot of people prayed for my safe return and it's wonderful to now be able to interact with them. I'm deeply touched."
Read more: Why was murdered Pakistan governor's son released?
His wife, Maheen, said: "I had been dreaming to meet Shahbaz for so many years...and it just felt so unbelievable. Then all these people joined us in that joy, it was just amazing."
"I felt like we could be ourselves again... I felt alive again. People were rejoicing with us, it felt really good."
Mr Taseer was abducted by armed men in 2011, and is believed to have been passed on to a militant group.
Many believe he was being held by some elements of the Pakistani Taliban.
There are few details about his kidnapping and eventual release.
However, the couple have this week begun answering questions on Twitter about their experience, with Mr Taseer's humorous answers sparking delight among many followers.
Mr Taseer's Twitter account flickered back to life three weeks ago, shortly after his release.
Earlier this week, he began responding to curious Pakistanis' questions about his experience with the hashtag #AskST.
Mr Taseer also took time to answer questions on how he survived five years of imprisonment.
Mrs Taseer told the BBC that the couple's question-and-answer session "actually happened really randomly. People started asking us questions two days ago and we decided to answer the questions yesterday."
"It still feels surreal. I hadn't been able to say anything for a long time because I was told not to say this or that... and it felt liberating to be able to talk about it."
The sense of collective grief that many in Pakistan had felt when Shahbaz Taseer was abducted turned into a collective sense of relief once he was found alive.
Many people who know the Taseers as public figures felt Shahbaz's disappearance keenly, especially as it happened soon after the murder of his father.
Mrs Taseer says her husband is enjoying Twitter because he hasn't had interaction with people for a long time. Now, they're reaching out to him and it's heartening, she says.
Mr Taseer's reappearance last month, alive and unharmed, came as a surprise for Pakistan.
He had not been heard from since his kidnapping in August 2011, when gunmen seized him from his car while he was on his way to his company's head office in Lahore.
It came after the brutal murder of his father, who was known for his opposition to the country's strict blasphemy laws, by bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri.
The incident shocked the country and divided opinion, with many condemning the killing while Islamists hailed Qadri as a hero.
Qadri was executed in February, prompting large-scale protests from his supporters across the nation.


Thousands of people raced through gallons of mud at Drumlanrig Castle near Thornhill at the weekend.
They were taking part in the annual Tough Mudder event.
It saw participants run through ice cold water and navigate around 20 obstacles in a course designed by British special forces.
Described by organisers as "the toughest event on the planet", the extreme endurance challenge was the brainchild of Will Dean and Guy Livingstone and regularly takes place in the UK, US, Australia and Canada to test fitness, stamina, mental strength and camaraderie.


An explorer is hoping to complete Sir Ernest Shackleton's unfinished journey to the South Pole to become the first person to cross the Antarctic unaided.

Former Army officer Henry Worsley will endure freezing temperatures during the 80-day trek over 1,100 miles (1,770km).
The 55-year-old will pull a sledge containing his food, tent and equipment and he will not receive supply drops or help across the ice from dogs.
He sets off in November and wants to raise Â£100,000 for the Endeavour Fund.
The organisation helps injured and sick servicemen and women.
Mr Worsley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he expected to lose two stone (12.7kg) during the challenge.
"There is no black art to driving one ski in front of the other," he said.
"What is driving me on is the money for these wounded soldiers."
Mr Worsley flies to Chile on Tuesday and from the country's southernmost tip will fly to Union Glacier in early November, his Antarctic logistics base.
He will then continue to his start point at Gould Bay - the closest accessible point to Shackleton's intended start at Vahsel Bay on the edge of the Weddell Sea.
Shackleton and his team's hopes of becoming the first explorers to cross the Antarctic continent were crushed after his ship, Endurance, was trapped by pack ice, leaving the men stranded in 1915.
The Duke of Cambridge, who is patron of the challenge, presented Mr Worsley with a replica of the same flag Shackleton was given before his expedition, which will be taken on the trek.
He told Mr Worsley: "It's a huge challenge, but there's no better person than you, we'll be thinking of you at Christmas."


Truro City manager Lee Hodges says he is concerned about his team's poor run of form in National League South.

The White Tigers have lost four successive league games, having not got a victory since 19 November, and have slumped to 16th in the division, two points above the relegation places.
"It is worrying because we've got to get those points on the board as quickly as possible," Hodges said.
"We've been in every game that we've played in and at times we've dominated.
"We have to make that domination count and put teams to bed, because we are creating chances," he added to BBC Radio Cornwall.
City, who parted company with player-coach Rory Fallon and former Torquay full-back Durrell Berry last month, have signed Gulls youngster Charlie Duke on a one-month loan.
But Hodges says he is hopeful of bringing more players to Treyew Road during the transfer window:
"The aim is to hopefully add to the squad that we've got at the moment by the end of the weekend.
"I will keep persevering to try and get some lads in to help the boys we have already."


Flu is circulating at its highest level for three years, amid concerns the vaccine may be less effective.

Official figures show 74 outbreaks have been reported in England in the past week, with most in care homes.
Meanwhile, doctors at Southampton General Hospital have warned the virus has mutated to avoid the immunity provided by the flu jab.
Public Health England said the jab would still offer "some protection" and was the best option available.
There has not been a major flu season in the UK since the winter of 2010-11.
Cases remain below the level seen then, but are already higher than the peak from the past three flu seasons.
Increases in weekly flu cases have been reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but remain stable in Scotland.
Public Health England data show 107 people have been admitted to hospital in the past week.
Doctors will be closely watching the figures as children return to school for an indication of how bad the flu season will be.
The main circulating flu virus this winter is influenza A type H3N2, which disproportionately affects the elderly.
It has been the source of mounting concern that strains of the virus have mutated to make the seasonal flu jab less effective.
The US Centres of Disease Control has warned that half of H3N2 viruses tested there were "drifted strains" which were different to the one protected by the flu jab.
Of 24 samples tested by Public Health England, five are of drifted strains.
Dr Richard Pebody, head of seasonal flu surveillance at Public Health England, said: "This indicates a proportion of circulating flu viruses circulating in the UK are likely to be drifted.
"Further analysis will take place, but it is not clear yet if these drift variants will become the dominant strain nor if such a drift will result in reduced effectiveness of the vaccine.
"Existing vaccine is likely to still provide some protection and getting vaccinated remains the best way to protect yourself from flu."
Doctors at Southampton General Hospital have warned of a "significant rise" in admissions and put part of the blame on flu mutating.
Dr Ben Marshall, a specialist in respiratory medicine at the hospital, said: "We have seen the number of patients, mainly those who have respiratory conditions such as asthma or COPD, being admitted as medical emergencies increase from 25-to-30-a-day to more than 50."
He said half of cases were H3N2.


The absence of midfielder Joe Allen for Sunday's clash with Georgia is a 'massive' blow to Wales, according to defender Neil Taylor.

Media playback is not supported on this device
The Stoke City midfielder scored with a stunning long-range strike in Wales' 2-2 draw with Austria in Vienna, but came off with a hamstring injury.
Manager Chris Coleman has confirmed Allen has joined Aaron Ramsey on the sidelines.
"Joe is a massive loss because he is a massive player for us," Taylor said.
"Obviously Joe is going to be missed. He's in great form and scored a great goal and will be a huge miss.
"But hopefully we can get the three points against Georgia, ready for when Joe slots back into the team."
Skipper Ashley Williams admits the absence of Allen is a bitter pill to swallow, but believes that whoever replaces him will produce the required level of performance.
"Obviously we want Joe to play, he is massive for us," Williams told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"But whoever comes in will step up and do a job as required. That's how it is with us.
"Two-years ago we played against Cyprus and Bosnia without Joe and Aaron [Ramsey] and we will do so again.
"Whoever steps in will have been part of the group for a number of years and know what is required."
Striker Sam Vokes feels Wales need to beat Georgia to ensure they make the most of their hard-fought point in Vienna.
"We are happy with a point, of course. Not many people take points in Austria," he said.
"For us, we got the point and now we have something to set us up for Sunday.
"It was a good point in the end. We weren't at our best and still picked up a point. We take a positive from that.
"It is important to get the win to maximise the point in Austria. It is early doors in the group and we need to put our stamp on the group."


Iraqi forces have made fresh progress in the battle against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, reportedly taking a key district in the city's east.

Elite troops captured al-Muthana following night-time fighting, an army spokesman said, putting them in a position to take higher ground nearby.
It comes days after Iraqi forces began the second phase of a push to conquer the last major IS stronghold in Iraq.
About two-thirds of east Mosul has been retaken since October, officials say.
The army said its troops had raised the national flag after capturing al-Muthana.
Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) spokesman Sabah al-Numan told Reuters news agency soldiers had attacked by night for the first time, crossing a tributary of the River Tigris.
"We used special equipment and had the element of surprise - the enemy did not expect us to mount a night offensive because all previous offensives were during the day," he said.
On Wednesday the commander of the US-led coalition against IS said Iraqi forces were gaining momentum in Mosul, in northern Iraq, after the campaign had almost ground to a halt by December in the face of fierce resistance by IS.
Lieutenant General Steve Townsend said this was partly due to improved co-ordination between Iraqi commanders from various pro-government forces involved in the operation.
It also coincides with a sharp increase in the number of military advisers from the US and other coalition countries helping with the battle.
The offensive to recapture the city of Mosul was launched on 17 October, more than two years after jihadists overran the city before seizing control of much of northern and western Iraq.
Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, have been involved in the fight.
More than 100,000 people have fled their homes in and around Mosul and UN officials are warning that this figure is likely to rise as pro-government forces press further into the city.


Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has defended his decision to block an exploratory borehole for shale gas.

Former finance minister Sammy Wilson had accused Mr Durkan of signalling that Northern Ireland "is not open for business".
Mr Durkan said each application was judged on its own merits.
He said there was a "lack of objective information about the cumulative environmental impact" of work at the site in County Fermanagh.
Tamboran Resources wanted to drill a 750m deep hole at a quarry at Belcoo, using permitted development rights.
Mr Durkan said drilling could have a significant impact on the environment.
The company issued a statement saying it was "deeply concerned" by the minister's decision.
Former environment and finance minister Sammy Wilson criticised Mr Durkan's decision.
"In taking the stance that he has, he's going to deny Northern Ireland the potential to have hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in our own indigenous fuel," Mr Wilson said.
"He is going to deny Northern Ireland the opportunity for hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs directly in the exploration of shale gas and thousands of jobs in the downstream industries that would result from that, like fertilisers, pharmaceuticals etc."
He said Mr Durkan's decision was also inconsistent.
By John CampbellBBC News NI Economics & Business Editor
Tamboran had intended to drill using "permitted development rights", which meant the firm would not have needed to apply for planning permission.
The minister could only veto this if he assessed that work was likely to have "a significant environmental impact".
And that is exactly the position he has arrived at.
Tamboran will now have to make a full planning application with an accompanying environmental statement, a process that will, conservatively, take months to complete.
But it does not mean the borehole will not eventually be drilled.
Alternatively, Tamboran may want to try to get a judicial review of the  decision, arguing that the minister has not interpreted the planning regulations correctly.
"A number of boreholes going down to 3,000 feet have already been allowed in Northern Ireland without this full planning permission being required," he said.
"I think the firm would have a very good case for going for a judicial review."
In response, Mr Durkan said: "In this particular instance, the site chosen by Tamboran for their proposed exploratory drilling is the site of a quarry where unauthorised work has been carried out in the past.
"I'm adopting a precautionary approach and am taking into account the lack of objective information about the cumulative environmental impact of that work and work that might take place in the future.
"If the company is as committed to here as Sammy is suggesting, then they'll be prepared to undertake the work required and to provide me with a full environmental statement."
On Monday night, anti-fracking protesters held an ecumenical service at the gates of the quarry to celebrate the minister's decision.
Donal O'Cofaigh from Belcoo Frack Free said the decision could delay the project considerably.
"It's a great relief, the minister has made the right decision," he told the BBC.
"This is the first time that we are going to have the opportunity to be consulted on that. This is something that is of grave concern to the local community."
The MP for the area, Michelle Gildernew of Sinn FÃ©in, also welcomed the announcement.
"The decision to deny Tamboran to begin deep bore test drilling in Belcoo, Fermanagh, is the correct decision given the clear opposition to fracking in the area," she said.
Tamboran staff moved into the quarry three weeks ago and carried out work to secure the site.
Protesters objecting to both fracking and gas exploration had held a permanent vigil at the quarry.
The aim of the borehole was to check if there was enough gas below ground to warrant seeking a licence to set up a fracking operation.
Protesters said they feared a borehole could be the first step towards the setting up of an industry that they believe could damage the environment and the health of local residents.
The borehole drilling process would not have involved fracking.
Tamboran will now have to make a full planning application with an accompanying environmental statement.
"The company is currently reviewing its position and will release a further statement in due course," Tamboran said.
Currently, Sinn FÃ©in, the SDLP and UUP say they oppose fracking, while the DUP has said exploration should take place, and any application for extraction should be judged at the time.
Last week, politicians condemned a petrol bomb attack that targeted the family home of a Tamboran worker in Letterbreen.


A man has been disqualified from driving for 22 months after he crashed his car into a house in West Sussex and caused a gas leak.

Andrew Sleat, 43, of Blackfold Road, Crawley, was also fined Â£300 at Crawley Magistrates' Court after he was convicted of drinking and driving.
About 20 people were evacuated from their homes after the crash in Ardingly High Street on 14 November.
Sleat's Ford Mondeo also damaged three cars in the village.


Sky has said it will not air a TV programme about Michael Jackson after his daughter said she was "incredibly offended" by the portrayal of him.

The episode - part of a series called Urban Myths - had been due to air on Sky Arts.
Sky released a statement on Friday saying they had pulled one episode after concerns were raised by Paris Jackson.
The broadcaster said it "never intended to cause any offence".
Statement from Sky:
"We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon, a half-hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson's immediate family.
"We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offence. Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision."
The stories had been described as "slightly tongue-in-cheek, mischievous and deliberately ambiguous" by Sky Arts on its website.
The episode told the story of Jackson taking a road trip from New York to Los Angeles with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando after the 9/11 terror attacks.
Actor Joseph Fiennes had said he was shocked to be given the part of Michael Jackson last year.
After the programme's cancellation was announced, TJ Jackson, Michael's nephew, tweeted his thanks to those who had complained about it.
"It wasn't a comedy, it was mockery with no taste. A great victory for his legacy," he wrote.
On Thursday, Jackson's daughter Paris said on Twitter that trailer footage from the episode made her "want to vomit".
"It angers me to see how obviously intentional it was for them to be this insulting, not just towards my father, but my godmother [Elizabeth Taylor] as well," she said.
"Where is the respect? They worked through blood sweat and tears for ages to create such profound and remarkable legacies. Shameful portrayal."
More than 20,000 people also signed a petition to boycott the half-hour episode.
The petition particularly objected to Fiennes's casting as Jackson instead of a black actor.
"It's easy to see why the story would make a compelling film - but it's harder to understand why the actor best known for his role in Shakespeare In Love was the first choice to play one of the world's most iconic black musicians," the petition said.
Michael Jackson died in 2009 aged 50.
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Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli is retiring from tennis just 40 days after winning her only Grand Slam title.

The 28-year-old Frenchwoman, ranked seventh in the world, said she was taking the decision with immediate effect because of persistent injuries.
She made the tearful announcement at a media conference following defeat by Simona Halep at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
"It's time for me to retire and to call it a career," she told reporters.
"I feel it's time for me to walk away."
Bartoli, who beat Germany's Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon final in July, said her Achilles, shoulder, hip and lower back hurt continually when she plays.
She added: "It's never easy, but that was actually the last match of my career. I just can't do it anymore."
After her 6-1 6-4 win at Wimbledon, Bartoli hinted that the physical demands of the sport were taking their toll. "That was probably the last little bit of something that was left inside me," she said on Wednesday.
The 2007 Wimbledon runner-up had won her first Grand Slam at the 47th attempt - the longest wait in women's tennis before a maiden Grand Slam.
She had returned from her Wimbledon triumph to play in Toronto last week and was playing her first match in Cincinnati having received a first-round bye.
"Sometimes your body just basically says 'that's it, I've had enough'.
"I was fortunate enough to retire on my timetable but many athletes can't, they retire when their body gives out and it sounds to me like she was in constant pain everywhere.
"It wasn't like it was the knee, or the hip or the shoulder it was like the whole body said 'I'm out of here'.
"Once you are in pain, I had bad knees for a few years, it takes all the fun out of playing because every step you take is painful.
However, the 3-6 6-4 6-1 loss to Halep appears to have been the last straw.
"It's been a tough decision to take," she added. "I've been a tennis player for a long time and I had the chance to make my biggest dream a reality.
"You know, everyone will remember my Wimbledon title. No-one will remember the last match I played here.
"I made my dream a reality and it will stay forever with me, but now my body just can't cope with everything."
WTA chairman and chief executive Stacey Allaster paid tribute to Bartoli's "long, successful career".
"She is an inspirational champion and a great ambassador for women's tennis who has dedicated her life to the sport and given so much back to the game," she said.
"I am so proud of her for who she is, her values and for fighting to realise her dream of winning Wimbledon."


Canadian fast food restaurant chain Tim Hortons has chosen Glasgow as its first base in the UK.

It plans to open a cafe and bake shop in Argyle Street in early May before rolling out nationwide over the next 12 months.
Tim Hortons offers hot and cold beverages as well as baked goods, breakfast and lunch items.
It is part of Restaurant Brands International, which operates more than 23,000 restaurants around the world.
According to the company, eight out of 10 cups of coffee sold across Canada are served at Tim Hortons outlets.
Gurprit Dhaliwal, chief operating officer of Tim Hortons UK and Ireland, said: "We've witnessed Tim Hortons' phenomenal success in Canada, and wanted to replicate this in Great Britain.
"It's hard to explain just how important Tim Hortons is to Canadians - it's not just a restaurant, it's a way of life and a place of 'home', and we're positive Great Britain will fall in love with the brand."


Two British-built Earth-observation cameras have been successfully installed on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS)

The cameras will be operated by the Canadian Urthecast company, which intends to stream high-resolution video of the planet to web users.
Russian cosmonauts completed the attachment in a six-hour spacewalk on Monday.
It followed an aborted installation attempt in December.
On that occasion, there was a difficulty in getting telemetry through to Moscow mission control.
In a statement on Tuesday, Urthecast confirmed that both cameras were passing data to the ground following the latest effort.
"During the installation, we were able to complete all of the intended tests during the spacewalk," the statement read.
"At this time, all telemetry received and analysed is within our expected results."
The cameras were made for Urthecast by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire, UK.
The high-resolution video unit should provide a resolution on the ground of about 1m per pixel. Large crowds and moving vehicles would be visible on this scale.
The second camera will provide static imagery at a medium resolution of 5m per pixel.
"Testing of every part of the camera system will now follow. Once that's completed, we can expect the first imagery to be released publicly," said Prof Richard Holdaway, the director of RAL Space.
"We'll be helping Urthecast. We'll be checking the optical alignment and focus, to see that it is everything we expected," he told BBC News.
Urthecast hopes to build a business around space station imagery. One of the customer sectors for the hi-res video, for example, is likely to be news organisations that want moving pictures of major events, such as war zones and regions of the Earth hit by natural disasters.
It is hoping also to generate social media buzz around its imagery products, by enabling people to tag and share pictures through a special web portal.
Urthecast is one of a group of Earth observation start-ups currently in the process of launching and commissioning space hardware.
Skybox Imaging of San Francisco has already started to showcase video of Earth acquired by its small, free-flying SkySat-1 satellite.  And Planet Labs, another San Francisco venture, has a "flock" of 28 nano-satellite imagers that are about to be released out of the airlock on the ISS.
The station itself is increasingly becoming a platform for Earth observation. This is quite a challenge, however.
The movement of the astronauts inside the ISS makes it flex, and there is a constant vibration from onboard equipment.
All this requires cameras to have dampers built into their rigs to maintain a steady shot.
The US space agency (Nasa) will be launching another two Earth-observing instruments to the station this year.  One will study ocean winds and storms; the other will examine small particles in the atmosphere that can influence the climate.


Police Scotland have apologised to Buckfast's distributors for asking a shopkeeper to stop selling the product.

The force has also agreed not to include the tonic wine in any bottle-marking scheme unless it has "reasonable grounds" for doing so.
The undertakings were made by Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson to settle a legal dispute with J Chandler and Co.
The distributor said it accepted what it regarded as a "very sincere" apology from the police.
Buckfast's lawyers took a case against what was Strathclyde Police to the Court of Session in February 2013.
They complained that officers had encouraged some retailers to attach police stickers to bottles of Buckfast and some other alcoholic drinks.
The system, known as bottle marking, allows the police to trace bottles associated with crime back to the store from which they were purchased.
J Chandler and Company argued that the anti-crime labels were being used illegally and in a way that discriminated against its brand.
They also claimed that one police officer had asked a shopkeeper in Ayrshire to withdraw Buckfast from sale.
After almost a year of legal argument, the two sides have settled the case without any judgment being made by the court.
Police Scotland, which took over Strathclyde's responsibilities in April 2013, has apologised to Buckfast for the actions of an individual officer who tried to stop a retailer from stocking the tonic wine.
It also apologised for any "distress or inconvenience" caused to the shopkeeper and promised not to target Buckfast in this way again.
In a written undertaking, Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said the police "will not request licensed retailers, situated anywhere in Scotland, to cease stocking for sale Buckfast Tonic Wine".
Buckfast's representative in Scotland, Jim Wilson, told the BBC: "We accept the apology and we believe it to be very sincere".
Police Scotland has given a second undertaking not to include Buckfast in bottle-marking schemes without "reasonable grounds" for doing so.
It is not clear what difference that will make in practice.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "we can confirm there has been an amicable settlement between Police Scotland and the owners of Buckfast".
It is understood each side covered their own legal expenses and that no damages were paid.
Between 2010 and 2012, Strathclyde Police said Buckfast was mentioned in almost 6,500 crime reports.
J Chandler and Company has always said that it was not the drink but those who drink it irresponsibly that cause crime and anti-social behaviour.
Earlier this week, 33-year-old Tracy Meikle from Glasgow was jailed for life for murdering 36-year-old Lorraine Foy while under the influence of Valium, Buckfast and cider.
Buckfast contains 15% alcohol by volume and the same amount of caffeine in each bottle as in eight cans of Coke.
The drink is produced on behalf of the Benedictine monks of Buckfast Abbey in Devon.
In December, Health Secretary Alex Neil called on the monks to "stop making it" or at least "stop selling it to young people".
The Abbot of Buckfast Abbey, David Charlesworth said at the time that he was upset at how the tonic wine was used by some people in Scotland.
"I don't want Buckfast Abbey to be associated with broken bottles and drunks", he said. "But is the product bad? No."


The Conservatives have increased their majority on Warwick District Council by six seats.

The party now holds 31 of the 46 seats on the council in which the councillors are elected every four years.
Labour gained one more councillor to increase its tally to nine, while the Liberal Democrats lost seven seats and have two councillors.
The Green Party now holds a seat on the council after Ian Davison was elected in the Brunswick Ward.
Meanwhile, Whitnash Residents Association has retained its three seats on the administration.
The Conservatives have made gains in council elections across the West Midlands, in reflection of the national result.
The Tories took Worcester City Council, Herefordshire Council and East Staffordshire, all previously under no overall control.
The party also made gains in North Warwickshire from Labour, while Labour lost overall control in Stoke-on-Trent.
However, Labour retained control of the city councils in Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.


Figures seen by BBC Wales show reported hate crimes in Wales were up 60% over the EU referendum period than the same time last year.

5 September 2016 Last updated at 21:44 BST
More than 600 incidents were recorded in June and July in 2016.
The figures show a similar rise in the number of racially motivated hate crimes.
Portuguese community activist Iolanda Viegas told BBC Wales reporter Jordan Davies: "People said, 'out, out , out - you have to go back to your country.'"
First Minister Carwyn Jones is calling on people in Wales to abandon the "abuse" unleashed by the referendum campaign.
Gareth Cuerden, manager at the Wales Hate Crime Unit said figures had "increased a lot more than expected racially".


A £250m scheme to expand the Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Northampton has been scrapped.

Legal & General and Northampton Borough Council had put forward plans to jointly redevelop the former Greyfriars bus station site in 2012.
The council said the agreement had now been "terminated" by mutual agreement.
The authority is now looking for another partner to develop a "major retail and leisure scheme" on the site.
The new scheme will not be an expansion of the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, which is owned by Legal & General, said the council.
The original development agreement committed Legal & General to extending the Grosvenor Centre back onto the site of the demolished Greyfriars bus station.
It also obliged Legal & General to refurbish the Grosvenor Centre. Work on the revamp has started and is due for completion in early 2015.
The agreement was subject to a series of conditions including "occupier commitment and financial viability".
But the Greyfriars development has not moved ahead and was delayed further while the council and Legal & General opposed plans for a £50m shopping development at Rushden Lakes in east Northamptonshire.
When permission for Rushden Lakes was granted in June the council and Legal & General met again and they have agreed to end their commitment to jointly redevelop Greyfriars.
Legal & General will continue with its £10m investment in the Grosvenor Centre, which will see major stores Next and Primark opening in October and November.
In addition, Legal & General is expected to lodge a planning application shortly to remodel both the Market Square and Abington Street entrances.
The council said demolition of the old bus station and office complex has started and the site will be levelled and ready to market to developers and retailers by December.


Salford Red Devils forward Josh Jones has signed a new two-year deal with the Super League side.

The 23-year-old joined Salford in January 2016 after a spell at rugby union side Exeter Chiefs where he did not make a single appearance.
Jones, who can play across the back-row or as a centre, left St Helens to move to Exeter.
"The club are clearly on the rise and have come a long way in short time," he told the Salford website.
He joins Jake Bibby, Josh Wood and Lee Mossop in signing new deals at the club this week.


Rural areas of Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state have been evacuated as wildfires rage across the state, threatening homes and closing roads.

Some 97 fires were burning across the state, with 37 uncontained, the Rural Fire Service said.
One person had been flown to hospital in Sydney after suffering burns, the authorities said.
A heatwave has seen temperatures in some areas hit records while fast winds from the desert were fanning flames.
More than 2,000 firefighters, many of them volunteers, were battling the fires.
Officials said the conditions were worse than during the 2009 "Black Saturday" fires in the state of Victoria, which killed 173 people.
"This is the worst day we have seen in the history of New South Wales when it comes to fire danger ratings and fire conditions," Shane Fitzsimmons, the state's rural fire chief, told reporters.
Emergency warnings were issued for several areas, with residents told to evacuate if they could or seek shelter and avoid bush or grassland where it was too late to leave.
One blaze, the Sir Ivan fire east of Dunedoo, was spreading quickly amid difficult and dangerous conditions, the rural fire service said.
A 13-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man were charged on Sunday for allegedly starting fires.
Weather officials said a southerly wind linked to colder weather was due to arrive on Sunday evening and would offer some relief, although it could create volatile conditions as it met northwesterly winds currently fanning the bushfires.
The hot conditions since Friday have caused the cancellation of big sporting events and led to pressure on electricity supplies.
A paper mill, water treatment operations and Australia's largest aluminium smelting company Tomago were among businesses to stop operations to conserve energy on Friday.
Temperatures in some parts of the state have risen above 45C. In Queensland to the north of New South Wales, record-breaking temperatures of more than 40C were also seen.
Australia has warmed by about 1C since 1910, the Bureau of Meteorology said in October.
Australia is particularly prone to bushfires as much of the country has both a hot, dry climate, and plenty of vegetation to burn. All it then takes to start a fire is ignition, and there can be as many as a thousand lightning strikes in a storm.
Their impact can be reduced by preparation: authorities can clear vulnerable land in advance and build more fire-resistant settlements; individuals can prepare their own defences and escape plans.
Less fast-moving fires can be fought by "direct attack" - ground troops with hoses - but more dangerous situations have to be fought with strategic techniques like "back-burning" land ahead of an advancing fire, to starve it of fuel when it arrives.
Read more: Fighting Australia's bushfire threat


Blackburn Rovers manager Owen Coyle has accepted the responsibility for their disappointing start to the season.

Coyle's side were beaten 2-1 at Leeds United on Tuesday and remain bottom of the Championship with just two points from their opening seven games.
"When all is said and done, I've got the ultimate responsibility to go and win games and points," the Scot said.
"We've not not done that well enough at this point and that is something we need to address quickly."
The 50-year-old former Burnley, Bolton and Wigan boss took over at Ewood Park in the summer after a spell at Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamos.
"People say talk is cheap and I certainly understand that," Coyle told BBC Radio Lancashire. "We now have to starting getting win after win, which we're capable of doing.
"We've not been blessed by luck but we've got to start making our own luck and going an earning the points that we crave, which are wins."
Coyle has indicated that former Manchester United and Sunderland defender Wes Brown, who has been training at the club over the summer, could be offered a contract.
"I've spoke to Wes over the last number of weeks," he added.
"It was important that we got him up to speed in terms of fitness and he has now come through that process, so that is something we would look to do."


Michael Holt says making the last 16 of the World Championship for the second time is reward for his staying power.

The Nottingham potter secured a 10-6 win over world number four Neil Robertson to set up a second-round meeting with Mark Williams on Friday.
The 37-year-old had not gone beyond the opening round in six attempts since his Crucible debut in 2005.
"I have said so many times saying I know I can play," the world number 28 told BBC Sport.
"But water doesn't break through rock because it's strong, but because it's persistent.
"To go out there and feel comfortable was great. And it makes me want more."
Welshman Williams, a two-time world champion and good friend of Holt, stands in the way of a first-ever quarter-final appearance in Sheffield in a best-of-25-frame match.
"I can't wait to play Mark. I get on with him really well and I am sure there will be some texts flying about. But I need to concentrate on me," Holt said.
"It's a proper match. This isn't a best-of-seven. I can't wait. I felt comfortable out there and it makes me want more."
Holt also dedicated his win over Robertson to a close friend.
"A mate of mine Ian is poorly. He had an operation on his brain and has chemotherapy treatment soon so I just want to dedicate that to him," he added.
"He has a bigger fight than I have ever got trying to win a snooker match so love to him and I hope he pulls through."


A "scheming and conniving" woman who scammed former X Factor singer Rebecca Ferguson has been jailed.

Rachel Taylor, 54, from Southport, had previously pleaded guilty to making false representation by telling the singer she was a qualified accountant.
She also admitted keeping Â£21,000, including money intended for a trust fund for Miss Ferguson's daughter.
Sentencing her to 16 months at Liverpool Crown Court, the judge said Taylor had betrayed the singer's trust.
Judge David Aubrey QC said Taylor had "sought to exercise unscrupulous control" over the Miss Ferguson's finances.
Miss Ferguson, who came second in the TV talent show in 2010, attended court and to read out a victim impact statement.
In it she said: "As a result of what happened I trust nobody and question everybody.
"My heart is broken."
She said Rachel Taylor's "crimes go deeper than money".
"She became obsessed with me and my family and sought not only to steal from me but rob everything that I had worked hard for," she said.
Taylor's husband Raymond, 62, was also in court after previously admitting charging the singer for services as a solicitor, even though he was not qualified.
He also admitted applying for a Â£32,000 student grant he was not entitled to and was jailed for five months.


Mansfield Town kept faint hopes of a League Two play-off place alive as Reggie Lambe's goal secured victory away to fellow hopefuls Carlisle.

Tuesday's win against Hartlepool left the home side just outside the play-offs, but they are now down to 10th.
Colin Daniel grabbed a first-half opener for the Stags, tucking in from 12-yards before Lambe doubled the lead.
Tom Miller replied in stoppage time, but Mansfield hung on to remain six points short of the top seven.


A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a teacher was stabbed at a Bradford school.

Vincent Uzomah, who is 50 years old and understood to be supply teacher, was attacked at Dixons Kings Academy at 08:55 BST.
He was stabbed once in the stomach with a knife during a science lesson but is in a stable condition, police said.
The teenager was arrested in the city centre following an extensive manhunt.
Det Supt Simon Atkinson, from West Yorkshire Police, said the teacher was attacked in front of other students.
"There were a number of pupils who witnessed this incident, which took place in a classroom, and they are currently liaising with specially trained officers who are obviously supporting them at this difficult time.
"This is believed to be an isolated incident and the police are continuing inquiries to establish the facts," he said.
It is thought Mr Uzomah had only been working at the school for four weeks.
Police said his injuries are not life threatening and his family are at his bedside.
Executive principal of the Dixons Academy group, Nick Weller, said: "It happened right at the beginning of the school day and there were some students who witnessed it.
"Those students have been interviewed by the police. Obviously, it's a very shocking thing for them to see.
"The general atmosphere in the school is very calm, quite orderly, we're trying to keep to normal routines as much as possible."
Mr Weller said there was nothing in school that suggested the attack was about to happen.
He added: "The police are looking into the lead up to this incident, there was nothing in school that led up to it.
"There may have been other people outside the school who maybe knew something."
He confirmed the suspect has been a pupil at the school for a year.
The school, formerly called the King's Science Academy, opened in 2011 and was one of the first free schools to open.
It has about 700 pupils and has since become part of the Dixons academy group.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said violence of any kind in schools is "totally unacceptable", adding that her department is "ready and prepared to offer all necessary support".
Ian Murch, of the National Union of Teachers' Bradford branch, which has members at the school, said: "Obviously people are shocked - they would be when an incident like this happens at a school. We hope it can be resolved without any more suffering or difficulties for anybody."
He said the incident "does raise questions with people about safety and what can be done to improve safety".


Nottingham Forest have signed Newcastle United striker Daryl Murphy for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 34-year-old Republic of Ireland international scored six goals in 18 appearances after joining from Ipswich Town in August 2016.
Murphy had three spells on loan with the Tractor Boys before joining on a permanent basis in June 2013.
He scored 67 goals for the club, including 27 in 2014-15, making him the Championship's top scorer that season.
The signing comes after striker Britt Assombalonga left Forest to join Middlesbrough for £15m on Monday.
Former Celtic and Sunderland striker Murphy joins forward Jason Cummings and winger Barrie McKay as new arrivals at the City Ground this summer.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


The Los Angeles premiere for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 has been scaled back "out of respect for the very recent events in Paris".

Lionsgate has cancelled two hours of red carpet interviews with stars including Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, after Friday's attacks left 129 dead and 352 injured.
Tuesday night's Paris premiere of Tom Hardy film Legend has been called off.
Part of Mockingjay Part 2 was filmed in Paris, along with Atlanta and Germany.
Lionsgate's statement said: "Out of respect for the very recent events in Paris, we have decided to modify our red carpet and we will not conduct interviews at Monday's Mockingjay 2 premiere.
"We will proceed with the rest of the event as planned in honour of the incredible fans who have always supported our films with such passion."
Mockingjay Part 2 is the final instalment in the young adult franchise featuring Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.
Legend - in which Hardy plays both the Kray twins - was due to have its French premiere at the Olympia Theater in Paris.
"Following the tragic events of this weekend, we decided to cancel the premiere of the movie Legend which was scheduled tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Olympia," said a statement from parent company Vivendi. "We thank you for your understanding."
Hardy was not expected at the premiere, but British singer Duffy, who stars as Timi Yuro, had been expected to give a special performance.
The Paris premiere of Steven Spielberg's Cold War drama Bridge of Spies was also cancelled, due to take place on Sunday night.
"In light of the tragedy in Paris, we have cancelled our scheduled film events," said a statement from Fox.
"Further, we stand with the people of Paris and our thoughts go out to all those affected by these horrible events."
The premieres are among several entertainment events to be scaled back or cancelled since the attacks in Paris, where targets included the Bataclan concert venue during a performance by the band Eagles of Death Metal.
Eighty-nine people were killed there. The band members were unhurt but Nick Alexander, a Briton selling merchandise at the gig, was among those killed. On Friday, the US rock band issued a short Facebook statement saying: "Our thoughts are with all of the people involved in this tragic situation."
Fans of The Eagles of Death Metal - who cancelled three shows in Germany this week - have launched a Facebook campaign to get the band to number one.
The page, which has more than 6,000 supporters, is urging people to download the band's version of the Duran Duran song Save A Prayer to show "solidarity against terrorism and support for peace".
There has been some criticism though, with some posts on the Facebook page accusing the campaign of being in bad taste.
Over the weekend concerts were cancelled by musicians including U2 and the Foo Fighters. Madonna's Saturday night show in Stockholm, Sweden, went ahead but the singer said on stage that she was apprehensive about carrying on.
"In many ways I feel torn, because it's like: 'Why am I up here dancing and having fun when people are crying over the loss of their loved ones?'," Madonna told fans.
"However, that is exactly what these people want to do. They want to shut us up. They want to silence us, and we won't let them. We will never let them."
US TV channel CBS said it would replace Monday night's episode of the new series Supergirl that was supposed to deal with a bombing, and would shelve an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles about the recruitment of young women by the Islamic State group.
In the UK, ITV did not broadcast Sunday night's episode of Jekyll and Hyde which was expected to feature a "gunfight", according to the Radio Times.


Danny Gabbidon says Ashley Williams would be hard for Swansea to replace.

Swans and Wales captain Williams, 31, has been linked with Everton while West Ham are said to be interested in striker Andre Ayew.
A spokesman said Swansea had not received a formal approach, but boss Francesco Guidolin said he was uncertain about the defender's future
"Williams is a worrying one, he would be hard to replace," said Gabbidon, who played alongside Williams for Wales.
"He's about to turn 32 - time is running out for him a little bit and he probably deserves to play at a higher level and test himself against the best in Europe."
Williams is due to return to training this week after taking an extended break following Euro 2016, when he captained Wales to their first semi-final in a major tournament.
He has made over 300 appearances since joining the Swans from Stockport County in 2008 and was heavily linked with Everton during the summer of 2015.
At that time the Toffees lined-up Williams as a possible replacement for England international John Stones who was a target for Chelsea and Manchester City - though stayed at Goodison Park.
With Stones again being linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium, new Everton manager Ronald Koeman could need a new central defender.
Ayew was Swansea's top scorer last season with 12 goals in 35 Premier League appearances.
The Liberty Stadium club have already seen three forwards depart this summer with Portuguese striker Eder joining Lille, Italian Alberto Paloschi going to Atalanta and Frenchman Bafetimbi Gomis signing for Marseille on loan.
The club have been linked with moves for Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa as well as Sevilla's Fernando Llorente.
Swansea begin their top-flight campaign against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, 13 August.


Beryl Renwick, one of the stars of an award-winning BBC Radio Humberside show, has died at the age of 89.

She won a Sony Radio Award in 2012 along with co-presenter Betty Smith and the show's presenter and producer David Reeves.
Smith, who died last year aged 93, and Renwick were the oldest winners of the prestigious radio industry award.
BBC Radio Humberside's managing editor Simon Pattern described her as "a delightful and very caring Hull woman".
Her family said she had died peacefully earlier this week and had lived for her broadcasting days.
They added she was very proud of the fame she had gained for being one half of the "Dynamic Duo" with Betty Smith.
Born in 1926, Renwick worked as a conductor on Hull's trolley buses and as an assistant in a department store, before meeting Smith at a lunch club in 1999.
The friends first went on air in 2006 after meeting Reeves during a tour of the station.
The weekly, hour-long show was a mix of music and chat and ran for six years.
After picking up the best entertainment show award, they became celebrities, appearing on the BBC's One Show, and featured in newspapers and on radio stations around the world.
Co-star Reeves said she would be "sorely missed".
"Beryl was a wonderful storyteller and a great friend," he said.
"During our six years on air together she evolved into a skilled broadcaster, mastering the art to perform, entertain and shock on the radio but most importantly just to be herself.
"The Beryl and Betty Show enriched her life as much as it did the audience that tuned in every week to soak up yet more wisdom from a life well lived."


Robin van Persie says his first Premier League trophy was worth the wait as the striker's hat-trick against Aston Villa sealed a 20th top-flight title for Manchester United.

The Netherlands international, 29, scored three first-half goals in United's 3-0 win on Monday.
It ended a wait of almost a decade for Van Persie, who did not win the Premier League in eight years at Arsenal.
"I had to wait so long for my first title. It is a great feeling," he said.
"This is a fantastic team and fantastic players. It is a championship for every single one of them. The staff, the managers, the physios.
"This is our 20th title, it is deserved."
Full-back Patrice Evra, 31, felt United's success was all the sweeter after their final-day heartache last season, when Sergio Aguero's late winner against Queens Park Rangers gave the title to Manchester City.
"It is unbelievable," said Evra.
"It was really important to get back that trophy because I remember last year when we lost and people said Manchester City would take control.
"I said then that when Manchester United got back their consistency they would finish 10 points clear, I was wrong because now it is 16."
Veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs helped United win their first title of the Premier League era in 1993.
The 39-year-old has now won his 13th title with the club, and he said: "Every one is special because you work hard in the season and especially after the disappointment of last year.
"Nights like this one drive us. You want to feel like you do now, you want to see Old Trafford bouncing and that is what spurs me on.
"I am lucky enough to have played under the greatest manager that has ever lived and he drives everyone on. I just want to go on as long as I am enjoying it."
United striker Wayne Rooney, 27, who set up Van Persie's second against Villa, said: "We won this game in the first half and it is a fantastic night for us.
"When you lose the title, it is hard to take. It wasn't a nice feeling last time. We have all dug in deep and done fantastic to put ourselves in this position.
"You can never take anything for granted in football and thankfully it is now done. The manager has great desire and a winning mentality. We all buy into that and want to do well for the club.
"It has been a great season for me. We have won the league title, that is what you play for."
Midfielder Michael Carrick, 31, added: "The league wasn't won [on Monday night], it was won all season with all the work we have put in."


Lewis Hamilton says he is convinced Ferrari have designated Sebastian Vettel as their number one driver.

Vettel won the Monaco Grand Prix after Ferrari's pit-stop strategy helped him beat team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.
Hamilton said: "It's very clear Ferrari have chosen their number one driver and are pushing everything to make sure Sebastian will maximise his points.
"It is very hard for the leading car to get jumped unless the team decide to favour the other car."
But Hamilton said he would not be asking Mercedes to favour him in the same way over team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
"I haven't spoken to the team and I don't really plan to," Hamilton said. "Valtteri has been doing a great job and I don't currently feel we have to favour one or the other.
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"It is really important we collectively work as a team more than ever before, as we have been, because our work is to beat the Ferraris in the constructors' but there might be some things along the way positioning-wise that might become valuable.
"Who knows what will happen? It might be the other way. We might need to give him the upper hand. We just need to make sure we are ahead of them so we are not in the same scenario as we are today."
Hamilton finished seventh in Monaco after starting 13th following a messy qualifying session in which he made a series of mistakes.
Mercedes' weekend was blighted by problems making the ultra-soft tyre work at its best consistently, a problem that also afflicted Hamilton two races ago in Russia.
Hamilton said: "Common sense is of course I cannot afford another weekend like this at the going rate when the Ferraris are quick; of course not.
"Just because I can't afford for something doesn't mean it's not going to happen. There is no point worrying about it. You just work towards trying to rectify whatever issues you have and hope you don't have them again. Things just didn't come right to us, the car was in a difficult place.
"The Ferrari seems to work everywhere so these next 14 races are going to be very difficult.
"This car is not working everywhere we go but the more races we do the more learn and the stronger we get. Ferraris are not bullet-proof they have things coming up potentially with all the turbos they have used, so we will see."
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A top Catholic state school ranked the timelines of baby's baptisms as part of its admission policy.

The Office of Schools Adjudicator (OSA) found the London Oratory School wanted proof a child of six months had been baptised.
The school has been told aspects of its admission policy "do not conform" and must be revised within two months.
It said it no longer used the same policy to deal with over-subscription and the OSA was "not fit for purpose".
More than 800 11-year-olds apply annually for 160 places at the school, which was founded in 1863.
The OSA, in its fifth review of the admissions policy, found the school "specifically requests proof of the child's baptism within six months of birth, [and] date and place of first Holy Communion" to demonstrate the family's alignment with the school's ethos.
Schools adjudicator Andrew Bennett said: "I cannot understand how the time at which a candidate was baptised, for example, would make her or him more or less likely to be committed."
A request was also made by the school for clarification on the regularity of the family's attendance both at Sunday Mass and Mass on Holy Days of Obligation.
In his conclusion Mr Bennett said there was "no dispute" the schools officered a "distinctive" education but warned "applicants choose schools, not vice versa".
The school's headmaster David McFadden said: "What have we learnt? That it is profoundly regrettable that the school - and other schools - have to expend precious resources, year after year, in standing up to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator.
"I believe the Office of Schools Adjudicator is just not fit for purpose."
Previously, the OSA found the school's selection process to be socially selective and discriminatory, but a High Court judge ordered those rulings to be quashed.


The west coast's Caledonian Sleeper will travel between London and Oban, instead of Fort William, in February due to planned engineering works.

Serco, which operates the service, said it would use the disruption caused by Network Rail work to trial Oban as a potential new destination.
Fort William is the last stop for the train on the West Highland Line.
Passengers will be bussed there from Oban on the weekends of 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28 February.
Peter Strachan, managing director of the Caledonian Sleeper, said: "We have chosen to stop at Oban rather than provide bus travel from Tulloch because we would like to receive feedback on this route from guests and local businesses to inform our long-term planning.
"Oban is a popular destination for tourists as well as being known as the gateway to the isles, with a ferry service to many islands, including  Mull, Lismore and Kerrera.
"As we continue to progress our plans for the Caledonian Sleeper service over the next 15 years we are keen to explore the possibility of extending our route."


Allowing MPs to breastfeed in the House of Commons could risk ridicule from the tabloid press, former Conservative minister Sir Simon Burns has warned.

The Chelmsford MP urged caution as MPs debated potential ways to make the House of Commons more family-friendly.
Others argued it was time to allow breastfeeding in the chamber, with the SNP's Alison Thewliss saying she used to do it in meetings as a councillor.
Government minister Therese Coffey said the current ban should remain in place.
Speaking in Westminster Hall, Sir Simon said he agreed with ex-Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd, who said she would allow breastfeeding in the Commons when supermarket checkout staff were allowed to do so.
"I do think we have to be careful that in pushing for a more realistic approach we don't give the tabloid press the opportunity to ridicule us," Sir Simon told MPs.
He said there was "an appropriate time and place for breastfeeding" and told MPs he did not want the issue to "degenerate" with the case being undermined because "we are ridiculed by what is being proposed".
But Alison Thewliss, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central, said the "appropriate time and place" to feed a baby was "when it is hungry".
"I have breastfed at Hampden Park in the middle of a football crowd, at bus stops and anywhere else my baby has been hungry.
"As a Glasgow city councillor, I breastfed my child in meetings, including committee meetings, and nobody had a problem with that," she told MPs.
Melanie Onn, deputy shadow leader of the Commons, added her support to the idea of overturning the ban on women MPs breastfeeding their babies in the Commons.
If councillors and MEPs were able to do it "is it not time for this place to open itself up to a 21st-Century way of working, rather than hide behind Victorian values?" she asked.
Ms Onn said that if breastfeeding continued to be seen as an "exception" rather than "commonplace... then, yes, it is open to ridicule".
Speaking for the government, deputy Commons leader Therese Coffey told MPs she believed the "Betty Boothroyd test... still stands".
"We may talk about it being the 21st Century, but this is a workplace and it is not something that people enjoy wider than that.
"I do not believe that there is a big view in the House to make the shift at this time," she said.


Plans for an annual "Tour of Yorkshire" cycle race could see some of the world's top cyclists return to the county.

If approved by UCI, the world governing body for cycling, the inaugural three-day race would be held on 1-3 May 2015.
Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said it would be a "breathtaking new race in a region made for cycling".
UCI is expected to make a decision in September.
The route would include areas that are not part of this year's Tour de France, which starts in Leeds on Saturday.
The application is for a 2.1 UCI Europe Tour event, which would mean some of the world's leading cyclists returning to Yorkshire on an annual basis.
Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said: "When we bid to host the Tour de France we did so in the knowledge that this would be the start of a long relationship with ASO.
"Our county is a new cycling heartland of Europe and we look forward to welcoming back some of the world's best riders in Yorkshire in less than 12 months' time."
Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, said: "Alongside the public interest for cycling, highlighted by the Grand Départ, Yorkshire boasts beautiful breathtaking scenery worthy of any of the cycling season's major events.
"It therefore seems perfectly natural for Welcome to Yorkshire, British Cycling and ASO to continue working together in this new land of cycling, through the Tour of Yorkshire."


Chef Benoit Violier, whose Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world in December, has been found dead at his home.

Mr Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne.
It earned three Michelin stars and came top in France's La Liste ranking of the world's 1,000 best eateries.
Swiss police said Mr Violier, who was born in France, is believed to have killed himself.
The Swiss news website 24 Heures said (in French) that Mr Violier had been due to attend the launch of the new Michelin guide in Paris on Monday.
His death comes some six months after that of Philippe Rochat, his mentor and predecessor at the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville.
Having worked at the restaurant since 1996, Mr Violier took it over along with his wife Brigitte in 2012, before obtaining Swiss nationality.
A keen hunter, he was known for signature dishes including game and produced a weighty book on game meat last year.
Accepting the French award, given by France's foreign ministry as an alternative to the World's Best 50 Restaurants prize, he said it was an "exceptional" honour.
Swiss chef Fredy Girardet, who also received three Michelin stars, told 24 Heures that he was "dumbfounded" by the news.
"He was a brilliant man," he said. "Such talent, and an amazing capacity for work. He was so kind, with so many qualities. He gave the impression of being perfect."
French chef Pierre Gagnaire tweeted: "My thoughts go out to Benoit Violier's family. Very sad news about an extremely talented chef."


EBay chief executive John Donahoe knew something was up when his firm's security team advised him not to attend a conference for sellers on safety grounds.

A cursory search on YouTube showed him the reason for their concern.
A doctored clip of Holocaust film Schindler's List called "What John Donahoe's doing to eBay" had superimposed his name on to a Nazi guard shooting a Jewish prisoner. The prisoner had been labelled as an eBay seller.
This incident happened in 2008, just a few months after he'd taken the helm and announced dramatic changes to both the charges the online auction site made for listing items and its feedback system for customers and sellers.
"I thought, 'Oh my god this is personal.' That was like one of those gut check moments - is this worth it? It wasn't perfectly obvious at that moment."
Six years on it's easy to say it was worth it. The changes Mr Donahoe made have shifted eBay from being an online auction marketplace to a full blown e-commerce operation.
Last year 73% of the items on its website were sold at a fixed price, rather than via auction.
And over the past five years, its shares have surged by 441%, compared with the Nasdaq's 213% rise over the same period.
Mr Donahoe says if he could go back to 2008, he would have tried to communicate his vision more clearly, but he would still make those changes because that was his job.
"There is always a new normal because the pace of technology innovation is changing and consumer behaviour is changing. So our leaders have to be comfortable that their job is to continuously drive change."
It is not only tech firm bosses that face this reality. The biggest part of any chief executive's role is to ensure that their firm is able to thrive or at least survive, regardless of external circumstances.
Any change, such as a downturn in the economy or a structural change in the industry in which it operates, means the firm will have to respond and perhaps shift, at least to some degree, how it operates.
In the case of US healthcare services firm Cardinal Health, the entire industry was changing due to a significant demographic shift with the older population expanding rapidly, and sharp growth in some health issues such as obesity.
Five years ago, the firm decided to sell off a significant and lucrative part of its medical products business, leaving it with what at the time was perceived as the less profitable parts of the business - largely medical services and some products.
Chief executive George Barrett was brought in to lead the firm just ahead of the sale, and had to drive the shift which he admits was "difficult".
"We had to reinvent our perspective and say look, this service business can be innovative, can drive high growth and can be extraordinarily valuable in a system going through a big change."
But it also had to tell investors that as a result of the change, profits would be down in the first year, before growing again.
Despite a tough initial period, Mr Barrett says being so upfront about the changes and communicating their impact clearly helped.
"Getting through that difficult time was easier because people felt that we were taking the actions we needed to take, we weren't going to wait... we were going to move aggressively."
Four years of consistent profits growth and shareholder returns have also helped appease investors.
At Cardinal Health, making such a dramatic change obviously paid off, but it can be hard to judge how quickly to implement change.
After listing on the stock market, Chinese entrepreneur Wang Chuanfu decided to make a dramatic change to BYD (short for Build Your Dreams) - the firm he founded originally to make batteries for mobile phones. He used the funds from going public to expand its remit to making electric cars.
Suddenly instead of selling to companies, it had to start selling to consumers - a completely different proposition.
Mr Wang said initially he moved too fast, opening too many distribution centres, many of which made a loss.
Getting its rate of expansion right took three years to fix, but the firm, which now counts Warren Buffett as an investor, has continued to grow and says it plans to bring four of its models to the US by the end of 2015.
"It was a good path, [I] just had to persevere through it," he says.
This feature is based on interviews by leadership expert Steve Tappin for the BBC's CEO Guru series, produced by Neil Koenig and Evy Barry.


Police are investigating the sudden death of a man in Dundee.

Officers were seen entering a tenement block in South Tay Street in the city centre at about 11:00.
Details of the the man's identity and age have not yet been released by Police Scotland.
A Tayside Division spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland is carrying out enquiries in relation to a sudden death of a man. There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances."


Wales second-row Dominic Day will play in the Super Rugby competition in 2017 after signing a one-year deal with Australian side Melbourne Rebels.

The 30-year-old announced in April that he was leaving Premiership side Bath, having signed in 2012 from Scarlets.
"I'm really excited about the challenge of playing for the Rebels," Day said.
Day currently plays for Toyota Verblitz and will join his new side at the end of the Japanese Top League season, which concludes in January.
"Playing in the Pro12 and Premiership I would always watch Super Rugby and enjoyed the attacking style," he said.
"I think it's the most exciting competition in the world.
"Super Rugby has some of the best and most skilful players in the world and I want to test myself in that arena."
Fellow forward Gareth Delve - the first Welshman to play Super Rugby - had a three-year stay at Melbourne Rebels between 2010 and 2013.


HSBC has been criticised after announcing it will shut two of its branches in Flintshire later this year.

Its branch in Ewloe will close on 11 November and the one in Caergwrle on 9 December.
Alyn and Deeside AM Carl Sargeant has written to HSBC and said banks had a "role to play in their communities and a responsibility towards them".
HSBC blamed a rise in telephone and internet banking for the drop in people using branches.


A Brazilian woman accused of carrying out illegal silicon implant procedures has been killed in a suspected revenge attack.

Marcilene Soares Gama, 49, had been accused by clients of using industrial silicone for buttock enlargement.
At the time of her death she faced court action over charges she pretended to be a doctor.
Police in Rio de Janeiro are looking for a man caught on a surveillance camera entering her flat on Saturday.
Her body was found hours later on a nearby road.
The man tied her hands behind her back, made her get in his car and shot her in the face before disposing of the body.
The killing has the hallmarks of a revenge attack, police said.
"Forensic experts concluded that she was shot in the face at close range, which is usually a sign of anger and hatred," chief investigator Fabio Cardoso told O Globo newspaper.
At least ten women have come forward saying their bodies were ruined in botched implant procedures carried out by Ms Gama.
She was arrested twice for pretending to be a doctor in Rio and in Sao Paulo, but was released and continued to practise despite facing a court case .
Her family denied the charges and said she always warned clients of the risks associated with silicone implant procedures.
"She never said she was a surgeon. People knew the risks but they went ahead anyway," said her brother-in-law, Daniel Mofacto.
"But I do believe that she was murdered by a vengeful client", he told O Dia newspaper.
Ms Gama had two children, aged 31 and 25, and was about to become a grandmother.
Buttock enhancement is one of several cosmetic procedures popular in Brazil, which has developed one of the world's largest plastic surgery industries.