Give or take, the fourth anniversary of the Arab Spring coincided with the resignation of Yemen's government following a confrontation with a Houthi insurgency, leaving Tunisia as the only regional country that continues to inch along a path towards more pluralistic governance.

Yemen is back to square one.
The collapse of the government of Yemeni President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi is bad news on several levels.
The headlines in western media have focused on what this means for the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) or for Iran's ambitions in the Middle East.
These are important questions.
Certainly given the identification of the perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, there is a justifiable concern that AQAP will take advantage of potential chaos.
While the Houthis have been battling the government for several months, they have also been fighting al-Qaeda. It is perhaps its only overlapping interest with the West.
The Houthis are not enamoured with the US policy in Yemen, nor drones. But even the Houthis seem to recognise the potential value of Monday's drone strike that allegedly killed three al-Qaeda operatives.
But being the enemy of an enemy only goes so far.
The relative ease with which the Houthis gained strength in recent months, took over de facto control of the capital and became the country's new kingmaker is remarkable and undoubtedly disconcerting to Yemen's primary backers, the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The United States has been training Yemeni forces under a counterterrorism effort US President Barack Obama termed a "model" several months ago. While that may be true, the model is clearly a work in progress.
The Saudis have poured billions into Yemen to try to ensure the political primacy of the Sunni majority over the Shia minority. The Houthis are a Shia Zaidi sect.
The Houthis apparently received support from Iran. Their dramatic rise does suggest that no strategy in Yemen is likely to succeed without taking Iran into account.
The Obama administration has been careful to avoid mixing other pressing issues with the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, but it needs to find out what the Houthis and the Iranians want in Yemen and what they can live with.
A more fundamental question is: Can Yemen, arguably the region's weakest country, even survive this latest crisis intact?
This is not a given.
Not so long ago Yemen was two countries - North and South. It only unified in 1990 after a process that took two decades. Like everything else in Yemen, the bond is fragile.
The proximate cause of the Houthi confrontation with the Hadi government was a failure to implement an acceptable power-sharing agreement based on a shared future vision for Yemen.
The government was considering constitutional changes that would have established a new federal system in Yemen. Hadi favoured the creation of six federal regions and the Houthis just two. At stake is the question of how to divvy up income from Yemen's energy sector.
The Houthis participated in both the 2011 revolution that upended the government of Ali Abdullah Saleh - who is nonetheless now backing them - and the National Dialogue Conference that followed. Intriguingly, the Houthis appear to want to be part of the solution, but don't necessarily see themselves as the solution.
Since none of the key players in Yemen want to see the country divide and open the door for another mini-caliphate, the potential exists for an inclusive political process that leads to an interim government, constitutional changes and new elections.
Parliamentary elections last occurred in 2003 and presidential elections are overdue.
Even these basic steps will be a heavy lift. Yemen will need help pulling it off.
Mr Obama's brief stopover in Saudi Arabia en route home from India, leading a high-powered bipartisan delegation to pay respects to the Saudi royal family following the death of King Abdullah, was an important gesture and provided a valuable opportunity to discuss Yemen with the new monarch, King Salman.
In turn, the United States needs to broaden its counterterrorism approach in Yemen.
The Obama administration has become far too tactical. Drones have a role to play, but the secret to success in Yemen is ultimately better governance and economic growth.
Just as the crisis in Syria was less about democracy but the price of grain, so too cuts in fuel subsidies in Yemen contributed to the current unrest.
Most American aid to Yemen is military. Whacking bad guys is important, but what Yemen desperately needs is more economic assistance.
Its economy is stagnant; it imports 90% of its food, and is running out of water.
What Yemen needs is a long-term commitment from the United States and the international community.
If there is one thing we now understand about the transformation under way in the Middle East, helping a country like Yemen save it from itself will take not years, but decades.
P.J. Crowley is a former Assistant Secretary of State and now a professor of practice and fellow at The George Washington University Institute for Public Diplomacy & Global Communication.


Brazil legend Carlos Alberto, the captain of the 1970 World Cup-winning side, has died aged 72.

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He scored one of the greatest goals in World Cup history in the 1970 final against Italy, rounding off a sublime team move with a powerful low finish.
Right-back Alberto was capped 53 times by Brazil and won domestic titles with Fluminense and Santos, for whom he made more than 400 appearances.
He died in Rio de Janeiro following a heart attack.
The 1970 Brazil side that won the World Cup, which also contained greats Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao and Rivelino, is regarded by many as the finest in history.
Alberto was named in the world team of the 20th Century in 1998 and the Fifa 100 for the greatest living players in 2004.
After finishing his playing career in North America with New York Cosmos, he managed 13 clubs and Oman and Azerbaijan.
He won the 1983 Brazilian Championship with Flamengo and finished his coaching career with Azerbaijan in 2005.
BBC Brasil's Fernando Duarte
Carlos Alberto had a huge influence in Brazilian football not only for being one of the best right-backs to ever don the Brazil shirt, but also for being one of the most uncompromising voices of the game in his native country.
As a leader, his qualities were unquestionable, wearing the captain's armband in the legendary Brazil squad that won the Jules Rimet trophy in Mexico 46 years ago, exerting command over the likes of strong-minded players such as Pele, Gerson and Rivelino.
Alberto was a product of Brazil's famous marauding full-back lineage, but the difference was that he united fitness with the art.
Brazilians learned the hard way in the 1966 World Cup that style was not enough when they were easily outmuscled by European opponents and went out at the group stage.
'The Captain', as he was nicknamed by Brazilians, did not have the same success as a manager, but fans of Flamengo, the most-supported team in the country, have fond memories of his role in winning the 1983 national title.
As a coach or TV pundit, Alberto held no prisoners thanks to a fiery temper and a sharp sense of humour. In his trademark raspy voice, he would lambast directors, players and express certain despair with what he considered a fall in standards in Brazilian football.
I met Alberto several times and never left without some tasty quotes. The last time I saw him was month ago in Rio, the day after a round of the South American World Cup qualifiers, in the green room of a Brazilian TV station.
The national team had won a crucial away game against Ecuador and a huge sense of relief was in the air after a stumbling start in the tournament. But 'The Captain' was having none of it.
"I remember when beating those guys was not a reason to celebrate but an obligation," he said, just before letting his thunderous laugh rip.


Northern Ireland runners Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop won gold medals at the Paralympics on Saturday night.

Smyth, 25, from Eglinton retained his 100 metres T13 title, bursting away from the field to win in a world record time of 10.46 seconds.
Glengormley man McKillop, also a hot favourite to repeat his Beijing win, was a runaway winner of the T32 title over 800 metres.
McKillop also set a new world best, coming home in 1.57.22.
Australian Brad Scott was with McKillop at the bell, but the Irish man went it alone for the final 400 metres and the 22-year-old finished more than four seconds ahead of Tunisia's Mohamed Charmi with Scott taking bronze.
McKillop said watching Smyth's victory earlier had inspired him.
"We are best friends and room-mates. I could not have walked into that bedroom tonight without a gold medal around my neck," said McKillop"
Both athletes can each win a second gold later in the Games.
Sprinter Smyth, who won double gold in 2008, is targeting another success in the 200 metres while McKillop goes in the 1500m final on Monday.
McKillop is unbeaten at Paralympic level for six years and won over his two distances at last year's World Championships.
Smyth, visually impaired because of Stargardt disease, was disappointed not to qualify for the Olympics, missing the 100m 'A' standard by 0.04 seconds.
The fastest Paralympian in the world spread his arms wide in celebration as he crossed the line, winning by a margin not even Usain Bolt is accustomed to.
The reigning champion's victory was never in doubt as he won by over half a second from Cuban Luis Felipe Gutierrez.
Smyth has run quicker, but only in non-disabled competition.
Another Paralympic crown helped make up for the Derry athlete's disappointment at missing out on Olympic qualification.
Draped in an Irish flag which declared him the 'fastest Paralympian on the planet', he said: "Coming in as champion, you are under pressure to retain your titles so thankfully I was able to do that.
"It was an added bonus to run quickly and break the world record again.
"To be in that stadium with 80,000 people, half of them seeming like they're Irish cheering, and even the British were really supportive, makes the whole Games a lot better."
Asked if it made up for his Olympic absence, he said: "It was very disappointing to be so close, I had put in a lot of hard work to try and get there and it would have been fantastic.
"There is definitely something sweeter about coming to a major event, succeeding and coming away with the gold medal."
Earlier, Ireland celebrated gold in the pool when Darragh McDonald won the 400m freestyle S6 in a time of 4.55.56


One person has been charged with assaulting an officer after four officers and six horses were hurt in clashes at the Million Mask March.

Large crowds gathered in Parliament Square in central London on Thursday night and many wore the "Guido" masks of the Anonymous anti-capitalist group.
One protester called A+ said Anonymous did not condone the violence of a few and the event was largely "peaceful".
The Met Commissioner said the majority of protesters "intended on violence".
Fifty people were arrested of whom 48 remain in custody.
The Met said the worst injured officer was thrown from his horse and had a suspected fractured wrist after fireworks were thrown at officers in the Mall.
More on this story and other news from London
His horse Embassy has injuries to his face, fetlock and front leg and the officer is recovering at home, the Met said.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This has been a really busy week, even by the standards of the Met, and my officers have worked very hard in the face of some incredibly challenging and even violent circumstances."
The Commissioner said he believed the animals had been deliberately attacked and the majority of marchers "intended on some kind of violent process".
Sir Bernard added: "They knew it was a possibility these fireworks would frighten the animals, so I think it's pretty despicable behaviour.
"Protest by all means, but don't hurt other people in the process."
Daisy Greenaway, a 20-year-old student at the University of Westminster, said she was among some protesters when they started to throw firecrackers at police horses and was punched while she tried to prevent a horse being harmed.
She said she was initially in Parliament Square but police had tried to shut the protest down and she found herself in a kettled zone. She then moved to the protest at Buckingham Palace.
"On arrival, a horse ran past and people threw fireworks.
"When I told people not to hurt the horses I was told 'police horses don't feel' or 'they're trained for this stuff'. I pulled one guy away from a horse who then tried to fight me."
She said the police had helped her to exit from the crowd when they realised she had played no part in the violence.
Another protester, who goes by the name A+ said it was a small minority who were involved in violence.
He said in those few cases, "the mask has been used for wrong reasons and we do not condone this."
The 31-year-old music producer from Montgomery County, Maryland, travelled to London for the march and said: "It was the most beautiful gathering of all religions under one family.
"A lot of people came from all parts. With the mask on it felt like the World had come."
"We are the forgotten. Our first goal is to inform."
The Million Mask March was organised by Anonymous to hit back at austerity measures and perceived inequality brought about by the government.
The protest started in Trafalgar Square and moved on to Parliament Square. In an isolated incident further away from the main protests an unattended police car was set on fire.


The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham has said she would "tear up the whole island" of Kos as a police search ended without finding his body.

For 25 years Kerry Needham believed she would find her son alive and one day be reunited with him.
But that last flicker of hope seems to have vanished as police confirmed their belief he was killed accidentally by a digger when he went missing in 1991.
Mrs Needham told The Mirror: "I can't say goodbye until I know where he is."
From the moment he disappeared on the Greek holiday island, 43-year-old Mrs Needham maintained Ben was alive and had probably been abducted.
Speaking at the time of his disappearance, she said: "I've just got to keep that hope for Ben's sake, because we love him too much. I won't give up."
Read more about this story and more on BBC Local Live: Sheffield and South Yorkshire
The search for her son took over Mrs Needham's life as she repeatedly appealed for help.
"He's got to be found. He didn't disappear off the face of the earth - he is out there somewhere," she said.
But last month, police told her to "prepare for the worst" and revealed that a friend of a digger driver, who was clearing land with an excavator on the day the toddler went missing, said the man may have been responsible for Ben's death.
In the years before the latest investigations, Mrs Needham said that "not even in my worst nightmares" did she believe Ben would be found dead near the same spot where he had vanished more than a quarter of a century ago.
It had certainly not entered her mind that her little boy may have been crushed to death by a digger.
"It's a long time to wait thinking you're going to find your son and then suddenly your world comes crashing down," said Ellie Martin, who co-runs the Help Find Ben Needham campaign group.
"For 25 years all she's thought about when she woke up in the morning is to find Ben."
The 21-month-old toddler, from Sheffield, was last seen playing outside a farmhouse in Iraklis - which his grandfather Ed was refurbishing - on the afternoon of 24 July 1991.
He was being looked after by his grandparents while his mother was out working.
When his grandmother realised she hadn't heard his voice as he played they began looking for him. Initially it was thought his uncle Stephen had taken him for a ride on his motorbike but it later transpired this was not the case and the family contacted the Greek police.
Ben's disappearance sparked one of the biggest and longest-running search operations ever seen in Europe.
This arid corner of Kos became the centre of a huge inquiry and international media attention.
In the weeks and months that followed, the family's anguish deepened as they travelled back and forth between the UK and Kos while Greek and British police followed various leads.
Hundreds of sightings of Ben were claimed with none of them amounting to anything but more pain for the family.
Pictures of what Ben may have looked like aged 12-14 years old were issued by police in 2003 and another computer-generated image was released in 2010 to illustrate how he may appear at 21.
DNA tests were carried out on two men who it was thought may have been Ben, but both were negative.
In December 2013, Mrs Needham accused then-Prime Minister David Cameron of not giving her case the same backing as he gave to the parents of Madeleine McCann, who went missing in 2007.
It came after a reports from eight witnesses who all saw a boy possibly matching Ben's description with the same Greek family.
Earlier this year, a South Yorkshire Police team returned to Kos to carry out house-to-house visits and chase new leads. They were given the tip that Ben may have been accidentally crushed by a digger while he was out playing.
The police officer in charge of the latest operation, Det Insp Jon Cousins, told a press conference: "My team and I know that machinery, including a large digger, was used to clear an area of land on 24 July 1991, behind the farmhouse that was being renovated by the Needhams.
"It is my professional belief that Ben Needham died as a result of an accident near to the farmhouse in Iraklis where he was last seen playing."
He revealed that an item found on Saturday, that it is thought Ben had with him when he went missing, had been shown to the Needham family.
"The recovery of this item, and its location, further adds to my belief that material was removed from the farmhouse on or shortly after the day that Ben disappeared," Det Insp Cousins said.
While there are still myriad unanswered questions for the Needham family, the latest find in that hot dry corner of Kos may mean they can finally begin to mourn for their lost son.


The father of three sisters who brought employment claims against an award-winning chef has said tribunal fees could put people off filing a dispute.

Dick Palmer's daughters, Bethany, Lucy and Esme, recently had claims including sexual harassment and unfair dismissal upheld against Ben Cox, co-owner of the Star Inn at Sancton near Beverley.
But he said the case only went ahead after he agreed to pay a £250 fee.
The Ministry of Justice says a review of the charges is ongoing.
Mr Palmer said: "The costs just keep on going up and up and, when you sit down and think of it all, it would be enough to put most people off but my daughters were convinced something had to be done and we had to bring this case forward."
Last month a tribunal found Bethany, 24, and Lucy, 21, were unfairly dismissed and Lucy and Esme, 17, were sexually harassed by Mr Cox.
The restaurant was also found to have breached working time regulations by denying Bethany and Lucy a rest break.
Tribunal fees were introduced by the government in 2013 for the first time since the system was created in 1964.
Under the scheme, workers have to pay £160 or £250 to lodge a claim and a charge of either £230 or £950 if the case goes ahead, though exceptions apply.
People in receipt of certain benefits, on a low income or with only a small amount of savings and investments may be eligible to have fees waived or reduced.
Mr Palmer said: "Without doubt people have been put off [by the cost]."
He said he believed the change meant the legislation was now "stacked heavily in favour of the employers".
"Without my support both morally and financially we could not have brought this case to court," he said.
"The girls were working part time. My youngest only worked one or two shifts a week."
The introduction of charges has coincided with a steep drop in the number of tribunal cases.
According to recent figures, about 13,500 single-person cases were brought per quarter in the year to June 2013.
Following the introduction of fees the average quarterly figure dropped to about 4,500 between October 2013 and June 2015 - a decrease of 67%.
Unison, the union, has previously said fees has left some workers "priced out of justice" and it is taking its battle to have the charges abolished to the Supreme Court.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "It is right that those who can afford to should make a contribution to the cost of employment tribunals.
"At every stage we are protecting the most vulnerable by ensuring those who have limited means have fee waivers and are not excluded from seeking redress.
The ministry will publish the outcome of its review of fees in due course, it added.


Celebrations are on ice after a draw against Israel left Wales agonisingly close to qualifying for Euro 2016.

The 0-0 draw in Cardiff means Wales must wait before confirming their place in France.
The team remains top of Group B but will have to wait until next month to seal their spot after second-placed Belgium beat Cyprus.
It would be Wales' first appearance at a major tournament since the World Cup in 1958.
Belgium won 1-0 in Cyprus in the game which kicked-off later, at 19:45 BST.
Chris Coleman's side only need one point from their remaining two matches.
They play Bosnia-Herzegovina away on 10 October and Andorra at home on 13 October.
"It's a shame for the supporters we didn't do it by beating Israel, but it is coming for us," said Coleman.
Prior to Wales' game at the Cardiff City Stadium, some fans complained about missing kick-off, with posts on Twitter suggesting hundreds had to queue outside the Cardiff City Stadium.
Mark Ludlam tweeted from @basementjack: "Stewards blaming fans for only giving themselves 30 mins to get in to CCFC Stadium. How long should it take?"


The political implications of the polling errors at the 2015 general election were quite profound.

The six-week campaign was dominated by 92 voting intention polls, very few of which came anywhere near the actual outcome of a Conservative victory.
The fact that most polls suggested a hung parliament shaped the entire campaign.
Detailed interrogation of party policies took a back seat to endless discussion about who would go into coalition with whom.
And the final weeks before polling day were so dominated by talk about the SNP that one could have been forgiven for thinking it was a Holyrood election rather than one for Westminster.
Should we cut through all this and simply ban the publication of opinion polls during election campaigns?
Pollsters object that, in the event of a ban, privately commissioned polls would be commissioned and their findings published abroad and then reported in the UK media. It would be virtually impossible to suppress them in this age of the internet.
A reasonable point: but does it invalidate the argument that election polls should be banned?
A 2012 international study conducted by the University of Hong Kong received replies from 83 countries when asked whether they operated any blackout period for polls during election campaigns.
Of these, 38 countries reported bans on the publication of pre-election polls in one form or another.
The list included Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Poland and Venezuela. In France, election polls are banned on polling day and the day before.
It is difficult to characterise the list as comprising countries where democracy is fragile and where authoritarian regimes prevail.
So, many mature democracies find no problem with restricting pre-election polls.
Would our own politics be any the poorer if such a ban were introduced?
In the absence of obsessive interest in the party horse race, might we discuss important subjects such as what the next government proposes to do for five years: the state of the economy, housing, the environment, schools and universities and the National Health Service?
I find the prospect very enticing.
However, if we ban the polls we could also lose the information they provide that is over and beyond simple voting intention, not least the priorities expressed by potential voters.
Polls contain very rich data about voter attitudes that the media often does not report.
But that suggests the media should sort itself out rather than Parliament legislating to cut off the supply.
There is also the argument that polls, with all their shortcomings, are far better than the alternatives we would be left with in the event of their being banned.
Would our news-hungry media fill the gap with leaks of "private" polls commissioned by political parties, ostensibly for their own use?
Or worse still, would every election campaign be splattered with reports of "sensational" canvass returns released by parties showing that they were sweeping the country in this election?
Rumour and spin do not appear to be particularly attractive alternatives to opinion polls.
For my part, I am not persuaded that polls should be banned during election campaigns.
However, I think the pollsters are on a short leash: their dreadful performance in 2015 and the damaging role they played in misdirecting the entire six weeks of the campaign have shaken public confidence quite severely.
If they cannot restore that public confidence quickly they will find themselves bereft of friends and supporters should the appetite grow for curtailing their activities during crucial election campaigns.
Additional research by Chris Davies.


A young boy has been run over and killed on the driveway of a house in Wakefield.

West Yorkshire Police said the "tragic incident" happened outside the property in Lingwell Nook Lane, Lofthouse at about 14:15 GMT on Wednesday.
A force spokesperson said an investigation was under way. The boy's age has not been revealed.
Neighbours described hearing the emergency services and air ambulance arrive and spoke of their shock.
For live updates and more from across West Yorkshire
Ian Fryer said: "I heard the helicopter landing at about 2pm and then the next minute loads of police arriving, ambulances and I just stood out in the street for a little while with the neighbours looking at what had happened."
Ian Whitworth told BBC Radio Leeds: "I'm completely devastated, completely shocked.
"It's a small road and although we don't know each other intimately we know each other well enough to say 'hi'.
"I can't imagine how awful it must be and I feel terrible for the family."


Police have appealed for information after an elderly man in a tweed jacket and a flat cap was reported walking along a motorway in southern Scotland.

The incident happened at about 10:50 on the A74(M) at Kirkpatrick Fleming.
The man was reported to be walking south along the hard shoulder but police patrols found no trace of him.
They are keen to speak to anyone who saw the man.


All 120 Austin Reed stores will close by the end of June at the cost of 1,000 jobs, the administrator said.

AlixPartners said it would wind down the menswear retailer as no viable offers had been received for the business.
Austin Reed fell into administration last month, amid a "challenging" retail market and cashflow issues.
The collapse means that the 116-year-old brand could disappear from the High Street.
Peter Savile, joint administrator, said: "Despite a significant number of interested parties coming forward during this period, it became clear as the process progressed that a viable solution which kept the business whole was not forthcoming.
"As a result we have made the difficult decision to cease trading the business and commence a wind-down of the estate."
Five Austin Reed concessions located in Boundary Mills outlet villages in the north of England have been sold to the owners of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, resulting in the transfer of 28 staff.
It also bought the Austin Reed and Country Casual brands.
The retailer's failure follows the recent collapse of department store chain BHS into administration, which put 11,000 jobs under threat.
Administrators may announce a sale of some BHS stores later this week.
Austin Reed's website is no longer accepting new orders, but any purchases already placed will be despatched.
Gift vouchers can still be used in stores but not online.
The retailer's sales had been falling in recent years, with analysts blaming a poorly designed website and "tired" stores.
Austin Reed was last listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006, when it was taken private by an investment firm for Â£49m.
It started as a tailoring business in the City of London in 1900, selling off-the-rack suits that could pass as made-to-measure. The retailer once counted figures including Winston Churchill as customers.
Austin Reed had a concession on the transatlantic liner Queen Elizabeth and supplied clothing for special agents and resistance fighters during World War Two.


At least 129 bodies have been recovered from Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry capsized on Friday.

Local transport minister Laurent Sumba Kahozi said the search for survivors was continuing.
Rescue workers found passengers in the water on Sunday, clinging on to petrol cans and other objects.
Correspondents say such accidents are fairly common in the region as ferries are often overloaded.
Life jackets are also often missing and many people cannot swim.
Officials in Katanga province said strong winds and overloading caused the boat, the MV Mutambala, to capsize.
A number of women and children were among the victims in the disaster, which happened in the early hours of Friday morning.
Initial reports said 26 people had died.
The number of survivors stands at 232, mostly men, the provincial minister for transport said.


Irish jockey Ana O'Brien has been airlifted to hospital following a fall at Killarney on Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old, who is the daughter of trainer Aidan O'Brien, was injured when her mount Druids Cross slipped two furlongs out in the second race.
She was taken away in an air ambulance with fractures to her neck, back and cheeks, according to the Racing Post.
Druids Cross, a three-year-old trained by Ana's brother Joseph, was fatally injured.
O'Brien secured her first race win in 2013 at 16 and rode for her father in this year's English and Irish Derbys.


Britain's six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir will retire from the track after Rio 2016.

The 37-year-old finished sixth in the T54 800m - his final individual track race at Rio 2016 - after coming fifth in the 400m and fourth in the 1500m.
"That's my last individual race on the track," Weir told Channel 4.
"I want to retire at the London Marathon next year. I'll give it one more winter's training and bow out where it all started."
Weir's decision means he will not compete at the IPC Athletics World Championships in July, which will be staged at London Stadium, the scene of his 2012 Olympic successes.
The Londoner said he would race in the marathon at Rio and may make himself available for the T53/54 4x400m relay team.
However, he suggested his preparations for the Paralympics had been disrupted by problems behind the scenes.
Weir won the first of his record-equalling six London Marathon titles in 2002 and will go for a seventh on 23 April 2017.


Bradley Wiggins claimed a British record seventh Olympic medal with a sensational gold in the men's time trial.

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The Tour de France winner stopped the clock at 50 minutes 39 seconds for the 44km course.
"Underneath the amiable, bloke-next-door, likes-a-laugh, family-man exterior, is a stone-cold competitor. He might crave an ordinary life, but Wiggins is an extraordinary man"
Read more from Matt Slater
This was a convincing 42 seconds quicker than Germany's world champion Tony Martin, and 68 seconds faster than British team-mate Chris Froome, runner-up to Wiggins in Paris 10 days ago.
Wiggins' seven Olympic medals - four golds, a silver and two bronzes - give him one more than rowing great Sir Steve Redgrave.
"I don't think my sporting career will ever top this now," said Wiggins. "That's it. It will never, never get better than that. Incredible.
"It had to be gold today or nothing. What's the point of seven medals if they're not the right colour?
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"The main number is that is gold number four. So I have got to carry on to Rio now and make it five. Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Chris Hoy is very special."
Comparisons between different eras and sports are notoriously subjective, but Wiggins' results in 2012 put him among a select group of British sports heroes.
His victory at the Tour, the first by a British rider, was already an achievement of historic proportions, but to back that up with a fourth gold medal - in three different events, across three Games - is unparalleled in cycling history.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics he was part of the group that won the bronze medal in the team pursuit event, following that up in Athens by becoming the first Briton in 40 years to win three medals at a Games, before winning the pursuit and team pursuit in Beijing.
British trailblazer Chris Boardman, whose 1992 individual pursuit gold inspired a young Wiggins, is in no doubt as to where the 32-year-old Londoner's achievements should be ranked.
"His sporting performances this year have been unprecedented," said Boardman. "The greatest British cyclist of all time, I have no qualms about saying that. One of the top British sportsmen, also."
Unbeaten in time trials of this distance since losing to Martin at the 2011 World Championships in Copenhagen, Wiggins came into this race as the bookies' favourite. That status might faze some, but the Chorley-based cyclist has been dealing with rising expectations all year.
Marginally down on his German rival at the first time check at 9km, he did not panic. His body position, all important in this discipline, remained perfectly aerodynamic as he turned his pedals with unmatched efficiency and power.
By 18km, he was 11 seconds up; at 29km, his lead was 23 seconds. There was no catching him then, as he was roared home by a massive crowd.
What was in doubt, though, was if the Kenyan-born Froome could claim a one-two finish to match the pair's Tour de France exploits.
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But the impressive Martin, who has suffered two serious injuries this season, gritted his teeth to split the Team GB stars.
Taylor Phinney picked up a second fourth-place finish in London 2012's road cycling events - an agonising return for the talented American - while defending champion Fabian Cancellara could only manage seventh.
A special mention also to Luis Leon Sanchez Gil. The unfortunate Spaniard, an outside medal hope, saw his chain snap as he accelerated away from the starting ramp, before puncturing a tyre out on the course.
But this day belonged to one man, the owner of what French newspaper L'Equipe has described "as the most famous sideburns since Elvis Presley", and probably the recipient of British sport's next knighthood.


Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he is postponing a planned trip to Israel.

The business mogul tweeted that the trip would take place "at a later date after I become President of the US".
Earlier this week, Mr Trump proposed a temporary halt on Muslims entering the United States.
His proposal was met with criticism from around the world, including from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Trump's proposed Muslim ban made the trip politically awkward for the Israeli leader.
"[Mr Netanyahu] said we have a meeting and he looks forward to the meeting and all of that. But I didn't want to put him under pressure," Mr Trump told Fox News on Thursday.
His proposed ban came days after a deadly attack in San Bernardino, California by a radicalised Muslim couple.
Swift criticism followed the leading candidate's remarks. Muslim leaders, the UN and foreign leaders criticised the call as dangerous and divisive, while the White House said Mr Trump should be disqualified from serving as president.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin implicitly rebuked the leading Republican candidate saying "we have no war with Islam".
"We have war against those who are using ideas in order to create extremism and threats toward the whole innocent people of the world," Mr Rivlin said.
Back in the US, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who is Muslim, issued a statement calling on political leaders to "use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam" and for Muslims "to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda". He did not, however, mention Mr Trump by name.
Boxing legend Ali criticises Trump - Muslim athletes come out swinging
Ban petition - Over 400,000 call on UK government to bar Mr Trump
Middle East chain bans Trump products - Many business deals could be at risk after his comments.
Free speech v hate speech - Would Trump get in trouble in Europe?
Earlier this week, reports suggested that Mr Trump would visit Jordan in addition to Israel. Mr Trump denied these reports on Twitter.
Meanwhile, more than 418,000 people in the UK signed a petition, calling for Mr Trump to be barred from entering country. The numbers of signatures means MPs will have to consider it.
Chancellor George Osborne criticised Mr Trump's comments, but he rejected calls for him to be banned from the UK.
Home Secretary Theresa May can exclude an individual if she considers their presence is "not conducive to the public good or if their exclusion is justified on public policy grounds".
In response, Mr Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning saying "the United Kingdom is trying hard to disguise their massive Muslim problem," and "many people in the UK agree with me".


Line of Duty and This Is England actor Vicky McClure has called for more affordable drama schools in the UK.

The 33-year-old attended free classes at the Nottingham Television Workshop twice a week from the age of 11.
The charity offers free training for people aged between seven and 21 in performance skills for television, film, radio and theatre.
The actress, from Wollaton in the city, made a plea that "there should be places like that in every city".
She told Radio Times: "It's striking how many successful actors came out of Nottingham.
"We don't need to send people to expensive drama schools.
"When I went to the Nottingham Television Workshop it was free. Even now it's affordable - Â£100 a term - and if people don't have that there are bursaries and sponsors."
Ms McClure was discovered by Nottingham-based director Shane Meadows while training at the after-school drama workshop.
At the age of 16 she made her movie debut in his film A Room For Romeo Brass.
In 2011, the actress won a Bafta and a Royal Television Society Award for her part in the film This Is England 86 - also a Mr Meadows project.
Workshop director Nic Harvey said its ethos has been that "talent comes first, then we work out how their training can be paid for".
"Drama schools have a responsibility to go out there and attract hard-to-find talent with bursary and scholarship schemes," he said.
"If an aspiring young actor from a hard-up background can't see opportunities to develop their potential and make a road into the industry, then professional drama training will be the privilege of those who can afford to take financial risks.
"Great actors need great empathy, a chemistry with people from all walks of life."


The widows of four men executed by Nigeria's military regime in 1995 are suing oil giant Shell for alleged complicity in a military crackdown.

The civil case, filed in The Hague in the Netherlands, argues that the company provided support to the army, which ultimately led to the executions.
Shell has repeatedly denied the claims.
Ken Saro-Wiwa was the best known of the nine men executed. He led protests against the environmental damage caused by oil production in the Niger Delta.
The latest case against Royal Dutch Shell has been filed by four of the wives of the men - political activists known as the Ogoni nine - and is supported by Amnesty International.
The women are seeking an apology and unspecified compensation
'Regret'
In response Shell - the largest oil producer in Nigeria - said that it "did not collude with the authorities to suppress community unrest and in no way encouraged or advocated any act of violence in Nigeria."
"The executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his fellow Ogonis in 1995 were tragic events that were carried out by the military government in power at the time. We were shocked and saddened when we heard the news of the executions.
"The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited appealed to the Nigerian government to grant clemency. To our deep regret, that appeal, and the appeals made by many others within and outside Nigeria, went unheard.
The hanging of the men provoked an international outcry, and remains one of the most sensitive cases in Nigeria.
The oil giant has faced lawsuits in various countries relating to the executions.
Eight years ago, it agreed an out-of-court settlement in the US to pay more than $15 millon to a group of the men's relatives.
Shell has also faced lawsuits over oil spills and environmental damage in the Delta region.


Life expectancy in the United States has declined for the first time in more than two decades.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics showed a drop for men from 76.5 years in 2014 to 76.3 in 2015, and from 81.3 to 81.2 for women.
The preliminary figures show rises in several causes of death, especially heart disease, dementia and accidental infant deaths.
Life expectancy last fell during the peak of the HIV/Aids crisis in 1993.
It has improved slightly but steadily in most of the years since World War Two, rising from a little more than 68 years in 1950.
It also fell in 1980, after a severe outbreak of flu.
Overall life expectancy for men and women is now 78.8 years, a decrease of 0.1 year from 2014.
"This is unusual," lead author Jiaquan Xu, an epidemiologist at the NCHS, told AFP news agency. "2015 is kind of different from every year. It looks like much more death than we have seen in the last few years."
The report is based mainly on 2015 death certificates.
A decline of 0.1 years in life expectancy means people are dying, on average, a little over a month earlier - or two months earlier for men.
To compare it with the two other declines in the past 30 years, the drop from 1992 to 1993 was 0.3 years, and the drop from 1979 to 1980 was 0.2%.
What's also worrying some experts is that the trend had been largely flat for the preceding three years, rather than steady increase which has prevailed since the 1970s.
The figures show a mixture of factors. Death rates have risen for eight out of 10 of the leading causes of death: heart disease (0.9% rise), chronic lower respiratory diseases (2.7% rise), unintentional injuries (6.7% rise), stroke (3% rise), Alzheimer's disease (15.7% rise), diabetes (1.9% rise), kidney disease (1.5% rise) and suicide (2.3% rise).
Heart disease is the biggest killer - accounting for more than four times as many deaths as each of the others - so even the relatively small 0.9% rise in the heart disease death rate is a major contributor.
Two of the biggest rises were deaths from Alzheimer's disease and also an 11.3% increase in the rate of death for babies under one due to unintentional injuries.
Experts point to obesity levels, an ageing population and economic struggles as wider factors.
"Most of them died from accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed," said Jiaquan Xu.
Michael Grosso, medical director at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in New York, told AFP that these deaths would include car crashes, falls, suffocation and fires, and were therefore complex to explain.
He linked the rise to "social stressors", such as financial pressures and addiction.
"The dramatic upswing in the use of opiates and narcotic use across our country is potentially a big factor in driving a phenomenon like accidental injury," he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the country is "in midst of an opioid overdose epidemic", with a record 28,000 people killed in 2014. No figures are yet available for 2015, though the 6.7% rise in deaths caused by "unintentional injuries" may be partly related.
The death rate for cancer has gone down 1.7%, which is significant as cancer is the second-biggest cause of death, causing almost as many fatalities as heart disease.
But it seems that fast-developing research into cancer treatments, as well as campaigns on public education and early detection, are having an impact.
The US ranks 28th out of 43 OECD countries, according to 2014 figures - the most recent available. It is just behind the Czech Republic, Chile and Costa Rica, and just above Turkey, Poland and Estonia.
The world's highest life expectancy is in Japan, which is well known for the longevity of its elderly citizens. People there live, on average, to 83.7 years, which is followed by Switzerland and Spain on 83.3.
The world's lowest life expectancy is in Sierra Leone, at 50.1 years, according to the World Health Organization.


Public sector workers get a 10% "premium" over their private sector counterparts, Philip Hammond said as he warned ministers against leaking cabinet talks on the pay cap.

The chancellor refused to comment on reports he had said at a meeting that public servants were "overpaid".
And he suggested some colleagues who do not agree with his approach on Brexit were trying to undermine him.
Minister Liam Fox said he "deplored" the briefing by some of his colleagues.
The international trade secretary told the BBC's Sunday Politics they should "be very quiet" and "stick to their own departmental duties", adding: "Our backbenchers are furious and the only people smiling at this will be in Berlin and Paris."
Since the general election, cabinet splits have surfaced over the issue of the 1% cap on public sector pay rises, with some ministers pressing for it to be lifted.
Labour is promising Â£4bn which it says would offer a pay rise to workers.
On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hammond defended his stance, saying public sector pay had "raced ahead" of the private sector after the economic crash in 2008.
While in terms of salary alone, that gap had now closed, he continued, when "very generous" pension contributions were taken into account, the 10% disparity between public and private salaries was a "simple fact".
Asked about a Sunday Times report claiming he had said the former were "overpaid", the chancellor insisted he was not going to discuss what was and wasn't said in a cabinet meeting.
"I do think on many fronts it would be helpful if my colleagues - all of us - focused on the job at hand," he said.
He added: "If you want my opinion, some of the noise is generated by people who are not happy with the agenda that I have, over the last few weeks, tried to advance, of ensuring that we achieve a Brexit which is focused on protecting our economy, protecting our jobs and making sure that we can have continued rising living standards in the future."
Mr Fox, one of the leading Brexit campaigners in the cabinet, rejected press reports he had clashed with Mr Hammond over the EU, saying the two had a "very good working relationship".
"I don't know where the briefing is coming from, but I do know it's got to stop," he said.
He added: "I think there's too much self-indulgence, and I think people need to have less prosecco and have a longer summer holiday."
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith criticised those briefing against Prime Minister Theresa May, saying: "Just for once shut up, for God's sake, and let everybody else get on with the business of governing."
Pay rises for most public sector workers are set by independent pay review bodies, but have effectively been capped at 1% each year since 2013.
Before that, there was a two-year freeze on pay for all but the lowest-paid workers.
The government has come under pressure over the policy since the general election, with some Conservative ministers speaking out in favour of lifting the cap.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour would spend Â£4bn on ending the cap, insisting this would be enough to give a real-terms increase for public sector workers.
Pay review bodies would be asked to come up with an "honest judgement" and a Labour government would follow their advice, he said.
On Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 live, First Secretary of State Damian Green was asked whether Mr Hammond said public sector workers were "overpaid".
"I'm not going to report from inside cabinet because cabinet ministers should not do that," he said.
"But the chancellor does not think that public sector workers are overpaid - the government obviously respects the millions of people who do really important jobs."


Macedonia's governing nationalists and the opposition have both claimed victory in an early general election.

The ruling VMRO-DPMNE, led by former conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, declared itself the winner, despite votes still being counted.
But the SDSM social democrats also claimed a narrow victory.
There were no exit polls for Sunday's election, called two years early as part of a Western-brokered agreement to end a paralysing political crisis.
Vlatko Gjorcev, a senior official in Mr Gruevski's party, told supporters at the group's headquarters: "We won once again. Tonight, today on December 11, the tenth victory in a row."
Meanwhile SDSM leader Zoran Zaev, quoted by AFP news agency, told a cheering crowd. "We are the winners!"


The world's biggest technology firms will donate money to fund the support of OpenSSL, the software at the centre of the Heartbleed bug.

Heartbleed was one of the worst internet flaws ever uncovered.
The maintenance of the software, which secures around two-thirds of the world's websites, was done by a group of volunteers with very little funding.
The new group set up by the Linux Foundation has a dozen contributors and has so far raised around $3m (Â£1.7m).
As well as maintaining OpenSSL it will also support development of other crucial open-source software.
Firms supporting the initiative include Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Cisco and Amazon. Each will donate $300,000 over the next three years.
The industry has been forced to step up after Heartbleed brought chaos to the tech sector.
Experts estimate that the Heartbleed bug will cost businesses tens of million of dollars in lost productivity as they update systems with safer versions of OpenSSL.
"Sometimes it takes a crisis to do the right thing," Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin told journalists.
The bug exposed more than just people's passwords and credit card details. It also highlighted that the crucial piece of software is maintained by a small group of developers who receive donations averaging about $2,000 a year to support the project.
"It is kind of weird that such crucial software is run by a group of hobbyists on a shoestring budget," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with security firm F-Secure.
"This software was invisible, behind the scenes and there are very few volunteers who have the skill and willingness to work on a project like this. There is no recognition, no money and it is very difficult."
The details that have emerged about how the vulnerability came about speaks volumes about how little the industry has cared about the software that was securing their websites, he added.
"The fact that the code change which caused the bug was done by an individual working at 23:00 on a New Year's Eve says a lot. The code simply wasn't reviewed enough and it went undetected for two years," he added.
"Now there is formal and monetary support from the industry I hope we will see a change not just for OpenSSL but for other crucial open source software."


German football has rallied around Thomas Hitzlsperger after the former international midfielder revealed he was gay.

In an interview with newspaper Die Zeit, Hitzlsperger said he was coming out to advance discussion of a topic that was "simply ignored" in German football.
He is the most prominent footballer to publicly reveal his homosexuality and his former team-mates were quick to praise his announcement.
Arsenal and Germany forward Lukas Podolski wrote on Twitter: "Respect to Thomas Hitzlsperger! That was a courageous and correct decision and an important step."
And retired defender Arne Friedrich, who played with Hitzlsperger at Euro 2008, wrote: "Proud of you Thomas. A good decision and in my opinion the right time."
There was also support for Hitzlsperger from leading figures in German football administration.
"Finally, a footballer has the courage to make his sexuality public," said Theo Zwanziger, the former president of the German Football Association.
Bundesliga president Reinhard Rauball said in a statement: "The decision of Thomas Hitzlsperger to be the first prominent footballer to make public his homosexuality is - even after his active career - a huge and courageous step, and surely leads the way in the fight against homophobia."
Gary Lineker @GaryLineker
Congratulations to Thomas Hitzlsperger on bravely being the first player to have played in the PL to 'come out'
Joseph Barton @Joey7Barton 15m
Thomas Hitzlsperger has shown a lot of courage today. Sad times when people have to wait till they retire from their chosen profession...
...before the feel other people will judge them solely on who the human being is. Shame on all of us as a society.
John Amaechi OBE @JohnAmaechi
Congratulations to Thomas Hitzlsperger - welcome to the club!
Bayern Munich, the club where Hitzlsperger began his career as a junior, also tweeted their support for the midfielder's "brave step".
Hitzlsperger's announcement is seen as a watershed moment in Germany, which like England has struggled with the problem of homophobia in football.
Zwanziger admitted that football was "now as ever a hard business, where unfortunately an open discourse about homosexuality is still not taken for granted".
Current Germany captain Philipp Lahm created controversy in 2011 when he wrote in his autobiography that he would encourage gay footballers to keep quiet about their sexuality.
"I would not encourage any gay professional footballer to come out," he wrote at the time. "I would fear that he would end up like Justin Fashanu [the English footballer who killed himself after revealing that he was gay]."
The last German footballer to come out was second tier player Marcus Urban, who told Die Welt in 2007 that he knew of at least three gay footballers in the Bundesliga who were too scared to reveal their sexuality.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert praised Hitzlsperger for going public.
"It's good that he's spoken about something which is important to him," Seibert told a media briefing.
"We live in a country where nobody should be worried about making his sexuality known or concerned about intolerance.
"We judge footballers on whether they have behaved well and worthily on and off the pitch and I believe that both are the case with Mr Hitzlsperger."
Openly Gay German politician Volker Beck said he hoped Hitzlsperger's announcement would encourage others to do the same.
"I hope that Hitzlsperger's courageous step contributes to finally breaking down this taboo," he said. "It's now the job of the German FA to embolden active players [to do the same]."
And Zwanziger said he was optimistic that Hitzlsperger's announcement would lead to greater openness about sexuality in German football.
He said: "I'm confident that sexual orientations will soon not be an issue in football at all."


The former leader of the SNP Alex Salmond has described the BBC's coverage of last year's independence referendum a "disgrace".

He said he was responding to outgoing political editor Nick Robinson's attack on "Putin-like" protests against the corporation.
Mr Salmond's comments came in his column in The Courier newspaper.
A BBC spokesman said the corporation believed its coverage was "rigorously impartial" and fair.
Mr Robinson, who is joining Radio 4's Today programme, publicly clashed with Mr Salmond at a media conference in which the BBC's coverage of a story about the possible relocation of RBS was raised.
A few days after the journalist's report on television, crowds of pro-independence supporters gathered at the BBC's Glasgow HQ accusing the broadcaster of bias and calling for Mr Robinson to be sacked.
In his Edinburgh International Book Festival appearance, Mr Robinson admitted that the row with Mr Salmond was "a source of regret".
But he added: "I don't think my offence was sufficient to justify 4,000 people marching on the BBC's headquarters, so that young men and women who are new to journalism have, like they do in Putin's Russia, to fight their way through crowds of protesters, frightened as to how they do their jobs."
Writing in his regular newspaper column, Mr Salmond said Mr Robinson should be "embarrassed and ashamed" of his reporting of the campaign.
He also dismissed as "ludicrous" the comparison Mr Robinson made between protests by pro-independence supporters outside the BBC's Glasgow headquarters and the treatment of journalists in Vladimir Putin's Russia.
Mr Salmond, now the MP for Gordon, said that he had held off commenting due to Mr Robinson's battle with cancer.
He said: "I am glad that the BBC's Nick Robinson has been restored to health.
"For some months I have said nothing at all about auld Nick because it is unfair to criticise someone who is not able to answer back. Now he is back.
"The BBC's coverage of the Scottish referendum was a disgrace.
"It can be shown to be so, as was Nick's own reporting of which he should be both embarrassed and ashamed."
A BBC spokesperson said: "As we said at the time, we believe our coverage of the referendum was rigorously impartial and in line with our guidelines on fairness and impartiality."


Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator has said it will allow BlackBerry services to continue in the kingdom for now.

The country was due to enforce a ban on the devices on 6 August, but this did not come into effect.
The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) said there had been "positive developments" in its talks with the device's manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM).
RIM has yet to comment on the matter.
"In light of the positive developments toward addressing some of the organisational requirements by the providers, the commission [has] decided to allow the BlackBerry Messenger service to continue," the CITC said.
Saudi Arabia - and an increasing number of other nations - are unhappy that BlackBerry handsets automatically scramble messages and send them to servers in Canada.
Authorities have said they want access to these messages - and the keys to decrypt them - to counter terrorism and criminal activity.
So far, Research In Motion has resisted any attempts to force it to open up its data.
However, the plan being discussed with Saudi Arabia reportedly involves placing a BlackBerry server in the country.
On Saturday, a Saudi official told the Associated Press news agency that tests were under way to see how such a server would work.
An agreement could help overcome similar concerns in other countries, such as India and the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE has said it will ban Blackberry e-mail, messaging and web browsing in October.


Forward Jose Baxter, who was suspended twice in nine months, is among 10 players released by Sheffield United.

Baxter, 24, played the last of his 93 league games for United in February, with the ex-Everton trainee then banned for an unspecified reason by the club.
In July 2015 he was suspended by the Football Association for failing an out-of-competition drugs test.
Midfielder Ryan Flynn, 24, who scored 13 goals in 153 league games, has also been released.
Meanwhile, Dean Hammond, who made 34 Blades appearances during his loan spell from Leicester City in the 2015-16 season, has activated a clause in his contract to remain at Bramall Lane on a permanent deal.
However, the 33-year-old has immediately been placed on the transfer list alongside Kieron Freeman, Kieran Wallace, James Wallace, Paul Coutts, Martyn Woolford and Diego De Girolamo.
Goalkeeper George Long has been offered a new deal while Alex Baptiste, David Edgar and Conor Sammon have left the club after their loan deals expired.
Mark Howard, Bob Harris, Callum McFadzean, Terry Kennedy, Harrison McGahey, Jay McEveley, Florent Cuvelier and Jamal Campbell-Ryce have all been released.


The judge in the trial of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has ordered that he should undergo a month-long mental evaluation.

She ruled that psychiatric evidence before the court could not replace "a proper inquiry" into his mental health.
Correspondents say the trial, which began in March, will almost certainly now face a lengthy delay.
The prosecution argued on Tuesday that psychiatric tests were essential and that he should be referred.
By Andrew HardingAfrica correspondent
Two days ago, Oscar Pistorius told me the prosecution's demand that he undergo further psychiatric tests was "a joke". His defence lawyer was practically spitting with indignation in court as he argued against it.
But today - after hearing Judge Masipa's thorough, detailed ruling - all sides seemed to accept, or at least pretend to accept, that she had a point and that another long delay in this already extended trial would not be a disaster.
It is an odd moment - and one that seems to have caught almost everyone I have spoken to by surprise. Remember that neither prosecution nor defence is suggesting that Mr Pistorius is mentally ill.
But the prosecution is clearly concerned by the defence psychiatrist's claim that the athlete's behaviour the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp might have been influenced by his "general anxiety disorder".
If the state experts confirm that medical diagnosis then the defence has lost nothing but time. The experts could even go further, suggesting Mr Pistorius had diminished responsibility for his actions.
But if, after 30 days of evaluation, the doctors conclude that Mr Pistorius' actions the night he shot his girlfriend were in no way related to any anxiety issues, then the prosecution's stake-raising poker move will have done its job.
But the defence vigorously opposed the move.
Mr Pistorius denies intentionally killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.
He says he accidentally shot her through the toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking the 29-year-old model and law graduate for an intruder.
The BBC's Andrew Harding in court says that  Judge Thokozile Masipa's decision caught almost everyone by surprise.
The trial has now been adjourned until Tuesday, when the judge will give the details behind her ruling which could mean the Olympic athlete is evaluated for a minimum of 30 days at a psychiatric faculty.
Mr Pistorius's uncle, Arnold, welcomed the judge's "thorough" ruling and said it gave the family "confidence" in the justice system.
Judge Masipa said that the criminal code stipulates that if an accused person is alleged not to be criminally responsible or is alleged to be mentally ill, he should be evaluated.
She said that such an evaluation would ensure that Mr Pistorius would get a fair trial, adding it would be "preferable" for him to undergo the evaluation as an outpatient.
Prosecution lawyer Gerrie Nel made the referral application on Tuesday after forensic psychiatrist Merryll Vorster said earlier that the double amputee was suffering from generalised anxiety disorder (Gad).
Mr Nel said that the disorder diagnosis left him with no choice but to apply for an evaluation because the condition might have affected Mr Pistorius' behaviour on the night he killed Ms Steenkamp.
Legal experts say that the case may well hinge on the judge's understanding of the athlete's state of mind when he pulled the trigger.
They say the prosecution is keen to show that the defence keeps changing its reasons why Mr Pistorius fired his gun - from putative self-defence, to accidental shooting, and now to something linked to his anxiety disorder.
There are no juries at trials in South Africa, so the athlete's fate will ultimately be decided by the judge, assisted by two assessors.
If found guilty of murder, Mr Pistorius could face life imprisonment. If he is acquitted of that charge, the court will consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive about 15 years in prison.
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Mr Pistorius said in his statement at the start of the trial that he woke in the early hours and  walked on his stumps to the balcony, pulled in two fans, closed the sliding door and drew curtains. He said that shortly before he had spoken to Reeva, who was in bed beside him.
He said he rejected prosecution claims that a witness heard arguing coming from the house before the shooting.
Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.
"Unbeknown to me, Reeva must have gone to the toilet in the bathroom at the time I brought in the fans," he said.
Mr Pistorius said he approached the bathroom armed with his firearm, to defend himself and his girlfriend, believing Ms Steenkamp was still in bed.
Both sides agree four bullets were fired. Ms Steenkamp was hit three times.
Mr Pistorius said he fired his weapon after hearing a noise in the toilet which he thought was the intruder coming out of the toilet to attack him and Ms Steenkamp.
He said he was in a fearful state, knowing he was on his stumps and unable to run away or properly defend himself.
Mr Pistorius said he rejected claims that he was on his prostheses when he shot at the door.
A witness told the trial she woke to hear a woman screaming and a man shouting for help. She said that after the screams she heard four shots.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom after shooting at the toilet door, still shouting for Reeva. Lifting himself up onto the bed, he felt over to the right hand side of it and noticed Ms Steenkamp was not there.
Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bathroom but the toilet was locked, so he returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs, turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat.
Forensics expert Johannes Vermeulen told the court that the height of the marks on the door caused by the cricket bat suggest Mr Pistorius was on his stumps at the time.
Mr Pistorius's defence team say he then called security at the gated housing complex and a private paramedic service before carrying Ms Steenkamp downstairs.
A security guard claimed it was the other way round, and he had called Mr Pistorius first after reports of gunfire. However, phone records shown to the court revealed Mr Pistorius called the estate manager at 3:19am, a minute later he called the ambulance service and at 3:21am he called estate security.
A minute later he received an incoming call - estate security calling him back.
According to police phone expert Francois Moller, Mr Pistorius called his friend Justin Divaris a short time later and just after 4:00am he called his brother Carl.


Bombardier has adjusted its previously announced job cuts programme in Belfast, with a greater number of redundancies due this year.

The aerospace company said in February that it was axing 1,080 posts over two years, about 20% of its Northern Ireland workforce.
But it now says up to 630 will go in 2016 - as opposed to the 580 stated initially.
Bombardier is cutting 7,000 jobs across its global workforce.
A Bombardier spokesperson said: "We have advised our employees that, having reviewed our requirements, regrettably, we need to pull forward some of the workforce reductions.
"We appreciate this is a very difficult time for our workforce and their families and we are doing all we can to mitigate the numbers of compulsory redundancies."
The company has been under severe financial pressure as cost overruns on its new C Series jet have drained cash out of the company.
The C Series programme received $1bn (almost Â£700m) from the state government in Quebec last year.
The firm has also been hit by a downturn in the business jet market.
Bombardier is the largest manufacturing employer in Northern Ireland and supports hundreds more jobs through its supply chains.
More than half of the jobs being cut this year come from the firm's "complementary labour force".
That part of the workforce is made up of temporary and contract workers and tends to fluctuate depending on demand.
Late last year the Northern Ireland workforce was asked to accept pay cuts and other changes to terms and conditions with the firm saying it was  "in serious financial crisis".
However the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot of union members.


Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg suffered a heavy crash as a result of rear suspension failure in final practice at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The World Championship leader was unhurt after his left rear suspension broke as he ran over the kerbs on the exit of Turn Two at the Red Bull Ring.
The car hit the wall nose first, spun along it and was badly damaged.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was fastest and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton third on a used set of tyres.
British world champion Hamilton was 0.210 seconds slower than Vettel and 0.074secs adrift of the German's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.
That suggests that on a new set Hamilton would be fastest, but Mercedes will be more concerned about the cause of his German team-mate's crash.
If the suspension failure was caused by resonance over the kerbs, it would have ramifications for both cars for the remainder of the weekend as the suspension would have to be strengthened.
Rosberg ended the session slowest of all because he did not manage to complete a quick lap on the ultra-soft tyres as all his running up until his crash had been in preparation for the race on heavy fuel.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fourth fastest, from team-mate Max Verstappen, the Williams of Valtteri Bottas, who spun off at the last corner without damage, and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg.
Both McLarens were in the top 10, with Jenson Button 0.023secs quicker than Fernando Alonso, who caused his car some light damage with a trip over the kerbs at Turn Eight.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Austrian Grand Prix practice results
Austrian Grand Prix coverage details


Three people will go on trial accused of an £800,000 bus firm fraud.

John Hulme, Darren Price and Anne Price appeared at Mold Crown Court and denied intending to make a gain for Gwynedd-based Padarn Bus and falsifying a claim form.
Mr Hulme, 54, Mr Price, 44, both of Caernarfon, and Ms Price, 29, of Llanberis, deny the charges.
It is alleged the company exaggerated the number of concessionary passengers it carried to Gwynedd council.
Mr Hulme is accused of a £496,000 fraud between July 2011 and December 2012 while Mr and Ms Price both deny fraud involving £318,500 between January 2013 and February 2014 and falsifying council claim documents.
All three pleaded not guilty on Friday and will go on trial in November.


UK drugs firm AstraZeneca has rejected the new takeover offer from Pfizer.

The US company had earlier raised the price it was offering for AstraZeneca to the equivalent of £50 a share, valuing the firm at £63bn.
But Astra said the new terms offered were, "inadequate, substantially undervalue AstraZeneca and are not a basis on which to engage with Pfizer".
If the deal were to go through it would be the biggest takeover of a UK company by a foreign firm.
AstraZeneca employs more than 51,000 staff worldwide, with 6,700 in the UK. Pfizer - whose drugs include Viagra - has a global workforce of more than 70,000, with 2,500 in the UK.
Announcing Pfizer's new offer, Pfizer chairman and chief executive Ian Read said the firm believed "that there is a highly compelling strategic, business and financial rationale for combining our businesses, with significant benefits for shareholders and stakeholders of both companies".
By Kamal AhmedBBC Business editor
When it was revealed on Monday that Pfizer was looking to bid for AstraZeneca, a major shareholder I spoke to said a £50 a share offer might just seal the deal by Friday. Well, he was half right. There was a £50 offer. But it didn't seal it.
AstraZeneca is betting that Pfizer has a little more in the tank, both in terms of the overall offer and the cash element. Shareholders would like more money up front and less of the offer paid out in Pfizer shares.
The American business is a willing buyer for three reasons. It has a large amount of cash to deploy that it doesn't want to repatriate to the US where there would be a hefty tax bill. Britain is highly attractive because of its low corporation tax levels and the tax incentives for scientific research. AstraZeneca has a potentially lucrative pipeline of cancer drugs.
There are always many acts to a deal of this size. I am sure this latest rejection is just one of them.
Finally, is the government interested in increasing its powers over foreign takeovers, as Lord Heseltine suggested this morning? According to Whitehall sources I have spoken to, I wouldn't hold your breath.
"We believe our proposal is responsive to the views of AstraZeneca shareholders and provides a sound basis upon which to arrive at recommendable terms for the combination of our two companies."
Pfizer also  sent a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron to try to address concerns over the bid.
On Wednesday, four scientific bodies raised concerns about possible UK lab closures following a Pfizer deal, and a committee of MPs is considering an inquiry into the issue.
Pfizer told Mr Cameron it would go ahead with Astra's planned research and development (R&D) base in Cambridge, and retain its Macclesfield manufacturing facilities.
Pfizer also pledged that if the deal went ahead, 20% of the combined company's R&D workforce would be based in the UK.
The US firm said its commitments would be valid for five years, unless circumstances changed significantly.
Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC: "We've now received some assurances from the company that they will strengthen the British science base, they will protect British manufacturing.
"We need to look at that in detail, we need to look at the small print, we need to establish that it is binding, but as far as it goes, on the basis of what we've seen so far, it is welcome and encouraging."
On Friday, Conservative peer Lord Heseltine called for greater powers for the UK government to intervene in foreign takeovers if crucial UK interests were at risk.
On Monday it emerged that Pfizer had originally made a takeover approach for AstraZeneca in January, worth £46.61 a share, which was rejected.
The latest offer from Pfizer is a mixture of cash and shares equivalent to £50 per AstraZeneca share. If the deal goes through, Pfizer also wants to establish its corporate and tax residence in the UK, as well as its European headquarters.
AstraZeneca's board said the offer was too low, and that it believed a major driver for Pfizer's takeover was the move to establish a tax residence in the UK by changing its company structure.
"The large proportion of the consideration payable in Pfizer shares and the tax-driven inversion structure remain unchanged. Accordingly, the board has rejected the proposal," AstraZeneca said.
Leif Johansson, chairman of AstraZeneca, added that the company's product "pipeline" of new drugs was "rapidly progressing".
"Pfizer's proposal would dramatically dilute AstraZeneca shareholders' exposure to our unique pipeline and would create risks around its delivery," Mr Johansson said.
Heather Self, a tax expert at Pinsent Masons, told the BBC: "Pfizer want[s] to put a UK company on top of the whole group which is taking the whole company outside the US tax system."
US federal corporation tax is 35%, while the UK's rate is 21% and is due to be cut to 20% in 2015.
But Ms Self added that a significant tax gain for the UK would be unlikely.
"All it will mean is moving a few senior people here and having a few board meetings here. It doesn't mean anything for the UK tax industry," she said.
Labour shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna expressed concerns over job security for AstraZeneca staff.
"Pfizer has a very poor record on previous acquisitions. Do we really want a jewel in the crown of British industry, our second biggest pharmaceutical firm, to basically be seen as an instrument of tax planning?" he said.
The GMB union, which represents workers at AstraZeneca's Macclesfield plant, called for the proposed deal to be investigated on competition grounds and queried Pfizer's promises over UK jobs.
"Pfizer are said to have given undertakings to the UK Government as they increase the money they are offering the AstraZeneca shareholders," said Allan Black, GMB national officer for the chemicals industry.
"Similar undertakings were given by US multinationals before which have proved to be worthless."
The GMB also questioned how committed Pfizer was to manufacturing and R&D in the UK. In 2011, Pfizer laid off 1,500 staff from its research facility at Sandwich in Kent.
"Pfizer walked away from a purpose built manufacturing plant in an economic bleak spot in Kent with the loss of many jobs," Mr Black said.
The Institute of Directors (IoD) said that the government should not be involved, as the matter is for  directors and shareholders to decide.
"The IoD does not support any extension of any national interest test for takeovers," said IoD director of corporate governance Roger Barker.
"Takeovers are primarily a matter for boards and shareholders to determine, not government."


A £2m "advanced" lifeboat, partially-funded by a legacy, has arrived at a Cumbrian port.

Workington's RNLI Shannon-class vessel is powered by water jets rather than propellers, making it 50% faster than the one it is replacing.
The charity said this would enable it to reach those in need more quickly.
It will be named Dorothy May White after the woman who left a £1m bequest to the charity in her will.
Mrs May White, who lived in Birmingham and died in 2012, was a life-long supporter of the RNLI and left her entire estate to the charity on the condition it fund a new lifeboat somewhere in the UK.


The former husband and father of a woman allegedly murdered in a so-called honour killing in Pakistan have been remanded in custody pending the outcome of a police report.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died last month in northern Punjab.
Her former husband Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel, who is accused of murder, has confessed to strangling her with a scarf, local police have told the BBC.
He and her father Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid were remanded until 5 September.
Mr Shahid is being held as an accessory to murder.
The brief hearing in Jhelum, Pakistan, was the men's third court appearance in connection with the death of Samia Shahid.
Police in Pakistan previously told the BBC Mr Shakeel, who is also Ms Shahid's cousin, has confessed to her murder.
Ms Shahid had been visiting family in the village of Pandori when she died and her relatives had initially claimed she died of a heart attack.
Her second husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazim, believes she was the victim of a so-called honour killing as her family did not approve of their marriage.
A post-mortem examination has since confirmed she died as a result of being strangled, police have said.


Two blocks of flats in Edinburgh have become the 50th and 51st buildings whose construction was completed after World War Two to be given Category A listed status.
Historic Environment Scotland puts important buildings into three categories.
Those in Category A are considered to be buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic.
Post-war structures to be given Category A status include the Forth Road Bridge, the Burrell Collection, numerous churches, hydroelectric power stations and two swimming pools.
Cables Wynd House and neighbouring Linksview House in Edinburgh are the 50th and 51st post-war building to be given Category A status.


A shooting at a Munich shopping centre which left nine people dead was carried out by one gunman who then killed himself, German police have said.

The suspect was an 18-year-old German-Iranian dual national who lived in Munich, police told a news conference, but his motive is unclear.
More than 20 people were injured, three critically, police added.
A huge manhunt was launched following reports that up to three gunmen had been involved in the attack.
The body of the suspect was found about 1km (0.6 miles) from the Olympia shopping centre in the north-western suburb of Moosach.
Events as they happened
Munich shooting in pictures
Eyewitness accounts
Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae told the news conference early on Saturday that the suspect had not been known to police and there were no known links to terror groups, although investigations were continuing.
The reports of three suspected attackers came when witnesses saw two people leaving the scene in a car "at considerable speed", but they were later confirmed not to be involved, he added.
"The motive or explanation for this crime is completely unclear," he said.
Mr Andrae also said that children were among the casualties, but gave no further details.
Following the attack, the Bavarian capital's transport system was suspended and the central railway station evacuated. Public transport was reopened several hours later when police gave a cautious "all clear".
Thousands of people stranded by the emergency and unable to get home were offered shelter by local residents.
First reports of the shooting came in just before 18:00 (16:00 GMT) on Friday. Witnesses said the attacker opened fire on members of the public in Hanauer Street before moving to the nearby Olympia shopping centre.
Police described it as "an acute terror situation" although officials stressed that the motive was as yet unknown.
Witness Luan Zequiri, who was in the shopping centre, told German broadcaster N-TV that the attacker had been wearing jackboots and a backpack.
"I looked in his direction and he shot two people on the stairs," he said.
Mr Zequiri said he hid in a shop but when he left he saw bodies of the dead and wounded on the ground.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, told national TV: "We cannot rule out that it is linked to terrorism but we can't confirm it either, but we are also investigating in this direction."
A meeting of the government's security cabinet will be held on Saturday.
Police urged the public to avoid speculation on social media and to desist from using photos or video of their deployments online.
German security forces have been on alert since a teenage migrant stabbed and injured five people on a train in Bavaria on Monday, in an attack claimed by so-called Islamic State.
The authorities had warned of the danger of further incidents.


A scheme to help new Welsh bands get wider exposure is set to return for a third year, backed by BBC Wales and the Arts Council of Wales.

The Horizons project has already helped two dozen acts since 2014 - with radio airplay and UK festival appearances.
"Supporting new music is at the heart of what the BBC does across the whole of the UK, and internationally," said BBC Music's Jason Carter.
Bands and solo artists have until 12 February to apply.
"We're proud to support Horizons for a further year and see another 12 artists have a creative and potentially career changing 2016," said the Arts Council's Lisa Matthews.
"There's been some incredible opportunities created so far and we're looking forward with excitement to more incredible music experiences."
Solo artist Violet Skies said the 2015 project had meant a "mad year" for her.
She said: "I've been lucky enough to tick off a lot of things from my musical bucket list - The Great Escape, Festival No.6, SÅµn, Maida Vale and now, I'm looking forward to Eurosonic and SXSW festival in 2016.
"It's been a lovely little Welsh family of talented musicians and a really good support team - it's nice to turn up at festivals or a show knowing you have people there to help you."


Riki Wessels has signed a new contract which will keep him at Nottinghamshire until the end of the 2018 season.

Wessels has made 177 appearances for Notts in all forms of the game since joining in 2011 following his departure from Northamptonshire.
The 30-year-old who is also Notts' back-up wicketkeeper, scored 1,033 runs in first-class cricket last season.
"He's a terrific role model for our younger players." director of cricket Mick Newell told the club website.
"He's a good team man, he bats at six, he bats at one, he bats at three, he bats all over the place and does his job very efficiently.
"He also fields at slip & short-leg and and he keeps wicket when Chris Read's not around."


Pictures have emerged showing the inside of a 105-storey pyramid-shaped hotel that has been under construction in Pyongyang for 25 years.

North Korea began building the Ryugyong hotel in 1987, but construction was halted for 16 years when funds ran out.
Although work restarted in 2008, the hotel has become, for many, a symbol of North Korea's thwarted ambitions.
The tour company that took the pictures say the hotel is now due to open in two or three years time.
Few people have been allowed inside the notorious hotel, which has been variously dubbed the "The Hotel of Doom" or "The Phantom Hotel".
When conceived, the Ryugyong was intended to communicate to the world an impression of North Korea's burgeoning wealth.
But other economic priorities meant that the hotel had to be put to one side, and it remained untouched until a city-wide "beautification scheme" was introduced five years ago.
At that time, external construction was forecast to take until the end of 2010, with work on the inside being completed in 2012 at the earliest.
But the photo of the interior taken by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based company that specialises in travel to North Korea, shows a vast concrete lobby with barriers around the edge of each floor.


Scotland's oldest working theatre has secured extra funding to help meet increased costs of a major renovation.

Extensive work on the Theatre Royal in Dumfries was originally priced at about £1.9m.
Dumfries and Galloway Council was told that "unforeseen structural issues" had pushed spending up to £2.11m.
Councillors have now agreed to award an extra £50,000 to the project in addition to £455,000 it agreed to provide in May 2013.
The appeal for the additional contribution came from the Master of the Guild of Players of Dumfries - the group which has been the driving force behind the renovation.
In a report, councillors were told that the interior walls and ceilings of the original auditorium deteriorated rapidly as the building began to dry out.
That significantly increased mechanical and engineering costs.
There was also an increase in water connection and disconnection charges.


An investigation is under way after malicious text messages were sent to employees of Sport NI, police have confirmed.

The BBC understands that a complaint was made to the PSNI after two directors received the texts.
The story first emerged in the Sunday World.
Sport Northern Ireland is the leading public body for the development of sport in Northern Ireland.
Sport NI said that "unwanted and inappropriate text messages have been received by some staff".
"Sport NI takes this matter very seriously and it has been reported to the PSNI for investigation," it said.


Two senior Pakistani military officers and a soldier have been killed in a roadside bomb close to the border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban have said they were responsible for the deaths.
One of the men who died was a major general - a rare high-ranking casualty in Pakistan's war against militants.
The blast happened as the Taliban outlined a number of pre-conditions it wants met before it will take part in peace talks with the government.
The three men were returning from inspecting the army's border posts in Khyber Paktunkhwa province when the blast happened.
According to the Associated Press news agency, the most senior of them - Maj Gen Sanaullah Niazi - was the top commander in Swat Valley, where the military carried out a major offensive against the Taliban in 2009.
Pakistani political parties have endorsed peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban to end a decade of fighting.
But the Taliban are demanding the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of troops from the country's tribal areas - where they mainly operate.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has pushed for negotiations, but it is unclear what steps he will take to facilitate this process, analysts say.


Wales' biggest hospital will not have a 24 hour flying doctor service, it has been confirmed.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will not allow the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff to operate the helicopter at night because of where the helipad is.
It comes as more landing sites have been identified to be used round-the-clock in Wales from April.
UHW said it was working with the CAA to upgrade the helipad.
Currently, only three hospital sites support 24-hour landings, Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, and Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd as well as Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
A total of Â£180,000 is being spent to make more available for night landings.
In all, 27 further areas around Wales are being surveyed to act as rendezvous points for road vehicles.
The night-time landing sites will rely on rural volunteers or hospital response teams to deploy temporary landing lights and windsocks when alerted to the arrival of an aircraft.
From April, Wales Air Ambulance crews will be joined by consultant doctors who will give immediate treatment for trauma injuries, strokes and heart attacks.
Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru (EMRTS Cymru) will benefit the critically ill.
Regarding UHW, a CAA spokesman said: "On reviewing the location of the helipad we were not satisfied that night operations could be carried out safely due to a number of obstructions in the area."


Sean Abbott returned the best bowling figures by an Australian in Big Bash history, but it was not enough to prevent Sydney Sixers sliding to a 48-run defeat against Adelaide Strikers.

Abbott, who bowled the ball that led to the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014, took 5-16 as the hosts posted 152-9.
The 24-year-old paceman's haul bettered Nathan Lyon's 5-23 in 2015.
However, the Sixers were subsequently bowled out for 104 - England's Sam Billings top-scoring with 40.
Abbott's figures are second on the Bash's all-time list, behind Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga's 6-7 for Melbourne Stars in 2012.
Big Bash - Australia's Twenty20 franchise competition - is in its sixth year.
Other English representatives include Stuart Broad, Chris Jordan, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and Kevin Pietersen.


A 17-year-old girl thought to have taken ecstasy on a night out has died after suffering an adverse reaction to the drug, police have said.

The young woman is believed to have taken a form of the drug known as Mastercard.
She died in hospital after police were called to the Victoria Warehouse in Trafford, shortly after 05:00 BST.
Greater Manchester Police urged anyone who may have taken the pills to seek medical attention.
Det Insp Helen Bell said: "This is a tragic situation, the death of a young person is always devastating, but in these circumstances, it is all the more heartbreaking."
"Sadly we know it is very unlikely that the girl was the only person to have taken this drug last night."
In a statement, Victoria Warehouse's owners confirmed the incident took place at the venue and said they were working with investigators.
"[We] would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased," it added.


Britain's Jonathan Brownlee won the second race of the 2015 World Triathlon Series in Auckland, New Zealand.

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Brownlee,  whose brother Alistair is injured, clocked one hour 55 minutes 26 seconds to beat Spanish defending champion Javier Gomez by 15 seconds.
"It was great to win," said Brownlee. "It's the first time I've won a World Series event for a while."
Lucy Hall, in 17th, was the highest-placed Briton in the women's event, which was won by USA's Gwen Jorgensen.
It was a record seventh straight World Triathlon Series victory for 28-year-old Jorgensen.
Her compatriot Katie Zaferes was second, with New Zealand's Andrea Hewitt third.
Ireland's Aileen Reid finished 15th, while Britain's Jessica Learmonth pulled out on the bike leg.
British Triathlon performance director Brendan Purcell said: "Jess has been unwell, it was touch and go whether she was going to race, so it was good to see her swim and bike well until she had a mechanical problem."
Both races featured a 1,500m swim, 43.2km bike and 10km run.
Brownlee, 24, looked strong throughout the men's race as he improved on his fifth place at the season-opener in Abu Dhabi on 7 March.
"I made mistakes in Abu Dhabi and have been beating myself up about it since," he said. "I wanted to show how fit I was.
"I've been practising running hard off a fast bike. I was a bit cleverer on the bike and maybe I'm a bit fitter than I was at the start of the year.
"I felt very good, the swim was great, with the bike I didn't want to do anything silly and on the run I was surprised, I had a gap which I didn't expect, it shows how hard the bike was.
"It's great to have an honest course where you can use your strength. I swim 10 hours a week, I bike 20 hours a week and I want to be able to show that."
Thomas Bishop, in 13th, was the next Briton home after Brownlee, with Ireland's Bryan Keane and Conor Murphy in 42nd and 48th respectively.
Britons Phillip Graves and Grant Sheldon did not finish.
Watch highlights on Sunday, 29 March from 16:00-17:35 BST on BBC Two


Yeovil Town defender Bevis Mugabi has signed a new two-year contract with the League Two club.

The 22-year-old moved to Huish Park last summer after leaving Premier League Southampton, and has made 39 appearances for the Glovers.
"Bevis made a huge sacrifice in joining Yeovil Town from Southampton last season," said boss Darren Way.
"But the experiences he's gained at Yeovil has been a huge part of the progress in his footballing career."


The song and behaviour of the UK's favourite bird is being affected by light and noise pollution.

That is according to research from Southampton University, which revealed how robins are affected by night-time lighting and road noise in a city park.
They measured how much the quality of robin territory was affected by its proximity to a lit path and a road.
They presented the results at the British Ecological Society meeting in Liverpool.
"Robins are found in almost every city park, so they're ideal for this type of [urban ecology] study," lead researcher Frances Mullany told BBC News.
"Male robins also begin their activity relatively early in the day compared to other species, so they are likely to be sensitive to light pollution."
Because the male birds are aggressive and very vocal in defending good quality territory, and in advertising themselves to potential mates, the researchers were able to construct a bird "dominance hierarchy" to assess how the birds were affected by night-time street lights and road noise.
The scientists used a taxidermy robin and a recording of a robin's song - setting up their fake bird in different robin territories throughout the park.
They then recorded how aggressively each of the birds in the park that responded sang and displayed in response.
The robins that lived closer to lit paths and noisy roads were much lower down this dominance hierarchy - the birds in these territories displayed less aggressively.
"Artificial night-time lighting and more daytime noise resulted in lower quality robin territory," said Ms Mullany.
"So these anthropogenic factors can be just as important as environmental factors [for wildlife habitat] in an urban landscape."
Dr Davide Dominoni, an animal health researcher from the University of Glasgow said the research provided "new insights" into the effect of urban light and noise pollution on birds.
"It would be interesting to figure out whether these results are a consequence of noisy and bright territories being of less quality, or else the birds living there being more stressed and unable to defend their territories with success," he said.
"Likewise, experiments could be designed to disentangle what factor - light or noise - plays a more important role in this process."
The researchers plan to go on to work out how exactly night-time light impacts on the birds' fitness, and hope that these findings can be incorporated into urban planning - so our parks can be created as suitable space for wildlife, as well as for us.
"Perhaps we can take these factors into account when we're thinking about lighting plans and road traffic," said Ms Mullany.
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