England winger Jonny May believes he is faster than ever after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury.

May, 26, who starts on the left wing as England host France in their Six Nations opener on Saturday (16:50 GMT), was out for nine months after tearing cruciate ligaments in December 2015.
"I think I'm getting quicker," the Gloucester player told BBC Sport.
"It's something I work on every week, and I'm finding new ways of getting better and physically improving."
May's rehab from what he acknowledges was a potentially career-threatening injury included a spell in Texas at the performance centre run by sprinter and multiple Olympic champion Michael Johnson.
He said: "As soon as I was running again at four months I knew I wanted to go to Texas.
"It's where all the NFL players and all the top track athletes go to get faster and more agile and get better acceleration. It definitely helped me improve.
"At this level it's about the small percentages, and they had some different equipment, some good coaches, a new environment.
"I did everything I could, whether it was standing on one leg brushing my teeth or making sure I hopped up the stairs on one leg. Simple things that I still do now, and it's paid off."
May returned to the England side in the autumn, scoring two tries in three matches to cement his place in one of the most competitive positions in the team.
And he is grateful to coach Eddie Jones, who regularly sent text messages of encouragement during his long injury hiatus, despite the pair never having met.
"He made a point of keeping in touch with me throughout, and that was brilliant for me," May said.
"It gave me motivation to think, 'Blimey, if I can get my knee right, I might have a chance of getting back in there.'
"He didn't need to [send messages]. It really lifted my spirits at a tough time."
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Scrum-half Ben Youngs says England must begin their defence of the Six Nations at flat-out pace against France.
England are unbeaten in 13 matches under coach Jones, but twice last year found themselves 10-0 down to Australia in the first 15 minutes of games.
"Traditionally Six Nations teams feel themselves into it a little bit, and we don't want to do that," Leicester's Youngs said.
"We want to set a precedent in how we play, and show an improvement from the autumn to now. We want to hit the ground running."
Should England win a second successive Grand Slam they will break the world record for the longest series of victories in international rugby.
But they are missing key players, such as former skipper Chris Robshaw, vice-captain Billy Vunipola and brother Mako, lock George Kruis and winger Anthony Watson.
"Over the last 12 months, guys who have come in have taken their chances, and that gives us confidence," Youngs, 27, added.
"The generals in the team are so good that if you do come in, you're up to speed so quickly. We've got great strength whoever drops out."


A South African school has been accused of racism over its rules on students' hairstyles.

30 August 2016 Last updated at 18:06 BST
Black female pupils at Pretoria Girls High, whose protests have sparked a national debate about race, say that they have been told to straighten their hair and are banned from having afros.
Watch our visual guide to see which hairstyles are allowed and which break the rules.
Video journalist: Christian Parkinson


A Wasps supporter who has initiated a petition against the club's move from High Wycombe to Coventry has said fans have been let down.

Wasps, who will start playing games at the Ricoh Arena from December, say they understand it is a sensitive time and have attempted to address supporters' concerns on their website.
Alexander Hayton has supported Wasps since 1998, when he was 10 years old.
"It feels very much that as a fanbase we've been abused," he told BBC Sport.
"There's a loyalty the fans have shown the club the last few seasons. As far as I'm concerned loyalty swings both ways.
"I will never support another club. Once a Wasp, always a Wasp. But my time of regularly attending home games is over unfortunately."
The Premiership club have traditionally been located in the north west London area during its 147-year history, predominantly in Sudbury, and have spent the past 12 years paying rent to play at Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park ground.
Owner Derek Richardson saved Wasps from going into administration two years ago, but the club have continued to lose £3m a year.
Wasps completed a deal to buy a 50% share in the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday and say the move "gives the club the best opportunity to thrive as a business, which will support further investment in the squad".
"It's sad to leave London but there was no other choice. You can't sustain a business on gates of 5,000," said Wasps captain James Haskell.
Hayton has amassed more than 2,000 signatures on his e-petition opposing the move.
"It's sad the club has shown us no loyalty whatsoever," he said.
"One of the great things about Adams Park is the number of kids you get there. If they're playing rugby with their school in the morning, can they get up to Coventry in time for a game?
"I think Wasps as we know it are dead. You can't look at a club that has been in a location for 150 years and say the location has nothing to do with its identity.
"Wasps have assumed a model of seeing sports clubs as franchises rather than part of the local community. That's broken what made Wasps a great club."


Deontay Wilder defended his WBC heavyweight title with a ninth-round knockout of Eric Molina in Alabama.

The 29-year-old, who beat Bermane Stiverne in January to become the first American to hold a heavyweight title since 2007, is unbeaten in 34 fights.
Molina, 33, who had lost two of his 25 bouts, was knocked down in the fourth round and twice again in the fifth.
In the ninth a straight right spun him around and the follow-up punches sent him down again and ended the contest.
Wilder's victory over Stiverne at the start of the year remains the only time he has been taken to a full 12 rounds.
The 6ft 7in fighter could now target a meeting with Wladimir Klitschko - unbeaten since 2004 - who holds the other belts, and said this title defence would be the "first of many".


A man who died swimming the English Channel was "completely prepared" for the gruelling triathlon he was taking part in, his girlfriend has said.

Douglas Waymark, from Cheltenham, got into difficulty about half way across, 12 nautical miles from Dover.
The 44-year-old was airlifted to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford on Monday night, but later died.
His girlfriend Lola Lewis, said: "He was nervous but I had every belief in him and the preparation he'd put in."
The endurance athlete had been taking part in the Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon from London to Paris.
The triathlon starts with an 87-mile run from London's Marble Arch to Dover, followed by a swim across the channel to France.
The final leg is a 181-mile bike ride from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Ms Lewis said Mr Waymark had set off in "very good spirits".
"He finished the run... in Dover... [but] the last few miles were very painful," she said.
At 06:00 BST the following morning, Mr Waymark was getting ready to swim the Channel.
"When we were at the dockside we had lots of cuddles and I told him that I loved him and told him I thought he was awesome," said Ms Lewis.
"He was nervous but I had every belief in him and that the officials and the crew were trained and knew what they were doing."
Later he began to struggle and when his "tracker didn't seem to make any sense" Ms Lewis called the boat and was told he had been taken to hospital by helicopter.
"He'd never swum the channel before but he just wanted to try something new, to try and stretch himself and see what he was capable of," she said.


An investigation into a payment made during Tokyo's successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics has found no evidence of bribery.

Japanese officials have been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with a 2.8m Singapore dollar payment (Â£1.55m; $2.05m) made to a consultancy firm.
French prosecutors said they were investigating the sum in May this year as part of a corruption inquiry.
But a Japanese panel found the payment did not break any Japanese laws.
The payment had been linked to the son of the ex-world athletics chief Lamine Diack, who was a member of the International Olympics Committee at the time.
Both Lamine and his son, Papa Massata Diack, are already under investigation in France. Both deny ever receiving money in connection with the Japanese bid, while Japanese officials say the payment was for consultancy services.
The payment from bid executives was made to Black Tidings, a company led by an associate of Papa Massata Diack.
"The investigation team concludes that it does not form any crime under the penal code of France, and furthermore, that no violation of the IOC code of ethics can be found," the report said.
"What was most important for the team was to probe whether the bid committee in fact bribed someone," one of the panel members, Yoshihisa Hayakawa, said.
"We think the investigation cleared the group of any suspicion in this regard."
However, he said the probe had limitations, and was unable to interview either the Diacks or the head of the consulting company, which has since ceased trading. He said the panel had "done all we can within our ability".
Japan's bid was ultimately successful, defeating Istanbul and Madrid in the process.
French prosecutors widened their corruption investigation into athletics earlier this year to include the bidding and voting process for both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Lamine Diack was arrested in 2015 on corruption and money laundering charges, over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats.
Papa Massata, who was employed by his father as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, is also under investigation, and a warrant for his arrest was issued by Interpol. He lives in Senegal.
He says both he and his father are innocent of any wrongdoing.


When you walk into the Radcliffe family home just outside Banbridge, County Down, the first thing that strikes you is the colour.

The living room is awash with colour. Pink, red, blue and yellow rosettes hang precariously from every surface.
In fact, there are more than 120 rosettes crammed into the living room and they belong to 12-year-old Samara.
She has become a champion in her very unusual hobby - showing pigs.
Samara is quite often the only child taking part in the shows and regularly goes head to head with experienced adults in pig competitions.
However, pig breeding can sometimes be a harsh learning experience.
"I told my dad I wanted a pig for my sixth birthday," she said.
"Dad got me two to keep for the summer but then they disappeared and I didn't know what happened to them but suddenly the freezer was a lot fuller."
Samara's mum and dad do not keep pigs, she started this hobby entirely on her own, so they have been forgiven for the early freezer mishap.
Her parents got her another piglet called Winter and Samara began to show the animal and started to win awards.
She now has four saddleback pigs and they live at the family farm in Corbet, just outside Banbridge.
"I love rare breeds, I like saddlebacks because they are kind and docile," she said.
The schoolgirl also admires saddlebacks' parenting skills and said the pigs make "a good mother".
Samara acknowledges that showing pigs is a strange hobby for a young girl and admits to getting bullied in primary school because of it.
However, she says the bullies have changed their tune now they have seen how many awards she has won.
Samara spoke to BBC News NI was she was preparing for the Castlewellan Show in County Down.
It involved showing her pigs in a number of different categories, taking on the adults as well as competing in junior handler competitions.
"It can get a bit hectic in the show ring if the pigs get out of control," she said.
Last year, her mother Sharon ended up with a broken finger when two pigs started to fight.
Putting on her waterproofs and wellington boots, Samara, accompanied by her new puppy Chip, heads down to the farmyard to get the pigs ready.
They have to be washed, scrubbed with washing-up liquid, brushed down and oiled to get them ready for the show,
In fact, the local shop only stocks pig oil because Samara uses so much of it.
"You put oil on the black bits and talc on the white bits to get them looking their best," she said.
On the day of the show, Samara and her parents are looking smart and dressed in their white show coats.
Samara is competing against adults but heads in the ring confidently with her pig, Holly.
The judge asks details about when the pig was born, what type of pig it is and asks Samara to walk and back to forth around the ring to see if she can keep the animal under control.
"I'm really delighted to see a young girl here today," said judge Nigel Overend from the British Pig Association.
"Not only being able to show the pigs but to be able to compete against people who have been showing pigs for 20 to 30 years.
"It is quite a challenge and I think she has acquitted herself very well today." he said.
The hard work seems to have paid off - Samara picks up a number of awards, including best young handler and show champion.
Samara would like to see more young people get involved in pig competitions but for her the season is not over just yet.
"Next week I've the Antrim show and from then on who knows, if there is a show that does pigs - I'll be there."


Chris Powell has not spoken to Nigel Pearson since the Derby County manager was suspended by the club on Tuesday.

While the club investigates Pearson's behaviour for unspecified reasons, contact between the manager and Rams staff is not allowed.
Powell, Pearson's assistant, led Derby to victory at Cardiff hours after his boss was removed from his role and be in charge at Reading on Saturday.
"It's a situation that no one wants to be in," Powell told BBC Radio Derby.
"But in this game that we love, we know that things change and happen and we have to do our best to move on, take care of what is happening now and try to plan for the future - and the immediate future is Reading on Saturday."
Beyond the weekend, however, Powell admits he does not know what will happen.
Since Pearson's suspension, first-team manager Inigo Idiakez has also left the club.
"We have to get on with the job in hand." Powell said.
"We have a responsibility to carry on with the jobs we do and make the sure the team is focused and the players are prepared and coached in the same manner.
"I am fine. I have spoken to many people at the club. I have spoken to the players most importantly. They are fine and they have to carry on."


Turkey's air strikes on PKK Kurdish separatists have prompted fears in opposition newspapers of a renewed civil war, with some commentators calling for the militant Islamic State (IS) group to be the sole target.

Pro-government media, on the other hand, stress the country's right to self-defence.
Elsewhere, IS remains silent on the Turkish air strikes on its own positions close to the Turkish-Syrian border, while Syrian state media say Turkey is paying the price for "supporting" IS.
The opposition press in Turkey is full of warnings against a Kurdish-Turkish conflict.
The centre-left Radikal daily blames the current situation on "the wrong policies pursued in Syria", and calls for a changed military and political strategy.
"This will only be possible by not marginalising the Kurds, either within or outside Turkey, by identifying our allies in the fight against IS in Syria, and maintaining a dialogue with them," writes Unal Cevikoz.
Mehves Evin paints an equally ominous picture in centrist Milliyet.
"Is it not time to ask those who defend a war with Kurds whether they really want to repeat the deaths and the suffering?," she writes. "We will defend peace until our last breath."
But pro-government Yeni Safak defends the decision to bomb PKK positions.
"In no other part of the world would the state turn a blind eye to weapons, terror and 'armed politics'," writes Hikmet Genc. "Actually, that is why the state exists."
The centre-right , meanwhile, accuses both the PKK leadership in northern Iraq and the Turkish pro-Kurdish leftist HDP party of trying "kill the once in a lifetime opportunity" of the peace process, and says only acting against them will give Turkey lasting peace.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) - which in recent years has striven to maintain cordial ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) - has refused to condemn the Turkish bombing of PKK bases.
In the press, Erbil-based journalist Rebwar Karim Wali is also critical of the PKK.
"PKK politics and bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region are just as illegitimate as the Turkish bombings of the region," he writes in the pro-KDP news portal .
But others - such as such as Farhan Jawhar, a member of the Iraqi Kurdish regional parliament, on the NRT TV website - criticise the attacks as cynical manoeuvring by Mr Erdogan and his party aimed at reversing the slide in its popularity in parliamentary elections in June.
Media outlets elsewhere in Iraq have simply ignored the attacks on PKK camps in northern Iraq. Others present them as attacks on PKK, not on Iraq.
The pro-government Al-Sabah News reports the attacks as a "Turkish breach of Iraqi sovereignty".
In Syria, the state-controlled press has reacted furiously to Turkey's bombing of IS positions.
The Al-Thawrah daily says Turkey "is paying the price for its support of terrorism" and that "Erdogan still continues his folly".
"Has Erdogan's government found itself in an impasse in its wager on Da'ish (IS) after the monster it bred began to snap at it?" asks Turki Saqr in another regime paper, Tishrin.
Islamic State itself still seems to be keeping its own counsel, with no official comment seen so far on its affiliated outlets.
IS's daily Al-Bayan radio bulletins have also completely ignored the apparent rift with Turkey.
The only sign of acknowledgment has been a report last week by the IS-linked "news agency" Aamaq on an exchange of fire between IS and Turkey on the border, although it did not mention air strikes.
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world.  You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


It's Christmas, so at school it can mean only one thing - it's time for nativity plays!

Are you taking part in a nativity play or Christmas show at school before term ends?
Have you made a costume, decorations or props for it?
We want your photos of them!
Thanks for your pictures, this page is now closed. It will re-open tomorrow morning.
You must ask your parent, teacher or guardian for permission before you send us a picture or video.
We may show your picture or video on our website or in our TV bulletins. We'll show your first name and which town you're from - but we won't use your details for anything else.


An Onchan pensioner died from "multiple injuries" caused by falling out of her hospital bed, an inquest was told.

The inquest in Douglas was told Joan Terry, 87, fell face first from her bed at Noble's Hospital last January.
She suffered face injuries, hypothermia, fractured ribs and internal bleeding, dying from her injuries a day later.
The Coroner of Inquests Alistair Montgomerie recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Mrs Terry, a resident at Elder Grange Nursing Home, Onchan, was admitted to Noble's Hospital, Braddan, on 11 January 2010 for dehydration and suffered from a history of falls and self neglect.
Her condition improved with treatment and the hospital were planning her discharge when she first fell on 25 January.
She had attempted to climb over the bed rails and fell, but suffered no injuries.
But Mrs Terry fell again on 26 January and died from her injuries the next day.
The inquest heard Noble's Hospital had carried out a full review into her death and found that "early opportunities for intervention by staff were missed and a more thorough assessment of Mrs Terry's needs could have resulted in a different outcome".
Noble's staff were criticised for not re-assessing the fall risk of the patient after the first incident.
Elaine Hayes, falls prevention nurse at Noble's Hospital, said Mrs Terry had been at significant risk because of her history of falls and refusal to co-operate with staff.
"No remedial measures were put in place after her first fall and a full review of the fall risk was not completed," she said.
Anthony Wareham, patient safety and clinical governance manager at Noble's Hospital, told the inquest that the use of bed rails was a major factor of the fall.
"There was an inadequate assessment of Mrs Terry's needs and no review of the use of bed rails after the patient's first fall."
"Lessons had been learnt by the hospital in improving standards of care to patients and a full review of the use of bed rails has been conducted."
Mr Montgomerie expressed his "deepest sympathies" for Mrs Terry's friends and family.


The technology world may seem to be locked in an endless cycle of renewal - but not when it comes to the floppy disk.

More than 50 years after the technology was invented it has emerged that the US nuclear weapons force uses the disks in the 1970s computer system it still employs.
As it turns out the Pentagon is not alone in retaining an affection, sometimes born of technical necessity, for the humble disk. But why has it survived when so many other technologies have fallen by the wayside?
"They are just too useful," said Ian Rainsford, a spokesman for media firm Verbatim - one of several companies that still makes the disks.
In some industries, floppy disks are used in machines that sit on production lines and those chunks of industrial plants are unlikely to be shut down, changed or updated any time soon, he said.
"A lot of the industrial uses would be things like knitting or crocheting machines, CNC lathes and milling machines and precision cutters," he said.
"The machines driving production have remained the same and the company that developed the original equipment may well have gone out of business," he said.
"They certainly believe that if it isn't broke, don't fix it." he said.
What has changed is the volume of disks Verbatim now produces. It only turns out "thousands" of disks per month, he said, far less than the millions it cranked out in the mid-90s when the technology was ubiquitous.
But, he said, for the customers that do use them they are essential to keep that business going.
"The death of the floppy disk has been heralded many, many times," said Mr Rainsford. "I think once Microsoft started shipping Windows on CDs it was sounded for the first time and that was 21 years ago."
For Kevin Murrell, a director of The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, it is no surprise that floppy disks, and the computers that use them, have stuck around.
"It's a good thing," he said. "It's a good, old proper technology that actually works and is proven.
"We regularly read floppy disks from 40 years ago and they are as good as new," he said.
"Magnetic tape has a real issue because when it is on the reels you have a lot of different layers so you have 'print through'," he said. "This involves the shadow of data on one section of tape being superimposed on the layer above and below. The interference means data quickly gets harder to read.
"We all thought that putting data on CDs would last for ever but that idea went out of the window a long time ago," he added.
And the history of technology is littered with short-lived storage systems, such as Jaz drives and zip drives, that are now obsolete.
By contrast, said Mr Murrell, a floppy is a much more reliable data storage format.
He added: "8in and 5-and-a-1/4in disks are usually a very safe bet."
The same can be said of the computer systems that still use them. More often than not, he said, those older computer systems are running some very sensitive and significant installations such as power stations or air traffic control systems.
These "safety critical" computer systems are built for purpose and would take a huge amount of time and effort to update. As a result, many stay in situ for decades.
An example of this was the Marconi TAC machine used to monitor the reactor at the Wylfa nuclear power station in Anglesey for 38 years. It used 8in disks and was turned off in 2004.
Old machines running computer code written decades ago sit behind the apps and websites of many modern services and sites, said Mr Murrell.
"Occasionally it comes out that software in banking systems is written in Cobol and is 30 years old, but it is still used because it is reliable and still works," he said.
"Would you rather have a system that is proven to work or a machine running Windows 10?" he asked.
James Bailey, a director at Hyperscale IT which helps firms find parts for old computer systems, said many organisations were running servers and software that was more than a decade old.
"It's a bit like running a vintage car, all the parts are out there in junkyards," he said. "It's just a question of finding them."
Hyperscale helps firms source power supplies, memory modules and other components to keep those ageing servers going to maintain the services they support.
Companies and other organisations stick with legacy kit because it works and because the time and money they can spend on coding and development is finite.
"If you decide to move that legacy to a new computer system you might miss the chance to innovate in another part of the business," he said.
Firms are often reluctant to spend money updating something that works because the end result will not progress the business.
"If you do update, then you'll end up in the same place at the end of all the work."


A man has been shot in the legs on the Falls Road in Belfast.

Police said it happened at about 20:30 GMT on Wednesday close to the jobs and benefits office.
The victim has been taken to the Royal Hospital in Belfast, where he is in a stable condition.


It wouldn't be Children in Need without an official song, and this year TV choirmaster Gareth Malone has stepped up to the challenge.

14 November 2014 Last updated at 06:56 GMT
He had to pull together a group of children and celebrities to record and perform a single for Children in Need.
The choir are singing a cover version of Avicii's smash hit Wake Me Up, and it is doing well in the UK music charts.
Some of the celebrity singers include CBBC's Radzi Chinyanganya, Bake-off presenter Mel Giedroyc  and Strictly meanie Craig Revel Horwood.
Ricky caught up with Gareth to find out how the rehearsals are going.


A clear majority of the people who took part in a major online survey about the council tax want to see it replaced or reformed.

The survey was run by the commission set up to find what it describes as "fairer alternatives" to the tax.
Two thirds of those who opted to take part said it should be replaced with a system more closely related to income or the priorities of local communities.
The commission's report is due to be published in the coming weeks.
It was jointly established by the Scottish government and the body that represents the collective interests of most councils, Cosla, with a remit to examine so-called "fairer alternatives" to the council tax.
The tax accounts for approximately 15p of every pound a typical Scottish council spends. It has not been increased since 2007.
The commission has been looking at various options and gauging public opinion. It's report will not recommend one particular option for replacing the tax but is expected to present a detailed examination of the pros and cons of a number of possible options.
The hope is the report will feed into the policy debate in individual parties ahead of May's Scottish election. All the major parties, other than the Conservatives, were represented on the commission.
Nearly 4,500 people proactively opted to take part in the commission's online survey between May and September.
Although the group cannot be described as a representative sample of the population, the commission says the questionnaire helped it hugely to understand the scale of the issues which a new local tax system must address.
While a majority felt that the current system of council tax was simple and easy to pay and understand, they also said that the system was unfair and failed to protect those who can't afford to pay.
The survey also found that people aged 16-34, low income households and single people were more likely to have negative views on council than those on higher incomes.
Opinion was mixed on what an alternative system should look like, with a hybrid tax - based on a mix of property and land value, wealth and income - and a review of the existing council tax banding system among the options highlighted .
Marco Biagi, Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment and co-chair of the commission, said: "The views of the public have been at the heart of our work as a Commission and the findings of the online survey are a welcome addition to the wealth of evidence from home and abroad that we have considered over the course of our deliberations.
"There is clear consensus from those that we have heard from - whether through this survey, our call for evidence and the public events that have taken place - that the current system of council tax, while highly visible, is in urgent need of reform.
"Ensuring that as many people as possible have had the opportunity to engage in our work will add weight and credibility to our findings when we report."
Cllr David O'Neill, president of Cosla and commission co-chair, added: "Each and every one of us is affected by the way we pay for vital local services so the views of those who have responded to our online survey will have a great deal of resonance as we formalise our findings.
"We want to make sure that as many people as possible have had their chance to make their views known, with our forthcoming findings paving the way for an informed debate on the decisions that we will need to take as a country in order to fund local government spending."
The commission ran an on-line survey from May to September 2015.
A total of 4,492 responses were received which provided an indication of opinions from those who proactively chose to opt in - it was not intended or designed to be representative of the whole of Scotland.
However, these processes help set out the scale of the issues which a new local tax system must address.


Scientists have designed flying, insect-sized robots that can perch and launch from ceilings.

The robots use something called electrostatic adhesion, the same process by which statically-charged balloons stick to walls.
Perching allows the robots to conserve energy.
The findings, reported in the journal Science, contribute to a decade-long Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory project called "RoboBee".
The robots in this study are programmed drones, each around the size of a 10 pence coin.
Dr Mirko Kovac, director of the Aerial Robotics Laboratory of Imperial College, London, who was not involved in this study, told BBC News that similar robots were currently being trialled in environmental monitoring and disaster-relief efforts.
Dr Kovac, who develops flying robots in his own lab, wrote a paper in the same issue of Science explaining how nature had inspired the design of RoboBee and other robotic perching mechanisms.
Equipped with sensors, swarms of such small, relatively cheap robots, Dr Kovac explained, could alert first responders to the most intense areas of forest fires or other natural disasters.
Moritz Graule, a PhD student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and lead researcher on the project said: "Hovering microrobots run out of energy really quickly." Perching, he said, provides a solution to that problem.
But mechanical perching tools, like birds' claws, are too cumbersome for such small robots. Detaching easily from a surface was another challenge; if perching was the only goal, Mr Graule said, "we could have put a little glue on top of the robot".
To solve these problems, the researchers designed a small, flat "landing patch" with an electrostatic charge that can be switched on and off.
When switched on, the patch acquires a negative charge that makes it stick to nearby, more positively charged surfaces.
You can experience a similar effect by "rubbing a balloon on your hair then sticking it to a wall," explained principal investigator of the Harvard RoboBee project, Dr Robert Wood. And for the dismount, said Dr Wood, "[we] simply remove power to the patch".
What the team is most excited about though are the opportunities that such minuscule component parts promise for other applications. For these robots, "nothing exists off the shelf," said Dr Wood. "We have to reinvent for these systems."
That reinvention opens up new frontiers for very tiny devices - from manufacturing to micro-surgery.


A campaign is under way to get a statue of the alien from the film erected in Hartlepool in honour of Sir Ridley Scott, who studied in the town.

Film fan Michael Holt and friends came up with the idea as a way of paying tribute to the film's director.
The idea was raised by Mr Holt at Hartlepool Borough Council's last full meeting.
He said he hoped more people would join the campaign. A petition has so far attracted almost 900 signatures.
Mr Holt said: "We're all big fans of Ridley Scott and his films - Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator and of course Boy and Bicycle that was filmed in Hartlepool, his first film.
"We liked the idea of having a statue or a tribute to him and we were thinking 'what would be the best thing to do for?' and the idea of the alien came up.
"It seemed so surreal and unusual a thing to have as a local statue that we were quite keen to get the idea out there and it seems to have been a success with people," Mr Holt said.
It is hoped the statue would be placed near to the Cleveland College of Art and Design or the Hartlepool College of Further Education.
Kevin Cranney, chair of Hartlepool Council's regeneration services committee, said he would be happy to meet the group behind the campaign but thought it would be "appropriate" to honour Ridley Scott and his late brother Tony, as both studied in the town.
He said: "I think it is a good idea given the council's plans for Church Street and also the investment going into Cleveland College of Art and Design. However, I think we need to look at this in more detail."
The council has received a Â£1.2m Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to revamp the Church Street area, which will be aimed at raising awareness of the history and heritage of the town.
"I thought they [the council] were going to say 'that's an absolutely stupid idea, don't bother', but they were quite interested in it and I'm going to have a meeting with them soon to see how viable it is," Mr Holt said.
"It would be an inspiration to aspiring film makers."


Bank of England governor Mark Carney has indicated that UK interest rates could rise "at the turn of this year".

In a speech he said that he expected rates to rise over the next three years, reaching "about half as high as historical averages", or about 2%.
But he added that shocks to the economy could change the timing and the size of any rate rise.
Interest rates have been at 0.5% for six years as the UK economy recovers from the financial crisis.
The Monetary Policy Committee will "have to feel its way as it goes," Mr Carney said in a speech at Lincoln Cathedral.
He added: "Short term interest rates have averaged around 4.5% since around the Bank's inception three centuries ago.
"It would not seem unreasonable to me to expect that once normalisation begins, interest rate increases would proceed slowly and rise to a level in the medium term that is perhaps about half as high as historic averages.
"In my view, the decision as to when to start such a process of adjustment will likely come into sharper relief around the turn of this year," he added.
His comments come a day after unemployment rose for the first time in two years.
"That suggests the Bank's interpretation of those statistics is that unemployment falls are now being held back by skills shortages," said the BBC's economics editor Robert Peston.
"And those skills shortages are also responsible for rising wage inflation."
On Tuesday, outgoing MPC member David Miles, regarded as someone who is cautious about the impact of rise, surprised markets by saying it was "likely to be right" to hike rates soon.
On Wednesday, Janet Yellen, the chair of the US's Federal Reserve indicated that interest rates are likely to rise in the US this year. That could be a few months earlier than in the UK if indeed the Bank of England were to move in the new year.
If rates were to rise early in the new year, from the current all-time record low of 0.5%, that would be three or four months after the expected equivalent move by the US Federal Reserve.
Now for those of you with big debts looking for reassurance that you are not going to be financially crippled by the increase, he has said two other things of note about the so-called Bank Rate.
First typical interest rate changes, increments, will be typically much smaller than the half of a percentage point that they used to be before the Crash of 2008 - so probably one quarter of a percentage point, or even possibly an eighth.
Also he has signalled that the new normal rate of interest over the medium term after a succession of rises over two or three years will be perhaps half the 4.5% over rate of the past 300 years. So nearer 2%.
Read Robert's blog in full here


Two men have been arrested on suspicion of robbery after several high performance cars were stolen during a spate of raids, police say.

Armed robbers struck six times in two days at properties in Bradford, Leeds and Kirklees.
West Yorkshire Police said the men from Bradford, aged 26 and 39, were overnight and are being held in police custody.
The robberies took place on Monday and Tuesday.


At least 20 people have died in Haiti after a large lorry overturned on a highway south of the capital, Port-au-Prince, officials said.

Some 40 others have been hospitalised with injuries, doctors said.
A local radio station said the nearby town of Petit-Goave was "overwhelmed" and underequipped to deal with them.
Road accidents are common in Haiti, where traffic regulations are rarely enforced and vehicles are often overloaded.
One witness told the AFP news agency that the road was known for being dangerous. At least four people were killed in an accident in the same area last week.
The lorry, which was carrying retail traders, many of them women, was said to have lost its balance as it climbed a steep incline, according to a local judge who witnessed the incident.
Joel Charles, hospital director in the town of Petit-Goave put the death toll at 27 and said 17 of the victims were found dead at the scene.
"Some of the injuries are critical, a lot of head trauma and broken bones. We need surgeons, other medical specialists and ambulances," Mr Charles said. "The victims need to be transported to hospitals in Port-au-Prince."


League One play-off rivals Fleetwood and Rochdale both squandered gilt-edged chances as they ground out a goalless stalemate at Highbury Stadium.

Mark Kitching's long-range effort was the only real opportunity in a hard-fought and frantic first 25 minutes in which Dale dominated but failed to test Alex Cairns.
Ash Hunter came as close as any to opening the scoring before the break, sprinting clear with a perfectly-timed run, Ben Wilson catching hold of his low blast at the second attempt.
Fleetwood's pace up front was a problem for the visitors and David Ball might have broken the deadlock 30 seconds into the second half.
The striker kept his balance as he squeezed between Dale's centre-half pair but -having made the space to shoot -somehow fired wide of the upright.
The hosts were almost made to pay for wasted chances when Kyle Dempsey's loose touch played Ian Henderson in on goal, the forward's chip having the distance but not the direction to find the net.
Oliver Rathbone went closer still for the visitors, skipping clear of Victor Nirennold and shaving the woodwork with an effort intended to squeeze inside the back post as Keith Hill's men finished the stronger but were forced to share the spoils.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Fleetwood Town 0, Rochdale 0.
Second Half ends, Fleetwood Town 0, Rochdale 0.
Foul by Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town).
Andrew Cannon (Rochdale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Rochdale. Jack Redshaw replaces Oliver Rathbone.
Andrew Cannon (Rochdale) is shown the yellow card.
Corner,  Rochdale. Conceded by Cian Bolger.
Corner,  Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Oliver Rathbone.
David Ball (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joseph Rafferty (Rochdale).
Attempt missed. Wes Burns (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Wes Burns replaces Ashley Hunter.
Ashley Eastham (Fleetwood Town) is shown the yellow card.
Corner,  Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Mark Kitching.
Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale).
Corner,  Rochdale. Conceded by Amari'i Bell.
Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town).
Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Calvin Andrew (Rochdale).
Attempt missed. Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match  (Fleetwood Town).
Substitution, Rochdale. Callum Camps replaces Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
Attempt missed. Mark Kitching (Rochdale) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Markus Schwabl replaces George Glendon.
Ben Davies (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Andrew Cannon (Rochdale).
Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrew Cannon (Rochdale).
Ashley Eastham (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Calvin Andrew (Rochdale).
Foul by Kyle Dempsey (Fleetwood Town).
Oliver Rathbone (Rochdale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.


Plans to shake up bin collection services in Sheffield to save £3.4m have been outlined by the council.

Among the proposals are plans to introduce shared bins, scrap extra Christmas collections and charge £20 for replacement black bins.
A public consultation on the issue will run until 1 April.
Sheffield City Council claimed the proposed changes were the result of government-imposed cuts which have meant it must save £63m by 2016.
Under plans to introduce shared bins it said: "Shared bins will be provided, rather than individual bins for every household, in areas where there is limited space at each property to store bins, and there is space in the local amenity to provide shared bins".
Councillor Julie Dore, the Labour leader of Sheffield City Council, said: "Part of our budget savings involve coming up with proposals for our waste service that increase efficiency where possible, while still providing a good service for everyone in the city.
"We welcome people's views and will act upon them so that we do what is best for Sheffield in terms of waste management and recycling."


Mahatma Gandhi has been variously described as an anti-colonial protester, a religious thinker, a pragmatist, a radical who used non-violence effectively to fight for causes, a canny politician and a whimsical Hindu patriarch.

But was India's greatest leader also a racist?
The authors of a controversial new book on Gandhi's life and work in South Africa certainly believe so. South African academics Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed spent seven years exploring the complex story of a man who lived in their country for more than two decades - 1893 to 1914 - and campaigned for the rights of Indian people there.
In The South African Gandhi: Stretcher-Bearer of Empire, Desai and Vahed write that during his stay in Africa, Gandhi kept the Indian struggle "separate from that of Africans and coloureds even though the latter were also denied political rights on the basis of colour and could also lay claim to being British subjects".
They write that Gandhi's political strategies - fighting to repeal unjust laws or freedom of movement or trade - carved out an exclusivist Indian identity "that relied on him taking up 'Indian' issues in ways that cut Indians off from Africans, while his attitudes paralleled those of whites in the early years". Gandhi, the authors write, was indifferent to the plight of the indentured, and believed that state power should remain in white hands, and called black Africans Kaffirs, a derogatory term, for a larger part of his stay in the country.
In 1893, Gandhi wrote to the Natal parliament saying that a "general belief seems to prevail in the Colony that the Indians are a little better, if at all, than savages or the Natives of Africa".
In 1904, he wrote to a health officer in Johannesburg that the council "must withdraw Kaffirs" from an unsanitary slum called the "Coolie Location" where a large number of Africans lived alongside Indians. "About the mixing of the Kaffirs with the Indians, I must confess I feel most strongly."
The same year he wrote that unlike the African, the Indian had no "war-dances, nor does he drink Kaffir beer". When Durban was hit by a plague in 1905, Gandhi wrote that the problem would persist as long as Indians and Africans were being "herded together indiscriminately at the hospital".
This, in itself, say historians, is not entirely new and revelatory. Also, some South Africans have always accused the man who led India to independence of working with the British colonial government to promote racial segregation. In April, a man was arrested in connection with vandalising a statue of Gandhi. A hashtag #Ghandimustfall (sic) has gained circulation on social media.
Gandhi's biographer and grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, says the younger Gandhi - he arrived in South Africa as a 24-year-old briefless lawyer - was undoubtedly "at times ignorant and prejudiced about South Africa's blacks". He believes Gandhi's "struggle for Indian rights in South Africa paved the way for the struggle of black rights". He argues that "Gandhi too was an imperfect human being", but the "imperfect Gandhi was more radical and progressive than most contemporary compatriots".
Ramachandra Guha, writer of the magisterial Gandhi Before India, writes that "to speak of comprehensive equality for coloured people was premature in early 20th Century South Africa". Attacking Gandhi for racism, wrote another commentator, "takes a simplistic view of a complex life".
The authors of the new book disagree.
"Gandhi believed in the Aryan brotherhood. This involved whites and Indians higher up than Africans on the civilised scale. To that extent he was a racist. To the extent that he wrote Africans out of history or was keen to join with whites in their subjugation he was a racist," Ashwin Desai told me.
"To the extent that he accepted white minority power but was keen to be a junior partner, he was a racist. Thank God he did not succeed in this as we would have been culpable in the horrors of apartheid.
"But if Gandhi was part of the racist common sense of the time then how does this qualify him to be a person that is seen as part of the pantheon of South African liberation heroes? You cannot have Gandhi as an accomplice of colonial subjugation in South Africa and then also defend his liberation credentials in South Africa."
Desai also rejects the assertion that Gandhi paved the way for the local struggle for black rights - "in one sentence," he says, "you are writing out the history of African resistance to colonialism that unfolded much before Gandhi even arrived".
In his book, Guha writes what a friend in Cape Town once told him about Gandhi. "You gave us a lawyer, we gave you back a Mahatma [Great Soul]". Ashwin Desai thinks this is a "ridiculous assertion" about a man who "supported more taxes on impoverished African people and turned a blind eye to the brutality of the Empire on Africans".
The authors of the new book are not the first to challenge the conventional Indian historiography on Gandhi. Historian Patrick French wrote tellingly in 2013 that "Gandhi's blanking of Africans is the black hole at the heart of his saintly mythology".
More than a century after he left Africa, there has been a resurrection of Gandhi in South Africa. Despite their reservations about the 'man of Empire', Desai and Vahed acknowledge that Gandhi "did raise universal demands for equality and dignity".
But even the greatest men are flawed. And Gandhi was possibly no exception.


A man charged with causing grievous bodily harm to his three-month-old daughter, who died last week, has been released on bail.

Christopher O'Neill, 23, of Glasvey Park in Twinbrook appeared via videolink from Maghaberry Prison.
He was granted bail on Friday, but released on Monday after his solicitor handed in his passport to the police.
A judge at Lisburn Magistrates' Court also ruled he could not leave Northern Ireland until his case is heard.
His daughter, CÃ¡rÃ¡gh Walsh, died on Friday after being taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital earlier in the week.
A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out in the next few days.
Mr O'Neill is due back in court in Lisburn on 10 March.


Noise and air pollution from a new rail depot in Reading could prompt legal action, it has been warned.

Reading Borough Council said it had written to Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) demanding action following complaints from residents.
People in Cardiff Road had complained of trains parked in sidings with engines idling.
GWR has previously said the introduction of electric trains in 2019 will reduce the problem.
An online petition set up by residents living close to the GWR depot complained about "low-frequency noise" from trains idling in the early hours of the morning.
The council said it has warned GWR and Network Rail it could face an abatement notice.
Deputy council leader Tony Page said the responses form the companies had so far been "inadequate".
"The council is fully supportive of the huge benefits the realignment of rail lines in and around Reading has brought.
"By the same token, the concerns local residents have [about] noise and air pollution are very real and the council is lobbied on these issues regularly.
"We hope that escalating local concerns to senior management will prove more effective."
Earlier this year, GWR said the noise was within safe levels and it had changed the way it operated trains on the sidings.
Jonathan Dart, chairman of the Bell Tower Community Association, said he warmly welcomed the council's announcement to "put an end to the nuisance being caused to the residents of Cardiff Road".
However, he criticised the time it took the authority to investigate the issue.
"It took nine months and a press campaign for the council to release an officer's report stating that being in part of Cardiff Road at 03:29 was akin to being backstage at the Reading Festival," he said.


Despite briefly studying theology at university, it is not often these days, in truth, that I contemplate the divine.

However, I was drawn by the reaction of the Kirk to this remarkable election.
The Rev Dr Richard Frazer, convener of the Church and Society, advocated "prayerful reflection" as a response to the uncertainty provoked by the events overnight.
Both Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon are now set to embark upon a period of introspection, from different motivations.
I am unable to report whether prayer will be involved.
But their contemplation will be intense.
Mrs May, the vicar's daughter, will undoubtedly be pondering Macmillan-style events.  Her motivations for calling an early election were several and varied, mostly driven by partisan advantage.
The notion of "strengthening her hand" in Brexit negotiations never seemed particularly credible to me.
Were we really to believe that the other 27 EU nations would sideline their own national interests just because Mrs May won a bigger majority in the Commons?
Nevertheless, that was advanced as an objective. More, Mrs May envisaged a substantial Commons majority giving her a personal mandate and an opportunity to get her policies, Brexit included, past a potentially sceptical House.
In truth, she expected and anticipated a landslide over Jeremy Corbyn, who was supposed to play the role of pantomime villain, to be hissed and treated with contumely.
She has now failed in all three aims.
Not a single one has been achieved. From a standing start, in a self-imposed political contest, that is a simply stunning clean sweep.
In coping with this self-generated crisis, Mrs May said the nation needed "certainty".
That sound you heard in the distance was Tories guffawing in open disbelief.
Does she really think, you can also hear them muttering, that she can get away with replaying a record, a single track from a failed campaign?
Seldom has a political manoeuvre backfired so spectacularly.
Let us not forget. Theresa May has thrown away a working Commons majority and is now dependent on Ulster's DUP, if she is to survive at all.
A few home thoughts too for Nicola Sturgeon.  She promises to reflect upon the election - including the role which the prospect of indyref2 played in those lost SNP votes.
Yes, the SNP won the election in Scotland.  Arithmetic and every Nationalist will tell us so.
But they lost votes, they lost 21 seats and they markedly lost momentum.
Aides say Ms Sturgeon is genuinely considering options, authentically rethinking - while urging others in Scotland to do the same.
In the immediate term, she is demanding a role in Brexit negotiations which she says must now be rescheduled and repeating her offer to oust Mrs May, if the parliamentary votes can be found.  Those issues are the prime focus.
But what about indyref2? She will certainly not abandon the aim of independence - nor the calculation that it would be brought about via a referendum.
Please enable Javascript to view our results map
I also think it unlikely that she will formally renounce the proposed timetable for indyref2 - which is at the end of the Brexit process.
Perhaps, rather, she might seek to clarify the detail of that timetable.
In practice, though, indyref2 is hobbled.  It may not be "dead", as Ruth Davidson declared. But it is certainly ailing.
Momentum is not with the SNP.  It is with the advocates of Union - Labour, the Liberal Democrats and especially the Tories, who all made significant gains.
For Labour, the result is a huge relief.  Many inside the party thought Jeremy Corbyn a loser in advance, Kezia Dugdale being among them.
Now they are on the rise. Although, never forget, they did not win, either in Scotland or across the UK.
The Liberal Democrats also recorded gains, winning seats where they were identified as the core contenders for toppling the SNP.
And for the Tories, the spoils of victory in Scotland. Soured a little by the UK outcome - or, perhaps perversely, sweetened in contrast.
After years of apology, Uriah Heep style, they are upbeat and victorious.
Truly, a remarkable night.


Energy company RWE has cancelled its dividend for the second successive year, after writedowns of 4.3bn euros (£3.6bn) on its power plants.

The UK, as well as the Netherlands and Turkey, was affected by the writedowns, which led to a surprise net loss of 5.7bn euros (£4.8bn) during 2016.
"The difficult market environment made impairments necessary," said RWE chief executive Rolf Martin Schmitz.
RWE, which owns Npower, said it planned to pay dividends again in 2017.
Analysts and investors had been expecting dividend payouts to resume for 2016, after the previous year when the company cancelled them for the first time in at least six decades.
RWE, like most big European energy companies, faces the problem of low wholesale electricity prices and competition from heavily subsidised renewable energy rivals.
The group's performance was also dented by what it described as an "additional extraordinary burden" in the shape of new German legislation that forces energy firms to help pay for the country's move away from nuclear power.
RWE has to contribute about 6.8bn euros (£5.7bn) - 1.8bn euros (£1.5bn) of which was set aside in the 2016 results.
"The new regulations governing nuclear waste disposal are sensible, but require a great financial effort from RWE," said chief financial officer Markus Krebber.


A £272m budget, which includes investment in roads, transport and school places, has been backed by councillors in Essex.

The Essex County Council plans include £10m over two years for changes to the A120 and Chelmsford north east bypass.
The council also plans to spend £32m on local bus routes, community transport and concessionary bus passes for the elderly and disabled.
It aims to create an additional 3,000 primary school places costing £79m.
The Conservative-controlled authority has frozen its part of the council tax bill.
The council's government grant has been cut by £49m.
It has had to save £450m over the past four years.


The Executive Office is to spend up to £5m on a new, high quality office block in Londonderry.

The 62,000 sq ft grade A office at Ebrington "could cater for up to 500 people". It will be built on top of an existing underground car park.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it was "part of a drive to attract investment to the north west".
The Department of Finance has approved the project's business case.
A developer will now be sought for the building.
Ebrington is the largest regeneration site in the city, having been formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence.
The Executive Office said the office development "is an incentive for potential investors".


US senators have piled more pressure on Yahoo, demanding that the internet giant gives more details of who knew what and when about a huge data breach.

In a letter to chief executive Marissa Mayer, six Democratic politicians said the hack into 500 million user accounts was "unacceptable".
It comes a day after another senator called on the powerful SEC financial regulator to investigate.
News of the hacking in 2014 was only publicly confirmed last week.
The senators said they were "disturbed" the two-year-old intrusion was revealed so long after the hack occurred.
"That means millions of Americans' data may have been compromised for two years," the senators wrote in their letter.
"This is unacceptable," they added.
The letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy, Al Franken, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Wyden and Edward Markey.
Yahoo said it would respond in a "timely and appropriate" manner, Reuters reported.
Yahoo, which agreed a deal in late July for Verizon to buy its core business, is already facing class actions lawsuits.
Yahoo, which said it uncovered the hacking during the summer, believes that the theft of personal data, and unencrypted security questions and answers, was "state sponsored".
The Senators have asked Ms Mayer for a timeline of the hacking, and how such a large breach of its systems went undetected for so long.
The letter came a day after Democratic Senator Mark Warner asked the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate whether Yahoo and its senior executives fulfilled their obligations to inform investors and the public about the data breach.


A BBC team and a group of tourists have been caught up in an explosion on Mount Etna that resulted in a number of injuries.

Reporter Rebecca Morelle and colleagues were filming on the mountain when lava came into contact with snow, throwing fragments of rock in all directions.
"Some head injuries, burns, cuts and bruises," our correspondent tweeted.
"Volcanologist said [it was the] most dangerous incident experienced in his 30-year career."


The Football Association will not be able to access any evidence from the Daily Telegraph's investigation into football corruption until the police have finished with it, the governing body said.

Police have begun a review to assess any "potential criminal activity".
The newspaper claimed eight current or ex-Premier League managers had taken bribes for player transfers.
The FA said it awaited an update from police "at the earliest opportunity".
A statement added: "At the appropriate point, we are keen to ensure the releasing of materials from the Daily Telegraph is expedited in line with our repeated request for full disclosure."
A recent Daily Telegraph investigation also led to Sam Allardyce losing the England manager's job after he was filmed offering advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers.
The FA said at the time Allardyce, who left the position by mutual consent, made "a significant error of judgement and has apologised".


A controversial overhaul of classroom teaching in Scotland will take effect as secondary pupils begin returning to school after the summer break.

The Curriculum for Excellence, which has been four years in the making, aims to give teachers more freedom and make lessons less prescriptive.
Some teachers, unions and opposition parties have expressed concern the curriculum is not ready.
But Scottish ministers have given assurances it will improve standards.
Education Secretary Mike Russell said the current system was not being largely re-written.
The changes, for children between the ages of three and 18, which are already in place in primary schools, aim to focus more on teaching methods rather than content, and seek to make young people more resourceful and responsible.
The system will be introduced for children in their first year of secondary school, and will be rolled out year on year until it is implemented for all secondary years.
Speaking on BBC radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Russell said, "We already know that in the primary sector, this is a successful means of imparting education.
"The rules of physics and the grammar of French don't change as a result of that, but what does happen is that teaching methods improve.
"I'm confident that it will produce the results that Scotland needs - a well-educated group of young people and a well-educated work force."
However, Eleanor Coner of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council told BBC Scotland that although related exams are still a few years off, parents are concerned about the lack of communication over the new curriculum.
She said: "I was speaking to a parent last night who said she just can't get her head round it and that she just doesn't understand anything about it.
"I think the problem is that the messages that have been sent out can be quite confusing at times. There needs to be more information like this on what is happening, and this is what it means for your child."
Mr Russell said he had written to the parents of each child affected by the new system, and he had been visiting schools around the country to speak to parents and teachers.
Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems have raised concerns that the new curriculum is still too vague and have questioned whether enough funding has been made available to deliver it.
In March, Mr Russell rejected calls by secondary teachers to delay the introduction of the curriculum.
Some unions have expressed concerns that their members will not be ready to introduce the new system and pledged to create specialist groups in subject areas to provide the right support.
Labour education spokesman Des McNulty claimed SNP cuts were a threat to the new curriculum.
He said: "Newly qualified teachers are unable to get jobs and school budgets are under their tightest pressure than at any point in the last decade because the SNP have failed to prioritise our schools.
"The vital materials and information needed for the successful implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence has not yet been provided and many teachers feel the support they were promised has not been delivered by the SNP."
The Liberal Democrats said they supported the curriculum but said Mr Russell's handling of the situation was "shambolic".
Education spokeswoman Margaret Smith said: "I'm pleased that teachers are excited about teaching the new curriculum, but as children return to school today, there are still no criteria for the new national exams replacing Standard Grades.
"Teachers have to start teaching the new curriculum, but with no idea about the exams that they should be preparing children for."


The African Confederation Cup holders TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo drew 2-2 at home to South Africa's SuperSport United on Sunday in the latest Group matches.

Mazembe were 2-0 up inside the first 26 minutes thanks to goals from Ben Malango and Rainford Kalaba.
SuperSport launched their fightback with Aubrey Modiba hitting straight back after Kalaba's strike and Teboho Mokoena hitting a second-half equaliser for the South Africans.
With Guinea's Horoya beating Mounana of Gabon 1-0 on Saturday, Group D is now tight with three teams level on points.
Horoya, Mazembe and SuperSport all have five points at the half-way stage of the group phase.
In Group B, Tunisia's CS Sfaxien moved back to the top of their pool with a comfortable 3-0 win over Platinum Stars of South Africa.
Nigeria's Kingsley Sokari opened the scoring after 10 minutes, Karim Aouadhi extended the lead before the half hour mark - and the win was rounded off by Maher Hannechi early in the second half.
Sfaxien lead the pool by a point from Mouloudia Alger.
Also on Sunday, Zambia's Zesco United beat Recreativo Libolo 1-0 in Ndola to go two points clear at the top of Group C.
A goal from Idris Mbombo was enough to give the Zambians the victory.
Group winners and runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals.


The general election offers Wales an "unprecedented opportunity", Plaid Cymru's leader will say on Friday.

Launching the party's campaign, Leanne Wood will argue electing the largest ever group of Plaid MPs would put Wales in the "strongest position possible" as polls point to a hung parliament.
She will address party activists in a rally at Ffos Las Racecourse in Trimsaran, near Llanelli.
Plaid Cymru currently has three MPs and has never had more than four.
On Thursday, the party warned SNP election gains could divert resources to Scotland, with Plaid's campaign coordinator Lord Wigley arguing a "strong group" of his party's MPs would be needed to stop Wales losing out.


A stage musical based on the hit film Rocky is to open on Broadway.

Sylvester Stallone, who starred in and wrote the script for the Oscar-winning 1976 film, is co-producing the theatre version, which will open at the Winter Garden theatre next February.
The show made its debut in Hamburg, Germany, where it was billed as Rocky: Das Musical, last November.
Boxing brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are also co-producers and helped train the actors in Hamburg.
"This is not boxers doing a kick line," said Bill Taylor, managing director of co-producers Stage Entertainment USA. "It's stunning movement representing some of the sparring and the fighting. It's very, very cleverly created."
The songs have been written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who also composed the score for the musical Ragtime.
The show, which stays true to the story of the plucky amateur boxer Rocky Balboa, has a script by Thomas Meehan, who wrote the stage versions of The Producers and Hairspray.
When it opened last year, it was generally well-received by German theatre critics.
It is the latest in a long line of film adaptations to have reached the stage. Shows from Shrek to Spider-Man have appeared on Broadway in recent years.


Asian shares ended higher following a quiet trading session given several of the region's major markets closed for the Good Friday holidays.

Investors took their positive lead from Wall Street where stocks ended higher as they awaited key US jobs figures due later today.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.6% to 19,435.08 - gaining 0.8% for the week.
The dollar was down to 119.68 yen from 119.77 yen in New York.
Car giant Toyota's shares were up 0.6% after local reports that it is planning to open two new factories in Mexico and China at a cost of $1.25bn (Â£842m).
Markets in Australia and Hong Kong are closed for the public holiday.
In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite closed at a fresh seven-year high, gaining 1% to 3,863.93 points.
China's benchmark equity index has rallied 4.7% this week driven by expectations of more monetary easing.
China's securities regulator also approved 30 initial public offerings (IPOs) on Thursday, a move that could cool the stock market rally as investors look to move funds from existing stocks.
A private survey also showed that China's services sector expanded in March but growth in employment and new business fell to their lowest in eight months.
The HSBC/Markit China services purchasing managers' index (PMI) was up to 52.3, from February's 52. That's above the 50-point level that separates growth from a contraction in activity.
Despite the thin trade, South Korean shares hit their highest closing level in six and half months and climbed 1.3% for the week.
The benchmark Kospi index closed up 0.8% to 2,045.42 points - its highest finish since 19 September.


West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace has agreed a deal to sell the club to a Chinese investment group led by entrepreneur Guochuan Lai.

Former Blackburn chief executive John Williams will replace Peace, who has been chairman for 14 years.
"My immediate priorities will be to maintain the club's stable structure, respecting its well-run nature and its heritage," said Lai.
"I have no intention of changing the club's ethos."
He added: "I believe that we have a competitive team, with the right management and coaching staff in place."
Williams said his "immediate focus is on our activity in the transfer window" a day after the club pulled out of a move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho.
"(Manager) Tony Pulis and (technical director) Nick Hammond have told the board we are two or three players short," he said.
"Realistic targets have been identified and there are funds available.
"We need to get them over the line to ensure Tony has a competitive squad for what is going to be a challenging and demanding campaign."
Lai, 42, oversaw the growth of landscaping company Palm in his home country before retiring in May 2014 to focus on private investment.
Palm, which was valued at £1.8bn on the Chinese stock exchange, has contributed to the takeover.
The deal was agreed in June and is dependent on approval from the Financial Conduct Authority and the Premier League.
West Brom came close to being sold to a Chinese consortium last summer before Peace, who owned 88% of the club, broke off negotiations.
It had been reported that Peace was looking for about £150m for his stake in the club, which recorded pre-tax profits of £7.6m in April.
He first invited offers of investment in June 2008.
"I believe this deal will enable Albion to build on the strong, sustainable foundations that have been the cornerstone of the club's progress," said Peace.
"The club can look to the future with excitement about the opportunities ahead."
Fellow Midlands clubs Aston Villa and Wolves have also been taken over by Chinese investors this summer.


Norwegian oil services firm Aker Solutions has signed one of Scotland's largest office leasing deals, as part of expansion plans in the UK.

Under the contract, Aker will rent 335,000 sq ft of office space at Aberdeen International Business Park from developer Abstract (Cornwall) Ltd.
Aker is leasing three interlinked buildings for an annual rent of Â£7.74m over 20 years.
It also has options to extend the lease for three five-year periods.
Abstract (Cornwall) Ltd is a subsidiary of Norwegian investment company Aker ASA, which owns 34.5% of Aker Solutions.
The new complex is already under development and will consist of three interconnected buildings.
It will include a fitness centre with squash courts, catering facilities, a nursery, medical facilities and an auditorium.
The facility is expected to be ready for occupation in the second quarter of next year.
Aker Solutions is among the largest employers in Aberdeen with operations spread across six sites in the city.
David Currie, regional head of Aker Solutions in the UK, said: "This move is a long-term investment for us and underlines our commitment to Aberdeen and our customers in the area.
"The new offices will provide high-quality facilities and enable us to bring the majority of our employees in Aberdeen together in one central location."
The leasing deal completes the first phase of the 40-acre business park development, which is located opposite the entrance to Aberdeen International Airport.
Abstract said it was looking to bring forward the next phases of the business park "at an early stage".
When completed, the park will comprise of about 1,000,000 sq ft of offices, and is likely to include at least one hotel.
Mark Glatman, from Abstract, said: "The position of the Aberdeen International Business Park adjacent to Aberdeen International Airport, the quality of the development and the developing local road infrastructure makes this business park an obvious and logical location for major international companies active in the Aberdeen market."


A 15-year-old boy has been charged with arson following a grass fire in Newport.

He was charged in relation to a blaze on 22 April, on the Hartridge Track, behind Llanwern High School.
Gwent Police said the boy has been released on bail to attend Cwmbran Youth Court on 19 May.


Scientists have devised a radical solution to reduce the damaging impact of Australia's deadly cane toads.

They have trained wild monitor lizards, known locally as goannas, not to eat the toxic amphibians.
They did this by feeding the reptiles small, less potent cane toads. Many that tried the toads once did not make the same mistake again.
The researchers say that extending the trial could help the continent's wildlife.
The study is published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters.
Lead researcher Georgia Ward-Fear, from the University of Sydney, said: "We've been very surprised by the results, by the amount of time that some of these lizards have actually retained this knowledge and survived in the presence of a high-density of cane toads, which is basically unheard of in the wild."
Cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s to control sugar cane pests.
But the subsequent spread has been unstoppable, devastating the continent's animals.
Among the hardest hit are the yellow-spotted monitors (Varanus panoptes).   Their population is estimated to have plummeted by 90%.
When the toads invade a new area, these yellow-and-black-spotted reptiles feast on the amphibians, and subsequently die.
"A goanna only has to mouth a toad for less than 30 seconds and it can kill them," said Dr Ward-Fear.
"This species is quite abundant in ecosystems ahead of a cane toad invasion, and then as we see the invasion move through, they are basically wiped out of the landscape."
In the trials, the researchers tracked down wild lizards before the toads descended.
Dr Ward-Fear explained: "We presented them with a small toad via our very technical apparatus: a telescopic fishing pole. The toad had a little cotton belt attached to it.
"We sidled up to the goanna in a very stealthy manner and extended the fishing pole."
The young toads made the lizards sick, but were not toxic enough to do lasting harm.
The scientists then attached radio transmitters to follow the goannas as the amphibians arrived in the area.
Many of the 16 lizards who'd already tasted toad did not make the same mistake again - and more than half survived during the 18-month study period.
The team also followed 31 "untrained" lizards that had not eaten the toads.
"We saw the goannas that had not had a negative experience with the small toad died very quickly. They all died within three months of the natural cane toad invasion arriving at the site. At the end of the study, every untrained goanna had died."
The scientists say the study suggests goannas have the ability to learn from experience and retain that knowledge over a long period of time.
Dr Ward-Fear said: "This study provides the proof of principle that this strategy could be very effective. Employing it in the wild could potentially have a really large positive impact on the goanna population."
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Russia and China have urged North Korea to "freeze" its missile and nuclear programmes after it claimed to have successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

Both countries also called for a simultaneous suspension of US-South Korea large-scale military exercises.
North Korea said its missile could hit anywhere in the world.
But while Pyongyang appears to have made progress, experts believe the device cannot accurately hit a target.
Despite the North Korean claim, both the US and Russia said the missile presented no threat to either country.
Calling the launch "unacceptable", Russia and China, which share a land border with North Korea, also urged the US to not deploy the Thaad missile system  - which aims to intercept attacks from Pyongyang - in South Korea.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The announcement on North Korea state television said the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un.
It said the projectile had reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,731 miles) and flew 933km for 39 minutes before hitting a target in the sea.
North Korea, it said, was now "a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful inter-continental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world".
But experts also believe that Pyongyang does not have the capacity to miniaturise a nuclear warhead that can fit onto such a missile.
How advanced is North Korea's nuclear programme?
The big question is what range it has, says the BBC's Steven Evans in Seoul. Could it hit the United States?
David Wright, a physicist with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, says that if the reports are correct, this missile could "reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory".
That range would allow it to reach Alaska, but not the large islands of Hawaii or the other 48 US states, he says.
It is not just a missile that North Korea would need, our correspondent adds. It must also have the ability to protect a warhead as it re-enters the atmosphere, and it is not clear if North Korea can do that.
Once again North Korea has defied the odds and thumbed its nose at the world in a single missile launch. With the test of the Hwasong-14, it has shown that it can likely reach intercontinental ballistic missile ranges, including putting Alaska at risk.
Kim Jong-un has long expressed his desire for such a test, and to have it on the 4 July holiday in the US is just the icing on his very large cake.
Despite this technical achievement, however, it is likely many outside North Korea will continue to be sceptical. They will ask for proof of working guidance, re-entry vehicle, and even a nuclear warhead.
From a technical perspective, though, their engines have demonstrated ICBM ranges, and this would be the first of several paths North Korea has to an ICBM with even greater range.
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has called on the United Nations Security Council to take steps against North Korea.
Japan described "repeated provocations like this are absolutely unacceptable" and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would "unite strongly" with the US and South Korea to put pressure on Pyongyang.
US President Donald Trump also responded swiftly on Tuesday.
On his Twitter account he made apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, saying: "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?
"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer. Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
President Trump has repeatedly called on China, Pyongyang's closest economic ally, to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programmes.
On the prospect of North Korea being able to strike the US, he tweeted in January: "It won't happen." However experts say it might - within five years or less.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the international community "must redouble its efforts to impose a price on this regime, which strains every nerve and sinew to build nuclear weapons and launch illegal missiles, even as the people of North Korea endure starvation and poverty".
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Rob Herring and Andrew Trimble will share the Ulster captaincy for the upcoming season after Ireland skipper Rory Best stepped down from the role.

Hooker Herring deputised for Best on numerous occasions last season, while Trimble is Ulster's most capped player.
"Rob and Andrew are two outstanding individuals who have the respect of everyone within the organisation," said Ulster Director of Rugby Les Kiss.
"The shared captaincy model will give us more flexibility and continuity."
Winger Trimble has amassed a record 206 appearances for Ulster, having made his debut for the Irish province against Cardiff back in 2005, while Herring joined Ulster in 2012.
Best hinted that he may relinquish his position following the team's 30-18 Pro12 semi-final defeat by Leinster at the RDS in May.
"I'm delighted they have agreed to take on the captaincy. In the current landscape it's hard to guarantee that one player will be available all of the time," explained Kiss.
"Rory and I have been in discussions about this since the end of last season and we felt it was the perfect time for him to assist us in developing this new leadership structure. His experience of captaining both Ulster and Ireland last season will continue to be invaluable for us as a group.
"We have strong experience across our squad that will support Rob and Andrew by driving standards off the field and assisting with tactics and decision-making in training and in match situations."
Commenting on his appointment, Herring said: "To be able to share the captaincy with someone like Andrew is massively exciting, and together, with the support of the many other leaders in the squad, we can make strides to deliver the success that the players, staff and supporters strive for."
Trimble was equally proud to be named as captain: "To be named as captain of my home province is extremely humbling and this is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my career."
Ulster will open their new season with a Pro12 game against the Dragons at Kingspan Stadium on 2 September.
The province has been grouped with Clermont Auvergne, Exeter Chiefs and Bordeaux in Pool 5 of the European  Champions Cup.


Work on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line gets under way this weekend with passengers expected to face significant disruption.

The Winchburgh tunnel near Linlithgow in West Lothian will be closed for six weeks to allow upgrades to be carried out.
The work is part of a Â£750m project to enable faster, bigger and greener electric trains to run on the line.
Train operator ScotRail has a dedicated website to advise on the disruption.
It will mainly hit travel between Glasgow - or Stirling/Dunblane - and Edinburgh but it will also have a knock-on effect in areas such as the Fife Circle.
Many passengers will have longer journeys or bus replacements. ScotRail advised passengers to add at least 30 minutes to their planned journey times.
The closure will mean passengers looking to travel end-to-end from Glasgow to Edinburgh will no longer be able to take a train from Queen Street high level platforms, as the trains will only go as far as Linlithgow.
Instead, they will have to switch to the slower Queen Street low level trains or travel on the longer route from Glasgow Central Station.
Engineers said the tunnel closure was necessary so tracks could be lowered to create space for overhead power lines for the new trains, which will be introduced at the end of next year.
This is the latest phase of the Scottish government's Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
ScotRail said the main routes affected would be:
In addition, the following services will be busier than normal in both directions:
How will you be affected by the work?
Some have questioned why the rail improvement work is taking place at the same time as major upgrades to the road network in Central Scotland.
Work on the Â£500m M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project in Lanarkshire is already leading to disruption as traffic restrictions are in force.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay advised people to plan their journeys and assured them it would be worth it.
The work on the Winchburgh tunnel is due to be completed by 27 July.


The rescue of a swan from a motorway by two police officers has been likened to something out of spoof film Hot Fuzz.

A photo of the stricken bird, wrapped up safely, was posted on social media by police after the rescue from the M5 near Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The "swan selfie" sparked a pun-filled response on Twitter with many comparing the incident to the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost comedy film.
Another said the pair were involved in a game of "cobs and robbers".
The swan was driven away from the scene unharmed.
Hot Fuzz was released in 2007 and followed two hapless police officers investigating deaths in the fictional town of Sandford.
But much of the film was shot in the city of Wells in Somerset.


Prince Harry has taken to the skies during his first two weeks with the Australian Defence Force.

Captain Wales, as he has become known, flew in an armed reconnaissance helicopter (ARH) Tiger, one of the most advanced in the world.
The prince has also met Aboriginal elders, camped in the outback and been challenged to a game of wheelchair Australian Football League (AFL).
Harry is halfway through his four-week secondment with Australia's military.
The prince has said he is looking forward to a "new chapter" in his life after it was announced in March that he will be ending his 10-year UK military career in June.
He took up a staff officer role with the Army last year and has served twice in Afghanistan.
His Australia trip will continue after Gallipoli commemorations in Turkey, when he will return to Australia to spend time with Australian Army units in Perth and Sydney.
The first two weeks of his secondment have been spent in the Australian Army with the North-West Mobile Force (Norforce) and the 1st Brigade.
Harry had flight simulation training, before heading out with members of the 1st Aviation Regiment on an ARH Tiger reconnaissance flight from Robertson Barracks, Darwin.
While on duty with Norforce, he met elders and children of the Wuggubun community in the Kununurra region of Western Australia, around 470km (292 miles) south-west of Darwin.
He also trained in bush survival lessons, including how to source food and water and was briefed on Norforce's operations.
After receiving his orders, Captain Wales headed out on patrol spending two nights camping in the remote Kununurra region.
After meeting with some of the Australian Army's wounded, injured and ill members, Harry joined in a game of wheelchair AFL.
He played with soldiers from the Soldier Recovery Centre and the 1st Brigade.
Whilst with the 1st Brigade, Harry has also joined the physical training sessions and field exercise preparation as part of exercise thunder observer.
The exercise is part of the joint fire team training, soon to be conducted by the 1st Brigade's 8th/12th Medium Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.
Designed to maintain combat readiness, the exercise will include a live fire collaboration between ground and air assets.


The Queen has appointed Bristol's first ever black female Lord Lieutenant.

Peaches Golding, formerly the city's High Sheriff, has also served on the boards of several public bodies and private organisations.
She said: "It will change the course of my life. I'm pleased and thrilled and very humbled."
She will hold the role, which is largely ceremonial and involves representing the Queen in the city, for the next 12 years.
Although historically the role involved being in charge of the armed forces within the county area, it has become more of a symbolic role.
Lord Lieutenants focus on promoting civic, voluntary and business activities.
They also have a role in the administration of honours nominations.
Ms Golding's aim is to extend the number and diversity of honours nominations for people's "unsung, tremendous work."
She has served as a board member for organisations including Bristol Water, Moon Consulting, Business in the Community, the Ethnic Minority Business Forum and Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP).
She lives at Leigh Woods with her husband, Bob. They have an adult son, Charles.
"There are a lot of things going on in Bristol; a lot of good practice we can talk about, a lot of tremendous work by volunteers in the communities," she said.
She will step into the role when Mary Prior retires on 22 April.


Caitlyn Jenner has called for the acceptance of transgender people after accepting a bravery award in Los Angeles.

The reality star and former athlete made her first public appearance since coming out as a transgender woman.
Speaking to an audience of sports stars after accepting Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, she said she had struggled with her identity since childhood.
She called for "a more empathetic society and a better world".
Ms Jenner confirmed her plans to transition into a woman in an interview in April.
As Bruce Jenner, she won the decathlon at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976. She is seen as the highest-profile American to come out as transgender.
Ms Jenner was given a standing ovation on Wednesday night at the awards ceremony, which was hosted by sports network ESPN. The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage is named after the tennis player who died of Aids.
"If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead - because the reality is, I can take it," she said.
"But for the thousands of kids out there coming to terms with being true to who they are - they shouldn't have to take it."
She went on to tell sports stars attending the event that their words and attitudes could set an example to others.
"Whether it's about courage, or controversy or publicity, it's about what happens from here," she said.
"It's not just about one person, it's about thousands of people. It's not just about me, it's about all of us accepting one another."
But one sports star attending the event - boxer Evander Holyfield - said afterwards: "I just know that's Bruce Jenner and I'll leave it at that."


The supermarket Iceland claims that the Icelandic government is "not willing to hold any serious discussion" to reach agreement in a trademark dispute.

The country has launched legal action against the chain, claiming it prevents the nation's firms from describing their products as Icelandic.
Iceland Foods owns the European trademark for using the name Iceland.
The company sent a delegation to the capital Reykjavik on Friday but no agreement was reached.
"[The talks] got nowhere because it rapidly became clear that the Icelandic authorities have no interest in reaching a compromise," said founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker.
"We have no real idea why this has suddenly become such a major problem for Iceland (the country).
"Iceland Foods had Icelandic majority shareholders and Icelandic representatives on its board for seven years to 2012. At no point in all those years did any representative of Iceland (the country) raise the slightest concern about our company's branding," he said.
On Friday, Iceland's foreign ministry said the company refused to relinquish exclusive control of the word Iceland and that it would therefore pursue legal action to invalidate the company's trademark.
"The registration of a country name that enjoys highly positive national branding to a private company defies logic and is untenable," the ministry said.
But the company, which employs 23,000 people, said it had only ever tried to prevent other food and retail companies using the name Iceland, when it could lead to confusion over the brand.
It acknowledged that it had blocked an attempt to register "Inspired by Iceland", but it had not known it came from the Icelandic government.
Had the supermarket known, it would have been "very happy to have a conversation with them to explore ways in which their desire to promote Icelandic products could co-exist with our established rights as owners of the Iceland brand," the statement said.
Iceland Foods added that it still hoped an amicable arrangement could be reached.
The store was set up in Shropshire in 1970 and the name was suggested by Mr Walker's wife, Rhianydd.
It has almost 900 stores in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic and Iceland (the country).