"Nothing in her presidency became her like the leaving it", as Shakespeare didn't write.

Outgoing Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's final days in office have been rather marred by a spat with her replacement, Mauricio Macri, over the procedures for his inauguration.
Rather than exiting the presidential stage gracefully, Ms Fernandez has been embroiled in a war of words with the incoming administration and will not be present at the ceremony on Thursday.
In an emotional address on Wednesday night, Ms Fernandez joked: "I can't talk much because after midnight I'll turn into a pumpkin."
She was referring to a court injunction - sought by Mr Macri's team because of the inauguration dispute - which established that Ms Fernandez's term ended at midnight on Wednesday and not on Thursday after her successor's inauguration.
As the conflict over the inauguration heated up, Ms Fernandez published a lengthy open letter (in Spanish) on 6 December.
She accused Mr Macri of shouting at her on the phone and said that this was not appropriate as a man speaking to a woman.
She sought to remind him of three things, she wrote:
Ms Fernandez was preceded in office by her late husband Nestor Kirchner, whose came to power in 2003.
This means that a Kirchner has been in the top job since before either Facebook or Twitter were created - and it would now appear that Ms Fernandez's team are reluctant to hand over the passwords for the social media accounts of the Argentine presidency.
The official Twitter account, @CasaRosadaAR (meaning Pink House Argentina, a reference to the presidential palace) now describes itself as a "Twitter tribute" to the presidencies of Ms Fernandez and her late husband, Nestor Kirchner - and "not official from 10 December 2015".
The Casa Rosada Facebook account also now describes itself as the Facebook homepage of the Kirchner presidencies - "not official".
Mr Macri beat Ms Fernandez's chosen successor by a slim margin, and many supporters at Ms Fernandez's rally on Wednesday night were very sad to see her go.
But other Argentines were happy at the end of the Kirchner era, with #ChauCristina (ciao, or bye, Cristina) trending on Twitter.
Ms Fernandez was barred by Argentina's constitution from standing for a third consecutive term as president - but she will be free to stand again next time.
One of her actions on her last day as president was to unveil a bust of her late husband at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.
Nestor Kirchner served just one term - and it was widely thought that he handed over power to his wife in order to get round the limits on consecutive terms.
As he died unexpectedly in 2010, that project came to an end.
It is not clear where Ms Fernandez's future lies, but no one expects her to slip into a quiet retirement.


Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has opened the doors to its facial prosthetics lab where a team of prosthetists create artificial replacements for missing facial parts.

21 January 2016 Last updated at 15:22 GMT
Prosthetist Stefan Edmondson and his colleague Andrew showed BBC Radio 5 live's Phil Mackie some of the models they had produced.


A terrible future could be on the horizon, a future which rips one of the greatest tools of medicine out of the hands of doctors.

A simple cut to your finger could leave you fighting for your life. Luck will play a bigger role in your future than any doctor could.
The most basic operations - getting an appendix removed or a hip replacement - could become deadly.
Cancer treatments and organ transplants could kill you. Childbirth could once again become a deadly moment in a woman's life.
It's a future without antibiotics.
Sir Alexander Fleming made one of the single greatest contributions to medicine when he discovered antibiotics.
He noticed that mould growing on his culture dishes had created a ring free of bacteria, he'd found penicillin.
It was the stuff of Nobel Prizes, but in 1945 the spectre of resistance was already there.
In his winner's lecture he said: "It is not difficult to make microbes resistant to penicillin in the laboratory by exposing them to concentrations not sufficient to kill them, and the same thing has occasionally happened in the body.
"The time may come when penicillin can be bought by anyone in the shops.
"Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant."
Sir Alexander Fleming's 1945 Nobel Prize lecture
BBC History: Alexander Fleming
This might read like the plot of a science fiction novel - but there is genuine fear that the world is heading into a post-antibiotic era.
The World Health Organization has warned that "many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, could kill unabated".
The US Centers of Disease Control has pointed to the emergence of "nightmare bacteria".
And the chief medical officer for England Prof Dame Sally Davies has evoked parallels with the "apocalypse".
Antibiotics kill bacteria, but the bugs are incredibly wily foes. Once you start treating them with a new drug, they find ways of surviving. New drugs are needed, which they then find ways to survive.
As long as new drugs keep coming, resistance is not a problem. But there has not been a new class of antibiotics discovered since the 1980s.
This is now a war, and one we are in severe danger of losing.
Antibiotics are more widely used than you might think and a world without antibiotics would be far more dangerous.
They made deadly infections such as tuberculosis treatable, but their role in healthcare is far wider than that.
Surgery that involves cutting open the body poses massive risks of infection. Courses of antibiotics before and after surgery have enabled doctors to perform operations that would have been deadly before.
Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can damage the immune system. A course of antibiotics is prescribed to provide a much-needed boost alongside your body's own defences.
Anyone with an organ transplant faces a lifetime of drugs to suppress the immune system, otherwise it attacks the transplant, so antibiotics are used to protect the body.
"It's a pretty grim future, I think a lot of major surgery would be seriously threatened," said Prof Richard James from the University of Nottingham.
"I used to show students pictures of people being treated for tuberculosis in London - it was just a row of beds outside a hospital, you lived or you died - the only treatment was fresh air."
And this, he says, is what running out of drugs for tuberculosis would look like in the future.
But this is all in the future isn't it?
"My lab is seeing an increasing number of resistant strains year on year," said Prof Neil Woodford, from the Health Protection Agency's antimicrobial resistance unit.
He said most cases were resistant to some drugs, known as multi-drug resistant strains, but there were a few cases of pan-drug resistant strains which no antibiotic can touch.
Prof Woodford said the worst case scenario would "be like the world in the 1920s and 30s".
One of the most famous superbugs around is MRSA and it has been a scourge of hospitals for years.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to some antibiotics and can cause life threatening complications such as blood poisoning.
Cases soared across hospitals in the Western world, however, the tide has turned.
For example, figures for England and Wales show the number of deaths fell from 1,600 in 2007 to 364 in 2011.
The main weapon was hygiene, which cut down the opportunities for infection to spread.
This shows that if the right steps are taken, the threat of antibiotic resistance and be reduced.
MRSA figures for England and Wales
"You could be gardening and prick your finger on a rose bush, get a bacterial infection and go into hospital and doctors can't do anything to save your life. You live or die based on chance.
"But for many infections that wouldn't happen."
Opportunistic infections - those that often hit the elderly when they are already ill and vulnerable in hospital - are one of the main concerns.
Prof Woodford says the greatest threat in the UK is Enterobacteriaceae - opportunistic bugs that live in the gut such as E. coli and Klebsiella.
They are now the most common form of hospital acquired infection and they show rising levels of resistance.
The number of tests coming back with resistance to carbapenems, one of the most powerful groups of antibiotics, has soared from a handful of cases in 2003 to more than 300 cases by 2010.
It has also raised concerns about the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea which is becoming increasingly difficult to treat.
Around the world, multi-drug resistant and extremely-drug resistant tuberculosis - meaning only a couple of drugs still work - is a growing problem.
Relatively speaking the UK is doing well.
"A world without antibiotics has happened in some countries," says Prof Timothy Walsh, from Cardiff University.
He was part of the team that identified one of the new emerging threats in south Asia - NDM-1.
Bacteria develop antibiotic resistance because they are frisky on a scale that's almost difficult to imagine.
Some bacteria can double in population numbers every 20 minutes - compare that to how long it would take a couple to have four children.
It means mutations, which can nullify drugs, can emerge quickly. But there's more. A bacterium can swap bits of their genetic code with other bacteria, even from different species.
It's called conjugation and is a bit like going for a walk and swapping genes for hair colour with the neighbour's dog - beneficial mutations really can spread in the bacterial world.
This gene gives resistance to carbapenems and has been found in E. coli and Klebsiella.
"Antibiotic resistance in some parts of the world is like a slow tsunami, we've known it's coming for years and we're going to get wet," he said.
New Dehli Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) is thought to have emerged in India where poor sanitation and antibiotic use have helped resistance spread.
But due to international travel, cases have been detected around the world including in the UK.
This highlights one of the great problems with attempting to prevent an antibiotic catastrophe - how much can one country do?
There are wide differences in how readily antibiotics are used around the world. They are prescription-only drugs in some countries and available over the counter in others.
There are still question about doctors giving antibiotics to patients with viral infections like the common cold - antibiotics do nothing against viruses.
Europe has banned the use of antibiotics to boost the growth of livestock as it can contribute to resistance.
But the practice is common in many parts of the world and there is a similar issue with fish farms.
Prof Laura Piddock, from Birmingham University and the group Antibiotic Action, said: "These are valuable drugs and we need to use them carefully."
Some people have even suggested that antibiotics need to be far more expensive - something more like the price of new cancer drugs - in order for them to be used appropriately.
The doomsday scenario is on the horizon, but that does not mean it will come to pass.
A renewed focus on developing new antibiotics and using the ones that still work effectively would change the picture dramatically.
But if it does happen, the impact on society will be significant.
Prof Piddock said: "Every time we can't treat an infection, a patient spends longer in hospital and there is the economic impact of not being in education or work.
"The consequences are absolutely massive, that's actually something people have not quite grasped."


A third man has been charged with the murder of a teenager shot dead in Birmingham.

Connor Smith, 19, died of a bullet wound to the abdomen following an attack in Forde Way Gardens, Hawkesley on 8 October.
Leon Fry, 27, of Rodney Close, Birmingham, is accused of murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Phillip Baillie, 28, and Marcus Jones, 27, are also charged with murder.
Baille, of Fordway Gardens, Hawksley and Jones, of Gildas Avenue, Kings Norton were remanded in custody by Birmingham magistrates,
Two women, aged 22 and 26, from Chelmsley Wood, and a 41-year-old man, from the Stoke area of Coventry, arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, were released on police bail.


Great Britain's Liam Phillips failed to make the men's final at the UCI BMX World Championships in Colombia.

The 27-year-old, ranked among the top 16 UCI riders in 2015, was knocked out in semi-finals along with Olympic champion Maris Strombergs and London 2012 silver medallist Sam Willoughby.
"I'm looking forward to getting home and doing some good work, building towards the Olympics," said Phillips.
Compatriot Bethany Shriever, 17, crashed in the junior women's final.
The 17-year-old won all her races en route to the final but a mistimed effort on the opening jump ended her medal hopes.


Amit Shah, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been appointed the chief of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He is credited with the BJP's win in the recent election in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
He replaces Rajnath Singh, who is the home minister in the new government.
A controversial politician, Mr Shah is accused of sanctioning the killing of a Muslim civilian in 2005, when he was the home minister of Gujarat state.
In 2010, Mr Shah resigned after he was charged with murder and kidnapping of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and arrested in connection with the killing.
He spent more than three months in jail after which he was released on bail. Mr Shah denies the charges.
Mr Shah, a general secretary of the BJP, was chosen its new president by the parliamentary board consisting of top party leadership on Wednesday.
Announcing his appointment, the outgoing chief Rajnath Singh said Mr Shah was chosen unanimously by all members of the board.
The 49-year-old is reported to be one of the youngest presidents of the party.
He has a reputation for being a good organiser - in the run up to the general election, he was appointed to head the BJP's campaign in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh where he helped the party win an unprecedented 71 of the 80 seats for the party.
During the campaign, the Election Commission barred him from addressing rallies after finding him guilty of giving "hate speeches" against the Muslim community.
The ban was lifted after Mr Shah apologised and promised not to "use abusive or derogatory language".
A long-time member of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, Mr Shah has known Mr Modi for more than three decades.
Correspondents say his appointment to the top post will give Mr Modi complete control over the party and the government.


The charred remains of huts and hundreds of freshly dug graves along a trail of destruction in Jonglei state indicate the extended site of the latest deadly cattle raid in South Sudan.

The state authorities say more than 600 people from the Lou Nuer community were killed, 200 children abducted, and as many as 25,000 cows were stolen.
The attackers - from the Murle ethnic group - were responding to a June assault by Lou Nuer fighters in which an estimated 400 Murle were killed.
This cycle of revenge attacks stretches back decades, and now represents one of the greatest challenges to stability in newly independent South Sudan - and one the fledgling state so far seems unable to deal with.
"They came from over there," Kuol Bol explains, pointing to the lush green countryside on the edge of the small town of Pieri.
"They attacked when we were sleeping, but I was able to run away. A lot of people were killed, and they took many children.
"Two of my nephews were killed during that attack by the Murle. What I know is that I want to take revenge for that attack. I will do what I will do."
You could have almost the same conversation with Murle survivors of Lou Nuer attacks, or with the Jikany Nuer or Dinka who have also been involved in clashes in Jonglei state in recent times.
The pattern of inter-ethnic fighting fuelled by cattle raids can be found elsewhere in South Sudan too, though the situation is particularly bad in Jonglei.
South Sudan's new government has urged action, and the army is sending reinforcements into the area, as are the UN peacekeepers.
Cattle raiding is not new in this part of the world. In many South Sudanese communities the cow is incredibly important.
It is a source of personal wealth, and young men cannot get married without paying a dowry of cows.
So, in what are very poor communities, cattle raiding has become a way of life for some.
To make matters worse, automatic weapons are everywhere, following decades of civil war.
In the past, cattle raids caused relatively few casualties. Now the guns boom, and scores or even hundreds die in a day - creating a commensurate desire for revenge.
So what can be done to stop the bloodshed?
So far the security forces have shown little ability to keep the peace.
"It will be good when the government provides security in the area, but for now I don't know what they are doing. There is no protection," says Gatluak Kony, a Lou Nuer chief, who narrowly escaped being killed in Pieri.
Audio slideshow: Sudan's love of cows
There are more armed civilians than police or soldiers in Jonglei, even with the latest reinforcements.
The lack of good roads means it is very difficult to speed the security forces to hotspots.
Not everybody trusts the army either.
It would certainly be denied by the South Sudanese army, but some outside observers believe it does not see much benefit in intervening in a messy inter-ethnic conflict between civilians.
The risk, the argument goes, is this could fracture the army along ethnic lines.
The leader of the opposition in parliament, Onyoti Adigo, told the BBC the military should send reinforcements from ethnic groups not present in Jonglei.
He also believes not enough is being done.
"The problem of Jonglei is not new," he says. "The whole thing is negligence from the government, because the work of the government is to ensure the safety of its citizens and their properties."
Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin represents the area which recently came under attack and accepts progress needs to be made on several fronts.
"It is not just in Jonglei state, we have seen it in Unity state, we have seen it in Warrup, we have seen it in Lakes.
"So to us as a government, we are really serious that this should come to an end."
The government's plan involves the comprehensive disarmament of civilians, reconciliation using traditional and religious leaders, and developing infrastructures including building "security roads" and providing better services.
But all that takes time, and is easier said than done.
For the moment, an estimated 25,000 Lou Nuer have fled the fighting.
Some of them are gathered in the small town of Mutot.
Stripped of their cows and with their homes destroyed, they are now dependent on handouts and local kindness.
"The conditions are not good and my people are not comfortable," local chief Michael Bang complains.
"We have nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat."
It is little surprise that in these conditions of hardship and loss, there are already rumours that the next revenge attack is being prepared.
South Sudan has been independent for less than two months, and the joy of that moment is still fresh.
But in Jonglei state and all over the country people will have to be disarmed, and the security forces professionalised, if this deadly cycle of revenge attacks is to be broken.


New England coach Eddie Jones must think carefully before "writing off" Chris Robshaw, says Harlequins boss Conor O'Shea.

Jones officially starts at Twickenham on Tuesday, and has said he will meet the 29-year-old before deciding whether to keep him on as England captain.
But, after Quins' narrow 26-25 loss at Exeter, O'Shea singled the flanker out, saying: "Chris Robshaw was outstanding.
"I hope people take a long, hard look before they start writing him off."
Jones' predecessor Stuart Lancaster departed following a disappointing World Cup campaign which saw England make a pool-stage exit.
Robshaw, who has captained his country 42 times, has been criticised too for his performances in the defeats by Wales and Australia.
But O'Shea praised his performance as Quins secured two losing bonus points from a dramatic encounter in dreadful weather conditions in Devon, which could have gone either way right to the last kick, as the visitors missed a late penalty.
"He has been one of the outstanding back-row forwards in this country for many a year," said O'Shea. "I don't normally single out players but he made yards today when you didn't think he could make yards.
"He was turning the ball over, he was tackling, he was working. I am gutted for us as a team, but I am incredibly proud of the performance."
England's Six Nations campaign begins at Murrayfield against World Cup quarter-finalists Scotland on 6 February.


A signed first edition of the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by the late Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez has been stolen.

It was being exhibited in a locked cabinet at the International Book Fair in the Colombian capital, Bogota.
The fair, which closes on Monday, is dedicated to Garcia Marquez, who died last year at the age of 87.
The book is estimated to be worth $60,000 (Â£40,000) but its owner says for him its value is immeasurable.
It disappeared on Saturday afternoon from a locked cabinet at the Corferias exhibition centre in Bogota where it was being exhibited as part of the book fair.
The fair, one of the most important in Latin America, had at its theme Macondo, the fictional Colombian town where One Hundred Years of Solitude is set.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, was Colombia's most famous and critically acclaimed author.
Following his death in Mexico in April of last year, first editions of his novels have risen in value.
Alvaro Castillo, who trades in rare books, said he purchased the 1967 first edition of One Hundred Years of Solitude in a bookshop in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, in 2006.
Garcia Marquez later signed the copy and dedicated it to Mr Castillo with the words: "To Alvaro Castillo, the old-book seller, as yesterday and forever, your friend, Gabo".
Mr Castillo would not say how much he paid for the copy or how much more it would be worth with the dedication, but stressed that to him it was priceless.
Police are reviewing video footage from the exhibition centre in the hope of discovering who may be behind the theft.


The torture of suspects in police detention is widespread in China with implements like spiked rods and torture chairs regularly deployed to extract confessions, a report alleges.

The Amnesty International report is based on interviews with nearly 40 Chinese human rights lawyers.
Despite China's top court banning torture in 2013 and criminal justice reforms, rights groups say the practises are still widely used.
Chinese authorities have not responded.
After similar allegations by Human Rights Watch in May, the foreign ministry said Chinese law prohibited torture during interrogation.
The report describes suspects being slapped, kicked and hit with shoes or with bottles filled with water.
It also details tools of torture including "'tiger chairs' in which individuals' legs are tightly bound to a bench, with bricks gradually added under the victim's feet, forcing the legs backwards as well as long periods of sleep deprivation and the denial of sufficient food and water.
Amnesty said that for police, obtaining a forced confession is still considered the easiest way to secure a conviction.
The author of the report, Patrick Poon, said local officials and police "continue to pull the strings of China's criminal justice system. Despite defence lawyers' best efforts, many claims of torture are simply ignored".
The report comes a week before China's human rights record is set to be reviewed by the United Nations anti-torture committee in Geneva.


The BBC has revealed the final design of the Micro Bit, a pocket-sized computer set to be given to about one million UK-based children in October.

The device - which features a programmable array of red LED lights - includes two buttons and a built-in motion sensor that were not included in a prototype shown off in March.
But another change means the product no longer has a slot for a thin battery.
That may compromise its appeal as a wearable device.
An add-on power pack, fitted with AA batteries, will be needed to use it as a standalone product.
The BBC's director general Tony Hall said the device should help tackle the fact children were leaving school knowing how to use computers but not how to program them.
"We all know there's a critical and growing digital skills gap in this country and that's why it's so important that we come together and do something about it," he said at a launch event in London.
Children will be encouraged to write simple code for the Micro Bit via a new website, which will be accessible on both PCs and mobile devices.
They will be able to save and test their programs on the site before transferring them to the tiny computer via a USB cable or wireless Bluetooth connection.
The Micro Bit can then be made to interact with its built-in sensors and buttons to make its 25 LEDs flash in different patterns, letting it display - for example - letters and numbers.
In addition, it can be connected to other computing kit via its input-output rings - including the Raspberry Pi,  Arduino and Galileo - to carry out more complex tasks.
It is suggested:
The BBC describes the 4cm by 5cm (1.6in by 2in) device and an associated Make It Digital campaign as its "most ambitious education initiative" since the release of the BBC Microcomputer System in the 1980s.
But while the earlier computer was sold for hundreds of pounds, the Micro Bit is being given away to every 11- and 12-year-old child in Year 7 or equivalent at school.
BBC Learning head Sinead Rocks said: "The BBC Micro Bit is all about young people learning to express themselves digitally.
"As the Micro Bit is able to connect to everything from mobile phones to plant pots and Raspberry Pis, this could be for the internet-of-things what the BBC Micro was to the British gaming industry."
When the device was announced, four months ago, the BBC promoted the fact it could be easily pinned to a child's clothing.
However, one of the revisions has involved replacing a watch-battery slot with a bulkier battery pack, which may make that less practical.
A spokesman said: "The initial prototype utilised a smaller battery, however in reviewing the design and examining the health and safety implications of using small batteries for a young audience, where siblings may be able to access the device, the partnership took the decision to re-engineer this element.
"Each BBC Micro Bit will now use a discrete battery pack, which can be removed from the device."
While the BBC instigated the project, other organisations - including the chip designer ARM, Barclays Bank, Samsung, Microsoft and Lancaster University - are also providing expertise and funds to bring the scheme to fruition.
In addition, the Wellcome Trust, ScienceScope and others will help prepare school teachers for the rollout, while volunteer-led groups, including Coderdojo and Code Club, have also promised support.
Although supplies will initially be limited to the schoolchildren qualifying for a free Micro Bit in late October, the BBC has confirmed that the computers will go on sale to others in the UK and overseas before the end of the year.
It also intends to make the machine's specifications open source.
Prof Mitchel Resnick, who leads the team developing Scratch, a popular programming tool already used to help children learn to code, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: "I see coding as a new type of literacy.
"When kids learn to code, they learn new ways of expressing themselves and organising their ideas.
"These skills are important for everyone, not just those who plan to pursue computing careers."
One advantage the BBC's original computer had over the new Micro Bit was the fact that you could write programs directly onto it without requiring a separate PC or mobile device.
But in many other ways the new device has its advantages, not least because you do not need to plug it into a TV to see what it is doing and it is many times cheaper to manufacture.
The broadcaster has highlighted three other advances:


Passengers on a river trip in Laos in south-east Asia have told an inquest how their boat sank in seconds, killing a woman from south Wales.

Johanna Powell, from Cardiff, was with three friends on the Mekong River near Pak Beng in April.
The 37-year-old, a BBC Wales picture editor, was probably asleep when the boat hit rough water, the Aberdare inquest heard.
A conclusion of accidental death has been recorded.
Tammy Evans described the moment the boat went down before the frantic search for her friend.
In a statement read to the court, Ms Evans said: "Johanna was half asleep with her head on the table when the boat suddenly rocked to one side and then the other.
"I was thrown from my seat and went down with the boat. I was trapped and fully submerged under the filthy and dirty water.
"I reached out and managed to grab a piece of the boat to free myself and then reached the surface.
"As I was being dragged along the river I was screaming 'where's Johanna?"
Another passenger, Sinead Mary O'Brien,  said she swam for her life before a rescue boat arrived.
"We went downstream and found a few of the others but we could not find Johanna," she said in a statement.
The shaken group were taken to dry land where they anxiously waited for news of Ms Powell.
Ms Evans added: "They (the tourist police) seemed more concerned about whether we were going to sue the captain for loss of our property... there was no mention of Johanna."
It was two days before Ms Powell's body was found following a search by people living in the area.
Coroner Andrew Barkley told the hearing he had received "limited information" from officials leading the investigation, but said inquiries were continuing.
He concluded Ms Powell's death was an accident caused by immersion in water.


US drugmaker Eli Lilly has said it is "deeply concerned" by claims that it bribed doctors to prescribe its drugs.

Chinese paper 21st Century Business Herald cited a former staff, identified by a pseudonym, as saying the firm paid out 30m yuan ($4.9m; Â£3.1m).
The claims come at a time when China is investigating some drugs firms over similar bribery allegations.
Lilly said it had launched an internal probe last year after a former manager made similar allegations against it.
"At the time of the allegations, we did an exhaustive investigation to search for any evidence of kickbacks," the firm said in a statement.
"Although we have not been able to verify these allegations, we take them seriously and we are continuing our investigation."
The company said it interviewed employees, monitored emails and audited expense reports as part of its internal probe.
However, it said it had not employed any sales managers by the name of Wang Wei, who was mentioned in the 21st Century Business Herald report.
Eli Lilly is the latest foreign drugmaker to be engulfed by such claims in China.
Earlier this week, a British risk consultant, Peter Humphrey, was formally arrested by Chinese authorities amid a continuing probe into pharmaceutical firms.
One of the firms being probed, UK drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is reportedly a former client of Mr Humphrey's firm, ChinaWhys.
Chinese authorities have accused GSK of directing up to Â£320m through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials.
GSK has said that some senior executives in its China office appeared to have broken the law and several GSK employees have also been detained over the last few weeks.
In July, Chinese police had visited the Shanghai office of UK firm AstraZeneca and took an employee in for questioning.


The Conservative Party has edged closer to a majority at Portsmouth City Council after welcoming a defector from the Liberal Democrats.

The authority confirmed Sandra Stockdale had joined the Conservatives with immediate effect.
Council leader Donna Jones tweeted: "Delighted to announce Cllr Sandra Stockdale has quit the @LibDems and joined the @Conservatives."
Ms Stockdale said she had recently "felt uncomfortable" with the Lib Dems.
The councillor, who represents St Thomas ward, said she had been considering the move for about three months.
She added: "I was recently deselected which takes away any future I have with the group.
"I didn't have their support obviously, so I decided to resign."
Her move brings the total number of Conservatives to 19. There are 14 Liberal Democrats, four Labour, four UKIP and one independent.
The council is run as a minority Conservative administration.


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" after a cancer operation in Cuba, his vice-president has said.

In a televised address from Cuba, Nicolas Maduro said Mr Chavez continued to be in a "delicate state".
Mr Chavez underwent his fourth cancer operation on 11 December in Cuba but suffered a respiratory infection.
The president - who has been in power since 1999 - is due to be sworn in on 10 January for another six-year term.
Mr Maduro did not give details about Mr Chavez's condition but said the latest complications were connected to the respiratory infection.
By Abraham ZamoranoBBC Mundo, Caracas
Although Mr Maduro's speech was an obvious blow for Mr Chavez's supporters, the mood in Caracas remains calm - as if people were used to bad news about the president's health.
Many residents are away for the holidays, which increases the subdued mood on the streets. But for those who are still in the city, it is business as usual, with last-minute shopping on New Year's Eve.
Opposition leaders have not yet commented on Mr Maduro's speech. But over the weekend some lawmakers asked for a more detailed medical report.
Most people say Mr Chavez's future is in God's hands. Caracas officials have cancelled the New Year celebrations and asked people to keep the president in their prayers.
"We have been informed of new complications that arose as a consequence of the respiratory infection we already knew about," he said.
"The president gave us precise instructions so that, after finishing the visit, we would tell the (Venezuelan) people about his current health condition.
"The state of health of President Chavez continues to be delicate."
He added that the treatment was "not without risk."
Mr Maduro, appearing solemn, spoke alongside Mr Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa, his son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, and Venezuelan Attorney General Cilia Flores.
The vice-president said he would remain in Havana "for the coming hours" but did not specify how long.
Following Mr Maduro's announcement, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas appeared in a special programme on Venezuelan TV, calling on Venezuelans not to believe rumours about the president's health.
"Do not get carried away with things on Twitter, you cannot play with Commander Chavez's health, it is a matter that affects the lives of others. We must act very responsibly, particularly those of us who communicate through mass media," he said.
Late on Sunday, Mr Villegas said a government-organised New Year's Eve concert in central Caracas had been cancelled and he urged Venezuelans to pray for President Chavez.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Havana says it is now three weeks since Hugo Chavez has been seen or heard from in person.
There continues to be huge secrecy surrounding his precise condition, she says.
There are also many questions about what will happen on 10 January when Mr Chavez is due to be re-inaugurated, our correspondent adds.
National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello recently said that the swearing-in ceremony would be delayed in the case of Mr Chavez's absence.
However, opposition leaders say postponing the inauguration would be unconstitutional.
The constitution states that if there is an "absolute absence" of the president, elections must be held within 30 days.
Mr Chavez has said that, should his health fail, Venezuelans should vote for Mr Maduro in fresh elections.
Officials have never disclosed the type or severity of Mr Chavez's cancer, which was first diagnosed in June 2011.


Six prisoners have gone on the run from a South Yorkshire prison in five weeks.

Burglar Damian Pearson, 24, absconded from HMP Hatfield open prison in Doncaster on Sunday, and Mounir Jaouane, 22, failed to return from temporary licence on Monday.
Since May four other men have fled HMP Hatfield. Three have been re-arrested.
Joe Simpson, of the Prison Officers Association, said many prisoners were absconding because prisons were overcrowded and understaffed.
Pearson, Jaouane, and 43-year-old Darrell Roy Burbeary are still on the loose.
South Yorkshire Police said Jaouane failed to return to Hatfield after he was released on temporary licence to his former home address in Woodthorpe, Sheffield.
Burbeary, from Heeley in Sheffield, left the prison at 19:20 BST on 15 June while serving a sentence for burglary.
Richard Brown, 27, fled HMP Hatfield on 10 June and was rearrested in Scunthorpe on 12 June; Damien Burns, 39, left on 19 May and was rearrested in Scarborough on 21 May; and Dean Jackson, 27 left on 19 May and was rearrested in Newcastle on 21 May.
Open prisons and temporary licences are intended to integrate offenders back into society.
Mr Simpson said the "wrong type of prisoner" was increasingly being sent to open prisons because the UK prison population was growing.
He said: "They're also cutting staff - Hatfield is currently five staff lower than it should be and they've just been told to send another member of staff to [nearby prison] Lindholme, which is also short-staffed."
After Burbeary escaped in June, Don Valley MP Caroline Flint called for an urgent meeting with justice security Chris Grayling over the "absolutely ridiculous" security breaches.
She said: "Having an open prison in Hatfield has worked well for 17 years, but the truth is in recent years we've had more adult prisoners coming here for the end of their sentence.
"The wrong sort of people are being put in these open establishments."
In a statement the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that the number of absconds had reached "record lows under the current government" and that figures were "down 80% over the last 10 years".
It said Mr Grayling had ordered "immediate and major changes to tighten up temporary release processes and open prison eligibility".
"Open prisons and temporary licence are an important tool in rehabilitating long-term offenders, but not at the expense of public safety," said Mr Grayling.


Barcelona boss Luis Enrique wants to see an end to long-term contracts for managers, believing they should be hired on six-month deals.

Enrique, who has also managed Roma and Celta Vigo, has won five trophies since taking over at the Nou Camp in 2014.
"I would make it so there is never a contract of more than six months," said the Spaniard, 45.
"If I'm not happy and I'm not helping, it makes no sense for me to be a coach. The shorter the better."
Enrique was appointed on a two-year contract and extended that agreement for a further season last June, keeping him at the club until at least 2017.
But he believes it would make financial sense for clubs to offer short-term deals, as they would not have to spend large sums to pay off sacked managers.
"If you don't like the manager, you just change it and you don't spend much money to fire him," he added.
He also said that the days of managers staying at one club for 20 years - as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has done - are gone.
"In the modern era, it is impossible," he insisted.
Enrique's Barcelona take a 2-0 lead into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal on Wednesday.


A D-Day veteran has been chosen to "turn up" the ball at a centuries-old sports event on his 100th birthday.

Bill Milward, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, will start the scrum on 10 February, the second day of the Royal Shrovetide Football.
Speaking about the honour, he said he first competed in the game in his home town when he was nine or 10.
Mr Milward will join the likes of the Prince of Wales and Sir Stanley Matthews in "tipping up" the ball.
Updates on this story and more from Derbyshire
"I think it's a great honour, I was right excited when they told me," he said.
"I think that's what did it, it being my 100th birthday".
Mr Milward, 99, took part in the ritual right up until the outbreak of the World War Two.
He drove an amphibious vehicle during the Normandy landings, carrying supplies to troops.
He was awarded the rank of Chevalier in the Legion d'Honneur last year for his contributions on D-Day.
Mr Milward said he tried to start up a game of Shrovetide Football while he was posted in Italy during the war, but troops were mystified by it.
He is now focused on his responsibilities on the day.
"I have to give a speech - I've never given a speech before," he said.
"I've got it in my mind what I would like to say, 'my Lords, Ladies and Gentleman', that sort of thing'."
Despite looking forward to the experience, Mr Milward said he thought someone might throw something at him if he decided to start the game with "down with it" because of his Down'Ard allegiance.


Students pelted school inspectors with food and jostled them in corridors during an Ofsted visit, according to the watchdog's report.

It found sixth formers at Willenhall E-ACT Academy in the West Midlands were afraid to leave their common room because of younger pupils' behaviour.
Inspectors rated the school inadequate overall, noting that "during 2015 and 2016, 70% of teachers left".
The BBC has contacted school sponsor E-ACT for comment.
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In a letter sent to parents following the critical report's publication, E-ACT said it had "strong leadership" in place "driving standards" and was "confident that Willenhall Academy will continue to make rapid progress".
The school - which Ofsted described as "coasting" - was inspected in March and almost a third of pupils were found to be regularly absent.
Individual aspects of provision were also given a rating of "inadequate" - among them the quality of teaching, which was described in the report as "weak", and pupil behaviour.
"Persistently poor behaviour at social times and in lessons leads to many pupils feeling unsafe and not learning well," the report said.
A third of the staff who responded to an online questionnaire said they did not feel pupils were safe.
Oftsed said E-ACT  "fully recognised the challenges" and had begun to "address aspects of greatest concern", with its leaders' judgements "fully in line with inspectors' experiences and evidence".
However, it said leaders and sponsors had overseen a decline in standards since a previous inspection in 2015.
"While there is an ambition to address inadequacies and to raise aspirations, there is not yet a sustainable track record in the school to suggest capacity for improvement," it continued.
E-ACT's letter to parents said it was "proud of the fact that almost two thirds of our academies are rated at least good".
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Bromley midfielder Jordan Higgs has signed a one-year extension to his contract with the National League club.

Higgs, a product of Bromley's youth system, is in his second spell with the Kent side, having returned last summer following two seasons at Carshalton.
Manager Neil Smith said: "For him to be given another year is fantastic news for myself, the player and the club.
"It shows we are doing things the correct way by trying to produce our own players."


Poole Borough Council's leader has been ousted by her own party just days after they gained enough seats to take full control of the authority.

Councillor Elaine Atkinson claimed her Tory colleagues thought her efforts were not "Poole-centric enough".
She is set to be replaced as party and council leader by the group's education chief, councillor Janet Walton.
Mrs Atkinson, who had been council leader for four years, said she was "proud" of her record.
Ms Walton was nominated at a Tory group meeting on Saturday and is expected to be endorsed by the full council on 20 May.
Andy Ross, spokesman for Poole Conservative Association, thanked Mrs Atkinson for four years of "great service" and "wished her well".
In a statement, Mrs Atkinson, who remains a councillor for Penn Hill, said she would miss the role "enormously".
She added: "I am, however, saddened that this was not enough for the Poole Conservative group and my efforts were seen as not Poole-centric enough."
The Conservatives became the ruling party after winning 11 seats in Thursday's local elections. They hold 32 of the 42 seats.


The Design Museum will move from its Tower Bridge premises to a new location on Kensington High Street on 24 November this year.

The museum, which includes product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design, is undergoing an £83m refurbishment.
It will have a free permanent display of its collection for the first time since it opened.
Founder Terence Conran said the move made his "dreams closer to reality".
On display will be the first laptop by UK designer Bill Moggridge, the AK47 assault rifle by Russian designer Mikhail Kalashnikov and British road signs by typographers Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert.
The move will allow the museum to increase in size threefold to 10,000 square metres. It will aim to attract 650,000 visitors each year.
British designer John Pawson is remodelling the interior of the Grade II listed former Commonwealth Institute building.
Mr Conran said the move would make his "lifetime in design absolutely worthwhile".
Property developer Chelsfield LLP and the Ilchester Estate donated the building and land.
The Heritage Lottery Fund supported the project with a grant of £4.9m and Arts Council England have supported the project with a capital grant of £3m.


Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are both five shots off leaders Kevin Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen after the first round of the US PGA Championship.

Spieth, 24, made two birdies in his last three holes to card a one-over-par 72 as he bids to become the youngest player to win the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy hit the same score despite reaching two under after 12 holes.
Grayson Murray, Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, DA Points and Chris Stroud are all one shot off the lead.
World number 78 Olesen was among the early starters at Quail Hollow and hit six birdies, including one on the 18th hole which took him to four under and into the outright lead.
The Dane held that advantage until late in the day's play when American Kisner also birded the 18th to complete a round of 67.
England's Paul Casey is the best-placed British player, tied for seventh on two under par.
Despite being without a tournament win this season, Northern Ireland's McIlroy was installed as the pre-tournament favourite at Quail Hollow, where he has won twice on the PGA Tour and holds the course record.
After two opening pars the 28-year-old brought his round to life by chipping in from the edge of the green for birdie on the par-four third.
McIlroy followed that with two bogeys in three holes, but birdies on seven, eight and 10 took him within two shots of the lead.
However, the round stalled when, after a bogey on the par-three 13th, McIlroy hit his tee shot into the water hazard on 14 and made a double bogey.
"If someone told me I would shoot one over par this morning I probably wouldn't have taken it, but the course played tricky," McIlroy said after recovering to finish with four straight pars.
"It would have been nice to shoot under par but I played a three-hole stretch on the back nine three over par. That was the only thing that derailed my round."
McIlroy was playing with best friend Harry Diamond as his caddie after he split with long-term caddie JP Fitzgerald last month.
BBC golf expert Ken Brown
A one-over-par 72 was not bad overall for Rory McIlroy. The afternoon players had it slightly tougher, with the wind getting up.
The greens were super fast. Judging the line and pace was tricky.
The US PGA is the only one of golf's four majors Spieth is yet to win after victory at The Open last month.
Victory for the American - who was Masters and US Open champion in 2015 - would see him surpass compatriot Tiger Woods as the youngest player to claim all four majors.
He turned 24 four days after his triumph at Royal Birkdale, while Woods was 24 years, seven months and 25 days when he completed the career grand slam by winning The Open in 2000.
Spieth started his round on the back nine with five straight pars before a birdie on the 15th.
He then made bogey on the par four 16th, the first of the fearsome three holes named 'the Green Mile' on the North Carolina course.
Another three bogeys followed on the front nine before a birdie-birdie-par finish to close on the leaders.
"Given it's the first round I know I'm still in it, but I know that tomorrow's round becomes that much more important to work my way and stay in it. I've got to make up ground," Spieth said.
The final three holes at Quail Hollow measure 1,223 yards in total and have developed a reputation as one of the toughest closing stretches in golf.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia was the first to struggle there on the opening day, dropping five shots on the 'Green Mile' - although the Spaniard steadied on the front nine to finish on four over par.
Garcia was playing alongside Spieth and US Open champion Koepka, the trio making up 2017's major winners so far.
American Koepka fared best with five birdies in his round of 68 leaving him one shot off the lead in a tie for second.
England's Tommy Fleetwood and Jordan Smith both finished at one under as the best placed Britons behind Casey.
Fellow Englishman Justin Rose had played a steady round until five dropped shots in the final six holes meant he slipped back to five over par, while compatriot Lee Westwood carded a 73.
Andrew 'Beef' Johnston withdrew from the tournament with a shoulder injury after a seven-over-par 78.
American five-time major winner Phil Mickelson had a torrid day, shooting an eight-over 79 with eight bogeys and no birdies.


An American man has been named as one of the victims of Wednesday's deadly attack in London,

Kurt Cochran, 54 and from Utah, died in the attack and his wife Melissa was seriously hurt, their family has said.
They were celebrating a 25th wedding anniversary and also visiting Melissa's parents, who work on a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission.
They were struck when the attacker drove a car over Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament.
So-called Islamic State has said it was behind the attack, which left four people dead, including the attacker. Eight people have so far been arrested.
President Donald Trump tweeted: "A great American, Kurt Cochran, was killed in the London terror attack. My prayers and condolences are with his family and friends."
In a statement released by the church, Clint Payne, Melissa's brother and Kurt's brother-in-law, said the family was "heartbroken"
"Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our sister and daughter, Melissa," continued the statement.
"They were in Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, and were scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.
"Melissa also received serious injuries in the attack, and is being cared for in the hospital.
"We express our gratitude to the emergency and medical personnel who have cared for them and ask for your prayers on behalf of Melissa and our family.
"Kurt will be greatly missed, and we ask for privacy as our family mourns and as Melissa recovers from her injuries."
Mr Cochran owned a sound recording studio in Utah called the Onion Street Studio.
His LinkedIn page lists him as an engineer involved in tracking, mixing and editing, and highlights his voluntary involvement in a benefit concert called Until the Violence Stops.
In an interview with a local website in 2014, he says he grew up in Maryland and lived in Texas before moving to Salt Lake City in 1983.
He says he got his first guitar at seven but "didn't have much natural talent". He played in a band for a few years before deciding to build the studio.
A GoFundMe page administered by Mrs Cochran's brother to help cover her expenses, says the couple built the studio business from the ground up over the past decade.
Melissa Cochran's sister, Sara Payne-Mcfarland, wrote on Facebook: "My sister, Melissa, has a broken leg, a broken rib, and a cut on her head.
"While we are glad she survived, our hearts are broken and will never be the same after losing our dear uncle, brother-in-law, father. Kurt, you are a HERO, and we will never forget you."
The other victims of the attack have been named as police officer Keith Palmer and Aysha Frade, who worked at a London college.
The attacker was British-born and known to the police and intelligence services. He has been named as Khalid Masood, 52.
Leaders of countries affected by recent terror attacks, including France and Germany voiced solidarity with the UK after the attack.
Mr Trump also spoke by phone to Theresa May to offer his condolences and to praise the effective response of UK security services.
On Twitter, former President Barack Obama wrote: "My heart goes out to the victims and their families in London. No act of terror can shake the strength and resilience of our British ally."


A man has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after admitting killing another man outside a bar on Wearside.

John Potts died from a head injury after a fracas with Gordon Robson outside NE38 Sports Bar in Barmston, Washington, in November 2014.
Robson, 26, of Waskerley Road, Barmston, admitted manslaughter at an earlier court hearing.
The judge said Mr Potts, of Sunderland, had been acting as peacemaker when he received a single blow.


Britain's Chris Froome intends to ride in the Vuelta a Espana 10 days after competing at the Olympic Games, says Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford.

The three-time Tour de France champion will ride in the Olympic road race on 6 August and time trial on 10 August.
The Vuelta, one of cycling's three Grand Tours, begins in Ourense, Spain on 20 August and finishes on 11 September in Madrid.
"All being well, that's what we will be doing," Brailsford told Sky Sports.
"The season-long plan was Tour, on to the Olympics and on to the Vuelta, and that's still the outline at the minute."
Froome, 31, added to his 2013 and 2015 Tour de France successes with the 2016 title on Sunday.
He finished second in the Vuelta in 2011 and 2014, but broke a bone in his foot after crashing on last year's stage 11.


A new portrait of the Queen by the Northern Irish artist Colin Davidson has been unveiled in London by the monarch.

It was unveiled on Tuesday at a Co-Operation Ireland reception, attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Speaking prior to the unveiling, Mr Davidson told the BBC he was very aware of "the gravity and the responsibility" involved in painting the monarch.
The portrait was produced from a sitting at Buckingham Palace in May.
Mr Davidson has painted many significant public figures including politicians, artists, actors and musicians.
However, he said that painting the Queen was unique.
"Here's someone who is perhaps the most famous face in the world and has been so for 63 years," he said.
"I'm bringing everything that I know about painting to it.
"With anybody I paint, it's a human being in their own right, but with this particular painting I was aware of the gravity and sheer importance and weight which comes with the person I was painting."
The origins of the commission were from the Queen's visit to Northern Ireland in 2012.
During a visit to the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, Her Majesty shook hands with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness for the first time.
A number of Mr Davidson's portraits are on display in the theatre, and he was able to show some of them to the monarch.
"That was at a Co-operation Ireland event," the artist said.
"In the years since then it has just quietly and slowly worked its way to becoming a reality."
Prior to the sitting, the artist visited Buckingham Palace to choose a room to paint in.
"I chose a room where the light was particularly good: the yellow drawing room at the front, which characteristically has been used for most of the royal portraits," he recalled.
During the subsequent sitting, Mr Davidson said he made about 20 drawings of the Queen, as well as taking a number of photographs.
"The drawings tend for me to be really important because they capture what I felt," he said.
"The camera just simply takes a frozen frame.
"The drawings are used for the likeness and the spirit of the time that we spent together."
Following the sitting, Mr Davidson completed the painting at his studio in County Down.
He said that he felt his portrait was a "symbol" of the Queen's role in advancing a closer relationship between Britain and Ireland.
"This isn't just my interpretation of the Queen, this is an Irishman's interpretation of the Queen," he said.
"I have witnessed over many years the Queen's actions in advancing healing within the Anglo-Irish relationship.
"That does inform the weight of the painting and it informs my attitude to it as well."
Had he any trepidation about the reaction to such a high-profile portrait?
"I sometimes wonder why I choose to be in the same room as the person whenever any of the portraits are unveiled," he laughs.
"It's a scary time.
"But, in some ways, whenever the painting is out of the studio it's out of my hands."
The Queen is a joint patron of Co-operation Ireland.
Tuesday's unveiling was also attended by Northern Ireland First and Deputy First Ministers, Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness.


Aldi has overtaken Marks & Spencer and Waitrose as the best-performing supermarket for customer satisfaction in a survey of 10,000 shoppers.

The Institute of Customer Service ranked 245 organisations from various sectors on factors such as staff professionalism and complaint handling.
Amazon topped the list followed by the online bank First Direct, retailer John Lewis and tour firm Jet2holidays.com.
Aldi came seventh overall, up from 34th place last July.
Waitrose and Marks & Spencer ranked 13th and 14th, having been the highest-scoring supermarkets last year at joint third place.
According to the research, which has been published every year since 2008, Aldi scored well because of its competitive pricing and handling of customer complaints.
Researchers noted the German discounter had made the biggest gains among the supermarkets in terms of market share, while the three supermarkets with the lowest customer service scores - Tesco, Asda and Co-op Food - saw small drops in market share.
Elsewhere, the survey found that eight of the 20 most improved organisations were utilities companies.
The biggest improvement came from train operator London Midland, which scored 80.3 out of 100, up 9.1 points since last year.
Overall, customer satisfaction averaged at 78.2 out of 100, an increase of 0.8 points.
Jo Causon, head of the Institute of Customer Service, said: "For customer satisfaction to continue on this upward trajectory, organisations need to focus on the way they deliver a quality customer experience.
"They also need to look at the way they tailor what they do to individual customer preferences and the way they analyse problems to eliminate them at source."


Iran became the second team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup as they beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in Tehran.

Goals from Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi ensured Iran, coached by Carlos Queiroz, will appear at successive World Cups for the first time.
Victory meant they opened an eight-point advantage over their opponents, who are third in the table.
Five-time winners Brazil were the first team to join hosts Russia at next year's tournament.
The top two teams in each of Asia's two qualifying groups progress to the World Cup, while the teams in third place go into a series of play-offs.


An Aberdeen subsea company has gone into administration at the cost of 77 jobs.

Accounting firm KPMG has been appointed as the administrators of Specialist Subsea Services (S3), which was established in 2007.
A total of 77 of the company's 82 staff were immediately made redundant, and assets are being marketed for sale.
S3 specialises in areas including remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and offshore survey.
Joint administrators Blair Nimmo and Geoff Jacobs of KPMG are exploring whether an early sale of the business, infrastructure and assets can be secured.
Mr Nimmo said: "The company is well known in the subsea services industry and has a significant infrastructure comprising several ROV systems together with significant subsea equipment, a customer base and intellectual property.
"We will do everything we can to seek a buyer who may be able to protect the business and which would maximise recoveries for creditors whilst also helping to maximise opportunities for the workforce.
"We will be working with the employees and the relevant government agencies to ensure that the full range of support is available to all those affected."
The remaining five staff have been kept on in the short term to help market the business and assets for sale.


The former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund has told the BBC a slowdown in China is the greatest threat to the global economy.

Ken Rogoff said a calamitous "hard landing" for one of the main engines of global growth could not be ruled out.
"China is going through a big political revolution," he said.
"And I think the economy is slowing down much more than the official figures show,"
Mr Rogoff added: "If you want to look at a part of the world that has a debt problem look at China. They've seen credit fuelled growth and these things don't go on forever."
Last week, the Bank of International Settlements, the global think tank for central banks, said that China's credit to GDP "gap" - which analyses the amount of debt in an economy relative to annual growth - stood at 30.1%, increasing fears that China's economic boom was based on an unstable credit bubble.
The figure was described as "very high by international standards" by the Financial Policy Committee of the Bank of England, which will now test British banks' exposure to a Chinese slowdown.
British banks have $530bn worth of lending and business in China, including Hong Kong. That is about 16% of all foreign assets held by UK banks.
"Everyone says China's different, the state owns everything they can control it," Mr Rogoff, now Professor of Economics at Harvard, said.
"Only to a point. It's definitely a worry, a hard landing in China.
"We're having a pretty sharp landing already and I worry about China becoming more of a problem.
"We've taken it for granted that whatever Europe's doing, Japan's doing - at least China's moving along and there isn't really a substitute for China.
"I think India may come along some day but it's fallen so far behind in size it's not going to compensate."
Mr Rogoff said that European economies and the US had to ensure they were "on their feet" before any slowdown started to bite.
"The IMF has marked down its forecasts of global growth nine years in a row and certainly the rumour is they're about to do it again," he said.
Beyond China, Mr Rogoff said there was a good deal of uncertainty in the world over issues such as whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will win the US presidential election.
He argued it was difficult to judge what Mr Trump would do if he won, and that a victorious Mrs Clinton might have her plans for infrastructure spending, for example, blocked by the Republican House of Representatives.
"I am certainly nervous, probably much more about a Trump victory, just because of not knowing what's next," Mr Rogoff said.
"I don't like the [protectionist] trade policies of either candidate. I think free trade has benefitted the States immensely in its leadership position. So watching as an economist, this has been a painful election."
Mr Rogoff said it was unclear what the impact of Brexit would be on the UK economy as it was not yet possible to define the trade model that would be agreed or judge how well the European economy would be performing at the time Britain leaves the European Union.
Despite praising the Bank of England's pro-active response to the referendum result, Mr Rogoff said that central banks were in an increasingly invidious position.
"Monetary policy has its limits - it is not a panacea," he said.
"It is a little bit the fault of central bankers for allowing themselves to take too much credit when things are good, and [then] getting blamed too much when things are bad.
"But monetary policy doesn't make an ageing economy young, it doesn't make an economy which is having little innovation suddenly innovate, it doesn't make an economy with a Zombie banking sector somehow miraculously healthy.
"I have a concern about monetary policy at the moment - that it is being asked to take on roles that it's not built for. It is being asked to do helicopter money where you just print money and hand it out to people.
"In Europe, central banks are buying up a significant proportion of the corporate debt market - that's what you do in China, in India, they're doing that in Japan also.
"There are all sorts of other pressures and I worry in the long run that central banks are losing their independence."


South Koreans will head to the polls on 9 May to choose their next president.

The early election comes after Park Geun-hye became the first South Korean president to be removed from power by impeachment. She is going on trial for charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power.
The BBC takes a look at the five main candidates, their policies and their chances of victory.
Moon Jae-in, 64, is the frontrunner and seen as the most likely successor to Park Geun-hye. Latest opinion polls predict him getting just over 40% of the vote.
Formerly head of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, Mr Moon ran in 2012 for the presidency but at that time lost to Ms Park. He is now the nominee for the relatively new Democratic Party of Korea.
If elected, Mr Moon has promised to draft an additional budget of more than 10tn won ($8.8bn; Â£6.9bn) to boost the economy.
Like most of his fellow contestants he stands for a policy on North Korea that focuses on more negotiations rather than aggression. Both he and Ahn Cheol-soo, another candidate, have urged US President Donald Trump to cool his position against Pyongyang and spoken out against any first strike by the United States.
He has suggested that a new approach might be required in handling North Korea with the South taking the lead in negotiations, and has voiced concern about Thaad, the massive US missile defence system being installed in the South.
The MP for the city of Busan was former President Roh Moo-hyun's chief of staff - and was nicknamed "Shadow of Roh".
Most recently though, he has come under fire over allegations that the government of then-President Roh consulted North Korea before abstaining from a United Nations vote on a human rights resolution against the North in 2007.
Mr Moon has denied the allegations.
In the 1970s, as a student activist, he led protests against President Park Chung-hee - Park Geun-hye's father - for which he was imprisoned.
A former medical doctor turned software tycoon Ahn Cheol-so, 55, was long seen as the only serious contender to the frontrunner, constantly polling in second place.
Latest opinion polls though see him tied at just under 20% with conservative Hong Joon-pyo.
Mr Ahn also ran for the job in 2012 but dropped out to endorse Mr Moon and consolidate votes against Park Geun-hye - who went on to win.
He is a member of the National Assembly and co-founded the opposition People's Party but resigned from the chairmanship in June over the party's alleged involvement in a kickback scandal.
As a potential candidate for the 2017 presidential election, he has also been compared to Bernie Sanders for his recommended reforms to education, welfare and economics.
He has said he would strengthen laws to punish white collar criminals, limit pardons for corporate criminals guilty of corruption and bring about more regulations in order to curb the influence of the powerful chaebols (family-run conglomerates).
Mr Ahn said he would seek to restart six-party talks aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
Hong Joon-pyo, 62, is the head of the Liberty Korea Party, one of the two factions to have emerged after the collapse of the conservative party in the wake of the Park scandal.
The Liberty Korea Party is the one loyal to Ms Park.
Recent polls have shown a last minute surge for Mr Hong, level with Ahn Cheol-so. Both are, however, more than 20% behind the front-runner.
Mr Hong has come particularly under fire for his apparent involvement in an attempted rape case. Mr Hong wrote in an essay in 2005 that he provided an aphrodisiac powder to a friend who wanted to rape a fellow student at Seoul's Korea University.
He has repeatedly apologised over the case, saying he feels responsible for not stopping his friend 45 years ago.
He has also drawn ire for recent remarks that "washing dishes is women's work" and that he didn't even know how to cook instant noodles.
"That's the way of nature", he said during an interview. "Men have their own jobs and women have their own jobs."
The other party to emerge from Ms Park's conservatives is the splinter faction Bareun - in favour of her impeachment - which is fielding Yoo Seong-min, 58, for the presidential race.
Polls expect him to get about 5% of the vote.
The last of the main parties' contestants is Sim Sang-jeung, 58, currently polling at just over 7%.
As the nominee of the progressive Justice Party, she stands for a leftist agenda, seeking reforms to limit family succession at chaebols.


East Lothian police are investigating after an attempt was made to set fire to a salon in Musselburgh.

The incident occurred at about 01:00 on Wednesday at the Eivissa beauty salon on the town's High Street.
A plastic bottle was set alight and thrown against the shop window, causing smoke damage to the doorframe.
Officers are searching for two men who were seen running from the area shortly afterwards.
They are described as white, in their early to mid twenties, and were wearing dark clothing.
Police Scotland's Insp Andy Harborow said the force was taking the incident "very seriously".


Mae angen i'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ddangos arweinyddiaeth mewn "amseroedd pryderus", yn ôl unig Aelod Cynulliad y blaid Kirsty Williams.

Mae'r blaid yng Nghymru yn cyfarfod yn Abertawe dros y penwythnos ar gyfer ei chynhadledd flynyddol.
Dywedodd Ms Williams bod datblygiadau diweddar ledled y byd yn dystiolaeth bod "ein byd wedi newid yn llwyr".
"Mae pobl yn teimlo eu bod yn cael eu hanwybyddu, a'u hanghofio, ond rydyn ni'n gwrando," meddai.
Awgrymodd hefyd bod gan y blaid "hyder newydd".
Wedi cyfres o etholiadau anodd, mae'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yn gobeithio adeiladu ar eu cyfanswm o 75 cynghorydd wedi'r etholiadau lleol fis Mai.
Mae'r blaid wedi cynyddu'i siâr o'r bleidlais mewn cyfres o is-etholiadau seneddol dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf, gan gipio Richmond Park oddi ar y Ceidwadwyr ym mis Rhagfyr.
Nid yw arweinydd y blaid, Tim Farron yn mynychu'r gynhadledd, a dywedodd Ms Williams wrth BBC Cymru ei bod yn "deall fod y gynhadledd yn digwydd ar yr un pryd â digwyddiad pwysig yn nheulu Tim".
Fis Mehefin diwethaf penderfynodd y Prif Weinidog Carwyn Jones benodi Ms Williams i'w gabinet, wedi i'w blaid Lafur fethu o drwch blewyn i ennill mwyafrif yn yr etholiadau fis ynghynt.
Ers iddi gymryd y swydd bu'n rhaid iddi ymateb i gyfres o adroddiadau beirniadol, gan gynnwys un gan Estyn a oedd yn awgrymu fod safon y dysgu mewn ysgolion yn "wan".
Dywedodd wrth y gynhadledd y byddai ysgolion angen "arweinwyr cryf" os yw Cymru am godi yn safonau addysg rhyngwladol PISA, gan ailadrodd cynlluniau ar gyfer academi i ddysgu arweinyddiaeth i athrawon.
Ychwanegodd y byddai ei chynlluniau i wario £36m ar ostwng niferoedd mewn dosbarthiadau meithrin yn siŵr o ennill pleidleisiau yn etholiadau lleol mis Mai.
Dywedodd arweinydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yng Nghymru Mark Williams, yr AS dros Geredigion, bod yr etholiadau cyngor yn "allweddol" i ddyfodol y blaid.
Ychwanegodd y byddai'n "siom enfawr" os na fyddai'r blaid yn llwyddo i gynyddu nifer eu cynghorwyr ym mis Mai.


California's water board has unanimously passed sweeping mandatory drought restrictions for the summer.

The new rules will limit watering on public property and impose cuts of up to 36% on water usage from 2013 levels.
The state board drew up the rules in response to Governor Jerry Brown's earlier order to cut water use state-wide.
California is in its fourth year of severe drought, believed to be the worst there in 1,200 years.
The board voted after five hours of public testimony on Tuesday.
Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said it was better "to prepare now than face much more painful cuts should it not rain in the fall".
Governor Jerry Brown has called for "unprecedented action" in response to the historic drought, but a previous voluntary cutback in 2014 did not result in significant usages.
A new survey of water agencies found only 9% savings in water usage since last summer and only several hundred notices sent to water wasters out of tens of thousands of complaints.
Experts say Brown's tough love approach is necessary because so many people are apathetic towards water conservation. About 50% of water used in residential areas is outside the home.
Getting rid of grass will be a huge lifestyle shift for many, but it is the biggest single measure that individual Californians could take to ease the crisis, according to Jay Famiglietti, a senior water scientist with Nasa.
"Drought tolerant native landscape is beautiful - we just have to get over this grass thing," he explains.
"We live in an arid and semi-arid state and we need to start acting that way."
Peter Bowes: Will the Golden State turn brown?
The restrictions cover hundreds of local agencies of very different sizes, with water restrictions from 8% to 36% depending on the city.
It is unclear how the board will enforce penalties as many local agencies have declined to serve notices to those wasting water.
But board officials said they expected dramatic water reductions by June and were willing to add penalties for those lagging behind.
Mr Brown said he would push for fines of up to $10,000 (Â£6,545) for extreme wasters, but he needs approval from the California legislature.
While the vote was unanimous, some cities criticised the targets. San Diego water agencies said they have significantly cut consumption and spent $3.5bn to prepare for dry periods.
"San Diego has lived the horror of what the state is going through right now," Mark Weston, chairman of the San Diego County Water Authority, told regulators.
About 80% of California's water usage is through agriculture. The new restrictions do not cover farms but water deliveries from government reservoir systems have been slashed.


A group of young people have scaled one of the tallest buildings in the South West, which is currently under construction.

The 22-storey, 78m-high (256ft), Beckley Point building in Plymouth, is due to be occupied by university students from September.
It is unclear whether the group was "rooftopping" - climbing to the top of structures to take photographs.
Devon and Cornwall Police said it was aware of the incident.
More on the group who scaled Plymouth's tallest building, and other Devon news
A planning application for a high-rise student building on the site was first sought back in 2003. The current building will have 500 flats.
A Kier construction firm spokesperson said: "As our site at Beckley Point is closed today, our security team was patrolling with CCTV and immediately sent a team to site when they became aware of intruders.
"The site was found to be clear and secure and we are continuing to investigate."


Pope Francis has met Cuba's former President, Fidel Castro, after celebrating Mass in front of tens of thousands of people in Havana.

The two men discussed world affairs and religion, in what the Vatican called an "informal and friendly" encounter.
Before the meeting, Pope Francis gave a homily in which he urged Cubans to serve each other rather than ideology.
It is the first visit by the Pope to the Communist-ruled island, on a trip that will later take him to the US.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi described the meeting between Pope Francis and Fidel Castro, which took place at the former Cuban leader's home, as low-key.
They exchanged books: Pope Francis gave Mr Castro three titles, including a book of sermons by Mr Castro's former teacher, while in return the Pope received Fidel and Religion, a collection of interviews with a Brazilian priest.
Earlier in the day, thousands streamed into Havana's Revolution Square to hear the Pope.
Security services were seen arresting at least three people who were shouting and attempting to distribute flyers at the edge of the square as the Mass got under way.
During his homily the Pope spoke of how "Christians are constantly called to set aside their own wishes and desires, their pursuit of power, and to look instead to those who are most vulnerable".
He also warned against ideology, saying: "Service is never ideological, for we do not serve ideas, we serve people".
From my vantage point, it was hard to gauge exactly how many people filled the enormous Revolution Square in Havana, but their enthusiasm was clear to everyone watching.
The Pope was greeted by thousands in good voice and high spirits, despite the suffocating Caribbean heat.
It was a rare sight - the iconography of revolution such as the huge cast-iron Che Guevara mural juxtaposed against the images of religion, including a vast huge picture of Jesus Christ. Or Raul Castro embracing Pope Francis.
Once again, it felt like evidence that times are changing on the communist island.
In terms of his homily, the Pope discussed ideas of brotherhood and unity but the more overt political message was aimed not at Cuba, but Colombia.
He urged the Colombian government and the left-wing Farc rebel group to persevere with the talks being held in Havana, saying they could not allow "another failure on the path of peace and reconciliation".
Cuba's President Raul Castro, who is not a practising Catholic, attended, as did Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, president of the Pope's native Argentina.
The Pope praised improved co-operation between the Cuban government and the Church on Saturday, but called for the Church in Cuba to have "the freedom and the means" to pursue its mission.
Both his predecessors, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, visited the island during their papacy.
Pope Francis is due to fly to Washington on Tuesday. He has been credited with helping the recent thaw in diplomatic ties between Cuba and the US.
After his arrival on Saturday, he hailed improving ties between the two countries as "an example of reconciliation for the whole world".
But he also urged both Cuba and the US to "persevere on the path" of detente.


Characters based on a Nickelodeon cartoon were dropped from a Northern Ireland council's Christmas celebrations - after it emerged they were unauthorised.

Paw Patrol's Skye and Marshall did not appear at a Christmas lights switch on in Londonderry on Thursday night.
Derry City and Strabane District Council has since apologised.
Broadcaster Nickelodeon said they had not "organised or authorised" the use of the characters at the event.
Nickleodeon's Paul Hamilton said there are no official PAW Patrol appearances anywhere in the UK or Ireland at present.
The character's appearance had featured prominently on pre-event promotion.
Derry City and Strabane District Council marketing officer Jacqueline Whoriskey said every effort was made to secure Skye and Marshall,  and that the council was " sorry to disappoint people".
She added: "We were contacted very late in the day by the official licensee in America to say that the company we were using did not have the appropriate licences.
"We tried our best to resolve it in time - unfortunately it didn't work out - and are really, really disappointed".
Strabane's Christmas lights will be switched on on Saturday but Skye and Marshall will not be there.
They had been due to share top billing with Santa Claus.
Despite the PAW Patrol no show, thousands gathered in Londonderry's Guildhall Square and Waterloo Street for Thursday night's switch on.


The story of Jeffrey Delisle's treachery has made few headlines outside of his native Canada - yet the actions of the Naval intelligence officer may have potentially serious security implications for the UK.

Jeffrey Delisle walked into the Russian Embassy in Ottawa the day he found out his wife was cheating on him.
It took five years for his betrayal to be discovered.
But now that it has been, it has rattled the wider intelligence community of English-speaking allies.
Officials in London are tight-lipped about the precise secrets that Delisle may have spilled that affect British national security.
On the record one official would only say the government was "aware" of the case.
But off the record it is clear that British officials in government and the intelligence agencies have taken an interest in the case at the highest level.
The reason is that even though Delisle was a Canadian spy he also admits he was passing British secrets and in the process may have done real damage to trust among allies.
Delisle pleaded guilty in October to passing sensitive information to the Russian military intelligence service.
"It was never really Canadian stuff," he told police after his arrest in January, according to a report in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper.
"There was American stuff, there was some British stuff, Australian stuff - it was everybody's stuff."
When Delisle discovered his wife was cheating on him, he walked into the Russian Embassy.
"I said: 'Here I am.' It wasn't for money. It was never for money," he later claimed, although he was paid around CDN$3,000 ($3,000; Â£1,900) per month.
He would download secrets from his office computers onto a floppy disk, then transfer them to a memory stick before taking this home and loading the data up into a private email account, saving it as a draft.
A Russian handler then logged in to the email account to retrieve the information.
Delisle had access to a system codenamed Stone Ghost.
This is a computer network that shares information between the English-speaking intelligence allies - the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Much of it is thought to be technical and signals intelligence of the type collected in Britain by GCHQ and used by the military.
No-one seems sure exactly how much Delisle purloined from the database.
But given he was spying for years the damage is potentially massive.
His role at the Trinity base in Nova Scotia may be particularly significant, according to one UK based official.
Trinity brings together intelligence from a number of sources on maritime surveillance - watching the Atlantic for suspicious activity, including submarines.
During the Cold War, allies invested enormously in building up a network of undersea acoustic arrays and satellite capabilities to detect Soviet subs.
That capability atrophied at the end of the Cold War, but recent years have seen governments discussing the need to renovate the system to spot submarines in the Atlantic and also the Arctic.
According to one report in 2011, the Canadian Navy was already in discussion with the US Navy and Royal Navy about co-operation.
If details of these capabilities were passed on by Delisle they would be highly valuable to the Russians, allowing them to take counter-measures to avoid being spotted, potentially wasting a huge amount of effort.
The Russians seems to have especially wanted details of human agents but Delisle may not have had much access to this.
But it is in the impact on trust among allies where the greatest damage may be, according to a British source.
A Canadian official conceded to the BBC that the case was very significant but was at pains to emphasise that Delisle had been dealt with.
British intelligence officials say that one of their worst nightmares is a mole like Delisle who spills classified secrets of allies - particularly those of the United States.
Given the much greater size of its intelligence agencies, allies know they need the US more than the US needs them.
The US may have the odd mole itself but no-one would dare suggest cutting the Americans out of the relationship, yet if the Americans fear too many leaks from allies then they might restrict what they share with serious consequences.
"If we lose information from our allies we might not get that indication of an impending terrorist attackâ€¦ I think this is going to push us back to the Stone Age." Canadian officials feared, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.
The Delisle case also underscores the worry some intelligence officials have about the security of computer networks - especially among allies.
The Wikileaks case - in which one soldier allegedly downloaded vast amounts of diplomatic traffic stored on a single database - highlighted the dangers when information is collected into one place where relatively low-level staff have access.
Most intelligence agencies (including the UK's) place restrictions on the use of memory sticks on classified computers and also carry out traffic analysis to look for the suspicious downloading of data or unusual searches.
But when intelligence is shared among allies, all that matters is a breach at the weakest link in the chain for other people's secrets to escape.
Canada will be facing tough questions from allies about what went wrong.
So how much damage has the case done? No-one is saying partly because they may not know since Delisle was only discovered years into betrayal.
And his guilty plea means there will be no trial in which what is known comes out.


Bayer Leverkusen have named Tayfun Korkut as their head coach until the end of the season, after sacking Roger Schmidt.

Schmidt lost his job after four defeats in six Bundesliga games, ending with a 6-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund.
Ex-Hannover boss Korkut, 42, was named Kaiserslautern boss last summer but resigned after only six months.
Leverkusen are 10th in the league and trail Atletico Madrid 4-2 in their Champions League last-16 tie.


Rock star Prince is to tour Europe in less than a month, playing solo sets at the piano for the first time in his career.

The tour is expected to kick-off in Austria on 21 November, with four dates in the UK, according to reports.
In a statement, the star said: "Why do this now? For several reasons. For starters it is a challenge.
"I rarely get bad reviews because this is something that's been perfected for over 30 years.
"You have to try new things. With the piano it is more naked, more pure. You can see exactly what you get."
Prince has often incorporated solo piano segments into his shows - using them as an opportunity to flick through his back catalogue and play snippets of lesser-known songs.
He also released an entire album recorded at the piano, 2002's One Nite Alone, which included a cover of Joni Mitchell's A Case Of You.
Other piano-led songs in his repertoire include The Beautiful Ones, Sometimes It Snows In April, How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore and Starfish and Coffee.
Prince made headlines in 2013 with his Hit and Run tour, where venues were announced with less than 24 hours notice, and tickets sold for as little as Â£10.
He returned to the UK last year for a short series of gigs with his all-female band, 3rdEyeGirl.
The enigmatic musician - famed for his energetic live shows and incendiary guitar solos, has hinted the Piano and A Microphone tour will have a different setlist every night.
UK venues have yet to be confirmed - although dates are said to be planned in Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and London.
The star - who rarely makes traditional, straightforward announcements on touring - apparently broke the news by inviting a small group of music writers from European newspapers to his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota.
He posted a photo to his Instagram account labelled "European Press" before a story appeared in Spain's El Pais newspaper.


The Loch Ness Monster is to take centre stage in a new £2m advertising campaign aimed at promoting the Loch Ness area to foreign visitors.

The drive by VisitBritain will be targeted at key overseas markets.
It aims to increase the number of international tourists to Loch Ness and other nearby places such as Inverness by 50,000 over the next four years.
Inverness, Loch Ness and the surrounding areas already draw about 200,000 tourists a year.
The campaign has been welcomed by local MP and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.
He said: "I'm delighted to provide £2m for a four-year campaign to promote one of the most beautiful parts of the UK.
"The loch is a jewel in the crown of the Highlands tourism industry, which creates and sustains many jobs in Scotland.
"Around the world, Loch Ness is one of the best-known places in the UK, so it's right we place it at the heart of our international tourism campaign."
Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications at VisitBritain, said: "Inbound tourism is one of Scotland's most successful export industries, generating jobs and growth across the country.
"Inverness already has strong appeal for inbound visitors and this extra funding, along with international profile generated around recent major tournaments across the country, can deliver growth for years to come."
Colin Marr, chairman of the Uniqueness Tourism Business Improvement District, said his organisation was looking forward to working with VisitBritain.


The Japanese island of Okinawa is the reluctant host of dozens of US military bases - and a row over moving an airfield has sparked an angry stand-off.

Shuri Castle stands on a hill above the Okinawan capital, Naha.
It used to be the seat of the Ryukyu kings, who ruled over an archipelago south of Japan and north of Taiwan.
It is an elegant red pavilion where the kings received emissaries and conducted trade across Asia.
Now the castle is a tourist attraction in Japan's southern-most prefecture. It looks down on densely-packed apartment blocks and offices.
Heading north from the castle, the roads are gridlocked. For 20km, almost without a break, US bases stand on one or other side of the road.
High fences with "Keep out" signs make it clear that these areas are off limits to Okinawans.
Opposite them bars and shops sell used cars and Mexican food. Cargo planes and fighter jets fly overhead.
The bases occupy almost a fifth of the island. They constitute 74% of all US bases in Japan, on less than 1% of its landmass.
Okinawans have been saying for decades that this is not fair. And in April 90,000 residents gathered to protest, in the biggest show of opposition for 15 years.
"Okinawans understand there are national security needs, but they do not understand why Okinawa has to have such a large proportion of the US bases,"  says Naoya Iju of the prefectural government's Military Base Affairs Division.
"Many people think: 'We are all Japanese so why do just Okinawans have to bear this burden?"
Okinawa was forcibly incorporated into Japan in the late 19th Century. Sho Tai, the last Ryukyu king and master of Shuri Castle, died in Tokyo in 1901. A process of Japanisation began.
After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Tokyo ceded Okinawa to temporary US control.
The US seized land for bases which now serve as the foundation for the US-Japan security alliance. Simply put, the US will protect Japan if Japan hosts and pays for its troops.
Today 26,500 US military personnel are in Okinawa, on more than 30 different bases.
These include the huge air base at Kadena and a massive jungle training area in the north. Plus, of course, Futenma, the Marine Corps airbase right in the middle of Ginowan city, where houses and schools nestle right up against the fence.
Both the Japanese and US governments say they are vital for maintaining security in an unstable and increasingly competitive region.
Supporters say there are benefits. Okinawa is Japan's poorest prefecture and base-related income provides about 5% of its income.
More than 9,000 residents are employed by the bases. Generous rents are paid to families whose land is used, as are subsidies to local authorities hosting bases.
But opponents point to aircraft noise and traffic disruption - they have to drive around the bases. They complain about high levels of base-related crime. They say Okinawans - who have the highest birth-rate in Japan - desperately need the land back to live on.
They also argue that the bases are eroding Okinawa's cultural identity and the subsidies creating a dependency culture. They say that if the base land were returned, it could be made more economically productive.
Protest over the issue has gone in waves. One came in 1972, when Okinawans found that reversion from US to Japan rule did not result in base closures.
Another came in 1995 after the gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US troops.
Profile: Japan's Okinawa
The latest wave was triggered by Yukio Hatoyama, elected prime minister in June 2009, who suggested Futenma airbase could be moved off Okinawa altogether, instead of to the north of the island as previously agreed.
"Until then no politician had suggested moving the base out of Okinawa," said Susumu Inamine, the mayor of Nago, the northern city proposed as the relocation site. "The fact that the DPJ [Democratic Party of Japan] said it could gave people hope."
Amid this wave of hope, Okinawans elected four anti-base MPs to the national parliament. That same wave, in January, helped Mr Inamine fight the Nago mayoral election on an anti-base platform and win.
The huge April rally was held. The Okinawan prefectural assembly unanimously backed a letter demanding the removal of the base off the island. Seventeen thousand people formed a human chain around Futenma.
But - after intense US pressure - Mr Hatoyama back-tracked. In May he said he had been unable to find an alternative site for the base. His "heart-breaking conclusion" therefore, was that the relocation should go ahead as planned.  Then he stepped down.
Okinawans were furious. Local media described it as a betrayal. Why, people asked, was it more acceptable to put bases in Okinawa than anywhere else in the country?
Since then, the anger has not gone away. Cars and buses sport signs calling for a "peaceful" Okinawa. So do some buildings. Local media remain militant.
Professor Tetsumi Takara, Dean of the Graduate School of Law at Ryukyu University, says the issue is much bigger than just the relocation plan.
Okinawans feel that their voices have been ignored by the Japanese government for decades, he says.
Since becoming part of Japan they have had no control over their fate - during World War II, when Okinawa was the site of Japan's only land battle, in the 1960s when US nuclear weapons were located in Okinawa, in 1972 when US rule ended but the bases stayed.
The rights of Okinawans, he says, have been consistently subordinated to Japanese security concerns. "Okinawans are being discriminated against. That is the fundamental problem," he says.
He says this point is not adequately understood on the mainland.
"When we protested in April, they thought we were protesting about the US military but that wasn't it," he said. "It was more about the questionable treatment we are getting from the Japanese government."
Naoya Iju, of the prefectural government, says that many people think that Okinawans are being treated as second-class citizens.
Mr Hatoyama's flip-flop even appears to have engaged young people, who have only ever known Okinawa with the bases.
"My mother worked on a base and I learned English because of the bases," said one young civil servant. "But now more and more people are starting to think that there is something wrong here."
The relocation plan that sparked the wave of protest is currently stalled pending the Okinawa governor's election in November.
It is the governor who can grant or deny permission for the plan to go ahead - and the staunchly anti-base mayor of Ginowan, Yoichi Iha, is challenging an incumbent whose view on the relocation plan remains ambiguous.
An Iha victory could force the Japanese government to choose between over-ruling its own citizens and their democratically-elected representative or jeopardising its key security relationship.
Okinawans, says Prof Takara, do not protest on the streets every day. But they watch and they wait and many, he says, are looking to the election as a chance to make their feelings felt.


Elderly people face having to move out of care homes deemed out-of-date.

Seven homes in York - some less than 50 years old - face closure, but two have been scheduled for emptying next year.
Grove House on Penleys Grove Street and Oakhaven on Acomb Road are home to 48 residents served by 61 staff.
City of York Council promised residents would be offered a range of alternatives including residential or nursing homes, or a place in sheltered housing with extra care provision.
A final decision on the closures is expected in October.
The authority said: "We recognise that the closure consultation process can be an unsettling and upsetting one and we will be working closely with them, and their families, to make sure they have the support and advice they need.
"However, we have to keep the aims of the wider older people's accommodation programme in sight."
The council said staff would be offered redeployment, voluntary redundancy or support in finding employment in the private sector.
The public sector union, Unison, said the decision was not "unexpected" and it was in talks with the council.
Plans to dispose of the care homes have been discussed since 2012.
The previous Labour administration had opted to close all its homes and build two specialised units with support for people with dementia and those requiring high dependency care.
The scheme was dropped in February when officers decided it was no longer affordable.
The current Conservative-Liberal Democrat run authority still plans a phased-closure of all its homes, replacing them with additional sheltered housing places with extra care for people with more complex needs, a new residential home and purchasing additional beds from the private sector.