Miami (CNN)World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko has an important title defense coming up, but his thoughts continue to be dominated by the ongoing fight for democracy in Ukraine.

Speaking to CNN from his Miami training base ahead of the April 25 showdown with American challenger Bryant Jennings in New York, Klitschko said the crisis in his homeland has left him shocked and upset.

"My country is unfortunately suffering in the war with Russia -- not that Ukraine tried to give any aggression to any other nation, in this particular case Russia, unfortunately it's the other way around," Klitschko told CNN.

"I never thought that our brother folk is going to have war with us, so that Ukrainians and Russians are going to be divided with blood," he added.

"Unfortunately, we don't know how far it's going to go and how worse it's going to get. The aggression, in the military presence of (Russian) soldiers and military equipment in my country, Ukraine, is upsetting."

Klitschko is the reigning IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO champion and has, alongside older brother Vitali, dominated the heavyweight division in the 21st century.

Vitali, who retired from boxing in 2013, is a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics. The 43-year-old has led the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform since 2010 and was elected mayor of Kiev in May last year.

Tensions in the former Soviet state remain high despite a ceasefire agreed in February as Europe, led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of France Francois Hollande, tries to broker a peace deal between the two sides.

The crisis in Ukraine began in November 2013 when former President Victor Yanukovych scuttled a trade deal with the European Union in favor of forging closer economic ties with Russia.

The move triggered a wave of anti-government protests which came to a head Kiev's Maidan Square in February 2014 when clashes between protesters and government security forces left around 100 dead.

The following month, Russian troops entered Ukraine's Crimean peninsula before Russian President Vladimir Putin completed the annexation of Crimea -- a move denounced by most of the world as illegitimate -- after citizens of the region had voted in favor of leaving Ukraine in a referendum.

More than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict to date.

"People are dying in Ukraine every single day," Klitschko said. "I do not want to see it, nobody wants to see it ... it's hard to believe these days something like that in Europe -- and Ukraine is Europe -- can happen."

But with the backing of the international community, Klitschko is confident Ukraine can forge a democratic future rather than slide back towards a Soviet-era style dictatorship.

"I really wish and want this conflict to be solved and it can only be solved with Western help," he said.

"Ukraine is looking forward to becoming a democratic country and live under Western democracy. This is our decision and this is our will to get what we want.

"If somebody wants to try to put (us) back to the Soviet times and be part of the former Soviet Union, we disagree with that. We want to be in freedom.

"We have achieved many things in moving forward and showed to the world that we do not want to live under a dictatorship."

Klitschko, whose comments were made as part of a wide-ranging interview for CNN's Human to Hero series, is routinely kept abreast of developments in Ukraine by brother Vitali but also returns home whenever he can.

"As much time as I can spend, I am there in the Ukraine. It's not like I am getting the news from mass media and making my own adjustments and judgments on what's going on. It's an actual presence and understanding from the inside ... It obviously affects my life, it affects the life of my family."

The 39-year-old and his fiancée Hayden Panettiere celebrated happier times last December when the American actress gave birth to a baby daughter, Kaya.

"I need to get used to it that I'm a father, which is really exciting. I hope I'm going to have a big family with multiple kids," he said.

Klitschko isn't sure when he'll finally hang up his gloves. "I don't know how long I can last ... motivation and health have to be there to continue."

But after leaving almost all his boxing opponents battered and bruised -- the Ukrainian is seeking an impressive 18th consecutive title defense against Jennings -- Klitschko is keen to carry on fighting his own and his country's corner in the opposite way outside the ring.

"I just really want that we'll have less violence in the world ... I hope in peace we can do anything, but if we have war then it's definitely going to leave us dull and numb."

Watch Wladimir Klitschko's Human to Hero interview on CNN's World Sport program on Wednesday April 8 at 1130, 1245, 1445, 2130, 2245 and 2345 and Thursday April 9 at 0445 (All times GMT) and here online.

Summary: Heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko has more than just his upcoming title defense on his mind, as he spoke out about his distress over the continuing conflict in his homeland of Ukraine. Klitschko is kept informed about the ongoing war by his older brother Vitali, a prominent figure in Ukrainian politics.


Summary: World heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko has an important title defense match coming up, but his thoughts are dominated by the war between Russia and his home country, Ukraine. Although he is shocked and upset with everything that is happening, he is trying to keep focus and maintain his world boxing title against American Bryant Jennings.


Summary: World champion boxer Wladimir Klitschko is featured on CNNs Human to Hero program, where he discusses the war occurring in his home country of Ukraine, his upcoming title defense match, and becoming a father. He believes the outcome of the war will be Ukraine emerging as a democratic nation.


As a sequel of sorts to the Diane Sawyer 20/20 special, TV viewers will be able to follow Bruce Jenner's journey as he transitions into a woman in his forthcoming eight-episode docu-series on E! starting July 27.

But it is allegedly his sons Burt, Brandon and Brody Jenner and stepdaughter Kim Kardashian who are hesitant to hear and watch just how much their 65-year-old patriarch will reveal about gender change.

'They are warning him to slow down on revealing too much of his journey on reality TV,' a source told TMZ in a Monday report.

Scroll down for video.

Follow-up: Bruce Jenner will chronicle his journey as he transitions into a woman in his forthcoming eight-episode docu-series on E!, a project that worries his kids according to TMZ on Monday.

There is no denying that Bruce's six biological children and four stepkids are 'proud' of the father figure as some called him their 'hero' on Twitter shortly after the ABC interview aired on Friday.

And as the former Olympic gold medalist moves forward with his long-awaited physical transformation, the spotlight and attention on him will be brighter than ever.

'Kim and the boys think Bruce was spectacular on the Diane Sawyer special and in won over millions of people in the process. His kids have gone to their dad to express their concern,' the insider told the gossip site.

'They say they're worried Bruce's upcoming docu-series might "de-class" what he's accomplished. They also urged Bruce not to do other interviews, and finish the process in private.'

The only Kardashian: 'Kim and the boys think Bruce was spectacular on the Diane Sawyer special and in won over millions of people in the process,' added a source.

Jenner sons: 'They are warning him to slow down on revealing too much of his journey on reality TV,' it was also shared.

Brandon and his brothers: 'They urged Bruce not to do other interviews, and finish the process in private,' it was noted.

Adding: 'Bruce believes the docu-series will educate people and create empathy, so he's committed.'

On Monday, never-before-seen footage from the tell-all interview aired on Good Morning America that showed the Jenner brothers and Bruce's eldest daughter Casey talking about their childhoods in which Bruce was not around for.

'We have a very complex relationship,' Casey admitted. 'He's disappeared out of our lives, especially out of my life, so I'm looking forward to this next chapter.'

Brandon spoke of Bruce during the years in the early '80s: 'Us missing a time of our lives is still the probably the hardest thing for us to deal with, we're trying not to look back, just looking forward.'

Sticking together: Brandon and Brody share the same mother (second wife Linda Thompson) while eldest child Burt is from first marriage to Chrystie Jenner (pictured in May 2012)

Older kids: Burt, Brody, daughter Casey and Brandon were the only children who appeared in the 20/20 interview.

Struggle: '[Bruce] disappeared out of our lives, especially out of my life, so I'm looking forward to this next chapter'

Bruce admitted he was not around for his children when they need him the most telling Diane: 'The big formative years for them I was really struggling with these issues. I talked to all the boys about this after the fact that, yeah, I didn't do a good job. And I apologized to my kids for that.'

Those times appear to be a thing of the past as the Jenner siblings have now stated that 'all is forgiven.'

While the Keeping Up With The Kardashians cast did not appear on the 20/20 interview - viewed by a staggering 16.9 million people - many speculate that ex-wife Kris Jenner and her children Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Rob and Kylie and Kendall will be featured on the upcoming docu-series because it will be broadcasted on the E! network.

However, TMZ's sources cited that 'Bruce's kids won't appear on his show.'

Love no matter what: During the interview, Bruce stated that Kim was 'by far the most accepting' of his transgender journey.

Growing up without their father: 'Us missing a time of our lives is still the probably the hardest thing for us to deal with, we're trying not to look back, just looking forward'

With the hope that his reality show will be both informational and educational, Bruce has signed a contract with E! to air one hour episodes starting July 27 that will be consulted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organization.

Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President of Programming and Development at E!, said of Bruce's decision to share his journey with the world: 'Bruce is incredibly courageous and an inspiration, and we are proud to be entrusted with this deeply personal and important story.

'This series will present an unfiltered look as Bruce boldly steps into uncharted territory and is true to himself for the first time.'

Bruce's representative told MailOnline: 'Can't put a series on hold that has yet to be confirmed as even happening in the first place.'

Champion: 'Bruce believes the docu-series will educate people and create empathy, so he's committed'

His pride and joy: The former Olympic athlete told Diane that his kids are 'the only one's he's concerned with'

On Sunday, eldest child Burt doubted some of his dad's newfound supporters when he took to Twitter writing: 'Having a hard time not putting a few people on blast who were not supporters before hand, but want to act like they were all along.'

Meanwhile that same day Brandon and Brody - whom Bruce fathered with second wife Linda Thompson - shared photos of themselves with their famous parent.

'You won another gold tonight. I stand with you on this journey. I love you Dad,' the former Hills star commented on Saturday.

'Proud son,' the father-to-be - who was the first to be told by Bruce about the transition - wrote before the ABC interview aired on Friday.

Kim spoke to Today Show's Matt Lauer on Monday revealing that Bruce has 'found inner peace' after speaking his truth.

The other side of Bruce's family: Biological daughters Kendall and Kylie and stepdaughters Kourtney and Khloe were pictured on Thursday with mother Kris Jenner.

Spotlight: E!'s Keeping Up With The Kardashians has been featured as a hit reality show for ten seasons now.

During the 20/20 special, the thrice married star and host Diane shared that it would be the last interview would doing as Bruce and that he is ready to embrace the woman he calls 'Her.'

The star expressed that he 'is a girl stuck in a guy's body' and that 'his brain is much more female than it is male.

'Yes I am a woman, my heart and my soul and everything I do in life,' he said. 'That female side is who I am.'

When asked by Diane to fill in the blank 'When you think of me...' Bruce gave a heartfelt response saying: 'Please be open minded, have an open mind and open heart. I'm not this bad person I'm just doing what I've got to do.'

'If he's happy, we're happy': Kendall and Kylie were the only offspring to give an official statement for the ABC special.

Summary: Former Olympic champion Bruce Jenner is publicly sharing his transition from a man to a woman on reality tv. Some of Jenner's kids are supportive of a public transition while others urge him to transition in private. Only Kendall and Kylie gave public statements of support.


Summary: Bruce Jenner's children have expressed concern over new his upcoming docu-series. Premiering on July 27th on E!, the eight episode series will focus on Jenner's transition from male to female. While his children have expressed support for Jenner in the past, they are concerned that this new series may reveal too much.


Summary: Former Olympic athlete, Bruce Jenner, will document his journey of transitioning into a woman in an eight-episode docu-series created by E!. Despite the full support of Bruce's transition, his children urge him to not expose too much to reality TV and finish the process in private.


It's every interviewer's worst nightmare. Ask the wrong question and you find your interviewee walking out on you mid sentence.

Which is exactly what happened when Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy tried to ask the actor Robert Downey Jr about his drug-taking past.

After questioning the 50-year-old actor as to whether he had managed to fight his demons the actor said: 'I'm sorry, I really don't... what are we doing?' before walking out of the interview.

Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy looks bemused as Robert Downey Junior walks out on an interview with him after the journalist asked him about his personal life.

In the footage of the short-lived chat Krishnan is then seen looking dumbfounded as Robert goes to head out of the room.

The American star is in London to promote his new film Avengers: Age of Ultron but became aggravated when the chat took a turn for the personal.

Seemingly amused with the reaction, Guru-Murthy is then seen smiling and gesticulating as a production team-member tried to remove Robert's clip-on microphone.

At that point he turns and says: 'It's all getting a bit Diane Sawyer [a U.S. journalist known for her investigative interviewing].'

The horror was clear to see on Robert's face as he questioned Krishnan about where he was trying to take their chat.

But Robert isn't the first celebrity to lose his cool in the face of an awkward line of questioning.

Naomi Campbell, Robert Pattinson and Peter Andre have all cut their chat time short - especially when, like with Mr Downey Jr, the conversation has turned to their private lives.

Justin Bieber was once angered by a radio show host asked him about his friendship with One Direction and compared him to Justin Timberlake.

And Rihanna became annoyed in Australia and cut off a chat about her film Battleship when questions began to focus on her love life.

Here are the celebrities who couldn't stand the heat so they got out of the interview:.

The model Naomi Campbell is known for her firey temper and stormed out of an interview - breaking a camera in her wake - after being asked about a blood diamond she had apparently been given.

NAOMI CAMPBELL.

In April 2010 Naomi Campbell, who is known for her fiery temper, stormed out of an interview with ABC news kicking their camera over on the way.

The reporter had asked the supermodel about whether she had received a blood diamond from the deposed Liberian despot Charles Taylor.

Naomi said: 'I didn't receive a blood diamond and I'm not going to speak about that.'

The interviewer continued to push the 44-year-old until she ended the chat curtly saying: 'Thank you very much,' and walking off.

In court Naomi later admitted that she had been given, 'a few dirty rocks,' by Taylor when she testified against him.

Robert Pattinson became incredibly awkward whilst, when promoting Twilight: New Moon, he was asked about his relationship with Kristen Stewart.

ROBERT PATTINSON.

When Robert Pattinson was promoting the Twilight film New Moon in 2009 he had an awkward run-in with Ryan Seacrest.

Ryan starts the interview by asking Rob about how he is finding fame but the conversation quickly turned to his then relationship with his co-star Kristen Stewart.

Ryan quizzed the actor on what he tells fans when they ask about their relationship at which point his PR swiftly interjects and reprimands the Radio host.

Rob becomes visibly awkward and is ushered out of the interview as a stunned Seacrest reveals that it's the first time he's ever been cut off.

As Rob leaves he jokes that he would tell his fans to watch this film but it doesn't do anything to ease the awkward tension.

Justin Bieber might be close friends with One Direction but he didn't like it when a radio host asked about whether Harry Styles would flirt with his mum.

JUSTIN BIEBER.

In 2012 pop singer Justin Bieber did an incredibly awkward interview with the online American radio show, MOJO In The Morning.

The host describes how the interview went 'horribly wrong,' saying that Justin initially got offended when he compared him to Justin Timberlake.

Justin says: 'That's crazy 'cos our voices sound nothing alike... saying I sound like someone is not really a compliment.'

He then got upset when the interviewer started asking him about One Direction, in particular Harry Styles.

The presenter questions him: 'Do you worry about Harry around your mum as he seems to like older women?' to which Justin retorts, 'I think you should worry about me round your mum, so...'

The radio host then informs Justin that his mum is dead and the pop star hangs up on him. An awkward chat with Justin's 'people' ensued in which MOJO are told the singer won't be calling back.

Peter Andre tried to keep his cool when he was interviewed by Kay Burley in 2010 but when the conversation turned to his children the TV presenter managed to reduce him to tears.

PETER ANDRE.

In 2010 Peter Andre joined Kay Burley on the coach for Sky News and she proceeded to prod him on his ex-wife Katie Price's recent marriage to Alex Reid.

In particular the TV presenter was keen to know whether Peter and Katie's children were aware that their mother had re-married.

Which lead them on to the subject of the model's first son Harvey. Harvey was the child of Price and footballer Dwight Yorke - although he was largely bought up by Andre, who still plays a role in his life to this day.

During the segment Kay played Peter a clip of Dwight insinuating that the singer should never have said that he wanted to adopt the boy with whom the footballer has very little contact.

An understandably defensive Peter went on to question whether Yorke had seen his son and to question why he Dwight would find Peter disrespectful when all he did was love his son.

Kay then asked Peter how he would feel is Alex Reid wanted to adopt his two children Junior and Princess at which point the singer became upset asking for the interview to be terminated.

Rihanna cut an interview with Australian show Sunrise short when the interviewer asked her about her love life.

RIHANNA.

Rihanna was in Australia to promote her film Battleship in April 2012 when she became angry with a reporter from the show Sunrise.

During an interview reporter Natalie Barr asked the star how frustrating it was to be linked to Hollywood names even if she wasn't dating them.

To which Rihanna replied: 'Very frustrating. Almost as frustrating as being asked about it.'

She went on to say: 'People are interested in a lot of things that don't matter or shouldn't.' Before ending the interview.

It wasn't exactly S Club 7 themselves who decided to walk out on Claudia Winkleman who had an interview cut short with the band by their PR.

S CLUB 7.

In one of the most bizarre celebrity walk-outs of all time S Club 7 were forced to leave an interview with Claudia Winkleman by their screaming PR.

It was 2003 and the band were discussing their imminent split with the TV presenter when she began to ask them about money.

It had been rumoured at the time that, despite their manager Simon Fuller being worth around £90million, the band hadn't been making enough money.

Claudia asked them: 'There are rumours, I don't know how true they are, that you guys are grumpy that you haven't made a mint..'

The bands PR then storms in saying: 'I'm not having this! I've had to come on here to get you to stop. Can you get up? We're going.'

The Bee Gees had one of the most famous walk outs ever when they cut an interview with Clive Anderson short.

BEE GEES.

It's one of the most famous walk outs of all time when in 1997 Clive Anderson managed to annoy not one, not two but all three of the Bee Gees.

Clive tries to joke with the band but after calling Barry Gibb a 't*****' he said: 'We're getting on like a storm, aren't we Clive? In fact I might just leave.'

Robin and Maurice then followed at which point Clive revealed that he'd never had someone walk off before.

Summary: Robert Downey Junior is the latest in a long line of celebrities who have walked out on interviews. Interviewers often discuss sensitive topics such as relationships, children, and drug use, but these sensitive topics can prove to be too personal and cause the interviewee to walk out.


Summary: Robert Downey Junior walked out of an interview with Channel 4 news presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy after he was questioned about his past drug use. Downey, who is in London promoting his new film Avengers: Age of Ultron, appeared horrified and aggravated when Guru-Murthy attempted to take the interview down a personal route- so he left.


A young Syrian boy has revealed how he saw depraved Islamic State militants playing football with a severed head inside the besieged Yarmouk refugee camp.

Amjad Yaaqub, 16, said he stumbled on the barbaric scene shortly after the terrorists beat him unconscious when they burst into his family home at the camp in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The schoolboy said the ISIS fighters were looking for his brother, who is a member of the Palestinian rebel group who ran and defended the camp for several years before ISIS carried out a bloody assault that has left more than 200 people dead in just seven days.

His story was revealed as refugees in Yarmouk spoke of the daily atrocities they have witnessed since ISIS seized control of 90 per cent of the camp, including innocent children being slaughtered in front of their anguished parents.

Scroll down for video.

Scene of death: A destroyed graveyard is photographed in Yarmouk camp following the intense fighting.

Innocent: Palestinians, who fled the Yarmouk refugee camp, sit on mattresses inside a school in Damascus.

After enduring two years of famine and fighting, Ibrahim Abdel Fatah said he saw heads cut off by ISIS in the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk. That was it. He fled and hasn't looked back.

Unshaven, pale and gaunt, he has found refuge with his wife and seven children at the Zeinab al-Haliyeh school in Tadamun, a southeastern district of the Syrian capital held by the army.

'I saw severed heads. They killed children in front of their parents. We were terrorised,' he said.

'We had heard of their cruelty from the television, but when we saw it ourselves... I can tell you, their reputation is well-deserved,' the 55-year-old said.

The school is currently home to 98 displaced people, among them 40 children, who have been put up in three classrooms.

The usual occupants, schoolchildren, have been evacuated temporarily from rooms where mattresses and bedding now blanket the floor.

'I left my house which was the only thing I had. My family lived on rations supplied by UNRWA,' the United Nations agency that looks after Palestinian refugees, the former caretaker said.

Destroyed: In late December 2012, Yarmouk - just four miles from central Damascus - became a battlefield between pro- and anti-government forces before a merciless siege began.

A man stands on a staircase inside a demolished building inside the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp.

Anwar Abdel Hadi, a Palestine Liberation Organisation official in Damascus, said 500 families, or about 2,500 people, fled Yarmouk before IS fighters attacked the camp last Wednesday.

Before the assault, there were around 18,000 people in Yarmouk in a southern neighbourhood of the Syrian capital.

Yarmouk was once a thriving district housing 160,000 Palestinian refugees and Syrians. But that was before it too was caught up in the widespread civil unrest which erupted in 2011.

In late December 2012, Yarmouk - just four miles from central Damascus - became a battlefield between pro- and anti-government forces before a merciless siege began.

The camp has been encircled for more than a year, but is now reported to be almost completely under the control of ISIS and Al Qaeda's local affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra.

Residents who fled the advancing jihadists last week have been put up in regime-held areas nearby.

According to Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly 200 people had died in Yarmouk from malnutrition and lack of medicines before last Wednesday's assault.

Carnage: Before the Islamic State assault, there were around 18,000 people in Yarmouk in a southern neighbourhood of the Syrian capital Damascus.

Keeping the faith: A Palestinian man who fled the Yarmouk  refugee camp prays inside a school in Damascus.

Speaking of the moment he stumbled on the ISIS militants, 16-year-old Amjad said: 'In Palestine Street, I saw two members of Daesh playing with a severed head as if it was a football.

Wearing a baseball cap sideways, rapper-style, the youth has a swollen eye and chin.

'Daesh came to my home looking for my brother who's in the Palestinian Popular Committees. They beat me until I passed out and left me for dead,' he added, referring to the group by an Arabic acronym.

At the entrance to the school, Umm Usama chatted with fellow refugees who had got out.

'I left the camp despite myself,' said the 40-year-old woman who had lived in Yarmouk for 17 years.

'I'd stayed on despite the bombings and famine. It was terrible, we ate grass, but at least I was at home.

'Daesh's arrival meant destruction and massacre. Their behaviour's not human and their religion is not ours,' added the thin woman with sunken eyes.

Rubble: Destruction in Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus earlier this week.

Palestinians demanding the protection of  refugees in Yarmouk stage a demonstration in Gaza city on Monday.

Men lie around on mattresses as women gather in small groups, smoking cigarettes and drinking fruit juice as children run around the room.

'Everything changed when IS arrived. Before that we didn't fear death, because if there was fighting, the rebels made sure the civilians got to shelters,' said Abir, a 47-year-old woman who was born and raised in Yarmouk.

There are no suitcases to be seen in the classrooms -- the families had to leave so quickly there was no time to pack anything.

'I left without bringing any belongings. My husband wasn't able to join me. I walked out hugging the walls so snipers couldn't see me,' said 19-year-old Nadia, nursing her two-month-old baby.

Yesterday ISIS launched English-language radio news bulletins on its al-Bayan radio network.

The militant group's English bulletin,  promoted via Twitter, accompanies Arabic and Russian bulletins already airing on the network.

The first bulletin, which provided an overview of their activities in Iraq, Syria and Libya, discussed a range of topics including the alleged death of an ISIS commander in Yarmouk, a suicide bombing in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk and mortar attacks on militias in Sirte, Libya.

ISIS holds territory in a third of Iraq and Syria and is becoming increasingly active in Libya.

The group already publishes a monthly online English-language magazine, Dabiq, with religious lessons, plus news about its activities.

Summary: The terrorist group ISIS operates in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. Yarmouk, a city in Syria, once had over 160,000 residents, but nearly everyone fled due to terrorists taking over. Survivors are now in temporary converted shelters, and share the horrors they experienced including beheadings and violent 'not human' behavior.


Summary: The  Yarmouk Refugee camp was once the thriving home of 160,000 people. Now, horrific stories are the norm. 16-year-old Amjad Yaaqub has come forward and revealed that he witnessed Islamic State militants playing football with a severed head, which is only one story shared since ISIS seized control of 90% of the camp.


Summary: A refugee camp in Syria has been almost completely taken over by ISIS and its local affiliate. People in the camp report atrocities such as children being killed in front of their parents, and football being played with severed heads. Many in the camps have fled to other locations.


Arcade Fire brought a party atmosphere to Glastonbury on Friday, hours after an electric storm stopped the festival.

Aided by dancers, confetti cannons and a man in a mirrored suit, the Canadian band revived revellers' spirits with a series of arms-aloft anthems.

"In a lifetime of pretty much impossible things that have happened to our band, this is the highlight," said frontman Win Butler.

Earlier, every stage at the event was closed after lightning struck ground.

Dance act Rudimental were escorted off the main stage mid-set, and had to abandon their planned encore - Feel The Love, with guest vocalist John Newman.

"We're quite upset," musician Amir Amor told the BBC, "but we had a great time anyway".

Metallica's Lars Ulrich was flying into the site by helicopter as the storm descended.

"It was kind of frightening," he said.

"When we landed, all the people picking us up were going, 'we didn't expect you were going to fly in this weather'.

"But the pilot didn't say anything about that. We saw the lightning up there. I thought it was pyrotechnics for Arcade Fire."

The thunderstorm heralded a brief but torrential downpour, and the power cut took BBC coverage off the air.

Music resumed on the main stage at 19:00 BST with Lily Allen, who dedicated an expletive-laden song to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

Other performers on Friday included Blondie, who proved so popular it became impossible to enter or leave The Other Stage at lunchtime, and Paolo Nutini, whose soulful ballads were a fitting soundtrack as dusk fell over Somerset.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor sneaked some disco into her set at the largely-acoustic Avalon Stage, while the pulsing synthpop of Glaswegian band Chvrches made for a steamy atmosphere in the John Peel tent as fans danced off the downpour.

Arcade Fire took to the stage shortly after 22:00 BST, their arrival heralded by a man dressed from head-to-toe in a mirrored suit.

Bravely, considering the weather conditions, the 12-piece band were largely dressed in white, but if they were worried about laundry bills, it didn't show.

They  threw themselves around the stage, thrashing and spinning as though plagued by a swarm of invisible bees, each member switching instruments between - and often during - songs.

As well as guitars, they played steel drums, xylophones and even a hurdy gurdy.

Frontman Win Butler made frequent excursions into the audience and, during the song Flashbulb Eyes, plucked a camera from a press photographer and carried it on stage to capture the band's performance.

The set list was evenly spread across their four albums, with highlights including No Cars Go, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) and Rebellion (Lies).

The group's recurring subject matter of suburban despair and alienation might have seemed like an odd fit for Glastonbury's peace and love ethos, but there is an optimism and belief in humanity at the core of their music.

Plus, they have really catchy choruses.

The band's willingness to embrace all walks of life was displayed on Friday night during the song We Exist - about a teenager whose father struggles to accept his sexuality.

As the opening chords rang out, a troupe of transgender and cross-dressing dancers joined the band onstage.

"Every one of us is born special and unique," said Butler. "However you are and however you were born, you're perfect."

The feel-good atmosphere continued throughout the two-hour set - ending with a mass singalong to the band's signature song, Wake Up.

Speaking to the BBC earlier in the day, the band's guitarist Richard Reed-Parry said they had enjoyed soaking up the Glastonbury atmosphere on Friday.

"There's a great feeling coming in," he said.

"It's a nice vibe. There's lots of families.

"It's not just about massive headlining acts. And it's not going to be a swamp of corporate beer-swilling drunkards.

"There's rain and there's mud but it's new and it doesn't smell bad yet. It's like, 'oh, this mud smells like grass! It's spring!'"

The music continues on Saturday with Jake Bugg, Pixies, Clean Bandit and Manic Street Preachers on the bill.

Among those watching the action will be Hollywood star Bradley Cooper, who told the BBC: "I'm excited to see Metallica and I want to see Jack White and Lana Del Rey."

Asked if he was put off by the weather, the Hangover star replied: "I love it. I do! But I'm a dumb American - you expect it."

Glastonbury 2014

Summary: The music festival at Glastonbury was temporarily canceled due to an electric storm. Lightning struck the ground which caused bands to be escorted off stage for their protection. Performances resumed a few hours later and finished with the Canadian band, Arcade Fire, which included a man dressed in a mirrored suit.


Summary: The band Arcade Fire brought the music back in a big way after lightning closed down the music festival earlier in the evening. Some of the songs the band played were accompanied by dancers and pyrotechnics. The band members themselves danced wildly as well, changing instruments mid-song.


Summary: Weather and a lightning strike temporarily shut down the music festival in Glastonbury, but the performers and audience were not deterred, and the atmosphere remained positive when the music restarted. In a highly impressive lineup of performers, Canadian band Arcade Fire restarted the festivities with a unique, energetic performance.


If Wigan Athletic are to be relegated from the Sky Bet Championship, then their new manager Gary Caldwell would want to see them go down kicking and screaming.

Martyn Waghorn took that a little too literally against Millwall, his red card for a senseless kick at Dan Harding punished by a Lions side determined to avoid a similar fate.

When Waghorn, who played for Millwall on loan from Leicester in 2013, lashed out after failing to win a corner on the hour, it was set up for the hosts to claim three precious points.

And they were duly delivered when Jimmy Abdou headed home Harding’s cross with 15 minutes remaining, sending a febrile Den into raptures.

Millwall team-mates rush to congratulate substitute Magaye Gueye after he scored their second goal.

Lions No 1 David Forde celebrates after Jimmy Abdou came on to break the deadlock with a rare strike.

Martyn Waghorn was one of three players sent off - two for Wigan and one for Millwall in the fiesty clash.

Millwall: Forde (c); Cummings, Nelson, Beevers, Harding; Upson, Abdou, Williams (Bailey 42), Martin (Gueye 68); O’Brien (Woolford 84), Gregory.

Substitutes not used: Archer (GK); Cowan-Hall, Fuller, Taylor-Fletcher.

Scorers: Abdou 75; Gueye 90+3.

Booked: Gregory, Martin, Bailey, Beevers.

Sent off: Upson.

Wigan Athletic: Carson; Boyce, Maguire, Pearce, Bong; Pennant (Chow 81), Perch (c), Kvist (Ojo 90+1), Kim Bo-Kyung, McLean; Fortune (Waghorn 53)

Substitutes not used: Al Habsi (GK); McCann, Barnett, Murphy.

Booked: Bong, Bo-Kyung.

Sent off: Waghorn, Pearson.

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire)

In his six seasons at the club, that was only Abdou’s seventh goal. What a time for it. The official Millwall Twitter account reassured followers it wasn’t a misprint.

There was more drama to follow. Jason Pearce followed Waghorn down the tunnel for a dreadful tackle on Aiden O’Brien as tempers flared in the closing stages, with Millwall’s Ed Upson also dismissed for his reaction.

The game had threatened to erupt all night. There were two confrontations in the first-half, with Caldwell and his Millwall counterpart Neil Harris on the edge of their technical areas appealing for calm.

And a second goal from Magaye Gueye in the third minute of stoppage time made absolutely sure, the substitute leading a breakaway on his own before finishing calmly past Carson.

Millwall’s win keeps the Championship relegation battle very much alive and throws the pressure onto Rotherham United, who face Fulham on Wednesday night.

The plot could also thicken further if Rotherham are docked three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Brighton earlier this month. Hope is still very much alive in south London after this, the gap closed to just four points.

Harris had described this match as a ‘Cup Final’ and his players responded. Snapping into every challenge, first to every ball, they wanted it more than Caldwell’s men.

Wigan's former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant (left) takes on Dan Harding of Millwall.

Millwall's Aiden O'Brien (left) competes with Emmerson Boyce of Wigan during the relegation six-pointer.

The Lions manager proudly declared afterwards: ‘That was a Millwall performance, that’s what this club is all about. If the players haven’t learned anything from me before tonight, they certainly have now.

‘I don’t necessarily condone challenges and melees but if you need a spark at The Den, then you have to take care of your own.’

And he couldn’t resist a joke at the expense of Abdou’s scoring record after his first goal in two years.

‘Jimmy Abdou is a great fellow, a great servant to Millwall FC,’ he said. ‘If anyone deserved that goal for his performances since I took over. He has the ability to do that and I’ve been telling him for seven years he can do that.

‘He’s got the ability in the legs, I think his last goal was in training about three and a half years ago!’

With Wigan seven points from safety, Millwall’s approach left manager Gary Caldwell irritated. He said: ‘There was one team out there trying to play football and another trying to rough us up.

‘The game got out of hand second-half, we needed a strong ref in a stadium like this.’

Wigan’s James McClean rattled the outside of the post with a cross-cum-shot that almost caught goalkeeper David Forde out after five minutes, while at the other end, Scott Carson had to race off his line to thwart Aiden O’Brien when he broke clear.

But overall the first-half was a poor spectacle, enlivened only by the handbags that engaged the crowd.

Wigan's James Perch (right) goes up for a header with Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams.

Wigan manager Gary Caldwell looks on nervously as his hopes of survival are dented.

Within the first five minutes of the second-half, Millwall created more than their sum total in the first. Former England stopper Carson had to be at his athletic best to turn away an O’Brien shot that seemed destined for the top corner.

And when thew red mist descended on Waghorn, there was only one winner. It coincided with Millwall’s best spell in the game and they capitalised when Abdou produced his potentially season-defining header.

After Gueye made sure at the end, chants of ‘Super Neil Harris’ echoed around the ground. Is another heroic act from this club legend on the cards?

Summary: Milwall FC defeated Wigan Athletic in a chippy match that saw three red cards handed out, 2 to Wigan and one the Milwall. Jimmy Abdou scored the go-ahead goal to the roar of the crowd, his first in seven seasons. The win grants Millwall three crucial points.


Summary: During the Sky Bet Championship, Wigan and Millwall teams engaged in a heated clash. Two confrontations erupted in the first half, and eventually, three players were sent off from the game. Millwall's coaching staff noted that lacking a strong referee led to the game getting even more out of it than in the second half.


Summary: After a rough, violent game described as 'out of control', Millwall won against Wigan. The Wigan manager Gary Caldwell was frustrated with the rough approach, but Millwall manager seemed to stand behind the actions of the team.


The cost of a daily lunchtime takeaway can be crippling and yet instead of making lunches at home the majority of British workers still pop to the high street to grab their midday meal.

The 'meal deal' (which is not always a meal, or a deal) has seen us stave off the hunger pangs with soggy sandwiches, slimy salads and salty soups, spending an average of £1,840 a year.

But we could save up to £1,300 a year if we just prepared our lunch at home.

Cheese, crackers and charcuterie is a simple and delicious lunch which can be easily assembled in the office.

Food website Food52's 'Not Sad Desk Lunch' series demonstrates just how simple it can be to bring healthy, cost-effective, and delicious lunches to work.

These incredibly detailed ideas and recipes show how to make everything from easy-to-assemble options such cheese and crackers, to more complicated steamed Chinese buns, and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.

Each recipe on Food52 is contributed by a member of the team who promises to keep your midday meals 'both interesting and pretty.'

If you're after something simple, cheese, crackers and charcuterie will do the job.

Simply choose your favourites, assemble and eat; and If you're vegetarian, swap meat for pickled vegetables and you're good to go.

Make something complicated like stuffed dumplings (left) or keep it simple with a toast tartine (right)

Hannah Petertil has some inspired combinations which include Cheddar, apple, and bacon jam; mozzarella and prosciuotto or manchego and dried apricots.

Keeping with the theme, you could also use the handy cracker to spread a variety of toppings.

Make a Greek salad cracker with cucumber, olive tapenade and feta; a hummus cracker with roasted red pepper on top; pesto crackers with thinly sliced prosciutto; or smashed avocado crackers.

Don't feel like spreading? Dip instead; simply decant your spreads into containers and away you go.

Workers could save up to £1,300 a year if they prepared their lunch at home instead of buying pre-packed sandwiches and snacks from shops, research by vouchercloud.com revealed.

More than 60 per cent of Britons who buy their lunches out spend an average of £1,840 a year, based on 46 working weeks, the research reveals.

In comparison, those who prepare food at home spend just £552 over the same period - a saving of a whopping £1,288.

The startling difference came to light following a poll of adults across the UK, which found that a fifth of Britons choose to purchase their work-time lunches as opposed to making them at home.

Pita bread is also another wonderful lunchtime option and can be stuffed with any number of fillings, from hard boiled eggs, smoked meat and charred vegetables.

Experiment with flavour combinations; stay Mediterranean with aubergine with chickpeas and coriander or keep it British with thinly sliced roast chicken, crisp lettuce and sweet baby tomatoes.

Remember, anything you can put into a sandwich can be stuffed into a pita.

Still sound too complicated? Try turning toast into a tartine.

Spread with butter or mayonnaise and top with thinly sliced vegetables (radish and chicory, dressed lightly in lemon juice and olive oil work really well against crisp, hot toast) or layer slices of ham, chopped up dates and a salty cheese to make something a bit more glamorous.

The site also has more complicated options for those who have time on their hands and want to experiment.

Steamed pork buns, which are traditionally eaten as a breakfast food in China are self-contained dough parcels which  can be filled (bao) or unfilled (mantou).

Jenny Xu from Food52 writes: 'Your first option is to go with the basic, unfilled mantou dough, then customise it to your heart's content.'

Steamed Chinese buns (bao) are usually stuffed with meats such as roast pork and stir-fried mushrooms.

You can stuff your bun with anything you like including pork, vegetables and even mushrooms, before you steam them.

Freeze after steaming to keep them fresh and warm them in the office microwave.

Looking for something even more exotic?

Author of The Banh Mi Handbook Andrea Nguyen has a brilliant Vietnamese sandwich recipe which should satisfy the fussiest of lunchtime eaters.

Banh mi rolls are the Vietnamese take on the baguette and typically contain Asian fillings such as pickled vegetables, chillies and coriander as well as roast meats.

The bread is usually scooped out so that it resembles a cradle which your fillings can be placed in.

To make sure your sandwich doesn't go soggy, pack your vegetables separately and assemble when you get to the office.

Buns or banh mi not doing it for you? Stuff some dumplings instead.

'The best part about dumplings is that you can use anything to make fillings. I tend to lean towards two of my favorites: pork and chives for my meat option, and chives, egg, and vermicelli for my vegetarian option -- but these are only two out of numerous recipes out there,' Betty Liu of Food52 writes.

Greek salad cracker with cucumber, olive tapenade and feta (left). Pita bread with eggs and vegetables (right)

Feta, vegetable and rice bake.

Ingredients.

400g Easy Cook Rice: 89p per kg.

One courgette: 89p per 500g.

One pepper: 49p each.

200g cherry tomatoes: 65p per 300g.

45g Solesta pitted black olives: 45p per 230g.

200g pack Feta Cheese: 89p per 200g.

Store cupboard essentials: Red onion,eggs, dried basil, olive oil and salt and black pepper.

Total: £4.89.

Method: Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Cook the rice as per instructions on the pack and allow to cool a little. Peel the red onion and chop into medium size chunks. Chop the courgette and the pepper to the same size as the onions and courgette. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the feta into chunks the same size as the vegetables. Mix all the above along with the olives in a bowl with the olive oil and the basil. Beat the eggs, add the grated Parmesan cheese and mix with the rice. Grease the dish with some olive oil, spread the rice mixture over the base and up the sides of the dish. Pour the vegetable mix in the centre. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Cut into slices or quarters and serve.

Crispy mash hash.

Ingredients.

150g frozen chopped onions: £1.50.

Four teaspoons frozen chopped garlic: £1.25.

Two tablespoons frozen parsley: £1.25.

700g frozen mashed potato: £1.

Store cupboard essential: Olive oil.

Total cost: £5.

Method: Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the onions and garlic, and cook over a low heat for three minutes. Turn the heat up a little, add the mashed potato and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally until crisped up around the edges. Season with black pepper, scatter over the parsley and serve.

Pea and ham frittata.

Ingredients.

Frozen peas, 1 kilo bag:  £0.98.

Onion: £0.11.

Courgette: £0.41.

70g pack wafer thin ham: £0.75.

Six eggs: £0.89.

Smart Price salad bag: £0.44.

Bag of four jacket potatoes: £0.98.

Store cupboard essential: Sunflower oil.

Total cost: £4.06.

Method: Cook the peas on a pan. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the onion and courgette for about five minutes, stirring often. Add the peas and ham and stir. Lightly beat the eggs, season and pour into the pan. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes or until the egg is almost set. Finish your dish under the grill to set the egg, then cut into wedges. Serve with salad and jacket potatoes.

Spring chicken casserole.

Ingredients.

Chicken thighs: £2.50 for 1lb.

Loose brown onions: £0.16.

Loose courgettes: £0.30.

400g can butter beans: £0.55.

400g can chopped tomatoes: £0.34.

Total cost: £3.85.

Store cupboard essentials: Olive oil and one clove garlic.

Method: Heat the oven to Gas Mark 5. Heat the oil in a large roasting tray on the hob. Season the chicken thighs and add to the tin. Fry for three to tive minutes, until browned all over. Remove and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and courgette to the tray and cook for three to four minutes.Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and rosemary and simmer for one minute. Season, then return the chicken to the tray and add the butterbeans.Transfer to the oven and roast for 25 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked.

Summary: Food52 is a website dedicated to guiding British workers through packing their own lunches, from simple to exotic, to help significantly reduce the annual cost of lunches. The website includes various meal ideas, recipes, specific cost and caloric breakdowns, as well as easy swaps for vegetarians.


Summary: Workers could save up to 1,300 pounds a year by preparing meals at home instead of buying lunchtime takeaways. The food website Food52's 'Not Sad Desk Lunch' series teaches readers how easy it can be to make cost-effective and appetizing meals to bring to work.


Summary: Nearly 60 percent of Britons buy takeaway lunches instead of making lunch at home, which costs roughly 1,900 pounds per year. Those who choose to make lunch at home save a whopping 1,300 pounds per year according to a survey. There are many options for home-cooked lunches.


Long relegated to the dusty corners of history, mead - the drink of kings and Vikings - is making a comeback in the US.

But what's brewing in this new crop of commercial meaderies - as they are known - is lot more refined from the drink that once decorated tables across medieval Europe.

"Do we have any mead makers or home brewers in the group?" asks Ben Alexander, eying a crowd of a dozen or so people who have come to his Maine Meade Works, in Portland, on a rainy Friday for a tour.

When no-one raises their hand, Mr Alexander launches into the full spiel.

"If you guys want to come around, I'll show you how this thing works," he says, gesturing to two ceiling-high columns of stainless steel filled with something resembling a mushy golden porridge.

"We mix up honey and water over there and we pump it through a hot water bath at 160 degrees [71C] in a stainless steel coil here. Each one produces about 50 to 75 gallons [227-340 litres] of mead a day," explains Mr Alexander.

It's fair to say he is obsessed with mead.

"It's the quintessential local beverage - you can go anywhere in the world and find honey to make mead, and I think that's unique among alcoholic beverages," he gushes.

After being introduced to the drink by a home brewer, Mr Alexander thought there were profits to be had in a commercial meadery. He founded Maine Mead Works in 2008, pouring his savings and money from friends and family into the business.

His business has since grown, along with the popularity of mead in the US.

It's now a seven-person operation that manufactures more than 7,500 cases a year, shipping them as far away as China.

Mr Alexander is not the only one to have caught on to the commercial potential of mead.

Vicky Rowe, the owner of mead information website GotMead, says interest in the product in the US has exploded in the past decade.

"We went from 30-40 meaderies making mead to somewhere in the vicinity of 250 in the last 10 years," she says.

"I like to say that everything old is new again - people come back to what was good once."

Even visitors to Mr Alexander's meadery agree.

Tour participant Dirk Heseman admitted that while Maine Mead Works was the first meadery he'd actually visited, he has noticed that mead "is becoming more and more available - similar to cider".

Just this year, commercial meaderies in the US have banded together to form an industry group, the American Mead Makers Association, to better share information and encourage growth in the industry.

But there's a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the image of a drink long associated with Renaissance fairs and medieval re-enactments.

"I think our number one challenge as an industry is awareness of what mead is," says Mr Alexander.

"You ask 10 people in a room if they've ever heard of mead, and two of them might say, 'yes', and only one of them has had a very positive experience."

The mead of the past was often sweet, and didn't appeal to many drinkers who were just looking for something good to pair with food. But mead has since changed.

"People don't realise that just because it has honey in it, [mead] doesn't need to be sweet," says Ms Rowe, citing the proliferation of not only dry meads but also meads flavoured with fruits, herbs, and spicy peppers.

Yet hampering efforts towards building mead awareness is also the name mead itself.

Technically, mead is classified as wine by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates alcohol sales and labelling in the US.

This means that mead has to be labelled as "honey wine", which doesn't help combat people's perception of the drink as being as cloyingly sweet.

"How do people recognise it as mead if you can't say the word?" says Ms Rowe.

Ironically, the alcoholic beverage that most credit with the resurgence of the mead business is beer.

The craft brewing movement, which was recently singled out in a report by the Atlanta Federal Reserve as a source of job growth, inspired many home brewers to expand their repertoire.

"I was a home brewer, and at first I liked mead because I had never had it," says Brad Dahlhofer of B Nektar meadery in Detroit, Michigan.

"Every home brewer has the same dream of, 'Hey what if I could sell this? Wouldn't that be great?'" he says.

After he spent months making batch after batch of mead, perfecting his recipe, he realised that mead was "kind of an untouched category", and that no-one, at least back in 2008, was really doing it commercially.

So when he and his wife, Kerri, were both laid off of their jobs in Detroit's car industry during the recession, they decided to take the plunge.

Now, B Nektar is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, US meadery, shipping 1,100 cases a week across the country.

But for Mr Dahlhofer and his fellow mead enthusiasts, that's just the beginning.

"If you look at craft beer 25 years ago, they had 1% of the total beer market, and now they have 8%," says Maine Mead's Mr Alexander.

"So we've got a long way to go, but I feel like it's got the opportunity because of the diversity of the beverage.

"You've got a canvas with very few limits."

Summary: Mead is making a comeback in the US. Brewers are revamping old recipes in order to make the drink less sweet. Mead brewers are also battling an image problem where mead is classified as a sweet wine or something only Vikings drink.


Summary: Mead, once considered the choice of Kings and Vikings, is making a comeback in the US.   In the past, mead was often considered sweet, causing many drinkers not to consider it their first choice when pairing it with food.  However, that has changed.  The drink is experiencing a resurgence in interest.


Summary: Mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey is gaining popularity in the United States. The drink is classified as wine by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Mead labels define it as "honey wine", giving the consumer the impression that every mead is sweet, but it can also be flavored with fruits, herbs, and spicy peppers.


Holidaying with the lair of a tiger as your closest neighbour might not sound like the cleverest idea in the world but it is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that won't be forgotten.

For £3,500, tourists are being invited to book a trip to Russia and sleep in the natural habitat of the Siberian tiger, one of the world's most endangered animals.

Bespoke tour operators Natural World Safaris is offering the rare trip which also gives guests a unique opportunity to view the big cat.

A safari stay in Russia offers tourists the chance to spot, and sleep near, one of the world's most endangered animals- the Siberian tiger.

Bespoke holiday providers Natural World Safaris is offering the rare trip which gives guests a unique opportunity to view the big cat.

The trip to Durminskoye Reserve in Khabarovsk lasts seven days in total with guests spending time in the wild environs inhabited by the last remaining Siberian tigers, and setting camera traps with the experts in the hope of catching an insight into the lives of these endangered predators.

They will walk in the footsteps of the world’s biggest cats and spend time with Alexander Batalov, a frontline Russian conservationist who has spent the last 20 years of his life trying to protect the rare Siberian tiger.

The facilities are described as 'basic' and guests are provided with a translator throughout the stay.

The daily activity is to explore the Reserve in the hope of picking up tracks of the Siberian tigers that reside in this area.

This shot was captured at night as a Siberian Tiger walked down a narrow road in the Durminskoye Reserve, where guests can stay.

Huntsman’s hut in the forest – sustainable hunting is still allowed in the forest and the hut is also used as a base of operations.

The safari does not actively track them as this risks guests coming face-to-face with the animals themselves, which is why still and video cameras are set up.

The images and footage from these actively assist Alexander and his team as they work to save the tigers of the region from extinction.

Managing Director of Natural World Safaris and expert in wildlife encounters, Will Bolsover, told MailOnline Travel: ‘The trip is one of the rarest wildlife travel opportunities remaining today.

Alexander Batalov, a frontline Russian conservationist, has spent the last 20 years of his life trying to protect the rare Siberian tiger.

Inside Balatov's hut, dedicated to the natural world as you might expect with a range of feathers and animal bones.

'Spending time with Alexander Batalov in the home of the some of the last remaining Siberian tigers in Russia’s Far East, setting camera traps, tracking tiger footprints and collecting vital conservation data is a superb opportunity.’

It is estimated the current wild population of Siberian tigers under 400, making the species officially endangered.

Siberian tigers were once found throughout the Russian Far East, northern China, and the Korean peninsula but by the 1940s, hunting had driven the species, also known as the Amur tiger, to the brink of extinction with no more than 40 individuals remaining in the wild.

While the population has now stabilised somewhat, sightings in the wild are extremely rare as the tigers have the largest home range of any tiger subspecies and a limited density of prey means they have to search over large areas to find food.

Guests will stay in a wooden cabin on the Natural World Safari trip to see the Siberian tiger.

'Guests will be staying directly in the heart of the tigers' habitat, but with the cats being extremely elusive, it obviously isn’t guaranteed that they will even come face to face with a tiger at all,' Bolsover said.

'While they are out setting camera traps and observing scent trails, footprints, scratch marks on trees, they will be exactly where the tigers tread.

'While they are out in the forest or in the camp, a tiger could be 20m away, 200m away, or as far as two miles away- it’s difficult to put a numerical value on it.'

Click here for more information regarding the safari trip.

Summary: Natural World Safaris is offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience to sleep in the natural habitat of the Siberian tiger. Guests will book a trip to the Durminskoye Reserve in Khabarovsk, Russia, where they will spend seven days observing footprints and scratch marks on trees left by the tigers.


Summary: National World Safaris is offering guests an opportunity to spend time with one of the world's rarest animals, the Siberian tiger. Guests can spend 7 days exploring the Durminskoye Reserve in Khabarovsk in hopes of seeing one of the 400 Siberian tigers left in the world.


Summary: A Russian tour company is offering tourists a chance to sleep in close proximity to the highly endangered Siberian tiger. Guests will stay in the heart of the animals' territory in the hopes of coming face-to-face with the large cat. The guides also set up cameras to track the tigers.


A heavily armed Algerian jihadi who was preparing to attack churches in Paris on the orders is in custody this morning after being implicated in the murder of a young woman.

The 24-year-old, named locally as Sid Ahmed Ghlam, had shot himself in the leg before his arrest by anti-terrorist officers in the 13th arrondissement in southern Paris on Sunday.

This afternoon the Paris prosecutor said police found Arabic documents mentioning ISIS and Al Qaeda at the IT student's home, as well as evidence on his computer that he was in contact with a man in Syria 'who clearly asked him to target a church.'

Sunday's arrest came just hours after the murder of Aurelie Chatelain, a 33-year-old mother and fitness instructor, who was riddled with bullets as she sat in her car in a car park in the Paris suburb of Villejuif. Investigators reportedly claim DNA evidence links Ghlam to her murder.

Scroll down for video.

Sid Ahmed Ghlam (pictured) had shot himself in the leg before his arrest by anti-terrorist officers.

Killed: DNA evidence also reportedly links Ghlam to the murder of Aurelie Chatelain (pictured left and right), a 33-year-old mother and fitness instructor who shot dead in her car in a Paris suburb on Sunday morning.

Gathered: This is the student residence  where Sid Ahmed Ghlam - a 24-year-old computer science student suspected of plotting imminent attacks on churches in France - had reportedly been living.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve today said: 'A terrorist attack was foiled on Sunday morning.'

'The police discovered an arsenal containing weapons of war, and a suspect was immediately taken into custody.'

Victim: DNA tests reportedly link the arrested man to the murder of Ms Chatelain (pictured) on Sunday.

Mr Cazeneuve said the suspect was found on a street in the 13th arrondissement of Paris with a bullet in his leg, and bleeding heavily.

He originally claimed to be the victim of an attack by criminals, but officers followed the trail of blood to his car, where they found a Kalashnikov assaultrifle, and a Sig-Sauer automatic pistol.

There were also stolen police armbands which would enable him to pose as a plain clothes officer.

In Ghlam's student accommodation, detectives later found three automatic rifles, handguns, and bulletproof vests.

There were also Jihadi flags and literature, false passports, and plans for attacks on 'one or two' churches in the Paris area.

DNA analysis reportedly linked the arrested man to the murder of Ms Chatelain, who was originally from Caudry, in northern France.

The arrested man was an Algerian national studying computer science in Paris, and was known to the intelligence services.

The man had been considered a likely candidate to travel to Syria to fight with the Islamic State terrorist organisation, said Mr Cazeneuve, and was officially under surveillance.

Tragic: Ghalm's arrest came just hours after the murder of Aurelie Chatelain (pictured), a 33-year-old mother and fitness instructor, who was riddled with bullets as she sat in her car in the Paris suburb of Villejuif.

Statement: French Prime Minister Manuel Vall, left, and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, speaking to the assembled media about the thwarted attack after a cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris today.

Location: The 24-year-old, named locally as Sid Ahmed Ghlam, had shot himself in the leg before his arrest by anti-terrorist officers in the 13th arrondissement in southern Paris (pictured) on Sunday morning.

The arrested man had moved to France in 2009, and was supported by his sister, who lives in the Paris area. Her home has since been raided by police too.

It follows the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in January, when three Islamist terrorists slaughtered 17 people in the city.

They included cartoonists and journalists working for the notoriously anti-Muslim magazine, as well as police and four Jews who were targeted in a kosher supermarket.

Two of the attackers, Saif and Cherif Kouachi, were both from Algerian backgrounds, while the third, Amedy Coulibaly, was from a Malian immigrant background.

All were shot dead by police commandos following sieges.

Summary: 24-year-old Sid Ahmed Ghlam is in French custody after being arrested on Sunday morning. The Algerian has been connected via DNA to the murder of Aurelie Chatelain, a 33-year-old mother who was shot while sitting in her car. The arrest foiled a future plot by Ghlam, who was preparing to attack churches in Paris.


Summary: Investigators found DNA evidence that links 24-year-old student, Ahmed Ghlam to the murder of Aurelie Chatelain, who is a resident in the same building Ghlam lives. Heavily armed, Ahmed Ghlam was planning to attack churches in Paris based on documents mentioning ISIS and Al Qaeda. But before the attacks were carried out, Ghlam was arrested.


Summary: An Algerian terrorist was arrested in Paris for the murder of a local woman. The arrest thwarted his planned attack on a church. He was a known risk, being watched by the Government, and weapons, passports, attack plans, and terrorist documents were found in his apartment.


Researchers have completed the first comprehensive study of the microbes living on and in and uncontacted tribe from the Amazon.

They say the results show just how modern lifestyles and diets have changed us -  and that the  bacteria they found could be potentially beneficial to modern society.

Researchers sequenced the microbiomes of Yanomami people living in a remote Amazon village in Venezuela who had not had previous contact with non-Yanomami.

There are about 26,000 Yanomami living in Brazil and 15,000 in Venezuela, mostly in federally protected reserves near rivers and in remote mountains.

The Yanomami are an indigenous ethnic group in the Amazonian region of South America.

There are about 26,000 Yanomami living in Brazil and 15,000 in Venezuela, mostly in federally protected reserves near rivers and in remote mountains.

The Yanomami are hunter-gatherers.

They gather wild bananas, seasonal fruits, palm hearts and cassava.

They hunt birds, small mammals, crabs, frogs, small fish and the occasional peccary, monkey or tapir.

The group doesn't grow food or domesticate livestock.

The researchers found that Yanomami people harbor microbiomes with the highest diversity of bacteria and genetic functions ever reported in a human group.

'That tells us that Western diets and lifestyles have a great impact on our microbiomes', experts at University of San Diego said.

'Studying the microbiomes of people in remote areas may hold the key to understanding microbes we have lost through antibiotics, sealed buildings and lack of exposure to the outdoors,' said study co-author Rob Knight.

In the new study published April 17 by Science Advances, researchers sequenced the microbiomes of Yanomami people living in a remote Amazon village in Venezuela who had not had previous contact with non-Yanomami.

This information revealed, for the first time, the species of bacteria that co-exist with people who have never been exposed to industrialized society, including Western food and antibiotics.

'Our findings emphasize the need for extensive characterization of the function of the microbiome and resistome in remote nonwesternized populations before globalization of modern practices affects potentially beneficial bacteria harbored in the human body,' the researchers wrote.

Many Yanomami now regularly interact with Western civilization through trade, but some villages have never had contact with non-Yanomami people.

One such unmapped village was first spotted by an army helicopter passing overhead in 2008. In 2009, a medical mission landed there.

As part of their 2009 visit to this previously uncontacted Yanomami village, medical professionals collected samples from the skin, mouths and fecal matter of 34 of the 54 villagers before vaccines or antibiotics were administered.

The samples were frozen until DNA extraction and bacterial culturing could be performed for the purposes of this study.

Yanomami indigenous leader Davi Yanomami claims Americans' 'robbed blood' for the tests.

Thousands of blood samples have been returned to the Yanomami tribe in Brazil, after they were taken by American scientists in the 1960s and held in U.S. academic institutions without the tribe's consent, according to Survival international.

The Yanomami have been fighting for their return for over a decade.

The Yanomami buried the 2,693 samples during a special funerary ceremony presided over by shamans in the Yanomami community where many of the samples were collected.

Only 15 Yanomami whose blood was taken in the late 1960s were able to attend the ritual. Shamans performed funerary rites for those who gave blood and have since died.

Keen to collect blood samples from a very isolated community, U.S. scientists collected thousands of samples from the Indians in Brazil and Venezuela without obtaining their informed consent.

The Yanomami only discovered years later that their blood was being stored in research institutes – in violation of their beliefs and funerary customs of cremating those who have passed away and destroying their possessions.

Without obtaining the Yanomami's consent, some institutions extracted DNA from the blood for genetic tests in the 1990s.

Yanomami spokesman Davi Kopenawa said, 'These Americans robbed our blood.

'They did not say anything in our language about the tests they were going to do. Nobody knew that they were going to use our blood to do research.'

Back in labs in the U.S. (at Mount Sinai, New York University, University of Colorado, Boulder and others), researchers sequenced DNA isolated from the Yanomami samples.

From this, they were able to identify all of the bacterial species that make up the skin, mouth and gut microbiomes of people who had never been exposed to Western diets, antibiotics or other environmental factors that make up life in industrialized societies.

The researchers then compared these non-Westernized microbiomes to the microbiomes of people living in Western society and people living in villages in the midst of transition from isolation to urban lifestyles.

Bacteria isolated from Yanomami microbiomes carried genes that confer resistance to man-made antibiotics, despite the fact that they were never previously exposed to antibiotics.

This finding suggests that many bacterial species contain antibiotic resistance genes naturally, even without the selective pressure of antibiotic use.

What happens in Western cultures, the researchers hypothesize, is antibiotic use simply gives naturally resistant bacteria a survival advantage over non-resistant bacteria.

The researchers say the study could help develop new medical treatments.

'First of all, this study gives us a glimpse of what our microbiomes might have looked like before our modern habits began to impact the beneficial bacteria that call us home.

'Studies like this one help us better understand what factors can alter a microbiome and the effect those changes can have on a person's health — information researchers need to guide efforts to manipulate the microbiome to treat disease and restore health.'

Summary: Researchers have completed a microbiome study on the Yanomami tribe, and the results show how modern lifestyles and diets have changed western civilization. New information shows that the species of bacteria co-exist with people who were never exposed to western food and antibiotics, helping us understand what factors affect the impact on one's health.


Summary: An indigenous tribe living in the Amazon has been fighting for the return of medical samples for over a decade.  A representative for the tribe claimed that the blood was stolen by researchers and demands the samples be returned to the tribe.


Summary: Researchers have completed a study of the microbiome of the Yanomami people of Venezuela. It is the first large-scale study that maps the microbiome of people who were never exposed to Western diets. The last major study done in the 1960s caused a fight, as the researchers never disclosed that they were taking blood samples from the Yanomami. The samples have since been returned from many academic centers.


Lady Gaga is leading the pitch invasion at Sunday's Super Bowl, where she'll perform the all-important half-time show.

With a television audience of 110 million, it's one of the biggest platforms in the world - and Gaga has been putting in the hours to ensure her set is suitably spectacular.

"We were [rehearsing] in the tent for about a week and a half, then we had to move to bigger studios in Hollywood where we are working on the rest of the show," she told Houston radio station Mix 96.5.

"And then we will send that equipment to Houston where we will finish rehearsals. Fans can expect a performance that spans my career so far."

She has a high standard to live up to - notably Prince's show in 2007, which took place in the middle of a Miami thunderstorm and is widely accepted as the greatest performance in the event's history, if not Prince's career.

Here are some of the other most memorable - and surprising - moments from the last 30 years.

Super Bowl performers get a very strict 12-minute time limit, so most performers cram their set with as much music as possible.

Not Michael Jackson.

After shooting onto the stage at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, he stood completely still, staring at the world for a full 90 seconds. Ninety.

It was a master class in ratcheting expectation to a fever pitch. And the screams when he launched into Jam (not one of his best songs) proved he knew what he was doing.

Brilliantly, Jackson staged this entire performance while wearing a jacket it looked like he'd borrowed from Muammar Gaddafi.

Beat that, Gaga.

Baby, he was born to run... and slide on his knees... and crotch slam a TV camera.

In his autobiography, The Boss explains the incident like this: "Too much adrenalin, a late drop, too much speed, here I come, Mikeâ€¦ BOOM!

"And I'm onto his camera, the lens implanted into my chest with one leg off the stage. I use his camera to push myself back up andâ€¦ BLAM! BORN TO RUN!"

It led to the memorable headline: "America Attacked by Bruce Springsteen's crotch" - but it didn't stop the star delivering one of the most powerful and energetic Super Bowl shows in recent history. Even if they were fined for over-running by 40 seconds.

Coldplay were the headline act at last year's Super Bowl in Santa Clara - but someone forgot to tell Beyonce.

She only performed one song, Formation, underscoring its message of black pride and power with back-up dancers dressed in leather body suits and black berets reminiscent of the Black Panthers movement.

Some of her dancers were even pictured holding up a sign declaring "Justice 4 Mario Woods" - a 26-year-old black man who was shot dead by armed police in San Francisco two months earlier.

The performance heralded the arrival of her unapologetically political album, Lemonade, later in the year.

You can't out-diva Diana, something she was determined to prove when she strode onto the pitch in Tempe, Arizona, for Super Bowl XXX.

She raced through 10 songs and four costume changes in 12 minutes, then jumped into a helicopter and fled the stadium. Which is one way to beat the post-game traffic.

For the first few decades, the Super Bowl half-time performance featured marching bands, drill teams and Disney's mouseketeers.

1987's show was altogether more bizarre.

A magician named "Elvis Presto" burst out of a jukebox, before performing a series of conjuring tricks, aided by 2,000 part-time dancers, 102 custom Harley Davidson motorcycles and some of rock's biggest classics.

At the culmination of the show, the "Prince of Prestidigitation" performed an interactive magic trick ("pick a card, concentrate real hard") while viewers at home watched through 3D glasses.

It was cheesier than a wheel of brie - and prompted the NFL to adopt a more modern approach.

She arrived on a mechanical tiger, and departed on a shooting star - but Katy Perry couldn't compete with the infamous "left shark".

He was one of two foam-suited dancers flanking Katy while she performed Teenage Dream. While the one on the right was forgettable, the left shark flailed around in a desperate attempt to remember his dance moves.

It quickly became a viral sensation, spawning a whole range of merchandise from the ever-savvy pop star.

And when the half-time show was nominated for an Emmy, Katy made sure to thank her faithful friend.

Poor old Janet Jackson. She was at the end of a triumphant, hit-laden medley when Justin Timberlake ripped the front off her bodice, revealing a heavily-bejewelled superboob.

Few ever believed that the "wardrobe malfunction" was indeed a malfunction - but if you look at the photographs taken immediately after the event, Jackson appears mortified (notably, these were not the pictures printed by the press).

Nonetheless, America went apoplectic. The Federal Complaints Commission reportedly got more than 200,000 complaints, while Janet was blacklisted by MTV and radio. Her career never fully recovered.

But there is a bright side to this story. A PayPal employee called Jawed Karim missed the half-time show and grew frustrated that he couldn't watch the incident online.

In response, he and his friends Steve Chen and Chad Hurley began coding a website where people could upload their own content. That site would end up being YouTube.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Summary: The Superbowl half time show is arguably the largest entertainment platform in the world. Its history began with marching bands and has since hosted some of the biggest and most famous performances. Lady Gaga is the next headliner, and she has been working hard to ensure a great performance.


Summary: Lady Gaga is leading the Superbowl halftime show this year. She has a lot of competition from previous headliners such as Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and Michael Jackson. We will see what she packs into her 12-minute segment.


Summary: Lady Gaga is performing at this year's Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is arguably one of the defining moments of any performer's career. While Gaga is putting in ample effort to wow the crowds, it may be hard to compete against the likes of Prince, Michael Jackson, and the infamous Janet.


Summary: Lady Gaga is leading the Sunday’s Super Bowl stage. She has a high standard to follow, including notable performances by Prince in 2007, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and the empowering Beyonce. Also Katy Perry and Janet Jackson performed with troubles during their show.


Excrement thrown at the statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes has triggered a wave of protests across South Africa against 'racist' historical figures.

Memorials to South Africa's colonial past were defaced by mainly young black protesters as statues of British monarchs Queen Victoria and King George V were splashed with paint in the cities of Port Elizabeth and Durban respectively.

Vandals poured paint over Scottish-South African missionary Andrew Murray's statue in the Western Cape.

War memorials were also defaced. A bronze rider marking the Anglo-Boer War from 1899 to 1902, was toppled from his horse.

Object of anger: This statue of Queen Victoria outside the Port Elizabeth city library in South Africa is among a number of memorials to British colonials that have been vandalised during protests against 'racist' figures.

A statue of a British soldier lays on the ground after being broken off its base in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The defaced statue of British mining magnate and politician, Cecil John Rhodes, is lifted by a crane, from its position at the University of Cape Town (left), while (right) a chair marks the spot on the plinth where the decades old bronze statue stood before it was vandalised.

In the latest demonstration, vandals smeared paint the figure of a young Mohandas Gandhi.

Standing in the square in downtown Johannesburg named for Mahatma Gandhi, the memorial marks the Indian anti-colonial leader's time in South Africa, where he formulated the principle of passive resistance.

The protester, who smudged white paint on Gandhi's cloak, accused him of being racist during his time in the country.

Founding fathers of Afrikaner nationalism were also targeted.

In Pretoria, the memorial of 19th century Afrikaner leader Paul Kruger was twice daubed with bright green paint, while the statue of Marthinus Pretorius, who founded the capital city, was splashed with reddish brown paint, according to local media reports.

The statue of Louis Botha, the president of the South African Union in the early 1900s, was smeared with red and blue paint outside parliament in Cape Town on the same day that the Rhodes sculpture was removed from its perch overlooking the University of Cape Town after weeks of student protest.

In the Free State province, a statue of Boer General Jan Fick was splashed with red paint in the town named after him in 1883, Ficksburg.

Another statue is cleaned down after being splashed with green paint on Pretoria's Church Square.

Security guards (left) walk past a statue of former South African statesman and Afrikaner leader Louis Botha, which has been defaced with red paint outside the South African parliament building in Cape Town.

Several people have been arrested and local authorities have spent thousands of dollars cleaning up the statues.

The opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, has come out in support of its members who have claimed responsibility for these acts of vandalism.

It comes days after white solidarity groups held protests over the removal of a statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes from the University of Cape Town after it was daubed with excrement.

Members of the university council ordered that the bronze sculpture be removed after hearing its presence made black students feel uncomfortable and was seen a symbol of historical white oppression.

The defaced statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes is tied by straps to a crane before its removal at the University of Cape Town. It follows weeks of protests at the university over the symbolism of the statue.

The monument has been vandalised in recent weeks. It has not yet been decided where it will be moved.

The government backed the move, with Sandile Memela, the spokesman for the arts and culture ministry, saying they are working to see if the country can take an 'official position' on statues and other colonial symbols.

'It marks a significant... shift where the country deals with its ugly past in a positive and constructive way', he said to press agency AFP, adding the government did not encourage the violent removal of statues.

But the decision to move the monument of Rhodes – a 19th century imperialist who critics say helped pave the way for apartheid – has sparked protests in itself.

The youth wing of white Afrikaner solidarity group AfriForum handed a memorandum to parliament in Cape Town to 'demand protection' for their heritage.

The same statue was covered in plastic bags after protests by students and staff at the university in March.

The university's council heard that black students felt uncomfortable because of the bronze monument.

Politician and businessman Cecil Rhodes is called a 'racist' by his opponents.

Born in 1853, he made his fortune in diamond mines, and entered into politics as an outspoken supporter of colonialism. He later founded Rhodesia - modern-day Zimbabwe - which was named after him.

He believed England was the 'master race', and wanted to draw a 'red line' railway from Cairo to Cape Town for the British Empire - spanning the entire continent of Africa.

While his supporters say he brought political and physical infrastructure to South Africa, others say his actions laid the groundwork for apartheid by restricting the rights of black Africans to work.

While they are not recognised as supporters of Rhodes, statues of their heroes have been attacked during the university protests.

A monument of former president Paul Kruger was splattered with paint, and Afrikaner men, some of them in quasi-military outfits, demonstrated next to it on Wednesday.

'The Afrikaner is -- from a historical perspective -- increasingly being portrayed as criminals and land thieves,' solidary group Afriforum said in a statement.

'If the heritage of the Afrikaner is not important to Government, our youth members will preserve our own heritage.'

It has not been decided where the statue of Rhodes will end up, although it will likely be held in a museum.

But as tension grow on campuses about the statues of historical South African figures, Jonathan Jansen – the first black vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State – denied that there was a race war coming.

He wrote in South African newspaper The Times on Thursday: 'The reason is simple: the overwhelming majority of South Africans, black and white, believe in a middle path somewhere between reconciliation and social justice.'

Cecil Rhodes, pictured on the right, in 1896 in Rhodesia with an unknown companion and a black manservant.

People look the defaced statue of former South African president Paul Kruger in Church Square, Pretoria.

Summary: Excrement thrown at the statue of Cecil John Rhodes started a rash of similar vandalism of British and Afrikan statues across South Africa. The vandals cited racism and a history of white colonialism as motives for defacing the statues.


Summary: The throwing of excrement at a statue in South Africa has triggered protests aimed at "racist historical figures".  Several individuals have been reported to have been arrested as the government doles out money to clean up the defacings.


Summary: Young black protesters triggered a wave of protests across South Africa against “racist” historical figures. The protests started when excrement was thrown at the Cecil John Rhodes Statue, which led to the vandalizing of more historical figures. Several people have been arrested, and thousands of dollars were spent to clean the statues.


David Cameron became "distracted" after the 2011 intervention in Libya, US President Barack Obama has said.

Speaking to the Atlantic magazine, he said the operation went as well as he had hoped, but Libya was now "a mess".

The article also said he had warned the PM the UK would have to pay its "fair share" and spend 2% of GDP on defence.

In response, Number 10 said there were "many difficult challenges" in Libya, while the White House said it deeply valued the UK's contributions.

Downing Street did not comment on President Obama's remark to the PM about defence spending, reportedly made before Chancellor George Osborne said the government would fulfil a Nato pledge to spend 2% of national income on defence last year.

In response to the interview, a spokesman for the US National Security Council said Mr Cameron had been "as close a partner as the president has had" adding that "we deeply value the UK's contributions on our shared national security and foreign policy objectives".

BBC North America editor Jon Sopel said the unsolicited statement put out by the White House suggested Downing Street had reacted angrily to the article.

"It's like we've seen a curtain drawn back on the unspun thoughts of President Obama, complete with frustration as well, and what we've seen tonight is the White House trying to close the curtain as quickly as it can," he added.

The toppling of the Gaddafi regime in Libya - following UN-backed air strikes designed to protect civilians - led to a power vacuum and instability, with no authority in full control.

The intervention was led by the UK and France - and in his interview, Mr Obama reflects on "what went wrong", saying: "There's room for criticism, because I had more faith in the Europeans, given Libya's proximity, being invested in the follow-up."

Mr Cameron, he said, became "distracted by a range of other things". He also criticised former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, saying he had tried to claim the spotlight.

The former French president, he said, "wanted to trumpet the flights he was taking in the air campaign, despite the fact that we had wiped out all the air defences and essentially set up the entire infrastructure" for the intervention.

President Obama said the intervention "averted large-scale civilian casualties (and) prevented what almost surely would have been a prolonged and bloody civil conflict". But he added: "And despite all that, Libya is a mess."

He also criticised what he called "free riders" in the interview, saying European and Gulf countries were calling for action against Gaddafi, adding: "But what has been a habit over the last several decades in these circumstances is people pushing us to act but then showing an unwillingness to put any skin in the game."

Despite efforts to support Libya's National Transitional Council, and the first elections in the country for decades, it rapidly descended into violence, with two rival governments and the formation of hundreds of militias, some allied to so-called Islamic State.

In January, Mr Cameron told MPs the "Libyan people were given the opportunity" to build a stable democracy - and it was a matter of "huge regret" they had not taken it.

He stressed that - unlike in Iraq - the post-conflict planning was locally driven.

"Gaddafi was bearing down on people in Benghazi and threatening to shoot his own people like rats," he said. "An international coalition came together to protect those people and to help the Libyan people, who then got rid of Gaddafi.

"And they had an opportunity to build what they said they wanted."

Responding to President Obama's interview, Downing Street said "coming to the aid of innocent civilians who were being tortured and killed by their leader was the right thing to do".

The government has tried to support stability in Libya and is "working hard to support the UN-led process to establish a stable and inclusive government that will allow them to build a peaceful future", a spokesman said.

"But ultimately a positive outcome for Libya is not just up to the international community - this process needs to be led by the Libyan people," he added.

The US National Security Council spokesman added: "With respect to Libya, the president has long said that all of us - including the United States - could have done more in the aftermath of the Libyan intervention."

He said the UK had "stepped up on a range of issues" including meeting the 2% commitment and pressing other Nato members to do the same.

Former Conservative Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said it was "a bit rich" for the US president to single out the UK and France, as they had carried out more air operations in the Libya campaign than any other country.

15 February 2011 - Protests against Colonel Gaddafi's regime erupt in Libya

20 February - Anti-Gaddafi rebels seize control of Libya's second city Benghazi

21 February - David Cameron, on a tour of the Middle East, condemns violence by the Gaddafi regime. Over the next few days he faces criticism over the government's handling of the evacuation of Britons from Libya

28 February: Mr Cameron asks the Ministry of Defence to "work with our allies on plans for a military no-fly zone" over Libya

2 March: Mr Cameron is forced to defend the no-fly zone plan after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates dismisses the idea as "loose talk"

14 March: Mr Cameron insists it is "perfectly deliverable" - and denies he is having trouble convincing other EU leaders, with the exception of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, of the need for one

17 March: The UN Security Council votes to impose a no-fly zone over Libya

19 March: The RAF begins bombing raids alongside French and US jets, with logistical support from several Arab nations

21 March: MPs vote to authorise UK military action, which is backed by then Labour leader Ed Miliband

21 August: Rebel fighters enter Tripoli. Mr Cameron cuts short his summer holiday in Cornwall to hold a meeting of the National Security Council and makes a statement outside Downing Street saying: "Gaddafi must stop fighting - without conditions - and clearly show that he has given up any claim to control Libya."

1 September: Libya's interim rulers meet world leaders in Paris to discuss reshaping Libya, as Gaddafi urges his supporters to fight on

15 September: Speaking in Benghazi's Tahrir square, Mr Cameron praises the way Libya's interim authority has taken charge but warns the "hardest part" is still to come

20 October: Gaddafi is captured and killed by rebel fighters in the city of Sirte

Summary: US President Barack Obama criticizes the UK and France on their lack of continuing support in Libya after joint effort military support overturned Colonel Gaddafi regime and left a power vacuum. Many feel this is unfair, and it's not clear who is to blame, only that Libya was left a mess after Gaddafi's capture.


Summary: President Obama criticizes UK prime minister David Cameron for not paying his fair share in defense spending, and for not doing more to ensure the Libia operation went smoothly. Obama admits that the process to oust Ghaddafi went as well as expected, it was the follow-up that needed work.


Summary: US President Barack Obama has unveiled his innermost thoughts about British Prime Minister David Cameron's assistance regarding intervention in Libya. While the US National Security counsel was quick to release a statement lauding Cameron and the UK as valued partners, Obama stated previously that he felt Cameron was "distracted" and reluctant to participate.


Summary: David Cameron became distracted after 2011 challenges in Libya due to statements put out b the White House, though the UK and France lead the intervention. Cameron had distractions when making efforts to support Libya and regretted the range of issues carried out after the air campaign.


League One play-off chasing Millwall missed the chance to make significant ground on the top six as they were held to a goalless draw by Walsall.

The hosts had the better chances as Lee Gregory volleyed over and Steve Morison headed Shane Ferguson's cross wide.

Walsall's best chance saw Florent Cuvelier long-range strike held by Millwall goalkeeper Jordan Archer.

Substitute Aiden O'Brien fired over from long range as Millwall closed the gap on the play-offs to four points.

Match ends, Millwall 0, Walsall 0.

Second Half ends, Millwall 0, Walsall 0.

Delay in match Jason McCarthy (Walsall) because of an injury.

Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).

Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Shaun Cummings (Millwall).

Simeon Jackson (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Corner,  Walsall. Conceded by Shaun Cummings.

Foul by Aiden O'Brien (Millwall).

Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.

Substitution, Walsall. Will Randall-Hurren replaces Erhun Oztumer.

Attempt missed. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.

Foul by Ben Thompson (Millwall).

Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).

Substitution, Walsall. Kieron Morris replaces Florent Cuvelier.

Attempt missed. Joe Edwards (Walsall) header from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Joe Edwards (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Fred Onyedinma (Millwall) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Joe Edwards (Walsall).

Attempt blocked. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Substitution, Walsall. Simeon Jackson replaces Amadou Bakayoko.

Substitution, Millwall. Fred Onyedinma replaces Jed Wallace.

Substitution, Millwall. Aiden O'Brien replaces Shane Ferguson.

Steve Morison (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall).

Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Eoghan O'Connell.

Attempt blocked. Ben Thompson (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Corner,  Millwall. Conceded by Eoghan O'Connell.

Attempt missed. Joe Edwards (Walsall) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Foul by Florent Cuvelier (Walsall).

Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall).

Isaiah Osbourne (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Lee Gregory (Millwall) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Foul by Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall).

Second Half begins Millwall 0, Walsall 0.

First Half ends, Millwall 0, Walsall 0.

Summary: Intense League One Match between Millwall and Walsall included a player injury, and maximum effort from both sides, but ends in a draw with neither team scoring any points.


Summary: Play-by-play of the League One tournament between Millwall and Walsall. Neither party retained a score during the first half. They began the second half with zero points for both teams.


Summary: Millwall FC was held to a goalless draw by Walsall FC. Millwall had a chance to close in on the top 6 of the table with a victory, but that opportunity is now squandered. Millwall had better scoring chances than Walsall but neither side could convert.