Oman and Afghanistan have grabbed the last two places in next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament in India.

Afghanistan overcame Papua New Guinea by six wickets with 10 balls to spare at Malahide, Dublin, to qualify for the event for the fourth successive time.
Oman then beat Namibia by five wickets at the same venue to qualify for their first major global cricket tournament.
The victory also means Oman have been granted Twenty20 international status by the International Cricket Council.
Oman are coached by former Sri Lanka captain Duleep Mendis, and have also recently recruited ex-England all-rounder Derek Pringle as a technical advisor.
They joined the ICC as an affiliate member in 2000, gaining associate status last year, and can now look forward to their first appearance at international cricket's top table.
The 16 teams taking part in India have now been confirmed as the 10 Test-playing teams plus Scotland, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Oman.
The World T20 Qualifier continues with ICC ranking points at stake - with Scotland meeting Hong Kong and Ireland facing the Dutch in Saturday's semi-finals, with the winners meeting in Sunday's final.
Oman and Afghanistan will face off for fifth and sixth place on Saturday.


A soft drinks firm will shut one of its factories in Blaenau Gwent this week, putting 67 jobs at risk.

A G Barr will close its drinks carton plant in Tredegar on Friday and switch production to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
Last year the firm said the decision followed a "comprehensive review of existing operations".
It said Tredegar staff would be offered the chance to relocate where 27 jobs would be created in the town.
A spokesman for the company said: "We thank all of our Tredegar employees for their commitment and professionalism during and post the consultation period and we fully acknowledge the contribution that the team has made to the success of the business."


Mark Zuckerberg has moved quickly to put a digital bargepole between himself and one of Facebook's influential and well-regarded board members.

He was attempting to limit the damage caused by a tweet that could have far-reaching consequences as he continues to expand Facebook around the world.
When Marc Andreessen dismissed India's decision to block Facebook's "free" mobile internet scheme as "anti-colonialism", he stoked the fears of those who believe Zuckerberg's stated philanthropic ambitions are actually a front for his desire to dominate the internet in the developing world.
"I found the comments deeply upsetting," Zuckerberg wrote on Tuesday, as uproar grew.
"They do not represent the way Facebook or I think at all."
Andreessen, an early Facebook investor, has apologised - and deleted his tweet.
It's damaging because it hits right to heart of what is a perennial problem for Facebook: trust.
In the developed world, every privacy policy change and feature addition is met with fierce investigation.
And that's because people want to know why? Why, for instance, does Facebook use face-recognition software on our photos? Why does Facebook insist we use our real names?
The answer - to help us organise our digital and real lives - is only partially satisfactory to some.
That may be so, users say, but... why else?
In the developing world this suspicion is more fraught.
Of the world's top 100 billionaires, Zuckerberg currently comes in at number eight. Much of Facebook's value, and therefore his, is down to the phenomenal growth the network has enjoyed since its launch in 2004.
This needs to continue, but with more than half of the entire online world already using Facebook, it needs to expand deeper into emerging economies.
It's why Zuckerberg spent $22bn (£15.2bn) to buy messaging service Whatsapp. It's likely why he has wooed China by going to great lengths to learn Mandarin.
And it's why he gave up his trademark hoody and jeans to instead wear a suit to welcome the Indian Prime Minister to Facebook's campus last year.
If he was going to be accepted in India, he needed to build bridges and gain trust.
And it's why Marc Andreessen's comment, as a member of Facebook's board, is so damaging - it's put Zuckerberg once again on the back foot.
Because colonialism, albeit digital, is precisely what some in India were afraid of.
The suggestion by Andreessen that India, with its history, should somehow be pro-colonialism was treated by many as absurd.
In centuries gone by, colonialism was about exploitation of resources. In the modern world, it's digital - moving in, setting up companies and building insurmountable user bases before any other company can.
That's arguably an extreme interpretation of the purpose of Free Basics - but it's the argument made by local businesses to India's telecoms regulator.
An Indian social network wouldn't stand a chance against free Facebook, they said, and websites that are not part of the Free Basics scheme would lose out. The regulator agreed when it ruled in favour of net neutrality.
As did many Western onlookers. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which campaigns for an open internet, said Facebook was doing what it could to open up the Free Basics scheme to local companies, the inherent flaw of the program was that Facebook remained the sole gatekeeper.
After Free Basics was banned, Zuckerberg said he was "disappointed" but wouldn't give up.
There's no suggestion Andreessen's comments represented anything other than his own, loosely tweeted thoughts. But these weren't the words of a random member of staff - he's on the board, and has influence.
"Facebook stands for helping to connect people and giving them voice to shape their own future," Zuckerberg wrote on Wednesday.
Do people trust him? After this week, perhaps fewer will.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook


People who are the victims of so-called "vishing" scams cannot always rely on their bank to compensate them, a study has suggested.

In nearly two-thirds of cases the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) found that banks were not responsible for victims' losses.
It looked at 200 examples of the telephone fraud, in which account holders lost up to £100,000 each.
But it ruled that the bank was liable for those losses in only 37% of cases.
In 63% of them, consumers were left without compensation, having, in effect, given their own money away.
As a result it is warning that account holders need to be much more aware of the risks.
"We really want to share what we are seeing in the complaints we handle, and encourage people to get talking about scams with their friends and relatives so they become more alert to the risks," said Caroline Wayman, the chief ombudsman.
"Vishing" - or voice phishing - occurs when fraudsters phone up, posing as the police or the victim's bank. Last year the scam cost customers £24m, according to Financial Fraud Action.
Usually the fraudsters persuade their victims to move money from their account.
Often they do this by telling customers to phone their bank immediately. However the fraudster stays on the line, tricking the victim into thinking they are talking to their bank directly.
This is known as a "no hang up" scam.
Banks will never
source: FOS
The FOS found that 80% of consumers conned out of their cash were over the age of 55.
But it is a grey area for banks, who have also lost millions of pounds.
Some banks do pay compensation, while others do not.
"Every case is slightly different," said a spokesperson for the British Bankers Association.
"That's why banks look into the details of each case, rather than having a blanket policy for all instances of vishing," he said.


A man has been jailed for two years in the first case of a man holding his wife in domestic servitude.

Safraz Ahmed, 34, of Elliscombe Road, Charlton, south-east London, beat and threatened to kill Sumara Iram, 28, whom he married in Pakistan in 2012.
Ms Iram, who tried to take her own life, was tortured for 18 months before raising the alarm in August 2014.
Ahmed was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of holding a person in servitude and assault causing actual bodily harm.
The jury heard an arranged marriage was agreed in 2006 before the couple wed six years later. After Ms Iram came to the UK, a second official wedding ceremony was held in February 2013.
Ahmed first attacked his wife soon after the ceremony when he was asked to consummate the marriage.
Prosecutor Caroline Haughey said he slapped her across the face calling her "a whore" and "a shameless woman", adding "he had married her so she could look after his mother and his house".
Another time Ms Iram needed surgery when he punched her face.
She did all the chores, looked after other people's children and was not allowed to leave home.
She lived a "life of violence, intimidation and misery" and when she took an overdose of painkillers instead of being taken to hospital she was told to be sick before being taken to a wedding, the jury heard.
Ahmed was arrested in February 2014 after neighbours saw him drag the victim by her hair, but he then apologised to her and her family in Pakistan, the court heard.
Ms Iram raised the alarm in August by calling 999.
The pair separated that September before their divorce was formalised earlier this year.
Following the verdict, Damaris Lakin, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This is a ground-breaking case which demonstrates how far we have come in tackling modern-day slavery.
"We believe this is the first conviction in England and Wales of a husband for holding his wife in servitude."
In sentencing Ahmed, Judge Christopher Hehir told him: "She was bullied and controlled by you, given little money and expected to cook, clean and look after your family as if she was a skivvy.
"She described your behaviour as physical and mental torture and in my judgment she was right."
In a victim impact statement Ms Iram, said: "It seemed my only purpose was to serve these people and I was of no value at all. I felt dehumanised."
Cathy Ryan, defending, said Ahmed had gone into the marriage in "good faith" but had become "frustrated".
Judge Hehir told Ahmed cultural differences did not excuse his actions.


A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a man two days before Christmas.

Twenty-four-year-old Aldis Minakovskis is alleged to have stabbed Aigars Upenieks last week at a block of flats in Dundee's Menzieshill area.
He made no plea at Dundee Sheriff Court and was remanded in custody.
Mr Upenieks was found badly injured in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He later died at Ninewells Hospital.


The story that Cleopatra, ancient queen of Egypt, was killed by a snake bite has been rejected as "impossible" by University of Manchester academics.

Egyptologists and snake experts have combined to examine the plausibility of the tale of the queen being killed by a cobra hidden in a basket of figs.
They believe a snake big enough to kill the queen and two maids would not have been small enough to be concealed.
They also challenge the credibility of three consecutive fatal bites.
Cleopatra, who died at the age of 39 in 30BC, was a ruler of Egypt who became embroiled in power struggles within the Roman empire.
But her story and her death have become part of popular legend, portrayed in fictional form from Hollywood epics to Carry On films and television comedy.
From Roman sources onwards, her death has often been attributed to a poisonous snake or "asp", with the queen using the fatal bite as a way of ending her own life.
But Egyptologist Joyce Tyldesley and Andrew Gray, curator of herpetology at Manchester Museum, say the supposed culprit - a cobra - would have been too physically big to be concealed in the way that has been portrayed.
They are typically 5-6ft long and can grow to 8ft (2.5m), and the Manchester experts reject the idea such a snake could be hidden in the way suggested.
Even if such a snake had been smuggled in to Cleopatra, they say it would have been very unlikely that it could have killed Cleopatra and two of her servants in quick succession.
"Not only are cobras too big, but there's just a 10% chance you would die from a snake bite: most bites are dry bites that don't inject venom," said Mr Gray.
"That's not to say they aren't dangerous: the venom causes necrosis and will certainly kill you, but quite slowly.
"So it would be impossible to use a snake to kill two or three people one after the other.
"Snakes use venom to protect themselves and for hunting - so they conserve their venom and use it in times of need."
Dr Tyldesley, author of Cleopatra: Egypt's Last Queen, is a contributor to a free online course - a Mooc - about ancient Egypt made by the university.
The course, A History of Ancient Egypt, is being launched next week and will study Egypt from before the pharaohs through the relationships with Greece and Rome and ending with Cleopatra.


(Close): Shares on Wall Street ended the day little changed, although the tech-heavy Nasdaq did edge up to another record high.

The Dow Jones index finished 0.19% ahead at 20,090.29 points, while the Nasdaq closed up 0.19% at 5,674.22.
The S&P 500 just managed to scrape an increase, closing up 0.02% at 2.293.08.
Oil prices fell on Tuesday, pushed down by higher stockpiles in the US, and as a result energy company shares came under pressure.
Brent Crude dropped by 1.7% to $54.79 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate Crude fell by 2.2% to $51.86.
Shares in Chevron closed down by 1.41% and Exxon Mobil was 0.65% lower.
"If we are going into a quarter or two of lower energy prices... the story of improving earnings for the S&P 500, with the help of improving earnings in energy companies, may be suspect," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management.
Shares in luxury handbag maker Michael Kors saw the biggest fall on the S&P, losing 10.8%.
Earlier the firm had reported disappointing third-quarter sales and cut its full-year revenue  forecasts.
Also on the S&P, General Motors ended the day 4.7% lower after the carmaker posted a fall in net profits.


A town centre in Oxfordshire was cordoned off by police and fire crews after a "suspected chemical incident".

Ten people were treated at the scene for coughs and breathing difficulties in Henley-on-Thames following a suspected gas leak at WH Smith.
Emergency services were called to Bell Street at 14:36 BST and cordons are in place in Duke Street, Bell Street and Market Place.
The cause of the incident is not yet known.
Thames Valley Police said customers treated by medics came out of WH Smith "coughing and with streaming eyes".
Hazardous materials operatives remain at the scene but Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue has not elaborated on the cause or what the "chemical incident" was.
Cordons have since been lifted.


A new rule in France allowing horses with female jockeys to carry less weight has been labelled "unfair", "offensive" and "patronising".

Governing body France Galop will allow 2kg (4.4lbs) less in the saddle to encourage use of female riders.
Group One-winning jockey Hayley Turner wants "more subtle" help, adding: "It seems a bit unfair on the lads."
The British Horseracing Authority noted the move "with great interest" but has "currently no plans" to do the same.
Jean-Pierre Colombu, vice president of France Galop, said the rule change provided a "real opportunity" for female riders.
There are 53 female and 354 male professional jockeys in Britain.
Around 90% of races in France will be subject to the rule change, though listed and group races will be exempt.
Apprentice and conditional jockeys in the UK are given a weight allowance, which in theory combats their inexperience by reducing the burden on a horse.
But leading male jockey Adam Kirby believes a 2kg reduction for women would be too much.
Kirby said: "It's ridiculous, isn't it? 4lbs is two lengths. I appreciate women might not be as strong as boys, but riding in races is not about strength, it's about positioning, rhythm and things like that."
In 94 years of the British flat racing Champion Apprentice title, only three female riders in Turner, Amy Ryan and Josephine Gordon - in 2016 - have won the honour.
Gordon, who turned professional in November and has eight wins this season, believes there will be a female champion jockey in the next 15 years.
She said: "I think an allowance would give a lot more females more opportunities to get rides at lower weights, but personally, I find it a bit offensive.
"Last year I had a claim and was competing against the male apprentices and I won it fair and square."
Jane Elliott, who has four wins from her last eight rides, described the French move as "a bit patronising".
"If you did get a 4lb allowance, I'd be expecting to get five rides a day in handicaps," she said. "It's such a big amount of weight to be giving jockeys."
Turner, who became the first woman to ride 100 winners in a calendar year in 2008, added: "I very much doubt it will happen in the UK. I'd be disappointed if it did, to be honest."
The BHA intends to speak to French authorities and the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) before deciding if it should "consult more widely across our sport".
The governing body claims as many women have graduated as apprentices as men in recent years.
The PJA said it was "unaware" the rule change was coming in France, adding: "The feedback we've had is that it isn't something the majority of our female members would want.
"There are plenty of female riders out there who are at least as good as their peers, and we have no doubt that such a weight allowance would put them at a significant advantage and increase their opportunities.
"Whether it is the right thing to do or is necessary is another matter, but it is important we canvass the views of our members, which we will do."
But jump jockey Lucy Alexander, the first female to become champion conditional in 2012-13, said she would "welcome" the change, adding: "The BHA should look at it."


Steph Curry scored 36 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 96-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and into the NBA Finals.

The Warriors were down by 13 points during the first half but fought back in the third quarter.
The 4-3 win meant Golden State became only the 10th team to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win a play-off series.
The defending champions will now face a title rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers and star player LeBron James.
"We survived by the skin of our teeth," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr. "We were able to pull it out, and we're moving on."
Warriors host the Cavaliers in the first game of the best-of-seven finals on Thursday, hoping to repeat their 4-2 success in the 2015 finals.


Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been cleared to return early from his five-year ban for spot-fixing.

Left-armer Amir, 22, was jailed for six months and banned from all cricket for his part in a spot-fixing scam during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.
He delivered pre-arranged no balls at Lord's in a plot that also saw Mohammad Asif and captain Salman Butt banned.
Amir's ban was due to expire on 2 September, 2015 but he has been cleared to play domestic cricket in Pakistan.
"It's a new life for me and you will see not only Mohammad Amir as a better cricketer but also a better human being," he said.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the head of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (Acsu), approved Amir's domestic return.
An ICC statement read: "Sir Ronnie Flanagan, with the prior approval of the ICC board and the Pakistan Cricket Board, has exercised his discretion to allow Mohammad Amir to return to domestic cricket played under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board with immediate effect."
It added that Flanagan "was satisfied" that Amir had:
Before his suspension Amir took 51 wickets in 14 Test matches at an average of 29.09, and 25 wickets in 15 one-day internationals at an average of 24.
In the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal, Amir, who was 18 at the time of the incident, separated himself from his co-conspirators by admitting his guilt and showing remorse.
Fellow paceman Asif and skipper Butt repeatedly fought charges before being found guilty at Southwark Crown Court.
The latter pair were also jailed, with Asif banned from cricket for seven years (two suspended) and Butt 10 years (five suspended).


Google parent Alphabet's latest profit figures have missed forecasts, sending the tech giant's shares falling in extended trading on Wall Street.

Profits rose 8% to $5.3bn (Â£4.2bn) for the last three months of 2016, fuelled by more advertising on mobile phones and YouTube.
But analysts had expected more, and Alphabet's shares fell almost 3% .
However, revenue for the quarter topped $26bn, up 22% from the same period the year before.
Google's advertising revenue, which accounts for the bulk of its business, rose 17.4% to $22.40bn in the quarter.
Paid clicks, or clicks on Google ads, rose 36%, compared with a 33% increase in the third quarter. Paid clicks are those ads on which an advertiser pays only if a user clicks on them.
"Our growth in the fourth quarter was exceptional," Alphabet chief financial officer Ruth Porat said in a statement. "We're seeing great momentum in Google's newer investment areas and ongoing strong progress in Other Bets."
For earnings purposes, Alphabet separates operations such as self-driving cars and broadband into its Other Bets category, which nearly doubled revenue to $262m in the quarter but still posted a loss of nearly $1.1bn.
Under its new structure, Alphabet is seeking to expand beyond its role as a search engine and develop new revenues streams.
Ms Porat pointed to growth app sales, hardware and the cloud business. "We see tremendous potential ahead for these businesses, as well as in the continued development of non-advertising revenue streams for YouTube," she said.


A 75-year-old grandfather has been offered free holidays around Australia after his online advert to find a new "fishing mate" went viral.

Ray Johnstone found casting lines off South Australia's Yorke Peninsula without company had turned his lifelong passion into a solitary affair.
His online ad on a popular Australian classifieds site, in which he jokingly described his condition as "used", was posted on 19 January.
"I'm a widowed pensioner who is looking for a fishing mate," Mr Johnstone wrote. "My previous mate is now deceased."
"I am willing to share all costs, e.g. petrol, bait and should you happen to own a boat [I am] willing to pay all ramp fees, but happy if you are also a land-based fisherman."
Propelled by a social media campaign using the hashtag #IllFishWithRay, Mr Johnstone's plea rapidly spread beyond his small town of Lewiston.
His advert had gathered 14,000 views by Monday, and late on Wednesday, the number neared 100,000.
"I've had TV coverage," he tells the BBC. "I've had just about every radio station in Australia ring me up. My phone has just not stopped. I can't believe this even happened."
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Mr Johnstone's daughter Pamela has thanked people for the response, writing on Facebook that her father had "been so lonely since mum passed away".
"I just like getting out in the fresh air and keeping myself active," Mr Johnstone says.
"I don't want to end up as a vegetable like some old people do."
Since posting the advert, more than 100 people from around the country have offered to fish with Mr Johnstone.
A carpenter even offered to fly the pensioner and his grandson more than 1600km (995 miles) to Queensland for a two-day fishing trip off Stradbroke Island.
"I've had about half a dozen charter boats offer to take me and my grandson out on a charter boat," Mr Johnstone says.
"I've got about another seven or eight people lined up to go fishing afterwards."
However, he has struggled to understand the enormous attention.
"I can't see how one simple little ad caused that many people to respond," he says.
"Maybe it's because I'm 75 years old."


Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell won Great Britain's first medal at the Para World Sailing Championships after taking silver in the SKUD.

The former world champions, who have had equipment issues in Melbourne, cannot be caught by third-placed Italy.
Defending world champions Liesl Tesch and Dan Fitzgibbon took gold with a day to spare in front of their home fans.
"I think realistically this morning we knew that [silver] was the best that could happen," said Birrell.
"We sailed over some weed on day two, and then we had a problem with Alex's canting seat.
"We have to respect the fact that [the Australians] sailed really well this week and deserve their world title.
"I think the scores would have been a lot closer had it not been for the seat issue and the weed.  That being said, they sailed really well and we're going to have to find some more."


The government is to end an arrangement that allows other countries to fish in UK waters, it has been announced.

The convention allows Irish, Dutch, French, German and Belgian vessels to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of UK coastline.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the move would help take back control of fishing access to UK waters.
The European Commission said it "took note" but felt the convention had been superseded by EU law.
Ireland's minister for agriculture, food and the marine, Michael Creed, however, said it was "unwelcome and unhelpful".
"Brexit poses very serious challenges to the seafood sector and this announcement will form part of the negotiations," he said.
The Scottish government backed the idea, saying it had been pressing for it "for some time".
The London Fisheries Convention sits alongside the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which allows all European Union countries access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch.
The relationship between the UK and Ireland is further governed by a separate arrangement.
Withdrawing from the convention, which was signed in 1964 before the UK joined what became the EU, means UK vessels will also lose the right to fish in waters six to 12 nautical miles offshore of the other countries.
What happens to the 12 to 200 mile area will be one of the issues at stake in Brexit negotiations.
Michael Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr the change was about "taking back control" of UK waters, 6-12 miles from the coast.
When the UK left the EU it would become an "independent coastal state", he said.
He said the EU's common fisheries policy had been an environmental disaster and the government wanted to change that, upon Brexit, to ensure sustainable fish stocks in future.
But the SNP's Richard Lochhead, who held the post of fisheries minister in Scotland until last year, has concerns around fishing being used as a "bargaining chip" by the government, which would "let down UK fishermen".
"Michael Gove is doing his best to get maximum publicity out of the easy bit," he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend. "But the difficult, complex bit is still to come [with] the Common Fisheries Policy.
UKIP's fisheries spokesman Mike Hookem also said he feared another "wholesale betrayal" without assurances about the 200-mile zone.
"Fishing communities across Britain voted to leave the EU to get back the rights to earn a living, support their communities and to stop the EU plundering our seas of fish that the UK could exploit economically," he said.
He added that the announcement was "no victory for the fishing community" and was instead a "government attempt to use smoke and mirrors to placate British fishermen, while at the same time having the option of handing most our fishing rights to the EU".
Government figures say fishing contributed Â£604m to UK GDP in 2015 and employed around 12,000 fishers. In 2016, the fish processing industry supported around 18,000 jobs.
The industry's body, the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, welcomed the decision.
Chief executive Barrie Deas said: "This is welcome news and an important part of establishing the UK as an independent coastal state with sovereignty over its own exclusive economic zone."
Its chairman Mike Cohen said a 12-mile exclusive zone for UK boats would be "a good thing" for the UK's inshore fishing fleet.
Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK head of oceans, said leaving the convention would not in itself deliver a better future for the UK fishing industry, and that for years governments had blamed the EU for their "failure" to support the small-scale, sustainable fishers.
He said, for example, that the UK had had the power since 2013 to decide how to allocate its EU fishing quota but that a report by Greenpeace in 2016 had found almost two thirds of that quota was concentrated in the hands of three companies.
He said the UK would also still be bound by the UN convention of the law of the seas - which requires cooperation with neighbours.
But Mr McCallum said he was "excited" that the government was making fishing a priority, after fearing fishing communities would end up "at the bottom of the heap" amidst complex Brexit negotiations.
Environmental law firm ClientEarth consultant Dr Tom West said the move appeared to be an aggressive negotiating tactic.
"As a country outside the EU we need to consider how we can best co-operate with our neighbours, rather than unilaterally withdrawing from all agreements in the hope that standing alone will make us better."


Huddersfield head coach David Wagner has signed a new two-year deal after guiding the club to the Premier League for the first time.

Wagner, 46, was appointed on a 12-month rolling contract in November 2015.
After a 19th-placed finish in the German's first season, the ex-Borussia Dortmund II coach led the Terriers to fifth last term before beating Reading in the Championship play-off final.
Wagner's assistant Christophe Buehler has also signed a new contract.
Huddersfield's first Premier League game is away to Crystal Palace on Saturday, 12 August.
The club have signed Belgian striker Laurent Depoitre and Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy, for a club-record fee, so far this summer.
Chairman Dean Hoyle told BBC Radio Leeds: "Without David being the coach of this football club last year, Huddersfield Town would not be in the Premier League. He defied all odds.
"The contract is a reward for the loyalty he has given the club."


Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors after an earthquake hit central Italy on Wednesday morning, killing 240 and leaving thousands homeless.

Large diggers and other equipment are being used to find people in the ruins of buildings, following the 6.2 magnitude quake.
Many people have been found alive by rescuers including a 10 year-old girl who was pulled from rubble after being trapped for 17 hours.
Several aftershocks have been felt since the initial earthquake and people are worried another large quake could strike.
A number of towns and villages have now been evacuated to make sure if there are any more quakes people aren't in danger of being trapped.
Emergency rescue teams will remain to keep searching for survivors but evacuated residents have been moved to the safety of temporary camps away from the danger area.


A man who stole £60,000 from the Dundee veterans charity he launched has been jailed for 13 months.

James Reilly, 66, from Balmullo in Fife, embezzled the money from the Tayforth Veterans Project between 24 February 2012 and 29 October 2013.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Reilly told police he was "up to my ears" in debt.
Following the case, a former volunteer at the charity described Reilly as "a pathological liar".
Reilly set up the charity in 2011, with television presenter Lorraine Kelly appearing at the launch in Dundee.
The charity had the aim of supporting former service personnel with mental health, housing, employment, training and benefits issues.
Depute fiscal Joanne Smith told the court that donations to the charity were deposited into an account that only Reilly had access to.
The prosecutor said that the charity's trustees seemed "unaware of their roles and responsibilities" and only held meetings annually.
Ms Smith said Reilly would get blank cheques signed by a trustee and "this raised suspicions".
She said: "He was often getting work done at home despite having no income."
Ms Smith said an investigation showed loan repayments were being made from the account, which Reilly was not entitled to carry out.
Following his arrest, Reilly told police he had done nothing wrong and blamed the state of the accounts on the former trustees.
Asked if he was in debt, Reilly replied: "I'm up to my ears in it."
Billy Boyle, defending, said: "There is an audit trail here, showing how stupid he was.
"There are no hidden vices here, like drinking or gambling.
"He has brought a great deal of shame and remorse on his family.
"This is a cataclysmic event and he is aware of your lordship's sentencing options.
"As a bomb disposal man he has been through worse than this and if it is a prison sentence, he will put his head down and get on with it."
Sheriff Alastair Brown said: "The sense of betrayal to your former comrades is evident looking at the public benches.
"The only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment. Those betrayed would want it to be a long sentence
"That is a legitimate, but emotional reaction."
Speaking outside the court, Les Mason, a former volunteer at the charity said: "The man's a pathological liar.
"By pleading guilty, he kept the witnesses from going in the witness box and letting the judge know exactly what type of person he is, with no regard whatsoever for veterans."


Mexico will not pay for Donald Trump's border wall, the country's president has said in a message to the nation.

Enrique Pena Nieto said he "lamented" the plans for the barrier, adding that "Mexico doesn't believe in walls".
But he made no mention of cancelling or postponing a trip to Washington on 31 January to meet the new US president.
Mr Trump has signed an executive order for an "impassable physical barrier" and has insisted Mexico will reimburse the US for it.
Mr Pena Nieto told the nation in a televised address: "I've said time and again; Mexico won't pay for any wall.
"I regret and condemn the decision of the United States to continue construction of a wall that, for years, has divided us instead of uniting us."
But Mr Pena Nieto said his country offered "its friendship to the American people and its willingness to reach accords with their government".
Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray - in Washington to lead a delegation that has held talks at the White House - told the Televisa network the president was still weighing next Tuesday's visit but said "the meeting stands for now".
Mr Pena Nieto met Mr Trump - then a presidential candidate - in Mexico City in September and came under intense criticism at home and his current approval ratings are low.
How realistic is Donald Trump's wall?
What do Mexicans say?
What will happen to US-Mexico ties?
Mr Trump said in an interview with ABC News that Mexico would "absolutely, 100%" reimburse the US for his wall.
But Congress would have to approve funding for the structure, which is estimated to cost billions of dollars.
Building a 2,000 mile (3,200km) barrier along the Mexican border was one of Mr Trump's key pledges in the election campaign.
He spoke of a "crisis" on the southern US border as he signed the directives during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday.
The orders also called for hiring 10,000 immigration officials to help boost border patrol efforts.
"A nation without borders is not a nation," he said. "Beginning today the United States gets back control of its borders."
The executive orders are among a flurry expected on national and border security this week.
What has Trump done so far?
The immigration topic Trump is avoiding
Mr Trump is next expected to announce immigration restrictions from seven countries with Muslim-majority populations in the Middle East and Africa. This could affect refugee programmes.
These countries are believed to be Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
In other developments:


Anti-Semitic hate crime in the UK increased by more than a third last year, with recorded incidents now at record levels, charity figures suggest.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors anti-Semitism, recorded 1,309 incidents in 2016 - surpassing the previous high of 1,182 in 2014.
Mark Gardner, from the CST, said anti-Semites currently felt "emboldened".
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the government was providing Â£13.4m to increase security in Jewish areas.
The CST, which works with police to gather data, said recorded incidents last year had increased by 36% on 2015.
More than three-quarters of all recorded incidents took place in Greater London and Greater Manchester, where the two largest Jewish communities in the UK are located.
According to the CST's report:
Mark Gardner, from the CST, said the increase could be partly explained by a greater willingness to report incidents to the police.
However, he said: "Racists, including anti-Semites, feel emboldened, feel encouraged, at this moment in time, for a whole range of reasons, to come out with their hatred.
"They used to keep it under the ground. Now they're coming out. A lid has been lifted off."
The CST, which has recorded data since 1984, said a perceived increase in racism and xenophobia following the EU referendum and greater discussion of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party could explain the rise.
Ms Rudd described anti-Semitism as a "deplorable form of hatred".
She said: "It is vital we ensure the safety and security of our Jewish community and this government will continue to do all we can to stamp out these vile attacks and encourage those who experience them to come forward."
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid added: "Anti-Semitism must be understood for what it is - an attack on the identity of people who live, contribute and are valued in our society.
Last year Labour held an inquiry into allegations of anti-Semitism in the party, following the suspension of MP Naz Shah and ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone.
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said the findings of the report were "extremely distressing", adding: "We must root out anti-Semitism whenever it takes place and wherever it exists, as a party and as a country."


The winning images will be shown at Somerset House, London, from 24 April - 10 May.

The winners and runners-up in the Sony World Photography National Awards have been revealed. An expert panel selected the best image taken by a photographer from each of the 60 participating countries.
Here is a selection of some of the winners.


A letter by the author Beatrix Potter has sold for a "disappointing" amount, according to a representative of the auction house Bonhams.

The letter, recommending a gardener employed by her late mother at her home in Cumbria, is signed by H.B. Heelis, the Peter Rabbit author's married name.
Written on black-edged mourning paper, it is dated 25 March 1933.
It had been expected to go under the hammer for more than £1,000, but was sold for £750.
Simon Roberts, from Bonhams, said: "It sold for what I think was a relatively modest amount.
"We were hoping for perhaps excess of £1,000 for it so a bit disappointing on the day, but there were two bidders, and one dropped out relatively soon.
"Her letters do turn up, perhaps two or three a year might come on to the market.
"I thought this was a particularly nice one, but it didn't seem quite to grab the imagination in the way we'd hoped."
The letter was bought by a private collector from North America.
It describes gardener Benjamin Dawson as being in the service of the late Mrs Rupert Potter at Lindeth How, Storrs, Windermere, for nine years.
Mrs Heelis writes: "He has been accustomed to herbaceous border, some bedding out, green house, peach house, early vegetables, and the use of the motor lawn mower.
"Mrs Potter had a high opinion of Ben's usefulness, he is a thoroughly reliable man and strong in health."


Property will become "even more unaffordable" over the next five years creating a critical need for a house building programme, surveyors say.

Property prices and the cost of renting a home will continue to rise owing to a shortage of supply, a survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) found.
It said prices had risen for the last three months in all parts of the UK.
The number of homes put on the market has fallen every month since February.
"The legacy of the drop in new build following the onset of the global financial crisis is now really hitting home, with both the sales and letting markets continuing to show demand outstripping supply on a month by month basis," said Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at Rics.
"If the five-year projections from members regarding the outlook for both prices and rents is anything to go by, property is set to become even more unaffordable going forward making the government's focus of boosting the delivery of new homes absolutely critical."
The survey found that demand continued to outstrip supply in many parts of the UK.
Prices were rising as a result, but the fastest increase was not in London - as has been the case in recent years - but in the East of England.
East Anglia has consistently seen the fastest pace of increase in each of the last three months, Rics said.
In London, where the top end of the market is said to have been affected by changes to stamp duty, only 5% more surveyors expect prices to rise in the next three months than those predicting a fall.
The figures follow predictions from estate agent Savills which expects UK house prices to rise by 17% by the end of 2020.
This will range from a 21.6% rise in the South East of England to a 12% rise in the North East of England, the estate agent claims.
The pace of rises in interest rates would dictate the pace, distribution and sustainability of house price growth, it said.
Various surveys record UK house prices on a monthly basis, but they all have slightly different methodology.
The house price index by the Nationwide Building Society is the quickest to be released. It uses an average value for properties after considering components such as location and size. The survey is based on its own mortgage lending which represents about 13% of the market.
A survey by the Halifax, now part of Lloyds Banking Group, is published a few days later. Lloyds is the biggest mortgage lender in the UK with 20% of the market and, like the Nationwide, uses its own home loan data.
Figures from the Land Registry are widely considered to be the most robust but are published much later than the lenders' data. It calculates the price change for properties that have sold multiple times since 1995. This survey only covers England and Wales.
A survey of house prices in Scotland is published by the Registers of Scotland, using a simple average of house prices. The Land and Property Services assisted by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency produces a quarterly house price index in Northern Ireland.
The official UK statistical authority - the Office for National Statistics - is another well-regarded survey, used for reference by government. It offers a UK-wide regional breakdown. It draws on data from the regulated mortgage survey by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, so excludes cash buyers of property.
Housing market sentiment is reflected in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) survey of some of its members.
Various other publications include a Hometrack index of house prices in UK cities, and a Rightmove survey of asking prices.


Analysis of rocks in the Western Isles has provided "a tantalising clue" that Mars may contain habitats which can potentially support life.

Scientists from Scotland, Canada and US, said their studies of rocks on Barra and the Uists showed that hydrogen was formed after earthquakes.
Hydrogen is essential for supporting life, the researchers said.
The scientists said on Mars there are "Marsquakes" which may produce hydrogen in the same way as quakes on Earth.
The study, which has been published in the journal Astrobiology, was carried out by scientists from the University of Aberdeen, working alongside colleagues from Yale University in the US and Brock University in Canada.
Their research was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and has been released amid preparations for Nasa's 2018 mission to the Red Planet.
Prof John Parnell, from the University of Aberdeen's School of Geosciences, said: "Earthquakes cause friction, and our analysis of ancient rock in the Outer Hebrides has demonstrated how this creates hydrogen.
"Hydrogen is a fuel for simple microbes, so microbes could live off hydrogen created in the Earth's subsurface as a result of seismic activity.
"This is a model that could apply to any other rocky planet, and on Mars there are so-called 'Marsquakes' that may produce hydrogen and therefore could feed life in the Martian sub-surface.
"Our analysis finds that conservative estimates of current seismic activity on Mars predict hydrogen generation that would be useful to microbes, which adds strength to the possibility of suitable habitats that could support life in the Martian sub-surface."
He added: "Nasa has plans to measure seismic activity on Mars during its 2018 InSight mission, and our data will make those measurements all the more interesting."


Amid the flurry of revivals to mark 100 years since the birth of playwright Terence Rattigan, the centenary of American Tennessee Williams is also being celebrated with some key events.

Strange as it may sound, the world premiere of a Tennessee Williams play took place last week in a small theatre above a pub in north London.
A Cavalier For Milady, one of Williams' final works, made its stage debut nearly 30 years after the playwright's death.
"This play, in my opinion, is equivalent to Cinderella and Absolutely Fabulous," says Gene David Kirk, who directed Cavalier at Kilburn's The Cock Tavern.
"It's extreme, it's camp, it's over-the-top - it's this web of genius and tragedy."
The one-act play as completed two years before William's death, at the age of 71, in 1983.
The playwright's most celebrated works - such as A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - had been written decades earlier. The 1960s and 70s had seen him battling critical failure, as well as personal struggles with drug and alcohol abuse.
Cavalier, set in the parlour of a Manhattan mansion, is considered to be Williams' final portrait of his mother, sister and himself.
It sees a troubled young woman, Nance (Caitlin Thorburn), dressed like a little girl, heavily medicated and isolated from society.
While her domineering mother (Janet Prince) spends her evenings out with male escorts, Nance plays out her sexual fantasies with an apparition of ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (Sam Marks).
"There is so much in there for any Tennessee Williams fan," Kirk tells the BBC, shortly after the play's first public performance. "You see every member of his family mixed up - it's a mosh-pit of his family."
As Michael Billington says in his Guardian review: "The play feels more like a personal revenge-drama than an exploration of the human predicament. But, even if it makes for thin drama, Gene David Kirk's production does everything possible to give it life."
Cavalier is the second Williams premiere at the Cock Tavern, the first being an unpublished play in March, I Never Get Dressed Till After Dark on Sundays.
The premieres came about via Tom Erhardt - agent for the Williams estate - who had been impressed by the Tavern's Edward Bond season last year.
Artistic director Adam Spreadbury-Maher describes Cavalier as "one of the most challenging Tennessee Williams plays to stage".
For one thing it requires the Nijinsky character to perform a ballet routine on the Tavern's tiny stage, just inches from those in the front row.
"There's something visceral about sitting in somebody's living room," adds Kirk. "The great western stages are fantastic but you're always separate. Here, you are sat in that Manhattan apartment for that evening."
'Impossible play'
Why has the play remained on the shelf for so long?
Says Kirk: "The Nijinsky role was written with Rudolf Nureyev in mind, but it just never happened.
"I think it was the impossible play, because directors would say 'who the hell am I going to get to play Nureyev playing Nijinsky in this bizarre caricatured world?'
"It's not an easy play to navigate, it comes over as camp and bit pantomime - but that's the style I think it requires. Tom [Erhardt] kept it on the shelf for many years and this just seemed the right moment to get it off and give it a go."
Kirk recently directed Williams' The Two-Character Play at London's Jermyn Street Theatre. The production transfers off-Broadway in the US in September.
How have attitudes changed to Williams in the years since his death?
"Our palette changes," concludes Kirk. "We cannot take the attitude of the 60s, 70s and 80s. We are now in 2011 so we need to revisit all these works and give them to the audience today not based on criticism or rejection from a generation ago."
Another rarely-seen Tennessee Williams play, Kingdom of Earth, opens later in April at The Print Room in Bayswater.
The play, first seen on Broadway in 1968, was last performed in London in 1984. It takes place in a decrepit farm house on the edge of the Mississippi Delta, a few hours before the valley is due to be flooded.
A Cavalier for Milady is at the Cock Tavern until 23 April. Kingdom of Earth is at The Print Room from 29 April - 28 May.


Foreign observers of the UK's debate on its forthcoming referendum on whether to stay in the European Union may have noticed an awful lot of fuss about the views of a man called Boris Johnson - yes, that man on the zip wire.

Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London, announced on Sunday that he would be backing the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.
His intervention in the debate - made, as he termed it, with "deafening eclat" - was even said to have helped cause the pound to slide on the international money markets as traders thought it made the possibility of a so-called Brexit more likely.
He has arguably the highest profile of any of the governing Conservative Party except the Prime Minister David Cameron, but those outside the UK may be wondering: who is he, and is that actually his hair? Read on.
Profile: Boris Johnson
How could 'zip wire prat' become prime minister?
Read more about the UK's referendum on the EU
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to give him his full name, was born in New York and is descended from Turkish, French and German stock. He describes himself as a "one-man melting pot".
He first made a name for himself in journalism, including a stint as Brussels correspondent for the right-wing Daily Telegraph newspaper and editor of The Spectator magazine. His humorous persona led him to become a fixture on various television programmes, including the satirical BBC panel show Have I Got News For You.
He still has a lucrative and entertaining column in the Daily Telegraph, in which august forum he explained the reasons for his decision on the EU.
As a politician, he has been a Conservative member of parliament for two constituencies, Henley from 2001 to 2008 and then Uxbridge and South Ruislip from 2015.
Lest you think he was putting his feet up between parliamentary mandates, he is also currently serving the second of two terms as mayor of London, no mean feat in a city where the centre-left Labour Party has dominated in recent decades.
That's indicative of the position Mr Johnson has carved out for himself as one of the most charismatic politicians in the UK who has wide appeal beyond Conservative heartlands - polling has suggested that his stance on the EU referendum may sway some undecided voters.
Just look what happens when you type his name into Google.co.uk.
Not quite. He has previously courted controversy for his remarks about (among others) the populations of Liverpool, Portsmouth and Papua New Guinea, not to mention run-ins with his own party leadership and TV chef Jamie Oliver.
Last October he accidentally flattened a 10-year-old schoolboy at what was meant to be a friendly game of photo-op rugby in Japan.
But none of this seems to have affected his standing among the party faithful or the public at large. Even getting stuck on a zip-wire during the London Olympics in 2012, a sure-fire route to derision for any other politician, only enhanced his eccentric image.
Mr Johnson finally ended months of speculation about which side of the EU debate he would back in an immaculately impromptu media scrum outside his home in North London, having reportedly informed the prime minister of his decision earlier the same day.
He said that he had come to his decision as a result of deeply held convictions and "after a huge amount of heartache". His father Stanley, a former Conservative member of the European parliament, said that his son had performed a noble and potentially "career-ending move", ruining any chance of serving in Mr Cameron's cabinet.
But Mr Cameron has already said he won't run for another mandate when his current one ends in 2020. Some observers of British politics point out that even if the UK votes to remain in the EU, positioning himself in the "Out" camp won't do Mr Johnson any harm with grassroots Conservatives, many of who are Eurosceptic and will have the final say in choosing a new leader.
In this, some suggest, he is implementing his long-standing policy on cake: "My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it."
No, that's Donald Trump. Also a pioneer of unorthodox political hair, but they don't get on.
When Mr Trump commented that parts of London are "so radicalised the police are afraid for their lives", Mr Johnson retorted: "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump."
No, I've confused you now by mentioning Donald Trump. Same hair though.
No, that's Julian Assange.


Darlington's football club - now known as Darlington 1883 - has played its first match in the town for nearly five years.

It has been sharing a ground with Bishop Auckland FC since the original club went into administration in 2012, forcing it to leave its stadium.
It has now moved to Blackwell Meadows, the home of Darlington Rugby Football Club.
Director Richard Cook said it was a "special moment for us all".
"Being a Darlington boy, born and bred, being a fan of the club all my life, to be involved in actually leading the redevelopment and getting Darlington home has been an amazingly proud moment," he said.
The National League North fixture attracted over 3,000 spectators. The club beat Halifax Town 3-2.
Darlington 1883 was required by the Football Association to change its name to differentiate itself from its old playing entity.
DFC 1883 Limited bought the assets of the former club's holding company through administrators.


Brendan Duddy, the Derry businessman described as Northern Ireland's secret peacemaker, has died aged 80.

For more than 20 years, he acted as secret back-channel between the British government and the IRA leadership.
He was at the centre of a chain of events that ultimately led to the historic IRA ceasefire of 1994 and the Good Friday peace agreement.
BBC reporter Peter Taylor, who made a documentary about Mr Duddy, said he was the "unsung hero of the Troubles"
The veteran journalist, who has reported extensively on the Troubles, told the BBC: "I don't think the part he played has ever been fully recognised and his place in history will be quite rightly secured.
"The fact we have a relative peace in Northern Ireland would not have happened without the remarkable efforts Brendan made.
"I'm sure that took its toll on him. He was a very fit, athletic, agile man. I think it took its toll in the long term and he did it at great risk to himself and his family."
Tributes are being paid on social media to Mr Duddy, who was born in Londonderry on 10 June 1936.
Danny Kennedy, from the Ulster Unionist Party, tweeted: "Sorry to learn of the death of Brendan Duddy. I served with him on the NIPB for a brief period. He was a fine and honourable man."
The SDLP's Mark Durkan tweeted: "Brendan Duddy RIP - Ear for thinking, tongue for explanation, eye for nuance, head for ideas, heart of peace. "Tutored" me during Hume-Adams."
Sinn FÃ©in's Elisha McCallion said he was a "key figure in the business life of Derry for decades".
"His firm belief in dialogue also helped resolve parading issues and, through his membership of the Policing Board he helped shape the accountable policing we have today," she added.
During the civil rights demonstrations of the late 1960s, Mr Duddy ran a fish and chip shop whose beef burgers were delivered by young van driver called Martin McGuinness, the future IRA leader and deputy first minister, who died in March this year.
While Mr Duddy's public face was the family business, he got a taste of the role as go-between just before Bloody Sunday in 1972, when he was asked by the police to persuade IRA members to remove their weapons from the Bogside.
After Bloody Sunday, Mr Duddy met an MI6 officer called Michael Oatley and became the secret channel between the British government and the IRA, that would last until the 1990s.
Codenamed "Soon", he was the key link between then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the IRA during the 1981 hunger strikes.
In the early 1990s, he hosted talks at his own home in Derry between Mr Oatley and the intelligence services, and Mr McGuinness and the republican leadership.
According to Mr McGuinness, Mr Duddy's successful role in the peace process was so renowned it even reached Colombia.
In 2014, the Sinn FÃ©in politician said that when he met President Juan Manuel Santos, the Colombian leader told him that when his government opened a back channel with the rebel group Farc, the negotiator was codenamed "Brendan".
While playing the role of peacemaker, Mr Duddy also grew his business empire - the family firm, Duddy Group, has interests in property, bars, restaurants and hotels, including Derry's City Hotel and the Ramada Hotel in Portrush.


Four Air France employees have been sacked following violent protests at the company's headquarters in October.

A fifth worker, accused of serious misconduct for assaulting managers, is subject to a separate procedure because he is a union representative.
Workers were protesting against mass job cuts when two managers' shirts were ripped and one was forced to flee over a fence. Several others were injured.
The protest came amid anger over budget cuts across the French economy.
Hundreds of workers were protesting against plans to cut 2,900 jobs, increase pilots' working hours and reduce the size of the fleet, all designed to cut costs by €1.8bn ($2bn; £1.3bn) over two years.
Two managers in particular were targeted - human resources manager Xavier Broseta and senior official Pierre Plissonnier.
They were taking part in a works council meeting about the proposed cuts when hundreds of workers stormed into the Air France headquarters.
Seven people were injured in the scuffles, including a security guard who was knocked unconscious.
The five workers, along with another colleague, are due to appear in court on 2 December to face criminal charges in connection with the violence.
Air France said a further 11 staff had been suspended for two weeks without pay for breaking into the company's headquarters, Reuters news agency reported.
Following the protests Air France slashed the number of jobs it planned to cut to fewer than a thousand.
The next Air France works council meeting is on 19 November. Unions have called for industrial action on that date in protest against the disciplinary measures.
At the end of October parent firm Air France-KLM reported a net loss of €158m for the first nine months of this year, compared with a loss of €533m for the corresponding period last year.
"This improvement is however not sufficient to bridge the competitiveness gap with our competitors or to generate the financial resources required to finance the group's growth," said chairman Alexandre de Juniac, inviting union representatives to resume negotiations.


Andy Murray's father-in-law Nigel Sears is expected to be released from hospital on Sunday and has been given the all-clear to fly home to the UK.

Sears, 58, coaches Ana Ivanovic and was watching her Australian Open match against Madison Keys when he collapsed.
Andy Murray visited his father-in-law in hospital immediately after his third-round win on Saturday.
Sears' daughter Kim is not in Melbourne as she awaits the birth of their first child in a few weeks' time.
"My medical advice is that I will be allowed to leave the hospital shortly and I have been cleared to fly back to the UK in the next day or so," Sears said in a statement.
"I just wanted to express my sincerest thanks to the incredible people who came to my aid, as well as the brilliant staff both at the Australian Open and the Epworth Hospital.
"I feel truly grateful to everyone involved for the manner in which this has been handled. While I appreciate the level of media interest in this story I would prefer not to comment any further, thanks."
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley wished Sears all the best in his recovery.
"All of the tennis family is both relieved and  pleased to hear that Nigel is being released from hospital. We wish him well and hope to see him back on the court soon."
Ivanovic, the 20th seed, was a set up when the incident occurred and went on to lose 4-6 6-4 6-4 to 15th seed Keys.
The cause of Sears' collapse has yet to be revealed.


Leicester City moved eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after Riyad Mahrez's goal saw off a stubborn Crystal Palace side.

Mahrez missed an early chance after being put clean through but made amends when he turned in Jamie Vardy's cross.
Damien Delaney hit the bar for Crystal Palace in injury time, but the Foxes held out to clinch another vital win.
The Eagles are into the FA Cup semi-finals but remain without a league victory since 19 December.
Relive the action from Selhurst Park
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri revised his points target for the title this week - moving it upwards from 79 points to 82 points, which is the most that nearest rivals Tottenham can manage if they win all their remaining games.
However Spurs do, Leicester know that if they win six of their last seven fixtures - and reach 84 points - nobody can catch them.
Winning is what the Foxes are doing pretty well at the moment. Saturday's success was their third in a row, and the way it came will surprise nobody.
Ranieri's side have now won 13 games by a single goal this season, more than any other top-flight team.
They also have the best away record in the Premier League, with 10 wins on their travels.
They will take some shifting from the top of the table, as their fans did from Selhurst Park.
The Foxes supporters sang "we're going to win the league" solidly for 15 minutes after the final whistle, and it took repeated announcements from the stadium announcer to persuade them to leave.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Palace certainly put plenty of effort in as they attempted to end their dismal league form - they are the only club in the top four divisions without a home win in 2016.
They fired 31 crosses into the Leicester area, with substitute Bakary Sako proving particularly dangerous when he came on.
However, the Eagles could not find a finishing touch and their sixth-straight home league defeat means their relegation worries remain very real.
Norwich's win at West Brom means Palace's eight-point cushion above the bottom three will be reduced on Sunday, no matter what the outcome of the north-east derby between Newcastle and Sunderland.
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Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew: "We are down, frustrated, we wanted to keep momentum after the FA Cup win over Reading but Leicester are top of the league for a reason. They have a lovely balance to the team, they will be difficult to catch and they would be worthy champions."
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri on being top of the league by eight points: "It sounds good, our fans are singing a very good song about that but we are to stay calm because the Premier League is the same as every match, you don't know what will happen.
"We have to continue to push a lot because the Champions League is very close to us. Maybe in the next two matches I can say something more."
Leicester can take another step towards the title when they host Southampton on 3 April.
Palace will aim to end their 13-match winless run in the league when they travel to West Ham the previous day.


A man has been taken to hospital with a serious head injury following an assault outside a hotel.

Police were called to the High Street in Edinburgh at about 17:55 on Wednesday following an incident near the Radisson Blu.
The injured 36-year-old man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment.
A man and a woman have been detained in connection with the incident. Police have appealed for witnesses.


Arts Council England (ACE) is having its budget cut by almost 30% in the government's Spending Review.

The Arts Council - which distributes money to hundreds of arts venues, theatre groups and galleries - said the cut would have "a significant impact on the cultural life of the country".
The 29.6% cut will see ACE's current government grant of £449m drop to £349m by 2014.
National museums will take a cut of 15% and will remain free to enter.
The Arts Council is also being asked to make a 50% cut in its administrative costs.
In addition, funding will end for Creative Partnerships (a school arts programme) and funding will be cut for the British Film Institute by 15%.
Alan Davey, ACE's chief executive, said: "This cut will inevitably have a significant impact on the cultural life of the country.
"The Secretary of State has asked us to try to ensure that funding for arts organisations is not cut by more than 15% over the next four years - the tipping point that we identified to the Chancellor some months ago."
He said the Arts Council would now meet to consider the overall position on 25 October.
"We will now be analysing the details of the settlement and the consequences for the arts in this country as a whole," Mr Davey said.
The BBC's Arts Editor Will Gompertz describes Arts Council England as "a big loser" in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) cuts.
He said: "They have to fulfil two specific requirements - to reduce administrative costs by 50% and only pass on 15% cuts to their regularly funded organisations.
"This is likely to mean the closure of some regional arts offices and a significant reduction in the Arts Council projects fund which enables them to support major events such as the Manchester International Festival."
Michael Boyd, artistic director at the Royal Shakespeare Company, said: "This will be a big blow to theatres - especially those who will also be losing local authority funding - and audiences will be the poorer. We are concerned that the settlement for the Arts Council doesn't allow it sufficient room to manoeuvre."
A special BBC News season examining the approaching cuts to public sector spending
The Spending Review: Making It Clear
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey told the BBC: "I think that the Arts Council will still be an effective organisation. It will have to be a leaner organisation and I think it will be difficult, but I'm very confident that the chief executive Alan Davey is capable of delivering those savings."
Meanwhile, the big museums have welcomed the fact that their cuts have been set at 15%, and that they will now have access to half of their historic reserves of cash, which  between them amounts to £143m.
'Equally challenging'
In his Spending Review speech in the Commons, Chancellor George Osborne said overall DCMS  spending would be reduced by 24% to £1.1bn by 2014/15.
Mr Osborne said that 19 quangos - including the UK Film Council - would be abolished or reformed.
"All of this is being done so we can limit four year reductions to 15% in core programmes like our national museums, the frontline funding provided to our arts and Sport England's Whole Sport plans," the Chancellor said.
"We will complete the new world-class building extensions for the Tate Gallery and British Museum in London."
He added: "I can also announce today that in order that our nation's culture and heritage remains available to all, we will continue to fund free entry to museums and galleries."
Dr Michael Dixon, chairman of the National Museum Directors' Conference (NMDC), and director of the Natural History Museum, said that although funding cuts were not as high as in other areas, they would be "equally challenging due to the high unavoidable costs of running museums".
He added: "In the current circumstances we may have to reduce some of the things that we currently offer, but we will preserve free access and as much of our service to the public as possible."
The National Gallery's director, Nicholas Penny, said: "The DCMS has ensured the unique contribution that museums make has been reflected in the settlement.
"We also welcome the announcement regarding access to museum reserves. We will now establish how the National Gallery will operate with the new allocation from the start of the next financial year."
A significant amount of arts funding in the UK - around £900m - comes via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The DCMS directly funds some of the bigger museums and galleries - such as Tate and The British Museum - with other money distributed by organisations such as Arts Council England.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the devolved governments decide how much is spent on the arts.
Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Ivan Lewis described the scale of the cuts as "unfair".
He said: "With this level of cuts, and the pressure on local authority budgets, museums, galleries and community projects across the country will fear for their future."


Test cricket could be reinvigorated by shortening matches to four days, according to incoming England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves.

Graves wants every day's play to start at 10:30 BST and last 105 overs in order to boost attendances and revenue.
The proposal forms part of an ECB strategy document suggesting sweeping changes to the English game.
But any change to the structure of Test cricket would need to be implemented by the International Cricket Council.
Graves, whose five-year tenure as chairman does not start until 15 May, is concerned by dwindling Test attendances around the world and believes cutting a day off the duration of a match could be the solution.
The 67-year-old told the MCC website: "Personally, I think we should look at four-day Test cricket and play 105 overs a day starting at 10.30 in the morning, and finish when you finish as all the grounds now have lights.
"Every Test match would start on a Thursday, with Thursday and Friday being corporate days and then Saturday and Sunday the family days.
"From a cost point of view you'd lose that fifth day, which would save a lot of money from the ground's point of view and the broadcasters ... I would look at that."
Outgoing Yorkshire chairman Graves has been making headlines ever since his appointment was put forward in January.
He has opened the door to a recall for batting outcast Kevin Pietersen and put forward plans to shake up county cricket with a franchise-based Twenty20 competition.
Last week he told BBC Radio Leeds there would be "some enquiries" if England do not beat a "mediocre" West Indies in their upcoming Test series.


Babies as young as a few weeks are being seen at Northern Ireland's only sexual assault referral centre.

The Rowan Centre at Antrim Area Hospital has dealt with about 1,700 people since it opened in 2013.
It is the first centre of its kind in Northern Ireland and is funded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Department of Health.
Representatives of the centre have said referrals ranged from infants to people in their 90s.
Service manager Karen Douglas said "sexual violence knows no boundaries".
The number of referrals has been put down to more people reporting rape and sex assaults. Some 13% of those referred were male, almost double the figure at other similar centres in the rest of the UK.
"We get reports from police and social services about children needing support and services, but the person who has displayed the harmful sexual behaviour are children themselves," Ms Douglas said.
"We hear about peer on peer, that's not unusual.
"What we're starting to see and hear about is the impact of modern technology and unfiltered items on phones and devices.
"The children are acting out in a particular way, not knowing the full consequences of their actions."
The centre has been designed by victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault and provides support and services, including a forensic medical assessment by a specialist team of doctors.


Six City brokers have gone on trial, accused of rigging a lending rate used between banks.

The Libor rate is used to carry out trillions of pounds worth of financial deals.
All six men, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of conspiracy to defraud by trying to move the rate linked to the Japanese yen.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court is set to last 12 to 14 weeks.
The men - Noel Cryan, Darrell Read, Danny Wilkinson, Colin Goodman, James Gilmour and Terry Farr - have been accused by prosecutors of "widespread manipulation" of rates.
They are alleged to have assisted another bank trader called Tom Hayes and others at banks UBS and Citigroup.
Hayes was convicted of rate-rigging in August.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Muhul Chawla QC said all six defendants conspired with Mr Hayes and others and that they were "rewarded in various ways to corrupt the system".


Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Warsaw to protest against the Polish government.

The protesters say the governing conservatives run an undemocratic administration that violates European values.
A smaller protest against EU interference was also held.
The Law and Justice party has drawn criticism from the European Commission for its reforms of judicial, surveillance, and media laws.
The government passed legal amendments late last year which change the way the Constitutional Court operates.
The changes require a two-thirds majority of the 15 judges to support a ruling for it to be valid, and also stipulate a quorum of 13 judges for rulings to be valid.
Why is Poland worrying the EU?
Government takes control of state media
Critics have said the changes mean the court is now unable to examine government legislation, and the issue has sparked mass protests in Poland.
The Council of Europe says changes undermine the rule of law, and the European Commission has launched an inquiry into changes to the Constitutional Court and media laws.
Recently approved media laws have placed public radio and TV under a new national media council and have given the treasury minister the right to hire and fire management.


A six week closure to upgrade the Severn Tunnel for electric trains to use in and out of Wales is costing £10m, Network Rail has said.

It is shut until 21 October so the work, which is part of the wider £2.8bn scheme to electrify the main line from London to south Wales, can take place.
Three teams of 200 engineers are working 24 hours a day for six weeks.
Their work has included installing a state-of-the-art power rail in the tunnel roof.
Network Rail's Tim Butler described the situation as "unique" with five years' worth of usual work squeezed into six weeks, which includes weeknights and weekends.
"Within the six weeks working we're spending around £10m, so you can understand the scale of the work 24 hours with 200 people around the clock," he added.
Rail replacement buses have been operating between south Wales and Bristol while the tunnel has been closed, while flights have taken passengers from Cardiff to London city airport.
Despite the disruption, Great Western Railway has been providing 32 train services a day between Cardiff and London Paddington.
Work installing the electrified rail from England to Wales has already been finished, while engineers are now putting the finishing touches on the rail in the other direction.
Network Rail also said there was no date yet for when the line would be electrified from Cardiff to Swansea.
In a statement, it said: "Electrification between Cardiff and Swansea is expected to be delivered within control period six (2019-24).
"Specific dates and costs are yet to be confirmed and Network Rail is currently undertaking development work for this phase of the project."
However, the statement said one of the main benefits of electrification would be experienced by passengers in 2017 when the new Intercity Express trains are rolled out.


A £11.5m project to improve junction 16 of the M4 motorway near Swindon is due to get under way.

The project involves redesigning the Spittleborough roundabout so it can cope with the increased traffic from the new Wichelstowe development.
Clearance work will be the first phase followed by the major build, with completion due by spring 2018.
A planning clause means the works must be complete by the time the 1,100th home at Wichelstowe can be occupied.
Funding for the scheme has been paid for by the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), local councils, and Highways England.
The work involves widening the slip roads off the motorway to four lanes in both directions, creating a right turn for Swindon traffic turning on to Hay Lane, and widening the carriageway on the Great Western Way approach.


Kyle Sinckler says guidance from Joe Marler has been key to his rise from England debutant to the British and Irish Lions in just six months.

The Harlequins team-mates are both in Warren Gatland's 41-man squad for the summer tour of New Zealand.
"He helps me out quite a lot, and tells me off a bit as well," Sinckler told the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"So whatever he does, I try and do. If it's good enough for Joe Marler, why is it not good enough for Kyle Sinckler?"
Marler, 26, has made more than 150 appearances for Harlequins and played 51 times for England.
Sinckler, 24, who has eight international caps, added: "I probably annoy him a bit but I always try to hang around him and watch how he works."
Marler believes has team-mate has "grown up quickly", and learnt to cope with his rebellious streak both on and off the field.
"I do see a little bit of myself in Kyle," Marler told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"When I was younger, I didn't listen to anyone. I was getting yellow-carded and red-carded, being an idiot. 'Sink' has had tendencies like that, but he has grown up a lot quicker - he's had to."
Marler was twice banned in 2016, but after missing the summer tour of Australia for personal reasons has featured in England's past nine matches, winning his 50th cap in the victory over Scotland.
"You have to learn," he added. "I had to go through a lot of bits and bobs to learn that lesson.
"I didn't want my kids to see me on telly [acting badly] on the pitch."
Marler says he has not yet managed to "fathom" his Lions call-up.
"I was speaking to my wife and I said to her that none of it feels real: playing for Harlequins, playing for England," he said.
"It still feels like I'm looking up at the likes of Jason Leonard and Martin Johnson."
Marler and Sinckler are the only Harlequins players in Gatland's party, and both men have paid tribute to the club.
"I'm probably not the easiest person to manage at the best of times, especially in my earlier years, so I owe a lot to Harlequins," Sinckler said.
"It's taken a bit of time for me to mature but I owe a lot to the club for believing in me. It will be a massive honour when I - touch wood - go away with the Lions."
Marler, meanwhile, said he owed Quins "everything".
"The way they have stood by me no matter what and let me express myself in various ways," he said.
"Without them and their support, [as well as] the coaches and players I have played with, I wouldn't be here today.
"I am very grateful, and I will try and make them proud when I am out there."
Hear in-depth interviews with Harlequins' Lions props Joe Marler and Kyle Sinckler on BBC Radio 5 live's Rugby Union Weekly podcast.


Britain's Jonathan Dibben secured his first victory on the World Tour circuit by winning stage six of the Tour of California.

The Team Sky rider, 23, surprised the field on the 24-kilometre time-trial around Big Bear Lake with a four-second victory over American Brent Bookwalter.
Dibben, in his first year with Team Sky, won in 28 minutes and 27 seconds.
"When I crossed the line I didn't know I'd set the fastest time for a couple of minutes," he told Team Sky.
"I guess I'd have been happy with a top 20 so to win is pretty good."
New Zealand's George Bennett goes into Saturday's seventh and final stage with a 35-second overall lead on Poland's Rafal Majka.


Canada will push for environmental and labour protections during trade talks with the US and Mexico on Wednesday.

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland outlined Canada's goals for the North American Free Trade Agreement on Monday in parliament.
US President Donald Trump is an outspoken critic of the agreement, and initiated the renegotiation in May.
The US is expected to push for more access to Canada's agricultural market, and an end to trade deficits.
Ms Freeland said Canada will push for the agreement to become more "progressive", and include more environmental and labour protections, as well as sections on gender equality and indigenous rights.
She also said Canada would seek a formal mechanism to ending trade disputes as they arise.
"We must pursue progressive trade agreements that are win-win, helping workers both at home and abroad to enjoy higher wages and better conditions," Ms Freeland said.
In her address to the committee on international trade, Ms Freeland laid out six main goals for the negotiations:
Canada is the America's largest export market and second-largest trading partner after China.
In 2016, more than $540bn (Â£416bn) of goods passed over the border between Canada and the US.
But tensions have been mounting under Mr Trump, who made tough-on-trade talk a hallmark of his campaign.
He has slapped tariffs on Canadian lumber and slammed Canadian pricing of dairy products, taking aim at Canada's system of supply management.
The US government has said trade deficits and market access will top its agenda during renegotiations.
Mexico wants to continue free access to goods and services, and strengthen the energy sector, according to a document leaked to Reuters.


Seven office-holders have quit the SDLP in West Tyrone, as the row over Daniel McCrossan's nomination in the assembly  election continues.

The seven include Frank Sweeney, the former chair of the party's constituency council.
Mr Sweeney said there had been a breakdown in trust within the SDLP in West Tyrone.
In a statement, the SDLP said it had experienced "tremendous growth" in the constituency in recent years.
It said Mr McCrossan "and his team in West Tyrone have the full support and confidence of the SDLP".
However, Mr Sweeney said the party leadership had failed to address concerns raised by him and others.
"We've been trying for two years to get the party centrally to intervene and to take action to remedy things," he said.
"Nothing has happened and people feel like they can take no more."
The others who have quit the party are:
The latest resignations come a week after three councillors quit the party - two of whom, Patsy Kelly and Josephine Deehan, are standing against their former party in next month's election.
On Friday, the party said: "Josephine Deehan refused to engage in the selection process on the two occasions when the party held selection conventions - first to replace Joe Byrne in the assembly and secondly to stand for election.
"Daniel McCrossan was the only person to put his name forward and was therefore was unanimously selected by more than 100 party members."
Michaela Boyle, Sinn Féin
Allan Bresland, DUP
Barry Brown, Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol
Thomas Buchanan, DUP
Josephine Deehan, Independent
Stephen Donnelly, Alliance Party
Corey French, Independent
Ross Hussey, UUP
Patsy Kelly, Independent
Roger Lomas, Conservative
Declan McAleer, Sinn Féin
Laura McAnea, Animal Welfare Party
Sorcha McAnespy, Independent
Ciaran McClean, Green Party
Daniel McCrossan, SDLP
Grace McDermott, Sinn Féin
Barry McElduff, Sinn Féin
Susan-Anne White, Independent


Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died at a car park.

The dead man, who was in his 20s, was treated for serious injuries in the car park in Margate Road, Broadstairs, at about 22:15 BST on Tuesday, but died at the scene.
Two men, aged 20 and 27, were arrested by Kent Police and remain in custody.
A section of the car park remains closed while inquiries continue, a police spokesman said.
Correction 5 October 2016: An earlier version of this story, based on information supplied by Kent Police, reported the incident took place in a Westwood Cross shopping centre car park. We have since been informed this was inaccurate.


Livingston bounced back from their Scottish Cup exit by beating Brechin City 3-0 and extending their lead at the top of League One to 11 points.

Second-placed Alloa lost ground on Livi after drawing with Albion Rovers.
Stenhousemuir were twice pegged back by promotion-chasing Airdrieonians before winning 4-2.
Peterhead secured a resounding 4-0 win against Queen's Park, while East Fife drew 0-0 with bottom side Stranraer.
Having lost to cup opponents East Fife last week, Livi got off to the perfect start as Liam Buchanan scored within a minute and Craig Halkett netted his first goal of the season to double the hosts' lead before the break.
And 10 minutes into the second half, Scott Pittman converted a close-range finish past Brechin goalkeeper Graeme Smith.
At Cliftonhill, Scott Taggart's first-half strike gave Alloa the lead but Rovers' Ross Stewart found the net with 20 minutes to go.
Third-placed Airdrie could not take advantage of Alloa's dropped points.
Andy Ryan cancelled out Alan Cook's opener for Stenny before Cook added a second before the interval.
Despite going down to 10 men after Jack Leitch's dismissal for violent conduct, the visitors equalised again through Joe Gorman.
But Stenhousemuir made the numerical advantage count as late goals from Colin McMenamin and Carlos Mazana-Martinez sealed the win to take them three points clear of Stranraer, while Airdrie are now a point off Alloa.
Ryan Strachan and Grant Anderson scored their first goals of the season to give Peterhead a commanding two-goal lead against Queen's Park after just 25 minutes.
The Spiders' Ryan McGeever was sent off for a second booking after conceding a penalty and Rory McAllister converted before the break and added another goal midway through the second half.
East Fife move a point closer to fourth-placed Brechin after the stalemate with visitors Stranraer.


The people of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain are voting in a disputed and non-binding poll on independence.

The Spanish judiciary has ruled the vote unconstitutional but Catalan leader Artur Mas warned against any attempt to disrupt it.
Spain's constitutional court suspended earlier plans for a referendum on secession.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the vote would have no effect and urged the region to return to "sanity".
Voters will be asked whether they want a Catalan state and whether that state should be independent.
More than 40,000 volunteers are helping to set up and run the informal exercise.
As of 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) - two hours before the close of polling, 1,977,531 had voted, according to the Catalan government.
Catalonia is a wealthy region of 7.5 million people and contributes more to the Spanish economy than it gets back through central government funds. Economic and cultural grievances have fuelled Catalan nationalism.
Pro-independence supporters have campaigned earnestly for a big turnout.
The BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris says many Catalans have always felt that they do not quite fit in a unitary state.
He says there is a long history of support for winning independence from Spain, or at least much greater autonomy within it.
This was the symbolic independence vote they tried to ban but Spanish legal hurdles could not stop Catalonians from turning out.
Barcelona's CIC secondary school is teeming with people of all ages, elbow to elbow, undeterred by the rain.
Patiently they queue to register before heading for one of the nine precious cardboard ballot boxes, at tables around the school, supervised by happy volunteers.
Most voters I speak to favour independence but there are others voting No, exercising their right to vote in defiance of what they see as Madrid's intransigence.
Radiating good humour, one couple told me they were voting different ways. Lilian Subietas, proud mother of four young Catalans, said she was persuaded to vote Yes while her husband, airline pilot Cesar Saiz, said he was voting No because Europe needed to stay together.
Twitter debate from Barcelona bar
This week, the Constitutional Court demanded the vote be suspended.
But Catalonia's government insisted it went ahead with its "consultation of citizens", with no official electoral roll.
Mr Mas has warned the Spanish government against any attempt to halt the vote.
He said: "I don't know what they will do, it does not depend on us, but if they have a minimum of common sense I think any action out of the ordinary would be a direct attack on democracy and a direct attack on fundamental rights."
Mr Rajoy urged a return to sanity and for talks "within the legal framework of the constitution".
He said the vote would be "neither a referendum nor a consultation nor anything of the sort".
He added: "What is certain is that it will not have any effect."
BBC profile: Catalonia
The Libres e Iguales (Free and Equal) group, which opposes the vote, held protests in dozens of cities.
One protest in Barcelona witnessed minor scuffles but no arrests.
Rallies in favour of the vote have also been held.
Murial Casal, the president of Omnium Cultural, which promotes Catalan culture, told a gathering on Friday: "Call your parents, your friends and your neighbours and tell them that they have to vote."
Catalonia adopted a charter in 2006 giving it "nation" status but this was overruled by the Constitutional Court in 2010.
Independence supporters hope that a strong vote of support will put more pressure on the central government to open negotiations over more tax and political autonomy, ultimately leading to a full-blown independence referendum. They say that support from more than 1.5 million Catalans would add weight to their cause.
Many of those opposed to independence are not expected to participate in the poll.


A father said he still expects his missing daughter to "turn up" as it emerged there have been nine unconfirmed sightings of her in 23 years.

Jaime Cheesman was 16 when she disappeared in November 1993 after moving from Wellingborough to Grimsby.
Police said the latest sighting of her was in November 2015 in Northumberland.
Her father, Eric, said: "I still haven't got a clue what's happened to Jaime but I'll never give up hope."
He added: "I just keep thinking that she's going to turn up one of these days.
"I believe that somebody knows where she is. There's the possibility that she might still be in this area but there's no telling at the moment."
Det Sgt Sam Cunnington from Humberside Police said: "There are a number of inquiries being pursued in relation to Jaime's disappearance."
In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Humberside Police said the sightings were in Northampton and Milton Keynes in 1994, at a Northampton nightclub in 2000 and in Wellingborough in 2004.
A "similar-looking lady" was spotted in Alnwick, Northumberland, in November 2015.
Ms Cheesman's home in Comber Place, Grimbsy, was forensically examined in March 2016.
Police said nothing was found that assisted their investigation.
Ms Cheesman, who would now be 39, was last seen in November 1993 in the Comber Place area of Grimsby where she lived with the family of her best friend.
Her family said she often travelled between there and her home town Wellingborough.
Police said she is thought to have left the house in Grimsby following a disagreement shortly before she disappeared.


Four members of a so-called Islamic State cell dismantled in the Belgian town of Verviers last year have been jailed for between eight and 16 years.

Prosecutors said the men were in constant contact with IS in Syria through Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the leader of the attacks in Paris last November.
He was killed in a shootout in Paris days after the attacks in which 130 people were murdered.
The Verviers cell was planning an attack in Belgium, prosecutors said.
Molenbeek's gangster jihadists
"The cell in Verviers aimed for the bloodiest possible attacks using bombs and automatic weapons," Judge Pierre Hendrickx said.
"For Abaaoud and the Verviers cell, the airport at Zaventem constituted a target," he added.
The airport was eventually targeted in March by militants who were also connected to Abaaoud. Two men detonated suicide vests, killing 17 people.
What we know about the Brussels attacks
Who were the victims?
Marouane El Bali, Souhaib El Abdi and Mohamed Arshad were charged with forming a terror organisation and given 16 years. Omar Damache was jailed for eight years on the same charge.
The men had returned from fighting with IS in Syria and a cache of explosives and weapons was found in the building where they lived, prosecutors said.
Paris and Brussels bombers' links uncovered
Two other men, Sofiane Amghar and Khalid Ben Larbi - who were killed in the Verviers raid - had also travelled to Syria.
A total of 16 suspects were charged in connection with the raid last January, but nine remain on the run.
The raid came a week after jihadists attacked the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 people.


Ten soldiers have been killed in a government air strike in the embattled city of Marawi in the Philippines.

Eight soldiers were also wounded in the "friendly fire" incident on Wednesday, said defence secretary Delfin Lorenzana, expressing remorse.
Over the last week militants allied to the so-called Islamic State have engaged in street battles with the army leaving more than 100 people dead.
It was sparked by the attempted capture of a top militant leader by the army.
"Yesterday we had a tragedy that involved our troops. A group of our military, army men, were hit by our own airstrike. We lost men, 10 killed and 8 wounded," Mr Lorenzana told reporters.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law on southern Mindanao island, where Marawi City is located, last week.
Security forces launched a raid to arrest Isnilon Hapilon - a Filipino militant on the US's list of most-wanted terror suspects.
Authorities said dozens of fighters fought back to protect him, and then attacked parts of the city with a population of 200,000, taking hostages.
The Philippines military has since been using armed forces and helicopter airstrikes to try and drive the militants out.
Most of the civilians have left Marawi, while about 2,000 remain trapped.
Defence Minister Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday that among the militants that have been killed there were fighters from at least five other nationalities including Saudi, Yemeni and Chechen, according to Reuters.