Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw is targeting a starting place with the Lions after being brought into the squad as a replacement for Ben Youngs.

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The 31-year-old received the call on Saturday from Warren Gatland when Youngs withdrew after learning his brother Tom's wife is terminally ill.
"I've been a competitor all my life, that's one of my strengths," Laidlaw said.
"I want to start. It's making sure when I get an opportunity that I take it."
Laidlaw admitted his involvement with the Lions squad came under difficult circumstances, with Youngs pulling out to support his brother.
The Scot made his first start for Gloucester at the weekend after two outings off the bench following nine weeks out injured, but says he is close to 100% fitness and ready to take his chance in New Zealand.
"First and foremost, everybody's thoughts are with Tom, with Ben and the whole of the Youngs family," Laidlaw said.
"I never got the call until late on Saturday night, so it's a quick turnaround. I've got a few things going on, I'm moving clubs [to Clermont Auvergne], so the house is getting packed up as we speak. I was planning to move out today, so I'm pretty busy on that front. I'm delighted to be here and to get started.
"Because it's happened so quick and the logistics of getting down here, it's probably not [sunk in], but it will in the next few days. We've potentially got a few games left with Gloucester this season, so my focus will be on that and trying to win some silverware with them in the Challenge Cup final on Friday night, and potentially the play-offs as well. Then we'll look forward to the Lions.
"I'm well over 90% (fitness-wise) now and you don't want to be playing if you're not close to 100%, but nobody's ever quite 100% these days. I feel good and that's credit to the strength and conditioning team and the physios down at Gloucester."
Laidlaw joins Glasgow Warriors duo Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour in the Lions squad and says he is "delighted" to have added to the Scottish contingent travelling to New Zealand.
"You fly the Scottish flag, you're an ambassador for your country and for your team-mates when you come away on trips like this," Laidlaw said.
"I just caught up with Hoggy and Tommy this morning and the Scottish boys on the trip will put our best foot forward. They were pretty happy to see me, and I was with them, they're a couple of good boys.
"To work with different coaches is a great thing, you can always try to learn something new and clearly the coaches on this tour are vastly experienced. There are brilliant players throughout the squad as well, so you just try hard to work with everybody and get the best out of each other. For us to be successful, we will need that to happen."


Championship side Sheffield United have signed Chelsea goalkeeper Jamal Blackman on a season-long loan deal.

Blackman, who has yet to make a senior appearance for Chelsea, has extended his contract at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2020/21 season.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at League Two side Wycombe, making 52 appearances in all competitions.
"Jamal has been our number one target right the way through the summer," said Blades boss Chris Wilder.
Blackman, who has also signed a new contract to 2021, is one of a number of Chelsea players to have moved away on season-long loan deals, including defenders Michael Hector to Hull and Tomas Kalas to Fulham.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Two men have been charged in connection with allegations of historical abuse at one of Scotland's top independent schools.

Police Scotland confirmed they have been carrying out inquiries into the claims at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.
The allegations at the all-boys school date back to the 1960s.
Det Insp Morag Bruce said two men aged 62 and 69 will appear in court at a later date.
Merchiston Castle, in the Colinton area of the city, follows the English school curriculum and charges up to Â£28,500 per year for boarding pupils.
It has been described by the UK Boarding Schools website as being one of the UK's leading independent schools due to its "balanced curriculum, excellent pastoral care and a high A level pass rate".
Andrew Hunter, headmaster of Merchiston Castle School, told the Sunday Herald newspaper: "We have been offering every possible assistance to Police Scotland as it investigates these historical allegations.
"The appropriate school records have been made available to the investigating officers and we are committed to co-operating fully in support of their inquiries.
"The welfare and safety of our pupils is the central, over-riding priority at Merchiston and our safeguarding and child protection policies are robust, comprehensive and fully compliant with current Scottish legislation."


Wales lock Jake Ball will miss most of the 2016 Six Nations Championship because of a knee injury that will sideline him for 10 weeks.

The 24-year-old, capped 15 times by Wales, may require surgery after damaging the medial ligament in his left leg during the Scarlets' 27-26 Boxing Day defeat by Ospreys.
"He's got a bit of a tear and he'll see a consultant to get an accurate view," said Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac.
"With any luck, it's just a rehab job."
Ball received treatment during the Boxing Day derby, but completed the match.
The Australia-raised lock last featured for Wales in the 54-9 World Cup win over Uruguay.
Wales begin their Six Nations campaign in Ireland on 7 February and conclude it with a home match against Italy on 19 March.
Flanker John Barclay will miss the Scarlets' match against Cardiff Blues on New Year's Day because of a forearm injury that will keep him out for two to three weeks.
"It's unfortunate. Jake Ball and John Barclay are two of our experienced players so it's a double blow really," said Pivac.
"The good news is that John Barclay's injury isn't as serious as we first thought so hopefully he isn't sidelined for too long.
"We thought he may have ligament damage but he's just got a really bad knock."
Scarlets back Liam Williams will start running next week as he continues his return from a foot injury.
The 24-year-old wing or full-back had surgery after he was injured during Wales' 15-6 World Cup defeat by Australia.
"It's good to see him out of the boot and up, starting a running programme, but we need to make sure we get it right," Pivac said.
"We don't want to expose him too early, we are obviously aware that there is a Six Nations around the corner so we'll do everything we can to get him right to play for us and for Wales.
"He's a fit person normally and is good with his diet so if anyone can get back a week or two early, it's probably Liam."


About 50 firefighters have tackled a blaze which closed a busy road in Cardiff city centre.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to Crockherbtown Lane just after 12:30 BST on Monday.
Nearby buildings were evacuated amid fears the fire, which had spread to an electrical substation, could spread to neighbouring properties.
Greyfriars Road has been closed, diversions are in place and the public has been asked to stay away.
The fire was extinguished just after 15:20 but firefighters remain at the scene to damp down and check that the blaze has not spread.
The fire involved industrial bins and oil and a three-storey adjacent building was "heavily smoked", the fire service said.
Cardiff Bus has diverted all buses via Boulevard De Nantes and Stagecoach Wales said its 124 service for Maerdy would now start at the Hilton Hotel and the X16 service would terminate and depart from Dumfries Place until further notice.
Fire investigators are on the scene working with police to determine the cause of the fire.


Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been found guilty of 12 counts of indecently assaulting four girls in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

One of the victims was a childhood friend of his daughter, another was an autograph hunter aged seven or eight.
Prosecutors said Harris was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character who took advantage of his fame. Sentencing is on Friday.
Police said they were considering fresh allegations against Harris, 84, which did not form part of his trial.
Scotland Yard said if the claims meet the force's threshold for investigation they will be looked into further.
The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said a custodial term was "uppermost in the court's mind", but he wanted to see a medical report before passing sentence.
Harris, who was granted bail, faced a mass of photographers and reporters as he left Southwark Crown Court in the company of his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi, who had both attended most of the trial.
Prosecutors said Harris used his "status and position" to abuse his victims, and he had a dark side to his personality.
The central allegation concerned a friend of Harris's daughter, whom the court heard he groomed and molested from the age of 13 until she was 19.
The other victims told the court they were touched or groped by Harris, sometimes at his public appearances.
The jury deliberated for 37 hours and 45 minutes before reaching their unanimous verdicts.
Harris was found guilty of all 12 charges he was prosecuted on. They were:
Six other women also told the court about indecent assaults Harris had carried out against them in Australia, New Zealand and Malta. The entertainer could not be prosecuted over those incidents in a British court but the evidence was introduced by the prosecution as an added illustration of his behaviour.
Letitia Fitzpatrick, who gave a character reference for the prosecution about an alleged assault on her, told the BBC: "It was such an unpleasant experience that I just wanted to forget about it and move on and not really think about it again."
The verdicts came just before 3pm, almost 38 hours into the jury's deliberations.
Before they were delivered the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, made it clear to all those inside court two - the journalists, the public, and the relatives of Rolf Harris - that he expected silence throughout the process.
Everyone took him at his word.  There was barely a sound as the forewoman stood.
Rolf Harris was allowed to remain seated in the glass-fronted dock, listening as he had throughout his trial, on a headset.
A short distance away his wife, Alwen Hughes, his daughter Bindi, his niece Jenny and other relatives and supporters looked on.
Twelve times the forewoman of the jury said the word "guilty".   Harris remained completely impassive.  Bindi widened her eyes, looking stunned.  Jenny turned to Harris's wife and gently shook her head.
They had been convinced of his innocence.  But the jury was sure of his guilt.
Harris, from Bray, Berkshire, was first questioned in November 2012 in Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree investigation set up in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against the late BBC Radio 1 DJ Jimmy Savile.
Although his arrest was unconnected to Savile's offending, the publicity surrounding that case had prompted the friend of Harris's daughter to come forward.
But Harris was not initially named by the police or identified in the mainstream media until a few weeks after his arrest in March 2013.
The other women who gave evidence in court contacted police after Harris's arrest was made public and he was charged in August of that year.
Speaking outside court after the seven-week trial, Jenny Hopkins, deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, said: "The victims in this case have suffered in silence for many years and have only recently found the courage to come forward.
"Each victim, unknown to the others, described a similar pattern of behaviour; that of a man acting without fear of the consequences.
"I hope today's verdict provides other victims with the courage and confidence to come forward, no matter who is alleged to have carried out the abuse."
Peter Watt, director of national services at the NSPCC, said the children's charity had had 28 calls about Harris through its helpline, including 13 people who said they had been abused by him.
He added: "All of this was passed to the police, helping them to build their case against Harris, whose actions over the years have seriously damaged the lives of his victims.
"His reckless and brazen sexual offending, sometimes in public places, bizarrely within sight of people he knew, speaks volumes about just how untouchable he thought he was."
Ms Lee, 43, said the abuse had led her to contemplate taking her own life.
The mother-of-three said: "This has impacted me in ways you can't imagine and in ways that can't be taken back...
"To this day I can't go to sleep without lying in a lounge and having the TV on. I cannot lie in a room and try and sit with my thoughts and go to sleep."
The childhood friend of Harris's daughter, who has not been named, said: "I am very relieved, that's all I am prepared to say".
A make-up artist who told the trial that she was was repeatedly groped by Harris in Australia told the BBC "justice has finally been done".
Harris was a mainstay of family entertainment in Britain and his native Australia for more than 50 years. He arrived in London in 1952, becoming a fixture on TV screens as a children's entertainer, songwriter, and entertainer, on the BBC and other networks.
Harris was also an artist and painted a portrait of the Queen to mark her 80th Birthday in 2006.
During his career he was made an OBE, MBE and CBE. He was also awarded a Bafta fellowship two years ago but the academy has announced it will strip him of the honour ago in light of the conviction.
In his evidence, Harris reminded the jury of his career, how he had invented the wobble board instrument by accident and popularised the didgeridoo, and talked about his hit records, briefly singing a line from one of them, Jake the Peg.
He denied having sexual contact with his daughter's friend while she was under 16, but said they had consensual sexual contact later. He described himself as a "touchy feely sort of person" and rejected the other women's claims of sexual assault.


A 2,300-year-old coin found after flooding along the River Avon near Bath has revealed details of early maritime activity up the Bristol Channel.

The 20mm coin was spotted in receding floodwaters in 2012, but the owner kept the details private until now.
It has been verified by the British Museum and is understood to be a Carthaginian coin, minted around Sardinia in 300-264 BC.
Several similar examples have been recorded but only from the coastline.
On one side of the coin is an image of Tanit - a Punic and Phoenician goddess - and on the reverse is a horse's head.
Its owner wishes to remain anonymous but has allowed it to be included in a history project in Saltford, where the coin was found.
Project organiser Phil Harding said: "[The coin] predates the Great Wall of China, it predates the Roman Empire, it predates the birth of Jesus Christ, it predates Alfred the Great - it's just fantastic."
Dr Sam Moorhead, who recorded it for the British Museum, said it could have been struck at one of several mints in the Punic Empire, including Carthage and cities in Sardinia.
"It is certainly one of the earliest coins found in Britain," he said, adding other examples had been found from Cornwall, around the south coast to Kent, and up the east coast to Lincolnshire.
"It has been argued for a long time that these coins reflect trade with the Mediterranean, probably often via Gaul.
"The main commodity that Britain had which was wanted by the Carthaginians and others was tin, found in Cornwall and Devon.
"The Saltford coin does suggest that there was maritime activity up the Bristol Channel as well and we can imagine traders entering the River Severn."


Former Aberdeen and Dunfermline manager Jimmy Calderwood has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease.

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The 62-year-old is going public about his condition to raise awareness about dementia.
"If I can help others talk more openly about dementia then that will be something positive," said Calderwood.
"I can have a moan, as many of my players would say, but I've had a wonderful life in football. I've seen great places, travelled the world."
Calderwood also managed Kilmarnock and Ross County, while he played and coached in the Netherlands after beginning his career at Birmingham City.
"It's strange, I can still remember the big moments like they were yesterday," he said. "You never forget them.
"Getting promotion with Dunfermline, saving Kilmarnock on the last day of the season.
"I got sacked for a couple of things I don't think I should have got sacked for. Aberdeen was the hardest one. We got back into Europe and the chairman decided to make a change. That still annoys me."
A faltering appearance as a TV pundit for last year's Scottish Cup semi-final between the Dons and Hibernian is a source of regret.
"I felt that wasn't right and I shouldn't have done that," he said. "I was really angry with myself."
By then Calderwood was aware of problems with short-term memory.
"It was probably two, two-and-a-half years ago that I started to notice it and it has got worse since then, forgetting things and such," he said.
"I was still putting myself forward for jobs.
"I knew I was ill but I was still going to watch football and you think you can do it.
"Who knows if that was the case or not? Eventually, I made the decision; the game's finished for me.
"But I enjoyed it all because I just love the game."


Foreign Office officials supported sending British terrorism suspects to Guantanamo Bay, according to documents disclosed in the High Court.

The material reveals they suggested the US facility would be the "best way" to deal with suspects held in Afghanistan in the immediate wake of 9/11.
The documents have emerged as part of a legal action by six men.
They claim the UK government, including MI5 and MI6, failed to stop their detention or were complicit in it.
The court has also heard claims that former Prime Minister Tony Blair's office frustrated attempts by consular officials to help a detainee who was facing transfer to Guantanamo, the US detention facility in Cuba.
At least 60 government lawyers and officials are now working on the case, which could run for years. They are working in a secure location, sifting through 500,000 sensitive documents, many handed over by MI5 and MI6.
In a hearing on Tuesday, the High Court heard that one document already disclosed to the men indicated that the Foreign Office had supported sending British suspects to Guantanamo.
The memo was written on the eve of Guantanamo's opening in January 2002 - four months after the 9/11 attacks - as security chiefs debated what to do with British men arrested in Afghanistan as suspected supporters of al-Qaeda.
The document said that Guantanamo Bay was "the best way to meet our counter-terrorism objectives". The alternatives, it said, included British forces holding the men in Afghanistan, or repatriating them to the UK.
Days later, US forces delivered the first al-Qaeda suspects to Guantanamo. Within weeks, at least three British men had been imprisoned there.
Tim Otty QC, for the former detainees, told the court that an additional document, also just disclosed, raised questions about Downing Street's involvement in the case of Martin Mubanga, one of the men suing various arms of the government.
Mr Mubanga was arrested in Zambia in 2002 before being taken by US forces to Guantanamo Bay, where he was held for three years.
Mr Otty said: "The PM's office is apparently countermanding a desire of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to intervene on behalf of Mr Mubanga in circumstances where it could have led to his release."
Last week Prime Minister David Cameron appealed to the six former detainees to enter mediation talks, rather than drag the case through the courts.
That offer came as part of his announcement to the House of Commons of a judge-led inquiry into allegations of complicity in torture and extraordinary rendition.
The government has now formally asked the High Court to suspend the men's legal action, saying they hoped the six would enter talks by mid-October.
But lawyers for the men - Bisher al-Rawi, Jamil el Banna, Richard Belmar, Omar Deghayes, Binyam Mohamed and Mr Mubanga - say they will resist settlement talks until they discover more of what the government knew.


Amnesty International has accused European leaders of "double speak" over a deal to return migrants to Turkey.

The leading human rights charity said the deal failed to hide the EU's "dogged determination to turn its back on a global refugee crisis".
Under the plan, migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected.
In return, Turkey will receive aid and political concessions.
Under the EU-Turkey deal, Greek authorities will still process requests for asylum individually.
However, many migrants, including Syrians, are keen to go to Germany and other northern European Union countries and have previously refused to apply for asylum in Greece, as requested by the current procedure.
The deal says that for every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU.
John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Director for Europe and Central Asia, said promises by the EU to respect international and European law "appear suspiciously like sugar-coating the cyanide pill that refugee protection in Europe has just been forced to swallow".
He added: "Guarantees to scrupulously respect international law are incompatible with the touted return to Turkey of all irregular migrants arriving on the Greek islands as of Sunday.
Scepticism hangs heavy in the air about a host of legal issues, and about whether the agreement can actually work in practice.
The idea at the heart of the deal - sending virtually all irregular migrants back to Turkey from the Greek islands - is the most controversial.
European leaders insist that everything will be in compliance with the law.
"It excludes any kind of collective expulsions," emphasised European Council President Donald Tusk.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) will take part in the scheme, but it is clearly uncomfortable with what has been agreed.
Read more from Chris
Turkey is "not a safe country for refugees and migrants", Mr Dalhuisen said, adding that any deal to return migrants based on claims it was would be "flawed, illegal and immoral".
It is hoped the plan, agreed at a summit in Brussels, will deter people from taking the often dangerous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece.
As part of the arrangement, EU countries will resettle Syrian migrants already living in Turkey. EU leaders have welcomed the agreement, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of legal challenges to come.
Some of the initial concessions offered to Turkey have been watered down and some EU members expressed disquiet over Turkey's human rights record.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu hailed it as a "historic" day.
European Council President Donald Tusk said there had been unanimous agreement between Turkey and the 28 EU members.
The UN warned that Greece's capacity to assess asylum claims needed to be strengthened for the deal. Implementation was "crucial", the organisation said.
Since January 2015, a million migrants and refugees have entered the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece. More than 132,000 have arrived this year alone. Tens of thousands are now stuck in Greece as their route north has been blocked.
Greek Interior Minister Panagiotis Kouroublis has compared conditions at the Idomeni camp, on the border with Macedonia, to a Nazi concentration camp.
The Turkey-EU statement in full
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


World number one Serena Williams will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells.

The American, 34, reached her 88th career final by beating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 7-6 (7-1).
It took 2012 champion Azarenka just over two hours to see off Karolina Pliskova, with the 26-year-old Belarusian winning 7-6 1-6 6-2.
"This year has been great. It feels so great to be supported," said Williams, twice a winner of the tournament.
"It's been a great comeback here in Indian Wells. I'm excited about that."
Williams won seven games in a row to take the first set and go 3-0 up in the second, before seven successive points clinched victory in the tie-break.
She has won 23 of her 24 matches at Indian Wells, taking a self-imposed 14-year exile from the event amidst allegations of racial abuse from fans after sister Venus withdrew minutes before their semi-final in 2001.
"I had a lot of support, I heard a lot of 'go Serenas' and that was kind of cool," added Williams, who won the tournament in 1999 and 2001.


Sri Lanka votes in parliamentary elections on 17 August, with two major contenders for prime minister - current PM Ranil Wickramasinghe and defeated former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Mr Rajapaksa is standing as a candidate - despite his successor as president, Maithripala Sirisena, attempting to stop him from running.
Mr Sirisena had unseated his rival in a surprise victory in January's presidential polls - but now there is talk of Mr Rajapaksa making a comeback. BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen looks at what is going on.
He seems to think so.
Mr Rajapaksa, who is running as a candidate for the UPFA (United People's Freedom Alliance) in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka's third-largest electoral district, has vowed to storm back to power in these elections.
He is still popular among the majority Sinhalese, many of whom remember that he was in charge when the army defeated Tamil separatists to end years of bloody civil war.
If he wins by a large margin, and the UPFA secure an outright majority, President Sirisena (who leads the UPFA) could be forced to name him prime minister - putting the two rivals in an uneasy cohabitation.
In an interview with the BBC's Saroj Pathirana, Mr Rajapaksa said: "Clearly we'd secure 117 seats."
Despite Mr Rajapaksa's high profile, many experts believe that both the UPFA, and Mr Wickramasinghe's UNP (United National Party) will struggle to gain an outright majority in the 225-member parliament.
Correspondents say that a hung parliament would favour the UNP because they have a better relationship with two smaller parties - the Tamil National Alliance and the leftist JVP (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna) - which could allow them to form a coalition.
Failing to gain the numbers needed to become PM could leave Mr Rajapaksa humiliated on the opposition benches, playing little more than a spoiler role.
But if Mr Rajapaksa wins, the reforms Mr Sirisena has attempted to introduce could stall.
Mr Sirisena was once one of Mr Rajapaksa's closest allies, and previously served as Mr Rajapaksa's health minister.
But he ran against Mr Rajapaksa in January's presidential elections, with the backing of several other political groups, including the main opposition UNP, who wanted to prevent Mr Rajapaksa from gaining a third term.
He also appeals to many members of Sri Lanka's Tamil, Muslim and Christian minorities who had felt increasingly marginalised under the Rajapaksa presidency.
Following his victory, Mr Sirisena took over the leadership of the UPFA, while UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe took the role of prime minister.
However, since becoming president, Mr Sirisena has struggled to consolidate his position within his own party - which is filled with politicians still loyal to Mr Rajapaksa.
Eventually, he succumbed to pressure from his own party to grant Mr Rajapaksa the nomination to stand for the UPFA in August's elections.
He declined to name his rival as the party's prime ministerial hopeful, but Rajapaksa loyalists are confident their man can lay claim to the position if he and his supporters win by big margins in the polls.
Creating space for a political comeback by Mr Rajapaksa has irked many who voted for Mr Sirisena in January. They have called the move a "betrayal" of the mandate he obtained to defeat a man many saw as increasingly autocratic.
"He betrayed us, we never expected him to join Rajapaksa and bring back the corrupt Rajapaksa regime we defeated," civil activist Saman Rathnapriya told BBC Sinhala.
"6.2 million people voted against Rajapaksa - not for Sirisena as a person. He has destroyed all our hopes," an angry Mr Rathnapriya said after talks aimed at denying Mr Rajapaksa the party nomination failed last week.
President Sirisena had promised not to betray the silent revolution of 8 January or to permit the restoration of one-family rule in Sri Lanka.
But after a week's silence, he addressed the nation on 14 July, predicting his rival would lose in August.
"Mahinda Rajapaksa who was defeated on 8 January will be defeated again," President Sirisena said. "I don't need to read the stars to know that, the future can be predicted based on history."
He appeared wounded by the public outrage he has faced.
"No other president has been attacked the way I have in the past two weeks - they called me a traitor and a brute. Today you are tasting the fruits of democracy," Mr Sirisena told reporters.
Late in the campaign Sri Lankan media reported that Mr Sirisena had sent Mr Rajapaksa a letter saying that he would refuse to name him prime minister, even if he won the election.
Mr Sirisena is quoted as saying he did not approve of Mr Rajapaksa seeking to be prime minister after having been president for years.
The election campaigns have been relatively peaceful so far - with the exception of a shooting at a UNP campaign rally that killed one woman and injured 12.
Political campaigns will continue up to 14 August, before campaigning restrictions kick in.
Results are expected the day after the elections, on 18 August.


Bristol Rovers midfielder Stuart Sinclair has signed a new, undisclosed-length deal with the League One club.

The 29-year-old former Luton trainee joined Rovers in 2014 and helped them clinch back-to-back promotions from the National League up to the third tier.
He has scored five goals in 87 league appearances for the club so far.
Manager Darrell Clarke told Rovers' website: "His infectious enthusiasm and tremendous work ethic make him a shining example to younger players."


Dumbarton battled their way to a precious point in their battle against relegation in a goals drought at the Rock against Raith Rovers.

Rovers, chasing a play-off spot, will see this as a chance lost.
But they found the home side in fighting spirit and capable of producing some good football on a greasy surface.
In fact, it could have been worse for the Kirkcaldy side as Robert Thomson missed some chance in the first half.
A long kick out from his goalie, Alan Martin, was miss-timed by Jean-Yves M'Voto, the Rovers centre half, and Thomson was clean through one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
But somehow, having all but rounded him, he allowed Kevin Cuthbert to get a flailing hand on the ball to touch it round the post.
Ryan Stevenson was the pick of a gathering of former Hearts players on view alongside his Sons' team-mate, Darren Barr, and opponents Kevin McHattie and Rudi Skacel - to say nothing of Rovers manager Gary Locke.
He controlled things with great style in the middle of the park and engineered a performance that brought the point - and a series of second-half opportunities none of which his team-mates could convert.
Dumbarton were, however, actually worth more than the draw.
Dumbarton manager Steven Aitken: "We were the better team and we should have won it.
"At the start of the season, we were written off as the whipping boys and that was hurtful.
"But we have good players here. Ryan Stevenson showed why we worked so hard to get him."
Raith Rovers manager Gary Locke: "I thought a draw was a fair result. Both teams had chances and Dumbarton will be hard to beat for most teams here.
"The quality of the football was good on a difficult surface."
Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Raith Rovers 0.
Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Raith Rovers 0.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Lewis Vaughan replaces Mark Stewart.
Joel Coustrain (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mark Docherty (Dumbarton).
Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Todd (Dumbarton).
Substitution, Dumbarton. Andy Stirling replaces Donald McCallum.
Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Darren Barr (Dumbarton).
Corner,  Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Docherty.
Attempt blocked. Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton).
Attempt missed. Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Garry Fleming replaces Robert Thomson.
Foul by Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers).
Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Raith Rovers. Conceded by Darren Barr.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Joel Coustrain replaces Chris Johnston.
Attempt missed. Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Kevin McHattie.
Attempt blocked. Donald McCallum (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Donald McCallum (Dumbarton) right footed shot from very close range is too high.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Kevin McHattie.
Attempt blocked. Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the left wing is blocked.
Attempt saved. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Kyle Benedictus.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Scott Roberts replaces Jordan Thompson.
Attempt saved. Darren Barr (Dumbarton) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Corner,  Dumbarton. Conceded by Kevin Cuthbert.
Attempt saved. Donald McCallum (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers).
Mark Docherty (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mark Docherty (Dumbarton).
Foul by Chris Johnston (Raith Rovers).
David Smith (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt saved. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.


Plans for a housing development in Denbighshire have been turned down against the advice of council officers.

The county council's planning committee rejected proposals to build 133 homes on land at Mindale Farm, Meliden.
It followed objections by Prestatyn town council and residents.
Members said they were concerned about the scale of the development and its impact on road safety and flooding in the area.
The application by Penrhyn Homes had been recommended for approval by officers, which said there were limited technical grounds for refusal.


Thirteen municipal police officers are being held in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz over the kidnapping of a journalist on 2 January.

Moises Sanchez was abducted from his home by armed men on 2 January.
Mr Sanchez works for a newspaper in the city of Medellin and is known for his coverage of drug-related violence.
The arrests come amid a series of horrific disappearances and murders in which the security forces are alleged to be involved.
Mexicans have taken to the streets almost daily in support of 43 students who disappeared in the state of Guerrero on 26 September.
The case, in which municipal officers confessed to handing the students over to a local drug gang who are believed to have killed them, has shone a spotlight on allegations of widespread collusion between the police and organised crime.
Colleagues and friends of Mr Sanchez also voiced their concern that the security forces were involved in his abduction, holding up signs saying "It was the state" at a demonstration in the town of Xalapa on Wednesday.
Prosecutors said forensic tests were being carried out on a body found in a nearby village to establish if it could be that of Mr Sanchez.
Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH) says 97 journalists have been killed in Mexico in connection with their work since 2010.
According to the CNDH, Veracruz is among the most dangerous Mexican states for journalists to work in.


A life-threatening illness suffered by Olympic gold medal-winning diver Chris Mears was the "turning point" in his career, his father has said.

Along with diving partner Jack Laugher, 21, Mears won the men's synchronised 3m springboard final on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old from Burghfield Common in Berkshire was given just a 5% chance of survival after contracting the Epstein-Barr virus in 2009.
His family were in Rio to see the pair win GB's first ever diving gold medals.
At the age of 16, Mears collapsed with a ruptured spleen, losing five pints of blood.
Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire before leaving for Rio, he said he had been "pretty close to death's door".
"It helped me adapt to this kind of lifestyle as an athlete," he said.
"That feeling that nothing could be worse than that is a good mindset to have. When you are training and feel you can't do another dive, it helps me work a bit harder.
"At school I was a bit of a joker, it kick-started me to think, 'this is what's life's about - better start doing something now'."
His father Paul, who watched his son take gold in Rio, said: "It was the turning point - up until then he was doing his sport because it was something he'd always done.
"He got sick, nearly died and came back from that and dedicated the rest of his youth to the sport. To see it pay off in the one that really matters is just a dream come true."
Jeff Pearce, a coach at Reading Central Pool, recalled how staff were "amazed at what his capabilities were" when Mears began diving lessons as a child.
"He stood out like a sore thumb - his attitude, his physical ability, the things he could try were way beyond his age," he said.


With an election three weeks away, it would be normal to start seeing letters in national newspapers from the chief executives of the UK's biggest companies setting out their priorities for the next government.

A helpful reminder from the commercial powers that be that it is businesses, not government, that create prosperity, and their needs should be high on any political party's agenda.
So far - nothing.
Why has business lost its voice? Business leaders I have spoken to in the last few weeks have told me that they have been left in no doubt that none of the major parties need or want their blessing.
Both the Tories and the Labour party of Blair and Mandelson either enthusiastically courted or felt "intensely relaxed" around the country's wealthiest people.
Not any more. The Conservatives attempt to recast themselves as the party of the worker, rather than of the boss, with promises to intervene in markets and crack down on boardroom excess.
That has seen the door to the Number 10 kitchen supper clang shut. Yes, there have been dinners for business chiefs and spouses, but attendees tell me that if talk turns to policy, the talk dries up.
Last night at a black-tie do in Park Lane, business moved to plan B: offer to help with the crushing weight of technical Brexit negotiations facing a potentially overwhelmed civil service.
Paul Dreschler, the president of the CBI, offered a government that hadn't done trade deals for 40 years help in getting it right.
"Business can help navigating the labyrinthine problems of Brexit. We are offering to create a business Brexit task force in the next 50 days," he said.
The problem is this assistance looks like it comes from Jeeves rather than the local mechanic. A thousand-strong contingent wining and dining while economic figures show average workers getting poorer every day as their wage rises are gobbled up by rising prices is not "on message" for any of the parties.
Business chiefs are hopeful that once the election is over their offers will be welcome. As one chairman told me - hopefully everyone will "chill out" and be prepared to listen.
Over years of trying to get business leaders to tell me what they really think about politics on air, I've learnt that through elections and referenda most prefer to argue their case behind closed doors - as long as they were on the same side of the door.
Right now it seems - to not just many but most in this business gathering - that no-one is listening.


Australia's struggling oil and gas giant Santos has reported a loss of A$2.7bn ($1.9bn; £1.3bn) for the 12 months to December.

The figure was 189% higher than last year's annual loss of A$935m.
Revenue was 20% lower than in 2014, which Santos said reflected sharply lower oil prices during the period.
In 2015, Brent crude prices fell more than 45% and are now trading at about $34 a barrel.
Santos' operations and assets include pipeline gas and oil, together with liquefied natural gas (LNG) production - which is where natural gas is cooled to make a liquid that is easier to store and transport.
Earlier this week, rival Woodside Petroleum - Australia's largest independent oil and gas company -  posted a 99% fall in profits for the 12 months to December, citing the global fall in oil prices.
The dramatic fall in net profit for Australia's third-biggest oil and gas producer included writedowns on various assets of A$3.92bn over the year.
Production was up 7% for the period, however, and the company said it was focused on reducing capital expenditure, among other cost saving measures. It said capital expenditure would be cut to A$1.1bn.
Santos, which rejected a A$7.1bn takeover bid last year, also said it had "removed" 825 employee positions, resulting in gross labour cost savings of A$160m per year.
The firm's Sydney-listed shares fell 8.5% on its Friday profit report, but recovered slightly later to close down 4.2%. Over the past 12 months, the firm's shares have fallen more than 57%.
Kevin Gallagher, formerly Santos' chief executive officer of engineering services, took over as the head of the firm earlier this month.
He said on a conference call on Friday that the firm had to do better.
Mr Gallagher said his priority now was to assess the firm's operations "and put in place the right strategy to ensure that Santos is sustainable in a low oil price environment".
Last year the Adelaide-based firm announced plans to raise A$3.5bn through a share sale and by selling some assets.


A teaching union has criticised a school for banning pupils from putting their hands up to answer questions.

The Samworth Church Academy in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, claimed not all pupils were being challenged because "the same hands are going up".
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said "no hands" is a recognised teaching strategy, but teachers should be given the option to use it.
The school said children could still raise their hands for other reasons.
"These remarks have been somewhat misinterpreted," it said in a statement.
"Of course we expect our students to continue to raise their hands to attract a teacher's attention or similar.
"However, sometimes in a learning situation the hand up concept tends to produce the same children putting their hands up and the same children not putting their hands up."
But one mother claimed the school is "becoming like a prison camp", and children "have to sit in silence until spoken to".
"Putting your hands up to me is a way of communicating and they are not allowed to do that any more," said the mother, who has a teenage girl at the school.
"Every term there's always a new letter, there's always a new rule, and it's always very, very strict, and I do think a lot of the students are rebelling about all this.
"They are not being treated as young adults, it's really becoming like a prison camp, and I know a lot of parents are not happy."
The school's principal, Barry Found, announced the decision in a letter to parents. He wrote:
Last, but not least, we have taken the decision at the academy to dispense with the age old "hands up to answer a question" practice.
We find that the same hands are going up and as such the teaching does not challenge and support the learning of all.
From Monday 28th November, hands will only be raised in the academy to establish silence for listening (the students are very used to this practice and are brilliant at it!).
We will use a variety of other techniques to ensure that every student is challenged and developed in class through our questioning and that every student has opportunities to contribute and participate.
Jane Crich, of the NUT, said: "Any professional teacher should be trusted to teach a particular topic in a particular style according to the class they have.
"I don't know if there was a discussion before the decision was made but it shows a lack of respect to the teachers at the school.
"Teachers are never backwards in discussing new educational techniques but banning one from the classroom is strange."
The school has not commented on whether or not teachers were consulted before the change.


The conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Shinzo Abe has won the Japanese election, exit polls predict.

The LDP, which enjoyed almost 50 years of unbroken rule until 2009, is projected to have an overall majority in the new parliament.
Mr Abe has already served a Japan's Prime Minister between 2006 and 2007.
He campaigned on a pledge to end 20 years of economic stagnation and to direct a more assertive foreign policy at a time of tensions with China.
He is seen as a hawkish, right-of-centre leader whose previous term in office ended ignominiously amid falling popularity and a resignation on grounds of ill health.
But Japanese media project big gains for his LDP who they say are on course to win between 275 to 310 seats in the 480-member house.
Its ally, the small New Komeito party, looks set to win about 30 seats to possibly give the alliance a two-thirds majority in the lower house.
That would give Mr Abe the power to over-rule parliament's upper house and help to break a deadlock that some say has plagued the world's third biggest economy since 2007.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes says as many predicted, Japan has taken a sharp turn to the right.
The big losers from the election were the outgoing prime minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Democratic Party (DPJ) which is  forecast to win between 55 and 77 seats.
A party spokesman told Japan's NHK television Mr Noda would have to resign over the defeat, in which some of the party's leading figures are projected to have lost their seats.
The DPJ has struggled since coming to power in 2009. Two prime ministers came and went before Mr Noda as the party struggled to deliver amid the economic downturn and 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Mr Noda lost over his move to double sales tax, something he said was necessary to tackle Japan's massive debt.
By contrast, Mr Abe has promised more public spending, looser monetary policy, and to allow nuclear energy a role to play in resource-poor Japan's future despite last year's nuclear disaster at Fukushima.
Q&A: China-Japan islands row
But economists say there is little new in Mr Abe's policies, or 'Abenomics' as they have been called. They have been adopted by previous LDP governments without successfully renewing the Japanese economy.
Mr Abe has also called for a tough stance on a territorial row with China over islands in the East China Sea that both countries claim.
But neither of the main parties fully convinced voters.  Several new parties contested the poll and the right-leaning Japan Restoration Party founded by the mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto. could win as many as 50 seats.
And the nationalist former governor of Tokyo governor, Shintaro  Ishihara, whose bid to buy disputed islands provoked a fierce diplomatic  showdown with China, may also have won a seat in parliament according to Japanese media.


Blackpool have appointed former Blackburn Rovers boss Gary Bowyer as their new manager.

He replaces Neil McDonald, who left following Blackpool's relegation from League One, and has signed a one-year rolling contract at Bloomfield Road.
Bowyer, 44, was in charge at Blackburn from March 2013 to his dismissal in November 2015 following two earlier spells as caretaker.
He becomes Blackpool's eighth manager since 2012.


Electric vehicles are now a reality, but boiling a kettle at the same time as charging your car may not be, according to insights published by the National Grid.

In July, the government announced that all sales of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK will cease by 2040. Volvo, meanwhile, has said every vehicle it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor.
The National Grid predicts that by 2050, there could be up to 26 million electric vehicles on the road in the UK.
They'll all need charging regularly if we're to stay on the move, so how might our homes, roads and forecourts adapt to this exhaust-free future?
The short answer from the National Grid is yes.
How you access that electricity is what requires some thinking.
A top-of-the-range electric car will have a battery capacity of 90kWh. Using an average sized charger (3.5kW) it would take around 19 hours to go from 25% to fully charged.
That's a long time to wait to nip to the shops, but charging time can be cut dramatically by using a larger charger - ideally, you'd plug in something hefty with up to 50kW to reduce the time to about 80 minutes.
However, chargers that big aren't suitable for an average home - a more likely option would be a charger of about 11kW.
A typical home is fitted with a main fuse of 60-80 amps, and the National Grid points out that an 11kW car charger would require 48 amps.
That means using a kettle, oven or immersion heater during charging would cause the main fuse to trip.
So no cuppa while you wait?
Well, one solution could be to increase the amperage of your main fuse.
Only the distribution network operators can do this - as opposed to an electrician or your supplier - and the cost can vary depending on the age of a property.
With a 100 amp fuse, a 22kW charger could be used which would have a faster charge time of around three hours.
This would, however, still require all other electrical appliances in the house to be turned off during charging.
The National Grid predicts that by 2050, if there are 20 million electric cars on the road, about 8.5 million of them will not have the facilities to charge at home.
And for the aforementioned reasons - primarily the need for a cuppa or a hot bath - home charging won't always be the preferred option.
There are currently more than 4,700 locations with charging points around the UK, according to website Zap-Map.com.
New locations are being added daily - with an increase of 480 in the past 30 days alone.
This trend looks set to continue, with petrol stations and motorway services due to be made to install charge points, under the government's Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill.
Electric charging company  Ubitricity has begun installing charge points in adapted lamp posts in parts of London.
The posts are fitted with with a charging point which uses the electricity source for the lamp.
This provides on-street parking for electric car users - and uses an established electricity network.
Ubitricity argues it reduces the cost of installing an electric charging point by 90%. The company charges 13p per killowatt hour.
Suppliers such as Ecotricity - who currently have 300 "pumps" in the UK - also offer faster charging points. And car manufacturers themselves are working together to create charging networks.
Smart charging, which intelligently controls when vehicles draw electricity from the grid to avoid peaks and troughs, is one way of managing consumption.
This will be vital, according to think tank Green Alliance, who are warning of potential localised "brown-outs" - a drop in voltage of supply - in wealthier areas where initial electric vehicle take-up will be higher.
It cites an example of "responsive charging" in California, where internet connected chargers respond to signals by reducing or cutting off car charging if the grid is unstable.
The National Grid has set out how it thinks the UK's infrastructure could be reconfigured to cope with a world in which almost all cars will be electric.
We could see:


A former nurse has been jailed for life for the rape and sexual assault of six people, including a 15-year-old girl.

Vijay Bundhun, 42, of Tonford Lane, Canterbury, was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court of four counts of rape and nine of sexual assault.
He was working as a mental health nurse when he assaulted a patient while visiting her at home in Sittingbourne.
Bundhun persuaded her to allow him to give her a massage before pinning her to the ground and assaulting her
He sexually assaulted her again while her child was in the room, Kent Police said.
While the sex attacks were being investigated, another woman came forward to report Bundhun had raped her several months previously while she was undergoing treatment and taking strong medication.
The nurse had visited her house several times and again suggested a massage would help her relax, before raping her.
She told police she was so dazed by the medication she was unable to fully understand what was happening.
Bundhun was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Canterbury.
There were six victims in total, Kent Police said.
Det Con Rebecca Taft, said: 'Bundhun took advantage of his victims when they were at their most vulnerable and did not feel as though they could do anything about it."
Bundhun was told he will service a minimum of 11 years in prison.


The search for a "lion" in Essex was called off after no trace of the animal could be found.

While many newspapers have suggested the animal may be a large domestic cat a couple who photographed it remain convinced it was not a household pet.
The sighting is not the first time members of the public have claimed to have spotted an exotic animal in Britain.
Stories of big cats go back to the 1960s and 70s when it was legal and fashionable to keep exotic animals as pets.
The wealthy could take their lion, tiger or cheetah for a walk around the park without needing a licence.
But in 1976 the government introduced the Dangerous Wild Animals Act to protect the public and animals.
While many owners gave their pets to zoos or put them down rumours started that some people released their animals into the wild where their offspring still roam to this day.
In the mid 1990s photos and video emerged of a large panther-like animal in Cornwall.
Dubbed "the beast of Bodmin" it has been spotted on and off for 20 years.
In 1995 a 14-year-old boy found a leopard skull in a river in Bodmin perhaps lending weight to the beast's existence and its demise.
But scientists at the Natural History Museum found an insect egg case inside the skull which they said proved the animal had not died on the moors.
The skull was thought to have come from the tropics or been stored in a warm warehouse where tropical cockroaches can be found.
The researchers also found cut marks on the back of the skull which showed it had come from a rug or wall trophy suggesting it had probably been dropped into the river by hoaxers.
But sightings and evidence of big cats are not always a hoax.
In Wales there have been a number of reports of big cats sighted in rural areas close to the scene of animal attacks on sheep.
Dogs or foxes may be behind the attacks but some remain convinced the hunter involved is feline in origin.
In February DNA tests on two roe deer discovered dead in Gloucestershire found only saliva relating to foxes.
Last year it was not other animals but a stuffed toy that was behind a big cat sighting.
A life-size toy tiger sparked a major operation involving armed officers and a force helicopter in Southampton.
While no evidence has been found of the Essex lion public fascination with big cats in Britain looks set to continue.


A Conservative councillor has been suspended after posting a joke on Twitter about "moles" from Islamic State moving in with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Gordon McCaskill published his comment after Ms Sturgeon offered her house to a Syrian refugee.
The East Renfrewshire councillor has since removed the tweet.
A Tory spokesman confirmed Mr McCaskill had been suspended while an investigation was carried out.
The council's Conservative group leader has posted a number of comments about the conflict in Syria, which has seen millions of people flee their homes.
The one which sparked his suspension read: "Scenes we'd like to see: the refugees Nicola invites into her house are Daesh moles."
On Sunday, Ms Sturgeon told the Murnaghan programme on Sky News that she would be "absolutely happy" to take a refugee from Syria.
The Conservative government at Westminster announced on Monday that Britain would accept 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years.


Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has said he will deal with the question of his leadership "effectively and conclusively" after returning from Washington next month.

He made his comments during a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Wednesday.
Mr Kenny will travel to the US for the annual St Patrick's Day celebrations.
He will continue the tradition of presenting the US president with a shamrock.
There had been speculation he would face a motion of no confidence at the meeting but that did not happen.
The speculation was that a no confidence vote would result from his handling of a police whistleblower controversy.
The controversy began more than three years ago when two whistleblowers - Sgt Maurice McCabe and the now retired John Wilson - alleged there was widespread corruption with the Republic of Ireland's driving licence penalty points system.
A public inquiry is to be held into whether Sgt McCabe was falsely smeared by senior officers in the An Garda Síochána (police).
There will also be an independent review of police operations.
Questions had been raised about Mr Kenny's future arising from his government's handling of the Gardai whistleblower affair last week.
The Taoiseach had indicated that he would stand down as Fine Gael leader before the next general election but many in his party, were fearful last week that the country could face a general election because of the whistleblower affair with him still leader.
Mr Kenny received a standing ovation at tonight's short meeting, and faced no questions from his TDs, Senators and MEPs after he outlined his decision.
Last week, the Irish coalition government - which is made up of Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance - survived a vote of no confidence in the Irish parliament (Dáil).
The government won the motion by 57 votes to 52 votes and there were 44 abstentions.
The Fine Gael leader was re-elected as taoiseach (prime minister) in May 2016, 70 days after a general election which had produced no outright winner. He was the first Fine Gael taoiseach to be re-elected to office after a general election.
Mr Kenny became leader of Fine Gael in 2002 and was first elected taoiseach in 2011.


President Barack Obama has formally notified Congress of proposals for a $1.2 trillion (£782bn) rise in borrowing, risking another battle with Republicans.

In a letter, Mr Obama said "further borrowing is required to meet existing (spending) commitments".
Congress has 15 days to vote on the proposal, which would raise the debt ceiling to $16.4 trillion.
Last year the government came close to default in a row over the debt ceiling.
An uneasy truce between was agreed last year over long-term plans to reduce the nation's deficit.
Although the president is expected to be able to increase the debt ceiling, the issue will still give the Republicans more ammunition to claim Mr Obama is failing on deficit reduction.
Mr Obama hoped to increase the limit by 30 December, but the House and Senate requested a delay until they were back in session.
It meant that in order to pay its bills, the administration had to dip into its Exchange Stabilization Fund, a pot of money normally used by the US Treasury to maintain currency stability.
A Treasury official said other measures, such as suspending the daily reinvestments of assets in a government pension fund, may also be needed until the debt-limit increase is secured.


A webcam has managed to film the dramatic moment a volcano erupted in Mexico - and it's pretty spectacular.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
18 February 2015 Last updated at 06:43 GMT
The Colima volcano in western Mexico is one of the most active volcanos in the area.
It often sends bursts of ash up to 2000m in the air.
Watch it do just that in the clip above.


Children leaving residential care at 18 feel they lack support while others claim they have limited say in where they will live, a report has found.

The report, by Wales' Children's Commissioner Sally Holland, found homes provide the right care for some, helping them feel more stable.
But it also highlighted concerns, such as children being criminalised by frequent police call-outs.
Thirty-four looked-after children were interviewed, along with professionals.
Ms Holland called on people who work with children in care to listen to their opinions and experiences.
"They are the experts on what works and it is important that their voices are heard," she said.


The private space technology company SpaceX has successfully landed a rocket back on land after a mission into orbit.

22 December 2015 Last updated at 08:44 GMT
The Falcon-9 rocket, with 11 small satellites onboard, came back to earth in an upright position, a short distance from where it took off at Cape Canavarel in Florida.
It was the first time an unmanned rocket has returned to land vertically at Cape Canaveral and is seen as a huge success for SpaceX.
The company is trying to bring down launch costs down and to open up space to more people.
Billionaire company owner Elon Musk put a message on social media after touchdown saying "Welcome back, baby!" "It's a revolutionary moment,"
He later told journalists "No one has ever brought a booster, an orbital-class booster, back intact."
But although it was a test flight to see if they could bring the rocket back safely - the mission also had a practical purpose.
The rocket actually put 11 satellites into space.
But not all their launches have been so successful.
In June an unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded after blast off as it was heading to the International Space Station.
No one was onboard and no was was hurt.
The craft, an American Falcon-9 SpaceX rocket, was carrying supplies of food and equipment to the astronauts on the space station.
An investigation is underway to find out what went wrong.


A lack of media coverage about the national assembly has created a "democratic deficit" in Wales, the institution's presiding officer says.

At an event in Cardiff, Rosemary Butler will say it is "one of the gravest problems facing devolution".
She will point to cuts at the BBC, the decline of the regional and local newspaper industry and the dominance of London-based newspapers.
It follows a similar complaint from a committee of AMs.
Mrs Butler is expected to cite recent UK government reforms of the NHS in England when she speaks at an event in Cardiff Bay on Thursday.
She is expected to say it is the most "acute example" of a story that only applies to England, but is reported as if it applies to the whole of the UK.
She will say: "For the purpose of what I am going to cover tonight, I will call that problem the 'democratic deficit'.
"By that I mean who is, or perhaps more importantly who will be, relaying the work of the National Assembly to the people of Wales in the future?"
The Royal Television Society event will also hear from Professor Anthony King, of Essex University - the author of a report in 2008 that said the BBC needed to improve its coverage of the UK's nations and regions.
In May a cross-party report by AMs said a panel of experts should be set up to advise ministers on Wales' media industry.
The inquiry was set against a background of cutbacks at newspapers and broadcasters across the UK.


Pep Guardiola's first match as Manchester City manager will be in a pre-season friendly against his previous club Bayern Munich on 20 July.

The Spaniard, who takes over from Manuel Pellegrini, led Bayern to three Bundesliga titles and two German Cups in his three seasons in charge.
Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti will be making his home debut for Bayern in the match at the Allianz Arena.
City will face Manchester United in a friendly in Beijing five days later.
"Bayern will provide fitting opposition as our team continues its pre-season preparations and we will be able to connect with our fans in Germany," said City chief executive Ferran Soriano.
On Sunday, club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said Guardiola will take the Premier League club "to a new level".


Manchester City fans will be allowed to attend the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine after a stadium ban was reduced.

Dynamo were ordered to play two games behind closed doors after racist attacks on spectators during October's game against Chelsea.
Uefa has reduced the ban on appeal to one match, which was served against Maccabi Tel Aviv on 9 December.
Manchester City travel to Kiev's Olimpiyskyi Stadium on 24 February.
The return leg at Etihad Stadium will take place on 15 March.
Uefa punished Dynamo in November after video footage showed an apparent attack on four black men at Chelsea's 0-0 draw in Ukraine on 20 October.
Dynamo's fine of 100,000 euros (£76,000) has been reduced to 50,000 euros (£38,000).


Ten American aid workers who may have been exposed to Ebola are being brought back to the US from Sierra Leone.

On Friday it was announced that a US aid worker back from Sierra Leone had tested positive and was being treated in hospital near Washington DC.
The evacuees may have been in contact with the Ebola patient and are being flown back on non-commercial transport.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said none were currently showing Ebola symptoms.
They will stay in voluntary isolation for a 21-day incubation period. If any start to show symptoms they will be taken to one of three hospitals which are equipped to deal with Ebola cases.
On Friday, the CDC sent a team to Sierra Leone to investigate how the healthcare worker became exposed and determine who might have been in contact with the infected person.
The patient is being treated at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.
It is the 11th person with the deadly virus to be treated in the US.
More than 10,000 people have died in the current Ebola outbreak.
On Saturday, a 6th British healthcare worker was evacuated from Sierra Leone after coming into contact with a British Ebola case.


UK oil and gas exploration firm BG Group, which is set to be taken over by Royal Dutch Shell, has reported a big drop in first-quarter earnings.

Core earnings fell 41% to $1.59bn (Â£1.03bn), with pre-tax profits down to $708m from $1.9bn a year earlier.
Like many other energy companies, BG's results have been affected by the fall in oil prices from a year ago.
BG said it was still happy with Shell's Â£47bn offer for the firm, despite a recent recovery in oil prices.
"There is no change to our view on the offer," said BG chief executive Helge Lund.
BG agreed to be bought by Royal Dutch Shell last month. Mr Lund said the deal was expected to be completed by early-2016.
BG more than doubled production from its Brazil and Australia operations in the first quarter.
However, the impact of the lower oil price from a year earlier was seen in a 21% fall in revenues to $3.99bn.


Russ Abbott is among the stars set to appear in a new BBC One retirement comedy, it has been announced.

The show, provisionally called Grey Mates, will also feature June Whitfield and Stephanie Beacham in a group of pensioners living on the Norfolk coast.
Forming a trio of recently retired couples, they face their twilight years from very different perspectives.
Filming on the show is due to begin in the Spring and it will be screened later in 2014.
Alison Steadman, Philip Jackson, Paula Wilcox and James Smith complete the principal cast of the new serial.
Whitfield, famed for her roles in sitcoms Terry and June and Absolutely Fabulous, is the senior member of the cast, at 88, and plays the mother of Maureen (Stephanie Beacham).
Abbot, best known for his self-titled sketch show, which ran from 1986-91, with a brief return later in the 90s, also had a role in evergreen sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.
He played Luther "Hobbo" Hobdyke from 2008-10 before the series came to an end after 37 years on the screen.
Controller of BBC One Charlotte Moore said: "Comedy has a unique ability to make the ordinary extraordinary and Grey Mates delivers that with a big hit of characters."
She added that the onset of retirement is "hilariously brought to life by a stellar cast whose relationships are tested in a multitude of ways".
BBC One also announced a five-part run of Our Girl, starring former EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, following its success as a single drama earlier this year.
Turner plays Molly Dawes, who serves in Afghanistan as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
A three-part documentary about the inner workings of fast food giant KFC was also announced, taking a boardroom-to-restaurant look at the business.
Moore said: "The series will gain unprecedented and surprising access to a global super brand that, despite being on almost every high street up and down the country, we seemingly know very little about."


More than 70 people had to be rescued by firefighters after a power surge brought Tyne & Wear's Metro system to a halt underground.

Passengers and a driver were stranded when the train stopped in a tunnel between the Central and Monument stations in Newcastle city centre.
Witnesses described seeing sparks and fire outside the carriage.
A total of seven trains came to a standstill between stations at about 13:00 BST, operator Nexus said.
One witness told the BBC: "The train just pulled up at Monument and about 20 minutes later it was like a firework display.
"It seemed like the cables had come down, all the tunnel just lit up, and then the lights just went out on the Metro. We were stuck down there for about 40 minutes."
Another added: "We just left Monument leaving towards Central Station and there were lots of sparks, and the train lit up really brightly, there was fire on the outside.
"All the power just went out, we were left in darkness."
Firefighters led those stuck on the train to safety. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the power surge.
Trains have resumed across the system except for services between South Gosforth and Shiremoor in North Tyneside.
Nexus has advised passengers to use alternative methods of travel.


A search has begun for an artist to create a public art piece near Sheffield's famous former cooling towers site.

The Tinsley Art Project aims to appoint an artist to develop a design worth up to Â£450,000.
The piece will be Sheffield's largest-ever public art commission and will be funded by energy company E.ON.
The company pledged the money to the council after the structures were demolished in August 2008.
Andrew Skelton, public art officer at Sheffield City Council, said: "It's an area of change, hope and aspiration."
"Tinsley was an absolute heart of our industrial history, but now it's a fantastic area of bio-diversity - a really rich and pleasant environment to be in."
The project will be in addition to the construction of the man of steel sculpture which will overlook the M1 at Kimberworth.
Mr Skelton said: "I'm hoping that we'll get something that is really innovative and exciting - the crucial thing is that it draws people down there.
"In a fantastic part of the city, the regeneration is happening and people should go down and enjoy it. "


The European and Japanese satellites that make up the BepiColombo mission to the Planet Mercury are being put on display on Thursday.

The two spacecraft will be joined together for both the launch from Earth and the cruise to the innermost world.
Only when they arrive at Mercury will they separate to conduct different but complementary observations.
Thursday’s showcase is the media's last chance to view the full "flight stack", as it is called.
The event will take place at the European Space Agency's (Esa) technical centre here in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
Europe's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) will shortly after be unbolted from each other for some final individual testing, before onward shipment to the launch site in French Guiana.
The double mission is due to get under way in 2018. An Ariane rocket is set to carry all the equipment skyward in October.
Everyone will have to be patient, however. It is going to take seven years for the satellite duo to get to their destination.
The MPO and MMO will be looking to extend and deepen the knowledge gained at Mercury by the US space agency’s recent Messenger mission.
The American probe, which ceased operations in 2015, took some 270,000 images of the planet's surface and acquired 10 terabytes of other scientific measurements.
It provided remarkable new insights on the composition and structure of the smallest terrestrial planet, and it made the amazing discovery that water-ice is held inside some of its shadowed craters. This on a surface that is generally hot enough to melt lead.
Esa and the Japanese space agency (Jaxa) hope that the more advanced, higher-resolution technology on their satellites will be able to answer some of the questions Messenger could not.
The key conundrum is why the planet contains an outsized iron core and only a thin veneer of silicate rocks.
A favoured theory before Messenger was that Mercury at some point in its history was stripped of its outers layers, either by a big collision with another body or by the erosive effects of being so close to the Sun.
But the American probe observed large abundances of sulphur- and potassium-containing compounds in the surface - volatile substances that should not be present if either of the popular formation processes held true.
Europe's MPO will have 11 scientific instruments onboard. It will fly in a circular polar orbit around the planet, mapping the terrain, generating height profiles, sensing the interior, and collecting data on surface composition and the wispy "atmosphere".
Japan's MMO will have five instruments and will investigate the planet's magnetic field.
Mercury is the only terrestrial planet - apart from Earth - to have a global magnetic field. But it is an odd one. The field is roughly three times stronger in the northern hemisphere than it is in the south.
Both Esa and Jaxa are delighted to at last be approaching launch.
The development of the mission, particularly on the European side, has been a torrid learning curve. Hellish, one might even say.
The launch date was repeatedly put back as engineers struggled to find systems and materials that could cope with the intense heat and radiation experienced just a few tens of millions of km from the Sun.
When Esa’s Science Programme Committee originally green-lit BepiColombo in 2000, it had in mind a launch in 2009. Even when the industrial contract to build the MPO was finally signed in 2008, a launch was thought possible in 2013.
Esa says the mission is costing it €1.3bn (£1.1bn; $1.4bn). This figure does not include the costs of the MPO's instruments which are borne by the national member states that supplied those instruments. Nor does it include the Japanese MMO contribution.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


A former teacher at a prestigious music school has been cleared of raping an 18-year-old student in the early 1980s.

Malcolm Layfield, 63, denied claims he had used his "power and influence" to assault her in the back of his car.
He admitted he had pursued a number of consensual sexual relationships with students throughout the 1980s.
But the former violin teacher at Manchester's Chetham's School of Music denied he "crossed the line" during a summer school in Cornwall.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court took less than 90 minutes to acquit Mr Layfield.
Mr Layfield had been accused of driving the woman in the middle of the night to an isolated spot and raping her while she was drunk on an alcoholic punch made by him.
The complainant, who had been taught by Mr Layfield at Chetham's and Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), said she "gave in" and went on to have consensual sex with him over the following six weeks.
She said she had been under Mr Layfield's "influence and power" as he threatened to take work opportunities away from her if she changed tutors.
Mr Layfield, of Castle Quay, Castlefield, told the jury he was not in a position to "destroy people's careers". He said she had willingly got into his car and that sex was "mutual".
His solicitor, Matthew Claughton, said the verdict had come as a "huge relief" to his client.
Before the trial, the judge dismissed an application to ban reporting Mr Layfield's identity unless he was convicted of the offence.
Mr Layfield, who performed with the Manchester Camerata orchestra and led his own Goldberg Ensemble, told the trial that he was "regretful" about the "shameful" consensual relationships he had with female students, with the youngest aged 17.
His history of relationships with students was well known in some musical circles. When the RNCM chose to appoint Mr Layfield as head of strings 2002, some members of staff were unhappy.
Speaking to the BBC, pianist Martin Roscoe, who was RNCM's head of keyboards, said he was "absolutely shocked" at the college's decision.
He said: "On ethical grounds, on moral grounds, that is the behaviour of someone who should not be put in a position of pastoral care, dealing with students of any age, in my view."
A RNCM spokeswoman said: "We hope that all concerned are able to move beyond the allegations and court proceedings, which must have been distressing for all involved."
Claims that Mr Layfield had relationships with students when he worked at Chetham's School of Music were made during the 2013 trial of former colleague Michael Brewer.
Brewer was jailed for six years after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting ex-pupil Frances Andrade, 48, more than 30 years ago when she was 14 and 15.
Mrs Andrade killed herself at her home in Guildford, Surrey, a week after giving evidence.
Two men were also sentenced last year as part of an investigation launched by Greater Manchester Police following Brewer's conviction.
Conductor Nicholas Smith, 66, was jailed for eight months after he admitted sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Chetham's pupil in the 1970s.
Double bass teacher Duncan McTier also pleaded guilty to sexual assaults against three former pupils he taught at the RNCM and Purcell School of Music in Harrow, north-west London.


Chris Martin scored twice as Fulham ended 10-man Reading's five-game winning run in the Championship.

Chris Gunter headed into his own net early on before Martin's shot from outside the box made it 2-0.
Reading's Danny Williams was sent off soon after for kicking out at Stefan Johansen.
Sone Aluko fired in Fulham's third from inside the area, Johansen's sublime finish made it 4-0 and Martin scored a free-kick to complete the rout.
Fulham's victory gave them three consecutive wins against Reading at Craven Cottage for the first time and they completed the feat in style.
It took a bit of help from Gunter to get them under way as the Wales international headed Ryan Fredericks' cross past team-mate and keeper Ali Al-Habsi.
The visitors, whose majority shareholders are rumoured to be selling their stake to a Chinese brother and sister, kept the scoreline at 1-0 until four minutes after the break when Martin opened his account by firing in from 25 yards.
After Williams was sent off, the hosts made the most of their advantage with three more goals.
Aluko beat two defenders on his way into the box before curling in from a tight angle, Johansen expertly struck with the outside of his left boot from inside the area, and Martin smashed in a free-kick.
Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic:
"We scored five but we could have been more clinical at some moments. It is important when your moment arrives that you kill off the opponents.
"When I took Watford up they were more a little bit more clinical than we are right now.
"Normally I am never satisfied but today I am satisfied. I just want us to know that we can still do better than that."
Reading manager Jaap Stam:
"We gave them too much space and time on the ball, we made wrong decisions on the ball and they finished us.
"It wasn't a red card. Danny Williams had the ball and wanted to pass or kick it off the pitch.
"He fell over and the Fulham player fell on top of him and I don't think Danny kicked him in the chest."
Match ends, Fulham 5, Reading 0.
Second Half ends, Fulham 5, Reading 0.
Foul by Lucas Piazon (Fulham).
Chris Gunter (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Chris Martin (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Scott Parker.
Goal!  Fulham 5, Reading 0. Chris Martin (Fulham) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Chris Martin (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Callum Harriott (Reading).
Attempt saved. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
George Evans (Reading) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by George Evans (Reading).
Substitution, Fulham. Neeskens Kebano replaces Floyd Ayité.
Lucas Piazon (Fulham) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Callum Harriott (Reading).
Attempt saved. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Fulham. Scott Parker replaces Stefan Johansen.
Attempt saved. Callum Harriott (Reading) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Joey van den Berg.
Attempt missed. Scott Malone (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Reading. Callum Harriott replaces Garath McCleary.
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Ali Al Habsi.
Attempt saved. Chris Martin (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Tomas Kalas.
Substitution, Fulham. Lucas Piazon replaces Sone Aluko.
Goal!  Fulham 4, Reading 0. Stefan Johansen (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Floyd Ayité.
Kevin McDonald (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Yakou Meite (Reading).
Goal!  Fulham 3, Reading 0. Sone Aluko (Fulham) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kevin McDonald.
Attempt missed. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Chris Martin.
Substitution, Reading. Yakou Meite replaces Dominic Samuel.
Offside, Fulham. Stefan Johansen tries a through ball, but Tim Ream is caught offside.
Corner,  Fulham. Conceded by Ali Al Habsi.
Attempt saved. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stefan Johansen.
Attempt saved. George Evans (Reading) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Garath McCleary with a cross.
Foul by Sone Aluko (Fulham).
Chris Gunter (Reading) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by Ryan Fredericks.
Floyd Ayité (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Liam Kelly (Reading).
Offside, Reading. Chris Gunter tries a through ball, but Garath McCleary is caught offside.
Corner,  Reading. Conceded by Ryan Fredericks.


Moeen Ali should stay batting at number eight for England, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.

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With England struggling to fill gaps in their top order, Moeen hit an unbeaten 67 to push their lead over South Africa to 360 on day three of the fourth Test.
"They need a number two and a number five, but keep Moeen at eight," said Vaughan.
"He is a wonderful player and I like him in that position - I like the batting line-up being deep."
The left-hander, who has five Test hundreds, has batted in every position from one to nine for England.
Earlier in this series he was batting at number seven, but has been shifted down a place as the hosts looked to strengthen their line-up.
He forms a strong lower-middle order alongside Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, with Chris Woakes set to return from a side injury for the three-Test series against West Indies.
"With all the power in Stokes, Bairstow, Ali, Woakes, I wonder why do we have to have a set order?" added Vaughan on Test Match Special.
"Why can't we go into a new era of Test cricket and say 'the top five are set, but six downwards, we'll juggle it about'?
"For example, on a day where right-handers are more use, we'll send one of those in."
Moeen's 59-ball knock, which included three sixes, steadied England from a position in which they were vulnerable to a South Africa resurgence.
At 153-7, the home side led the Proteas by 289, only for Moeen to counter-attack.
"It's one of my best innings for England in terms of trying to take the momentum and putting pressure back on the opposition," said Moeen.
"It was good fun, the situation needed some momentum and I backed myself and went for it."
Moeen's knock took him past 200 runs for the series and, coupled with his 20 wickets, the Worcestershire man is the first to do such a double since Andrew Flintoff in the 2005 Ashes.
His success comes after some confusion over his role at the beginning of the series.
In including Hampshire's Liam Dawson for the first two Tests, England coach Trevor Bayliss called Moeen the "number two spinner".
"That was the worst bit of PR this England team has done," said former England off-spinner Graeme Swann.
"Moeen is the best spinner in the country, but the fact they did that shows what he feels about his bowling. They haven't worked out how to get him to believe in himself properly.
"He needs someone to get in his head and tell him how good he is with the ball."


Swansea is in the running to become the UK's City of Culture for 2021.

The city has been shortlisted alongside Coventry, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent and Sunderland - a bid by St Davids, Pembrokeshire, failed to make the cut.
A team behind the Swansea bid previously said it planned to match the £33m spent by Hull if it wins the cultural title.
The City of Culture for 2021 will be announced in December.
It is the second time Swansea has been shortlisted for the title, the city lost out to Hull in the competition for the 2017 award.
The team behind the 2021 bid had previously said it wanted to host a programme of events which play on the "'lovely, ugly' Swansea that Dylan Thomas describes."
It now has until the end of September to submit a final bid before the winner of the third City of Culture is awarded by the UK government.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said while there would be disappointment in St Davids, he hoped the people of Swansea would get behind the race for the title.
"Boasting the UK's first area of outstanding natural beauty, and the region that brought the first passenger railway to the world, Swansea's amazing achievements, past and present make it a true contender to be crowned UK City of Culture 2021," he said.
"I know that they will put forward the strongest case possible in the race for the title and I hope that local people take every opportunity to get behind the bid."
If successful the city, which is set for a £500m regeneration, would host a series of cultural events, including festivals, art and theatre performances, following in the footsteps of Derry/Londonderry and 2017 title-holder Hull.
It would also have access to a £3m Heritage Lottery Grant.


Doing extreme endurance exercise, like training for a marathon, can damage the heart, research reveals.

MRI scans on 40 athletes training for challenging sporting events like triathlons or alpine cycle races showed most had stretched heart muscles.
Although many went on to make a complete recovery after a week, five showed more permanent injuries.
The researchers told the European Heart Journal how these changes might cause heart problems like arrhythmia.
They stress that their findings should not be taken to mean that endurance exercise is unhealthy.
In most athletes, a combination of sensible training and adequate recovery should cause an improvement in heart muscle function, they say.
But they believe more investigations are now needed, since their small study in Australia did not look at any associated health risks.
The medical director of the London Marathon, Professor Sanjay Sharma, agreed that more research was needed and said the results provided "food for thought".
"My personal feeling is that extreme endurance exercise probably does cause damage to the heart in some athletes. I don't believe that the human body is designed to exercise for as long as 11 hours a day, so damage to the heart is not implausible."
But he said it was too early to say that taking part in endurance sports causes long-term damage.
And Doireann Maddock of the British Heart Foundation said the findings should not put people off doing exercise.
"It is important to remember that the health benefits of physical activity are well established. The highly trained athletes involved in this study were competing in long distance events and trained for more than 10 hours a week.
"Further long-term research will be necessary in order to determine if extreme endurance exercise can cause damage to the right ventricle of the heart in some athletes. Any endurance athletes who are concerned should discuss the matter with their GP.''
In the study, the scientists studied the athletes a fortnight before their races, immediately after their races and then about a week later.
Immediately after the race, the athletes' hearts had changed shape. The right ventricle - one of the four chambers in the heart involved in pumping blood around the body - appeared dilated and didn't work as well as it had been in the weeks leading up to the race.
Levels of a chemical called BNP, made by the heart in response to excessive stretching, increased.
A week later, most of the athletes' hearts had returned to the pre-race condition. But in five who had been training and competing for longer than the others, there were signs of scarring of the heart tissue and right ventricular function remained impaired compared with the pre-race readings.


Aston Villa's takeover by Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia is not on the verge of collapse.

It has been reported that Xia has failed to demonstrate he possesses the necessary funds to complete the deal.
But BBC Sport has learned £52m has been paid into an escrow account, ready to be transferred to current Villa owner Randy Lerner.
Xia has also provided proof of funds that will guarantee he takes on an existing debt of £25m.
The same amount will be payable to American Lerner if Villa, relegated from the Premier League, return to the top flight within three years.
Xia has also provided guarantees to the Premier League and Football League that he can cover the club's operating costs for the next two seasons.
A joint enquiry by the two leagues continues and will not be rushed as all aspects of the proposed takeover are scrutinised, including the likely make-up of the new board of directors.
Villa remain without a permanent manager to replace Frenchman Remi Garde, who was sacked in March.
Former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes, who was on a three-man shortlist for the job, pulled out of the running last week.
Ex-West Brom and Chelsea manager Roberto di Matteo remains in the frame.


The Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire attracted revellers to Cornbury Park with ancient woodland, lakes and a deer park.

The festival site is surrounded by 1,700 acres of private forest.
Performances from artists including Bjork, George Clinton and Ben Howard took place from Friday to Sunday.
The line-up includes cookery classes, yoga workshops and activities such as stone masonry and foraging.


The Scottish judo star who suffered head injuries in a motorbike accident in Vietnam is being flown to a hospital in Bangkok in Thailand.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Stephanie Inglis remains in a coma after the accident earlier this month.
She has since developed pneumonia and a decision was made to fly her to Bangkok where there is a hospital equipped to deal with the infection and the coma.
The 27-year-old from Inverness had been teaching in Vietnam.
Following the accident on 10 May, an appeal to raise money to cover the cost of her care has so far raised more than Â£230,000.
Family friend and judo player Khalid Gehlan, also from Inverness, said efforts to fly Ms Inglis to Thailand were hampered by issues affecting two aircraft and a tropical storm.
She has since been put on a flight which was expected to take about an hour and half to reach Bangkok.
The accident is reported to have happened when her skirt caught in the wheel of the motorbike.
She was being taxied by motorbike to a school in Ha Long, where she had been teaching English for the past four months.
Ms Inglis won her silver medal at Glasgow 2014.


Luis Suarez got the winner as Barcelona scored two goals in two minutes to come from behind and beat Bayer Leverkusen.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos had headed the visitors into a deserved half-time lead as Barca struggled to find fluidity without the injured Lionel Messi.
But Sergi Roberto turned in a rebound with just 10 minutes left before former Liverpool striker Suarez smashed home.
The victory sees Luis Enrique's side leapfrog their German opponents to go top of Group E.
However, midfielder Andres Iniesta suffered a hamstring injury and was withdrawn after 60 minutes.
"These are thorns in our side we have to shake off," said Enrique of Barca's latest injury.
"It was a tough night - the second game without our best player and our second win. My players deserve a huge amount of credit."
With Messi out injured Barca boss Luis Enrique gave a start to 20-year-old forward Sandro alongside Suarez and Neymar.
Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez forced Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen into a good save as the away side started the stronger.
Papadopoulos put Leverkusen ahead from a Hakan Calhanoglu corner, beating Ter Stegen from a tight angle at the near post.
But Barca rallied late on as Roberto scored his first European goal before Suarez powered the ball high past Bernd Leno.
Elsewhere, BATE Borisov of Belarus pulled off a surprise home victory over Serie A club Roma.
Two goals from full-back Filip Mladenovic and one from Ihar Stasevich had put the home side 3-0 up after just 30 minutes.
Wojciech Szczesny, the Arsenal goalkeeper on loan at Roma, seemed to lose sight of Mladenovic's first, a speculative effort.
Former Gunners striker Gervinho got one back for Roma before substitute Vasilis Torosidis gave the away side hope of a draw.
But the Belarusians hung on for a win that sees them climb to third in Group E, level on points with second-placed Leverkusen.
Match ends, Barcelona 2, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1.
Second Half ends, Barcelona 2, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1.
Javier Mascherano (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Roberto Hilbert (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Sergi Roberto (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Foul by Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona).
Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Roberto Hilbert (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Attempt missed. Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Neymar following a fast break.
Foul by Luis Suárez (Barcelona).
Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luis Suárez (Barcelona).
Roberto Hilbert (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the bottom right corner.
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Goal!  Barcelona 2, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Munir El Haddadi.
Foul by Javier Mascherano (Barcelona).
Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!  Barcelona 1, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1. Sergi Roberto (Barcelona) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jordi Alba with a cross.
Munir El Haddadi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Wendell (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Attempt blocked. Neymar (Barcelona) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luis Suárez.
Offside, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Roberto Hilbert tries a through ball, but Julian Brandt is caught offside.
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Roberto Hilbert replaces Giulio Donati because of an injury.
Jordi Alba (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Jordi Alba (Barcelona).
Jonathan Tah (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Dangerous play by Kevin Kampl (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Attempt blocked. Neymar (Barcelona) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordi Alba.
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.