Northampton Town have re-signed striker JJ Hooper on loan from League One rivals Port Vale until 9 January.

The 22-year-old ex-Newcastle man failed to make a league start or score a goal for the Cobblers in his previous spell at the club in the 2013-14 season.
Hooper is reunited with boss Rob Page at Sixfields, for whom he scored five goals in 30 games at Vale last season.
"Did I get the best out of him? I'd like to think so and hope I can again," Page told BBC Radio Northampton.
"He is a big physical lad, he was at Northampton before and he has matured a hell of a lot since then.
"He has experience and league goals now under his belt and grown in confidence because of that, and that will hold him in good stead hopefully in his second spell at Northampton Town."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Stephen McGown watched the swallows migrate back and forth across the Sahara six times before he was finally rescued from the grip of Islamist extremists.

In that time, he only truly feared for his life on three occasions - all of them within the first panicked months which followed his kidnap from a hotel in Timbuktu.
Each time, the feeling was the same.
"Your brain takes you to another place and the seconds are long and you are numb," he recalled, speaking at a press conference in South Africa, thousands of miles from the men who had stolen six years of his life - and with it, the chance to say a final goodbye to his mother.
Mr McGown's rescue was the end of a hostage ordeal which has stretched not only across the years, but across continents. He was the last of the three men taken by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) to be released.
The 42-year-old had already watched his fellow hostages, Dutchman Sjaak Rijke and Swede Johan Gustafsson, leave the makeshift camps which had been both their home and prison.
Sitting in front of the media in South Africa on Thursday, Mr McGown admitted he had barely dared hoped he might be next.
"In the end, you just do not want to believe," he said. "Well, you want to believe, but you are tired of coming down with a bang."
A lot has happened since 25 November, 2011, the day AQIM stormed a small Timbuktu hotel and seized the three men, shooting dead a fourth man - a German - before driving them deep into the desert.
None of the men knew if they would survive. Mr McGown was perhaps the most vulnerable: his dual British-South African citizenship meant he was a prize bargaining chip.
Sitting and watching his captors slaughter a goat in the middle of the camp just days into the kidnap, he said he had thought soberly: "I am probably the first to go because of my British ties."
But he added: "I don't believe they knew my nationality. It would have been first prize for them if I was British. They kidnapped me just because I was non-Muslim."
The first year was the hardest.
In the beginning, they were kept chained at night, huddled under a blanket together "like sardines" until someone unlocked them in the morning. Blindfolds were also used.
But eventually, their captors relaxed - even telling them they were "fortunate" to have been kidnapped.
"This is better than being in jail," Mr McGown recalled them saying. It was not, he told reporters, a sentiment he and his fellow captors could understand.
Then there was the Sahara itself: the boiling sun, the vicious thunderstorms and freezing nights.
"You have to learn how to find shade and endure the cold at night," Mr Gustafsson told a press conference [in Swedish] in his home country just hours before Mr McGown spoke.
"One has to learn to live with extremely little water."
Both men revealed they had converted to Islam during their time in the desert. Their reasons, however, were different.
"Before the desert, I was a Christian," Mr McGown explained to reporters. "They did not force me. I entered (Islam) of my own accord."
Whether he would return to Christianity was unclear - he needed to read more, he said, but he added: "I see many good things in Islam. It requires a very good character, a very strict character."
Mr Gustafsson converted for less spiritual reasons.
"That was the only thing I could think of that would buy me some time, even though I did not have much hope that it would work," The Local reported him as saying.
"I didn't know anything about Islam, so I'm not sure how believable it was. But I think they saw it as their duty to accept it, even though I have a hard time believing that they actually believed me."
He never lost sight of their captors as the enemy, he said, even while eating and praying alongside them.
After the first year, Mr Gustafsson, 42, tried to escape. For two days and nights, he was on the run from his captors.
When they eventually caught up with him, there was, he admitted, a feeling of relief.
"At the same time, it was a big disappointment, and I was afraid that at worst they would kill me," he said.
It would take another three years until one of the hostages was eventually rescued. Mr Rijke was discovered by French special forces during a dawn raid in April 2015.
Mr Gustafsson and Mr McGown were still being held, however. By now, they weren't being treated badly: three meals a day, medicine when needed, and an exercise routine - although that could be stopped by their captors at any point.
At times there was a radio, which meant they could catch some of news from the outside world through BBC Africa.
But the fact remained they were captives, with no end to their imprisonment in sight.
"I cannot say you do keep going day by day," Mr McGown said. "Sometimes you sleep a lot, sometimes you do not eat much, sometimes you are absolutely miserable and want to fight with everybody."
But he kept himself going by focusing on those who were waiting for him at home.
"I did my best to see the best in a bad situation," he said. "I did not want to come out an angry person: the last thing I wanted to do was come out and be a bigger burden for my family."
Then in June, Mr Gustafsson was released into the waiting arms of Swedish police officers with "tears in their eyes".
Mr McGown was alone with his captors for another month before he was released. At first, he thought it was a joke.
Back home, recovering from a fever, he is adjusting to life back with his family and friends - although "so much has changed".
He is determined to come out of the experience a stronger person, and, in public at least, it seems it is only the death of his mother Beverly - which he learnt of the day he was rescued - he is struggling to come to terms with.
"It is the one thing I am unable to understand. All the other things I can try and find a positive in," before quietly adding: "But I am sure there is a positive..."


Dick Advocaat won his first game back in charge of the Netherlands as the Dutch hammered Luxembourg 5-0 to boost their chances of World Cup qualification.

The former Sunderland boss, 69, is starting his third spell as national team boss.
Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder scored on the night he won a record 131st cap, while Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen added a late penalty.
The Dutch are still third in Group A.
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, Bayern Munich forward Arjen Robben and Spartak Moscow's Quincy Promes also found the net.
Only the winners of each group are guaranteed a place at next summer's finals in Russia, with the eight best second-placed sides competing in the play-offs.
Sweden are the new leaders in Group A after an injury-time winner from Ola Toivonen saw them beat France 2-1.
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud scored a stunning left-footed strike from 20 yards to put the previous leaders ahead but Jimmy Durmaz equalised and former Sunderland forward Toivonen scored in the 93rd minute from 50 yards after a poor clearance from Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Sweden have not qualified for the finals since 2006.
Cristiano Ronaldo continued his scoring form with two headers as Portugal beat Latvia 3-0 in Riga. The Real Madrid forward, who scored twice in last weekend's Champions League final win, now has 73 goals for his country.
Portugal remain in second place in their group, three points behind Switzerland, who won 2-0 in the Faroe Islands thanks to goals from Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri.
Belgium remain in control in Group H after a comfortable 2-0 win in Estonia, West Brom forward Nacer Chadli on target, while Gibraltar were minutes away from avoiding defeat for the first time in a competitive fixture until Pieros Sotiriou scored an 87th-minute winner in a 2-1 win for Cyprus.
Andorra did get a rare win however - ending a 66-match winless run by beating Hungary 1-0.
Marc Rebes scored the only goal with a looping header which caught Hungary goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi out.
Andorra's previous, and only other, win in a competitive match was a 1-0 victory over Macedonia in a World Cup qualifier in October 2004.
Final del partido, Holanda 5, Luxembourg 0.
Final segunda parte, Holanda 5, Luxembourg 0.
Corner,  Holanda. Corner cometido por Enes Mahmutovic.
Christopher Martins Pereira (Luxembourg) ha sido amonestado con tarjeta amarilla por juego peligroso.
Quincy Promes (Holanda) ha recibido una falta en la banda izquierda.
Falta de Christopher Martins Pereira (Luxembourg).
Remate parado junto al lado derecho de la portería. Sébastien Thill (Luxembourg) remate con la izquierda desde fuera del área.
Falta de Daley Blind (Holanda).
Stefano Bensi (Luxembourg) ha recibido una falta en campo contrario.
Cambio en Luxembourg, entra al campo Florian Bohnert sustituyendo a Gerson Rodrigues.
¡Gooooool!  Holanda 5, Luxembourg 0. Vincent Janssen (Holanda) convirtió el penalti  remate con la izquierda a la escuadra izquierda.
Penalti del Holanda. Vincent Janssen sufrió falta en el área.
Penalti cometido por Ralph Schon (Luxembourg) tras una falta dentro del área.
Cambio en Holanda, entra al campo Nathan Aké sustituyendo a Wesley Sneijder.
Corner,  Luxembourg. Corner cometido por Joël Veltman.
Stefan de Vrij (Holanda) ha sido amonestado con tarjeta amarilla por juego peligroso.
Falta de Stefan de Vrij (Holanda).
David Turpel (Luxembourg) ha recibido una falta en campo contrario.
Falta de Vincent Janssen (Holanda).
Lars Gerson (Luxembourg) ha recibido una falta en la zona defensiva.
Remate fallado por Jeremain Lens (Holanda) remate con la derecha desde fuera del área que sale rozando el larguero.
Wesley Sneijder (Holanda) ha recibido una falta en la banda izquierda.
Falta de Christopher Martins Pereira (Luxembourg).
Kevin Strootman (Holanda) ha recibido una falta en campo contrario.
Falta de Lars Gerson (Luxembourg).
Cambio en Holanda, entra al campo Jeremain Lens sustituyendo a Arjen Robben.
Se reanuda el partido.
El juego está detenido  debido a una lesión de Laurent Jans (Luxembourg).
¡Gooooool!  Holanda 4, Luxembourg 0. Quincy Promes (Holanda) remate de cabeza desde muy cerca por bajo, junto al palo izquierdo. Asistencia de Stefan de Vrij con un centro al área.
Remate rechazado de Kevin Malget (Luxembourg) remate con la derecha desde fuera del área. Asistencia de Gerson Rodrigues.
Corner,  Holanda. Corner cometido por Ralph Schon.
Remate parado por bajo a la izquierda. Arjen Robben (Holanda) remate con la izquierda desde fuera del área. Asistencia de Georginio Wijnaldum.
Remate fallado por Wesley Sneijder (Holanda) remate con la izquierda desde fuera del área que se le va demasiado alto. Asistencia de Arjen Robben.
Arjen Robben (Holanda) ha recibido una falta en campo contrario.
Falta de Kevin Malget (Luxembourg).
Cambio en Holanda, entra al campo Quincy Promes sustituyendo a Memphis Depay.
Remate fallado por Kevin Malget (Luxembourg) remate con la derecha desde la banda izquierda el balón se pierde por el lado derecho de la portería. Asistencia de Enes Mahmutovic.
¡Gooooool!  Holanda 3, Luxembourg 0. Georginio Wijnaldum (Holanda) remate con la izquierda desde el centro del área al centro de la portería.
Falta de Daley Blind (Holanda).
Christopher Martins Pereira (Luxembourg) ha recibido una falta en la zona defensiva.


Championship club Aston Villa reached the EFL Cup second round with a narrow away win at League Two Colchester.

Scott Hogan slotted in Villa's opener after U's keeper Sam Walker fumbled.
The hosts had an early chance to level after Christopher Samba took out Sammie Szmodics in the box, but Mikael Mandron's drilled penalty was saved.
Frankie Kent then inadvertently turned in Albert Aldomah's cross, before the United defender made it 2-1 at the other end shortly before half-time.
Colchester pushed for a leveller after the break but missed several chances as Villa - who made nine changes to their starting side after their league draw with Hull - held on to progress.
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce: "The conditions were tough and we had a makeshift back four, so it was always going to be difficult.
"Jed (Steer) pulled off two or three very good saves and I'm delighted for him, because he's worked really hard to get back.
"He ruptured his Achilles in my first week at the club but he's a very decent goalkeeper and he got his rewards.
"You wouldn't send a lifeboat out in those conditions and I've never known anything like it for an August evening. It was unbelievable.
"We made too many mistakes but thankfully got away with it."
Colchester head coach John McGreal: "We showed a togetherness tonight, even after their first goal had gone in which came out of nothing.
"We bounced back straight away and showed a bit of character but then it went to 2-0 and we could have crumbled.
"But we bounced back again and I'm really proud of the players. The fans were on their feet at times and it was one of those games.
"We missed a penalty but that happens and we had opportunities after that when we got into good areas. It was great experience and a great game to watch - we can take a lot of heart and confidence out of the performance."
Match ends, Colchester United 1, Aston Villa 2.
Second Half ends, Colchester United 1, Aston Villa 2.
Foul by Callum O'Hare (Aston Villa).
Sean Murray (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Hand ball by Mikael Mandron (Colchester United).
Corner,  Aston Villa. Conceded by Cameron James.
Foul by Keinan Davis (Aston Villa).
Cameron James (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Josh Onomah (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Craig Slater (Colchester United).
Attempt missed. Denny Johnstone (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt blocked. Denny Johnstone (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mikael Mandron with a headed pass.
Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Cameron James (Colchester United).
Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ritchie de Laet (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United).
Substitution, Aston Villa. Ritchie de Laet replaces Andre Green.
Foul by Keinan Davis (Aston Villa).
Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Colchester United. Denny Johnstone replaces Drey Wright.
Corner,  Colchester United. Conceded by Jed Steer.
Attempt saved. Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ryan Jackson.
Attempt missed. Josh Onomah (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
James Bree (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United).
Offside, Colchester United. Mikael Mandron tries a through ball, but Ryan Jackson is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa).
Ryan Jackson (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Keinan Davis (Aston Villa).
Cameron James (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Sean Murray (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sean Murray (Colchester United).
Corner,  Colchester United. Conceded by Birkir Bjarnason.
Attempt saved. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jed Steer.
Substitution, Aston Villa. Keinan Davis replaces Scott Hogan.
Attempt missed. Sean Murray (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Lewis Kinsella.


Manchester City scored twice in stoppage time to be crowned champions for the first time in 44 years as they beat Queen's Park Rangers to win the Premier League on goal difference from Manchester United.

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In scenes of near bedlam, City looked to be suffering a dramatic collapse as QPR - safe after Stoke City drew with Bolton - held on to an unlikely advantage with United leading at Sunderland.
20 mins: Wayne Rooney sends Man Utd two points clear at the top by giving his side a 1-0 lead at Sunderland.
39 mins: Silence turns to bedlam at Etihad Stadium as Pablo Zabaleta puts Man City ahead against QPR back on top on goal difference.
48 mins: Advantage United. Djibril Cisse stuns City with an equaliser and it is all change at the top again. Sir Alex Ferguson's side are two points clear with 42 minutes of normal time to go in the season.
66 mins: City are capitulating. After Joey Barton is sent off for QPR, Jamie Mackie puts the Londoners ahead against all the odds. United, now three points clear with 24 minutes of normal time remaining, dare to dream.
90 + 2 mins: Lifeline for City. Edin Dzeko levels for City but United are still leading and remain two points clear with just moments left.
90 + 5 mins: Man Utd win at Sunderland but City are still playing. And City despair turns to delirium as Sergio Aguero scores a last-gasp winner. It is utter heartbreak for Man Utd's fans at the Stadium of Light, though, as news filters through of the late drama. Game over. City win title.
With some City fans already leaving the stadium in tears, Edin Dzeko equalised in the second of five minutes of stoppage time before Sergio Aguero scored the goal that won the title.
City's players and supporters travelled from one end of the emotional scale to the other in those vital seconds, providing a truly remarkable piece of football theatre and the most dramatic conclusion to a season in Premier League history.
Roberto Mancini's side needed victory to clinch the prize that has eluded them since 1968 and took the lead through Pablo Zabaleta shortly before the interval.
Djibril Cisse levelled for QPR soon after the restart before the visitors lost Joey Barton when he was shown a red card against his former club following a clash with Carlos Tevez.
QPR shrugged off their numerical disadvantage to reduce the Etihad to stunned silence when Jamie Mackie gave them the lead with a far-post header in the 66th minute.
City set up permanent camp in QPR territory but appeared condemned to their worst nightmare of losing the title to arch rivals United in the most painful circumstances as keeper Paddy Kenny rode his luck to produce a string of saves to ensure they held firm in the face of an onslaught.
Then, as the clock started to tick into those added minutes and United were in sight of a 20th title, City and their supporters were transported from the depths of despondency to the highest high in the space of two minutes.
Dzeko rose to head the equaliser before Argentine Aguero showed great clarity of thought and composure amid the mayhem to drive into the area and beat Kenny with a powerful low finish.
The Etihad was a sky-blue explosion of joy and relief in an outpouring of 44 years of frustration as Aguero wheeled his shirt above his head in celebration and Mancini, who cut an increasingly frantic figure as time ran out, raced on to the pitch - accompanied by backroom staff including Brian Kidd and David Platt - in ecstasy.
As Mike Dean's final whistle blew, the reality dawned on City as they capped a run of form that has seen them overturn United's eight-point advantage in the space of five weeks.
And for supporters who have suffered watching the successes of neighbours United under Sir Alex Ferguson, this was the perfect moment of redemption.
The atmosphere was a mixture of the tense and triumphal as the teams came out to a torrent of golden ticker tape raining down from the stands.
QPR's intentions soon became clear as City ran into massed ranks of resistance and the early celebratory mood became tense as Mancini's side struggled to fashion clear-cut chances.
The breakthrough finally came six minutes before half-time. Yaya Toure had been struggling for some time with a hamstring injury, but he was able to play in Zabaleta and his shot squirmed through the hands of QPR keeper Kenny and in off the far post.
QPR were level shortly after the restart when Cisse took advantage of Joleon Lescott's poor header to beat Hart - but they were then plunged even further into a rearguard action when Barton was sent off.
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He will claim he was provoked by Tevez, but he can have no complaints as he raised his arm to the Argentine and then kicked his fellow countryman Aguero after he received the red card.
QPR lifted the siege in stunning fashion when Mackie stole in at the far post to head them in front and all City's efforts were thwarted as Kenny saved well from David Silva, Aguero and Dzeko among others.
It looked like the day that had started for City with such anticipation and expectation was going to end in despair - then came the finale and the goals from Dzeko and Aguero that will live forever in the memories of every City fan who witnessed them.
Live text commentary


Wales coach Warren Gatland says none of his France-based players have become better players by crossing the Channel.

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Centre Davies will win his 50th cap when he lines up alongside Harlequins' Jamie Roberts, formerly of Racing 92, against Scotland on Saturday.
"I don't believe that any of our players have improved going to France," said Gatland.
Davies admits he has not always been at his best since being in France, adding: "But it's all about learning."
He returns to Scarlets at the end of the current campaign and added: "I've learned off some of the best players in France, and the experience of playing at such a passionate club has been good.
"You cannot emphasise how important rugby is to them, and how the emotions are in French rugby.
"The last few weeks, our results haven't gone to plan, but I have enjoyed it and I think I've learnt about myself.
"Living out there on my own, you have time to think about stuff. I'm not very philosophical as such, but at the time it was the right decision for me to go out to Clermont.
"And now, making the decision to come home is the right one now."
Gatland says it is "great" Davies is returning to the Scarlets after two years at Clermont Auvergne.
"So the fact Jonathan has decided to come back home and we can have more hands-on with him and work with him... hopefully we will see him getting back to where he was and improving his game," added Gatland.
Gatland is looking forward to seeing Davies continue his "pretty special" midfield partnership with Roberts when Wales play their first home game of the Six Nations.
He added: "Hopefully, he has another 50 caps in him if his body can stay fit."
Scotland coach Vern Cotter was Clermont coach during Davies' first season there and expected the 2013 British and Irish Lion to improve in the Top 14.
Racing 92 lock Luke Charteris is also part of Wales' France-based contingent, while record cap holder Gethin Jenkins, who is on the bench against Scotland, spent the 2012-13 season at Toulon.
Injured full-back Leigh Halfpenny is expected to remain at Toulon beyond the end of this season having attracted interest from Scarlets and former team Blues.
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James Hook, who was in the World Cup squad last year but was not selected for the Six Nations, is at Gloucester after impressing while at Perpignan.
Scarlets backs coach Stephen Jones played for Gatland's Wales after returning from Clermont Auvergne, while fellow former Wales captains Gareth Thomas and Colin Charvis also played in France.
Davies has signed a national dual contract in which the Welsh Rugby Union will pay 60% of his salary with Scarlets funding the rest.


French President Francois Hollande has announced the award of the country's highest award - the Legion d'honneur - to six passengers who tackled a suspected radical Islamist on board a train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris.

Here's what we know about what happened.
The drama took place on board a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris, via Brussels, on Friday afternoon.
The journey was apparently uneventful until the train, operated by Thalys, reached Oignies in northern France, having just crossed from Belgium.
French prosecutor Francois Molins said a French passenger in carriage 12 who was trying to access a toilet cubicle was faced with an individual who emerged from the cubicle "bare-chested, wearing a backpack on his chest and carrying a rifle slung across his shoulder".
Mr Molins said the man was also in possession of an automatic pistol, nine cartridge clips, a bottle of petrol and a box-cutter.
The unnamed French passenger tried to overpower the man.
Seeing the struggle, 51-year-old French-American passenger Mark Moogalian also tried to intervene.
But the gunmen fired several shots and Mr Moogalian was hit in the neck.
Three American friends on a tour of Europe - off-duty military servicemen Spencer Stone and Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler - were also in the first class carriage.
They had initially been unable to find their first class reservations and had moved to this carriage to get a better internet connection. They were all sleeping when the commotion woke them.
Seeing the suspect had freed himself from the Frenchman who first tackled him, the Americans charged the gunman.
"Alek just yells, 'Spencer, go!' And Spencer runs down the aisle," Mr Sadler said.
"Spencer makes first contact, he tackles the guy, Alek wrestles the gun away from him, and the gunman pulls out a box cutter and slices Spencer a few times."
Mr Stone was slashed in the neck and eyebrow with the box-cutter and had a thumb almost sliced off.
Mr Stone held the suspect in a chokehold and Mr Skarlatos hit him in the head with the butt of one of the weapons.
The three men tied him up with the help of British businessman Chris Norman.
Mr Stone - despite having sustained injuries himself - then went to the aid of Mr Moogalian, who was losing blood.
Mr Stone said: "I just stuck two of my fingers in the hole, found what I thought to be the artery, pushed down and the bleeding stopped. I just said 'Thank God' and held that position until the paramedics got there."
Mr Hollande said Mr Stone had "probably saved Mr Moogalian's life".
Meanwhile, the train staff alerted authorities as to what had happened. As the train slowed down and passed through Henin Beaumont station, several frightened passengers broke the windows and escaped the train, according to Mr Molins.
The gunman was held until he could be arrested at Arras station.
The suspect was named as Ayoub El-Khazzani, a 25-year-old Moroccan.
Investigators say Mr Khazzani was born on 3 September 1989 in Tetouan in Morocco and lived in the Spanish city of Algeciras.
They say he frequently attended the city's Takwa mosque, "known for its radical preaching", according to Mr Molins, and for which his brother was the treasurer.
Mr Molins said he had been convicted of several offences in Spain, including drug trafficking and traffic offence, and has been given at least two prison sentences.
According to Mr Molins, Mr Khazzani had travelled through several European countries in recent years.
Mr Molins said Mr Khazzani had returned to Europe from Turkey in June 2015. Prosecutors believe his presence in Turkey may indicate he went to war-torn Syria.
Mr Molins said he had also spent "five to seven months" living in the Paris suburb of Aubervilliers in 2014, during which time he had worked for a mobile phone company for two months.
The suspect was flagged up to France by the Spanish authorities in February 2014 as affiliated to a radical Islamist movement.
Mr Khazzani says he was left homeless after his identity documents were stolen. In the last six months, he says he travelled to Spain, Andorra, Belgium, Austria, Germany and France, but denies travelling to Turkey or Syria, according to his lawyer.
Mr Khazzani apparently did "not understand why this story has become so inflated," his lawyer told Le Parisien newspaper (in French).
"He said he wanted to extract money from the passengers on this Thalys train and nothing else. He denies any terrorist intent to his actions. This is almost laughable, he says."
The lawyer added that Mr Khazzani said he had found the rifle and Luger gun he used in the attack in a suitcase left in a park, near the Brussels station where he used to sleep.
Mr Molins said that this had been Mr Khazzani's initial version of events under questioning but that his explanation had grown less and less lucid and that he eventually stopped speaking to investigators at all.
He said that analysis of Mr Khazzani's phone revealed he had watched a YouTube audio file whilst already on the Thalys train "in which an individual called on the faithful to fight and take up arms in the name of the Prophet".
Mr Khazzani's father, Mohamed el-Khazzani, told the Daily Telegraph in Algeciras, Spain, that his son was a "good boy" interested in "football and fishing".
He later told El Mundo: "They are saying Ayoub is a terrorist but I simply can't believe it. Why would he want to kill anyone? It makes no sense. The only terrorism he is guilty of is terrorism for bread; he doesn't have enough money to feed himself properly."
French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, who injured his hand as he tried to activate the train's alarm, told Paris Match (in French) that members of staff ran through his carriage (next to carriage 12 where the melee took place) to the guards' van at the end of the train.
They opened the door with a special key and locked themselves in, he alleged.
"We shouted for the staff to let us in, we yelled 'open!'", he said. "There was no response."
However Agnes Ogier, the boss of Thalys, denied Mr Anglade's allegations, saying train staff "fulfilled their duties".
One member of staff found himself under fire and took five or six passengers with him into the baggage car, where he sounded the alarm, she said.
Mr Hollande praised the actions of the staff when handing the Legion d'honneur to four of the passengers.


Tottenham's 21-year-old striker Harry Kane has signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the club.

The academy graduate has scored 20 goals in all competitions this season and his form has helped Spurs challenge for a Champions League spot.
Kane tweeted: "Very happy to have signed my new contract at Spurs! Excited for the future ahead!"
The Walthamstow-born forward has also impressed for England Under-21s, scoring eight goals in 10 games.
He had only signed a new deal in August, but his impressive performances have earned him an improved contract until 2020.
The striker's two goals in Spurs' victory against against West Brom on Saturday took his Premier League tally into double figures.
Kane is widely tipped to be named in Roy Hodgson's England squad for the friendlies against Lithuania on 27 March and Italy on 31 March.


Trainer Aidan O'Brien completed the Guineas double-double as the filly Winter took flat racing's Irish 1000 Guineas three weeks after winning the English equivalent at Newmarket.

Winter saw off stable companion and hot favourite Rhododendron at The Curragh.
Roly Poly and Hydrangea made it a 1-2-3 finish for O'Brien, who won the race for a seventh time.
O'Brien's Churchill completed the 2000 Guineas double on Saturday with both horses ridden by jockey Ryan Moore.
"It was very easy," said Moore. "She gave me a lovely ride and it was very straightforward. She was relentless."
O'Brien said Winter was likely to be aimed at the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June
Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent
My goodness, Winter is thriving under the tutelage of Aidan O'Brien, who took on the filly after previous trainer David Wachman decided to retire.
The daughter of stallion Galileo - who else? - made it look so, so simple here with a performance that seemed a significant step forward from the one that saw her win at Newmarket.
There, she was only really O'Brien's 'third-string' but now she's very much number one and the continuation of a highly lucrative year - with the Coronation Stakes next - can be predicted confidently.


Manchester City have been fined £35,000 after admitting a breach of the Football Association's anti-doping rules, the governing body has said.

Clubs are required to provide accurate details of training sessions and player whereabouts so they are available for testing at all times.
City failed to ensure their information was accurate on three occasions.
It is understood the information was not updated following a change to training routines.
The punishment was imposed following an independent regulatory commission hearing, with the club also warned about future conduct.


A Londonderry man has described his "unbearable" wait to hear from his daughter after an explosion at a Manchester Arena pop concert.

Sean Woods' 19-year-old daughter, Niamh, was working at the venue when the explosion happened at at the end of a concert by US singer Ariana Grande.
Twenty-two people, including children, have been killed and 59 injured in what police believe was a suicide attack.
Thousands of relatives turned to social media for news on missing loved ones.
"I was bawling like a child," said Sean Woods. "For the first time in my life I couldn't make any sense."
The explosion happened in the foyer of the arena shortly after Ariana Grande left the stage.
"[Staff] were in a locked room because they were doing the takings from the bar," Mr Woods told BBC Radio Foyle.
"This room had two double glass doors and when the explosion went off she said: 'Daddy, I never heard anything as loud in my whole life.'"
Seconds after the blast, Niamh Woods told her father people were "frantically banging" on the door to try and get away from the scene of the explosion.
"People that were running past had blood running down their faces and, she said, their clothes drenched in blood," said Mr Woods.
"Thank god she got in touch with us through her friend's phone on messenger and it was an unbelievable relief to hear her voice.
"I'm getting her a flight today. She's so badly shook up. We were up all night and we haven't slept.
"I just kept crying and crying and crying... I couldn't even speak properly, it was unbearable.
"My heart really truly goes out to every single person who has lost in that, because the prospect of losing your own daughter in it is quite something.
"I have never had that emotion in my life before and I never, ever, want to have it again," he added.
The authorities have set up an emergency number for those concerned about friends and relatives on 0161 8569400.
A book of condolence for the victims of the Manchester attack has been opened at Belfast City Hall, where a vigil is being held at 18:00 BST on Tuesday.


Six men have been jailed after smuggling "truly colossal" quantities of drugs from Holland to the UK in fake ambulances.

Cocaine, heroin and ecstasy were all involved, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
The drugs were sealed behind riveted panels inside a fleet of Dutch ambulances entering UK ferry ports with bogus patients and paramedics on board.
Police believe at least 45 trips, involving drugs with an estimated street value of £1.6bn, took place.
The sentencing hearing came after three Dutch nationals were jailed for their part in the same operation last year.
More on this story and updates from Birmingham & Black Country
National Crime Agency officers tracked one of the ambulances on 16 June 2015, after it entered the UK via Harwich Port and went to a car park in Smethwick, Birmingham.
Vogelaar and Engelsbel got out of the ambulance wearing paramedic uniforms and met with Schoon and Bijlsma who arrived in a Mercedes car - all four men were arrested.
They were with a bogus patient on crutches who was later seen by officers walking around without them.
Officers found 193 kilos of cocaine, 74 kilos of heroin, two kilos of MDMA crystal and 20,000 ecstasy tablets with a combined potential street value of over £38 million.
The drugs had been bound with different coloured tape which correlated to a list of 20 customers found inside the car.
The sentences
CCTV showed that during some drug smuggling trips the men stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Colchester, Essex.
An industrial unit in the Moorside Business Park, Colchester, was often used as a location to transfer the drugs from the ambulances.
Brent Lyon, operations manager at the National Crime Agency, which led the operation to catch the smugglers, said their jailing has "disrupted" organised crime groups in the UK.
"This was an audacious plot by organised criminals who were driven by profit and who went to extreme lengths to avoid law enforcement attention," he said.
Sentencing the men at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Francis Laird said: "This was a highly sophisticated, meticulously planned and well-executed conspiracy involving the importation of Class A drugs on a truly colossal scale."


Conor McManus' late goal helped seal Monaghan's 2-10 to 1-9 opening Division 1 win over Roscommon as the Farney men fought back from seven points down.

Ciarain Murtagh's penalty put Roscommon 1-4 to 0-1 up and that was increased to 1-6 to 0-2 after half-time.
But a Dermot Malone goal gave Monaghan hope as they began to use the wind.
The Farney men levelled the contest on 62 minutes and while Roscommon moved ahead again, Fermanagh hit a closing 1-2 including McManus' injury-time goal.
Roscommon will rue the black carding of Murtagh which came shortly after his 27th-minute goal.
Murtagh notched 1-2 of Roscommon's opening 1-4 including his 27th-minute penalty after he had been hauled down by Drew Wylie, who was black carded for the the challenge.
However, Murtagh was then black carded himself before the break for a tackle on Dessie Mone.
Leading 1-5 to 0-2 after playing with a first-half wind advantage, Senan Kilbride tagged on a further Roscommon point after the restart but Monaghan were back in the game moments later as Dermot Malone struck a goal.
Two Thomas Kerr points helped Monaghan cut Roscommon's lead to 1-7 to 1-5 by the 50th minute and after Fintan Cregg's replied for the home side, points from Daniel McKenna, keeper Rory Beggan and Neil McAdam levelled the contest in the 62nd minute.
Cregg edged Roscommon ahead again with a minute of normal time left but Malone levelled immediately and McManus' injury-time goal broke the home team's resistance as McKenna tagged on another Monaghan point despite McAdam's dismissal seconds earlier.
WEEKEND ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS
Saturday
Division 1
Down 0-07  3-15 Donegal
Dublin 2-14 0-14 Kerry
Sunday
Division 1
Cork 1-18  0-12 Mayo
Roscommon 1-09  2-10 Monaghan
Division 2
Derry 3-13  1-10 Fermanagh
Meath 1-10  0-08 Armagh
Tyrone 0-10  0-08 Cavan
Laois 1-10  3-12 Galway
Division 3
Clare 1-11  0-07 Sligo
Limerick 1-12  2-09 Tipperary
Offaly 0-12  0-10 Longford
Westmeath 0-11 2-09 Kildare
Division 4
Louth 2-09 0-09 London
Carlow 0-10 1-12 Antrim
Wexford 0-14  1-10 Leitrim
Wicklow 0-13  1-08 Waterford


When a 12-year-old Spanish boy set up a website to promote his brass band, he inadvertently landed himself with a â‚¬100,000 (Â£88,000) bill for advertising fees.

Luckily for him, Google has said it won't make him pay the bill as he had misunderstood what he was signing up to.
But not everyone is so lucky and even big businesses can make mistakes that can prove costly. Over the years there have been numerous examples of errors and bad decisions....
Facebook recently had to make an embarrassing admission that it had grossly overestimated how much video people have watched on the site for the last two years.
One advertiser suggested that, in some cases, video viewing statistics had been overestimated by up to 80%.
Facebook's analytics are an important tool for advertisers, who use them to work out how much of their video content is being watched.
The error affected a Facebook metric called "average duration of video viewed", which was supposed to tell publishers for how long, on average, people had watched a video.
However, the metric did not include viewers who had watched for less than three seconds in the count. Discounting the shorter views - including people who had ignored a video in their news feed - inflated the average viewing times for each video.
The admission from the social networking giant drew criticism, though Facebook said the error had not changed how much advertisers paid the site.
From a huge overestimation to a terrifying under-appreciation for the popularity of a tech development.
Digital cameras. We all take the powerful cameras on our phones for granted, but in the 1970s this was all unheard of, film cameras were king.
Then in 1973 Kodak hired a young engineer called Steven Sasson. He went on to invent the process that allows us to take digital photos with our phones and send them around the world in seconds.
Kodak patented the first digital camera in 1978. But it did not develop the idea, fearing the effect it would have on its film sales.
Mr Sasson told the New York Times that Kodak bosses were "convinced" no-one would ever want to view their photos on a television set. Oops. Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
E-commerce has caused a multitude of pricing glitches over the years, from virtual shopping baskets failing to update to whole websites crashing, the frustrations are endless.
But one huge malfunction that will take some beating is Alitalia Airline's 2006 slip-up.
The Italian airline advertised business-class flights from Toronto to Cyprus for $39 instead of $3,900. Unsurprisingly, 2,000 tickets were quickly snapped up. The company attempted to cancel the purchases, but eventually honoured the tickets, losing $7.7m in the process.
Today streaming a movie or TV programme via the internet is commonplace. But the days when movie rental shops were dominant are not all that long gone.
In between there were a few uncomfortable years when we didn't know which method of movie distribution would be the future.
In 2000, streaming giant Netflix proposed that it would handle video rental operation Blockbuster's online component for it, if Blockbuster would in return host its in-store component. (There was a time when it was popular to rent physical DVDs from Netflix).
Blockbuster declined this and other potential deals with Netflix, and eventually went out of business as the market shifted and it became clear that online was the way forward.
Another missed opportunity extravaganza happened in 1999 when Excite was the number two search engine on the internet. Google was not, as you might expect, number one - it was in fact a newcomer to the scene.
Google's co-founder Larry Page offered to sell the company to Excite for less than $1m. They said no.
Today, Google's parent company Alphabet is worth $543bn.
Schoolchildren can be forgiven for making mistakes when tackling decimals and fractions, but when adults make basic numerical errors, there is less inclination to be lenient.
In 1999, Nasa lost a $125m (Â£98m) Mars orbiter craft in space when engineers at aerospace company Lockheed Martin used British imperial measurements while the Nasa team used metric ones.
The mistake caused the rocket thrusters used to put the probe into orbit around the planet to be fired incorrectly and it is likely the spacecraft broke up in the inhospitable atmosphere surrounding Mars.


The Labour Party needs a "period of calm" in the wake of resignations during Jeremy Corbyn's cabinet reshuffle, Lord Falconer has said.

The shadow justice secretary told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the cabinet changes had been "an amazing distraction" from the country's issues.
Three shadow ministers quit on Wednesday in protest at the reshuffle.
And MP Alison McGovern has resigned from a party policy review group saying she could not work with the leadership.
Lord Falconer insisted the Labour Party remains a "broad church" but to be effective that broad church must not be "at war with itself".
"The country needs an effective opposition," he told the BBC.
"The floods, the junior doctors about to go on strike for the first time in 40 years, what's going on with Britain's support for the justice system in Saudi Arabia, these are issues that we should be focusing on. They are just examples.
"We as a party, in the wake of the reshuffle, which is an amazing distraction from all of these issues, need to be coming together and doing the work to provide an alternative to this government, which is a very bad government."
When Lord Falconer was asked if he would have made the same decision as Mr Corbyn in the sacking of Pat McFadden from the shadow cabinet, he said: "The decision as to who is in and who is out of the shadow front bench team is entirely a matter for the leader."
But when pushed on the issue again, Lord Falconer said: "I certainly wouldn't have fired him."
Mr McFadden was given his marching orders from his role as shadow Europe spokesman for apparent disloyalty.
Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, told the BBC Two's Daily Politics: "We need to draw a line under last week's events and move on."
Labour should "realign our fire not on each other... but on this government," Ms Powell said.
She said the resignation of Ms McGovern - MP for Wirral South and chairman of Blairite pressure group Progress - from a child poverty policy review was "a shame because I think she has a huge amount to offer".
Ms McGovern's decision comes after junior shadow ministers Jonathan Reynolds, Stephen Doughty, and Kevan Jones quit.


Irish medal hope Ciara Mageean squeezed into the women's 1500m final at the European Indoor Championships on a fastest loser's spot.

Last year's European outdoor bronze medallist Mageean, 24, finished fourth in 4:12.81 in a race won by Eritrean-born Swedish entrant Meraf Bahta.
Portaferry's Mageean was also passed by Britain's Sarah McDonald [4:12.50] and Belarusian Daryia Barysevich [4:12.52].
Another Down woman Kerry O'Flaherty was last in her heat in 4:23.82.
Rio Olympic semi-finalist Mageean was prominent throughout heat two but was unable to change gear over the closing 300 metres as her time was marginally outside her season's best set in Athlone last month.
With only the top two guaranteed qualification, Mageean faced an anxious wait during the third heat but in the event, she had done enough to progress to Saturday evening's final at 18:45 GMT.
"My plan was to get one or two but I'm through to the final and that's all that matters," said Mageean afterwards.
The UCD student set her indoors personal best of 4:08.66 in Karlsruhe last February while her outdoor best is a world-class 4:01.46 achieved at the Diamond League meeting in Paris last August.
Thirty-five-year-old Olympian O'Flaherty, running in her first European Indoors, lost ground with the leaders at the midway point in her heat and finished over nine seconds outside her personal best set in Athlone three weeks ago.
Britain's in-form Laura Muir, after booking her spot in the 3,000m final earlier on Friday, led the qualifiers as she won the opening heat in 4:10.28.
North Down's Ben Reynolds missed out on a place in the 60m hurdles final as his time of 7.81 seconds left him sixth in his semi-final.
Reynolds's personal best is 7.73 and his fastest time this season is 7.77.
Donore athlete John Travers secured a final spot in the men's 1500m in bizarre fashion after a successful appeal by Irish team manager Patsy McGonagle.
Running in the second heat, the Donore runner and Spain's Marc Alcala both stopped for several seconds after only 40 metres of the race after the apparent second blast of the starter's gun indicated that there had been a false start.
Travers and Alcala attempted to get back into contention but were unable to do so as all the other competitors kept going with the Irishman eventually finishing over 16 seconds behind heat winner Filip Sasinek of the Czech Republic.
Both Travers and Alcala will now race in the final.
Brian Gregan was unable to secure a final spot in the men's 400m after finishing last in his semi-final in 48.08.
The Clonliffe athlete had finished second behind event favourite Pavel Maslak in his morning heat in 47.62 but found the going tough in the evening as the Czech favourite won the semi-final in 46.45.
Gregan set his indoor personal best of 46.07 in January 2013 and showed good form when clocking 46.59 at the Irish Championships two weeks ago.
Tomas Cotter was disqualified from his 3,000m heat as he was blamed for Sweden's Staffan Ek's fall, although the tangle with around 800m left put paid to the Irishman's own chances as he quickly lost ground.
Dundalk man Cotter, who set his personal best of 7:56.17 in the US two weeks ago, crossed the line in ninth spot in 8:15.85 before news of his disqualification came through.
In the morning session in Belgrade, Irish women's 400m hopefuls Sinead Denny [54.20) and Phil Healy [54.80] missed out on semi-final places while Zak Curran exited from the men's 800m after clocking 1:50.87 to finish fifth in his heat.


Anti-fracking protests have left a police force using "a lot of overtime" to "maintain normal services", a police federation has said.

Protests have been held near Little Plumpton, Lancashire, since shale gas extraction was approved in 2016.
Lancashire Police Federation chairwoman Rachel Baines said, as a result, the force was "going to be stretched throughout the summer".
The Home Office said the force would "continue to have" necessary resources.
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw expressed concern about the "strain" on "already depleted resources", adding that he believed the government should pick up the cost of extra policing as it had granted the licence.
Planning permission for energy firm Cuadrilla to carry out fracking at the Preston New Road site was initially declined by Lancashire County Council, but that decision was overturned by Communities Minister Sajid Javid in October.
Ms Baines said due to the "additional demand", there was "a lot of overtime being used in order to maintain normal services to the public".
"If we've got to spend money on this, it means we can't spend money on other things," she said.
Mr Grunshaw said he had written to Mr Javid because he was concerned about the "substantial abstraction of officers", adding: "The already depleted resources we have and the numbers of officers in places like Burnley, Chorley and Blackpool are being reduced."
He said the cost was "already significant", with the bill standing at "hundreds of thousands of pounds".
He added that the Home Office would allow an application for extra funding when costs reached Â£2.6m, but "my argument is that we shouldn't have to wait for that".
A Home Office spokesman said Lancashire Police "will continue to have the resources they need to cut crime and keep our communities safe".
He added the force would get "around Â£260m in the police funding settlement, providing they maximise the precept".


A 21-year-old man will face death by dangerous driving charges after two people were killed in Conwy county.

The man from Leek, Staffordshire, was driving a Renault Clio which collided with a Mercedes on the A543 near Pentrefoelas on 27 February 2016.
The female passenger of the Mercedes died at the scene and the driver died a few weeks later.
The man has been summonsed and is due to appear at Llandudno Magistrates' Court on 5 April.


Three African leaders have signed an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa's biggest hydroelectric dam, in Ethiopia.

The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed the agreement in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
Egypt has opposed the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, saying it would worsen its water shortages.
Ethiopia says the dam will give it a fairer share of Nile waters.
In 2013, Ethiopia's parliament ratified a controversial treaty to replace colonial-era agreements that gave Egypt and Sudan the biggest share of the Nile's water.
Egypt's then-President Mohamed Morsi said he did not want war but he would not allow Egypt's water supply to be endangered by the dam.
Mr Morsi's successor, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi signed the deal with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Halemariam Desalegn and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.
The three leaders welcomed the "declaration of principles" agreement in speeches in Khartoum's Republican Palace, and watched a short film about the Grand Renaissance Dam that highlighted how it could benefit the region, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Mr Halemariam said he wanted to give an assurance that the dam would "not cause any harm to downstream countries", Reuters news agency reports.
Mr Sisi said the project remained a source of concern to Egypt.
"The Renaissance Dam project represents a source of development for the millions of Ethiopia's citizens through producing green and sustainable energy, but for their brothers living on the banks of that very Nile in Egypt, and who approximately equal them in numbers, it represents a source of concern and worry," he said.
"This is because the Nile is their only source of water, in fact their source of life."
Ethiopia wants to replace a 1929 treaty written by Britain that awarded Egypt veto power over any project involving the Nile by upstream countries.
Ethiopia says the $4.7bn (Â£3.1bn) dam will eventually provide 6,000 megawatts of power.
Egypt was apparently caught by surprise when Ethiopia started diverting the Blue Nile - a tributary of the Nile - in 2013.
Ethiopia says the river will be slightly diverted but will then be able to follow its natural course.
Egyptian politicians were inadvertently heard on live TV in 2013, proposing military action over the dam.
Ethiopia has received strong backing from five other Nile-basin countries - Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi.


China's Alibaba has seen a sharp increase in international sales, a sign that it is finally making strides outside its home turf.

Its latest results show international sales increased by 123% to 1.1bn yuan ($165m, Â£127m) between April and June.
However, that figure still made up just 4% of Alibaba's overall revenue.
The e-commerce giant, founded the billionaire Jack Ma, is a well-known name throughout China but has struggled to break into markets like the US.
"They have a lot of room for growth in China, but they need to look at other markets and think about the 10 to 20 year growth," said Hakon Helgesen, retail analyst at the consultancy Conlumino.
The company, which is listed in the US, attributed a large portion of the increase in international sales to the purchase of Lazada - a Singapore based e-commerce firm. The deal was completed in mid-April.
Mr Helgesen said this represented a change in Alibaba's strategy from trying to build a presence in established markets like the US - where the company is competing against big name players like Amazon - to focusing on more embryonic markets, particularly in Southeast Asia, where e-commerce sales are large but the market is still developing.
"I expect it will continue to do this through acquisition and this will be more of a change in tactic and a long term decision," said Mr Helgesen.
Alibaba has expressed a clear desire to expand its presence internationally and plan for the next 10 to 20 years.
As growth in the Chinese economy flags, this expansion will be more important.
The company also reported the strongest earnings since it began selling shares on the stock exchange  in 2014.
Revenue for the quarter rose to 32.2bn yuan from 20.3bn yuan last year.
Profit dropped by 77% from a year earlier to 7.1bn yuan, but last year's figures were flattered by a big gain from the company separating out its film business.
Alibaba also increased the number of sales by mobile users. The number of Chinese users buying products on Alibaba through their mobile phones rose to 427 million from 410 million in the three months previous.
"We passed an important milestone this quarter in achieving higher monetization of mobile users than non-mobile users for the first time, reflecting the success of our strategy to stay ahead of the curve by embracing mobile," said Maggie Wu, chief financial officer.
Mobile growth has been a key metric for investors who were concerned about whether the company could make this transition.
On a call with investors after the earnings were released, Alibaba did not address an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into its accounting practice.
The SEC is looking into the data reported from Alibaba's Singles Day - its highly popular one-day shopping festival.
Alibaba is also facing a lawsuit from several international luxury brands accusing the company of not policing the sale of knock-off products on its site.


A grant of nearly £2.5m is to help enlist hundreds of volunteers to ensure the long-term survival of key Scottish red squirrel populations.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has been awarded the funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
Sites in and around Aberdeen, in the central Lowlands and in southern Scotland will be targeted.
The project aims to provide training to hundreds of people and land managers to help protect the squirrels.
The Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels (SSRS) developing community action project will run over the next five years in the three key areas.
Scotland is home to under 120,000 red squirrels, three quarters of the UK population.
The main threat to native squirrels is said to come from competition with grey squirrels and the spread of the deadly squirrelpox virus.
SSRS Project Manager Dr Mel Tonkin said: "Our work since 2009 shows that through targeted control of grey squirrels it is possible to reverse the decline of our native reds and help them to return to former territories.
"Red squirrels are one of Scotland's most-loved species.
"Thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to empower communities to help protect not just their local red squirrels, but major populations of the species in Scotland, and ensure that future generations can continue to see these special animals."
Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the investment was "very welcome" to help a priority species.
"SSRS has led important work to conserve them since 2009 so it is fantastic that players of the National Lottery will help to mobilise communities to take practical action to protect one of our best-loved animals," she said.
Lucy Casot, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: "Many of us have a soft spot for red squirrels and sighting one in the flesh is an exciting, but sadly increasingly rare experience.
"Thanks to National Lottery players' support, we're helping organisations and communities protect and care for Scotland's red squirrels, which represent three-quarters of the UK's dwindling population."
She said they had been impressed by the SWT's "collaborative approach" to saving the species.
The work in the three key areas includes:
The project also hopes to create "widespread understanding and appreciation" of the current risks to red squirrels and demonstrate the methods used to successfully protect them.


Germany is the kind of country where the trains run regularly, and on time.

But not earlier this month, when train drivers walked out for the longest strike in the history of Deutsche Bahn; the company that owns the German railway.
It is not the first time they have done so; for months they have been in an increasingly aggressive dispute with their employer.
The union which represents them, GDL, is demanding a 5% pay rise on their behalf and the two sides are deadlocked - despite intervention from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The six-day industrial action is estimated to have cost German business â‚¬500m (Â£360m; $570m).
As that strike ended, another began. Kindergarten staff walked out in a dispute over pay.
Postal workers are threatening industrial action too.
And it is just a few weeks since pilots at the national carrier, Lufthansa, staged the latest in a series of strikes.
So what's going on?
"The tradition in Germany has been for unified trade unions, which try to organise all employees in one branch," says Jens Schubert, a lawyer for Verdi, one of the country's largest trade unions.
"The new tendency is we find more and more so-called craft unions - unions which represent only one part of a company or branch, like doctors or pilots."
In the case of the railway workers for example, the strikes have been called by the GDL union, which represents around 19,000 train drivers at Deutsche Bahn.
But far more of its employees are represented by another, more general transport union - EVG.
Nevertheless, GDL - like many other craft unions - has become a powerful voice, able to cripple Germany's rail network, despite not representing the vast majority.
It is tempting to wonder whether this spate of strikes represents a change in attitude among German workers.
But the number of days lost to strike action is actually decreasing. And workers here are far less militant than those in the UK and France.
Some six million people belong to trade unions in Germany in 2014, similar to the 6.5 million trade union members in the UK.
But they go on strike far less frequently than their European counterparts.
Nevertheless, the type of representation they are choosing has changed.
And, as Karl Brenke from the German Economics Institute points out, that is having an effect.
"In the last decade, Germany's large trade unions were accused of being too modest and not fighting hard enough for higher salaries. So, as a result, wages didn't match inflation or productivity.
"Now, the smaller unions do that and there is a knock-on effect on the bigger unions - they will have to be more aggressive to remain attractive."
Something may stop them.
The German parliament is due to consider legislation which would - many argue - limit the power of the unions.
The law is expected to be finalised this summer and it will restrict union representation in a company; just one union will be allowed to represent a group of employees.
Because it would have to represent the majority of workers, it would likely squeeze out smaller unions.
So, in the case of the train drivers, GDL would most likely be replaced by the larger, more generalised union.
You would think, in its position as one of Germany's trade unions, Verdi would approve.
Instead, Jens Schubert explains: "We fear that if we have an act like this, it's clear there'll be something written down about the system to go on strike.
"We have to avoid legal actions that could minimise the right to go on strike."
Meanwhile the trains are running again.
But there is no deal in sight between GDL and Deutsche Bahn.
And now EVG is demanding higher pay too.
Neither will rule out future strike action.


The US Senate's new Republican leader and President Barack Obama have both promised to end the political gridlock that has so frustrated American voters.

Republicans made historic gains in the mid-term elections and now control both legislative chambers.
Incoming Senate leader Mitch McConnell said he would make the ineffective Senate function and pass bills.
Mr Obama said he was "eager to work with the new Congress to make the next two years as productive as possible".
The election campaign was characterised by widespread frustration expressed by voters about the inability of Congress to work together.
To the Americans who voted for change, the president said: "I hear you."
He told a White House news conference that both parties must address those concerns, but he admitted that as president he had a "unique responsibility to try to make this town work".
On Friday, he will host a meeting at the White House with Democratic and Republican leaders.
"We can surely find ways to work together," Mr Obama said. "It's time for us to take care of business."
But he warned he would act on his own to reduce deportations and improve border security - action he had delayed until after the election, to the fury of some Latino voters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr McConnell pledged to make the Senate more productive.
"The Senate in the last few years basically doesn't do anything," he said. "We're going to go back to work and actually pass legislation."
He also vowed to "work together" with Mr Obama on issues where they can agree, such as trade agreements and tax reform.
Working within a two-party political system did not mean "we have to live in perpetual conflict", he added.
Also on Wednesday, the chairman of the Republican National Committee called resounding Republican mid-term victories a "direct rejection of the Obama agenda".
"[Americans] want nothing to do with the policies of Barack Obama," Reince Priebus told reporters.
Barack Obama's unpopularity in the run-up to these mid-term elections is hard to exaggerate. One of the things that is lost in the big picture of the night is some of the sidebar poll findings - the American people are fed up with all their politicians. It's not just the occupant of the White House, though as Harry Truman most famously noted, the buck stops with the president.
Mitch McConnell will be conscious of that, and will know that in two years' time, when it is not just the Senate but the presidency in play, the American people could be venting their spleen on him. Be fearful of the blame game.
That leaves the Kentucky senator with some important tactical decisions to make.
Sopel: Obama's mid-term headache
Mitch McConnell: DC insider with a mission
Throughout the campaign, Republicans focused on voter dissatisfaction with Mr Obama, a Democrat, describing the vote as a referendum on his presidency.
As the first results came in late on Tuesday, it became clear they had made the six gains they needed to win control of the Senate.
The Republicans won in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. The party now controls 52 seats, and is tipped to win at least one more as votes are counted in other states.
100 Women elected to Congress - including Mia Love - first black Republican female
1st African American, Tim Scott, elected in the South since 1870
3rd George Bush - grandson and nephew of two former presidents
18  Age of Saira Blair, the youngest elected state legislator
30 Age of Elise Stefanik, youngest woman elected to US Congress
Their victory came on the back of a wave of discontent expressed by voters on the campaign trail - unhappy with an economic recovery they fail to feel the benefits of, and frustrated by political gridlock in Congress, which has already reached historic levels.
But echoing his successor's sentiment of unity, current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid congratulated Mr McConnell in a short statement.
"The message from voters is clear - they want us to work together," said Mr Reid of Nevada, whose role in the soon-to-be Democratic minority remains uncertain.
"I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class."
The Republicans are also projected to increase their majority - by at least 10 seats - in the House of Representatives to levels not seen since before World War Two.
They also made gains among the 36 governorships up for re-election.
The Republicans will now have the power to complicate, if not block completely, Mr Obama's agenda in the last two years of his tenure in the White House.
Control of the Senate will also enable the Republicans to stymie his ability to name new federal judges, cabinet members and senior government officials.
Explore interactive results map
In the governor's races, Republican incumbents survived some tough re-election battles and scored some surprising victories, cementing their success across several levels of government.
Voters approved ballot measures legalising cannabis in Oregon and Washington DC.
And three states - South Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska - approved increases in the minimum wage.


Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has completed his £5m transfer to Lazio.

Lucas, 30, was Liverpool's longest-serving player, having joined in 2007 for the same fee from Brazilian side Gremio.
He played 345 games for Liverpool, including 247 in the Premier League.
"Liverpool is one of the greatest clubs in the world, and my intention had always been to spend the rest of my career here," the 24-times capped Brazilian said.
"But the less I have been able to play, the more I have realised that I need to go to another club if I want to play as much as I possibly can.
"The easiest thing for me to do would be to stay here for as long as I can even if I do not expect to play so often, but that would go against everything that I believe in as a footballer and as a competitor.
"My sadness at leaving Liverpool is accompanied by a real excitement that I will be representing one of Italy's great clubs."
Lucas will be a direct replacement for Argentine midfielder Lucas Biglia, who has joined AC Milan.
Lazio finished fifth in Serie A last season and will compete in the Europa League under manager Simone Inzaghi.
Lucas played almost 350 games for Liverpool despite never being a regular fixture in the Reds midfield.
His versatility meant he was also used as a centre-back - a position he found himself in many times during his 31 appearances last season.
He was a popular player at Anfield, being named Young Player of the Year in 2010 and Fans' Player of the Year in 2011.
The departures of Xabi Alonso in 2009 and Javier Mascherano in 2011 saw Lucas became an integral part of the team but he suffered a cruciate ligament injury at Stamford Bridge in December 2011, meaning he missed the rest of the season and Liverpool's League Cup final win over Cardiff.
Lucas scored seven goals in his Liverpool career but just one in the Premier League - a header in the 3-0 win over Newcastle in May 2009.
He played 45 minutes at centre-back alongside Joel Matip in the friendly against Tranmere Rovers on Wednesday last week but missed Friday's draw with Wigan.
BBC Radio 5 Live football reporter Juliette Ferrington
There was a hint at the end of last season that Lucas and Liverpool would go their separate ways - and when he was pulled from the squad on Friday for a pre-season game at Wigan it was obvious his Reds career was drawing to an end.
The Brazilian survived under five different managers and it was perhaps fitting that it was Kenny Dalglish who presented Leiva with a golden '21' - his squad number - on the last day of last season to mark his 10 years at the club.
It was under Dalglish's management the midfielder excelled. He refused to buckle under unforgiving pressure and worked hard to earn the respect of the crowd, answering his critics with endless effort and energy.
His bond with the club and city is strong. His versatility has been crucial. But all good things come to an end and 345 appearances is testament not only to his ability but to his dedication and professionalism as well.


Malaysia Airlines has become the first carrier to sign up to a new satellite flight tracking system for its fleet.

It comes three years after its MH370 flight bound for Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board.
Using a soon-to-be-launched satellite network, the airline will be able to monitor its planes in areas where there is currently no surveillance.
They include polar regions and remote areas of oceans not covered by existing systems.
The airline reached a deal for the service provided by US-based Aireon, FlightAware and SITAONAIR.
The new system can also provide more regular updates on a plane's location, especially when travelling over oceans and other remote areas, said SITAONAIR's portfolio director Paul Gibson.
Aircrafts deviating from a flight path could be identified more quickly as a result, he said.
"With access to up-to-the-minute reporting, Malaysia Airlines will know the location, heading, speed and altitude of all aircraft in its fleet, at all times, and be alerted to any exceptions."
But it is unclear if the additional tracking ability would have had any impact on the MH370 disappearance.
All tracking systems monitor a plane's location using its on-board transmitter.  When the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight vanished in March 2014, the transmitter signal was lost, with some suspicions it was done deliberately.
Most flights currently transmit their position using signals tracked from both the ground and space.
The new service, available in 2018,  will add to that coverage, using the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation which was launched earlier this year.
The fate of MH370 remains one of the world's greatest aviation mystery. More than 120,000 sq km (46,300 miles) of the Indian Ocean has been searched with no sign of the aircraft.
Some pieces of debris have been found on African islands including Madagascar.
The deep-water search for the flight was called off earlier this year.
Malaysian Airlines has been trying to win back customers' confidence, by offering travel discounts and flight promotions.
The carrier's chief operating officer, Izham Ismail, said the firm was "proud" to be the first airline to sign up for the system.


US voters are choosing between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump after a gruelling and rancorous presidential election campaign.

Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump cast their ballots in New York polling stations, alongside their spouses.
High turnout is being reported across the country with polling stations due to begin closing on the East Coast at 19:00 EST (24:00 GMT).
Mr Trump has again declined to say whether he will accept the results.
"We're going to see how things play out," the Republican candidate told Fox News on Tuesday, while alleging there had been voting irregularities. "I want to see everything honest."
Some polling locations have reported equipment failures and long lines, but they appeared to be routine problems.
Mr Trump filed a suit against the Clark County Registrar of Voters in Nevada, accusing the state of keeping early voting stations open longer than the designated closing time.
But a judge rejected the request, citing concerns about revealing the identities of poll workers.
The Manhattan real estate mogul's lawyers had asked for relevant early ballots not to be mixed with other ballots.
Polling in Nevada shows the race between Mr Trump and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, is extremely tight.
Mrs Clinton voted at her local polling station in Chappaqua, New York, with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, at her side.
The former Secretary of State told reporters: "I know how much responsibility goes with this.
"So many people are counting on the outcome of this election, what it means for our country, and I will do the very best I can if I'm fortunate enough to win today."
Results are expected some time after 23:00 EST (04:00 GMT on Wednesday) once voting ends on the West Coast.
State projections will not be available until polling ends - in most states between 19:00 EST (24:00 GMT) and 20:00 EST (01:00 GMT).
There are signs of a high turnout among Hispanic voters, which is believed to favour Mrs Clinton.
Mr Trump was expected to attract support mainly from white voters without college degrees.
Financial markets and betting exchanges have largely predicted a Clinton win.
Who is ahead in the polls?
48%
Hillary Clinton
44%
Donald Trump
Last updated November 8, 2016
However, Mr Trump has predicted he will pull off an upset victory like Britain's "Brexit" referendum in June to leave the European Union.
On the eve of the vote, opinion polls gave Mrs Clinton a four-point lead over Mr Trump.
A record number of Americans - more than 46 million - voted early by post or at polling stations.
Election day voting began just after midnight in the small New Hampshire village of Dixville Notch, where seven votes were cast - four for Mrs Clinton, two for Mr Trump and one for the libertarian Gary Johnson.
All 50 states and Washington DC are voting across six different time zones.
Americans are also voting for Congress.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives - where Republicans currently hold sway - are up for grabs, though it is forecast to remain in Republican hands.
But a third of seats in the Senate, which is also in Republican hands, are also in play, and Democrats hope to snatch control of that chamber.
Election day follows a bitter campaign during which the candidates have traded insults and become mired in a slew of scandals.
On Sunday Mrs Clinton's campaign received a boost when the FBI said newly discovered emails sent by an aide showed no evidence of criminality.
Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton are seeking to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.
After two four-year terms in the White House, he is barred by the US constitution from running for re-election.
Who will win? Play our game to make your call


A teenager was shot dead in what may have been a case of mistaken identity after his alleged killers sought revenge on a rival, a court heard.

Lewis Dunne, 16, was shot in the back in Eldonian Village, Vauxhall, Liverpool, in November 2015.
Jake Culshaw, 25, of no fixed address, and brothers John and Paul Martin, aged 20 and 25, of Walton, all deny murder.
A jury heard the accused men had been involved in violent clashes with another group before Lewis was killed.
The teenager had left his home to buy cigarettes when he was shot, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Described as "a quiet lad who kept himself to himself", he had earlier been enjoying a "perfectly ordinary evening" sharing a Chinese takeaway and watching television with his family.
Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, told how a witness said one of the men in the rival group had curly hair sticking out of his baseball cap.
Lewis too, had noticeably curly hair, he added.
Mr Unsworth said the accused were among a group of men who were intent on revenge for what had happened earlier.
He told the jury it was a "truly cowardly attack."
Lewis was shot in the back as he walked under a bridge along a canal towpath, before four men were seen on CCTV running from the scene, the jury was told.
He was "simply in the wrong place at the wrong time" and suffered "catastrophic injuries" from the shooting.
The fourth man allegedly involved in the killing has not been traced.
Mr Unsworth said Jake Culshaw later told people he had carried out the shooting and referred to the gun used being thrown in the water, as well as his mobile telephone.
The court was told the defendant's phone has not been traced and parts of a shotgun, which is said to be the murder weapon, were recovered from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in January.
Mr Unsworth said: "Each of the three defendants bears the responsibility...that we cannot say which person actually shot him does not matter.
"Whether he looked like looked like one of the opposing group or whether they simply believed he was one of them, they used the gun to shoot him dead as he walked unwittingly into their path."
The trial, expected to last between four and six weeks, continues.


UKIP has defended a campaign leaflet for the Rochester and Strood by-election after claims a photo used implied NHS support for the party.

The chairwoman of Medway Hospitals NHS Trust wrote to candidate Mark Reckless to complain about "misleading" information in his campaign leaflets.
Shena Winning said a picture of the trust's acting chief executive with Mr Reckless suggested the NHS backed UKIP.
Mr Reckless said the photo showed his support for the hospital.
Ms Winning's letter to former Conservative MP Mr Reckless said board directors were "extremely concerned and surprised" to see the picture of him with Dr Phillip Barnes.
Ms Winning said the photograph had been taken in September when Mr Reckless was the sitting MP for Rochester.
Mr Reckless defected to UKIP on 27 September, triggering a by-election in which 13 candidates are standing.
The NHS chairwoman said UKIP did not seek permission to use the photograph and the use of the image was "misleading and out of context".
BBC South East's political editor Louise Stewart said problems at Medway Maritime Hospital, which was placed in special measures over a year ago, had become a focus for all parties in the by-election campaign but the issue had now become the focus of a row.
Mr Reckless replied to Ms Winning saying the photograph showed his engagement with the hospital as a local MP.
"The photograph in no way implies that Dr Barnes supports me in this election or otherwise, senior NHS staff of course being politically neutral.
"The text does, however, I hope make clear my support for Dr Barnes and his team at the hospital," he said.
Mr Reckless said the leaflet in which the photograph is used had been fully distributed, but he confirmed the photograph would not be used again in any other leaflet ahead of the by-election.


There has been a feast of interesting stories behind the news headlines this year.

Here's part two of our festive selection of science and environment long reads.
Football as a numbers game. By Jonathan Sullivan
"Big data" - the world of analytics, algorithms and statistical models - is increasingly part of our lives, and professional sports such as football are no different.
Read the feature
Are humans driving evolution in animals? By Prof Adam Hart
Mounting evidence suggests activities such as commercial fishing, angling and hunting, along with the use of pesticides and antibiotics, are leading to dramatic evolutionary changes in other species.
Read the feature
How do you drill into a 500C volcano? By Rebecca Morelle
Scientists in Iceland are drilling in to a volcano to harness the energy from beneath the Earth. They hope this will enable the geothermal industry globally to step into an era of more production.
Read the feature
Is there any point in planting new trees? By Isabella Kaminski
Successive governments have made popular pledges to plant large numbers of new trees. But do these trees ever actually get planted and, where they do, does it ever achieve anything useful?
Read the feature
The huge promise of tiny machines. By Paul Rincon
The 2016 Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded for the design and synthesis of the world's smallest machines. The work has overtones of science fiction, but holds huge promise in fields as diverse as medicine, materials and energy.
Read the feature
Nuclear fusion lab faces uncertain future. By David Shukman.
A question mark hangs over a world-leading laboratory that has pioneered research into fusion for nearly 40 years. Fusion is the process that powers the Sun and a decades-long quest has attempted to replicate it here on Earth to provide a clean source of energy. Since the vote for Brexit, many at the centre have become "extremely nervous" amid uncertainty about future financing and freedom of movement.
Read the feature
Solar Impulse: A repaired plane and team. By Jonathan Amos
The pilot behind the longest non-stop solo aeroplane flight recalls the big bust-up and make-up that he believes has put his team in a stronger position to complete its solar-powered circumnavigation of the globe.
Read the feature


Zimbabwe levelled their two-game one-day international series against Scotland with a six-wicket win in Edinburgh.

The Scots batted first and were 169 all out as Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer took five wickets.
And though Chris Sole took three wickets in reply, the tourists reached 171-4 with Sikandar Raza (58) and Ryan Burl (30) not out.
On Thursday, Scotland beat Zimbabwe to claim a first win over a Test nation.
And, like the first meeting, Kyle Coetzer top-scored for the Scots but he could not record a second straight century.
Captain Coetzer posted 61, closely followed by 58 from Calum MacLeod.
However, the hosts were unable to maintain that form as Richie Berrington, Preston Mommsen, Con de Lange, Craig Wallace, Josh Davey, Alasdair Evans and Sole all failed to reach double figures.
Solomon Mire opened the Zimbabwe innings with 17 and Hamilton Masakadza (12) and Craig Ervine (30) maintained their momentum.
That was interrupted when Sean Williams was caught for six off Sole's bowling but Raza and Burl's stand got the tourists over the line.


John Swinney is "considering" extending the remit of the Scottish child abuse inquiry, he has told MSPs.

The education secretary said he had discussed the matter with the inquiry chairwoman Lady Smith, amid criticism from abuse survivor groups that the remit of the investigation is "fixed".
Mr Swinney said he was "wrestling" with the issue as an extended remit would "inevitably" prolong the inquiry.
The probe of historical allegations of abuse is expected to last four years.
The inquiry, which is tasked with investigating the nature and extent of abuse of children in care in Scotland, has been dogged by problems from the outset.
Original chairwoman Susan O'Brien QC quit the post in July, complaining of government interference. A second member of the inquiry panel, Prof Michael Lamb, also resigned claiming the inquiry was "doomed".
The panel now consists of Lady Smith and Glenn Houston, although Mr Swinney has consulted Lady Smith on whether a third panel member should be recruited to replace Prof Lamb.
The remit of the inquiry has also been an issue, with Mr Swinney's predecessor Angela Constance defending it in February after claims some institutions such as the Catholic Church would be "let off the hook".
More recently there have been claims from survivors' groups that there had been "no discussions" about the remit of the inquiry, which they said was described by Lady Smith as "fixed".
However, Mr Swinney refuted this when questioned by Labour's Johann Lamont at the education committee.
He said: "I have personally discussed the question of extending the remit of the inquiry with Lady Smith.
"I said to people I would look at the extension of the remit, I'm considering that and taking steps to address that."
He continued: "I take it very seriously. But I have to be mindful that if I extend the remit of the inquiry, I would inevitably be extending the length of the inquiry. And I have to be mindful of the views of survivors who want this exercise to be proceeded with and not something that becomes longer than it needs to be, because they want to get answers on this.
"So the dilemmas on this are not easy, because they ultimately come down to that question that it's unavoidable that the length of time of the inquiry will be extended if I decide to extend the remit. That's a significant issue with which I am wrestling."
Mr Swinney also addressed the idea of government interference in the independent inquiry, saying he had "no desire" for the government to have any inappropriate involvement.
And he said the question of redress for victims was actively being explored.


Millions of people are playing Pokemon Go - a mobile game that blends the real world with computer graphics.

15 July 2016 Last updated at 00:02 BST
For many players, it will be their first experience of augmented reality - tipped to be the next big thing in computing.
Read more - Pokemon Go: Trailblazer that could redefine mobile games


A leading union figure during the miners' strike in the 1980s has died.

Terry Thomas was vice president of the South Wales NUM between 1983 and 1989, and also served as a chairman of the Wales Executive Committee of the Labour Party.
After the strike, he worked for the GMB union in Wales and the West of England before he retired.
It is understood Mr Thomas died on Sunday, aged 78. He is survived by his daughter and grandchildren.
Two years ago, Mr Thomas told a conference marking the 30th anniversary of the 1984-85 strike, that he supported the action initially, but became increasingly disillusioned.
He eventually led the return to work after accusing the NUM leader Arthur Scargill of "abdicating his leadership".
Mr Thomas said he was kicked and spat at for advocating a return to work.
Caerphilly MP Wayne David said he remembered Mr Thomas as a "stalwart" of the NUM.
"He was a great figure. A great public speaker. Someone who understood the Labour party and the Labour movement," he said.


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he will take two months of paternity leave after the birth of his daughter.

Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement on his timeline, calling it "a very personal decision".
Facebook allows its US employees to take up to four months of paid parental leave - time which can be used at once or throughout the child's first year.
Mr Zuckerberg announced in July that he was expecting a baby girl with his wife, Priscilla Chan.
He did not say who would be replacing him at the company.
In his statement, accompanied by a picture of a pushchair and his dog, Mr Zuckerberg, 31, said: "Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families."


League One club Bristol Rovers have signed Eastleigh captain Joe Partington for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old former Wales Under-21 international and Bournemouth defender has been with National League Eastleigh since an initial loan spell in 2015.
A right-back who can also play at centre-half, he has started 63 league games for the Spitfires.
Eastleigh have said they have received a "club record transfer fee" for the deal after a release clause was met.
Rovers have not disclosed the length of contract that Partington has signed and he is available for Saturday's game against Fleetwood.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.


Much of Europe continues to be hit by icy weather with strong winds and powerful storms causing traffic chaos, power cuts and travel delays.

Electricity supplies to nearly 350,000 homes in France were temporarily cut, while severe flood warnings are in place on England's east coast.
As Germany prepares for more heavy snow, forecasters say the worst of the weather is heading eastwards.
Freezing conditions continue in the Balkans and Turkey.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the cold weather was responsible for countless road accidents and school closures in addition to cancelled flights.
It also warned about the impact of the cold weather on the homeless and migrants.
Officials are especially worried about the plight of these groups of people in Greece and Serbia.
Thousands of migrants in the Balkans live in tents with little heating.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, earlier said several migrants had died from cold and exhaustion in Bulgaria.
Some countries are suffering some of the heaviest snowfall in many years, with the Danube river and Bosporus sea strait closed to shipping.
"Montenegro, Serbia, the republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria were much colder than normal, with temperatures as low as -15C over five consecutive days," the WMO said.
"The surrounding countries - Italy, Greece, Turkey and Romania were 5 to 10C colder than normal for the time of year."
The Severe Weather Europe Facebook page has images of vehicles enveloped by snow in Hungary, cars abandoned on the side of the road because of freezing rain in Italy, treacherously high seas in the Faroe Islands and video of a powerful blizzard in the Swiss Alps.
In France, where coastal winds reached 146km/h (90.5mph), a woman died when a tree was blown over near the Mediterranean resort of Nice.
Another woman in Albania was found dead outside her home in freezing conditions in the southern town of Saranda.
Drivers in Germany have been warned of treacherous conditions on some roads, because of snow and black ice. Three motorists have died in crashes in Bavaria.
Meanwhile, flood defences have been reinforced on Belgium's coast.
The cold snap across Europe has claimed more than 65 lives.


NI Water has said a "massive fatberg" in a Newry drain has taken them five hours to clear.

The blockage, at Buttercrane Quay, was caused by fat, oil and grease mixing with rubbish such as baby wipes and sanitary items.
NI Water said such blockages can cause out-of-sewer flooding, odour problems and rat infestations.
The company appealed to the public and businesses to dispose of fat, oil and grease properly.
"Fat, oil and  grease in its liquid form may not look harmful, but it becomes a major problem once in our drains," NI Water's Jim McElrath said.
"Even when hot water or soap is poured down the sink - the fat, oil and grease will still harden. Detergents and bleach may also appear to work, but this is only temporary.
"Each year, NI Water spends valuable resources fixing avoidable problems."
He added: "We are doing our part by investing in the network, however, we will never win this battle alone; upgrading sewers will not stop blockages if the public are going to continue flushing inappropriate items such as wipes and disposing of fat, oil and grease down the drain."


Plans for an "intergenerational campus" which would combine three schools have been unveiled in Jedburgh.

A consultation event on the project is being held in the town over the next two days.
Should Scottish Borders Council's proposals come to fruition, they would see Parkside and Howdenburn Primaries and Jedburgh Grammar School closed.
All education for children aged from two to 18 in the area would take place on one site at Hartrigge Park.
The ground was bought for housing by Jedburgh Town Council over 50 years ago but has not been developed.
The local authority said the campus would have state-of-the-art classrooms and learning spaces, the very best IT infrastructure and first-class leisure and dining provision, as well as the very best sporting and PE facilities.
It is aimed at strengthening Jedburgh as a "learning town" and is seen as an investment for learners of all ages in the Jedburgh area.
There will be all-day cafÃ© and recreation facilities for families and access to healthy living classes, gym facilities, relaxation spaces, cycle tracks and play spaces, as well as adult learning classes.
The council said health and wellbeing and lifelong learning would be "embedded within the heartbeat" of the campus at all times.
Adults will be able to undertake vocational and certificated courses in a range of areas such as food technology, hairdressing, construction skills and craft and design.
Plans for the scheme will be on display at drop-in sessions in the Grammar School gym hall on Tuesday and Wednesday 25 and 26 April
They will run from 10:00 to 20:00 on both days, with the last hour seeing a question and answer session.
The project could be approved later this year with the new Jedburgh campus operational by 2020.


Toronto Wolfpack will need early success to break a crowded marketplace in the city, says Canada-based journalist Nigel Reed.

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The Wolfpack's entry in professional rugby league, making them the first transatlantic team to play in the European game, has created interest.
However, they are competing with a variety of sports within the city.
"Toronto fans are crying out for a winning team, they love a winner," Reed told BBC Radio 5 live.
"So I think it's important that the Wolfpack come into the league and have a winning first season.
"Toronto is a big multicultural city and that could play into rugby league's hands."
Wolfpack won their first competitive fixture against Siddal in the Challenge Cup on Saturday.
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As the capital of the province of Ontario, Toronto provides the home for clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Soccer (MLS).
Toronto FC were the most recent of those to stake their claim for public affections when they entered the MLS in 2005, and there are lessons to be learned from their experience for the Wolfpack administrators.
"The Maple Leafs [ice hockey] and Blue Jays [baseball] historically in recent years have not enjoyed a lot of success," Reed, who works for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation continued.
"First and foremost they have to put themselves on the map. When Toronto FC first came into the MLS 10 years ago they had huge interest in the team, the season tickets were up around 16,000 but the truth of the matter was the product was terrible for the first seven or eight years and the ownership didn't get that.
"They thought the fans would keep coming, and eventually the fans turned their back and said they didn't want anything to do with it. They had to put prices down to expansion year levels, and invest in the team.
"Sports fans have had a bellyful of teams that underperform. So if Wolfpack can do well in that first season and get momentum, those curious onlookers down to the stadium get themselves on TV and in the newspapers, that will help."
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Toronto's owner Eric Perez has already brought big names within the sport to the Lamport Stadium for 2017, including ex-New Zealand prop Fuifui Moimoi and Super League full-back Craig Hall.
Further success could make Toronto an attractive proposition for other top players, not to mention the unique location and quality of life.
"Eric had this vision he was going to take rugby league by storm, but credit to him he's got a team in this competition," Leeds Rhinos back-rower Jamie Jones-Buchanan told the BBC Rugby League podcast.
"A lot of young English boys, especially the single ones with no commitments, would love to have a little pad in Toronto and live that life over there.
"People talk about going to Australia to live the lifestyle but what about Canada? What a life that could be."