Things have gone from bad to worse at Japanese industrial giant Toshiba as it said it was taking a $6.3bn (Â£5.05bn) hit at its US nuclear business.

On a day of confusion its chairman also resigned and it delayed releasing its full financial figures for one calendar month, so we will be watching out for them on 14 March.
What is beyond doubt though is that the firm is heading for a full-year loss.
It also said it was considering selling a majority stake in its NAND flash-memory business to get it through its ongoing financial turbulence.
All this comes as it struggles to turn the corner after a profit-inflating scandal.
Most people still recognise the name Toshiba for its electrical products but that is no longer at the heart of its business. It no longer makes televisions for export, for example, and its white goods business is losing money.
Today Toshiba is a very diverse conglomerate, and these latest problems stem from its nuclear services business which brings in about a third of its revenue.
Toshiba had initially alerted investors in December 2016 to the fact that it faced a heavy one-off loss linked to a deal done by its US nuclear subsidiary, Westinghouse Electric.
Westinghouse bought a nuclear construction and services business from Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) in 2015. But assets that it took on are likely to be worth less than initially thought, and there is also a dispute about payments that are due.
Toshiba has also reported "inefficiencies" in the labour force at CB&I, along with other factors driving up costs.
Toshiba hopes its saviour will be another major part of its business, the unit that makes memory chips for smartphones and computers, which has been valued at between $9bn and $13bn.
It is the second largest chip maker in the world, behind Samsung.
On 27 January, Toshiba announced it would split off this part of the business from the rest of the company - with plans to sell a slice of it to raise much-needed funds to help offset the losses in the nuclear division.
Initially the idea was to sell a small chunk of this business, about 20%, but now Toshiba finds itself in such dire straits that it may have to shed a larger proportion of this NAND memory unit.
A 20% sale would raise more than $2bn, which may not be sufficient given the current difficulties.  Also would-be buyers are likely to try and negotiate a knockdown price.
The Development Bank of Japan has been talked about as one potential investor. Industry rivals including Canon and Western Digital are also thought to be eyeing a bid, and another potential buyer could be South Korea firm, SK Hynix.
It wouldn't be the first time in recent memory Toshiba has sold off profitable ventures. Its medical devices business (making things like MRI, ultrasound and X-ray equipment) was snapped up by Canon in 2016 for $5.9bn.
It seems somebody, somewhere got the numbers wrong or did not anticipate the scale of problems in the nuclear business, and that reflects badly on the firm's management.
Also, the fiasco of its earnings announcement will not have helped.  Toshiba did not release its figures as scheduled at midday in Tokyo saying it needed another month to probe "management pressure" at Westinghouse.
But a few hours later it released earnings guidance and unaudited numbers, with the promise of audited figures in a month.
In addition, Toshiba is still struggling to recover after it emerged in 2015 that profits had been overstated for seven years,  prompting the chief executive to resign.
Toshiba's nuclear business has not made a profit since 2013.
And while the firm has said the huge writedown will be a one-off, nuclear services globally are struggling.
Since the Fukushima disaster in 2011, nuclear energy has been a much harder sell. Some governments have opted to scale back how much they planned to rely on nuclear as an electricity source, or - as in the case of Taiwan - turn away from nuclear energy altogether to focus on renewables.
Big nuclear projects around the world have faced heavy delays, partly caused by a lack of skilled workers needed to meet regulatory standards.
For example in the US, Westinghouse (which Toshiba bought in 2006) is working on two new generation nuclear reactors in Georgia and South Carolina which are running late and over budget.
Shares have fallen for a reason: investors selling up because of the unease they feel about the position the company is in. That uncertainty saw ratings agencies cut their ratings on Toshiba's credit, making it more expensive for the firm to borrow money.
A lower share price also reduces the amount of new funds that can be raised by selling shares. So if it needs to raise funds, that means going to the banks for support or, as we are seeing, selling off parts of the business.
And clearly for investors who've held on to Toshiba shares, they are now worth markedly less than they were before Christmas.
Longer term though, Toshiba shares had been doing very well in 2016. Until 26 December they were the second biggest gainer on the Nikkei 225 index for the year, adding more than 70%. The sharp losses in late December meant annual gains were pared to about 5%.


England were given an almighty scare before beating Afghanistan by 15 runs in Delhi to keep their World Twenty20 campaign on track.

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England lost three wickets in an over to slip to 42-4, then 57-6, but got to 142-7 thanks to a 33-ball stand of 57 between Moeen Ali and David Willey.
Willey then removed Mohammad Shahzad in the first over of the Afghan reply.
From there, regular wickets meant Afghanistan were never in the chase, eventually falling away to 127-9.
It meant Afghanistan, the only side outside of Test cricket left in the competition, missed out on recording their first win against one of the game's major nations.
As for England, they avoided the sort of upset that would have ranked alongside defeats by Ireland, the Netherlands (twice) and Bangladesh (twice) in recent World Cups and World T20s.
Eoin Morgan's men will definitely reach the last four if they beat Sri Lanka on Saturday and South Africa are defeated by West Indies on Friday.
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On a true, if sluggish, surface, England shambolically collapsed to the Afghanistan slow bowlers in a four-over spell that saw the 2010 champions lose five wickets for 15 runs.
In all, Afghanistan bowled 16 overs of spin, with six of England's wickets falling to the slow bowlers.
Off-break bowler Nabi and 17-year-old leg-spinner Rashid conceded only 17 runs from their respective spells of four overs, while England went through a spell of 42 deliveries in which they scored just one boundary.
Moeen had no choice but to rebuild, first in the company of Chris Jordan, then with Willey.
After a period of slow accumulation that looked to have England well short of a competitive total, Moeen and Willey finally launched their attack in the 19th over, bowled by slow left-armer Amir Hamza.
Moeen heaved a slog sweep for six and flat batted four down the ground, before Willey found huge maximums straight and over the leg side.
With 25 off that over going towards a total of 44 off the final three, England had a score they could defend if they bowled well.
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Despite the shift in momentum, Afghanistan still posed a threat in the shape of explosive opener Shahzad, only for Willey to trap him in front with an inswinger from the third ball of the innings.
Jordan and Willey each struck once more to leave Afghanistan 13-3 after three as England's bowlers, poor in the opening games against West Indies and South Africa, put in an improved display.
Liam Plunkett, in the side for Reece Topley, caused discomfort with his pace and bounce, his figures of 0-12 the third-most economical by an England bowler who has completed four overs in a T20.
In the end, it was not close, but the margin of victory did not reflect how near England were to another embarrassment.
England captain Eoin Morgan: "We didn't really adapt to the surface when we were batting. David Willey and Moeen Ali played really well to allow us to put a score on the board, but we fielded and bowled well."
Man of the match Moeen Ali: "We wanted to give ourselves time, take it to the last three overs and have a hack at the end. It was about getting the job done against a good side. It was a tough game."
Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai: "The guys in the top order lost wickets early to poor shots. The pitch wasn't difficult and they didn't take responsibility. That's a big reason as to why we lost."


A man has been jailed for four years for attacking a woman in her 20s in the street in Canterbury.

Christopher Adjei, 29, of Riversdale Road, Ramsgate, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a sexual offence and battery.
Kent Police said he grabbed the woman, tried to cover her mouth with his hand, and forced her to the ground in the early hours in Church Lane.
Adjei fled the scene when the woman asked what he wanted.
Officers traced Adjei after his DNA was found on the victim's coat and were able to piece together his whereabouts on 14 June 2014, the night of the attack, based on his bank details and a train ticket to Canterbury.
Det Sgt Daniel Aylett said Adjei put the victim through a terrifying experience.
A warrant was issued for Adjei's arrest after he walked out of a Canterbury Crown Court hearing in August.
He was arrested the following month in the Thanet area.
Adjei was also ordered to spend two years on extended licence after his release from jail as part of his sentence.


A man with a mental age of seven who was told he would lose his disability benefits is having them reinstated after the Department for Work and Pensions admitted an error.

Mark Hughes, 30, of Wrexham, contracted meningitis as a baby.
His living allowances were about to be stopped when BBC Wales contacted the DWP, which has since apologised.
Mr Hughes' family said he "may not seem disabled at first glance" but he has mobility, balance and memory problems.
But the DWP originally found him ineligible for the Personal Independence Payment - with him scoring zero out of 10 for eligibility.
Mr Hughes lives alone but has regular help and meals are provided for him, and he struggles with reading, writing and communication.
He was told he must attend a further evaluation for an Employment and Support Allowance.
Mr Hughes has achieved some independence despite being told he would not walk when he was a child - but his condition will not improve.
His step-grandfather Fred Foulkes said although Mr Hughes is willing to do simple work he does not have the capability to do it.
A DWP spokesman said: "Mr Hughes is entitled to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and we will be in contact with his appointee to apologise for the error."
Mr Foulkes said it should be up to doctors to assess the needs of applicants rather than non-medical staff.
About 150,000 people in Wales will be assessed for PIPs. Disability Wales said it believed flaws in the system meant some genuine cases were being refused help.
Rhian Davies, chief executive of the charity, said: "People with learning difficulties, people with mental health issues, conditions like autism or other invisible impairments, seem to not fare so well through the assessment process."
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said: "We are seeing too many people with lifelong conditions like Mark's being turned down for support by the government under the PIP process, and I think the whole system needs urgently reviewing.
"It is failing the people it is supposed to help."


A new type of touchscreen glass that combats bacteria and fungi has been unveiled.

US firm Corning said its Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass contains ionic silver, a substance that has been used to fight germs for more than 100 years.
The speciality glass-maker said the protection against germs would last for the lifetime of devices that used it.
One components expert said he believed there was a gap in the market for such a product.
"This gives Corning an edge, even if it's a bit of an odd edge," said Bob O'Donnell from the Technalysis Research consultancy.
"There are clearly folks in the world who are very concerned about germs and carry antibacterial hand gel in their pockets.
"If vendors opt to pay extra for this glass I'm sure they will talk about its abilities. But it's likely to be only a small niche of people for whom this would be the deciding factor when choosing between products."
Companies including CaseCrown and S-View already sell anti-bacterial films that can be fitted to tablets and smartphones as an alternative.
Apple, Amazon, LG, HTC and Samsung are among the many smart device manufacturers to use Corning's products.
Gorilla Glass has become a publicly recognised brand - a rarity for the glass industry - and has generated more than $1bn (Â£610m) of annual sales for the company.
However, some investors have been concerned that its competitor GT Advanced Technologies might tempt clients away to its sapphire glass, which promises greater scratch resistance.
Corning believes its new product - which it says inhibits the growth of algae, mould, mildew, fungi, and bacteria - gives its customers an extra reason to stay loyal.
"This innovation combines best-in-class antimicrobial function without compromising Gorilla Glass properties," said the firm's senior vice president James Steiner.
Marketing materials for the glass state that: "Thousands of bacteria live on the average mobile device."
However, one microbiologist previously told the BBC that this would not pose a threat to most users.
"Touchscreens are a source of a wide range of microbes, but not much of an issue if you do not share it among other people - since, if you are the only one using it, it's only your germs," said Prof Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona.
Corning said its new glass was ready to go into high-volume production and that several unnamed tech manufacturers were already testing it.
The firm added that it also intended to market the material to the healthcare, hospitality and transportation industries.


Cardiff City and Birmingham played out a tame draw in Russell Slade's final match as Bluebirds manager.

David Cotterill fired the visitors in front before Anthony Pilkington seized on sloppy Blues defending to equalise.
In a drab second half, Birmingham's James Vaughan missed the best chance as he hit the post when clean through on David Marshall in the Cardiff goal.
The result sees Bluebirds finish the season in eighth place, while Birmingham drop to 10th.
In Slade's last match as Cardiff manager before becoming the club's head of football, there was nothing riding on it for either team.
Cardiff's slim play-off hopes were resoundingly ended by a 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday the previous weekend, while Birmingham had already fallen out of contention for the top six.
Blues did not seem to lack motivation as Cardiff-born Cotterill gave them the lead with a powerful low strike as his assistant manager for Wales, Osian Roberts, watched from the stands.
Diego Fabbrini hit the post with a shot from the edge of the area as Gary Rowett's side impressed, but they contributed to their downfall as Cardiff equalised.
Jonathan Grounds seemed to have time to clear Scott Malone's cross but dithered, allowing Pilkington to pinch the ball and finish from close range.
The game's intensity dipped in the second half, with Cardiff only mustering a handful of half-chances.
Cotterill was close to scoring a second Birmingham goal, but his dipping free-kick from 25 yards was brilliantly headed off the line by Noone.
The best opportunity fell to substitute Vaughan who, one-on-one with Cardiff goalkeeper Marshall, shot against the post.
Cardiff manager Russell Slade: "I move to my new role with my head held high. We have made progress as a club, we have taken strides to get us on the right track again.
"I don't think it will take an awful lot more progress for this club to get where it wants to be. There is a sound platform for the next head coach to build on."
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Birmingham manager Gary Rowett: "In stages we played well, we came on far stronger in the last 25 minutes but our performances have not been reflected in the points we have taken.
"That has cost us but this has been a very positive season for this club and we are moving forward."


English number one Rajiv Ouseph captured his second successive title with victory in the Finnish Open.

A week after winning the French International in Orleans, the 26-year-old top seed beat Dmytro Zavadsky of the Ukraine 21-16 21-12 in 30 minutes.
Zavadsky, the second seed, led 8-4 and 13-11 before Ouseph won seven points in a row and swiftly wrapped up the match.
Scotland's Imogen Bankier also took a second title in a week after partnering Petya Nedelcheva to the doubles crown.
Last week in Orleans, Bankier teamed up with Robert Blair to win the mixed doubles title at the French International.
On Sunday, she and Bulgarian Nedelcheva were in front throughout in defeating Denmark's Lena Grebak and Maria Helsbol 21-10 21-14 in 30 minutes.


Welsh listeners to BBC Radio 1 and 2 should hear news bulletins about Wales at certain times of the day, according to the assembly's culture committee.

Committee chairwoman Bethan Jenkins said it would "better reflect Welsh life" and AMs were pleased it was being considered by the corporation.
AMs also called for an extra Â£30m to be spent each year on BBC English-language drama and broadcasting about Wales.
The BBC said plans for more spending would be announced "in due course".
The broadcaster has previously conceded aspects of Welsh life had not been "sufficiently captured" by its TV services in Wales.
During its inquiry into the state of the broadcast media industry in Wales, BBC Director General Lord Hall told the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee that putting Wales-based news bulletins on Radio 1 and 2 was being discussed as part of a review.
Ms Jenkins said her committee believed "flagship stations such as Radio 1 and Radio 2 should carry Wales-specific opt-outs for their news programmes to better reflect Welsh life".
AMs were "pleased to hear" this was being seriously considered, she added.
The committee's report said there should be no more funding cuts for S4C until an independent review of the channel had been completed.
It also called on ITV Wales to take a more proactive approach to getting its programmes broadcast across the ITV network.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We've said that improving how we portray and represent the different nations of the UK - including Wales - on our UK-wide services is a priority for the new Charter period.
"As part of this we've committed to spending more on English-language television programming in Wales and will set out the proposals in due course."


Defenders Ben Davies and Neil Taylor admit Wales need to address their set-piece vulnerability ahead of this summer's Euro 2016 finals.

Wales have conceded two set-piece goals in four days as Ukraine's winner in Kiev on Monday came from a free-kick.
The loss followed a draw with Northern Ireland when they scored from a corner.
"One loss of concentration from a set-piece has cost us. To concede from a set-piece is disappointing," said Tottenham Hotspur defender Davies.
"We have had plenty of meetings to sort it out. It was not the result we were looking for, but a lot about the performance was pretty good."
Fellow full-back Taylor was also not happy with Wales' potential Achilles heel as the Swansea defender added: "We didn't look troubled all night, but set-pieces were a problem."
Both Davies and Taylor, however, felt the positives outweighed the disappointment of defeat.
"It is not really about technical problems," said Davies. "It is about focus and concentration and not being able to switch off in these situations. We did tonight and it cost us."
Taylor agreed: "We are pleased with the performance, but not the goal we conceded. We've let ourselves down with that.
"We were in complete control of the game almost from start to finish, so we are disappointed not to score. Other than that, I thought we did very well.
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"On another day we might have scored a couple. The way we conducted ourselves, we are happy with. But not the result."
Taylor feels plenty of the Wales fringe players have aided their bid to be part of Chris Coleman's 23-man squad that will head to France for their first European Championship finals.
"Quite a few players have staked their claims," he told BBC Radio Wales. "They are pushing for the Euro squad and no-one has done themselves any harm."


Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is "not pleased" with Belgium head coach Marc Wilmots for playing captain Vincent Kompany on Tuesday.

Defender Kompany, 29, has missed City's last five matches with a calf injury but played 58 minutes as Belgium beat Israel 3-1 in a Euro 2016 qualifier.
Kompany limped off in City's 2-1 defeat by Juventus on 15 September.
"We sent Vincent with a medical report saying he cannot play," said Pellegrini.
"The national squad have all the rights to do what they want."
Pellegrini would not confirm if Kompany will start for the Premier League leaders against Bournemouth on Saturday (15:00 BST).
He missed league matches against West Ham, Tottenham and Newcastle, a Capital One Cup tie against Sunderland and a Champions League match against Borussia Monchengladbach.
"If a player withdraws from a national team squad, he cannot play for his club in the next game," added Pellegrini.
"Vincent didn't play in our last few games and some day clubs will protest that it should be the same thing the other way.
"It's no problem with Vincent. It was just important for him to work a whole week before playing a game, but he couldn't because he played with Belgium.
"We can just make a suggestion with a medical report and they decided he could play."
Meanwhile, striker Sergio Aguero is out for a month because of a hamstring injury.
Midfielders Fabian Delph and David Silva and full-backs Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov will all miss City's home game versus Bournemouth.


An "entire room" of Teasmades is being sold by a collector in Wiltshire, who is downsizing to a smaller house.

Sheridan Parsons from Royal Wootton Bassett, built up her hoard of 172 Teasmades over 15 years.
She said: "I got another one and another one and it grew and the whole thing got a bit out of hand really."
The collection of bedside automatic tea-makers is due to be auctioned on eBay, with a third of the money raised donated to Royal Voluntary Service.
Ms Sheridan said she bought her first Teasmade in 2000 and "very quickly" became interested in their history and "how many models there were".
"At that point I thought there might have been about 20 or 30 models," she said.
"Then I was - I think - the only collector in the world."
Since then, she has amassed what she believes is the "biggest Teasmade collection in the world".
But with plans to downsize from a 10 bedroom house to a two-and-a-half bedroom property, the "entire room" of bedroom gadgets has to go but she will retain a few.
"172 is a bit too many really so I'm going to take away six of my favourites," she said.
"The Absolon which is from 1932 is a very unusual one - mine as far as I know is the only one.
"And the other one I've got, which is very old, is the 1936 Goblin - which is a first production model that was found under a house in Australia."
Due to be listed this week, Ms Parsons said it was "really hard to say" how much they will sell for as there were "so few collectors out there".
"A lot of them still work, but the working of them isn't the most important thing for me," she said.
"But I'm hoping they will raise lots of money."


Muslims at Queen's University have said they have to pray in corridors and other public areas because it will not provide multi-faith prayer rooms.

The students said dedicated prayer or "quiet rooms" are available in many other universities and public buildings, including airports and hospitals.
They said they have no alternative but to say their prayers in corridors, libraries, corners or wherever they can find a secluded spot within QUB.
QUB said it is reviewing its amenities.
Muslim student Nadira Nazir, who is from Malaysia, said: "If we had a room to ourselves it would be easier for us females, to be honest.
"We have to rush between classes to find any [empty classrooms] available and just go in and do our prayers.
"Sometimes you get students already coming into the class and they see us praying. I am glad for their understanding as they have to wait for us to finish [before] they start their lecture, because we are literally using their class."
Approximately 1,200 international students from over 80 countries currently study at QUB and more than 400 are thought to be from the Islamic faith.
Encouraging more students from abroad to study at QUB is a major priority for the university.
Ahmed Amer from the QUB Muslim society said that was more of a reason for the university to provide prayer or "quiet" rooms.
"These rooms are not something new that we have invented," he said.
"These facilities are provided by all universities across England, pretty much, and in the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster University has them."
Mr Amer said the provision of QUB prayer rooms "would be a sign that the university can accommodate people from all different backgrounds and different religions".
"There is no extra cost involved in providing them," he added.
QUB Muslim chaplain Dr Ashraf Ahmed said the prayer room or rooms could be used by all denominations.
"It would be great if we could have a multi-faith prayer room. All would be welcome from all backgrounds and all faiths," he said.
The Belfast Islamic Centre has two venues in south Belfast where Muslims pray. One is located on Rugby Road, the other at Wellington Park, but neither are connected to QUB.
QUB declined a BBC interview request, but in a statement, a spokesperson said: "A key priority in the Vision 2020 strategy for Queen's University, Belfast, is to increase the number of international students studying at the university.
"Accordingly, the university is currently reviewing all amenities in the context of its charter and statutes to ensure that staff and students from all backgrounds have access to appropriate facilities."
It said a "quiet room" has been created at the Queens Elms halls of residence.
While this was not a dedicated multi-faith or prayer room, it said students could use it for the purpose of prayer.
However, one Muslim student said the room in question was inappropriate, and pointed out that Queens Elms is further from the main university campus than either of the two south Belfast mosques.
Their campaign has been backed by the Catholic Bishop of Derry, DÃ³nal McKeown, who said he was generally in favour of creating quiet rooms within public buildings that could be used by people of all religions and none.
The bishop told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: "I think the university has to respond to the reality of new minorities in its midst who have particular needs, and I think we have to find ways of living together that respects the needs of others."
But speaking on the same programme, the former leader of the UK Unionist Party, Bob McCartney, said QUB was "a non-denominational, non-religious educational institution".
"For the university to accept that it has a duty to provide, and presumably pay for, facilities for a particular religion to exercise its rituals would, in my view, constitute a precedent that could give rise to future difficulties," Mr McCartney added.


Debt has become a rarity in Scottish football.

That scenario once seemed beyond the reach of clubs that were being weighed down by the heedless spending of the past and drastic changes in the financial landscape of the game.
What has brought about this shift, though? And what does it mean to the individual clubs and the state of Scottish football itself?
There are a number of questions to ask about how the debt has been shed and what the impact might be.
In terms of bank debt, essentially all are free of long-term liabilities now that Aberdeen have reached a deal with Lloyds Bank.
Dundee United and Kilmarnock reached similar agreements last season, while Motherwell and St Mirren have been operating at more or less break even for a number of years. That said, the former often need the financial support of major shareholder John Boyle at points in the season and have been operating at a loss.
Celtic have no bank debt and their interim results for the financial year to 31 December showed a surplus in the bank, while, through long-term planning, St Johnstone, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hamilton Academical are all free of bank debt.
Dundee received investment from a US consortium and are now managed carefully financially, as are Partick Thistle, while Ross County's progress has been enabled by the largesse of the owner Roy MacGregor.
Essentially, because Lloyds Bank had already written off the debts and there was no prospect of clubs ever being able to pay it back in full.
Clubs have been fortunate that when Lloyds took over HBoS in January 2009 it provided a window of opportunity for the new owners to review all the debt on the bank's books. Any that was declared bad could then be written off in the accounts.
With Scottish football unable to generate rising income streams - indeed, the league is still currently operating without a title sponsor - clubs saddled with large debts were ultimately able only to service them.
Kilmarnock, for instance, owed £9.4m, having invested in the building of the Park Hotel next to Rugby Park. Last season, with the hotel valued at around £2.5m, it was sold to a company owned by Billy Bowie, with the businessman then converting the balance of the bank debt into equity.
As a result of the restructuring, chairman Michael Johnston's 87% stake was reduced to below 50% and he was joined on the club board by Bowie and three new investors: Jim Mann, David Moran and Russell Smith.
Yes, the bank's debt is being bought by Willie and Elaine Donald, who own the Stonehaven-based engineering company, WM Donald.
Whatever sum the bank receives towards the approximately £9m debt is more than they expected, since in accountancy terms it was written off five years ago. The Donalds will likely convert the debt to equity at some stage and join the Aberdeen board.
By wiping out the bank debt, Aberdeen have a little more financial freedom and can direct more resources to investing in the football side of the business.
To an extent. The club will still have to operate at break even, since banks are no longer lending to clubs. They have to live within their means now that sources of credit have reduced or, as with the case of some clubs, disappeared completely.
There will be more money available to Aberdeen since they will not have to service the debt any more, but it will not mean a drastic increase in available finance. Manager Derek McInnes won't be about to embark upon a spending spree.
Dundee United will feel less constrained now, since selling assets was part of their agreed strategy with the bank to meet repayments. There is no essential need to accept offers for young players each summer, so the club can hold out for higher fees.
The bank will have protected itself to an extent so that the debt reduction deal wasn't agreed only for the club to suddenly sell a batch of players and raise millions of pounds; percentages of future transfer fees will, until the end of next August, still go to the bank.
Similarly, other clubs will not suddenly be able to sell their stadium having just agreed to a debt reduction deal. The bank was in a position to do these deals out of necessity but also desire, since there is no wish to be involved in football any more. There are also community and social benefits to striking the deals.
It is too early to tell, but the best case scenario is that clubs are no longer on the brink of financial collapse.
Also, there should be more leeway to try to hold on to their better young talents, although there must always be a recognition that English clubs will lure them south eventually.
It is also often good for the players' career to move to a higher level, but they can move too early and become lost in the reserve squads of clubs when staying for longer in Scottish football will help them develop and boost the game in Scotland.


Oregon has become the first US state to include a third gender option on state-issued identification cards.

Beginning in July, Oregon residents who do not identify as male or female can mark X for sex on driver's licences, learner's permits and state IDs.
The state's Transportation Commission approved the new rule, which was hailed by LGBTQ rights groups.
The shift comes a year after an Oregon judge ruled a retired Army veteran could legally identify as non-binary.
The June 2016 landmark decision allowed Jamie Shupe to change her gender to non-binary, which refers to gender identities that do not fall into the binary categories of male and female. It was believed to be the first decision of its kind in the US.
That decision prompted Oregon officials to examine how they could recognise a third gender in its computer systems and affect the state's gender laws.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which held public hearings to debate the issue, said they received little opposition to the policy change, according to the Oregonian newspaper.
"I very much plan to head to the nearest DMV and ask for that ID to be corrected on July 3rd," Jamie Shupe said after Thursday's decision.
"And then I'll no doubt stand out front of the building, or sit in the car and cry."
About 20,000 Oregonians identify as transgender, according to The Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles.
Oregon is the only US state to allow an unspecified gender, but other countries including Germany, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand also allow a third gender option.
The Canadian province of Ontario also implemented the X option earlier this year.
California is also considering a similar policy change. The state senate in May passed a bill to add a third gender option to official state documents, including birth certificates, sending the measure to the state assembly.
Commissioner Sean O'Hollaren told the Oregonian the decision was the "right thing to do".
"I hope those who will use X as an identifier will feel an element of comfort moving forward," he said. "It's something we're not only doing because legally our hand is forced. It's something we should do because it's the right thing to do."
Gender identity has become a major flashpoint across the US in places like North Carolina, which passed a bill forcing students to use toilets according to the sex listed on their birth certificates.
The state passed a bill easing some of those restrictions in March, but Texas is considering a similar measure.
US President Donald Trump in February also rescinded his predecessor's guidance to US public schools that allowed transgender students to use toilets matching their gender identity.


The reception area at Celtic Park was a hive of activity in the wake of the home team's obliteration of Motherwell in the final game of their season on Sunday.

Families gathered, some happy to hang out, others keen to get going. There was mention of flight times and taxis and airports.
There were hugs and handshakes and goodbyes. Midfielder Stefan Johansen moseyed through a door and hung his winners' medal round the neck of Jay Beatty, a young fan that Celtic people have taken to their hearts.
Johansen gifted Beatty his medal then fist-pumped. The whole scene was of a club at ease with itself after winning their fifth league title in a row. And yet, that's not the case.
There was a surreal air to it all given that somewhere in the building Ronny Deila was clearing his desk and waiting for his own lift to catch a flight that would have got him home to Norway by the time Sportscene brought pictures of the seven goals his, by then former, team had put on their hapless visitors.
There's a new manager coming and there's confusion as to what's going to happen when he does.
Johansen, Kris Commons, James Forrest - are they staying or going? Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, Scott Allan, Colin Kazim-Richards - where's their place in the grand scheme of things?
Scott Brown and Nir Bitton - do they deserve their protected status any longer? Leigh Griffiths - can he possibly have another 40-goal season next time and, if he doesn't, where's the back-up?
Scoring seven against Motherwell was impressive, but the fact that Deila started Christie, a midfielder, as his lone striker is reflective of what's been going on at Celtic. So many midfielders, so few forwards.
Sunday was an uplifting day for the club against a compliant side that was content to let them get on with it. They played with an elan that thrilled their support.
Their performance was so full of pace and devilment and movement and goals that it made you wonder where this kind of display had been for much of the domestic season.
There was no Brown and no Bitton on Sunday. Celtic played with the brake off and they looked good.
McGregor operated again as a defensive midfield buffer, but he did so while moving the ball at pace, something that Brown and Bitton don't always do. Everything was quick and intense. Armstrong, Christie, Tom Rogic, Patrick Roberts; they all got on the ball, all made things happen, all scored.
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No pressure, of course. This was peace-time football. Motherwell arrived with a white flag. That helped.
The game was, in a sense, a throwback to Celtic's final match of last season - a 5-0 drubbing of Inverness Caledonian Thistle that proved to be a mirage, a vision of an improving team and a developing manager that wasn't real. Even with a 2-0 advantage over Malmo, and Virgil van Dijk in their ranks, their Champions League qualification ended in nightmare a few short months later.
Nobody talked then about the 5-0 laceration of Caley Thistle or the feelgood that came with a strong finish to the league season. Nobody will talk about the 7-0 horseing of Motherwell if, come August, Celtic have been dumped out of the Champions League by the fifth best team in Sweden (as they were by Malmo) or, later in the year, exit the Europa League at the hands of the sixth best team in Norway (where Molde finished in their domestic league).
Celtic have a lot of players, but they need a manager to streamline them, to split the wheat from the chaff and kick on with a new focus.
It's clear that, even when diminished, Celtic are far too good for Aberdeen. There's a gulf there that won't be breached. Rangers, with more spending power, may be the team most likely to light a fire under the champions next season.
Mark Warburton knows that the team that ran away with the Championship won't pull up many trees in the Premiership, so he's changing it. The accomplished teenager, Jordan Rossiter, has come in from Liverpool, Joey Barton is in talks about a move from Premier League-bound Burnley and there's speculation now that Niko Kranjcar, the 31-year-old Croatian international, is also interesting the Rangers manager.
Warburton seems to be making his moves early. He has much recruiting to do to get his team into contention, but he's getting on with it. Celtic, meanwhile, are still wondering who they're going to put against the Englishman next season.
Nobody knows who it's going to be. Everybody's guessing. David Moyes is fancied, but he might have his eyes on a job in England. Brendan Rodgers the same. Roy Keane was Dermot Desmond's pick the last time, but the Republic of Ireland don't finish their group matches in Euro 2016 until 22 June.
In any event, his talks with chief executive Peter Lawwell two years ago didn't go well. Keane is not known for his capacity to forgive and forget. Equally, there appears to be little enthusiasm among the Celtic support for Keane.
With so much work to do before the Champions League qualifiers, can Celtic afford to wait for him in any case? Neil Lennon? Paul Lambert? Malky Mackay? In this space, we've already mentioned Chris Hughton, the Brighton manager.
On Monday, Hughton takes Brighton into the second leg of the Premier League semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday. His team was beset by injury in the first leg and trail 2-0. If they don't make it any further, Hughton is the kind of manager that Celtic should think about.
His track record is worth analysing properly. When you strip away the craziness of trigger-happy chairmen, Hughton is a manager of substance. He may want to have another crack at it with Brighton, but he's a name worth throwing into the mix along with all the others.
Lawwell surely has a priority list. It's been obvious since Malmo - and definitely since Molde - that Deila was in mortal danger.
The 5-1 aggregate loss to the Norwegians happened across late October and early November. You wouldn't expect him to say anything publicly, but privately Lawwell must have been thinking ahead at that point.
For all the warm scenes at Celtic on Sunday, there is an uncertainty about the place. They may hold off any challenge and win a sixth consecutive title next season, but we know that that, on its own, won't be enough to save the manager.
There aren't a lot of Motherwells knocking about in the final qualification stage for the Champions League. Right now, Norrkoping lead the way in Sweden and Rosenborg are top in Norway. Before they know it, Celtic will be up against that type of opposition.
Beatable, for sure, but only if the lessons of the Deila era are learned. On the pitch and off, they need to get their focus back.


Bulgaria's government has announced it is resigning after nationwide protests against high electricity prices and austerity measures, Prime Minister Boiko Borisov has said.

The PM said he had decided to go after protesters against rising electricity prices clashed with police in Sofia.
At least 14 people were injured during Tuesday's demonstrations.
"I will not participate in a government under which police are beating people," Mr Borisov said.
"Every drop of blood is a shame for us,"
The street protests across Bulgaria - the EU's poorest country - which began two weeks ago, were initially over high electricity prices but soon took an anti-government turn.
By Nick ThorpeBBC Central Europe correspondent
The surprise resignation of Boiko Borisov and his GERB (Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria) cabinet leaves Bulgaria in turmoil.
Elections are scheduled for July, but could be brought forward. The earliest date would be the end of April. Mr Borisov has made clear that he and his party will not take part in an interim administration.
GERB were trailing in polls to the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party even before the current unrest.
One interesting aspect of the protests is that they are taking place largely independently of traditional political parties and trade unions.
The core of the protesters are young people, organising via social media sites such as Facebook.
The immediate concern in Bulgaria is stability. Many parallels are being drawn with 1997, when the socialist administration was brought down by street protests.
The PM tried to calm the protests on Tuesday by promising to slash prices and by sacking his finance minister.
He also pledged to punish foreign-owned power companies that he said charged too much.
But the BBC's Central Europe correspondent Nick Thorpe says that the clashes on Tuesday were the last straw for Mr Borisov.
Many Bulgarians remain deeply unhappy over high energy costs, power monopolies, low living standards and corruption.
Parliament will vote on the resignation on Thursday. If it is accepted, President Rosen Plevneliev, a political ally of the prime minister, will have to appoint an interim government to rule  until the next parliamentary elections., our correspondent says.
It was not immediately clear whether or not a parliamentary election scheduled for July would now be brought forward.
"Our power was handed to us by the people, today we are handing it back to them," Mr Borisov said.
"I cannot stand looking at a bloody Eagles' Bridge," he added, referring to a busy road junction in the centre of Sofia that became the centre point of clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday.
"We did our best over these four years."
Many of the protesters in Sofia and other major Bulgarian cities had demanded the resignation of the centre-right GERB party government and the re-nationalisation of power distributors.
The government lost support after it abandoned plans in March 2012 to build a new nuclear power station at Belene, close to the Romanian border.
A controversial referendum last month on whether to build a second nuclear power plant was invalidated by a low turnout, although more than 60% of those who voted backed the idea.
Correspondents say that while budget cuts have felled a series of governments around Europe, Mr Borisov - a former bodyguard to Bulgaria's Soviet-era dictator Todor Zhivkov - had until recent weeks seemed relatively immune.
That was in part because he froze salaries and pensions rather than cutting them.
Bulgarians on average earn a relatively meagre 800 levs ($550;Â£356) a month.


Manager Richie Foran feels his Inverness team lack the "warriors" and "real men" he believes would help them escape relegation from the Premiership.

"We have too many good guys in our team, too many nice guys," lamented the Irishman after a 4-0 defeat at rivals Ross County left them five points adrift at the bottom of the table.
"I need nasty lads, I need aggressive boys, but you can't give that to them; you need to be born with that.
"I've got to look at my signings."
Caley Thistle, on 25 points, have now played one game more than second-bottom Dundee, who could extend the gap between the Premiership's bottom two with a win away to Motherwell on Saturday.
Hamilton and Motherwell, ninth and 10th respectively, have 32 points but have played 33 games, one fewer than the Highlanders.
"It's going to be harder but not impossible," said Foran of his team's chances of avoiding automatic relegation by finishing last.
"But there are still 12 points up for grabs. If we get 12 points we have a great chance. Obviously it's a tough task now.
"I can see some of the players are low in confidence.
"The problem today is that we weren't as aggressive as Ross County. They wanted it more, they bullied us a bit.
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"Maybe I should have signed a couple of warriors, a couple of real men to go with the ball players that we have."
Inverness have won only four league games this season. They host Hamilton next Saturday, take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on 13 May, Dundee at Dens Park three days later and complete their campaign with a home game against Motherwell on 20 May.
Their best chance of survival would appear to be by finishing 11th and coming out on top over the two legs of a Premiership play-off final against Championship teams Falkirk, Dundee United or Morton.
"I still believe in the players," Foran told BBC Scotland after the game in Dingwall in which Liam Boyce scored all four County goals and Inverness had Liam Polworth sent off with 30 minutes remaining.
"We need to start games a bit better, we need to stop conceding early goals, we need to stop making individual mistakes.
"The quality is there but we need to be more aggressive. We need more warriors on the park.
"The players now need to become warriors to go with the good footballers that they are."
Foran wants his players to react by imagining the season starts with the match against the Accies, though he accepts that he is "mostly" to blame for the team's plight.
"The board have backed me with everything I've asked for," he said.
"I've signed the players I wanted to sign. Players need to stand up and be counted, which a few of them haven't. I've signed probably half of them.
"I've picked the team, I've picked the shape, the training, so most of it has to go on me.
"I'm not looking to make any friends with the board by saying this. This is the truth, it's nothing to do with the board."
Boyce took his tally for the season to 21 with his haul, having hit 20 in the previous campaign.
"Liam has been priceless for the last couple of years," said manager Jim McIntyre. "He's had a family bereavement this week but he went out and did his uncle proud by banging in four goals.
"The two strikers were exceptional. Boyce will get the headlines but him and Curran are such a potent partnership. Craig is back to his very best.
"It was frantic, frenetic at times, and getting that all-important first goal is crucial. We kicked on from there.
"We didn't have a recognised centre-back tonight, three full-backs in there, our wing-backs are predominantly wingers who are not used to doing a lot of defending.
"The sending off obviously demoralises Inverness but I was really pleased with how we kept the ball after that.
"We won't finish in the bottom spot but we are certainly not safe [from the play-off place]. There is a lot of work still to do.
"After missing out on the top six, we want to be best of the rest. If we keep up the work-rate and desire, we'll pick up more points."


Expect thunderclaps and bolts of lightning when Saracens and Racing 92 collide in the European Champions Cup final on Saturday - it is going to be massively physical in Lyon.

There are plenty of exciting match-ups - London v Paris, Kruis and Itoje v the Racing line-out, and Billy Vunipola v Chris Masoe among them.
But the big duel is at fly-half.
Racing's Dan Carter is one of the all-time greats, Owen Farrell aspires to become so - can the latter guide Saracens to victory or will Carter add yet another trophy to his laden shelves?
Carter is rugby's Yoda. The former All Black has won the lot - two World Cups, three world player of the year awards, the list goes on.
England's Farrell is Luke Skywalker to continue the Star Wars Jedi comparison, the youngster making his way in the game.
Carter has everything you could wish to have in a fly-half: he's got knowledge of the game, the skillset, deceptive pace, the mental ability and the physical toughness.
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For years in the England camp they've talked about players saying 'if only he was a mixture of X, Y and Z he would be the ideal fly-half'. What they meant was, he'd be Dan Carter.
There is nothing Carter lacks and the only negative is his age. At 34 he's not as quick as he once was and he doesn't put the hits in like he could when he was a young man - although there was nothing wrong with his defence against Leicester in the semis.
One of his greatest abilities is to up the pace of the game - he goes from slow to super-fast in the blink of an eye, which means the opposition defence is always on edge.
England fly-half Farrell, 24, has unbelievable mental toughness. He's also physically strong, good defensively and a great goal-kicker under pressure - when it's required he nails it.
This season he's developed his running and passing game and it's no coincidence that Saracens have also opened up more than in the past.
He's not the quickest, but he's not the slowest and he's running good support lines.
I don't think he's the best tactical kicker though. Someone like Carter can feel the game and defensive pressure and knows where to send the ball - you can just sense it - whereas Farrell is still learning that aspect.
Farrell is working very hard to develop and for me he's one of the most improved players around.
A season ago I would have said the way the two sides play was a mirror image of each other - kick for territory, chase hard, defend ferociously, batter the opposition with your big ball carriers and only open up inside the opponents' half.
But Saracens have opened up their game and now look to score tries from anywhere outside their 22, whereas before they would always look to exit their half before starting to play attacking rugby.
They've always scored a fair amount of tries but I think they have a far broader repertoire these days and with the likes of Chris Ashton running his support lines and Alex Goode creating things they have a very useful backline that is really flourishing thanks to the brilliant ball their pack gives them.
Racing physically pounded Leicester in the semis and did it so well that Tigers kept spilling the ball because they were worried about the hits coming in, and the French side will look to do that against Sarries too.
But I don't think Sarries will be shocked by Racing's physicality - they're too well prepared and will know Racing will look to bring physical power to bear.
It is intimidating, but Sarries have forwards of the calibre of England locks Maro Itoje and George Kruis, the Vunipola brothers Billy and Mako, and impressive tight-head Petrus Du Plessis.
Racing have got to be careful in the line-outs where Kruis and especially Itjoe will be a major ball-stealing threat.
Some of the battles, such as that between England's young behemoth Billy Vunipola and hard as nails former New Zealand international Chris Masoe at number eight, will be ferocious.
Kicking out of hand will also be key. We know Carter is a master of pinning teams back and I think Racing's back three will be peppered by Saracens.
Brice Dunlin, Juan Imhoff and Joe Rokocoko are a dangerous trio but are not the best kickers, so it will be interesting to see how they deal with the barrage that is likely to come their way - will they try to run it back and get snared by Sarries' wolfpack defence?
Sarries have the capacity to show more adventure when needed. They can play any kind of game but they will start tactically and play for territory.
However, when this big, relatively unfit Racing pack shows sign of fatigue, expect Saracens to go in for the kill.
Saracens should be favourites solely because of their experience of this sort of situation - this is their second final in three years and they have reached the semis for the last four years in a row.
If Sarries don't buckle early on under Racing's power - and I don't expect them to - they will win by seven at least.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
Jeremy Guscott was speaking to BBC Sport's James Standley.


Swansea City climbed off the bottom of the Premier League with a vital and comprehensive victory over fellow strugglers Sunderland.

After an edgy goalless first half in sodden conditions, Gylfi Sigurdsson's calm penalty put the Swans ahead and eased the tension inside the Liberty Stadium.
Sigurdsson's clever corner set up Fernando Llorente for their second, and the Spaniard headed in a late third to give Bob Bradley a precious second win as manager.
Swansea are now out of the relegation zone and up to 17th, while Sunderland replace them at the foot of the table.
The result is a setback for David Moyes' visitors, who had won three of their previous four matches.
For Swansea, meanwhile, a third victory of the season is a significant lift having endured their worst start to a season in any division since 1983.
Despite being the newest appointment in the Premier League, Bradley was already under pressure having won only one of his first seven games in charge.
The American had said he was not concerned about his future but admitted this game was the most important of his tenure.
Bradley made five changes from Swansea's previous outing, a shambolic 5-0 thrashing at Tottenham, and his alterations were vindicated.
The Swans were calmer in possession with Angel Rangel at right-back and captain Leon Britton restored in midfield, while Llorente's recall gave their attack a much-needed focal point.
The hosts shaded an uneventful first half but it was not until the early stages of the second that they truly took control of the game, scoring two goals in a three-minute period which could prove to be a turning point in their season.
After Sigurdsson's penalty gave Swansea the lead following Jason Denayer's handball, the Iceland midfielder was at the heart of the action moments later, as his low corner found Llorente, whose sweeping finish sparked ecstatic celebrations.
Sunderland had no answer to Swansea's rampant second-half display.
The visitors had seemed content to sit back and play for a draw in a tight first half and, although they were relatively untroubled at that point, they unravelled under pressure.
After falling behind, Moyes' men looked panicked in defence and could barely muster a counter-attack in response.
Having scored eight of Sunderland's 14 Premier League goals this season, it was no wonder Jermain Defoe was identified by Bradley as the visitors' most potent threat.
The 34-year-old scored a hat-trick when Sunderland won 4-2 at Swansea last season - but he was starved of service as the Black Cats undid their recent good work with a damaging defeat which leaves them bottom of the table, albeit still only a point adrift of safety.
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Swansea boss Bob Bradley to BBC Sport: "The word we used with the players this week was pride, and we wanted to change it to intensity and a clean sheet. I am satisfied with that.
"It is a good feeling to get on top. It has not happened enough this season. It helps and gets the supporters behind us. The atmosphere starts to change. The momentum goes through the team and that is what we really need right now.
"It shows the supporters are with the team. It has been a tough time but they know how to support the players. They were there for us. It is important that we enjoy the moment but we cannot lose focus. We need to build on this result."
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Sunderland manager David Moyes, speaking to BBC Sport: "It was frustrating. We didn't play particularly well and we didn't take a couple of opportunities.
"We should have created more chances. We had one or two moments, but it was a tough game and circumstances as well.
"If you get the first goal, it always gives you confidence. The game turned on a tight decision. The cross was only two or three yards away from [Denayer] when it came in. That said, I don't think he should have had his hands up there. It was a big call."
Match ends, Swansea City 3, Sunderland 0.
Second Half ends, Swansea City 3, Sunderland 0.
Corner,  Swansea City. Conceded by Papy Djilobodji.
Attempt blocked. Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adnan Januzaj.
Attempt saved. Jason Denayer (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt blocked. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jefferson Montero.
Substitution, Sunderland. Javier Manquillo replaces Steven Pienaar.
Substitution, Swansea City. Oliver McBurnie replaces Fernando Llorente because of an injury.
Offside, Swansea City. Gylfi Sigurdsson tries a through ball, but Jefferson Montero is caught offside.
Corner,  Sunderland. Conceded by Lukasz Fabianski.
Attempt saved. Papy Djilobodji (Sunderland) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Adnan Januzaj with a cross.
Corner,  Sunderland. Conceded by Alfie Mawson.
Attempt blocked. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adnan Januzaj.
Goal!  Swansea City 3, Sunderland 0. Fernando Llorente (Swansea City) header from very close range to the top right corner. Assisted by Jefferson Montero with a cross.
Foul by Jordi Amat (Swansea City).
Victor Anichebe (Sunderland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Swansea City. Jefferson Montero replaces Modou Barrow.
Corner,  Swansea City. Conceded by Adnan Januzaj.
Offside, Sunderland. Jordan Pickford tries a through ball, but Victor Anichebe is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Papy Djilobodji (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Papy Djilobodji (Sunderland) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Jay Fulton (Swansea City).
Victor Anichebe (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Foul by Wayne Routledge (Swansea City).
Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordi Amat (Swansea City).
Steven Pienaar (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Swansea City. Conceded by Papy Djilobodji.
Corner,  Swansea City. Conceded by Jordan Pickford.
Attempt saved. Jordi Amat (Swansea City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Modou Barrow (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Billy Jones (Sunderland).
Angel Rangel (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Angel Rangel (Swansea City).
Steven Pienaar (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Swansea City. Conceded by Lamine Koné.
Attempt blocked. Jay Fulton (Swansea City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, Sunderland. Jan Kirchhoff replaces Didier Ndong.
Substitution, Sunderland. Adnan Januzaj replaces Sebastian Larsson.


Matt O'Connor believes he will fit back into the Premiership seamlessly as he prepares for his first home game in full charge of Leicester Tigers.

The Australian won three league titles as a Tigers coach, working under former director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
"I cut my teeth in the Premiership," O'Connor told BBC Radio Leicester ahead of Newcastle's visit to Welford Road.
"I've got a good understanding of what is required in this part of the world to win trophies."
O'Connor, 46, coached at Leicester between 2010 and 2013, before leaving to take the top job at Leinster and subsequently going to work for Queensland Reds and Tonga.
He has now returned to replace Aaron Mauger, who had succeeded Cockerill in January.
"It is fantastic to be back," O'Connor said.
"I've got nothing but fond memories of the years spent here previously and I'm really looking forward to starting that legacy up again, hopefully.
"To be a part of one of the most successful rugby clubs in the world again was a fantastic opportunity too good not to pursue."
O'Connor has been given his old job title of head coach, but this time will take full charge of team affairs, with the club changing the coaching structure in the absence of a director of rugby.
And he believes the players now need to take this as a fresh start as they fight Bath for a top-four spot.
He said: "I think given the story of the season and the different philosophies that have been significant in the group there is a bit of clarity that needs to be brought.
"If we adjust a few of the things that we are doing on both sides of the ball I think it is an exciting three games and everything to play for."


Officials at the Alipore zoo in the Indian city of Kolkata (Calcutta) say their attempts to mate a young tiger have been unsuccessful with the big cat showing little interest in mating.

Vishal, the 10-year-old white tiger, has so far spurned the advances of tigress Rupa, living in the adjoining enclosure, an official told the BBC.
Libido enhancers have also failed to spur him into action, he said.
Experts blame his "shyness" on the fact that Vishal has been bred in captivity.
"For the past six months we've been trying to mate Vishal," Dayanarayan Banerjee, who retired as the senior veterinary officer at the zoo and is now working as a veterinary consultant there, told the BBC.
"We have de-wormed him to improve his overall health. We have given him libido enhancers, including vitamin D, A and E. But he is shy and no libido has been noticed in him," he said.
Mr Banerjee says this is the first time an attempt has been made to mate Vishal - the only male in the breeding age in the zoo - but perhaps he is a bit too old to mate.
"The most suitable age for a tiger to mate is when he is five-six years old. Seven-eight-year-olds also succeed. But beyond the age of 10 years, it is very difficult."
Mr Banerjee said when Vishal was introduced to eight-year-old Rupa, he was "friendly enough" and "displayed no sign of hostility", but that's where the contact ended.
"Rupa was willing, but Vishal was reluctant," he added.
Mr Banerjee says he is "not sure Vishal will deliver" but zoo authorities are not yet giving up on the exercise.
"We are considering introducing him to Rani, she is a Bengal tigress, and she has a very beautiful face. But she is in an enclosure that's far away from Vishal's and we are awaiting a decision on whether we can move her to a nearby enclosure."


More than 8,500 performers from 20 different countries have taken part in London's New Year's Day Parade.

The parade, from Green Park to Parliament Square, was broadcast on 600 TV stations across the world.
About 50,000 spectators were expected to watch the free event which had a film theme this year.
Among those taking part were three terminally ill young people from a hospice who were followed by two ambulances on the parade.
The event, which is in its 31st year, was originally created by Bob Bone and his wife Geri after they had wanted to take their children out on New Year's Day and found most museums, theatres, cinemas, restaurants and shops were closed.
Dan Kirkby, communications director for the event, said it was a very "cosmopolitan event".
"We've got 17 London boroughs taking part plus 8,500 performers, about 4,000 of which have come in from the States as they've got a wonderful, magical marching band culture there and they've embraced this event fully," he said.
He said the event was estimated to bring in about £50m to £100m to the city, "giving Londoners a lovely lift".
St Christopher's Hospice in Sydenham, south London, was the only hospice to design floats and take part in the event.
The three young people from the hospice rode on a Lion King-themed float, which also included nurses, healthcare assistants and volunteers.
Marcello Camus, community artist at the hospice, said: "Participating in this parade is amazing because for some of them it could be one of the last big things that they do in their life.
"Even leaving their house and commuting to the hospice can be exciting, never mind going to central London for the parade."
He added two of the young people said they felt like they were "part of a larger community, that they were represented, that they were being seen and that they were honouring the work of St Christopher's which is like a second home to them".


History will be made on 11 April on the waters of the Thames when the men's and women's Boat Race teams race on the same day for the first time.

BBC Sport is paying tribute to pioneering women in sport in the run up to International Women's Day on 8 March. Here we look at the battle for the Women's Boat Race to be held on the same course and same day as the men's.
It is nearly 90 years since the first women's Cambridge v Oxford University Boat Race and finally they are being allowed to compete on the same tideway course as the men and have equal television coverage and funding from sponsors.
As a proud veteran of the 2003 Women's Boat Race - I was one of the defeated Cambridge crew - it has been fascinating to be able to step back in time to trace where the race has come from, and the stories of those women who participated in it.
First stop was my birthplace, Cornwall. Not only did the first men's University Boat Race in 1829 take place in a boat built to the design of the Cornish racing shells of the time, but there were a few notable female rowers hailing from the county.
One such was Ann Glanville, from east Cornwall, and her all-female crew, who achieved notable success against men in local regattas in the 1840s. A mother to 14 children, she was even presented to Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, and billed as the female rowing champion of the world.
Fast forward 150 years and another trailblazing woman has been a key part of the movement to give the races equal billing: Helena Morrissey, chief executive of race sponsors, Newton Investment Management.
She was a Cambridge graduate herself, although not involved in rowing. However, she was instrumental in putting her shoulder to the rock of resistance a few years ago, and giving it a massive heave.
She refused to listen to excuses that women could not cope with negotiating the tides and bends of the men's 7000m course and until now had to make do with a 2000m course on a different stretch of the Thames in Henley, days before the men's showpiece. Many casual sports fans were not even aware a women's race existed.
So it is remarkable how far we've come. The first race, in 1927, was staged after much discussion of whether they could wear shorts, or their more demure gym tunics. One of the Cambridge rowers had to sit on a stool in front of university staff, simulating the action of rowing, to ascertain which clothes best preserved her modesty.
There were attempts to keep the sport ladylike and in the first few races they were not allowed to race side by side and instead first rowed downstream, passed the judges, who marked on style and grace.
They then raced upstream against the clock and one female athlete was heard exhorting her crew to "row like hell". This caused some upset in the media, presumably among those men who preferred their ladies rather more reserved.
And The Times report of the day stated that hordes of angry men headed to the river to shake their fists and yell at the women as they did not see it as a sport they should partake in.
As part of the filming, I met a group of ex-rowers now in their 50s, 60s and 70s to discuss their memories of the Women's Boat Race. We had a wonderful conversation over a hot cross bun or two, looking at photographs of the big hair and shoulder pads of the Oxbridge crews of the 1970s and 1980s.
One Oxford rower from 1985 brought a photo along that was published in the media of the time. It featured their male cox surrounded by his female crew, all in gowns, mortar boards and fishnet nights (above). The media were apparently fascinated by the idea of a male of smaller stature giving orders to eight women, all about six feet tall. These days it's fairly standard in the Boat Race to have one gender coxing the other.
One thing that came across to me was the attitude then, which remains the attitude of female athletes from any sport now, when faced with the glaring inequalities between men and women: "we just got on with it".
In the United States, there was a federal law called title IX passed in 1972 which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education programme or activity. But the women rowers at Yale University were still being treated as second class citizens and decided enough was enough.
In 1976, they stripped off their clothes to reveal title IX across their backs as they demonstrated to the Yale hierarchy and in a prepared statement told the university: "These are the bodies Yale is exploiting".
It did the trick. American Daphne Martschenko will be competing for Cambridge next month and told me: "It was a moment that defined history, and shaped the lives of women who were to come afterwards in sport in the United States.
"In terms of what it has done for me personally, it's opened so many doors, it's provided so many opportunities.
"It has made it such an honour not to only row for Stanford University but made it a possibility to come here, to row for Cambridge at this historic and monumental time."
I cannot wait for the Women's Boat Race in 2015, and it will be an emotional moment for me when the starting flag drops. I will be in the BBC commentary box, and I will be reflecting on my own Boat Race, and on those in the decades before who played their part in the journey to that moment. Fighters, trailblazers, but above all - women.
The Boat Race will be shown on BBC One on 11 April from 16:15 BST.


Loch Lomond Sea Life Aquarium is investing £150,000 to breed up to 23 species of sharks and rays.

Staff at the facility in Balloch will transform six display tanks and pools to accommodate the tropical fish.
New species will include a breeding pair of epaulette sharks and Scotland's first shoal of cownose ray.
A nursery to allow visitors to view recently-hatched sharks and rays will also be added, along with a display of marine life in Scotland's lochs.
Curator Mark Hind said the cownose stingrays would be "a fantastic addition" to the centre.
"They swim in formation like an underwater aerobatics team, and are amazing to watch as they appear to flap their wings and fly under water," he said.
"They are fairly chilled out but they have a spine on their tails with a serrated edge on the outside of the sting, which is like a harpoon. It is a defence mechanism, but if you are stung it can cause excruciating pain.
"Some aquariums have been known to remove the barbs, but we won't do that as it's unethical and not good for them. We will work around them."
Mr Hind added: "They are a very strange looking species and people will be able to get up close, without being able to touch.
"We plan to breed them for the first time, along with our other rays and sharks."


An SNP bid to make sure Britain's exit from the EU was dependant on all four nations voting for it in the referendum has been rejected.

During the committee stage of the Referendum Bill, Foreign Office Minister David Lidington said the amendment did "not make sense."
The Conservative politician said it was about the UK's membership so it should be about all of the UK taking a view.
The UK government will hold an in/out referendum before the end of 2017.
The SNP's  foreign affairs spokesman, Alex Salmond, moved the amendment on the so-called "quadruple lock" .
He said: "In America, 14 states can block a constitutional amendment, even if they comprise only 5% of the population.
"Even the prime minister, and many of his MPs, would concede Scotland is a nation. The United Kingdom is a multi-national state."
Mr Salmond added that the matter was about more than a "simple majority across the UK" and the outcome needed to be respectful of the results in the "component nations".
However, Mr Lidington rejected Mr Salmond's argument.
Meanwhile, ministers have confirmed that the poll would not be held on 5 May 2016, the same day as elections to devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
They will also amend planned changes to "purdah" rules, which limit government announcements in the run-up to polls.
Ministers said voters must be assured the referendum would be a "fair fight".
David Cameron is starting renegotiation of the terms of Britain's EU membership ahead of a referendum. Here is some further reading on what it all means:
Q&A: The UK's planned EU referendum
UK and the EU: Better off out or in?
What Britain wants from Europe
Timeline: EU referendum debate


Great Britain's taekwondo team secured their best medal haul at a European Championships, with seven in all, as Martin Stamper and Caroline Fisher won bronzes on the final day.

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Golds for Aaron Cook, Michael Harvey and Lutalo Muhammad earlier in the event meant GB finished top of the male medal standings and as the second best nation overall in Manchester.
"I'm delighted, it's been a fantastic week," boss Gary Hall told BBC Sport.
"They performed out of their skins."
I just did the wrong thing and got kicked in the face a few too many times
The Great Britain performance director added: "To set a new British record is a brilliant performance by the athletes and all of the staff.
"We set out to beat the Turks as they hadn't lost in 20 years and so to get the number one slot for the men was phenomenal."
The next task for Hall is to select the four athletes he wishes to take to the London 2012 Olympics.
Cook will be expected to take the -80kg place, but the men's other Olympic class, the -68kg division, is tougher to call.
Stamper was in pole position after a stunning 2011, which culminated in a World Championship bronze medal, but his failure to reach the final in Manchester, coupled with rival Harvey securing -63kg gold, could affect selection.
"I knew I had the capabilities to win it, so I'm disappointed," reflected Stamper.
"I'm confident [about selection], as all of my medals have been in the -68kg's [Olympic class]. Take nothing away from Mike [Harvey] he's done amazingly well, but it's in the division below.
"I would have loved to get into the final because then I would have been going, but now it's up to the selectors," said Stamper.
Hall admitted the women's team still have a "little bit to go" after collecting two bronze medals.
Fisher, who trains outside of the GB programme, was disappointed at failing to reach the -53kg final, which probably rules the 29-year-old out of challenging Jade Jones for the London 2012 -57kg place.
"Everyone wants that shot at being 'the athlete' and obviously a gold today would have been better than a bronze, but it didn't happen," said a tearful Fisher.
"Hopefully I can support Jade if she gets picked."
Liverpool's Bianca Walkden was the GB fighter in the women's -67kg division, but she crashed out in the quarter-finals with a heavy 22-16 defeat to Petra Matijasevic of Croatia.
With world champion Sarah Stevenson said to be recovering "ahead of schedule" following a knee ligament injury earlier this year, Walkden fears that failing to win a medal means her chances of selection are over.
"Obviously it was a big championships and it was the one before the Olympics and I know I should be up there, I just did the wrong thing and got kicked in the face a few too many times," said a clearly upset Walkden.
"I just have to sit back and pray that I can get in on my performance because I gave it everything that I've got."
Great Britain will formally reveal their four Olympic athletes and four reserve fighters for the London 2012 Olympics on Friday 24 May.


London's 2012 Paralympics has ended with a fiery finale and official handover to 2016 host, Rio de Janeiro.

The show, described as a "festival of flame" honouring Britain's ancient traditions and festivals, brought 11 days of sport to a close.
UK band Coldplay led the show, which started at 20:30 BST, with a live set reflecting the four seasons.
The event ended what organisers say has been "the greatest Paralympic Games ever".
Unlike the other Games ceremonies, the 4,200 athletes were seated around the main arena, putting them at the heart of the action.
By Ian WestbrookBBC 2012
If the Paralympics had to end then they did so in style, with a superb closing ceremony that had a bit of everything.
There were spectacular moments, dazzling fireworks, great live music and tributes to all the right people - the armed forces, the Games Maker volunteers and the athletes.
The speeches were made in the right tone and contained good and appropriate anecdotes and the tale of the four seasons from autumn going to spring showed the continuing nature of life.
And that is what everyone has to face now with a Monday morning that won't contain tales of medals won and those possibly to come.
It is back to reality for most people and on to pastures new for others.
London 2012 will never be forgotten.
Declaring the 2012 Paralympics closed, International Paralympic Committee president, Sir Philip Craven, said: "These Games have changed us all forever."
China finished top of the Paralympic medals table, with 231 medals - 95 gold. Great Britain cemented third place behind Russia, with a tally of 120, including 34 golds.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Paralympians Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock helped to put out the Paralympic flame, which was shared out across the stadium symbolising "the eternal nature of the flame living among us all".
Each participating country will take home one of the 200 copper petals that made up the Paralympic cauldron.
In other developments on the final weekend of 2012:
On Monday, 800 British stars of the Olympics and Paralympics will celebrate their success during a victory parade through the streets of London.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said he hoped to see a social and cultural legacy from the Games.
As Sunday's show began, a tribute was paid to the armed forces and military charity, Help for Heroes.
GB Paralympians David Weir and Sarah Storey, who both won four gold medals at the Games, carried the British flag into the stadium, as flagbearers representing 164 nations participating in the Paralympics entered the arena.
And Captain Luke Sinnott, who lost both legs in an IED bomb blast while serving in Afghanistan, climbed the flagpole to raise the Union Jack.
Coldplay sang songs from their five albums, while dancers including the Candoco Dance Company - a contemporary group of 12 disabled and non-disabled dancers - performed with flames around the burning face of a "sun king".
Apart from Coldplay's live set, the sold-out finale featured performances from pop star Rihanna, rapper Jay-Z and a cast of around 1,200 performers on three circular stages - Summer, Winter and the Sundial.
"The idea is the coming together as one," said artistic director Kim Gavin behind the Festival of Flame.
"We are known as a nation for having the most festivals, it is something that we do - with 600 festivals a year.
"We pay tribute to all the human spirit and achievement through this wonderful sport of the last two weeks."
Kenya's Mary Nakhumicha ZakayoIrish and Irish runner Michael McKillop were presented with gold medals in recognition of them winning the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award - for athletes who exemplify the best spirit of the Paralympic Games.
Flowers were also presented to honour the 70,000 Games Maker Olympic and Paralympic volunteers.
Some 120 child volunteers from east London took part in the spectacle, along with disabled aerial performers from Circus Space and The British Paraorchestra.
After the Paralympic flag was passed to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, performers from Rio - which will stage the games in 2016 - put on a colourful performance fusing hip-hop freestyle and samba, performed by disabled and non-disabled dancers.
Speaking to the 80,000-strong crowd, organising committee chairman Lord Coe said the UK would "never think of sport the same way and we will never think of disability the same way.
"The Paralympians have lifted the cloud of limitation."
He added: "Finally, there are some famous words you can find stamped on the bottom of a product. Words, that when you read them, you know mean high quality, mean skill, mean creativity.
"We have stamped those words on the Olympic and Paralympic games of London 2012.
"London 2012. Made in Britain."
IPC president Sir Philip Craven said the Games had been "unique and without doubt, in my mind and those of the athletes - the greatest Paralympic Games ever".
Speaking before the start of the ceremony, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I think it's been an absolute triumph from start to finish and I'm really proud of the country, not just that we've put on a great show, but we've had these great audiences".
Mr Cameron, whose disabled son Ivan died in 2009, added: "I think back to Ivan. As every parent, you think about all the things they can't do, but at the Paralympics they are superhuman, you see all the things they can do."
He also said it would give momentum to sports participation and the Paralympics had changed perceptions of disabled sport.


Campaigners for the families of five French trawlermen killed when their fishing vessel sank off Cornwall nine years ago have called for a parliamentary debate over the sinking.

After the Bugaled Breizh sank off the Lizard on 15 January 2004, families of the victims claimed a Royal Navy submarine was responsible.
But the Royal Navy has always denied any involvement and has been cleared.
Campaigners believe a debate could reveal what happened.
A petition has been started in a bid to force a parliamentary debate.
Families of the dead crew believe the vessel was dragged under by a submarine caught in fishing gear, and have blamed HMS Turbulent.
The Royal Navy has insisted HMS Turbulent was in Devonport Naval Base throughout the day.
In January, French Judge Brigette Lamy, who was involved in an investigation into whether charges of manslaughter or failing to assist a person in danger could be brought against HMS Turbulent or its crew, said she agreed with reports the submarine was in Plymouth at the time.
Jacques Losay, a relative of the trawler's skipper has made a film shown in Cornwall which disputes the Royal Navy's claims.
Mr Losay said the speed the vessel sunk could only be explained by the involvement of a submarine.
The sinking happened a day before Nato military exercises began in the area.
The 72ft (23m) Bugaled Breizh, which means "child of Brittany" in Breton, was based at the small port of Loctudy.


Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says the signing of goalkeeper Lee Grant has turned into a "great story".

Grant, 33, joined on a six-month loan from Championship club Derby County on transfer deadline day in August to cover for the injured Jack Butland.
In his first taste of the Premier League, he has conceded only twice in the Potters' current four-game unbeaten run and kept back-to-back clean sheets.
"He's put in some great performances," Coates, 78, told BBC Radio Stoke.
Grant's impact - in only four appearances - has especially pleased Coates given the keeper's lack of top-flight experience, something that made his signing a bit of a surprise to some.
"Yes it did, me included," said Coates. "But he's done remarkably well.
"He's come in and had an opportunity to play at a higher level and he must be as delighted as we are - it's a great story."
As for Butland, Coates is delighted to see the 23-year-old back in light training after seven months out with an ankle injury, picked up playing for England against Germany in March.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed because we've had a few false dawns with him," said Coates.
"Let's hope he'll be playing again soon - we're hopeful it's finally on the mend."
Despite making a poor start to the season, during which Stoke took only one point from their first five Premier League games, Coates was not overly concerned.
And their current run of two draws  - including a point at Manchester United - and two wins in a row have lifted Mark Hughes' side to 16th in the table.
"We had a few poor performances but I always thought we were a bit better than our results," added Coates.
"They (Hughes and his coaching staff) were always convinced we'd be okay and never lost the belief.
"We've had four consecutive good games now - it's encouraging and we should now be playing with plenty of confidence."


Lawmakers in Colombia passed a bill on Tuesday imposing tough sentences for hate crimes against women.

The bill was passed with 104 votes in support and three against. It still needs to be signed by the president to become law.
It was named after Rosa Elvira Cely, a woman who was attacked, raped and murdered by a man in a park in the capital, Bogota, in May 2012.
Under the new law, those found guilty could face up to 50 years in jail.
It imposes longer sentences on crimes where women are targeted specifically because of their gender, including psychological, physical and sexual attacks.
Presidential adviser for women's equality Martha Ordonez said that in Colombia a woman was the victim of a violent act on average every 13 minutes, and that every four days one was killed by her partner.
The brutality of the attack on Rosa Elvira Cely brought the issue to the forefront of the national debate in 2012.
Thousands of people marched to demand justice for the 35-year-old, who was found half naked and with signs of torture on her body after being attacked and raped in a Bogota park.
She died of her injuries four days later.
Police arrested a man who was studying at the same night school as Ms Cely. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 48 years in prison.
He was later sentenced to additional years in prison for abusing his underage daughters and raping another woman.
According to a 2013 World Health Organisation report, more than one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence.
It said 38% of all women murdered were killed by their partners,


Three Steven Patterson wickets put Yorkshire in a strong position as Somerset reached 101-4 chasing 262 to win their Division One game at Taunton.

Patterson dismissed both Somerset openers and captain Tom Abell.
Earlier, Somerset spinner Dom Bess (5-80) was helped by Jack Leach (3-53) as four Yorkshire batsmen fell in 30 minutes after lunch.
Visiting skipper Gary Ballance (98 not out) top-scored but ran out of partners as they were all out for 283.
The loss of experienced duo James Hildreth and Marcus Trescothick was a key blow for the hosts, who need another 161 runs for a first County Championship win of the season.
Somerset will resume on Monday with Adam Hose and Steven Davies, who steadied the ship with a 50-run partnership.
Peter Handscomb (70) was one of the batsmen dismissed by 19-year-old Bess, who has four five-wicket hauls from five County Championship matches this season.
England batsman Ballance seemed destined for a fourth century of the campaign but was left stranded two runs short as Karl Carver was run out and Ryan Sidebottom was trapped lbw for a duck before tea.
At that stage the match looked evenly poised, but seamer Patterson's inspired spell means the Tykes go into the final day as slight favourites.


The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has given 20 banks a deadline of 15 April to check if they have links to Mossack Fonseca, the firm at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal.

Papers leaked from the law firm detailed how the world's rich and powerful used it to shield money from taxation in their home countries.
The FCA said it had written to the firms earlier this week.
Banking giants, including HSBC, deny they help clients to avoid tax.
HSBC, Credit Suisse and the Royal Bank of Scotland-owned Coutts Trustees all feature in the leaked Panama Papers.
The revelations in the papers are based on more than 11 million documents from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca.
They name lenders said to have helped to set up structures making it hard for tax officials to pinpoint money flows.
They also name institutions alleged to have helped firms that were subject to international sanctions.
In a statement, the FCA said: "The FCA has written to a number of firms about this issue, including those on our Systematic Anti-Money Laundering Programme, and we are working closely with a number of other agencies who are also looking at this.
"As part of our responsibility to ensure the integrity of the UK financial markets we require all authorised firms to have systems and controls in place to mitigate the risk that they might be used to commit financial crime."


Police said a man hit by several vehicles on the M1 may have hidden himself in a lorry.

A section of the northbound motorway in Northamptonshire was closed from about 03:00 GMT after the body was discovered on an unlit stretch.
Police said the death of the man, named as Ashley Hayes, 46, from Shepherd's Bush, London, could be suspicious.
Det Sgt Tony Hopkins said: "This may have been an accident or something more serious."
The carriageway was closed between junction 16 and 18 until about 14:00.
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Police were first alerted to the body, between junctions 16 and 17, just after 02:00 after receiving a number of calls from motorists.
They said Mr Hayes suffered "catastrophic" injuries on a 50mph stretch of the road near Watford Gap services.
Mr Hopkins said Mr Hayes may have been in the Toddington Services area, in Bedfordshire, at about 01:30.
"He may have been given a lift from there, or may have hidden himself in a lorry, to enable him to get to where we discovered him," Mr Hopkins said.
"This may have been an accident or something more serious. We need to determine the circumstances that led to his death."


Wales prop Tomas Francis admitted he was relieved when coach Rob Howley named an unchanged team for Friday's Six Nations match with Ireland.

The 24-year-old tight-head is among the starting XV who are given a chance to redeem themselves after the 29-13 defeat by Scotland.
Asked if he was relieved to be retained, the Exeter Chiefs player replied: "Oh yeah.
"Obviously you want to keep your place and after a loss everyone was on edge."
Francis continued: "It's good we've got a good squad and a good depth especially in my position.
"There's Samson [Lee] there's me and there's Rhods [Rhodri Jones] and there's Scott Andrews.
"If you don't have a good game there's someone knocking ready to do anything to take your place."
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Wales go into Friday night's match in Cardiff off the back of defeats by Scotland and England.
Another defeat will mean it would be Wales' worst championship since 2010 and Francis accepts the players have something to prove at the Principality Stadium.
Francis says he has managed to avoid the worst of the criticism aimed at the team in Wales because he plays his club rugby in the south west of England.
"It's a bit like a fishbowl isn't it," he said.
"When the game doesn't go how you want it's quite hard not to take that personally especially if you look at the press.
"I guess I'm lucky in the weeks after the losses I've been back in Exeter.
"I didn't have to stay here and I sort of managed to get away from that and focus on something else and then come back into it.
"It's not a nation is it? It's a little part of the south west and there's only a few papers that will print anything about the rugby, but here it's all over the news."


New world champion Samantha Murray admits she considered quitting modern pentathlon before securing her maiden title.

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Murray had struggled for form since winning Olympic silver at London 2012, finishing outside of the medals at two subsequent European Championships.
She was also 14th at the 2013 worlds before victory in Warsaw, Poland.
"This year has been tough and I've thought about walking away, giving it all up," Murray, 24, told BBC Sport.
"Once you have been on the podium, everyone else thinks you have failed and you think you have failed if you're not up there again.
"How can I [stop] now though? I've won and I'm on top of the world."
Bath-based Murray, who set a record 200m freestyle swimming time in her world title win, admits she struggled to deal with the attention winning an Olympic medal had brought.
"Before I was just your average 22 year old who dreamed big," Murray, who is from Clitheroe, Lancashire, said.
"Since the Games I've cracked a little under the pressure of suddenly being somebody in sport and not been able to convert winning positions.
"I feel I've kind of grown into these shoes now."
Retired modern pentathlete Heather Fell had a similar rise to fame within the sport after claiming Olympic silver for Great Britain at the 2008 Games in Beijing, China.
She has been impressed by the character Murray has shown and believes she can take "amazing" confidence from her World Championship win, heading into the Rio Olympic Games qualification period next year.
"This year hasn't been great but she hasn't let it faze her," said Fell.
"She has performed when it really mattered and I don't know where the limit is for her at the moment."
Murray is only the fourth British woman to claim the world title in the event, which also includes fencing, show-jumping and a combined run-shoot.


A bottlenose dolphin that was sunburned while stranded out of water on mudflats for 24 hours in May appears to be recovering from its injuries.

The young animal was found by chance at the Cromarty Firth by a couple who had got lost trying to drive to a dolphin-watching spot at the Moray Firth.
Animal welfare officers and members of the public refloated the dolphin.
It was sighted again for the first time this month in the Moray Firth by University of Aberdeen scientists.
The university and the Inverness-based Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) said that for the first time in the UK scientists have been able to track a dolphin's behaviour following a stranding.
There are hopes the dolphin might eventually breed and raise young.
SMASS said the blistering on the right side of the juvenile female looked "horrific", but because of the make-up of dolphins' skin it has survived a burn that other animals might not have.
Also, crucially, the wound does not appear to be infected and shows signs of healing.
The dolphin has been showing signs of normal behaviour, including foraging.
It is part of a group of about 200 animals known to the University of Aberdeen marine scientists as the East Coast Scotland population.
Barbara Cheney, research fellow at the university's Lighthouse Field Station in Cromarty, said: "We've not seen anything like this before. It is quite a unique case and hopefully we will be able to continue to keep an eye on her."
Dr Andrew Brownlow, of Scotland's Rural College-run SMASS, said it was "a miracle" the dolphin was spotted in the first place on a large expanse of tidal mudflats.
He said: "This couple had wanted to go to Chanonry Point and got lost.
"They read their map wrong and ended up on the Nigg peninsula. This whole region dries out almost entirely and they spotted the dolphin flapping in the mud."
Dr Brownlow, along with volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue and also the Scottish SPCA and staff from North 58 Sea Adventures, were involved in refloating the animal.
Following the rescue on 29 May, Spirtle disappeared until she was indentified from her wound by the university scientists.