Juventus closed in on a second Champions League final in three seasons as Gonzalo Higuain struck twice to beat Monaco in the semi-final first leg.

The French hosts started brightly, with Kylian Mbappe heading at Gianluigi Buffon before forcing another low save.
But Higuain ruthlessly finished two fine Dani Alves assists, sweeping the Brazilian's back heel in on 29 minutes.
Radamel Falcao went close for Monaco after the break before Alves' measured cross saw Higuain put Juve in control.
After Real Madrid's comprehensive first-leg win over city rivals Atletico on Tuesday, it now looks almost certain the two teams in Cardiff on 3 June will form a repeat of the 1998 final, in which the Spanish side beat Juve 1-0.
It will prove fitting, as the two sides sport the only unbeaten records in this season's competition.
Monaco, free scoring and dangerous with their youthful side all season, showed moments of threat which could unnerve Juve in the second leg on 9 May.
But at Stade Louis II, Massimiliano Allegri's side showed just how efficient they can be and Monaco's task looks huge as Juve have not lost a home fixture by two goals since April 2013.
This was another victory built on organised defensive work, with Buffon making a couple of key saves to help usher in a ninth Juve clean sheet in 11 Champions League matches this season.
Buffon's low stop from 18-year-old Mbappe inside 10 minutes illustrated the narrative this fixture threw up as experience met youthful exuberance.
Allegri's squad boasted almost three times as many Champions League appearances in total as their hosts, who are seeking a first final appearance since 2004.
The Italian side sat deep for spells, hitting Monaco with a flowing move for the opener before pouncing to rob Tiemoue Bakayoko deep in his own half before the second.
Buffon's low save from Falcao at 1-0 underlined the resistance Monaco faced.
Ultimately the experience 39-year-old keeper said would be crucial before kick-off shone through as his side squeezed the life from Monaco, preventing the Ligue 1 leaders from scoring at home for the first time since November 2015.
Juve could win Serie A this weekend as they chase a treble, having already booked their place in the Italian Cup final.
They look machine-like in their winning approach. Stalwarts Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci look driven to ensure the Italian side go one better than their 2015 final defeat to Barcelona, while Higuain, signed for £78m in 2016, offers a killer instinct.
Alves played on the right of midfield rather than in his customary role at right-back and despite now being 33, he showed clear energy to gallop forward and provide an opportunistic back heel to lay on the opener.
His delivery for the second was inch perfect and in creating both goals he now has six assists in the competition, bettering his best tally of five when at Barcelona in 2007-08 and 2010-11.
Feeding off such quality was Higuain, who refused to be overshadowed by the much-hyped Mbappe in the battle of the goalscorers.
The 29-year-old finished without breaking stride for the opener and peeled to the back post expertly to prod a 31st goal of the season in all competitions - one which looks set to send Juventus to the final in Cardiff.
Monaco midfielder Fabinho: "They were better and deserved to win but we're going to try everything in the return match."
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini: "We have to congratulate Dani Alves and Gonzalo Higuain - sometimes we look to Gianluigi Buffon. We concede chances but when they come we have Gigi."
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain: "I fight so hard for these moments. Goals were not coming for me in this competition but I knew I just had to stay calm and keep working hard."
Match ends, Monaco 0, Juventus 2.
Second Half ends, Monaco 0, Juventus 2.
Corner,  Juventus. Conceded by Danijel Subasic.
Corner,  Monaco. Conceded by Gianluigi Buffon.
Attempt saved. Valère Germain (Monaco) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by João Moutinho with a cross.
Valère Germain (Monaco) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus).
Substitution, Juventus. Mario Lemina replaces Miralem Pjanic.
Foul by Tomás Rincón (Juventus).
João Moutinho (Monaco) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner,  Monaco. Conceded by Leonardo Bonucci.
Attempt blocked. Falcao (Monaco) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kamil Glik.
Substitution, Monaco. Almamy Touré replaces Bernardo Silva.
Substitution, Juventus. Tomás Rincón replaces Claudio Marchisio.
Hand ball by Falcao (Monaco).
Hand ball by Paulo Dybala (Juventus).
Substitution, Juventus. Juan Cuadrado replaces Gonzalo Higuaín.
Hand ball by Bernardo Silva (Monaco).
Attempt missed. João Moutinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt missed. Jemerson (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus).
Falcao (Monaco) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Djibril Sidibe (Monaco).
Substitution, Monaco. Valère Germain replaces Thomas Lemar.
Substitution, Monaco. João Moutinho replaces Tiemoué Bakayoko.
Andrea Barzagli (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Djibril Sidibe (Monaco).
Attempt blocked. Djibril Sidibe (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus).
Falcao (Monaco) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Nabil Dirar (Monaco) because of an injury.
Goal!  Monaco 0, Juventus 2. Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dani Alves.
Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Claudio Marchisio (Juventus).
Fabinho (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Djibril Sidibe.
Attempt saved. Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.


High Street food chain Greggs has reported rising sales over the summer, helped by demand for its healthier options such as salads and yoghurts.

Greggs, which has shifted from being a traditional bakery to focusing on food-on-the-go, said total sales rose by 5.6% in the 13 weeks to 1 October.
Like-for-like sales, which includes shops that have been open for more than a year, rose by 3.4%.
The company's new menu includes gluten-free options and lower calorie soups.
"The popularity of our summer menu including an extended range of Balanced Choice salads and yoghurts supported sales growth in the period," it said in a statement.
"We also saw continued strong growth at breakfast time, helped by our strong coffee offer and value deals."
The Newcastle-based firm said it had opened 103 new outlets so far this year, including 41 franchises. It  closed 58 stores, leaving it with a total of 1,743 shops, 143 of them franchises.
It has refitted 145 stores and by the end of the year expects to have completed 200 refurbishments.
The company is now two years into its five-year strategic plan to shift from being a traditional bakery to focusing on the Â£6bn food-to go market.
Earlier this year, it announced the closure of three of its 12 bakeries as part of the plan to refocus the business. In its latest statement it said the Twickenham bakery would close next month.
The company is also investing in its supply chain and said its new distribution centre in Enfield would open in the the next few weeks.
Greggs said its expectations for the year as a whole remain unchanged and that while it anticipated "general industry-wide cost pressures" next year it expected to make further progress with its strategy.


One Direction star Niall Horan has surprised fans by releasing a solo record, called This Town.

The acoustic ballad is the first fruit of his new record deal with legendary US label Capitol Records.
The star split from Simon Cowell's Syco label earlier this month, but fans were not expecting new material to follow so quickly.
"I didn't want anyone to know," he told BBC Radio 1's Greg James. "I wanted to keep it a secret until it was out."
The 23-year-old has spent much of his downtime from One Direction playing golf - even caddying for Rory McIlroy in April this year.
He told James he had started writing songs "just because I could" this February, and This Town was "one of the first songs I wrote".
But he kept his musical endeavours under wraps and did not even play his This Town to the other members of One Direction before its release.
The song finds Horan reminiscing about a childhood sweetheart over a simple strummed guitar, singing: "Yesterday I thought I saw your shadow running round / It's funny how things never change in this old town."
The star told Radio 1 the lyrics, which appear in handwritten form on the single's artwork, had a "double meaning".
"If you're from a small town you'll know there's always one girl who, when you go back home, you always see them out and about in bars and stuff like that.
"The other meaning was about the town itself."
This Town has already topped the iTunes chart in more than 20 countries and was co-written with Jamie Scott, one of One Direction's go-to hitmakers, with credits including Story Of My Life and Drag Me Down.
Horan added that "there will be an album" next year but "I haven't finished it yet".
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Two members of staff suspended at Belfast City Hospital in the wake of a C. Difficile outbreak are understood to be senior nursing staff.

The outbreak is believed to have happened in May and involved a ward which provides care for older people.
According to sources, two separate inquiries were undertaken at the hospital.
One investigated how the bacteria emerged at the ward in the hospital and how the outbreak was managed.
The second investigation was as a result of the first and involved a disciplinary matter.
C. diff is a bacterium that causes extreme diarrhoea in some patients.
The families of those patients who were originally affected have been kept informed.
The BBC further understands that the report into the C. diff outbreak is due to be completed within the next 10 days, while the investigation into the disciplinary matter is due to conclude imminently.
In July, a ward at the Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast was closed briefly and two patients affected following a C. diff outbreak.


The longest railway tunnel in Wales could be dug out and re-opened to become a tourist attraction.

The Blaencwm tunnel was buried during the Beeching cutbacks of the UK railway network in the 1960s which led to the closure of thousands of train stations.
Volunteers are now drawing up plans to try to re-open the 3,300 yards (3017m) tunnel in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
They hope to receive funding to excavate the tunnel to attract tourists and create a cycle trail.


West Brom manager Tony Pulis is in "no rush" to sign a new contract.

Pulis has a year left on his deal at The Hawthorns and says he will sit down with chairman Jeremy Peace in the summer to discuss his future.
Albion are 11th in the Premier League, 13 points clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining, before a trip to Manchester City on Saturday.
"I would prefer to sit with Jeremy and have a nice glass of wine and a bite to eat," said the 58-year-old.
"We'll talk about the season and talk about the future. That's what I have done for years.
"I still have a year left, there's no rush in doing anything else."
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More than 5,000 people have signed a petition asking Legoland to allow entry for disabled adults and their carers.

It comes after a man with learning difficulties and his carer were refused entry to the Legoland Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre in Manchester.
Twenty-year-old Anthony Lewis, who has Williams Syndrome, was denied access on 19 January due to the venue's "no adults without a child" policy.
Legoland said the centres were aimed at children aged between three and 10.
A spokesman for the attraction said it did not permit adults without a child under 16 "in order to constantly maintain a welcoming environment in which to play".
He added Legoland's policy applied to the Discovery Centres and not to its bigger theme parks, which include the Windsor attraction in Berkshire.
Anthony's mother, Elaine Lewis, told the Manchester Evening News she thought the rule seemed "a little crazy".
"Anthony cannot access the community without the help of a support worker.
"He came home and he was distressed, he was upset - he said the lady had been rude."
Ms Lewis said she had received no response from Legoland Discovery Centre after the incident despite contacting them via Facebook and their website.
"I think this is very poor. Young adults with learning disabilities are really just children in adult bodies - why can't they access something like the Legoland Discovery Centre? Many young adults with learning disabilities love Lego."
A Legoland spokesman said: "The fact is regardless of 'mental' age - something which we would never be in a position or be prepared to make judgements about in any case - individuals over 16 are fully grown and given the small playspace in the Discovery Centre we believe that our policy is appropriate."
He added the Manchester venue held monthly events specifically for adults and it did not "wish to upset or deny access to anyone".


Puerto Rico is using Tuesday's historic visit by US President Barack Obama - the first official trip to the island by a sitting US president in almost half a century - as a chance for change.

Cosmetic change, that is.
The capital of the Caribbean island, San Juan, has enjoyed a thorough facelift in the last few weeks.
Roads are being repaved, public buildings are glowing with new paint and welcome signs are being hung along the route President Obama will cover during his five-hour visit.
But other things have not changed.
Since even before President John F Kennedy's visit in 1961, the top political issue in Puerto Rico remains the same: the complex political status of this US territory, which was designated a "commonwealth" of the US in 1952.
That status has given Puerto Ricans what some interpret as a limited version of US citizenship.
They pay some federal US taxes and the US president and Congress are the ultimate authorities over the island.
However, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections or have voting representatives on Capitol Hill.
The acrimonious debate over whether the territory should become the 51st state of the union, be remodelled an independent republic or remain a "free and associated state" has long dominated politics on this island of almost four million inhabitants.
As some in San Juan say, discussing the issue is "the national sport" of Puerto Rico.
But when Puerto Ricans were formally asked to decide, for example in a 1998 non-binding referendum, the answer was inconclusive: more than half of the population chose "none of the above".
So why is Mr Obama flying in?
He made a campaign promise to return as president when he came to San Juan in 2008 to gain support as a Democratic candidate in 2008, since Puerto Ricans do vote in party primaries.
But many here believe the new visit is aimed at courting mainland America's Puerto Rican electorate - and Hispanic voters in general - as they could hold the key to his re-election in 2012.
"Obama is reaching out to people on the island to indirectly reach out to potential voters on the mainland," says Pedro Reina Perez, a history professor at the University of Puerto Rico.
"People feel that this is a PR visit that does not have to do with real policy."
The visit is certainly giving more exposure to the Puerto Rican status cause, says Governor Luis Fortuno, who strongly supports the statehood movement.
Speaking to the BBC at the government house in San Juan's historic centre, he questioned why Puerto Ricans were not involved in Washington decision-making despite being part of the US since 1898.
"We have been US citizens since 1917 and our men and women serve in the armed forces hand-in-hand with other US citizens," he points out.
Authorities in Puerto Rico hope the visit will inject momentum into US-backed plans to carry out a new, two-step referendum on the island's political status.
There are suggestions that vote could take place as soon as late 2012.
While non-binding, its results could be crucial for pushing Puerto Rico's desired cause to be at the forefront of national US politics.
"A clear mandate is what we need to do in order to go to Washington to demand our rights," says Mr Fortuno.
Polls quoted by local officials suggest the favoured option would be making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the union.
In contrast to President Kennedy, Mr Obama is landing on an island that, by most accounts, has fallen on hard times.
A recession since 2006 has brought the economy to its knees. Unemployment is running at more than 16%, and crime rates are soaring in areas like the poor outskirts of San Juan.
Drastic spending cuts pushed through by the Republican governor - like the firing of thousands of state workers - have provoked widespread social discontent.
A dispute over tuition fees at the University of Puerto Rico, the largest on the island, paralysed the institution for two months in 2010.
Police clashed with students resisting a fee increase of $400 (Â£250) per term.
Accusations of police abuses abound and the American Civil Liberties Union has launched an inquiry into the repression of protests.
Mr Fortuno is a darling of the Tea Party movement who is being mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate in 2012 for the Republicans.
He defends the savings as part of his plan to "save Puerto Rico from bankruptcy", and suggests the aggressive response by police stems from a lack of appropriate training provided by previous governments.
Ahead of Mr Obama's visit, many people in Puerto Rico are more concerned about their day-to-day lives than the island's political status.
"I hope he brings good ideas here, working ideas for the progress of the island," says Zenaida Mendoza, who owns a cafe in Old San Juan.


One Direction is not on the verge of splitting up, despite rumours started on social media.

The members say they'll continue as a four-piece after Zayn Malik announced he was leaving the group last week to "live like a normal 22-year-old".
His departure was followed by rumours on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook that One Direction was about to break up.
But Liam Payne thanked fans for sticking with the band and for "not thinking it's finished".
He tweeted: "I can see a lot of people thanking us for staying but your the real Heros here thanks for not thinking it's finished."
The band continued their On the Road Again tour and have been playing concerts in South Africa.
They start the European leg of the tour by playing Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 5 and 6 June.
Zayn Malik quit the group last week after flying back to the UK, having been "signed off with stress".
It was after reports that he'd cheated on his 21-year-old fiancee, Perrie Edwards.
He told The Sun that he was "upset" for the group's fans and he said there was no bad blood between him and his former bandmates, who he said had been "really supportive".
It's thought he's working on a solo album with producer Naughty Boy, who's worked on tracks for Emeli Sande, Cheryl Cole and Leona Lewis.
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Volatility is the word of the day - and perhaps of 2016 so far - at least when it comes to Asian markets.

Most of them opened lower on Tuesday in anticipation of a weaker start in China, but once Shanghai and Shenzhen recovered some of their losses, things calmed down across the region.
It certainly helped that regulators in China announced that Monday's "circuit breakers" - trading curbs that kick in when stock drops too far, too fast - were an attempt to calm markets and "protect investors".
China's security regulator also injected some $19.94bn (Â£13.5bn) into the money-market system, and said it might restrict share sales by major shareholders.
It appears authorities are trying to inject along with the money a sense that they are in control of the situation, monitoring things so they can step in again if it all goes pear-shaped.
There is a precedent for this. The Chinese government put in place many measures after last year's crash, to stop shares from falling further.
They limited short-selling, threatened to arrest alleged market manipulators, ordered pension funds and large mutual funds to buy more stock, and imposed a six-month ban on large shareholders selling their stock.
That measure expires at the end of this week and there is speculation that smaller shareholders are selling their shares ahead of that, expecting further losses.
So markets are calmer - for now. But underlining Monday's falls was the continuing narrative that China's economy is slowing down.
That should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention, and it certainly should not come as a surprise to investors in China. What is under the spotlight though, is how authorities there manage China's "new normal".


A van driver who killed three passengers in a crash on the M4 after falling asleep at the wheel has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

James Stark, 37, Steven Sheldon, 35, and Martin Williams, 36, all from south Wales, died in Wiltshire in June 2014.
Stephen Jenkins, 39, of Abercwmboi, was driving a van that crashed into a lorry, near Chippenham.
He was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing at Swindon Crown Court.
Speaking after sentencing, Sgt Barrie Card, from Wiltshire Police, said: "Falling asleep at the wheel doesn't happen straight away, you will get telltale signs and that's when you must act before it's too late.
"Every driver owes it to themselves, their passengers and other road users to make sure they are fit to get behind the wheel, and that includes not being too tired.
"The road safety message 'tiredness kills' is true and sadly so true in this tragic case."
Jenkins, of Park View Terrace, was also disqualified from driving for four years and three months and will have to take an extended retest to get his driving licence back.


Volkswagen's failure to compensate UK owners of cars affected by the emissions scandal is "deeply unfair", MPs have said.

UK owners can get affected diesel vehicles repaired, but in the US they can also claim up to $10,000 (£7,400).
The Transport Select Committee also said the government had been too slow to investigate whether VW should be prosecuted in the UK for the scandal.
The government insisted it was pushing the firm "to ensure they take action".
Louise Ellman, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said VW had "acted cynically" to cheat emissions tests.
"Volkswagen's evidence to us was just not credible but the government has lacked the will to hold VW accountable for its actions," she said.
Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent
Along with all the detail about VW, this report also highlights an issue raised recently by the BBC.
It talks about the "recent revelations" that carmakers misled regulators or exploited loopholes in the regulations on a "substantial scale".
Basically, the rules allow manufacturers to downgrade or switch off emissions cleaning systems at certain times to protect the engine.
Testing figures suggest some are doing it when the outside temperature falls below about 17C, which is most of the year in Britain.
They justify it by saying cold weather can damage components, but the suspicion is it gives them more miles to the gallon.
It means the car is potentially more polluting than it needs to be, and we're talking millions of vehicles here.
"There is a real danger that VW will be able to get away with cheating emissions tests in Europe if regulators do not act."
The German giant will offer to repair or buy back the affected diesel vehicles in the US and pay owners between $5,000 and $10,000 in compensation.
But in the UK, owners affected have only been offered the option of a repair.
The select committee called on regulators to ensure owners were not left out of pocket by VW's technical solution, which it said was developed as cheaply as possible.
Ms Ellman said: "Vehicle owners have been refused goodwill payments. That is despite VW inflicting a great deal of uncertainty on its own customers, along with the prospect of declining residual values and the inconvenience of having to undergo repairs."
A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said it had taken VW's "unacceptable actions extremely seriously", adding: "We continue to push VW to ensure they take action."
Volkswagen said it had contacted all 200,000 UK owners affected by the issue and advised them to take their cars to their closest dealer.
"Close to 50,000 vehicles in the UK have now received the technical measure, a number which will continue to increase as further vehicles' technical measures are developed, rigorously tested and then approved by the relevant transport authorities," a VW spokesman said.
The MPs also said that the DfT failed to seek stricter emissions limits in new tests that will include real-world driving.
"We are concerned that manufacturers have far too great a say over how type approval reforms are implemented," Ms Ellman added.
The DfT spokesman said the Real Driving Emissions test being introduced next year was "robust and will make a real difference".
VW admitted last September that 482,000 of its diesel vehicles in the US were fitted with defeat device software to switch engines to a cleaner mode while they were being tested.
It said that almost 1.2 million vehicles in the UK were affected, but disputed whether the software constituted a defeat device in the European Union.
In May the company more than doubled its provisions for the diesel emissions scandal to €16.2bn (£12.6bn).


Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said she expects interest rates to rise in "the coming months" if the US economy continued to improve.

Speaking at a Q&A session at Harvard University, the Fed chair said gradual rate rises would be appropriate.
"If the labour market continues to improve, and I expect those things to occur ... in the coming months such a move would be appropriate," she said.
The central bank meets on 14-15 June to discuss raising rates.
The Fed raised interest rates by 0.25% for the first time in nine years last December and has left them unchanged since.
"We saw relatively weak growth last year, but growth looks to be picking up," Ms Yellen said.
On Friday, the US Commerce Department revised its estimate for first quarter GDP growth up to 0.8%, from the sluggish 0.5% originally estimated.
Unemployment was 5.5% in May - a level the Fed regards as good, although Ms Yellen did acknowledge that many part-time workers were still looking for full-time employment.
The Fed also wants to see US inflation rise to 2%.


A Welsh scientist working on sending a robot with a selfie stick into space believes it will find life on Mars.

In the next two days Europe's research ministers will decide whether to push ahead with the mission to send the rover to the Martian surface in 2021.
A team at Aberystwyth University has developed a special camera on top of the ExoMars rover.
Dr Matthew Gun hopes it will capture life on the Red Planet by sampling soil drilled from under the surface.
The team - previously overseen by Prof Dave Barnes, who died in 2014 - is developing calibration equipment for the panoramic camera on the rover.
Similar to a chart of "stable" colours used by photographers at the start of any session, the kit ensures the shades being captured in images of the Martian surface will be accurate.
A recent study found the Beagle 2, the failed British mission in 2003, did not crash-land and came "excruciatingly close" to succeeding.
The research fellow said it would be exciting but "deeply frustrating" if the Beagle 2 had been operating for all this time but had been unable to send the data back to Earth.
He said the team were learning from previous mistakes and are hopeful they will find life on the Martian surface when the mission starts in 2021.
"I never thought I would be doing anything like this when I was in school," he said, adding the team was continuing the work in Prof Barnes memory.
"It has evolved quite quickly over the last few years, we learnt a lot from the Beagle 2."
But Dr Gunn said sending members of the public into space was still some way off.
"There are a lot of people trying to do things like that - there have been technological advances but it would need a lot more before people can go out there,"  he said.
"I can see it happening one day."


Johann Lamont took the helm of Labour in Scotland nearly three years ago hoping to "change Scotland, by changing the Scottish Labour Party".

But in an explosive departing shot as leader, she has very publicly blamed her demise on colleagues at Westminster.
The tough talking Glaswegian not only accused the UK leadership of treating Scotland like a "branch office", but went on to dismiss some Labour MPs as "dinosaurs".
It is a fiery departure from a feisty former school teacher who became an MSP in 1999, held ministerial positions within the Scottish Executive, before taking over as leader with that promise of a new lease of life for her party.
Born in Glasgow, into a Gaelic speaking family from Tiree, Ms Lamont attended Woodside Secondary School and obtained a degree from the University of Glasgow.
She then did her teaching qualification and went on to work in the classroom for 20 years. She taught English at Springburn Academy and Castlemilk High School and worked alongside social workers to tackle instances of school truancy.
The 56-year-old was active in the Labour Party from her university days, joining the Labour Club - where she was a contemporary of fellow Scottish Labour politician Margaret Curran.
Despite spending two decades as a party activist, she never sought election to the House of Commons during that time and has said she felt there were few chances then for women to be elected to Westminster.
She has described being selected as the Holyrood candidate for Glasgow Pollok in 1999 as "a whole series of accidents".
Having been appointed convener of the Scottish Parliament's Social Justice Committee in 2001, she obtained her first ministerial role in October 2004.
She has long been a strong voice on violence against women and inequality, a mission inspired by her inner city childhood.
While she was deputy communities minister she expressed concern over a Scottish Parliament report in 2005 that Gypsy travellers were experiencing extreme levels of discrimination and, later, as deputy justice minister, she saw through reforms to speed up Scotland's lower court system.
Her commitment to equality also brought out her rebellious side in the early days of devolution, when she became the first Labour MSP to urge ministers to withdraw a move to block Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan's bill to abolish poindings and warrant sales.
Ms Lamont's decision to stand for the Labour Party leadership followed the resignation of Iain Gray as leader in the wake of defeat at the 2011 Scottish general election - the second consecutive defeat.
In a speech during that campaign she said the party had "lost our way, lost our confidence and lost Scotland".
She became the first overall leader after a review of its structure concluded the next to take the role should head the entire Scottish Labour Party rather than just its MSPs.
She took over the reins pledging to "make Labour Scotland's party once again".
At the time, Ms Lamont said: "I want to change Scotland, but the only way we can change Scotland is by changing the Scottish Labour Party."
Under her tenure, the party did win back some of the support it lost in 2011.
She carried out a review of policy on issues like devolution and the party's commitment to free universal public services.
A formidable opponent to First Minister Alex Salmond during parliamentary debates, Ms Lamont was, however, criticised by some commentators for the style she adopted during television interviews.
Ms Lamont was a key figure in the pro-Union Better Together movement during the Scottish independence referendum campaign, sharing a platform with the Scottish Conservatives and Lib Dems.
The mother-of-two was outspoken in her opposition to independence, favouring instead more powers for Holyrood.
Alongside former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Ms Lamont launched the party's own pro-union campaign, United with Labour in May 2013.
During a speech to the Scottish Labour Party's conference earlier this year, she branded the nationalists' independence campaign "dishonest, deceptive and disgraceful" and pledged to deliver a "power house" Scottish Parliament, with new financial powers.
Scottish voters rejected independence by 55% to 45% but Labour strongholds such as North Lanarkshire, Dundee and Glasgow voted in favour of leaving the UK.
Following the referendum, Ms Lamont said voters had chosen "the best of both worlds" and she said she wanted to lead Labour to victory in the next Holyrood election in 2016.
Political achievements aside, family has always been at the centre of Ms Lamont's life.
She is married to Archie Graham, the deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, and has a daughter, aged 18, and a 16-year-old son.
Ms Lamont is a keen runner and has said she deals with the stress of her high-profile political career by heading to the gym or watching Coronation Street.
In a BBC interview earlier this year, Ms Lamont was asked whether she would like to be first minister.
"I wouldn't be doing this job unless I thought that was a possibility," she said.
However, her resignation means that ambition is unlikely to ever be realised.


British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland should not make Sam Warburton captain for the tour of New Zealand, says ex-Wales flanker Martyn Williams.

Rival captains Dylan Hartley of England, Ireland's Rory Best and Wales' Alun Wyn Jones have been backed for the role, but have also been criticised during the Six Nations.
Warburton, replaced by Jones as Wales captain in January, led Gatland's Lions for the 2013 success in Australia - but Williams said he is "at his best when he can just go out and create havoc".
Speaking to Scrum V, Williams added: "Alun Wyn, for me, is still the man. I think he will have learnt a lot from this Six Nations to make him an even better Lions captain and I'd leave Sam to just do what he's been doing for the last four games.
"I wouldn't give him the captaincy.
"I think Sam spoke just before the tournament and said it had affected him of late, the extra stuff [that goes with the job]."
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Warburton, 28, succeeded Williams as long-term open-side for Cardiff Blues and Wales. He first captained his country in 2011 and became the youngest player to lead them at a World Cup that year and also starred at the tournament in 2015.
However, his form had dipped and he moved from the Wales seven jersey to blind-side flanker, with Justin Tipuric taking over at open-side this season.
The back-row duo have earned plaudits for their displays during a roller-coaster Six Nations campaign in which Wales have beaten Italy, then lost to England and Scotland, before redeeming themselves with victory over Ireland on Friday.
Williams' fellow former Wales captain, ex-fly-half Jonathan Davies believes Six Nations champions England are set to dominate Gatland's Lions selection - with Wales, Ireland and Scotland's players filling the gaps.
"Look at the England team and say how many of those players are not going, and then fill the spots," Davies said.
"I think that's the way it's going to go because they are playing so well.
"That's why the game [against Ireland] was big for the Welsh players, and now next week it's a massive game for the Irish to pit themselves against the English for the Lions squad."
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A man who died after being hit by a van in Swansea had just become a father for the first time.

Geraint Rowland, 26, of Morriston, was struck by a Ford Transit van on the A4067 near the Wychtree roundabout, at about 03:00 GMT on Saturday.
He and his partner Cara Gregory became parents to a baby boy, Gunnarr, a month ago.
In a tribute, Ms Gregory said the call centre worker's death would leave a huge void.
A statement from her read: "Geraint was a much respected, cherished and fun loving partner and new father.
"I cannot believe this has happened and it will leave a huge void in the lives of me and our baby son."


When Mark Hammett, the interim Japan coach, named his 33-man training squad for the two-Test series with Scotland, the focus wasn't so much on the players that were there but those who were not.

Where were all the heroes of Brighton in the autumn, the immortals who beat South Africa in the World Cup? Five of that starting line-up had gone missing for reasons of injury, retirement and Olympics Sevens commitments, including Ayumu Goromaru, the darling of Japanese rugby, Michael Leitch, the team's most influential player, and Akihito Yamada, their most dangerous wing.
Then Fumiaki Tanaka, the excellent scrum-half, was invalided out of the series. When Japan played the Scots in that opening Test in Toyota City, they were shorn of seven of the players who started against the Springboks and another two who played off the bench.
Hammett had to dig deep into his 33-man squad - 17 of whom had fewer than 10 caps. Seven starters against Scotland in Toyota had seven caps or fewer.
For the second Test in Tokyo, that number fell by just one. They were still a team lacking Test match experience in pockets of the field.
Japan may have lost both matches, but they managed something that Scotland did not - they grew their pool of players. It is true that they came away from the series frustrated by their own ill-discipline and their inability to close a game out. They were angered by some refereeing calls that led to Hammett saying that his team had been "disrespected" over the two Tests. Yet they expanded their options in many positions.
Leaving the Ajinimoto Stadium on Saturday night, the feeling was that Japan are going to be in rude health once their go-to men reappear and their inexperienced players develop more street smarts in the heat of a Test. Hammett hands over the head coaching reins to Jamie Joseph, his fellow Kiwi, in the knowledge that some new players have staked a big claim.
Vern Cotter can have the satisfaction of two victories in difficult conditions at the end of a brutally long, 16-Test match season.
He spoke about his team's character in the wake of Saturday night. Even in recent times, Scotland have lost games they ought to have won - Australia at the World Cup, Italy in the Six Nations before that and a few others that left a bitter taste - so any change to that grim dynamic was to be welcomed.
Winning a game they deserved to lose - as was the case in Tokyo - was a welcome break from the norm. In the endgame, Scotland brought enough nerve and intelligence to get the job done, a turning point sparked by great leadership and deadly goal-kicking from Greig Laidlaw.
The overall performance - and the series in general - was a let-down, though. You hoped that Scotland wouldn't need to resort to the, admittedly understandable, explanations we heard after both Tests.
Humidity and fatigue were mentioned on back-to-back Saturdays. The wish was that Scotland would turn up and play a clinical brand of rugby that took excuses out of the equation, but it didn't happen.
They scored two tries in 160 minutes of rugby - a penalty try and a two-yard blast from WP Nel - while Japan were down on numbers. Their opponents had 14 players on the field for the first try and 13 for the second. Scotland didn't score a try while their hosts had 15 on the park.
In Tokyo, they created nothing. They posed little or no attacking threat, and gained zero momentum because of their colossal error count.
Cotter sent up the distress signals at half-time, when he replaced his entire front row, then he did it again when taking off his captain, Henry Pyrgos, with half-an-hour to play. Laidlaw sorted it from there, but it was a scary night, a night that meant that the season finished on a flat and troubling note.
This is not being overly pessimistic; it is being exacting. It is being demanding of players whose standards should be a whole lot higher. If we go down the "win is a win" road it is a dangerous route, a place where only the bottom line matters.
There is more to it. There has to be if this Scotland team are going to fire a shot at competing for a Six Nations title any time soon.
Cotter promised "total honesty" in the review and it is impossible to doubt him for a second.
This was a great opportunity for some fringe players to lay down a significant claim for the first team, but none of them did. It was a series not against Australia, where England reigned, or South Africa, where Ireland won a battle but agonisingly failed to win the war, or New Zealand, where Wales were crushed.
It was a series against a side in transition, with a new coach and new players. A good side but not a super-power, a side that Scotland should have been able to put away impressively instead of stumbling against unconvincingly.
Damien Hoyland had his first start in Toyota, but things did not happen for him because everything was so stop-start. Ruaridh Jackson didn't advance his cause, neither did Stuart McInally,
Cotter picked the Rory Sutherland-McInally-Moray Low unit in the hope that they would mark themselves out as the next wave behind the Alasdair Dickinson-Ross Ford-Nel front row. Japan found new options over the course of the series. Scotland did not.
All of these guys might well kick on. It is not as if their chances have been and gone, far from it. But it would have been good to have a Eureka moment, the emergence of a player, or a unit, to give food for thought before the autumn Tests.
England are adding new players to their mix and, in defeat, Ireland and Wales found out things about themselves. Ireland, in particular, blooded new guys who stood up well under the pressure.
It's hard to know what Cotter learned. Yes, he saw his team show guts and calmness in the dicey endgame in Tokyo, but that wouldn't have surprised him. He's seen a bit of that already against Samoa and France.
It's been mentioned that Scotland might have lost that Tokyo match a few years ago. And it is probably true.
It has also been said that if you can dig out a win even when playing poorly then that says something for a team - and it does. There needs to be progression, though. There need to be signs that Scotland could be a force in the Six Nations. We didn't see them in Japan.
A big sign of a team's standing is the depth of their squad. On this evidence, Scotland's is no deeper.
It is true that Scotland might have loudly acclaimed this winning series a few years ago, but things have moved on. Their expectations are higher now.
There were two wins, sure, but soft-soaping is self-defeating. This was a step back.


The key sickness benefit is helping fewer people get jobs, while its rising cost is a big financial risk for the UK, internal government memos say.

The memos, obtained by the BBC, say the Department for Work and Pensions is struggling to deliver employment support allowance (ESA).
ESA was introduced in 2008 to replace incapacity benefit.
The government acknowledged there had been problems but said it was bringing in a new firm to do tests for ESA.
The documents - which include six memos written by civil servants and advisers - also say claimants face an average nine-month wait after assessments. The target is three months.
ESA is intended for people who are unable to work due to sickness or disability. Claimants undergo tests, called work capability assessments, before learning whether they are eligible.
The memos say that ESA "is not delivering more positive outcomes for claimants" than incapacity benefit did.
The payment's costs are expected to rise by almost Â£13bn by 2018/19, the documents say, warning the increase is "one of the largest fiscal risks currently facing the government".
The benefit is becoming a "long-term destination" for too many people, they say, and more people than expected are becoming eligible for it.
This is thought to be partly due to restrictions on jobseeker's allowance leading to an increase in ESA claimants.
A key aim of the benefit is to get people off welfare and into work, but the documents say this appears to be happening less than under incapacity benefit (IB).
"Employment outcomes actually appear lower than under IB", they say, and the "wider policy problems facing ESA will persist" despite the change in the company in charge of the assessments.
Earlier this month the government said more than 700,000 people were waiting for an assessment, blaming the delays on Atos, the private contractor currently carrying out the tests. Ministers say Atos had a backlog of 200,000 when the government came to power.
Atos, which has agreed to end its contract early, has said its staff have been "vilified" and abused for doing what was asked of them by ministers.
Mike Penning, the minister for disabled people, said: "We do have problems with the ESA assessment."
He said it was "something we inherited" from the previous Labour government - "but we are doing everything we can to address [it] which is why I've negotiated Atos out of the contract and we're bringing in a new provider so we make sure that we can have proper flow of the benefits coming through."
Mr Penning said he did not recognise the comments about financial risk to the government.
ESA is "fit for purpose", he said, adding: "It needs to evolve, it needs to change as we go forward and we need to make sure we get the right decisions - as in any other benefit - the right money goes to the right people and that's what the taxpayer would expect us to do."
Nearly two million people are currently claiming ESA, which entitles them to just over Â£100 a week.
Work capability assessments are carried out both on new claimants and those in receipt of incapacity benefit before they are moved to ESA.
Some of those deemed eligible for the payment are given regular interviews to help them find work, depending on their level of disability.


An aircraft has been searching for debris from a cargo ship which sank in the Pentland Firth with eight men on board.

The upturned hull of the Cemfjord - which was carrying cement - was spotted by a passing ferry on Saturday and later sank.
No trace of the crew was found despite an extensive search operation.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said a fixed wing aircraft was conducting a search.
The Cemfjord crew consisted of seven Polish nationals and one Filipino.


England rescued a 22-run victory on the final morning of an intriguing first Test in Chittagong as man of the match Ben Stokes took the final two wickets.

Bangladesh began the day needing 33 to beat England for the first time in a Test match, with two wickets remaining.
They calmly added 10 runs before Taijul Islam was given out lbw after a review.
Two balls later Stokes removed last man Shafiul Islam, who was given out lbw and failed to overturn it on review as Bangladesh were dismissed for 263.
Going into the game, the Tigers had won just seven of their 93 Tests, beating only Zimbabwe and an under-strength West Indies.
They have another opportunity in the second and final Test of the series, which begins in Dhaka on Friday.
In a match featuring a record 26 decisions reviewed, it was perhaps inevitable that the end came with trial by television.
England's first wicket was a less-than-confident appeal, but they had two new referrals at their disposal after the 80-over mark in the innings and were slipping closer to defeat.
Taijul shuffled across his stumps trying to turn one to leg and it flew off the pad for what would have been valuable leg byes, but England gambled on a review, which suggested the ball would have just straightened enough to hit the top of leg stump.
The match ended two balls later as last man Shafiul was hit on the pad outside the line of off stump, which would ordinarily be not out if the umpires were satisfied the batsman had made an attempt to play the ball.
But umpire Kumar Dharmasena deemed that no shot was played, although others might have argued it was more likely to be the limited technique of a number 11 batsman being beaten for pace by a reverse-swinging delivery approaching 90mph.
Although Shafiul called for a review, third umpire S Ravi backed his on-field colleague and the decision stood.
It was also fitting that the final wicket should have been taken by Stokes, who was unsurprisingly handed the man-of-the-match award.
The all-rounder took four late wickets in Bangladesh's first innings, followed by 85 with the bat in England's second, and he was chosen to partner Stuart Broad in an all-seam attack on the final morning.
Stokes tested Taijul with a bouncer that the tailender gloved over wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow for four.
But full deliveries accounted for the last two batsmen in a final day chapter which lasted only 3.3 overs, the denouement to a fantastic match that fluctuated throughout.
England captain Alastair Cook: "It was a really good Test match - I didn't think that we'd be here on day five looking at that wicket.
"In one way it's sad that there has to be a loser because it was such a tight game. Credit to both sides.
"I'm really happy that we showed the character to hold our nerve towards the end and the quality we have, certainly in our seamers with reverse swing, I was confident we'd make enough chances."
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim: "Probably it was not in our favour, 33 runs and two wickets, but the boys put in so much effort over the last five day. After 15 months [Bangladesh's previous Test was against South Africa in July 2015], I'm really proud.
"Our boys fought it out which is really impressive and hopefully we'll do the same in the next match."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew:
It's easy to come here as a quick bowler, bowl a few overs and expect the spinners to get on with it.
But quality seam bowling, with some reverse swing, has a role to play out here.
Former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent on BBC Test Match Special:
Stokes got the ball reversing in about the 60th over in the first innings. But he kept running in hard with pace, and that has aided him in getting those wickets.
This is going against his natural instincts as he wants to hit the pitch as a bowler and get after the ball as a batsman - he's matured as a cricketer.
This was the 53rd Test in Bangladesh and the first time all 40 wickets have fallen.


Any agreement on changes to the UK's membership of the EU would be "legally binding", papers released ahead of next week's crunch summit have indicated.

David Cameron hopes to get agreement for his proposed renegotiation at a meeting of EU leaders on 18 February, paving the way for a future referendum.
Draft conclusions of the summit, issued in advance, state any deal would be "fully compatible with EU treaties".
No more detail is given about the final agreement still being negotiated.
The two-day meeting is a crucial moment in the debate over the UK's future in the EU. Mr Cameron requires the approval of all 28 EU members for a draft package of reforms to the UK's membership outlined earlier this month.
If he secures it, he is expected to proceed with an in-out referendum on the UK's membership by the end of June.
The BBC's Brussels correspondent Ben Wright said draft conclusions are always circulated to member states a couple of weeks before EU summits and usually leaked to the media.
Guide: All you need to know about the referendum
EU renegotiation: Did Cameron get what he wanted?
Referendum timeline: What will happen when?
The view from Europe: What's in it for the others?
More: BBC News EU referendum special
The draft conclusions, he pointed out, often change significantly before the final agreed text.
The documents issued by the European Council on Tuesday briefly restate the broad areas of negotiation set out last week, including proposed limits on the payments of migrants' benefits, new powers for national parliaments and safeguards for countries outside the eurozone.
They also state that if EU leaders endorse the agreement, the new arrangements would become effective on the date the UK government informed the Council it was staying in the EU, were that to be the outcome of the referendum.
Amid continuing speculation about the timing of the referendum, one Conservative Eurosceptic MP has urged Mr Cameron to "bring it on".
Speaking during a Commons debate on the issue, Sir Edward Leigh said those seeking a British exit from the EU know their arguments and are confident of winning.
"We say to the prime minister: 'bring it on'. No delay, don't look worried, bring it on and we can have a proper debate and we can win this."
No date has yet been announced for the referendum although Downing Street is reported to favour staging the poll on 23 June.
The SNP, Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein all object to this, saying it would be too close to elections in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 7 May, while the first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, has also called for it to be deferred until the autumn.
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond accused the prime minister of "gambling this country's entire European future on his sham negotiation and this same of a campaign".
He described the lead up to the referendum as "thoroughly depressing", attacking Mr Cameron's suggestion that leaving the EU could lead to migrant camps like the "Jungle" in Calais being set up in the UK.
"The truth is, of course, it doesn't matter," he said. "It would take at least five years to withdraw from the European treaties. By then we could have 10 times the number of refugees or indeed, we could have none at all.
"No one knows how it would affect the bilateral arrangements between Britain and France. It is pointless, pathetic, puerile debate - typical of what looks like it is going to be, a depressing campaign - the political equivalent, I would suggest, of a no score draw."
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said political figures in France indicated they would like to see an end to "juxtaposed" border controls in Calais, which allow UK officials to check passports on French soil.
He told the Commons Home Affairs committee: "That is certainly not our view. The French government have indicated that is not their view. But the situation could change. That sense of certainty is what the Prime Minister is pointing to and the impact if the juxtaposed controls were changed."


Scotland coach Vern Cotter has made three changes to his starting line-up for their final Six Nations match against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Glasgow fly-half Duncan Weir makes his first start of the campaign with Finn Russell recovering from concussion.
Lock Tim Swinson replaces Jonny Gray, who sustained a torn pectoral muscle in the 29-18 victory over France.
Ryan Wilson returns at number eight for Josh Strauss, who drops to a bench including Rob Harley and Henry Pyrgos.
With Swinson promoted to the starting line-up, Harley will provide second-row as well as blind-side cover, and scrum-half Pyrgos takes over from the unfortunate Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.
The Edinburgh player has tasted just three minutes of action after being on the bench for all four Six Nations matches to date.
Pyrgos, meanwhile, has recently returned to action for Glasgow after an operation on his wrist after last autumn's World Cup.
His inclusion means there are 11 Warriors players in the match-day 23.
Weir, who will move from Glasgow to Edinburgh at the end of the season, last started a Test against South Africa during the World Cup.
The 24-year-old appeared as a replacement in Scotland's second Six Nations match this year against Wales, but was left out of the 23 for the wins over Italy and France, turning in two man-of-the-match displays for Glasgow instead.
"Duncan has been training with the group and he is playing well with Glasgow, so it is a great opportunity for him," said Cotter.
"He gets to lead us out on the park in the number 10 jersey, and brings his energy and freshness to it, so it's a good thing."
Peter Horne, who excelled after taking over from Russell just five minutes into last Sunday's Test, has to settle for a place on the bench again.
"Peter played really well when he came on," Cotter noted. "We are hoping he will bring the same contribution, whether it is at 10, 12 or 13."
Gray's injury also means a rare start for Swinson, 29, who has won his last 11 caps off the bench, including all four matches in this campaign.
It will be his eighth Test start and his first since the defeat by Italy at Murrayfield in last year's Six Nations.
Wilson, who impressed in the victory in Rome before suffering an ankle injury which hampered his training before the France match, gets a second start at number eight.
"Ryan probably has slightly fresher legs than Josh after the France game," Cotter explained. "We have had limited time to prepare, which is always a bit of a worry, so we have gone with a bit of freshness."
Captain Greig Laidlaw will surpass David Sole's record of leading Scotland in 25 Tests as his side target three straight wins in the championship for the first time since 1996.
Scotland have only won once - in 2010 - in Dublin in eight attempts in the Six Nations era.
They have only scored four tries in their last 10 Six Nations Tests against the Irish over the past decade, but did manage three in a 28-22 pre-World Cup warm-up defeat in Dublin last August.
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (captain - Gloucester), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), John Barclay (Scarlets), John Hardie (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors)
Replacements: Stuart McInally (Edinburgh), Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors), Josh Strauss (Glasgow Warriors), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors).


Rangers' youth system is in better shape than at any time in two decades, according to chairman Dave King.

He is confident the base is being provided that should help new team manager Pedro Caixinha bring success.
"Our academy structures and young players are more promising than at any time since my first association with the club almost 20 years ago," he said.
"Auchenhowie is finally looking 'fit for purpose' and is showing a vibrancy hitherto unseen."
King had been a club director under previous chairmen and, after the club progressed from Scotland's bottom tier following financial trouble, took up the role himself in May 2015.
Rangers won promotion in their first season under the South Africa-based businessman's regime, but he says much work has also been done behind the scenes at Ibrox Stadium and the training academy.
"The maintenance of Ibrox and Auchenhowie is a never ending and costly process, but it is a price we must continuously pay in order to boast two such fantastic facilities and advance the excellent youth development process that we have put in place," King told Rangers' website.
"Much has been achieved in the past year and the club structures are significantly better than a year ago."
Rangers, who face Celtic's in this season's Scottish Youth Cup final on 26 April, sit third in the Premiership table and parted company with manager Mark Warburton in February.
King believes the groundwork put in to find the Englishman's successor, Pedro Caixinha, will pay off as they look to mount a better challenge against champions Celtic next season.
"Despite a relatively disappointing campaign up to this point, we have taken the necessary steps to revitalise the team and its performance," he said.
"Of particular note is the carefully researched appointment of a new management unit headed by Pedro Caixinha.
"Funds are available to help Pedro shape his own team.
"It is important that our supporters continue to see Rangers playing attractive football, but attractive football must not be pursued at the cost of failing to win."
Rangers remain reliant on cash injections from King and his fellow shareholders, but the chairman also pointed out the loyalty of the club's fans.
He said that the club could be forced to introduce a waiting list, on an "earliest application" basis, should next season's demand for season tickets match this campaign's 43,000 sales - the maximum possible given the need to reserve a section for away fans.
"It is gratifying to finally be able to deal with the normal vagaries of football, such as team performance and management restructures, as business in the normal course rather than as a new crisis - which had been the case over the last few years," added King.
"I look forward to the coming season with great optimism.
"We could have avoided the significant financial compensation we incurred to bring the new management team on board by delaying the appointment until the end of the season.
"However, we believe that it is in the club's interest to give Pedro the balance of this season to assess the squad and make preparations in advance of the new season and the early competitive start that we envisage with Europa League qualifiers.
"It will be a further significant step forward to achieve our stated target of having European football back at Ibrox."


Ryanair is to reduce the number of flights it operates from City of Derry Airport to London Stansted this winter.

The Irish airline said it plans to cut its weekly service to London from seven down to six. The change will come into effect from 30 October.
City of Derry Airport said it understands the move has been made because of the budget airline's financial results and growth plans.
Ryanair said it wants to "pivot growth" away from the UK towards Europe.
A spokesperson for City of Derry Airport said management is involved in ongoing discussions with Ryanair regarding the winter schedule.
They added that in addition to the remaining six weekly services to London Stansted, the airport provides five weekly services to Glasgow International and five weekly services to Liverpool.
The Airport said it had also enjoyed a very successful summer season.


Nokia shares have risen sharply in Helsinki despite the release of another set of quarterly losses.

The mobile phone company reported a net loss of 969m euros ($1.27bn; £787m) for the three months to the end of September, compared with a 68m euro loss in the same quarter last year.
But the shares rose 9% as the results were still better than had been expected.
The Finnish company's sales were down 19% from the same period last year.
Nokia was the world's leading mobile phone maker for more than a decade, but has struggled in the face of competition from Apple and Samsung.
Its third-quarter results were boosted by record profits from its telecoms equipment company, Nokia Siemens Networks.
Nokia is releasing new Lumia 820 and 920 phones next month, which will use Microsoft's latest Windows 8 software.
"We expected that Nokia's third quarter was going to be tough for its smartphone business due to the announcement of Windows Phone 8,"  said Pete Cunningham at Canalys.
"The fourth quarter will be a tough one as it will take a couple of quarters to ramp up Windows Phone 8 volumes due to the competitive landscape."
The introduction of Windows smartphones has been the big change under chief executive Stephen Elop, who phased out the Symbian operating system shortly after he took control of the company in 2010.


A group of independence campaigners have lost their appeal against eviction from outside the Scottish Parliament.

The IndyCamp group have been holding a vigil at Holyrood since November 2015, and say they want to stay in place until Scotland becomes independent.
The parliament's corporate body went to court seeking an eviction order, sparking a lengthy legal battle.
The Inner House of the Court of Session has now upheld Lord Turnbull's original verdict that the camp should go.
Lady Dorrian, who heard the appeal alongside Lord Glennie and Lord Menzies, said Lord Turnbull "did not err in his approach".
The judges ruled that there was "no basis" for considering that the group's human rights had been breached.
The order grants parliament permission for "immediate extract", which means the corporate body can apply for an order to remove the camp - something it is understood will be done shortly.
Welcoming the verdict, a spokesman for the Scottish parliament said: "We encourage the protestors to now comply with the court's ruling and leave the parliament estate quickly and peacefully."
Martin Keatings, who represented four of the campers in court, wrote an open letter to all of Holyrood's MSPs reacting to the verdict and asking them to save the camp.
He said the campers were "good and honest people who seek nothing but the best for every man, woman and child within Scotland's borders", saying they have been "surreptitiously denied their rights to a fair hearing".
He said the group had been "crushed under the weight of a system which they had very little opportunity to defend themselves from", adding: "These people have in no way committed any such offence, nor disruption which would warrant the disgusting and disproportionate response from the SPCB which they have been subjected to."
The parliament has been seeking eviction of the IndyCamp on the grounds that the group are camping without permission, taking up space others could be using and endangering the neutrality of the parliamentary estate.
The group say eviction would infringe their human rights, insisting they have the right to protest and freedom of assembly at Holyrood.
Four different appeals were put forward at the Court of Session, three of which challenged the court's legitimacy - although one was withdrawn during the hearing after a camper who would only be referred to as David claimed that the judges could have broken the law by refusing to recuse themselves and bring in a jury.
Judge Lady Dorrian said there was "no merit" in this, saying the a jury trial was not "a competent way of proceeding".
Mr Keatings meanwhile argued in court that eviction could set a "dangerous precedent" for future cases, calling the idea that parliament could dictate how people express themselves a "scary prospect".
A separate appellant, Richard McFarlane, argued that the court did not have jurisdiction over the case due to the return of Christ, who he said was a supporter of Scottish independence and had given the camp permission to use his land.
Decisions of the Inner House can technically be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said "due process" had been served, adding: "Move this eyesore from a parliamentary estate supposed to be for all Scots, not one viewpoint."


Thousand of trees are to be felled to slow the spread of a disease which is destroying larch trees in Cornwall.

Phytophthora ramorum was first discovered in the UK in 2002 and identified in the South West two years ago.
About 11,000 infected Japanese larch trees will be felled to try to prevent the virus spreading from the foliage to other tree and plant species.
The infected trees are at Cardinham Woods, Dunmere Wood and East Wood.
The Forestry Commission has already felled affected larches in the Glyn Valley and at Idless Woods near Truro.
John Ebsary, area forester for Cornwall, said it was disappointing to have to fell trees which had not yet reached full maturity.
"But the trees are dying from this highly destructive disease, and we have to try to contain it and prevent any further spread," he said.
Some areas of Cardinham will be closed to the public for safety reasons when felling takes place, but Mr Ebsary said disruption would be kept "to an absolute minimum".
Visitors to the woods have been asked to help minimise the spread of the disease by following signed bio-security instructions, which include washing footwear before leaving the area.
Because the pathogen can remain in the soil for several years, Mr Ebsary said most areas would either be left to regenerate naturally or replanted with different tree species not susceptible to phytophthora ramorum.
The felling should be completed by the end of March.
In Devon, work began earlier this month to cut down larch trees affected by the disease beside the A38 in Devon between Exeter and Plymouth.


Saudi Arabia is reported to be close to securing a $10bn (£6.9bn) loan deal from international banks as it tries to recover from plunging oil revenues.

Reuters reports the world's largest oil exporter was aiming to raise up to $8bn, but high demand led the Finance Ministry to increase the amount.
It is the first time it has gone to the international markets since the early 1990s when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
The country's oil income, its main source of revenue, fell 23% last year.
The loan, which is expected to be finalised at the end of the month, will help Saudi to reduce its reliance on domestic banks and gauge international demand for its debt.
It could also open the way for Saudi to issue an international bond.
The move comes just days after a meeting of the world's leading oil exporters to discuss capping production ended without agreement.
Saudi Arabia appeared willing to only freeze output if all Opec members agreed, including Iran.
But Iran maintained it would continue the increase in oil production it has followed since economic sanctions were lifted earlier this year.
The oil price has fallen almost two thirds since June 2014, driven by a combination of oversupply and competition from US shale oil producers.
Saudi Arabia's budget deficit soared to $98bn (£65.7bn) last year on the back of falling crude prices.
To help make up for the shortfall, the country has cut public spending and increased tax, fuel and energy prices.
Saudi Arabia is not the only Gulf country to seek help from abroad due to the low oil price.
Earlier this year Qatar secured a $5.5bn loan, while Oman borrowed $1bn from overseas.
The Saudi central bank did not reply to requests for comment.


Alternative plans for a Concorde museum in Bristol have been submitted to British Airways.

The Save Concorde Group (SCG) said it met the firm on Tuesday to present its plan which would cost £1.5m.
Another bid by the Concorde Trust for £2.9m of lottery funding towards a £9m museum has been rejected.
The jet was on display in Filton until late 2010 but was closed by Airbus, which has been loaned the jet, so the firm could carry out maintenance.
The firm has spent £1.4m repairing Concorde with water leaks a particular problem because it has been left on an open runway since 2003.
Ben Lord from SCG said: "It is vital that not only do we preserve Concorde, but educate our future generations what Concorde symbolises."
Mr Lord added his group has become "increasingly concerned" with the Concorde Trust and how they had handled the proposed move to a new museum.
"Following the controversial closure of the temporary museum, it was revealed that the trust were seeking to develop a £9m heritage centre.
"In our opinion [it] was incredibly over exaggerated in terms of cost, and would take an unreasonable amount of time to become open."
A spokesman for the Concorde Trust said it was important that all interested parties worked together to make the Concorde museum a reality.
"The Concorde Trust is happy to work with all stakeholders and to consider any ideas and plans."
The spokesman added that plans must be financially viable and help to conserve the region's aviation heritage.
Mr Lord from SCG said the discussions with BA "went very very well" and had taken the plans away for discussion with Airbus who are looking after the jet at its Filton base.
He said his group's plans were "not quite as glossy" as that of Concorde Trust and would see the jet brought under a hangar at a site earmarked for the museum at Cribbs Causeway.
He said £840,000 of funding from Airbus, with £300,000 already saved for the museum would be supplemented with funding from commercial sources.
The plane - called Concorde 216 or Alpha Foxtrot - was the last of the fleet to fly when Concorde was withdrawn from service by British Airways in 2003 due to increased running costs.
The Concorde Trust plans for the museum at Cribbs Causeway were first submitted in 2007 but building work has never started because of a lack of funding.
The museum was given a £840,000 cash boost by Airbus last week but has almost £8m still to raise.
The jet has been at Filton since 2003 and was closed to the public in October 2010 for maintenance.
Filton Airfield, where the jet is based, is to close from the end of 2012, meaning a new home will soon have to be found for the jet.


A 52-year-old man has been charged with possessing a firearm, explosives and ammunition in suspicious circumstances.

He was arrested after the items were found at a house at Forest Street in west Belfast on Saturday.
Guns, ammunition and suspected pipe bomb parts were discovered by bomb disposal officers.
The man is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.


A judge has ruled that New York City's buses must display a controversial ad that refers to Muslims killing Jews.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had opposed the advertisement, arguing it could incite terrorism and violence.
But Judge John Koeltl rejected the argument and said the ad was protected under the US constitution, which enshrines the principle of free speech.
The ad is paid for the American Freedom Defense Initiative.
It has already been displayed on public transport in Chicago and San Francisco.
The advert shows a threatening-looking man with his head and face wrapped in a scarf, next to a quotation attributed to a music video from the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
The quote says: "Killing Jews is worship that draws us close to Allah."
The advert asks: "That's his Jihad. What's yours?"
Judge Koeltl said that although he was sensitive to security concerns, the MTA had underestimated the tolerance of New Yorkers and overestimated the potential impact of the ad.
"It strains credulity to believe that New Yorkers would be incited to violence by ads that did not incite residents of Chicago and San Francisco," he said.
He delayed enforcing his ruling for 30 days so the MTA could decide whether to appeal.
MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said they were "disappointed in the ruling and are reviewing our options".
The American Freedom Defense Initiative is run by controversial blogger and activist Pamela Geller. It is listed as an anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group.


Police investigating an attempted rape on a woman in a Fife car park are seeking a "significant" witness who could hold crucial information.

Officers have appealed for a man known as Alan to come forward as they believe he could have spoken to the attacker before the "prolonged" assault.
The attack, on a woman in her 20s, happened in Turriff Place, Kirkcaldy, at about 22:30 on Sunday.
The woman was first spoken to by the man in Aboyne Gardens.
Police said he mentioned being at a friend named Alan's house in the area of Harris Drive earlier in the evening.
Det Sgt Calum Lawrie said: "We believe 'Alan' is a significant witness in this inquiry, and are keen to speak to him as soon as possible.
"I want to reassure 'Alan' that any information he can give will be treated in the utmost confidence, but could be crucial in identifying the man responsible for this sexual assault.
"We are continuing to support the victim as she recovers from her ordeal, and high visibility patrols continue in the area."
The attacker was described as being 5ft 7ins tall and aged about 30. He was wearing a dark jacket with light jeans and trainers.


Actress Anna Friel has been ordered to remove or rebuild an extension to her Grade II-listed house in Windsor.

The Brookside and Marcella star built a one-storey extension on the back of her home in Kings Road.
But Windsor council said it had not been built in line with the planning permission granted in 2014 and its requests for changes had been ignored.
A building enforcement notice has been issued by the local authority giving Ms Friel three months to comply.
Windsor Urban Development Control Panel chairman Malcolm Alexander said Ms Friel was "very well respected" but the council could not treat her differently from any other resident.
In a statement, the actress said she wanted to apologise to the panel and took their demands seriously.
She added: "[I] want to reassure the necessary authorities that any final cosmetic requirements that need to be undertaken, will be done within the allocated remedy period."
Mr Alexander said: "We have had months and months and months of negotiation and persuasion, that has all just been ignored.
"It is very unfortunate, she is a very well respected and high profile resident. But we have to be consistent, we can't make exceptions."


Ed Sheeran has been revealed as the most-played pop act in the UK in 2015.

The singer topped the music royalty body Phonographic Performance Ltd's (PPL) chart, which is based on TV and radio airplay, adverts and plays in venues like pubs and clubs.
He beat Taylor Swift and 2013's most-played act Olly Murs to the top spot.
Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk was the most-played song of the year, ahead of Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do and James Bay's Hold Back The River.
The success of Sheeran, who was third in 2014's list, was largely due to the "broadcast and public use" of Thinking Out Loud, Photograph and Bloodstream, his collaboration with drum and bass act Rudimental, a PPL spokesman said.
Four out of the top five most-played acts were British, with Swift being the only exception, while the top six most-played songs were by UK artists.
Sheeran, Swift and London singer Jess Glynne all had two tracks in the top 20 most-played songs.
Outside the top ten, there were inclusions for the Felix Jaehn remix of reggae star OMI's Cheerleader; Take That's first song as a trio, These Days; Little Mix's chart topper, Black Magic; and Walk The Moon's global hit Shut Up and Dance.
The PPL said Adele, who made it to 20th place in the most-played chart despite "only three months of airplay for her new material", was expected to have a much larger impact on the 2016 lists.


A World War II hand grenade has been destroyed in a controlled explosion, police have said.

A bomb disposal team from RAF Wittering blew up the device after it was discovered on the beach at Gunton Cliff, Lowestoft, Suffolk.
The beach has been re-opened after it was sealed off when the explosive was unearthed by a metal detectorist, at about 05:30 BST.
A police spokesman said experts carried out the explosion "at the scene".
"Ordnance being washed up on the beach is not unheard of," he said.
A spokesman from RAF Wittering, in Cambridgeshire, said the device was a Mills grenade, "commonly known as a pineapple bomb".
No other explosives were believed to have been found at the site.
The explosion was carried out just after 11:00 BST and the squad left just before midday.


The BBC hosts a special election hustings for the Aberdeen City Council area ahead of the local elections on 4 May.

19 April 2017 Last updated at 13:06 BST
The surprise news of a general election in June and the issue of Scotland's constitutional future was discussed at the start of the publicly-aired discussion.
The panel then moved on to local issues including business rates and the Aberdeen economy; city centre redevelopment and affordable house building.


The Open University remains the top university in Northern Ireland for student satisfaction for the tenth year running,  according to a survey.

The results of the National Student Survey (NSS) were released on Tuesday.
It showed that  93% of respondents in Northern Ireland declare themselves to be "satisfied with the quality of their course".
John D'Arcy, director of The Open University in Northern Ireland, said they were thrilled.
"As experts in the delivery of flexible, part-time higher education we are proud to be able to offer quality courses, support and access to education to people in Northern Ireland," he said.
"It's our mission to continue to provide students here with the best study opportunities and experience possible.
"I'd like to pay tribute to our staff across the Open University who have helped achieve this endorsement from our students."
The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK.
Since it began in 1969, the OU has taught almost 1.9m students.
In 2013, The Open University officially became one of three universities in Northern Ireland, as it is now funded by the Northern Ireland Executive through the Department for Employment and Learning.
In Northern Ireland, there are more than 4,000 part-time students.
The National Student Survey (NSS) is led by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, but funded by the four UK HE funding bodies, along with the National College of Teaching & Leadership and Health Education England.


Rugby Football Union's chief executive Ian Ritchie has announced he will retire at the end of the summer.

The 63-year-old joined the RFU in 2012 and oversaw a Six Nations Grand Slam and successive titles for the men's team and a World Cup title in 2014 for the women's team.
"Rugby is a special sport, and one which is very hard to leave," said Ritchie.
The RFU intend to have a replacement by the end of the summer.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the RFU," added Ritchie, who headed the All England Club prior to his RFU role.
"I'm proud to have been part of the rugby family, working with so many talented, passionate and committed teams at every level of the game and of the union."
The head of Premiership Rugby says the departing Ritchie has "contributed massively" to club and country relations.
"He's always someone we felt we could do business with," Mark McCafferty told BBC Radio 5 live.
"He's contributed massively to finding a good balance between club and country.
"We haven't always seen eye to eye, but there has always been a good amount of give and take, which is the way the English system has to work."
BBC sports editor Dan Roan
Ian Ritchie restored authority and order at the RFU after a damaging and turbulent period following England's dismal 2011 World Cup campaign. His tenure was not without disappointments however.
In 2015, after the ignominy of England's group-stage exit from their own World Cup, he faced calls to resign.
After all, despite no rugby background, he had hired Stuart Lancaster as head coach, handed him a six-year contract extension in 2014, and said he would take responsibility if the team failed. It was Lancaster however who lost his job.
Ritchie, (who was awarded a pay-rise to £700,000 per year), had to get his next big decision right, and the appointment of Eddie Jones has been fully vindicated.
Thanks in part to hosting the sport's showpiece event in 2015, the RFU has also become the country's richest sport's governing body under Ritchie's leadership, enabling it to invest more in the grassroots and grow participation, while he also led delicate and crucial negotiations with the top clubs.


Dean Parrett scored twice as Stevenage moved above Morecambe after a comprehensive win at the Globe Arena.

Morecambe took an early lead through Cole Stockton, but from then on Stevenage dominated.
Alan Goodall managed to turn in Parrett's corner past his own keeper as Stevenage levelled before Parrett got his first on the break soon after.
Parrett was unmarked in the area to score his second from 12 yards before Ben Kennedy rounded the win off.
Morecambe, who drop to 21st place, have won just two of their last 18 games and have conceded 20 goals in their last five matches, while Stevenage are now 19th.


Wigan missed a chance to move into League One's automatic promotion places after being held by struggling Oldham.

The visitors were the more threatening side in the first half and came close to opening the scoring when Jussi Jaaskelainen tipped Carl Winchester's 35-yard strike over the bar.
Oldham goalkeeper Joel Coleman denied Will Grigg a winner by saving his close range effort late on.
The stalemate sees Wigan drop to fourth whilst Oldham remain in 23rd place.
Wigan manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Manchester:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"Probably didn't deserve a point in the end. Oldham played very well and caused us a lot of problems.
"We have to be thankful that we did get the point.
"We can't accept performances like that and we have to do something about it quickly."
Oldham manager John Sheridan told BBC Radio Manchester:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I'm tremendously proud of the players, the way they've come to probably the best team at this moment in time in our league.
To come and perform like we did was quality from the lads. Every game we go into, we're going to try and win.
"Every player on the pitch played really well today, and it's down to the players at the end of the day."


Ugandan MPs have passed a controversial bill that will ban miniskirts.

The anti-pornography bill, which also outlaws overtly sexual material including music videos, was voted through after a short debate.
When Simon Lokodo, Uganda's ethics and integrity minister, proposed the legislation earlier this year, he said that women who wore "anything above the knee" should be arrested.
The bill needs to be approved by the president before becoming law.
Uganda is a socially conservative country - it is also considering legislation to increase the punishment for homosexual acts, which are already illegal.
According to Uganda's private Monitor newspaper, the new legislation will outlaw material which shows parts of the body including breasts, thighs and buttocks, or any erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement.
It will also ban anything that shows indecent acts or behaviour intended to corrupt morals, the paper reports.
The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in the capital, Kampala, says the new rules could affect Uganda's popular tabloid papers.


Poor in natural resources, prone to drought and with little arable land, the Cabo Verde islands have won a reputation for achieving political and economic stability.

Also known as Cape Verde, the former Portuguese colony comprises 10 islands and five islets, all but three of which are mountainous. The archipelago lies around 500 km off the west coast of Africa.
It was at one time an important centre of the slave trade.
During the 20th century severe droughts caused the deaths of 200,000 people and prompted heavy emigration. Today, more people with origins in Cabo Verde live outside the country than inside it. The money that they send home brings in much-needed foreign currency.
Population 505,000
Area 4,033 sq km (1,557 sq miles)
Languages Portuguese, Crioulo (a mixture of archaic Portuguese and African words)
Religion Christianity
Life expectancy 71 years (men), 78 years (women)
Currency Cabo Verdean escudo
President: Jorge Carlos Fonseca
Jorge Carlos Almeida Fonseca was elected president in August 2011 and re-elected with 79% of the vote in October 2016.
Cabo Verde is a republic with a president, who is the head of state, and a prime minister who heads the government. The prime minister is appointed by parliament.
Prime minister: Correia e Silva
Correia e Silva was sworn in as prime minister in April 2016 after leading his Movement for Democracy (MPD) to victory in a general election.
His party ousted the ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) for the first time in 15 years.
He was mayor of the capital Praia between 2008 and January 2016. He has a background in banking, and has served as secretary of state and minister for finance.
The PAICV and the MPD have dominated politics since independence from Portugal in 1975. Both have run the country since multi-party democracy was introduced in 1991.
Cabo Verde was ranked second highest among African countries listed in the Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index in 2014.
Much of the media is state-run, but there is an active private press and a growing number of private broadcasters.
There were 200,000 internet users by 2014 (Internetlivestats.com).
1462 - Portuguese settlers land on SÃ£o Tiago. Cabo Verde becomes a centre for the trade of cheap manufactured items such as firearms, rum and cloth in exchange for slaves, ivory, and gold.
1495 - Cabo Verde becomes a Portuguese crown colony.
1960 - Many Cabo Verdeans join liberation war against Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau. The struggle is led by the African Party for Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
1975 - Cabo Verde becomes independent.
1981 - African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV) becomes the country's sole party.
1992 - A new constitution brings in a multi-party system.


Google says it has found a way to make adverts load faster on web pages viewed on smartphones and tablets.

The company said the ads would also be less taxing on the handsets' processors, meaning their batteries should last longer.
The technique is based on work it has already done to make news publishers' articles load more quickly.
But it is still in development, and one expert said Google still had questions to answer.
The California-based company's online advertising revenue totalled $67.4bn (Â£51.2bn) last year.
That figure included banners and animations placed via the Google Display Network - which would be affected by this project - as well as other types of ads, such as search result links and YouTube pre-roll clips, which would not.
Details of the experiments were published on the company's Accelerated Mobile Pages (Amp) project blog.
The A4A (Amp for ads) initiative's technology is already used by the BBC, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal and many other news sites to make their stories appear up to 10 times faster than those produced in HTML code.
The resulting Amp pages currently contain normal adverts, but the ads are made to load after the rest of the content and their animations often do not play smoothly.
The new A4A ads restricts the use of Javascript, which is commonly used to track users' behaviour and automate which ads should be placed where.
Instead, Amp provides its own activity measurement tools, which are said to be much more efficient.
"Amp only animates things that are visible on the screen," Malte Ubl, the project's tech lead, blogged.
"Being new and special purpose technology, [it] can pinpoint when animations are needed and thus further reduce CPU [central processing unit] usage and battery consumption.
"Similarly, if Amp is unable to stabilise the frame rate, it will turn off animations.
"This ensures that every device gets the best experience it can deliver and makes sure that ads cannot have a negative impact on important aspects of the user experience such as scrolling."
One expert said Google would have to provide more details about how the scheme would work in practice before its chance of success could be weighed up.
"It has to be a good experience for consumers, but it also has to be a good experience for publishers, linking in with their current advertising systems and giving them the data they need about their viewers," said Ian Fogg, from the consultancy IHS Technology.
If it does take off, it could help Google reduce the appeal of ad-blockers.
In addition, the faster that pages load, the more articles and therefore ads are likely to be seen.
But Mr Fogg added the move could address an even greater threat to the search giant's business.
"The big risk for Google is that consumers use the mobile web less and less and use apps instead," he said.
"If you use an app, you are more likely to use the search experience built into that platform - if that's Apple, it's Siri; if it's a Microsoft device, it's Bing; or if it's Amazon, it could be Alexa.
"If that happens, Google's web search service will eventually get outflanked."


Francesco Totti ended his 25-year Roma playing career with his 786th and final appearance during Sunday's 3-2 win over Genoa on the final day of the Serie A season.

The 40-year-old came on as a 54th-minute substitute for his only club and is now expected to become a Roma director - although there are rumours he could play on elsewhere.
Here BBC Sport looks at his career landmarks, his highs and lows and what legends of the game had to say about the Roma icon...and the fan who turned up in a wedding dress to see him.
786 - competitive appearances for Roma in all competitions (a club record)
307 - competitive goals for Roma in all competitions (a club record)
25 - seasons played in Serie A, level with AC Milan's Paolo Maldini
23 - seasons scored in Serie A (a record)
32 - his most goals in a season (2006-07). He won the Serie A golden boot and European Golden Shoe with 26 that season
16 - age he made his Roma debut
40 - age he made his final appearance for Roma
22 - the year he became Roma captain, the youngest club captain in Serie A history
1 - Serie A title in 2000-01
9 - Serie A runner-up finishes
16 - red cards in his career
"Winning one league title at Roma to me is worth winning 10 at Juventus or Real Madrid."
"There is only one player who is doing things that I could never do - and that is Messi."
"I grew up playing for Roma and I want to die playing for Roma."
Argentina legend Diego Maradona: "Francesco Totti is the king of Rome. He is and will be the best player I ever saw! #Respect"
Juventus and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon: "Some of his goals against me were so wonderful that I would have been ruining a masterpiece had I managed to save them."
Former Roma chairperson Rosella Sensi: "Totti is the greatest player ever to wear the Roma jersey."
Former France midfielder Michel Platini: "Totti is an artist of football, a true number 10, just like I was."
Former Inter Milan forward Sandro Mazzola: "Totti is the god of football. I saw him play when he was 16 and he was a phenomenon, he knew to do everything: passes, shots, free-kicks, penalties."
Former AC Milan midfielder Gianni Rivera: "Totti is better than Roberto Baggio and Alessandro del Piero, even better than me."
Former Italy coach Marcello Lippi: "Totti is the monument of Italian football."
Former Roma manager Claudio Ranieri: "Francesco is a real champion, a professional, a lad with a heart of gold and he is Roma's captain."
Current Roma boss Luciano Spalletti: "He has achieved so much. Totti is a gift for football lovers everywhere. We all love him here."
1993 - makes his first-team debut at the age of 16, in a 2-0 Serie A win over Brescia
1998 - becomes Roma captain, the youngest man to ever be club captain of a Serie A team
2001 - wins his first (and only) Serie A title, scoring in the 3-1 win over Parma on the final day which clinched the championship
2004 - becomes Roma's all-time top scorer, breaking Roberto Pruzzo's record of 138. He would go on to smash that old landmark by 169 goals
2006 - plays all seven games as Italy win the World Cup, scoring once and providing assists for three more
2007 - wins the Serie A golden boot, and European Golden Shoe with 26 goals in the league. His 32 strikes in all competitions is the best haul of his career
2014 - becomes the oldest scorer in Champions League history with an equaliser against Manchester City, three days after his 38th birthday
2015 - scores twice in the derby with Lazio to become the joint top scorer in the Italian capital derby with 11 goals
2016 - comes off the bench with five minutes left against Torino and scores twice as Roma come from behind to win 3-2. Some fans are left in tears
2002 - is sent off after being shown a controversial yellow card for diving, as Italy lose to South Korea in the World Cup
2010 - is sent off for kicking Mario Balotelli in the Coppa Italia final and is accused of racism by the teenager, something Totti strongly denies. Totti considers retiring but decides to continue playing
2011 - falls out with Claudio Ranieri and considers leaving Roma but rediscovers his form after the manager quits
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Slaven Bilic has shrugged off the speculation surrounding his future as West Ham manager.

They are 12th in the Premier League but have lost their last three games, stoking rumours over his future.
But Bilic, who has another year on his contract, insists he just wants to get back to winning ways, starting at Hull on Saturday.
"I just concentrate on my job. Nothing has changed in the last few days. I am focused on the next game," he said.
"That [speculation] does not worry me. We are in a position where we can have a good finish to the season. But my head is clear and I am totally motivated and focused."
Hammers defender Aaron Cresswell says the players are fully behind their manager.
"Hopefully we can turn it around and take that pressure off everyone," said the 27-year-old.
"He is positive and passionate about his job. He is bubbly around the place and wants to stay in a positive mood and, as players, that's what we want.
"We know we haven't been good enough, especially of late."