Scotland's university application gap has narrowed slightly, with an increase in the number of people from deprived backgrounds applying for a place.

But those from more affluent areas are still far more likely to want to go to university, according to Ucas figures.
They showed 15.1% of youngsters from the poorest areas in Scotland submitted an application in 2015, up from 10.1% in 2006.
The application rate for the least-deprived areas was 52% this year.
That was up from 49.6% in 2006, the data showed.
There has been concern about an "attainment gap" in Scotland's education system between those from the wealthiest and least well-off areas of the country.
Education Secretary Angela Constance said the Ucas figures suggested that "welcome progress" was being made towards the long-term target of eradicating inequality in access to higher education.
But she acknowledged there was "undoubtedly more to do".
The Scottish government has set up a Commission on Widening Access, chaired by Dame Ruth Silver, which has begun its work to advise ministers on how best to tackle inequality in the education system.
Universities Scotland welcomed the the 50% growth in demand from those in Scotland's most deprived areas since 2006, which it said was testament to some of the work that universities were doing with young people and schools to raise aspiration in these groups.
Its director, Alastair Sim, said: "However, while the latest educational attainment figures published by the Scottish government earlier this week show that learners' attainment is improving in the most deprived areas they are still half as likely as the least deprived to achieve at Higher and Advanced Higher level.
"In order for these learners to fully realise their ambitions, and for universities to realise their goals to widen access, all education partners in Scotland must work together to close the education attainment gap."
NUS Scotland, which represents the country's students, welcomed the Ucas figures but urged universities and the Scottish government to ensure that the increase in applications translated to an increase in entries.
Its president-elect, Vonnie Sandlan, said the statistics suggested that the "hard work" done over the past few years to boost fair access to education was paying off.
She added: "It's clear that any lack of students from deprived backgrounds in our universities isn't due to a lack of aspiration on their part, as given the chance they have just as much potential to succeed as anyone else.
"It's incumbent on everyone working in Scottish higher education to carry this good work forward, and to ensure these increases continue.
"However, an increase in applications among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds doesn't necessarily equate to more of these young people actually being offered a place at university. The key will be ensuring that applicants become entrants."


Teenage schoolgirls from East London absconding to join Islamic State in Syria, 3,000-plus Europeans already in their ranks, and an endless stream of persuasive, slickly-produced online videos pouring into young people's computers and smartphones.

There are ample grounds for thinking that, in the propaganda war for the hearts and minds of young Muslims, governments are failing to stop their message getting through.
Here in the UK, a key part of the government's counter-terrorism strategy is called Prevent.
It is a programme aimed at stopping more people getting drawn towards violent extremism. But given the current trends listed above, is it failing?
"Of course it is failing," says Aminul Hoque, a lecturer and author on British Islamic identity at the University of London.
"As a strategy, as a government policy document, it has not worked. The irony is that it has become counter-productive.
"If the idea was to understand the roots of extremism, the roots of radicalisation, by putting a magnifying glass across the Muslim communities of Great Britain, what has happened is that has widened the schism between the 'Muslim' us and the British 'other'."
The Home Office, not surprisingly, disputes this view.
"We made sure Prevent would tackle all forms of terrorism, not just Islamist-related terrorism," their spokesman told me, adding that the programme was given a major overhaul in 2011.
The problem is that regardless of best intentions, if the programme is widely perceived as being discriminatory then it inevitably runs the risk of failure.
With an annual budget of Â£40m, the Prevent programme is one of four strands of CONTEST, the acronym given to the government's multi-pronged counter-terrorism strategy.
The other strands are Pursue, Prepare and Protect.
Of these four strands it is the most controversial and arguably the least successful. Its stated aim is to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Yet in the 12 years since its inception, the number of UK suspects coming to the attention of the police and security service has ballooned into the thousands.
Unlike Pursue, where success can be measured to some degree by the number of arrests and convictions, Prevent is a less clearly defined area that overlaps into sensitive areas like community cohesion.
The Home Office says there are now Prevent programmes in place in all key sectors, including local government, health, education, prisons, immigration and charities.
Since 2011, a team dedicated to removing extremist material from the internet has taken down over 75,000 pieces of "unlawful terrorist material".
The government says it has worked with over 250 mosques and 50 faith groups, distributing over 200,000 leaflets and posters in five languages warning people not to travel to Syria.
It also refers people to the "Channel programme", a de-radicalisation process that uses psychologists, social workers and religious experts to help counsel thousands of people considered vulnerable to extremist ideas.
Some have been stopped literally as they were about to board a plane heading to Syria.
Hannah Stuart, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a right-wing think-tank in London, says Prevent has had its successes but they are hard to quantify.
"There have been more incidents recently with community centres reporting their concerns to the police and agencies. We have seen potential incidents of terrorism stopped," she says.
"It is the messages we need to challenge... whether that is online or on the streets... we need to be equipping our young people with the critical thinking to assess those messages to be able to challenge them."
Dr Matthew Wilkinson, director of the think-tank Curriculum for Cohesion and an expert on Islamic ideology, believes part of the solution lies in better religious education.
"A very unhealthy gap has developed between the quality and status of religious education in schools because it is often a marginal subject.
"So for example, you get a statistic where 89% of British Muslim youngsters see Islam as their main identifier but RE is the least popular subject. So that speaks of a huge gap which RE is not filling in to create a proper place for young people."
Dr Wilkinson, whose expertise in Islamic theology has been used in 11 recent legal cases, is of the same view as the author Aminul Hoque when it comes to the success or failure of Prevent.
The government's counter-terrorism strategy has been remarkably successful at the level of security and the basic protection of British citizens, he says, with any number of plots foiled and people brought to justice.
But at the level of affecting hearts and minds for the better? "Prevent," he says, "has been largely unsuccessful."
You can follow Frank Gardner on Twitter: @FrankRGardner


Great Britain are sending their "best possible teams" to the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas in April.

There was criticism over Britain's squad for the most recent edition in 2015, with Richard Kilty saying he felt "let down" by several key absentees.
Among those missing were Adam Gemili, James Dasaolu and Chijindu Ujah.
This year's squad does include Gemili and Ujah, as well seven of the eight runners from Britain's two Olympic bronze-winning women's relay teams.
British Athletics performance director Neil Black said the selection showed that "we are taking these championships incredibly seriously".
"We really only have two competitive chances to test out our teams ahead of the World Championships in London this summer - this April in Nassau and at the European Team Championships in June," he added.
The top eight finishers in the 4x100m and 4x400m for both men and women will earn automatic entry for the London 2017 World Championships.
Women's 4x100m squad: Desiree Henry, Imani Lansiquot, Daryll Neita, Ashleigh Nelson, Asha Philip, Jodie Williams
4x400m: Eilidh Doyle, Emily Diamond, Kelly Massey, Laviai Nielsen, Anyika Onuora, Christine Ohuruogu
Men's 4x100m squad: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Ojie Edoburun, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Danny Talbot, Chijindu Ujah
4x400m: Theo Campbell, Jarryd Dunn, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Martyn Rooney, Delano Williams, Rabah Yousif


Tottenham Hotspur's Belgium midfielder Mousa Dembele has signed a new three-year contract with the club.

The 28-year-old, who was a £15m signing from Fulham in 2012, has scored three times in 18 games to help Spurs challenge for the Premier League title.
"The way we're playing, the way the club is developing, everything is very good," Dembele told the Spurs website.
"Everyone wants to be part of this team and this club. That's why I am proud to extend my contract."


Johnny Williams knows he has a fight on his hands to keep hold of the number 12 jersey at London Irish, despite a whirlwind start to his senior career.

The 19-year-old centre, a graduate of the Exiles' academy, has scored four tries in his first three appearances.
Two of those came on his Premiership debut against Wasps in front of a crowd of more than 42,000 at Twickenham.
"Scoring at Twickenham, it's something I've dreamed about since I started playing at the age of six," he said.
But, the Reading-born inside centre is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he targets both a continued run in Tom Coventry's side and a first Premiership win of the season for Irish.
"We've been unlucky with injuries in the centre and I've been given a shot," he told BBC Sport.
"I know those players are coming back and they're fantastic, but I'd love to keep the number 12 shirt and I hope I do.
"For me, it's about getting this experience and trying to be the best player that I can."
Williams, who has already represented England at under-17 and under-18 level, is now hoping to break through into the under-20 squad.
His brace against Wasps caught the national for the first time, but he still found fault in his own performance.
"I don't think I carried the ball as much as I have in previous games," Williams said.
"I made a lot of tackles as we spent a lot of time without the ball. It was a fantastic occasion with lots of friends of family, but it was a shame about the result."


A new city-based eight-team Twenty20 tournament has been given the go-ahead to start in 2020.

The proposals were approved by 38 of the 41 England and Wales Cricket Board members, with 15 first-class counties in support of the competition.
Essex and Middlesex were the only two counties to vote against the proposals, while Kent abstained from voting.
"I passionately believe that the game has chosen the right path," ECB chairman Colin Graves said.
The ECB needed 31 members to vote in favour of the tournament which will be played alongside the existing T20 Blast.
It is not yet known which cities will have sides and where the matches will be played.
"Each of our members will benefit and, critically, so will the whole game," Graves added. "We can now move on with building an exciting new competition for a new audience to complement our existing competitions.
"Our clear ambition is that this new competition will sit alongside the IPL and Big Bash League as one of the world's major cricket tournaments."
The ECB has said the competition will give cricket the chance to be part of "mainstream conversation" and believes the tournament can make the sport "relevant to a whole new audience".
However, Essex are concerned it will "exclude" certain areas of the country, while Middlesex feel they will not benefit financially from Lord's being a likely base for one of the teams.
But Graves said they would make sure it benefited all counties and it marked "an exciting new era" for cricket in England and Wales.
"The ECB executive and T20 development team will now continue to work with the game as we build the new competition, ensure it is positioned distinctively from our existing competitions and realise its full potential," he added.
"All decisions - including the creation and base of each team - will be made within the game, guided by our shared strategy and built on best practice, research and insight.
"The benefits it will bring can deliver a sustainable future for all 18 first-class counties and an exciting future for the game in England and Wales."


From Ronaldo and Real Madrid to Rotherham and Reading in six months.

That is the prospect facing new Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, who began this season at the Bernabeu plotting La Liga and Champions League success, but who could find himself managing in the Championship in August if his attempt to steer the second-bottom Magpies to Premier League safety fails.
The 55-year-old Spaniard counts two La Liga titles with Valencia, a Champions League success with Liverpool and a Europa League win with Chelsea among his many achievements, but he will have faced few challenges greater than the one awaiting him at St James' Park.
So what are the issues he must urgently address? How will he approach the task? And, most importantly of all, will he keep Newcastle in the Premier League?
Jeff Brown - news & sports presenter, BBC Look North
There have only been two things wrong with Newcastle this season - their attack and their defence.
Neighbours and relegation rivals Sunderland may have an escape route in Jermain Defoe, but the Magpies lack the 'get out of jail' card which a top-class striker can be.
A proven goalscorer can rescue the most desperate of situations - and Newcastle have been in several of those this season.
The club believes Aleksandar Mitrovic has the potential, which is why they paid £13m for him last summer, but their forward options lack Premier League experience.
So Benitez has to find goals from somewhere, and he must also shore up a creaky defence in which Fabricio Coloccini has looked anything but the type of captain who can lead his men out of the mire.
The fans - disillusioned as they are - will take no persuading, as long as the Spaniard can coax the team to follow the lead of newcomer Jonjo Shelvey and show a bit of fight. It's been missing in recent weeks… and months.
For the past few seasons, Sunderland have pulled off an escape act by changing managers in the home straight - and then taking points off Newcastle. The Tyne-Wear derby at St James' Park, a week on Sunday, will be crucial.
Jeff Brown
It is interesting to see Benitez has been given the title of "manager", which suggests the working model of recent years has been scrapped. No more head coaches - just one man in sole charge, which also hints that the job of chief scout Graham Carr may be under threat.
Carr's star has waned in recent years, with too many cheap French and Spanish imports, and too few Yohan Cabayes.
And for once, it's hard for fans to point the finger at owner Mike Ashley's unwillingness to splash the cash. More than £80m has been spent on turning a side which finished fifth-bottom of the Premier League last season into one which is currently on course for the Championship.
That appears to have focused Ashley's mind on the job in hand. The thought of losing a slice of that multi-million pound TV deal must be giving him sleepless nights, so it's easy to imagine him offering Benitez whatever it takes in return for the hope of Premier League survival.
Unlike McClaren, there's no mention of the new boss being given a seat on the board - a move which, even at the time of McClaren's appointment, seemed a bizarre decision. Was he involved in talks to sack himself? Did he suggest Rafa as his replacement?
McClaren said after his dismissal he thought he could have saved the club if he'd stayed. He won't find too many fans nodding in agreement.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Andy West - Spanish football writer
Benitez is widely perceived as a cautious, defensive-minded coach who is obsessed with tactics and systems, but his last couple of jobs do not really support that theory.
His final season in Italy ended with Napoli conceding 54 league goals - more than any other team in the top half of Serie A - and saw them miss out on a Champions League place by losing the last game of the season 4-2 against Lazio.
And in his most important game with Real Madrid, at home to Barcelona in November, Benitez fielded a remarkably attacking line-up which backfired disastrously as Barca romped to a one-sided 4-0 victory.
Indeed, throughout Benitez's brief Bernabeu reign he appeared caught in two minds, stuck between his defensive instincts and a desire to prove he could also oversee the attacking football which is traditionally expected from Real Madrid.
In the end, his team often did neither and his spell rarely suggested he was approaching the job with a clear footballing philosophy - although he has since claimed that the interference of president Florentino Perez hindered him from doing so.
Behind the scenes, Benitez keeps his distance from his players, seeking professional relationships rather than personal ones and leaving much of the day-to-day training activities to his coaching staff. But he does occasionally hammer home detailed tactical concepts, something which grated with his players at Real.
Andy West
Benitez was probably a dead man walking from the moment he stepped through the door at the Bernabeu, as very few people were happy with Perez's decision to axe his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti.
Even when his new team started the season well, the unrest which greeted Benitez's reign never truly dissipated and the first major criticism came in early October, when he was accused of adopting negative tactics in Real's 1-1 derby draw at Atletico Madrid.
But that was nothing compared to the flak he received following the woeful Clasico performance against Barcelona, and from that moment his departure was simply a matter of time.
It hardly helped Benitez's case that he struggled to earn the trust of senior players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos, who regarded him as aloof and dictatorial, sarcastically nicknaming him 'The Number 10' in reference to his modest playing career.
Repeated reports of frayed internal relationships were effectively confirmed when Real's players failed to offer their public support or thanks when Benitez was sacked in January - in stark contrast to their effusive and affectionate social media messages to Ancelotti when he departed.
The former Liverpool coach's often antagonistic approach to media relations also undermined his position and, with a trigger-happy president itching for an excuse to appoint club legend Zinedine Zidane, the only surprise was that Benitez lasted as long as he did.
Phil McNulty - BBC Sport chief football writer
In Benitez, Newcastle are now in the hands of one of football's arch-strategists and tactical plotters.
The Spaniard has set his sights on a return to the Premier League ever since he was sacked by Real Madrid and will have been analysing all clubs and angles in readiness for his return.
This is why it is unlikely he will be a stranger to Newcastle's problems and, with only 10 league games to go this season, will have gone straight to work in solving them on Friday.
He will be working on the defensive organisation that is his trademark and finding a way to make Newcastle more potent.
Benitez's personal animosity with Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will also add extra spice to the Tyne-Wear battle for Premier League survival.
And while Benitez's managerial experiences throughout his career have been at the top end of the league, he will have already familiarised himself with Newcastle's future opponents and what is needed to get the results required to stay up.
Benitez has the experience and Premier League knowledge to keep Newcastle up - and no-one should bet against him doing so.
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Jockey Liam Treadwell will miss Saturday's Grand National after a fall at Aintree on Friday.

Treadwell, who won the National in 2009 on 100-1 shot Mon Mome, will be replaced on Tenor Nivernais by Aidan Coleman.
Treadwell was taken to hospital after falling from Bright New Dawn in the Topham Chase.
"They are keeping him in overnight," said Venetia Williams, trainer of both Bright New Dawn and Tenor Nivernais.
"He says there is no way he's going to be able to ride," she added.


On 22 May, the people of Tajikistan will vote in a popular referendum on constitutional amendments that could effectively make leader Emomali Rakhmon president for life.

The bill removes the presidential term limit for "the leader of the nation", the title given to Mr Rakhmon.  He is currently serving his fourth term - and has used previous constitutional changes to get around the two-term limit.
His current term, which is supposed to be the last one, will end in 2020. But if the suggested amendments are adopted, he will be able to serve as many terms as he wishes.
And Mr Rakhmon normally has no difficulty in getting re-elected, although according to international observers, most elections in Tajikistan haven't met democratic standards.
Emomali Rakhmon has been in power since 1992, and has managed to increase his power by cracking down on political dissent and freedom of expression.
Mr Rakhmon has substantial public support - and his rather serious face can be seen on posters across Tajikistan.
People sing his praises and dedicate poems to him. And huge crowds turn up to presidential rallies - although attendance is obligatory for state employees.
Mr Rakhmon's supporters are grateful the civil war of the 1990s is over - but life is not easy for most Tajiks.
Tajikistan is the poorest country among post-Soviet states, with more than a third of its population living below the poverty line.
Many Tajiks are forced to go to countries like Russia to find work, and their remittances make up half of the country's GDP.
In contrast, the president's family members and close relatives are some of the richest people in the country, running major businesses and holding top government jobs.
Mr Rakhmon's daughter Ozoda was recently appointed as the head of the presidential administration, while his son Rustam Emomali is the director of the anti-corruption agency.
Many believe Rustam is being groomed to become his father's successor - and this view appears to be supported by the upcoming referendum.
One of the suggested changes proposes lowering the age limit for presidential candidates from 35 to 30. This means that Rustam Emomali, who is 29, will be able to run for presidency in the next elections in 2020 should it be necessary.
The constitutional amendments have been backed by the government and the courts.
Umed Davlatzod, deputy minister of economy, said the changes would "provide guarantees in protecting human rights and freedoms, and attract the youth into the political life".
The constitutional court, meanwhile, has ruled that the proposed amendments "will strengthen the constitutional regime" and "reflect the democratic development" of Tajik society.
However, critics say the proposals reflect cementing authoritarianism rather than democratic development.
Muhiddin Kabiri, a self-exiled leader of the main opposition Islamic Renaissance Party (IRP), told the BBC that the referendum is against democratic principles since it will ensure that power remains in one hand.
"The elite want to secure their rule for good," he said.
He claims his party was shut down last year because they were the only group that "could prevent one-man or one-family rule".
The constitutional amendments put to the referendum propose to ban any parties based on religion, making the Islamic Renaissance Party illegal.
That would end a peace deal agreed back in 1997.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a civil war broke out in Tajikistan as different groups started competing for power.
To end the bloodshed, the United Tajik Opposition (UTO), an alliance of political parties and local strongmen in which the IRP played a key role, signed a peace agreement with President Rakhmon.
According to this agreement, the IRP and other opposition groups became legal and Mr Rakhmon had to share power with them. The opposition was supposed to have a third of all cabinet seats.
But over time, UTO members were pushed out of the government.
Key opposition figures fled the country, fearing persecution - but also faced threats abroad.
Politician Mahmadruzi Iskandarov, who was in Russia, was brought to Tajikistan against his will in 2005 and jailed for terrorism.
Another activist, Umarali Quvatov, was killed by an unidentified gunman in Turkey in 2015.
Those who have tried to challenge the president from within Tajikistan have also faced difficulties.
Zayd Saidov, a former minister of industry and one of the richest men in Tajikistan, was arrested in 2013 shortly after he announced his plans to start a new opposition party.
And human rights activist Oynikhol Bobonazarova, who was nominated by the opposition as a presidential candidate during the 2013 elections, and who clearly posed little threat to the incumbent, says she was forced out of the race,
Ms Bobonazarova failed to get enough signatures to enrol as a candidate - which she blamed on the police harassing her supporters and campaign activists.
So, is Mr Rakhmon likely to become a de factor president for life, until he decides to hand power to his son?
Tajikistan is officially a democracy, and the changes still need to be accepted on a referendum.
But in Tajikistan elections and referendums rarely deliver surprise results, so few observers doubt that the popular vote will be overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed changes.


The structure of Highland Council must change to help it cope better with cuts in funding, councillors have been told.

In a paper to councillors, officers quote research such as a London borough council's "Graph of Doom" showing the effect of spending cuts on services.
The Highland officials also make reference to political commentators describing a period of "perma-austerity" for local government.
They recommend that the council reviews its priorities.
At a special meeting on Thursday, councillors will be asked to approve the start of work to reassess the council's structure, how it spends money and how it runs it services.
Officers have recommended that this process be inclusive and closely involve trade unions and the wider public.
"Citizens juries" could be set up across the region and used as "sounding boards" for controversial proposals, the officials have suggested.
An outline timescale for the re-design would see councillors agreeing to proposals by the end of this year and changes taking effect early next year.
Last month, Highland Council set its latest budget after councillors agreed to a package of savings.
The Graph of Doom was produced by Barnet Council several years ago to demonstrate rising costs in services and the squeeze on its funding.


Sea defences protecting coastal homes in a Gwynedd village will be maintained for 40 more years, residents have been told.

Fairbourne was expected to enter into "managed retreat" in 2025 due to the cost of maintaining defences.
Villagers claim their homes have since been devalued or remained empty.
Councillors told residents about the new scheme on Friday, but said the sea would be expected to reclaim the village after that.
The defences, managed by Natural Resources Wales, currently protect about 500 properties.
Councillor John Wynn Jones, cabinet member for the environment, said the council would work with residents to find solutions which were "acceptable to the community".
Residents will hold a closed meeting on 5 February to discuss the scheme.


A number of Turkish officers posted to Nato have sought asylum since the country's failed military coup in July, Nato's secretary-general has said.

Jens Stoltenberg said the officers had requested asylum in the countries where they had been posted but gave no names, numbers or reasons for the requests.
The countries involved will consider the cases individually.
Turkey has dismissed, suspended, detained or arrested tens of thousands of people since the July coup attempt.
Many have been in the military, although others are teachers, policemen, judges and journalists.
Who are the Gulenists?
Who was behind coup attempt?
Brief guide to Turkey's coup
US and EU officials have expressed concern over Turkey's use of emergency laws, which have been in place since the failed coup and which allow the president and cabinet effectively to rule by decree.
More than 240 people, many of them civilians, died in the events of 15 July.
The Turkish government's crackdown has targeted those it suspects of links to the man it believes masterminded the coup attempt - the cleric, Fethullah Gulen.
He lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania in the United States and has denied any involvement.
Mr Stoltenberg said on Friday: "Some Turkish officers working in the Nato command structure... have requested asylum in the countries where they are working."
German media have carried reports that some members of the Turkish military have requested asylum in Germany.
Mr Stoltenberg, who is to visit Istanbul on Sunday, also said there had been "a number of changeovers in the Nato command structure where Turkish personnel has been changed", adding that he expected Turkey to "fill all its posts".
More than 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended from posts, mainly in the military, civil service, academia, media and judiciary, since the failed coup, with about 36,000 people jailed pending trial.
Germany's Office for Migration and Refugees said on Friday it had received 4,437 political asylum requests from Turkish citizens up to the end of October, compared to 1,767 for the whole of last year.
Also on Friday, the UN rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye, warned of a "grim" climate in Turkey since the failed coup.
He said: "The conclusions I would say are fairly grim and reflect what I think is a deep sense of restriction on freedom of opinion and expression throughout the country."
Turkey denies it is using the failed coup as an excuse to remove opponents and insists that those without proven links to the attempt will be freed.


St Johnstone have completed the signing of defender Richard Foster from Ross County until the end of the season.

The former Aberdeen and Rangers full-back was part of the side that beat Hibernian in the League Cup final to deliver County's first major trophy.
Foster, 31, has been registered by Saints and is available for Saturday's early Premiership match against Celtic.
No fee was involved in the transfer, with Foster becoming Saints' fifth new arrival this summer.
He follows midfielders Paul Paton, Blair Alston and Michael Coulson, and fellow defender Keith Watson in joining the Perth outfit, who have finished fourth for the past two seasons.
"I am really happy to have made the move," Foster told BBC Scotland. "St Johnstone is a club that every club outside the top four look at as what they want to be.
"With Rangers out of the top division they've been in the top four and consistently in the top six. They've also won the Scottish Cup recently so it was an easy decision to make.
"[Saints manager Tommy Wright] seems to have a way of getting the best out of the players. The atmosphere seems really good and his relationship with the players."
Foster played 40 games for County last season after being released by Rangers last summer.
"I loved my time at County, it was really good for me," he added.
"I played most of the games, enjoyed my time there, won a cup and achieved top six which was the aim right at the start.
"It's come to an end but now I'm looking to replicate that sort of success with St Johnstone."


A human hand has been found by a dog after washing up on a beach.

The remains were discovered at Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight. They were given in by a member of the public at the Boat House at about 11:00 GMT, Hampshire Constabulary said.
Initial analysis has confirmed it is a human hand which had been in the water for a significant amount of time, the force said.
It has been sent away for further analysis.


Pictures of Indian PM Narendra Modi's 94-year-old mother changing banned notes at a bank have hit the headlines.

His mother, Heeraben, even posed with a new 2,000 rupee note outside the bank.
Modi supporters were quick to praise his mother for changing money like an ordinary person. But critics said she was being used for political ends.
Mr Modi has made emotional appeals to Indians to be patient after he banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in a crackdown on undeclared wealth.
People have been flocking to banks and ATMs to withdraw cash or exchange the old notes, resulting in chaotic scenes and long queues.
Police have had to be called in at some banks to calm tempers.
Mr Modi has asked people to remain calm and give his government 50 days to fully replace the banned notes with new ones. He added that the decision had been taken in the public interest to crack down on corruption and illegal cash holdings known as "black money".
His mother was caught in the full glare of media attention when she turned up in person at a village bank near the western city of Gandhinagar.
Some Twitter users said his supporters were sharing his mother's pictures in an attempt to pacify people who have been angered by the government move.
But others thanked Heeraben for setting an example.


The Syrian government has constructed a crematorium at a military prison to dispose of the remains of thousands of murdered prisoners, the US has alleged.

The State Department has released satellite images of the facility which it said was used to hide evidence.
Rights groups say thousands of inmates have been tortured and hanged at the military prison outside of Damascus.
Syria has not responded to the latest claims but it has in the past strongly denied any abuse at the jail.
In February, Amnesty International said that mass hangings had taken place every week at the jail between 2011 and 2015.
The government at that time dismissed Amnesty's claims as "baseless" and "devoid of truth", pointing out that all executions in Syria followed due process.
More allegations of abuse at Saydnaya resurfaced on Monday.
"Credible sources have believed that many of the bodies have been disposed in mass graves," Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones told reporters.
Thousands hanged at Saydnaya prison, Amnesty says
'How I was tortured in a Syrian jail'
"We now believe that the Syrian regime has installed a crematorium in the Saydnaya prison complex which could dispose of detainees' remains with little evidence," he said.
Evidence of the crematorium hiding or disguising mass murders at the prison will be presented to the international community, Mr Jones said.
He said that newly de-classified documentation "underscore the depths to which the Syrian regime has gone, with the continuing support of its allies, Russia and Iran".
"The facts we're presenting today are based on reporting from international and local non-governmental organisations, press reporting and also intelligence community assessments."
Mr Jones said the Syrian government had modified a building within the Saydnaya complex "to support" the suspected crematorium.
"Although the regime's many atrocities are well documented, we believe that the building of a crematorium is an effort to cover up the extent of mass murders taking place in Saydnaya prison," he said.
According to Amnesty's report in February, which was based on the testimony of witnesses, it was estimated that between 5,000 and 13,000 people were executed at Saydnaya over five years. Scores more suffered systematic torture, it said.
Every week and often twice a week, groups of between 20 and 50 people, mostly opposition supporters, were executed in total secrecy at the Saydnaya facility near Damascus, the rights organisation said.
The report said that executions had been authorised at the highest levels of government and that tens of thousands of people have been imprisoned during Syria's six-year-old civil war.
Amnesty said such practices amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity.


The first minister has said he is prepared for an "uncomfortable" process of listening to voters' concerns as Labour plans for the assembly election.

At an open event in Gorseinon, Gower, Carwyn Jones promised a "fresh and exciting" manifesto for 2016 to answer claims the party had run out of ideas.
Labour lost Gower to the Tories at the general election in May after holding the seat for more than 100 years.
Some activists told Mr Jones the party was not listening to its grassroots.
The warning came on Friday as Welsh Labour held the first in a series of question-and-answer sessions open to the general public and party members.
"We want a fresh and exciting manifesto," Mr Jones said.
"To get to that point, you go through a testing process, sometimes an uncomfortable process in order to get there.
"That's how you end up with a good offer to people."
But Gareth Phillips, a Labour councillor from Bridgend, said party officials in Cardiff failed to heed warnings that Gower was under threat, preferring to focus campaign efforts on attempts to capture the Vale of Glamorgan from the Conservatives.
"You are not listening to grassroots activists," he told Mr Jones.
"Consultations are great, but they're only great if people are listened to.  I don't think [Welsh Labour HQ] Transport House are listening - that's your starting point."
Mr Jones said later: "There is a need to change the party structure, that's true, but I don't think it causes us to lose elections."
The first minister was joined in Gorseinon by Deputy Culture Minister Ken Skates, who has been given the job of preparing the manifesto.
Ministers have defended a separate Welsh government "Carwyn Connect" tour against Tory claims that taxpayers are funding Labour's re-election campaign.
"Our antenna broke," a Welsh Labour spin doctor says, reflecting on the general election.
In other words, Labour lost contact with the people and places who have traditionally kept its campaigns on track.
The outcome was that Labour not only failed to take ground from the Tories, it lost ground.
Take Gower, for example. A Labour campaigner there told me he went to the count on election night expecting to retain the constituency by about 1,000 votes.
Instead, the Conservatives won the seat - a seat Labour had held for more than 100 years - by just 27 votes.
The result surprised Labour.  So, no surprises that Carwyn Jones and Ken Skates, the deputy minister writing Welsh Labour's 2016 manifesto, were in Gower today to hear what people have to say.
They're on the road to meet the public - not just Labour members - and make sure Labour's offer in 2016 matches voters' concerns.
It's a genuine listening exercise, we're told.
But we've heard that before. Didn't Ed Miliband say his party would hold millions of conversations with voters earlier this year?
And I remember the same spin doctor - he of the broken antenna - telling me in the run up to the 2011 assembly election that Labour really was consulting widely to deliver a fresh manifesto.
Will things be different this time?
The intention isn't just to learn lessons from the general election, but to convince the world that Labour wants to learn those lessons, even if it means locking horns with voters who think the Welsh government has made a hash of running public services.
There's no doubt the party's antenna needs repairing.  Until it's working again, Labour can't be sure it's hit the bottom: it can't be sure the general election was as bad as it gets, or whether there's worse to come.


Northern Ireland's oldest reconciliation centre Corrymeela is celebrating its 50th anniversary today with a series of events this weekend.

Former Irish President Mary Robinson, director at the US Institute of Peace Kathleen Kuehnast, and poet Michael Longley will be speaking at a gala in Belfast City Hall on Friday.
The organisation was founded by Ray Davey and students from Queen's University in 1965 to promote dialogue between Catholics and Protestants.
Robinson will be speaking about her work in climate justice at the event.
A service at St Anne's Cathedral on Sunday will also commemorate the establishment of Corrymeela.
The service will include the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Roman Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin and a number of other Christian leaders.
The organisation works with a range of community groups throughout Northern Ireland in an attempt to foster social cohesion.
Volunteer Beni Stuckelberger said that he can see tangible results in the centre's work.
"You can measure it by just looking at groups when they come at the beginning of the week how they interact with each other at the beginning and how they interact at the end," he said.
"At the start of a week with them I might see them in their own little groups and not interact with other groups and at the end they're all just interacting all together, having fun - that shows me we did something right."
The centre has broadened to embrace new members of Northern Ireland, he said.
"It builds bridges between different communities. Between Catholic and Protestant, and also new members of Northern Ireland society like immigrants and people who've lived here for generations, and between LGBT communities and straight people."
Prince Charles visited the centre in May this year to commemorate the centre's 50th anniversary.
He said: "It is time that we become the subjects of our history and not its prisoners.
We have all suffered too much. Too many people's loved ones have been killed or maimed."
"Surely it is time that we become the subjects of our history and not its prisoners.  Surely too, through the roots of Corrymeela, we can discover lessons that can serve as a model to all who strive for peace."


A man has been jailed for at least 23 years for the murder of his partner's 13-month-old son.

Noah Serra-Morrison died as a result of a skull fracture at his home in Crawley Road, Luton in November.
Hardeep Hunjan, 27, was given a life term after being found guilty of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child at Luton Crown Court on Thursday.
Noah's mother Ronnie Tayler-Morrison, 22, was jailed for six-and-a-half years for causing or allowing his death.
Medical experts said the boy's injuries were similar to those found in people involved in a car crash or who had fallen from a building.
Tayler-Morrison will also serve two years for cruelty, to be served concurrently. She was acquitted of murder.
Hunjan was told he must serve a minimum of 23 years before being eligible for parole.
At sentencing, Mr Justice Baker said: "In my view neither of you have provided a truthful account and it remains a mystery why you, Hunjan, attacked him.
"But at some stage you took hold of Noah and in addition to punching him to his head, you swung him into one of the walls with sufficient force to cause a fracture to his skull and all four of his limbs."
Noah died after sustaining a six inch (15cm) head injury, believed to have been caused by being slammed against a hard surface such as a wall or floor.
He had also suffered multiple limb fractures consistent with being twisted or swung.
The court heard the couple had binged on drink and drugs during Noah's last hours and blamed each other for his death.
The jury was told they delayed calling paramedics for an hour as they tried to cover up the crime - claiming the child had fallen from his cot.
Hunjan and Tayler-Morrison repeatedly lied to police during interviews and fled to Scotland after being released on bail.


A Polish military prosecutor has shot himself in the head after cutting short a news conference in his office, officials and media reports say.

Col Mikolaj Przybyl was defending a military investigation into media leaks related to the air crash that killed the Polish president in 2010.
He asked reporters to leave so that he could take "a break".
Upon hearing a loud thud, the reporters returned to find him on the floor with a pool of blood around his head.
Mr Przybyl, who was in his office in Poznan, western Poland, is now in hospital in stable condition. His life is not in danger, according to hospital officials.
One of the reporters present told Polish television: "We heard a loud thud and we went back into the room thinking one of the cameras had fallen over. Then we saw the prosecutor motionless on the ground in a pool of blood, his military gun beside him."
In television pictures of the news conference, Col Przybyl is seen reading out a statement to reporters: "During my entire service as a civilian and later military prosecutor, I have never brought shame to the Republic of Poland and I will protect the honour of an officer of the Polish armed forces and prosecution. Thank you, please give me a five-minute break, I need to rest."
He then walks out of shot and the sound of a gun being cocked can be heard followed by a loud bang.
At the news conference, Mr Przybyl had denied prosecutors in Poznan, western Poland, had eavesdropped on journalists who were investigating the crash, AFP news agency reports.
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has said in a statement he was "concerned" about the incident and had asked the head of the national security bureau to monitor the situation.
The plane taking then President Lech Kaczynski's delegation to a memorial service for the victims of the 1940 Katyn massacre of Polish officers by Soviet secret police crashed in thick fog in Smolensk, western Russia, on 10 April 2010.
As well as MR Kaczynski, his wife and 94 senior officials also died when the jet tried to land.
Investigators blamed pilot error.


A 15-year-old boy has been charged over the vandalism of headstones at a Fife graveyard.

More than 65 headstones were damaged between Saturday 28 May and Sunday 29 May at Leslie Cemetery in Glenrothes.
Insp Joanne McEwan, of Police Scotland, said: "The investigation is still ongoing and we are following other positive lines of enquiry.
"I'd like to add that I'm grateful for the support from the local community in assisting us with this."


Peter Robinson has said "Northern Ireland is a place transformed" in his final leader's speech to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) annual conference.

He told his party devolution had brought "peace and prosperity" and added that he looked back "with pride at all that we together have achieved".
He said after three years of problems at Stormont, the latest 'Fresh Start' deal means "politics can work again".
He is to quit as Northern Ireland first minister and DUP leader within weeks.
Mr Robinson announced his retirement on Thursday, two days after the agreement was struck between the DUP, Sinn FÃ©in and the British and Irish governments.
The Fresh Start document addressed some but not all of the issues that had caused months of political deadlock and placed the future of devolution in doubt.
Mr Robinson told the DUP's annual party conference on Saturday "my work is almost done, and now it is time for the next generation to step forward".
"I wanted to make sure that I was handing over the reins of a political process that was stable and secure for the long term.
"After a seemingly endless process I am delighted that we have finally reached agreement on the way forward.  We have resolved all those toxic issues that threatened the continuation of devolution."
"So as I prepare to bow out I do so in the knowledge that the province is on safe ground and this party is in good shape to take Northern Ireland forward."
Read more: Peter Robinson: Timeline of life and career
Mr Robinson was cheered and given a standing ovation as he took to the podium at the La Mon House hotel, with many of this party colleagues hugging him and shaking his hand.
He told them Northern Ireland's place within the UK is "secure" and congratulated them on maintaining their position as "Northern Ireland's largest party".
"Ulster is no longer at the crossroads - we're on the motorway and on a clear path to a better future," he said.
The DUP leader said the Fresh Start deal had removed "the threat of bankruptcy and collapse" from Stormont.
"The fundamental block on politics these last three years has been the refusal of some to face up to financial realities and accept welfare reform.
"That impasse soured relations; starved key public services of much needed resources, and threatened the executive with financial ruin.
"This deal ends that uncertainty and removes the obstacles to progress."
Outside the conference there was a small protest from same-sex marriage campaigners who criticised the DUP for blocking a recent assembly vote on the issue.
But inside there was nothing but hugs and cheers for the outgoing leader, with some members weeping openly as his last speech drew to its conclusion.
Mr Robinson is one of the founding members of the DUP and his political career has lasted more than 40 years.
He took over as first minister and DUP leader from the late Ian Paisley in 2008.
His formal retirement will not take effect until some time around the end of the year, but he said he intends to remain as a member of the DUP after he steps down.


The machine that will enable the NHS's first proton beam therapy (PBT) unit to treat cancer patients will arrive later.

Manchester's Christie hospital will be the first NHS unit to provide the treatment, meaning patients needing PBT will no longer have to go abroad.
Up to 750 patients will use the new unit due to open in August 2018.
University College London Hospital (UCLH) is due to open its own PBT centre in 2020.
The government has invested £250m into building the two new NHS centres. Currently, only low-energy treatment is available in the UK for rare eye cancers.
Last year, the NHS sent 210 patients abroad for PBT - mostly to the US and Switzerland - at a cost of about £114,000 each.
The 90-ton machine - called a cyclotron - weighs more than 11 double-decker buses but is no bigger than a family car.
The building it will sit in has had to be reinforced with 270 separate timber, steel or concrete posts to support the structure.
It uses charged particles instead of X-rays to deliver radiotherapy for cancer patients.
The treatment allows high-energy protons to be targeted directly at a tumour, reducing the dose to surrounding tissues and organs.
In general, patients suffer fewer side effects compared with high-energy X-ray treatments.
It can be used to treat spinal cord tumours, sarcomas near the spine or brain, prostate cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and some children's cancers.
Sources: NHS England, Cancer Research UK
Erin Birdsey from Northwich, Cheshire, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged six, was sent abroad by the NHS to the US for PBT treatment.
Erin's mum Rachael, said: "At the age she was... to be able to spare as many healthy brain cells as possible, which [PBT] does, it makes such a difference.
"To have [PBT] so close to home, and be able to receive that treatment and carry on a lot better than taking 10 weeks out of your life and going to another country, that can only be a positive thing."
The use of PBT was highlighted by the case of five-year-old Ashya King, which received global attention in 2014 when his parents were briefly detained after taking him abroad for the treatment.
Against medical advice in Southampton, they took Ashya - who had a brain tumour - to receive PBT treatment in the Czech capital of Prague. The NHS ultimately agreed to fund his care.
Professor Tony Lomax, deputy director of the Paul Scherrer Institute in Northern Switzerland, who is originally from Salford, has advised the NHS on bringing the treatment to the UK.
He said: "Probably for some patients modern radiotherapy is extremely good. But with [PBT] we can take on more complicated tumours and with children we really want to reduce the radiation dose to the normal tissue so I think this is where the technique has a fantastic advantage."
PBT is also being made available in private clinics in the UK.
Proton Partners International (PPI) opened the Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newport in February, and it will be open for PBT early next year.
PPI is also building three more proton beam centres - in Northumberland, Reading and Liverpool.
Chief executive Mike Moran, said: "We will treat NHS, private medical insurance and self-paid patients. The NHS is planning assumptions on 1% of patients who currently receive radiotherapy requiring proton beam therapy, which is 1,500 patients."
However, Mr Moran said he believes a greater proportion of patients need PBT.
"We're building a network of centres... It gives patients more choice."


The UK's new prime minister Theresa May has vowed to lead a "one nation" government that works for all not just the "privileged few".

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street after being appointed by the Queen, she said it would be her mission to "build a better Britain".
She promised to give people who were "just managing" and "working around the clock" more control over their lives.
Mrs May is the UK's second female prime minister, after Margaret Thatcher.
Mrs May later began appointing Cabinet members, with Philip Hammond - foreign secretary under Mr Cameron - becoming chancellor and Boris Johnson becoming the new foreign secretary.
Mrs May's husband Philip was standing behind her as she made her first public speech in the role, highlighting the "precious bond" between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and between "every one of us".
"That means fighting against the burning injustice that if you're born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others," she said.
For an "ordinary working class family", she added, "life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise".
Speaking directly to people who were "just managing", she said: "The government I lead will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours. We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives.
"When we take the big calls, we'll think not of the powerful, but you.
"When we pass new laws, we'll listen not to the mighty, but to you. When it comes to taxes, we'll prioritise not the wealthy, but you.
"When it comes to opportunity, we won't entrench the advantages of the fortunate few, we will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you."
She also paid tribute to her predecessor, David Cameron, saying he had been a "great, modern prime minister".
Mrs May arrived at Downing Street from Buckingham Palace, where she officially accepted the Queen's invitation to form a new government.
Earlier the Queen accepted Mr Cameron's resignation as prime minister.
In his farewell statement outside Downing Street, Mr Cameron said Mrs May would provide "strong and stable leadership" and wished her well in her negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU.
Like Mr Cameron, Mrs May campaigned to remain in the EU but has said she will respect the will of the people, as expressed in 23 June's referendum, saying: "Brexit means Brexit".
She has moved quickly to fill key roles in her cabinet.
Amber Rudd is the new home secretary, David Davis has been given the new role of Brexit secretary and Liam Fox becomes international trade secretary. Michael Fallon remains in the role of defence secretary.
Mr Johnson, Mr Davis and Mr Fox all supported the campaign to leave the EU.
Mrs May, 59, suddenly won the Conservative leadership contest after rival candidate Andrea Leadsom pulled out on Monday.
Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson, offered his congratulations to Mrs May but warned she would have to deal with the "enormous economic uncertainty and insecurity" caused by leaving the EU.
He said: "We've today had warm words from our new prime minister about the need to stand up for more than a 'privileged few'.
"The sentiments are good ones but just like her predecessor the rhetoric is much better than the reality."


David Cameron has received Denmark's backing for his EU renegotiation after Poland said plans to limit benefits for migrants need "further discussion".

Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen said plans for a brake on benefit payments were "understandable and acceptable" and he would be as "supportive as possible" to keep the UK in the EU.
Mr Cameron is trying to garner support for an EU-wide deal in two weeks' time.
He insisted any agreement would be "legally binding and irreversible".
However, European Parliament president Martin Schulz has said he could not guarantee MEPs would "adopt" the welfare proposals without amendment and said they would be subject to months of debate, potentially delaying their implementation.
Mr Cameron, who has spent the day in Poland and Denmark, has said he is making progress towards his goal of rewriting the terms of the UK's membership of the EU.
He needs the backing of all 28 EU leaders for his draft renegotiation package and hopes to secure it at a summit on 18 and 19 February, thus paving the way for a UK referendum in June.
Following talks in Copenhagen, Mr Rasmussen said Denmark - a country historically sceptical about the EU and which also retains its own currency - did not object to any of the UK's proposals and did not expect them to be significantly amended in the coming weeks.
He said the EU needed to retain a "strong British voice". "I truly believe that adopting this package will create a better Europe," he said.
On the issue of welfare curbs, which is proving a stick point for a number of other EU members, Mr Rasmussen said individual members should be able to "protect" their national welfare systems from abuse.
"It creates momentum towards the goal of ensuring that the EU does not develop into a social union," he said.
"We need to ensure that EU citizens move across borders to work, not to seek a high level of benefits.
"The package also contains an emergency brake which is specifically designed to handle the particular problems faced by the UK in regard to in-work benefits. That is perfectly understandable and acceptable to us."
Poland and other members of the so-called Visegrad group - the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia - have expressed about the welfare restrictions, warning that it breaks freedom of movement rules and discriminates against their citizens.
Poland could have been a difficult country for David Cameron to win over.
With a million Poles working in the UK the prospect of new welfare curbs on EU workers has been particularly contentious in Warsaw.
Politicians there have consistently warned against any measure that would cause discrimination.
But now, on the table, is a proposal Poland seems set to support.
After meeting David Cameron this morning, the leader of the governing Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said he was "satisfied" with the plans to reduce in-work benefits for four years and stressed the measure wouldn't affect Poles already living in Britain.
Mr Kaczynski is a power-broker in Polish politics and said his country had gained "very much" from the negotiations, including the right of Polish workers in the UK to continue sending child benefit back home, albeit at a reduced rate.
Speaking after a meeting with the Danish prime minister in Copenhagen, a buoyant David Cameron sounded optimistic about sewing up a deal.
After talks with Mr Cameron, Polish PM Beata Szydlo said she backed the UK's plans to boost national sovereignty and raise competitiveness but said the welfare needed to be "ironed out" to ensure Poles in the UK were not disadvantaged.
"There are always topics that need to be ironed out," she told reporters. "Over a million Poles live and work in Britain. Their work is growing Britain's GDP and we want them to enjoy the same kind of opportunities for development as Britons."
Mr Cameron said the talks were "very good" but acknowledged there was "important detail to be filled in".
He stressed he was working towards a "full strategic partnership" between the two countries on a range of issues, including that of security, amid Polish concerns about the growth of Russian influence on its eastern flank and what Nato's response will be.
Countries on the EU's eastern flank are to meet next week before providing a joint response to the reform package, Hungary's foreign minister said.
The draft proposals were published by European Council president Donald Tusk on Tuesday after months of negotiations between UK and EU officials and pave the way for Britain's EU referendum to take place as early as June.
An EU source close to the negotiations told the BBC the proposals had met initial resistance from many countries and Mr Cameron faced two weeks of "difficult" negotiations before the summit in Brussels.
Referendum timeline: What will happen when?
Guide: All you need to know about the referendum
The view from Europe: What's in it for the others?
More: BBC News EU referendum special


Racism remains "a blight" on society, US President Barack Obama says, in the wake of the killing of nine African-Americans in a South Carolina church.

Police are treating the killings at the church in Charleston on Wednesday night as a hate crime.
Earlier, Dylann Roof, 21, appeared in court to face nine murder charges.
He showed no emotion as relatives of the victims addressed him directly. "I forgive you" said one victim's daughter, fighting back tears.
Speaking in San Francisco, Mr Obama said: "The apparent motivations of the shooter remind us that racism remains a blight that we have to combat together.
"We have made great progress, but we have to be vigilant because it still lingers.
"And when it's poisoning the minds of young people, it betrays our ideals and tears our democracy apart."
But the president praised the families of the victims for the forgiveness they had shown.
He said it was "an expression of faith that is unimaginable but that reflects the goodness of the American people".
Mr Obama also called for a new debate on gun control, and pushed Congress to follow public opinion.
"It's not enough for us to express sympathy; we have to take action," he said.
A previous proposed bill banning assault weapons failed to win backing in the Senate.
At a Charleston sports arena, thousands gathered on Friday evening to remember the victims with prayers. They joined hands to sing We Shall Overcome.
Ahead of the vigil, Mayor Joseph Riley said: "A hateful person came to this community with some crazy idea he'd be able to divide, but all he did was unite us and make us love each other even more."
A steady stream of people also brought flowers to place at a memorial in front of the church.
The Roof family earlier released a statement through their lawyer.
"Words cannot express our shock, grief and disbelief as to what happened that night. We are devastated and saddened by what occurred," the family wrote.
"We have all been touched by the moving words from the victims' families offering God's forgiveness and love in the face of such horrible suffering."
In court in Charleston on Friday afternoon, Mr Roof spoke to confirm his name, age and address and said he was unemployed.
Then relatives were invited by the judge to come forward and speak.
A woman who identified herself as the daughter of Ethel Lance said: "You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again.
"I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you. And [may God] have mercy on your soul."
Anthony Thompson, a relative of Myra Thompson, told Mr Roof to repent and to turn to Jesus Christ. "I forgive you and my family forgives you," he said.
Also speaking in court was Felecia Sanders, who survived the attack on Wednesday night by playing dead. Her son, Tywanza, was fatally wounded.
"We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms.
"You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fibre in my body hurts ... and I'll never be the same," she said to Mr Roof, who appeared via a video feed.
The victims of the Charleston shooting
Meanwhile, one of Mr Roof's friends, Christon Scriven, told the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan that Mr Roof had considered a university as a potential target.
Mr Scriven said Mr Roof "wanted to shoot that school up, UCA University of Charleston. It's three miles up the street from that church".
But Mr Scriven, who is black, did not think Mr Roof would actually follow through.
"So how do you take it serious?" he said. "How many friends do you have in your lifetime that's killed somebody?"
Court documents have revealed new details about the shooting.
Mr Roof entered the church just after 20:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Wednesday night and remained with the worshippers for nearly an hour before launching his attack.
All of the victims were hit multiple times, the documents said.
Before leaving, Mr Roof stood over one person who was not shot and "uttered a racially inflammatory statement".
That person has not been named, and has been described only as a "witness" in the court documents.
Mr Roof has been remanded in custody.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said the state would "absolutely" look for the death penalty.
Cornell William Brooks, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said: "This was not merely a mass shooting, not merely a matter of gun violence, this was a racial hate crime and must be confronted as such."


A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck the Los Angeles area of southern California, the US Geological Survey says.

The quake happened at about 21:10 local time on Friday (04:10 GMT on Saturday) and its epicentre was 1 mile (2km) east of the town of La Habra.
There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries.
A 4.4-magnitude quake was felt near Los Angeles earlier this month, rattling nerves but causing no major damage.
The latest earthquake was shallow at only 1.2 miles (2km) deep, according to the USGS.
It was felt across four counties, from Palm Springs in the east and Ventura County to the north, Reuters news agency reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was checking buildings and transport infrastructure for damage.
It said the quake was a reminder for people to be prepared.
The San Andreas fault, on the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate, runs directly through California, and the western US state has long braced for a devastating quake.
The 1994 Northridge quake, at 6.7 magnitude, left at least 60 people dead. A 6.9-magnitude quake in San Francisco five years earlier killed 67 people.


A motorist who died after his car smashed into a concrete barrier in North Lanarkshire has been named by police.

Ross Sloan, 21, from the Newton Mearns area of East Renfrewshire, was killed on the northbound M80 near the Moodiesburn junction on Thursday evening.
Police said his red Vauxhall Corsa appeared to go out of control before hitting the central barrier.


England missed a run-out off the final ball as South Africa won the first Twenty20 international by three wickets in Cape Town.

England made only 134-8 despite being well set on 50-1 after six overs, Jos Buttler top-scoring with 32 not out while spinner Imran Tahir took 4-21.
The hosts needed 15 runs from the final over and two off the last delivery.
Chris Morris scampered two as bowler Reece Topley failed to collect Joe Root's throw from long-off.
Morris, who also produced a match-winning 62 off 38 balls in the fourth one-day international, finished with 17 not out off seven balls.
The defeat was England's fourth in a row following their 3-2 reverse in the one-day series, but only their first loss in seven Twenty20 internationals.
The second game of the two-match series takes places in Johannesburg on Sunday.
That will be England's last competitive match before their opening game of the World Twenty20 on 16 March.
England knew they needed wickets to have any chance of winning and their hopes were boosted when Chris Jordan (3-23) dismissed AB de Villiers cheaply and Ben Stokes (1-19) removed Hashim Amla for 22 in a wicket-maiden.
Adil Rashid claimed the wicket of JP Duminy and fellow spinner Moeen Ali struck twice, including the wicket of top scorer Faf du Plessis for 25, to make the hosts nervous.
David Miller hit a six and a four in the 18th over but Jordan had him caught on the boundary and bowled David Wiese via an inside edge in a superb penultimate over that cost only six runs.
After Kyle Abbott ran a single off the first ball of the final over, Morris struck successive full tosses from Topley for four and six.
However, a dot ball was followed by two to long-off, leaving Morris on strike for the last delivery of the game.
Root's throw on the bounce was accurate but Topley, at the non-striker's end, fumbled the ball with Morris short of his ground.
Had Topley completed the run-out, the game would have gone to a super over.
Alex Hales helped get England off to a promising start with the bat but became Tahir's first wicket when he was caught for 27, Duminy taking a high catch despite team-mate Kagiso Rabada almost rugby-tackling him in a race for the ball.
Three balls later Root fell for eight to Wiese's first delivery and Stokes was stumped off Tahir the ball after hitting a muscular six.
Tahir then dismissed Morgan for 10 and Moeen first ball, and came within a whisker of a hat-trick as Jordan was beaten by a googly that went between bat and pad.
Helped by the accurate Wiese, who conceded only 19 off four overs, South Africa allowed only one boundary between the start of the eighth over and the end of the 14th.
England's 100 came up in 16th over but with Buttler restrained by the circumstances, they were unable to set the total they would have desired.
South Africa are now unbeaten in their past 13 matches against England at Newlands - a run that goes back to January 1957.
They have won 10 and drawn three matches, having played six Tests, five ODIs and two T20s.
England captain Eoin Morgan: "After a pretty poor batting display our bowlers nearly pulled it out of the bag.
"Stokes and Jordan got as much as they could out of the pitch. The more and more we play the more responsibility the bowlers take on their shoulders.
"We created chances with an under-par score. That is a huge positive.
"We have had a reasonably good run in T20s and probably should have won tonight when we didn't deserve to."
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis: "That's a massive get-out-of-jail card.
"Neither team played their best because the wicket was two-paced and not a normal T20 wicket, but I have a smile on my face because we won.
"We didn't start well. Twenty20 cricket is all about executing plans and we let them get away at the start. Our bowlers came back by getting wickets.
"We tried to learn from their mistakes - maybe they went a bit hard at the ball - and we tried to play deeper. We messed it up a little but Chris Morris, the million-dollar man, saved us."


The Rugby Football League has approved plans to raise the salary cap in Super League from £1.825m to £2.1m by 2020.

The clubs had voted in favour of the increase by a majority of seven to five at a meeting on Wednesday.
In addition, clubs can have two marquee players - up from one - with exemptions for new or returning players as well as some under the age of 21.
The 12 teams will be able to spend £1.9m next year, £2m in 2019 and then £2.1m in 2020.
It is below the Australian National Rugby League cap of £4.25m for 2017, while, in rugby union, the English Premiership cap is £7m.
Super League's chief commercial officer Roger Draper says the increase will put clubs in a stronger position to compete to bring some former league players back to the sport from rugby union, such as Kyle Eastmond, who left St Helens to join Bath in 2011, and Chris Ashton, an ex-Wigan player currently at Toulon.
When asked by BBC Radio Manchester if this is an attempt to target union players, he replied: "Yes, there are rugby union players out there and returning talent.
"There is speculation around Kyle Eastmond and Chris Ashton, those sort of players, who have made an impact and want to come back into rugby league as well."
Wigan Warriors owner Ian Lenagan voted in favour of the new proposal and said: "We need the best players playing in our competition and when all of the proposals that were voted through are looked at together, the decisions that were made will provide Super League clubs the opportunity to do that."
However, Wakefield coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds the changes will make things tougher for his club.
"I think it's divisive and it will make the gap between the top and the bottom wider. I find it bemusing," he said.
"There won't be any marquee players at Wakefield Trinity for the foreseeable future. It's something we won't be using."
Marquee players
New and returning players
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South Yorkshire Police is investigating 183 child sex abuse (CSE) cases, a new report has revealed.

The study by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for South Yorkshire, Dr Alan Billings, said officers investigating CSE had the highest caseload of any part of the force.
It equates to an average of more than nine crimes per officer.
Dr Billings said most of the cases were historical, making them particularly difficult to investigate.
The findings come less than three months after the Drew Report concluded South Yorkshire Police had been "seriously under-resourced" in its early attempts to tackle CSE and its response to safeguarding those at risk had been "inadequate", particularly in Rotherham.
"With non-recent cases of abuse, [officers] have to put together a case where there may be no forensic evidence so are very dependent on witnesses and their statements, and all of them holding up in court," Dr Billings said.
"You need a lot of care wrapped around the victims and the witnesses."
The Drew Report was commissioned in the wake of the Jay Report which found that at least 1,400 girls were abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
Dr Billings said the rise of CSE reports to the force was "actually a good thing in the sense that people have now the confidence to come forward".
The new report said the investigations had led to "considerable operational demand on CSE investigators with 183 ongoing investigations".
It continued: "Public protection officers currently have the highest caseload of any part of the force, an average of over 9 crimes per officer in spite of the investment in staff.
"In spite of the difficulties presented the outcome rate for offences recorded between April 2015 and March 2016 shows 37% resolved by way of charge/summons, caution, restorative justice or other sanction, most being resolved by charge or summons."


Mikhail Lesin, the Russian media figure found dead in a Washington hotel room in November, made his name in PR and advertising in the 1990s.

He founded advertising agency Video International or Vi - still one of Russia's biggest - and  went on to became head of the state news agency RIA Novosti.
In 1996, he devised the advertising campaign that helped then President Boris Yeltsin win re-election.
The US authorities are investigating his death aged 57. Coroners say he died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.
His son - Anton Lessine - has made a name for himself as a Hollywood film producer.
Mikhail Lesin, once regarded as a free media pioneer, became one of the first in Russia to advocate tightening state control of the internet - a policy the Kremlin appears to have pursued with greater vigour in recent years.
As minister for communications and media (1999-2004), he oversaw the hostile takeover of NTV by state-controlled Gazprom-Media in 2000. It happened a month after Vladimir Putin was sworn in as president.
At the time NTV, Russia's third national TV station, was critical of Kremlin policy, including the war in Chechnya. In the takeover, businessman Vladimir Gusinsky lost control of NTV and other major media assets and was imprisoned.
In 2004, the European Court of Human Rights accepted Mr Gusinsky's argument that the state had forced him to sell his media business in return for fraud charges against him being dropped. It ordered the Russian state to pay him â‚¬88,000 (Â£69,000, $97,700).
Lesin was also responsible for the closure of channels TV-6 and TVS and instrumental in setting up international broadcaster RT (Russia Today) in 2005, the Kremlin's TV mouthpiece abroad.
His role in bringing media outlets into the Kremlin orbit earned him the nickname The Bulldozer.
In November 2009, Lesin was sacked from his post of presidential media adviser, apparently over a conflict of interests.
He became head of Gazprom-Media in 2013, overseeing NTV when it broadcast a number of documentary films targeting the opposition.
He resigned in late 2014, citing family reasons, but respected Russian newspaper RBK reported that he had fallen out with a Gazprom-Media shareholder and close Putin associate, Yuri Kovalchuk.
In 2014, the US Department of Justice and the FBI launched an investigation into Lesin's property in the US, amid suspicions of corruption and money laundering.
In a 2014 letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder, US Senator Roger Wicker raised concerns about the California property Lesin had bought since moving his family to the US.
"He acquired multiple residences at a cost of over $28 million," he wrote. "That a Russian public servant could have amassed the considerable funds required to acquire and maintain these assets... raises serious questions."
He also pointed to an apparent financial link between Lesin and Mr Kovalchuk, who is under EU-US sanctions, as is Mr Kovalchuk's Bank Rossiya.


Norwich and England goalkeeper John Ruddy believes an openly gay player would be accepted by their team-mates.

Ex-Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger revealed his sexuality on Wednesday and said the issue was still taboo inside the dressing room.
But Ruddy said fears over fan reaction could be why more players are not open about their sexuality.
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"It's 2014 and if that's the case, society needs to take a look at itself a bit harder," he said.
"That could be part of reason why they don't want to."
Ruddy, 27, told Norwich TV it would be a "big step" for an individual.
"I know that if anyone did so at a club which I was playing at, then they would have nothing but full support from myself and certainly from this dressing room here as well," he said.
Hitzlsperger, 31, who also had spells at West Ham and Everton and won 52 caps for Germany, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he thought about coming out while he was still playing.
But he decided against doing so because he felt the resulting scrutiny on him might have proved too much of a distraction from on-pitch matters.


England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.

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First-half tries from Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard opened a lead of 16 unanswered points as England shipped penalties and made basic errors across the park.
England struck back with a fine try from Ben Foden and closed to within seven points with three minutes left when Mark Cueto capitalised on a break from replacement Matt Banahan.
But they ran out of time and inspiration as Les Bleus set up a deserved semi-final clash with Wales.
France, so poor in their pool matches, were a side transformed as they took revenge for their World Cup defeats of 2007 and 2003.
"England were blown away in the first half and probably got a proper telling off. They came out with a little more pace and precision but they made too many mistakes with knock-ons, penalites and turnovers. England were never going to score from 80m out.
"Those who have watched England before could see they were not any different but whereas Scotland and Argentina couldn't last the distance and England won late on, France were a different outfit."
The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose.
Johnson's contract expires in November, and four weeks as memorable for scandals off the pitch as any achievements on it will do little to appease the notoriously twitchy committee-men at the Rugby Football Union.
France were supposedly a team in pieces, beaten by Tonga just a week ago and with coach Marc Lievremont publicly berating his players, but so clear-cut was their victory that much of the atmosphere had been sucked from the contest long before the end.
England had an early opportunity with a line-out deep in French territory after a clever grubber from Foden only for Lionel Nallet to burgle back possession, and they then tore into France again as Alexis Palisson was smashed backwards after taking a garryowen and Manu Tuilagi thundered into Morgan Parra.
After spluttering sporadically for four games, England's Kiwi campaign ended as it probably deserved to: in defeat, to a team that was more dynamic, more clinical and far more composed when it mattered most.
Read more from Tom's blog
But it was the most fleeting of false dawns. Dmitri Yachvilli slotted a penalty from distance after Flood failed to release his man on the deck, and France took a grip they would never relinquish.
Wilkinson was struggling, sending the re-start straight into touch and flinging a pass the same way, and France then went close to the first try of the contest as Clerc took a long pass out on the left and was just bundled into touch by the corner flag.
Yachvilli made it 6-0 with a second sweet strike from 45 metres after Matt Stevens was penalised for collapsing a scrum, and then slid another penalty just wide from the same spot.
England's players had talked of "blitzing" France in the first 20 minutes, but it was Lievremont's men with all the menace and danger.
Another line-out was stolen, and when the ball was sent left Clerc stepped and spun through limp challenges from Wilkinson, Chris Ashton and Foden to dive over and make it 11-0.
England were once again static in their few attacks, only Tuilagi's bullocking runs offering any threat, Flood reduced to aiming a long-range drop-goal pit which missed by a street.
Louis Deacon shipped another sloppy penalty, allowing Yachvili to kick to the corner, and after thunderous drives from the forwards left wing Alexis Palisson and Medard combined out wide to put the full-back in for France's second try.
England were in disarray, only Yachvili's failures with the conversions keeping them in the game, and when they finally created space for their wingers Cueto was dragged down metres from the line before another wayward pass from Wilkinson shut the door on Ashton wide out right.
England had never before come back to win from a margin of more than 12 points, and the errors continued to come thick and fast as Tom Croft became the latest to cough up the ball.
They grabbed an unlikely lifeline when Ben Youngs took a quick tap and go to release Foden, who jinked and dummied his way over to make it 16-5 with 23 minutes left on the clock, Wilkinson popping over the conversion for 16-7.
Johnson threw on his replacements but England kept wasting what good field possession they could work.
Flood popped out a careless off-load deep in the French 22 to allow a clearing kick to snuff out the danger, and when Nick Easter tried to rumble from deep within his own 22 his hospital pass to Tuilagi triggered another knock-on.
France, led by man-of-the-match Imanol Harinordoquy, set up camp in front of the English posts, and when the ball was fed back to Trinh-Duc the replacement fly-half slotted the drop-goal to make it 19-7.
Banahan's late charge allowed Cueto to touch down for a try at the death, but with Flood's conversion sliding wide England needed a converted try to force extra time - something they could neither conjure nor say their performance deserved.
England: Foden, Ashton, Tuilagi, Flood, Cueto, Wilkinson, Youngs, Stevens, Thompson, Cole, Deacon, Palmer, Croft, Moody, Easter.
Replacements: Wigglesworth for Wilkinson (65), Banahan for Youngs (65), Corbisiero for Stevens (49), Hartley for Thompson (56), Shaw for Deacon (49), Lawes for Croft (46), Haskell for Moody (63).
France: Medard, Clerc, Rougerie, Mermoz, Palisson, Parra, Yachvili, Poux, Servat, Mas, Pape, Nallet, Dusautoir, Bonnaire, Harinordoquy.
Replacements: Marty for Rougerie (68), Trinh-Duc for Yachvili (53), Barcella for Poux (56), Szarzewski for Servat (56), Pierre for Pape (65), Picamoles for Harinordoquy (72).
Not Used: Heymans.


New proposals which would make racism and anti-Semitism serious offences in the Labour Party are expected to be voted on at its annual conference.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he hopes the plans "will go" to the event in Liverpool on 25 September.
Allegations of anti-Semitism within the party have led to some MPs being suspended.
A review of racism within Labour found no significant problems, but it was criticised by Jewish leaders and MPs.
The plans, put forward by the Jewish Labour Movement, would see racism and anti-Semitism being treated as seriously as supporting another political party.
The proposed rules still have to be approved at a meeting of the party's ruling National Executive Committee on Tuesday, but both Mr Corbyn and leadership contender Owen Smith said they expect it to reach the conference.
Speaking at a Jewish community leadership hustings in north London, Mr Corbyn said: "Yes it will be going to conference, and it follows on from the general anti-racism statement I proposed to the national executive some months ago which was actually unanimously agreed by the NEC."
"There's something really sad that we're the only political party that's ever had a statement of general anti-racism," he added.
Labour leadership contender Owen Smith said he would also back the new rule.
He said: "I felt it very sharply that we have previously treated supporting an alternative party as a more serious offence than articulating anti-Semitic or other racist or homophobic, for example, views. That cannot be right."
"I think particularly the way in which the rule change has been framed does make a very stark point."
During the hustings debate, Mr Corbyn said he was "resolutely opposed" to anti-Semitism and would keep the party's response under "constant review".
He said: "I want there to be space in the party for everybody to be able to raise the issues they want, whether they are supporters or Israel or critics of Israel".
Mr Smith promised a "zero tolerance approach" and a "more substantive" review of racism if he becomes leader.
"If we are not a plural, broad-base, inclusive, welcoming organisation then we are at odds with the history and traditions of the Labour movement," he said.
The development comes after Mr Corbyn denied there was a "crisis" in the party amid accusations of anti-Semitism amongst its MPs and activists.
Labour MPs Naz Shah and former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone were among those to be suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism.
Q&A: Labour anti-Semitism row
A review of the issue of racism in Labour, led by former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, found the party "is not overrun by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism".
But the report was criticised by Jewish leaders and MPs, who said its credibility was undermined because Ms Chakrabarti was nominated for a peerage by Labour just weeks after its release.


I am expecting English teams to make far more of an impact in next season's Champions League, but they are a long way off the level I saw in Saturday's final.

None of the five Premier League sides who will be involved are near the same class as Real Madrid or Juventus. A lot of work needs to be done, and a lot of signings need to be made for any of them to have a chance of winning it.
It was Real's speed of thought and quality of passing that saw them run away with the game in Cardiff in the second half with a performance which set the standards that our clubs need to match.
The Spanish champions were too quick and too clever for Juve and their one- and two-touch football was a lesson to everyone about what you have to do to get success at the highest level.
I don't know what happened to Juve after the break, but they had been brilliant in the first half when they were full of energy and power, and their defence has been formidable all season.
Even before the final, I thought there was a lot of work to be done by our teams just to catch both sides up.
Watching the game highlighted the gap even more, but there are some reasons to be optimistic that the situation will change soon.
It is five years since an English club reached the Champions League final, when Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in 2012.
Only two of our sides have reached the semi-finals in that time - Chelsea in 2014 and Manchester City in 2016. Leicester were the only side to make the last eight this season.
It is imperative that record improves, and I think it can with Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all in next season's competition.
Those teams have got some of the best - if not the best - coaches in the world, all of whom have now settled in at their clubs.
You also have to consider how much they are going to spend over the summer.
Look at City - they have already spent in the region of £80m on Monaco midfielder Bernardo Silva and Benfica goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, and they have not even got started yet.
I think that tells you what you need to know about their intent, and I am sure the other Premier League teams will follow suit. They will certainly have the funds to do so.
I don't think many of the English teams in the Champions League will admit it, but they are all in it to win it.
You only have to look at who they are, who they are being managed by, and the success those managers have previously had to realise what their target will be.
To put it simply, being in the Champions League is not enough - they have got to do well in it too.
Antonio Conte does not have a great record in the competition, but that has to change because of where Chelsea demand to be.
We already know how driven Conte is, so he will target more personal success too.
It is the same with United, who like Chelsea missed out on the Champions League last year. Jose Mourinho has got them back in, but now they have to make a big impact. As a two-time winner with Porto and Inter Milan, he will accept nothing less.
City have qualified consistently over the past seven years but their owners' ambitions means they need to do more than that.
Pep Guardiola is another manager with a big reputation and winning record in this competition, and clearly they want some success in it themselves.
Tottenham performed poorly last season and did not get out of the group stage, and to improve they will need to get over the fact they are playing at Wembley, not White Hart Lane.
Their young players will have more experience of the competition, though, and I'm expecting an improved showing from them.
Liverpool will also have high hopes too, and will be desperate to get through their play-off round in August.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp got to the final in 2013 with Borussia Dortmund and he will think he can do the same with Liverpool now.
Realistically, though, all five English teams should be looking to get into the knockout stages at the very least, and they could go a lot further if they strengthen properly.
English clubs are having a pretty barren spell in the Champions League, especially compared to the time a few years ago when we were dominating it.
Real, with their exciting attack, and Juve, who are a team built from the back, show that contrasting styles can work.
I co-commentated on the final for 5 live, and the atmosphere in Cardiff when I walked around outside the stadium a few hours before kick-off was just magic.
If our teams want to be on the same stage at next year's final in Kiev then, like I say, they need to improve dramatically.
Our teams have to look at Real and Juve to realise how much progress they need to make the final, and it is quite some distance.
Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


Premiership leaders Saracens made it eight wins from eight as they earned a bonus-point victory over Leicester at a wet and windy Allianz Park.

Sarries went ahead via a penalty try from a driving maul, with two Freddie Burns penalties for Tigers either side, as the hosts led 7-6 at the break.
Replacement hooker Jamie George bundled over to extend Saracens' lead.
Saracens added two more penalty tries as their forwards dominated to make it 12 straight wins in all competitions.
Mark McCall's Sarries now hold a six-point lead at the top of the table over Exeter, while Leicester succumbed to just their second loss of the season.
After a scrappy first half in difficult conditions, the Saracens pack provided a masterclass after the break as they became the first side in Premiership history to be awarded three penalty tries.
England international George started Sarries' second-half dominance when he dotted down at the end of a rolling maul.
As the hosts began to camp themselves in Tigers' 22, referee Greg Garner awarded Sarries their second penalty try following a collapsed scrum.
Saracens sealed the bonus-point win with a third penalty try following more fine work from the pack shortly after Tigers' England prop Dan Cole was sent to the sin-bin, before closing out the game in the final 10 minutes.
Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Barritt (capt), Wyles; Hodgson, Wigglesworth; Vunipola, Brits, Du Plessis, Itoje, Kruis, Rhodes, Fraser, B Vunipola.
Replacements: George, Gill, Lamositele, Hamilton, Wray, De Kock, Farrell, Taylor.
Leicester: Veainu; Camacho, Tait, Bai, Goneva; Burns, Harrison; Ayerza, Thacker, Balmain, Barrow, Kitchener, Slater (capt), Croft, Pearce.
Replacements: T Youngs, Mulipola, Cole, Fitzgerald, McCaffrey, B Youngs, Williams, Thompstone.
Sin-bin: Cole
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.


Police investigating a street attack in Glasgow city centre have released CCTV images of two men they want to trace.

The 50-year-old victim was attacked in Jamaica Street at 22:40 on 7 February.
One suspect is described as white, aged 40 to 50 years old, of slim build and bald. He was wearing a blue shirt, a light blazer and dark trousers.
The other was white, aged 40 to 50, of heavy build, with short dark hair. He was wearing a dark overcoat over a dark shirt, dark trousers and brown shoes
Det Con Gordon Walker, of Police Scotland, said: "An unprovoked assault like this on a busy Saturday night in the city centre cannot be tolerated and we seek the assistance of the public in tracking down those responsible.
"Anyone with information is asked to contact police."


Former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani is leading the race to replace Hamid Karzai as president, according to preliminary results.

Mr Ghani won 56.44% of votes in the 14 June run-off, election officials said. His rival Abdullah Abdullah had 43.56%.
Mr Abdullah, who fell just short of an outright majority in the first round, rejected the result.
Both men have alleged fraud in the election. Votes are being re-checked at more than 7,000 polling stations.
They represent nearly a third of centres where votes were cast and correspondents say recounts could significantly alter the result.
Chief election commissioner Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani stressed that the results were not final and acknowledged that there had been "some mistakes in the overall process".
"It is only initial results," he told a news conference in Kabul. "There is a chance of change in the overall figure.
"The announcement of preliminary results does not mean that the leading candidate is the winner.
"We announced preliminary results today and it is now the complaints commission's duty to inspect this case."
The election commission said it would now audit an estimated four million votes.
Final results are due on 22 July.
Mr Abdullah was well ahead after the first round in April, winning 45% of votes cast while Mr Ghani had 31.5% and came second.
Correspondents say the election could pose worrying questions for future stability if the final outcome is not accepted.
Source: Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission
Mr Ghani, a former World Bank official, is believed to have won votes among tribes from the Pashtun majority in southern and eastern areas.
A spokesman for Mr Abdullah, who is of Tajik-Pashtun parentage, was swift to reject Monday's initial figures.
"As we had rejected the outcome of the result before and had declared that we could not trust the election commission, our stand is the same today," spokesman Fazlurrahman Oria told the BBC.
The two rival camps were locked in talks for much of Monday, delaying the results announcement as they sought to defuse tensions over the vote.
It comes during a critical year for Afghanistan. Most foreign troops are due to withdraw by the end of 2014.
Afghanistan's 2009 presidential election was also marred by claims of mass fraud. Dr Abdullah pulled out of the race, which was won by Mr Karzai.


On Wednesday an attack took place outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

The area around the Houses of Parliament was closed off after the incident to keep people safe, and many people were told to stay in their buildings until the police said it was safe for them to go home.
Sadly four people were killed in the attack, and around 40 people have been injured.
This includes a policeman who was outside Parliament, and people who were on Westminster Bridge.
The attacker was shot dead by armed police.
Some of you might have questions or might be feeling worried about what has happened in London - we will try to answer as many of your questions as possible.
If you're upset by anything in the news take a look at the advice here.
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