Ben Stiller has paid tribute to his mother, the actress and comedian Anne Meara, who has died aged 85.

Meara, who launched a standup career with her husband Jerry Stiller in the 1950s, died on Saturday.
A family statement at the weekend said: "The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long."
It said her memory would live on "in the hearts" of her family and and "the millions she entertained as an actress, writer and comedienne".
On Monday, Stiller thanked fans on Twitter for the "kind words" about his mother.
Calling her "an extraordinary person", he said the family felt "so lucky" to have had her in their lives.
Born in Brooklyn in 1929,  Meara met Jerry Stiller when she was an aspiring 23-year-old actress at a New York casting call in 1953.
"I took her out for coffee," Stiller recalled in an interview for The Associated Press. "She seemed to sense I had no money, so she just ordered coffee. Then she took all the silverware. I picked up her check for 10 cents and thought 'This is a girl I'd like to hang out with.'"
They married a few months later and began their comedy act, which toured the United States.
In 1963, Stiller and Meara were booked onto The Ed Sullivan Show, a top rated variety programme on CBS, which led to a further 35 appearances.
Sullivan "scared the stuff out of me," Meara recalled in a 2010 interview.
"I wasn't the only one. There were international favourites from all over the world throwing up in the wings - singers and tenors and guys who spin plates. It was live. We were scared!"
Although the show brought them stardom, the double act started to work separately in the 1970s.
Meara pursued her acting career and appeared in such films as The Out-of-Towners, Fame, and Awakenings.
Her son Ben Stiller directed her in 1994's Reality Bites. She also shared screen-time with him in 2006's Night at the Museum.
Her TV roles included Murphy Brown and Sex and the City; and she earned several Emmy nominations, including two for her supporting role on Archie Bunker's Place and  her role in 1970s legal drama Kate McShane.
Meara also appeared in the theatre, making her off-Broadway debut in 1971 in John Guare's The House of Blue Leaves.
In 2007 Meara and Stiller were given a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Three years later, the couple reunited on-screen for a web-based chat show shot in their home in Manhattan's Upper West Side.
Meara is survived by her husband, daughter Amy, son Ben, and her grandchildren, her family said.


The expenses of two SNP MPs reported to have had affairs with a journalist will not be investigated by Westminster's parliamentary standards watchdog.

Stewart Hosie and Angus MacNeil were reported by a Tory MSP over allegations they claimed expenses for accommodation while carrying out the affairs.
Westminster's Commissioner for Standards has decided not to look further into the claims.
Mr Hosie is to step down as SNP deputy leader in the autumn.
The commissioner, Kathryn Hudson, ruled that there was no basis for an inquiry, and that there was no evidence beyond the claims contained in a complaint letter from MSP Jackson Carlaw.
A spokesman for the SNP said the party was not surprised by the commissioner's decision not to investigate Mr Carlaw's complaint.
He added: "It was a political stunt and a hypocritical move given the long and proven history of Tory MPs abusing the expenses system, as well as the current police investigations into the Tory party for election fraud.
"Jackson Carlaw would do better to ensure his own party is acting in line with parliamentary rules rather than playing politics with people's private lives."
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "We respect the decision of the Standards Commissioner.
"Our view is it is right to question such cases to ensure that public funds are always used in support of parliamentary duties."
Mr Hosie and Mr MacNeil were both reported to have had affairs with journalist Serena Cowdy.
Mr MacNeil was said to have stayed with Ms Cowdy at the Park Plaza hotel in London, and then claimed for the room on expenses.
Ms Cowdy is reported to have later been involved in a relationship with SNP deputy leader Mr Hosie, who recently separated from his wife, SNP MSP Shona Robison.


Venezuela's controversial new constituent assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of assuming the powers of the opposition-led parliament.

The move has been rejected by parliament, which said Venezuelans and the international community would not recognise the new powers.
President Nicolas Maduro says the new assembly will end the deadly political unrest in the country.
But many have called it a slide towards dictatorship.
The head of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro called the move an "illegitimate dissolution" of the elected parliament.
Meanwhile the heads of the parliament and the new assembly have been trading insults on social media.
Parliament head Julio Borges accused the new assembly of a "coup" while new assembly head Delcy Rodriguez - a close ally of Mr Maduro - denounced his "lies".
Mr Maduro's wife and son are among the 545 members of the new assembly, which was set up following a controversial election earlier this month.
More than 120 people have been killed in violent protests since April.
The president's opponents want to hold a vote to remove him, blaming his left-wing administration for food shortages and soaring inflation in the oil-rich country.
Constituent assemblies are set up for the specific purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution, and as such can fundamentally change how a country is run.
Venezuela seen waves of violent protests, and Mr Maduro presented the assembly as a way of promoting "reconciliation and peace".
An ally of Mr Maduro, former foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez, is president of the new body
The election for the constituent assembly was marred by violence and accusations of fraud.
Venezuela's electoral authorities said more than eight million people, or 41.5% of the electorate, had voted, a figure the company that provided the voting system said was inflated.
The opposition boycotted the poll and also held an unofficial referendum in which they said more than seven million Venezuelans voted against the constituent assembly.
The US has imposed sanctions on Mr Maduro, with the Trump administration calling him a "dictator".
The European Union and major Latin American nations say they will not recognise the new body.
Mr Maduro retains a major ally in Russia, however, and has the support of several left-wing nations in the Americas.


Turnout in the assembly election could be the lowest so far, the Welsh Conservative leader has warned.

Andrew RT Davies said there was a "disconnect between a fully blown Welsh general election and what the public are buying in to".
A combination of issues, such as the EU referendum and lower public engagement, could mean fewer people bother to cast a vote on 5 May, he said.
The lowest assembly election turnout was 38.2% in 2003.
Speaking to BBC Wales after making a speech in Cardiff highlighting his fears about public interest in the poll, Mr Davies said there was a risk turnout could fall below the 2003 figure.
"Because all elections carry that risk, and I very much hope that instead of having a low turnout we have a record turnout because the issues which are most important to most people in this country; health, education, the economy, local authorities and the environment are all determined from the assembly," he said.
"So I hope we don't see it, but I think there is a risk that could happen."
He also said politicians had to "go the extra mile" over the last thirteen days of the election campaign to get more coverage.
In his speech, Mr Davies said there was little evidence voters were getting the information they needed, accusing parts of the media of being more interested in politicians' tax returns than analysing policies on the NHS, education or local councils.
Political leaders, including Mr Davies, published their tax returns earlier this month in response to questions about Prime Minister David Cameron's income.
Mr Davies re-iterated a pledge to introduce a Localism and Citizenship Bill within 100 days of a Welsh Conservative government taking power.
The bill would give communities the right to buy local assets, such as pubs or post offices, and give more powers to local councils.
Roles including the Older People's Commissioner, the Children's Commissioner and the Future Generations Commissioner would be answerable to all AMs, not the Welsh Government, he added.
In its first 100 days, a Welsh Tory government would also sell off ministerial cars, publish details of Welsh Government spending and ensure an entire Welsh Government department is re-located to north Wales.
At the previous assembly election, in 2011, the Conservatives finished second, winning 14 of the 60 seats.
A UKIP spokesman said: "Low turnout is becoming increasingly problematic across a range of elections with the Welsh assembly elections being no different."
He said there was a "sense of disenfranchisement" because people were "confused as to who does what and where and how they can have their voices heard".
Calling for politics to be taught in schools, the spokesman added: "Interestingly, of course, UKIP's continuing success is drawing a lot of non voters suggesting our approach to honest, unspun politics is what many voters are crying out for."


Commonwealth medallist Natalie Powell is one of three members of Britain's Olympic judo team who will return to international action next month.

The Welsh judoka is joined by Alice Schlesinger and Ashley McKenzie in an eight-strong British squad for the Paris Grand Slam on 11-12 February.
Powell, 26, won bronze in the -78kg category in Paris last year.
She went out of the Olympics in the quarter-finals and finished the season by winning the British Championships.
'To date only five British judoka have won the Paris Grand Slam.
Karen Briggs and Sharon Rendle won in 1992; Nigel Donohue in 1993; Kate Howey in 1997 and Craig Fallon in 2003'
Lucy Renshall, Jemima Yeats-Brown and Max Stewart will be making their first appearances at the prestigious Paris event.
However, Olympic bronze medallist Sally Conway will sit out the event as she has only recently returned to full training.
Donohue, now performance director at British Judo, said: "It will be great to see three of our Rio Olympians in action again.
"I'm also looking forward to seeing how some of our younger judoka perform, including Max Stewart, who returned from a serious knee injury to finish 2016 inside the world's top 25 at -90kg."
British squad: -52kg Kelly Edwards, -63kg Alice Schlesinger and Lucy Renshall, -70kg Jemima Yeats-Brown, -78kg Natalie Powell, -60kg Ashley McKenzie, -90kg Max Stewart, -100kg Philip Awiti-Alcaraz.


England's Laura Davies failed to build on her strong start at the Oates Vic Open after shooting a second-round 76 in Victoria, Australia.

Davies, 53, was six over after 10 holes but three birdies in five holes left her five under for the tournament.
Her compatriot Holly Clyburn carded 69 to finish two shots behind leader Nicole Broch Larsen.
The Dane struck seven birdies and a bogey as she shot 67 to end the day at the top of the leaderboard.
Find out how to get into golf with our special guide.


The Russian Space Agency has finished assembling the space vehicle that will blast UK astronaut Tim Peake into orbit.

On Saturday, the Soyuz crew module was attached to its rocket at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
We watched as the completed vehicle was loaded onto a flat-bed transporter, ready to be carried to the launch pad.
Mr Peake and two other crew members will launch to the International Space Station on Tuesday 15 December.
During his seven-month stay on the orbiting outpost, the former Army helicopter pilot will carry out a programme of experiments and educational activities.
He will be accompanied on the flight by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and US astronaut Timothy Kopra.
The Soyuz spacecraft - which carries the crew to the ISS - and its rocket are assembled at adjacent facilities at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
On Friday, the crew module was transported by train from its assembly site - known as Building 254 - to the huge hangar-like facility designated Building 112.
More than 40 years ago, Building 112 housed a giant (105m-high) rocket known as the N-1, which was to have taken cosmonauts to the Moon. Now the facility houses the Soyuz launcher which, at 50m long, is half the size of the N-1, and is now the workhorse of Russia's manned spaceflight programme.
At 09:00 local time on Saturday morning, specialist engineers began work to bond the crew module to the rest of the launcher. They finished at about 14:00.
I watched as the rocket was loaded on to a giant flat-bed transporter painted racing green. On Sunday, the transporter will be hauled by train along the railway tracks that snake across the flat steppe of Baikonur to the launch pad where Peake, Malenchenko and Kopra will begin their journey.
The BBC has had unique behind-the-scenes access to Tim Peake's training and launch.
Follow his video diaries on Horizon - Tim Peake Special: How To Be An Astronaut and watch the launch live on Blast Off Live - A Stargazing Live Special at 10:30 GMT on Tuesday 15 December.
You can also see him arrive on the International Space Station, at 19:00 GMT the same evening, on BBC Two in Stargazing Live: Brit In Space.
For Tim Peake, the flight is the culmination of a three-year programme of training that has seen him travel between Houston, Florida, Moscow and Tsukuba in Japan.
"It's a long process and we cover such a huge variety of subjects," he told the BBC recently.
"One of the challenges [for astronauts] is to retain all that information as you're going through the training process and appreciate that the next time you're going to see something is in 18 months or 24 months time in space - in a very different environment."
In 2009, Mr Peake was chosen from a pool of 8,000 applicants to join the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut training programme, along with five other recruits.
The former Army helicopter pilot is the first Briton to be selected as an ESA astronaut; he will also be the first to visit the ISS.
During his seven-month stay on the outpost, Mr Peake will carry out a programme of experiments in medical science, radiation physics and materials. He is also using the mission to raise the profile of science among young people.
On Tuesday, as tradition dictates, Mr Peake, Mr Malenchenko and Mr Kopra signed the wall at the museum in Baikonur Cosmodrome. Mr Malenchenko also handed over a signed cosmonaut suit to museum staff.
Mr Malenchenko is one of the Russian Space Agency's (Roscosmos) most experienced cosmonauts, having clocked up some 641 days in space over the course of five flights.
During this mission, he will become only the third person to have spent more than 800 cumulative days in space after fellow cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Gennady Padalka - who holds the record of 879 days.
The UK government has traditionally been opposed to financing human spaceflight - so prospective British spacefarers have been required to take other routes into orbit.
Helen Sharman - who became the first British citizen to fly to space when she visited the Mir space station in 1991 - was funded by private enterprise and by the Soviet government.
Other British astronauts have flown either as private individuals - including Richard Garriott - or have taken out US citizenship, such as Piers Sellers and Nicholas Patrick.
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Nathan Austin scored the only goal as Falkirk beat Dumbarton to ensure they finished second in the Championship.

Sons' Lewis Vaughan clipped the bar with a first-half effort and Sam Stanton had a shot well saved by Falkirk keeper Robbie Thomson.
Austin bagged the winner five minutes from time, nodding home from Luke Leahy's fine cross.
The result means Falkirk face one less play-off round as they look to secure promotion to the Premiership.
The Bairns will meet the winner of the two-legged tie between third-placed Dundee United and fourth-placed Morton, for the chance to face the side finishing second bottom of the top flight.
Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Falkirk 1.
Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Falkirk 1.
Foul by Calum Gallagher (Dumbarton).
Lee Miller (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joe McKee (Falkirk).
Substitution, Falkirk. Robert McHugh replaces Nathan Austin.
Christian Nade (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Craig Sibbald (Falkirk).
Goal!  Dumbarton 0, Falkirk 1. Nathan Austin (Falkirk) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luke Leahy.
Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Lee Miller (Falkirk).
Substitution, Dumbarton. Mark Docherty replaces Stuart Carswell.
Calum Gallagher (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Craig Sibbald (Falkirk).
Substitution, Dumbarton. Calum Gallagher replaces Lewis Vaughan.
Substitution, Falkirk. Fraser Aird replaces James Craigen.
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by David Smith.
Substitution, Dumbarton. Christian Nade replaces Garry Fleming.
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by Darren Barr.
Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lee Miller (Falkirk).
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by David Smith.
Attempt saved. Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Lewis Vaughan (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Peter Grant (Falkirk) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by David Smith.
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lee Miller (Falkirk).
Attempt missed. Mark Kerr (Falkirk) header from the centre of the box is too high.
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by Samuel Stanton.
Corner,  Falkirk. Conceded by Gregor Buchanan.
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Luke Leahy (Falkirk).
Foul by Robert Thomson (Dumbarton).
Lee Miller (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Lee Miller (Falkirk) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Foul by Garry Fleming (Dumbarton).
Peter Grant (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing.


Cal Crutchlow dominated a rain-hit Czech Republic Grand Prix as he became Britain's first MotoGP winner in 35 years.

Barry Sheene in 1981 was the last British rider to win an elite-class GP.
Seven-time champion Valentino Rossi took second with championship leader Marc Marquez of Spain in third.
"It's the best day of my racing career," said the 30-year-old, who started 10th on the grid in Brno and took the lead with seven laps to go.
Marquez leads Italy's Rossi in the riders' championship by 53 points, with Crutchlow moving up to 10th.
Meanwhile John McPhee became the first Scotsman to win a motorcycle GP since 1962 with victory in MotoGP3.
Germany's Jonas Folger won the MotoGP2 race.
The next race is the British GP at Silverstone on 4 September.
Czech GP result:
1.  Cal Crutchlow (GB) Honda     47 minutes 44.290 seconds
2.  Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha    47:51.588
3.  Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda        47:53.877
4.  Loris Baz (Fra) Ducati         47:56.848
5.  Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati     47:57.383
6.  Eugene Laverty (Ire) Ducati   47:58.102
7.  Danilo Petrucci (Ita) Ducati    48:07.704
8.  Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati     48:08.852
9.  Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki   48:08.871
10. Tito Rabat (Spa) Honda          48:21.421
MotoGP standings
1.  Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda       197 points
2.  Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha   144
3.  Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha     138
4.  Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda       109
5.  Maverick Vinales (Spain) Suzuki  100
6.  Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati    96
7.  Pol Espargaro (Spain) Yamaha     81
8.  Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati  79
9.  Hector Barbera (Spain) Ducati    76
10. Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Honda    66


Women-only train carriages could combat the rise in sexual offences on public transport, a Labour MP has said.

Shadow fire minister Chris Williamson said it would be "worth consulting" on the policy after such crimes doubled in the past five years.
However, Labour colleagues have criticised the move as "normalising attacks".
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn first suggested the policy during his leadership election campaign in 2015.
Mr Williamson, MP for Derby North, highlighted figures from the British Transport Police, showing 1,448 sexual offences on trains had been reported in 2016-17, compared with 650 incidents in 2012-13.
He told PoliticsHome that women-only carriages - which have been tested in countries including Japan, Brazil and Mexico - could create a "safe space".
Later, he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show: "I'm not saying we should go down this road at all, I'm merely suggesting that we consult on it.
"If there is support for it, then providing an additional carriage to provide that safe space for people if they wanted it, offering that choice I think is worth looking at."
He told the programme there was a "clear need" for better security and more guards to tackle the problem, but that gender-specific trains could be an "idea worth exploring".
But he agreed there was a need to "push for behaviour change" so that "everybody can travel on public transport in complete safety".
The UK has seen these types of carriages before. Dating from as far back as the 1840s, British Rail had ladies-only compartments to protect women from public and verbal harassment.
About 100 still existed on services between London and Essex when the decision was made to phase them out altogether in 1977.
Earlier this year, the Ladies' Special train in Mumbai, India, marked 25 years since its first journey.
The Mumbai service - since copied in other cities around India - is exclusively for women and runs alongside gender-specific carriages on other services.
Commuters shared their stories of the Ladies Special train with the BBC in an article from 2009.
Sangeeta spoke of women being harassed by men often on other trains: "They touch and pinchâ€¦[but]â€¦ here nobody passes lewd comments.
"Nobody teases us - it's great."
Student Charu Dua said: "We can laugh, we can sit where we want, we can do whatever we want, we feel free. We can sing a song, as loud as we want."
But one man, Satya Pal, told the BBC the policy was "not practical", because it meant men had to travel separately from their wives, daughters or sisters.
Laura Bates, from Everyday Sexism, a website which documents instances of daily sexism, told Victoria Derbyshire she would "never suggest segregation is the answer".
"It has to be about sending a clear message that this issue, which is already so normalised in our society, can be further normalised by the idea that women should simply go somewhere else."
The idea for women-only carriages was dropped by Mr Corbyn two years ago after fellow members of his party criticised it, including senior Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall.
And Mr Williamson's comments have again been attacked by colleagues.
Walthamstow Labour MP Stella Creasy tweeted: "Can we make all carriages safe for all passengers rather than restricting where we can go?
"[It] doesn't keep women safe to restrict their movements - it normalises attacks. We need to be clear they [the attackers] are problem, not women's seating plans."
Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said the policy was an "absolutely terrible idea".
She tweeted: "It is essentially giving up on trying to prosecute assaults. Also, men should be incredibly annoyed by [the] suggestion they can't control themselves.
"Sexual violence isn't about urges, it's about power. If you take your feminist cues from Saudi Arabia, you've gone wrong."
Labour's former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told BBC 5 live women-only train carriages were an "absolutely crazy idea" and women would find it "grossly insulting".
"The idea that they would be herded into separate carriages when the point at issue is a very tiny number of men who don't behave properly...
"And I doubt that many women would use them, so what you'd find is that the carriages would be empty."
The Women's Equality Party said it had not changed its opinion since the Labour leader first proposed women-only trains in 2015.
The party's co-founder, Catherine Mayer, tweeted that it was "not a good idea", as the party "vigorously pointed out" when it was first suggested.


President Donald Trump is "evaluating the situation" on his national security adviser's contact with a Russian envoy, the White House says.

Michael Flynn came under scrutiny amid reports he spoke to the Russian ambassador to the US about sanctions before Donald Trump's inauguration.
Vice-President Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on behalf of the retired Army lieutenant general.
Mr Flynn has since told the White House that sanctions may have been discussed.
It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy, and the calls happened late last year, before Mr Flynn was appointed to the administration.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Monday afternoon: "The president is evaluating the situation.
"He is speaking to the vice-president relative to the conversation the VP had with General Flynn and also speaking to various other people about what he considers the single most important subject there is - our national security. "
Mr Spicer's statement came soon after White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway said Mr Flynn had "the full confidence of the president".
"It's a big week for General Flynn. He's the point of contact for many of these foreign visits," she told MSNBC.
Mr Flynn has apologised to the vice-president over the controversy surrounding his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Mr Flynn and Mr Kislyak did not discuss lifting sanctions.
According to Politico, Mr Trump's adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is scouting for possible candidates to replace Mr Flynn.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that the Trump White House was warned last month by the US Justice Department that Mr Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
Mr Flynn is known to have spoken with Mr Kislyak several times by phone in December.
With the support of Vice-President Pence, Mr Flynn denied that he and Mr Kislyak had discussed US sanctions imposed over Russia's actions in Ukraine and alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party.
But nine current and former officials later told the Washington Post the issue had been discussed.
A spokesman for Mr Flynn subsequently backtracked, telling reporters the adviser now said he "couldn't be certain" he had not discussed the sanctions, prompting speculation that he may have misled the vice-president.
Mr Pence and Mr Flynn reportedly spoke twice on Friday when he privately apologised to the vice-president, according to an administration official.
Mr Trump has yet to publicly comment on the controversy, but was with Mr Flynn over the weekend at his club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago.
Mr Flynn appeared in the front row at President Trump's news conference on Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Mr Trump was not asked about Mr Flynn by the two reporters he called on, and evaded follow-up questions about the controversy as he left the room.
Asked if the president was aware that Mr Flynn could discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Mr Trump's spokesman, Sean Spicer, said: "No, absolutely not. No way."
Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday called for Mr Trump to fire Mr Flynn, tweeting that he "cannot be trusted to serve America's best interests and national security instead of Russia's".
Several House Democrats have called on Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz to launch an investigation into Mr Flynn's ties to Russia.
Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said it would also be "troubling'' if Flynn had been negotiating with a foreign government before taking office.
Mr Flynn was an ardent supporter of Mr Trump during the campaign, and he has become a close ally of both the president and the president's chief strategist, Steve Bannon.
He has encouraged tougher policies on Iran and a softer policy on Russia, but questions have been raised about his perceived closeness to Moscow.
He attended a banquet last year held in honour of the Russian government, where he sat two seats away from Vladimir Putin.
A top aide on Mr Flynn's team, Robin Townley, was this week denied security clearance by the CIA, preventing Mr Townley from taking up a post in Africa for which Mr Flynn had recommended him.
Mr Flynn's son has also attracted unwelcome attention - and reportedly a personal rebuke from Mr Trump after tweeting about the so-called Pizzagate fake news story.


Maternity services in Scotland are "beginning to buckle", according to a new report by the Royal College of Midwives.

The report said more complex births, older mothers and an ageing workforce were adding to the pressures.
It also showed that more than a fifth of pregnant women in Scotland were obese.
The Scottish government said it had consistently increased midwife numbers over the past few years.
It also said it would work with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) after a major review of maternity services.
The report on the state of maternity services in the UK found that while Scottish services were very good, there were signs they were "beginning to buckle as demand rises".
Despite a recent dip, birth rates remained high in Scotland, with the number of births in 2016 matching 2006 levels and up on the number at the start of the century.
The report also found that births were becoming increasingly complex, with a rise in obesity levels for expectant mothers.
In Scotland, more than a fifth of pregnant women are now obese, which can lead to complications and require additional care.
The RCM said the increasing number of older mothers was also a concern.
Births to women in their late 30s were up by more than 2,000 since the year 2000, while births to women aged 40 or older were up by about 1,000.
For women aged 45 or older, the number of births jumped from 29 to 143 between 2000 and 2015.
The report also found that Scotland's ageing midwifery workforce remained a pressing issue.
Midwives aged 50 or over now make up 41% of the total workforce - the highest proportion in the UK - while at the same time the number of younger midwives is falling.
RCM Scotland director Mary Ross-Davie told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme:  "Heads of midwifery in Scotland are telling me that in a normal month, they're getting double the amount of retirements that they used to get."
She said student midwifery places numbers were drastically cut in 2011 but had since increased steadily to the currently level of 191. But she warned that the three years it takes to train a midwife meant it would take time for this to make a difference.
"Sometimes were are not keeping pace with the number of retirements," she said.
"And we're finding that particularly acute in some of our remote and rural areas, up in the north, in Grampian and the Highlands where we're getting posts with very few applicants."
Ms Ross-Davie said it was important to retain experienced older midwives through measures such as flexible working, in order to deal with more complicated births.
"We have serious public health issues in Scotland with high levels of obesity and smoking in pregnancy among many other issues," she said.
"With older mothers it is the women, of course, who will decide when they get pregnant, and we support whatever choices they make. What is important is that we have the right numbers of staff and resources to give all of these women the best possible care."
She added: "Scotland's maternity services are very good but there are signs that it is beginning to buckle as demand rises."
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "The college's report recognises that the government has consistently increased student midwife numbers over the last few years and acknowledges that Scotland has continued to maintain an appropriate-sized workforce when compared to other parts of the UK.
"However, we recognise that challenges still remain and will continue to work with the college to shape our student midwife numbers and the future direction of midwifery policy in Scotland.
She added: "Our innovative midwifery workload and workforce planning tools - a UK first - have helped to ensure that NHS Scotland continues to meet the RCM-recommended midwife-to-birth-ratio and we will continue to mandate the use of these across health boards."
The Scottish government is also planning to take forward a number of recommendations set out in a recent review aimed at improving Scotland's maternity services.


The injured wife of a man killed in the Westminster terror attack has flown home to the US.

Melissa Cochran, 46, suffered a broken leg and rib and a cut to her head after Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge on March 22.
He killed four people, including her husband Kurt, 54, before stabbing a policeman to death outside Parliament.
The couple, from Salt Lake City, Utah, had been visiting London to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Doctors cleared Mrs Cochran to fly back home last week, her brother Clint Payne said.
He added that Mrs Cochran, who was in a wheelchair when she joined a service for the families and survivors of the attack at Westminster Abbey on 5 April, was healing faster than expected.
The other people killed on the bridge were Aysha Frade, 44, who worked at a London sixth-form college; retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31.
PC Keith Palmer, 48, who was married with a five-year-old daughter, was killed in the forecourt of the Palace of Westminster, before Masood was shot dead by a police officer.
Mr Cochran, who ran a recording studio, died at the scene on Westminster Bridge from multiple injuries.
The couple, who were on their first trip aboard and visited other cities in Europe before arriving in London, had been due to return to the US the day after the attack.
They were also spending time with Mrs Cochran's parents, who work at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission.
In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Cochran described her husband as the love of her life, and said she does not feel "any ill will" towards Masood.
Mrs Cochran recalled "the panic of not being able to see my husband anywhere" after the attack, and how she learned of Kurt's death.
"I had come out of recovery and they placed me in a hospital room. My parents had come to visit and were there waiting for me when I came out and I had asked them to find out what had happened to my husband.
"Previously to that no-one could tell me... no-one had any information. My parents walked out of the room and came back in.  Both grabbed my hand and said that he didn't make it, which crushed me."


A senior anti-corruption official in Malaysia has accused the government of "meddling" in an independent investigation into allegations against the Prime Minister Najib Razak.

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3 September 2015 Last updated at 22:25 BST
Mr Najib received a payment of $700m (Â£460m) into his personal bank account.
It was alleged that the money came from state investment fund 1MDB, but Mr Najib said the money did not come from 1MDB and was a donation.
Malaysia's anti-corruption commission investigated and said it had verified that claim. Both the prime minister and 1MDB deny doing anything wrong.
But Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, who is chairman of the advisory board to the commission, told BBC News that actions by the government during the investigation had been "ill-advised" and amounted to "meddling".
The state investment fund 1MDB was set up in 2009 when the prime minister came to power. It started to attract national attention when it missed repayments on debts of $11bn.
Swiss authorities on Wednesday froze tens of millions of dollars belonging to 1MDB and held in Swiss banks. The attorney general's office in Switzerland is investigating people linked to 1MDB on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.
1MDB has said it will co-operate fully with the Swiss investigation.
The anti-corruption commission is continuing to investigate the source of the payment to Mr Najib and says the donors who deposited the money are from the Middle East. But it has not disclosed their identities.
The scandal has gripped Malaysia and last weekend thousands took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to protest, calling for the prime minister to stand down.
The protests were supported by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed. Mr Najib says he is a victim of a political conspiracy.
Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim spoke to the BBC's Pamela Koh, who asked him who might have donated  this money and why.


A 10 metre tall 'Mining Man Engine' puppet is making an historic journey through Cornwall, to celebrate the area's mining history.

25 July 2016 Last updated at 16:10 BST
It's the biggest mechanical puppet ever made in the UK, weighing in at 40 tonnes, and will travel 130 miles in two weeks.
It's operated by a team of volunteer puppeteers, who use ropes to control the giant model.
It's all to celebrate the culture of mining in Cornwall and West Devon, which were added to the list of World Heritage Sites by a charity called UNESCO 10 year ago.


A dual carriageway is to remain shut after a huge sinkhole opened up as a result of a burst water main.

The northbound carriageway of the A249 between Key Street and Bobbing roundabouts, near Sittingbourne in Kent, has been closed for a week.
More than 1,000 homes and three schools on the Isle of Sheppey were affected by the burst main, with some without water for two days.
Highways England said it was assessing the damage caused by the sinkhole.
Spokesman Andrew Broughton said it was not known when the road would reopen as engineers were awaiting the results of detailed geo-technical surveys on the sinkhole, which is up to 15ft (4.5m) deep.
"We're continuing to assess the damage that's happened underneath the road before we can actually plan any repairs," he said.
Diversions are in place for drivers heading towards Sheppey.


Guidelines are being issued to the Russian army to check soldiers for intimate tattoos but a defence source denied gay men were being targeted.

According to the advice, revealed by Russian newspaper Izvestia, tattoos are a useful indication of character.
"Special attention should be paid to tattoos around the face, and on the sex organs and buttocks," it notes.
The defence source said it was a matter of health and appearance, not soldiers' sexual orientation.
Russia maintains a large conscript army with a long history of personnel problems that include bullying, ethnic tensions and malnutrition, as well as death and injury during training exercises.
Many young men try to avoid the call-up through obtaining legal exemptions or by other means.
In a US TV interview in 2010, Vladimir Putin, Russia's current president, said openly gay men were not banned from serving in the Russian military.
The guidelines, which cover all aspects of military life, are quoted as saying that tattoos may indicate a "low cultural and educational level" and "possible sexual deviations".
A young man who allows himself to be tattooed may be inclined to "submit to the will of others", they warn.
Two unnamed sources interviewed by Izvestia - a military psychologist and a deputy battalion commander - argued that gay soldiers were an unwelcome distraction in the army.
However, an unnamed senior defence ministry official told Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency: "The commander and his deputy should monitor the health of the soldier and his appearance, not his sexual experience and sexual orientation."
The state of a soldier's skin was more properly a question for army medical commissions, he added.
News of the guidelines comes as the country's parliament debates a controversial bill to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality among children, which some campaigners see as a veiled attack on gay rights.


Parliament is entitled to know details ahead of the UK's negotiations with the EU, Labour said as MPs debated the government's Brexit strategy.

MPs are expected to vote in favour of the government's timetable, of starting formal talks by the end of March, while also calling on the prime minister to publish a "plan" beforehand.
The government said it would set out "strategic plans" before formal talks.
Labour said ministers had now "caved in" by supporting its motion.
MPs are currently voting.
Opening the Commons debate, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the government had refused "on every occasion" to give more details, saying information about its negotiating stance was important because it "sets the scene" for Brexit.
The plan which the government has now committed to via an amendment to today's Labour motion must be detailed enough to allow parliamentary scrutiny and enable the Office for Budget Responsibility to assess the impact on the public finances, he said.
Sir Keir said Labour would not allow "a situation where the government seeks a vote in a vacuum, or produces a late, vague plan".
But Brexit Secretary David Davis responded: "The simple fact is that the mandate (in June's referendum) was to leave the European Union - full stop. We need to keep that in mind when we are going through that process."
Adding that the government did not want to declare its position in too much detail before talks with the EU started, he said: "This is a negotiation; it's not a policy statement. And, therefore, where you are aiming for may not be the exact place you end up."
The debate comes after wrangling between the two main parties over the question to be put to MPs.
Labour's motion states that it is "Parliament's responsibility to properly scrutinise the government" over Brexit.
Downing Street put forward an amendment agreeing to publish a "plan" before triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts formal talks with the EU - although it has not said how detailed this will be.  It adds that Parliament must "respect" the verdict of the referendum. Article 50 is due to be triggered by the end of March next year.
Labour and the Conservatives are now both backing the motion, as amended.
The government has announced that it will accept Labour's idea to publish a plan, of sorts, for Brexit, before Article 50 begins the legal process of the UK disentangling itself from the EU.
Some Tory MPs were set to gang up with Labour in a vote to force ministers to publish something, anything, about their plans for Brexit, against Theresa May's wishes.
Remember, one of the few things that we know for sure about the prime minister's plans for leaving the EU is that she does not want MPs to be able to tinker with them, scrutinise them in a meaningful way, before she actually gets to the negotiating table.
So has she just backed down? In pure terms, yes. Labour's Keir Starmer, the party's Brexit spokesman, will claim victory. And by accepting Labour's idea, ministers have been pushed to do something they had been intent on avoiding - promising to publish their intentions before the technical legal process begins.
But what will that actually look like? So far, so vague. Accepting the amendment does not mean they have promised to do anything in particular.
Read more from Laura
Both Labour and the government claimed victory when it emerged the final amendment would receive widespread backing in the House of Commons.
Labour said it was a "a welcome and hugely significant climbdown", while government sources said by backing the government's timetable MPs would commit to not delaying the Brexit process.
Former Conservative minister Sir Oliver Letwin, who chaired the government's Brexit unit immediately after the referendum, said he did not expect Theresa May to set out any more detail than what is already known.
The vote will not be binding on the government.
SNP MP Angus MacNeil, whose party will vote against the amendment, said: "No answers is not a black Brexit or a white Brexit. It's not a red, white and blue Brexit. No answers is a yellow Brexit. It's a cowardly Brexit."
He said the government's approach showed it had "absolutely no idea" of its aims.
The Liberal Democrats have also said they will oppose the amendment. Leader Tim Farron called it a "parliamentary stitch-up" that failed to "include any meaningful commitment from the Conservative Brexit government to produce the equivalent of a White or Green Paper setting out its position on such fundamental questions as to whether it wants Britain to remain in the single market".
UKIP MP Douglas Carswell said politicians regarded the June referendum, in which voters backed Brexit by 51.9% to 48.1%, as a "mistake" by the public. He added: "They seem to hold out the hope that we might perhaps have a second referendum and, who knows, presumably assemble a new people."
The debate is happening at the same time as the government is fighting a case in the Supreme Court over whether MPs and peers need to have a vote on triggering Article 50. It says there is no need, while campaigners say that not consulting Parliament would be unconstitutional.
Asked about the case, Mr Davis told MPs: "We will obey the rule of law. We will obey what the court finds."
He added that one of the reasons the government would await the court's decision - expected in January - was that it needed to "get precisely right what it is this House has to do".
Prominent Leave campaigner and senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said there should be a quick deal and a quick Brexit to reduce uncertainty. He proposed a "zero-zero" offer on tariffs - meaning that the UK would neither charge nor receive money when importing from and exporting to the EU. "We want to be a good neighbour," he said.


The chairman of a local Conservative association who had a row with his MP during the election campaign has resigned.

Gary Burchett is standing down from the helm of the Tories in Aberconwy, citing personal and business reasons.
During the campaign he argued with Guto Bebb, re-elected as the area's MP.
Mr Bebb called Mr Burchett an "idiot" and "a disgrace" for accusing him of not doing enough to support the local party.
Mr Burchett had told Mr Bebb he had "spent the last 18 months making excuses" for him.
The row had broken out in a series of emails leaked to the Golwg360 website and seen by BBC Wales.


African Union (AU) troops have killed four civilians travelling in a car in southern Somalia, sparking protests.

The incident took place near Bulla Marer, 60km (37 miles) south-west of the capital, Mogadishu.
The dead include an 80-year-old woman and her nine-year-old granddaughter who were sick and were travelling to the capital, Mogadishu, for treatment.
The AU Mission said scared soldiers had opened fire when the car failed to stop at a roadblock.
Abdiwahid Ibrahim Maalim, the son of the elderly woman killed, said she and the granddaughter were in the car with two of his friends, one of them the driver, when the troops killed them.
Residents of Lower Shabelle have protested, denouncing the killings.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) confirmed the deaths but said it did not believe the four were deliberately killed.
Amisom spokesman Col Joe Kibet told BBC Somali that the driver had defied an order to stop.
Amisom has more than 22,000 soldiers and police, the majority from six African countries, deployed in Somalia to protect the government there.


Reggie Lambe struck the winner at Wycombe as Carlisle consolidated their automatic promotion place in League Two.

The Cumbrians, who remain third despite having manager Keith Curle sent off from the dugout late on, are now five points clear of fourth-placed Luton, but it is three defeats in a row for Wycombe, who drop to ninth.
Wycombe had the perfect start in the second minute, as Anthony Stewart played the ball into the danger area and Adebayo Akinfenwa glanced into the bottom corner.
But Carlisle quickly hit back when Jamie Proctor was found in space by Lambe and the on-loan Bolton striker picked his spot from the edge of the area.
Route one then led to the Cumbrians taking the lead on 34 minutes, as Mark Gillespie's free-kick was flicked on by Proctor and Lambe was then able to poke the ball past Jamal Blackman.
Akinfenwa struck a post with a header early in the second half for the Chairboys, who despite exerting some considerable pressure, could not find an equaliser.
Match report supplied by the Press Association
Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Carlisle United 2.
Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Carlisle United 2.
Foul by Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers).
Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers).
Shaun Brisley (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by George Waring (Carlisle United).
Substitution, Carlisle United. George Waring replaces Jamie Proctor.
Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers).
Attempt missed. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Michael Raynes.
Attempt blocked. Garry Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United).
Corner,  Carlisle United. Conceded by Will De Havilland.
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Sam Wood replaces Sam Saunders.
Attempt missed. Alex Jakubiak (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Corner,  Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Gary Liddle.
Michael Jones (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Alex Jakubiak (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Jones (Carlisle United).
Attempt missed. Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Gary Liddle (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Alex Jakubiak (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution, Carlisle United. Jabo Ibehre replaces Nicky Adams.
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Garry Thompson replaces Paris Cowan-Hall.
Sam Saunders (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is too high following a set piece situation.
Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Luke Joyce (Carlisle United).
Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Matt Bloomfield replaces Dominic Gape.
Foul by Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers).
Shaun Brisley (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers).
Jamie Proctor (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers).
Jamie Devitt (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


A woman in Colorado has saved her five-year-old son by prying open a mountain lion's mouth after the animal attacked the boy in their front yard, officials say.

The mother heard screams and raced outside the house near Aspen, where she found the animal on top of her son, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said.
The boy suffered face, head and neck injuries and was said to be in fair condition at a hospital in Denver.
Officials said two lions were killed.
The unidentified woman said she grabbed one of the animal's paws and stuck her right hand in its mouth to pry it open and free her son's head, Pitkin County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Buglione said.
The mother had bite marks on her hand and scratches on her leg after the lion, believed to be two years old, ran off, he added.
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Wildlife officials said they killed a young lion near the home and a second one found in the area several hours later.
The incident happened on Friday night in the community of Lower Woody Creek, north of Aspen.
Officials say sightings are increasing across Colorado, where an estimated 4,500 mountain lions live.
The last known mountain lion attack in the state happened in July 2015 when a young animal attacked a man as he fished in a remote area in northwest Colorado, the wildlife department said.


Justin Rose is hoping to recreate the "innocence" of his performance as a 17-year-old amateur at Royal Birkdale in 1998 at this week's Open Championship.

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The Englishman chipped in for a birdie on the last hole to finish tied fourth.
"It surprises me that is still the best finish," said the 2013 US Open and 2016 Olympic champion.
"The freedom I had that week, the confidence I had in my short game, the innocence in which I played the game, I think, is kind of still a model."
Rose equalled the record low score for an amateur at The Open with a 66 in round two on the par-70 course, before delighting the crowd with his 50-yard birdie chip on the Sunday.
"When I look back I marvel at how I was able to compete so closely down the stretch, and finish within two shots of winning an Open Championship at the age of 17," reflected the 36-year-old.
"It's definitely a championship I've had great moments in.
"I don't want to say that if I don't win this it's going to be a huge sort of hole in my career, but it was the one tournament that even before I finished fourth here as an amateur, I got to final qualifying at the age of 14 and created a bit of a story then.
"And to win it would kind of close the book in a way on my Open Championship story."
Lee Westwood plans to use "cunning and guile" to plot his way to a first major victory at his 78th attempt.
The 44-year-old has finished in the top three at majors nine times - a record for a player yet to win one - and three of those have come at The Open.
Darren Clarke, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson were all over 40 when they won successive Championships from 2011.
"You have to think your way round," said Englishman Westwood.
"I'm 44 and you think a little bit differently as you get older, but hopefully I can think a bit more wisely and use a bit of cunning and guile on the golf course."
Westwood missed out on a play-off at the 2009 Open at Turnberry by one shot, was a distant second to Louis Oosthuizen in 2010 and then let slip a two-shot advantage when leading into the final round at Muirfield in 2013.
He believes links golf offers him the best chance of winning one of the sport's four majors.
"One of the times I've come close to winning was Turnberry and Tom Watson lost in a play-off at 59," he added. "Last time it was held around here [in 2008] Greg Norman made a run at it at 53.
"The US Open course [in June at Erin Hills] was a bomber's style course where they had a big advantage, but this course brings a lot more players into it.
"The Open Championship always does with the weather and the way the golf course plays."


A Norfolk business called the Apple Shop says it has had to change its name after becoming inundated with complaints about iPhones and iPads.

The shop, at Wroxham Barns, said it had received up to 24 calls a week since the technology giant opened a store in Norwich in 2009.
Owner Geoff Fisher, who sells cider and juice, said it was amusing at first, but some callers had been rude.
He said the shop would be renamed The Norfolk Cider Shop from Easter.
Mr Fisher said: "I've had complaints about broken iPods and dropped iPads and Apple Macs. It can be very funny, but some people are very rude and they slam the phone down.
"My telephone number has a Norwich prefix and so people unawares ring up the Apple Shop. All I can say to them is, 'I'm very sorry, I cant help you, but please do come along and get some proper Norfolk cider to get over your sorrows'."
The Apple Shop was opened at Wroxham Barns - a collection of shops near the Broads village - 20 years ago by Mr Fisher's brother, Stephen, after he started up the Norfolk Cider Company in 1987.
Mr Fisher said Apple had not forced him into the change and he had "a lot of respect" for the company.
He said: "My most amusing caller was an elderly gentleman who rang up and the first thing he said was, 'I've been very silly'.
"'I said, what's the problem? He said, 'I'm 87, and I've gone and bought an Apple Mac and I don't know how to use it'.
"I said, 'Well, I'm very sorry, you have been very silly, perhaps you should give it to your grandchildren'."


A survey asking Republican supporters in the key US state of Iowa to pick a presidential candidate has placed Texas Senator Ted Cruz ahead of Donald Trump, who leads in most national polls.

The poll, ordered by Bloomberg Politics and The Des Moines Register, gave Mr Cruz a 10-point lead over Mr Trump.
Iowa helps shape the race to the White House by being the first state to hold a caucus deciding each party's nominee.
The latest survey suggests a higher chance of a bitter, protracted primary.
According to the New York Times, the arch-conservative Mr Cruz could emerge as the preferred nominee of far-right Republicans, competing against Mr Trump - cast as an anti-establishment candidate - and against a possible third candidate representing the centre-right of the party.
Both Mr Cruz and Mr Trump have been campaigning heavily in Iowa, and hope victory in the 1 February caucus will galvanise their race for the Republican nomination.
In the poll, 31% of respondents wanted Mr Cruz to secure the nomination, compared with 21% naming Mr Trump as their first choice.
Five things to know about Ted Cruz
Mr Trump attacked The Des Moines Register's credibility before the poll was released, describing the paper as "dishonest" and singling out its lead political reporter as "the worst".
Mr Trump and Mr Cruz have also been trading barbs in recorded statements and on Twitter, prompting speculation that an unofficial pact between the two men has unravelled.
The relationship between the two candidates was until recently thought to be cordial, based on remarks they had made about each other to the press.
There was more good news for the Texas senator in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll, which had him surging into second place behind Mr Trump, with Ben Carson dropping 18 points to fourth place.
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Mr Trump remains the most popular Republican candidate according to most national polls.
The billionaire businessman and TV star was heavily criticised by other candidates for proposing a ban on Muslims entering the US on the grounds that they may pose a security threat.
The next Republican debate is on Tuesday.
Hillary Clinton is the favourite to win the Democratic nomination for the presidential election, which will be held in November next year.


The Chancellor, George Osborne, has committed £4m to an air ambulance service in Northern Ireland.

It is expected to be closely based on the Welsh model, which has three helicopters and is run by a charity, but staffed by the NHS.
Northern Ireland is the only region of the UK which does not currently have a helicopter emergency medical service.
However, on Wednesday, Mr Osborne announced that about £4m in Libor fines would be used to fund one.
Libor stands for the London Interbank Offered Rate. It is the interbank lending rate that benchmarks interest rates across the UK.
The so-called Libor scandal arose when it was discovered that banks were falsely inflating or deflating their rates so as to profit from trades.
Millions of pounds have been raised in fines.
It is not yet known where the ambulance will be based.
DUP leader and first minister Arlene Foster has supported basing an air ambulance in her constituency at the St Angelo airstrip near Enniskillen.
Health Minister Simon Hamilton has talked about it in connection with the specialist trauma services at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.


Italy's strongest earthquake in decades, which rocked the country's central region on Sunday, has left many residents considering: is it better to stay or to go?

The quake was the fourth to hit the area in three months and devastated some areas.
Local authorities in some villages have urged people to leave as temperatures continue to drop, according to Italian newspaper La Stampa.
But many of the residents who own livestock are refusing to go, as it would mean abandoning their animals.
"What left is there to do? Who will look after them?" one man asked.
La Repubblica said some people refusing to leave devastated areas had demanded tents from the local authorities "so that no-one is forced to stay in their car".
A Benedictine monastic community in Norcia, one of the hardest hit towns, has also chosen to stay. The members say they want to "be present for the people of Norcia".
The monks were working hard to rebuild from the damage of the previous quake. But tremors near the city on Thursday rendered the monastery uninhabitable, according to a statement on its website.
"Unfortunately, [the earthquake] has brought many of the townspeople to the brink of despair and more damage than any of us can yet assess.
"As before, we are busy at work trying to respond to the crisis on multiple levels."
On Sunday, Norcia's local basilica, which was undergoing repairs, was destroyed.
For others, the uncertainty and devastation caused by the quakes has pushed them out of central Italy.
Andrew Shearn, a resident in Amandola, relocated to Milan over the weekend and says he will stay there "until it stops". He said that, luckily, he could work from the northern city.
"People are scared. Anyone who has an alternative has left the area. People are ready to start rebuilding, but they are too apprehensive until [the earthquakes] stops.
He told the BBC he was cleaning up his house from the previous earthquake when the latest one hit.
"I was standing outside my house taking in the view when the tremors started.
"It's incredible that something built with stone walls can just swing side to side. Tiles flew off my roof. And the noise - there's this low, deep-down noise in your head, all around."
He says the older people have been most affected by the disaster: "I was talking to an 80-year-old woman - she has lived here her whole life and has never seen anything like this.
"It's hard to deal with as a human - it's hard to react, apart from tears.
"If another quake happens, I think the damage would be immense."


Paralympic champion Sascha Kindred has become the first individual to be made an honorary freeman of Herefordshire.

The swimmer has won 62 medals throughout his career, a haul that includes seven Paralympic golds and 11 top medals at the World Championships.
He made his last appearance at a Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in September.
Germany-born Kindred, 38, who lives in the county, said he was "very pleased" to receive the honour.
More on this and other stories from Hereford and Worcester
"Everyone has always been supportive of my journey and I would like to thank everyone in Herefordshire," he said.
Brian Wilcox, chairman of Herefordshire Council, said the award acknowledged the "outstanding contribution" Kindred had made in his career.


Markets in Asia were mostly lower on Thursday as economic data from Japan and China made investors cautious.

After surging almost 8% on Wednesday, Japan's Nikkei closed down 2.5% at 18,299.62, among Asia's big losers.
Worries about a slowdown China and the impact of a US interest rate hike also dented investors' confidence.
Analysts said losses were to be expected considering Wednesday's significant gains - particularly in Japan.
Core machinery orders in Japan, which are a key indicator of capital expenditure, fell by 3.6% in July compared with June.
The renewed decline suggested that business investment may fall yet again this quarter, economists said.
The number "was weaker than anyone polled by Bloomberg had expected," said Japan economist Marcel Thieliant, adding that orders were the lowest since November 2014.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 closed down 2.4% at 5,098.40, following Wall Street lower and after two sessions of gains.
The Australian dollar fell together with the New Zealand dollar on Thursday after New Zealand's central bank cut interest rates to 2.75% and said it may introduce further easing measures to boost its flagging economy.
In China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite ended down 1.4% to 3,197.89, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 2.6% to 21,562.5 points.
Official figures released on Thursday showed China's consumer price index (CPI) unexpectedly rose to 2% in August from a year ago marking a one-year high.
The rise was due to higher food prices. Pork prices, which weigh heavily on consumer prices in China, rose from 16.7% last year to 19.6% in August.
The country's producer price index (PPI) fell 5.9% - marking its 42nd consecutive month of declines - and the biggest drop since 2009.
The one bright spot in Asia was the Kospi in South Korea which closed up 0.7% to 1,947.30 points.


Conservative former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine has been sacked as a government adviser after rebelling over Brexit in the House of Lords.

Lord Heseltine backed the demand for a parliamentary vote on the final deal to be written into Brexit legislation.
Lord Heseltine learned hours later that he had been fired from five government advisory roles he had held.
He said he accepted Number 10's right to sack him but "sometimes there are issues which transcend party politics".
Lord Heseltine told the Lords that the UK was facing "the most momentous peacetime decision of our time".
The peer said he was having dinner with his wife when he got a call from the chief whip, and went to the Lords to be told he was being sacked.
Lord Heseltine told the BBC: "This is not my judgment, this is the prime minister exercising her perfectly legitimate right to get rid of opposition in any way she finds appropriate.
"Whether it's a wise thing to do is a matter for her not for me.
"I have been hugely proud of the work I have done for David Cameron and now for this prime minister, and if they don't want me to go on they must sack me."
He continued: "I did write a newspaper article the other day setting out exactly what I intended to do so I think they could have told me this would be the price but let me make it quite clear; I would still have voted as I did tonight.
"Sometimes in politics there are issues which transcend party politics; in the end you have to be your own person. I believe our interests are intertwined with Europe. I am not prepared to change.
"Every Conservative prime minister I worked for has told me, including this prime minister before the referendum, that we were essentially seeking British self-interest in Europe."
"It's not perfect but it's much better than anything that happened before the Second World War."
Ministers have said they aim to overturn the two defeats peers inflicted on them in the Lords on the Brexit bill.
When the bill becomes law it will give the prime minister the legal permission she requires to begin the process of leaving the EU.
Brexit Secretary David Davis has said some in the Lords are seeking to "frustrate" Brexit but it was the government's intention to ensure that did not happen.
When the bill returns to the Commons next week ministers will have some persuading to do but Theresa May remains on course to trigger Article 50 and begin Brexit negotiations before the end of this month.
Like Ken Clarke in the Commons, Lord Heseltine was determined to remain vociferously pro-European both before and after the referendum.
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says Lord Heseltine's sacking illustrates Downing Street's determination to pointedly press ahead with Brexit.
Lord Heseltine, 83, served as a minister in Margaret Thatcher's government in the 1980s.
He was brought in by former Prime Minister David Cameron to advise the government on a range of projects, including schemes in east London and Swansea.
Peers voted by 366 votes to 268 in favour of an amendment to the bill to have a "meaningful" parliamentary vote on the final terms of the Brexit deal.
The previous defeat was on the issue of guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens.
After a three-hour debate on Tuesday, the turnout for the vote was the largest in the Lords since 1831, according to Parliament's website.
As well as Lord Heseltine, 12 other Tory peers defied the government to vote in favour of the amendment, including former ministers Lord Deben and Viscount Hailsham.
Mrs May has said she wants to trigger Article 50 by the end of March but the Commons is unlikely to have an opportunity to consider the changes made by the Lords until the middle of next week as four days have been set aside for debate on the Budget.


A woman has been arrested after a posting on Facebook said Muslims are not welcome in a beauty salon.

Thames Valley Police detained the 43-year-old after the comment appeared on Blinks of Bicester's page following the Paris terrorist attacks.
It said the business would not be taking any more bookings from people of the "Islamic faith".
This prompted hundreds of messages to be left by people criticising the post.
Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire
One person, Linda Stubbs, wrote: "You need a rebranding after your vile comments. I think 'Bigots of Bicester' would be very appropriate."
Scott Woods posted: "Can put fake lashes on ignorance but you can't educate it. You've a LOT to learn... racist and ignorant."
On Friday night 129 people were killed when eight Islamist militants attacked bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France.
There was no response when BBC News tried to contact Blinks of Bicester.
The Facebook page for Blinks of Bicester where the post appeared has now been deleted.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of displaying of written material which was threatening, abusive or insulting with the intention of stirring up racial hatred, and for producing malicious communications.
Police said it followed reports from members of the public about "malicious comments" being made on Facebook.
Sgt Steve Dixon said: "Thames Valley Police treats all allegations of racial aggravation very seriously and will always take steps to investigate them."
The woman has been released on police bail.


Scottish Borders Council is to close all its contact centres across the region on 8 June.

It said the move was necessary due to staff being needed for the general election and a Scottish Parliament by-election on the same day.
A total of 10 sites are affected but the council said services could be accessed via the internet or by phone.
All of the contact centres are expected to re-open as normal after the vote, on Friday, 9 June.
A spokesperson for SBC said: "These closures are for one day only and are necessary due to the staffing requirements of the election and by-election.
"We apologise for any inconvenience and would encourage members of the public to visit our website or call our customer services team on 8 June if they need to access our services."
The contact centres affected are:
The council said alternative arrangements had been made for other services which normally operate from the affected sites.


A murder investigation is under way after a man's body was recovered from a house in Boston.

Police were called to an address in Porcher Way shortly after 16:00 BST on Friday.
A 66-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The woman has since been bailed but Lincolnshire Police have been granted extra time to question the man. Police appealed for witnesses.


A US-based media advocacy group has condemned the sentencing by a court in Iran of four reformist journalists to between five and 10 years in prison.

Afarin Chitsaz, Ehsan Mazandarani, Saman Safarzai and Davud Asadi were found guilty of charges including acting against national security.
The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Iran to change laws that it says allows journalists to be harassed.
The four were arrested in November as part of a crackdown by hardliners.
Writers, artists and other cultural figures were also detained in the run-up to February's elections for parliament and the Assembly of Experts, in which supporters of moderate President Hassan Rouhani made gains.
The journalists were convicted by a court in Tehran on Tuesday on various charges, including "spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic" and "acting against national security and contacting foreign governments", the Tasnim news agency reported.
A lawyer for three of the journalists, Mohammad Alizadeh-Tabatabai, told Tasnim that Davud Asadi, whose brother co-founded the Rooz Online opposition website, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Ehsan Mazandarani, the managing-director of the Farhikhtegan newspaper, was jailed for seven years, Mr Alizadeh-Tabatabai said.
Afarin Chitsaz, a columnist for the government-owned Iran newspaper and actress, and Saman Safarzai, a columnist for the Andishey-e Puya magazine who is also known as Ehsun Sarfarzai, were handed five-year sentences, the lawyer added.
They have 21 days to appeal against their sentences.
The four were accused of "paving the way for US infiltration of the country" after being arrested along with veteran journalist Isa Saharkhiz last year by the intelligence unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), according to the Iranian Labour News Agency.
"Convicting journalists for 'acting against national security' underlines the need to change the overbroad laws that lead to the harassment and jailing of the media," said the CPJ's Sherif Mansour. "Iranian authorities must cease imprisoning journalists."
President Rouhani, who criticised the journalists' arrests, has called for greater media freedom in several speeches.


Captain Sam Warburton was delighted to come through his British and Irish Lions debut against Queensland Reds without aggravating his injury.

The 24-year-old Wales flanker finally made his Lions debut, having sat out the opening two tour matches with a knee problem.
The Lions survived their toughest test so far, coming from behind to win 22-12 at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.
"It's always a bonus to come through injury free," Warburton said.
"The medics did a great job over the last few weeks. My knee feels fantastic now and I have no problems with it.
"I haven't played for seven weeks, so I'm pleased I came through 75 minutes.
"It was good to get used to the tempo. It reminded me very much of the first Test we played here with Wales last summer.
"A lot of aspects of the game went very well for us. We always want to improve but I don't think there was any major weakness."
The Lions preserved their 100% tour record at the Brisbane ground where they will return on 22 June for the first Test against Australia.
And Warburton is confident the Lions can remain unbeaten throughout the tour, a target he set his team-mates after he was named captain in April.
"Wanting to go through unbeaten might come across as a bit arrogant to some people, but it's just a goal," the Cardiff Blues forward added.
"It was a challenge put to me by tour Manager Andy Irvine. Being very ambitious, I liked the sound of it.
"It's always going to be tough. I found that out the hard way, playing in Australia quite a few times with little success.
"We're extremely confident with the squad we've got here. There's just so much class and I think it's definitely achievable."
The Lions' next tour match will be against a Combined Queensland-NSW Country XV in Newcastle on Tuesday, 11 June.


Within hours of Saudi Arabia's execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, the highest Shia authority in Iraq spoke out against what he called the shedding of "pure blood".

"He is a martyr. May his soul rest in peace," Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said, indicative of the esteem in which the late sheikh was held in Iraq.
For many Shia there, Sheikh Nimr was an icon for his vocal support for anti-government protests by fellow Shia in Sunni Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
No wonder they took to the streets of Baghdad in their thousands after Sheikh Nimr, along with 46 other people, was executed on 2 January, all convicted of terrorism.
With the devastating civil war in Iraq between Sunnis and Shia in 2006-2007 still fresh in people's minds, his execution threatens to inflame Iraq's sectarian tensions.
Two Sunni mosques have been attacked and two people killed in apparent retaliation for Sheikh Nimr's death.
Leading Shia political and military figures in Iraq openly bear animosity towards Saudi Arabia.
They are particularly critical of Riyadh's ultra-conservative form of Islam, which they perceive as the nucleus of the extremist ideology of al-Qaeda and its splinter groups, like the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
"This is an ideological battle with Sunni extremists that must be fought to the end," Jaafar al-Husseini, spokesman for the Shia Hezbollah Brigades militia, told me.
The Iranian-backed group is one of several militias that constitute the backbone of nearly 120,000 volunteers, mainly Shia and known as the Popular Mobilisation (PM) forces.
Able-bodied Shia men took up arms against IS in response to a fatwa (edict) by Sheikh Sistani in June 2014 as large parts of the Iraqi army collapsed in the face of the IS advance.
The massive force of Shia volunteers has become the most successful example of boots-on-the-ground in Iraq.
And despite accusations by international human rights groups of human rights abuses against Sunnis, the Popular Mobilisation forces remain hugely popular in Shia-majority areas.
"We should not have any relations with Saudi Arabia," Mr Husseini said in a decisive tone.
The growing Saudi-Iranian crisis has put Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi between a rock and a hard place.
He is a strategic ally of Tehran and trade volume between both countries reached a staggering $18bn (Â£12 billion) last year.
But the prime minister, who quickly condemned Sheikh Nimr's execution, is also keen on cementing ties with Riyadh and navigating a middle ground between both neighbours.
"Mr Abadi is extremely cautious in this crisis," says Hussein Allawi, professor of National Security at al-Nahrain University in Baghdad.
"He wanted to appear as a neutral negotiator when he sent his foreign minister to Tehran where he offered to mediate.
"Iraq needs all neighbouring countries to support it in its war against Daesh (Islamic State) and will not turn into another battleground of a proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
"He needs to not alienate the Sunnis and to be fully committed to reinvigorating the Sunni Awakening Councils."
In 2007, the US created militias of Sunni tribal volunteers, known as Awakening Councils, to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq's Anbar province and elsewhere.
They provided them with arms and salaries to be on the side of the Shia-led government of Nouri al-Maliki, rather than al-Qaeda.
Ghassan al-Ithawi, spokesman for anti-IS tribal fighters in Anbar, believes Mr Abadi's approach in tackling the Saudi-Iranian crisis will attract broad support among Sunnis.
"We need the Saudis in the reconstruction process of Anbar when we win the war against Daesh," he said. "Sectarianism plays well into the hands of IS."


UN chief Ban Ki-moon was "shocked to the core" by new claims of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR), the organisation said.

One advocacy group said on Thursday it had passed on new reports to the UN that a soldier made four girls have sex with a dog.
The UN said on Thursday it was investigating 108 new reports of abuse.
Last year, there were 69 allegations of child rape and other sexual offences by peacekeepers from 10 missions.
Forces were deployed in 2014 to help restore order in CAR after the president was overthrown the previous year and sectarian violence gripped the country.
Living under a shadow of fear
Road to anarchy
The new reports of abuse were made by the Code Blue campaign run by the advocacy group Aids-free World. The group says the abuse was reported to have happened between 2013 and this week.
It says the bestiality claims, dating back to 2014, involved a commander with French forces. The girls, one of whom later died of an unknown disease, were each paid 5,000 Central African francs ($8.60; £6), the report says.
UN human rights chief said the countries of the soldiers reportedly involved - France, Burundi and Gabon - had been notified.
"We must face the fact that a number of troops sent to protect people instead acted with hearts of darkness," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday.
He said the "vast majority" of the 108 alleged victims interviewed by the UN so far were minors. He said the allegations of forced bestiality had not yet been substantiated.
France's ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, said the reports were "sickening and odious" and promised exemplary disciplinary action" if they were proven to be true.
A UN statement on Wednesday said the allegations involved some of its staff, as well as non-UN peacekeepers.
In early March, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the repatriation of peacekeeping units whose soldiers face allegations of sexual abuse.
Last August, the UN envoy to CAR, Babacar Gaye, was sacked amid multiple allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers.
An independent panel called the UN response to the allegations "seriously flawed" and a "gross institutional failure".
It accused senior UN officials of abusing their authority by failing to take action over allegations of abuse by soldiers from France, Equatorial Guinea and Chad.


Police had to step in at the funeral of a Black Watch soldier after a family feud boiled over at the graveside.

Pte Mark Connolly's body was left lying in a morgue in London for three years while his wife Stacey and mother Linda McComiskie fought a legal battle over where to bury him.
The funeral was held in Forfar after a sheriff sided with Mrs Connolly.
However, officers had to step in after scuffles broke out at the graveside between the two sides of the family.
A full military burial was carried out at Newmonthill Cemetery in Forfar for Pte Connolly, who died aged 24 after being punched in a bar fight in Germany in 2011.
Tensions had mounted when Mrs McComiskie and other mourners from the soldier's home town of Leven were earlier barred from entering a ceremony at Forfar's Royal British Legion hall.
Police had been stationed at the door of the club and on surrounding streets in case of trouble, and three officers had to intervene to break up scuffles as the casket was lowered into the grave.
As floral tributes were thrown aside amid pushing and shoving, Mrs McComiskie was heard to shout: "Scum, you're all scum.
"It's my son here, I'm not scared of anyone.
"I hope you're all proud of yourselves. I know what they're thinking, that I'm scum, but I'm his mum."
Pte Connolly died in 2011 while stationed in Germany after fellow squaddie Paul McKay, 27, punched him during a bar fight.
Pte McKay was later cleared of manslaughter after a court martial heard he had acted in self-defence.
The dead soldier's wife and mother clashed over where he should be buried, with Mrs McComiskie insisting he should be laid to rest in the family plot in East Wemyss.
His wife's assertion that he wanted to be buried in a plot earmarked for her in Forfar was accepted by a sheriff during a lengthy civil court battle, which only concluded last month when Mrs McComiskie dropped her appeal due to a lack of funding.
The sheriff said Mrs McComiskie had displayed "little regard for the body of her son languishing in storage in London for over three years".
Pte Connolly's commanding officer Lt Col Alasdair Steele paid tribute to the veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts after the funeral.
He said: "Private Mark Connolly fulfilled a lifelong ambition in 2005 when he joined the army.
"I know he was proud to wear the red hackle of the Black Watch and the cap badge of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
"Mark was an incredibly enthusiastic, compassionate and very professional soldier who demonstrated great potential for the future.
"He served all over the world, specifically on operations in Northern Ireland, in Iraq and in Afghanistan where he was renowned for his great sense of humour and bravery.
"He made lots of friends and will be sorely missed."


Canon Kenyon Wright, who played a central role in the creation of the Scottish Parliament, has died aged 84.

Mr Wright chaired the Scottish Constitutional Convention which laid the groundwork for Holy rood.
The retired Scottish Episcopal Church priest died on Wednesday, the Scottish government confirmed.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said he was "a great loss to Scotland's political, civil and religious communities".
Her predecessor, Alex Salmond, described him as "one of the great spirits of the movement of self-government."
Born in Paisley in 1932, Mr Wright worked as a Methodist missionary in India before serving at Coventry Cathedral in England.
He returned to Scotland in 1981 as General Secretary of the Scottish Council of Churches.
A long-time campaigner for Scottish devolution, he became chief executive of the cross-party Scottish Constitutional Convention which laid the groundwork for devolution.
He famously responded to Margaret Thatcher's refusal to accept the idea of Scottish devolution with the comment: "We say yes - and we are the people."
He later ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the parliament he helped create for the Liberal Democrats.
Ms Sturgeon said she was "deeply saddened" by the news.
She said: "His input to the creation of the Scottish Parliament cannot be overstated.
"His chairmanship of the Scottish Constitutional Convention, which led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament, was testament to his strength of character, tenacity and charisma. He was able to bring together the different strands of Scottish politics and society to achieve consensus about the way ahead for Scottish devolution.
"His legacy will live on through the work of the Scottish Parliament."
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale also paid tribute.
She said: "His work and tireless campaigning with the Scottish Constitutional Convention is a vital reason why we have a Scottish Parliament today.
"For generations to come there will be a parliament in Edinburgh that makes decisions affecting the everyday lives of Scots, and that is the wonderful legacy he leaves behind.
"The day before the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999, Canon Kenyon Wright handed the Claim of Right to Donald Dewar.
"That document now resides in the Donald Dewar Room in the Scottish Parliament, a fitting reminder of what was achieved by these giants of Scotland's devolution movement."
Scottish Greens co-convener, Patrick Harvie MSP said: "I was very sad to learn of Kenyon Wright's death, and will remember him not only as a long-standing supporter of the campaign to create and then strengthen the Scottish Parliament, but also as a thoroughly decent and respectful voice on the political landscape.
"Politics these days can often be hostile, impatient and divisive; it's a time when we need more people with Kenyon's non-tribal approach. He'll be sadly missed across the whole political landscape and I hope that we'll all remember him both as a friend and as a great example of civilised politics."


It is "immoral" for the government to refuse to deal with Troubles legacy problems unless welfare reform is agreed, a former watchdog has said.

Baroness Nuala O'Loan, who was Northern Ireland's first police ombudsman, said the issues must be dealt with separately.
She said victims were being held "to ransom" during the political stalemate.
"If you choose between the ability of people to get prosthetic limbs and welfare reform, that to me is totally morally wrong," she said.
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, she accused both the Westminster government and Stormont's devolved government of failing to play their part in resolving ongoing problems caused by the Troubles.
Baroness O'Loan said victims who had conflict-related injuries were not getting the financial support needed because of the budget row over welfare reform.
"We have people today who are suffering a great deal, we need resources and we need progress on the past in order to enable the present," she said.
The former police ombudsman also said ongoing sectarian violence was the result of failure to deal with Northern Ireland's troubled past.
"People can think that we're at peace, but we had three deaths last year, we had 94 shootings, we had 26 bombing incidents, 58 firearms recovered. We still have a state of conflict and we need to work as a society towards reconciliation.
"The British government need to play their part and our own government need to play their part and I don't think either are doing it at the moment."
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said Ms O'Loan's "argument" had "some merit".
"At the start of the Haass talks two years ago, I argued that we should steer well clear of this formula, and bank agreements as we progressed," he said.
"I made the same pitch at the start of the Stormont House process, sadly without success, and as a result, victims and survivors once again find themselves in limbo, listening to rumours of the possibility of real progress in service provision, but unaware of the real prospects for actual delivery, not least in the area of better mental health and wellbeing."
Mr Nesbitt said Ms O'Loan's intervention had come "hot on the heels" of speculation in a media briefing that the UK government was considering implementing singular aspects of the agreement.
"This all has the whiff of softening up the public for a side deal being brought forward over and above the heads of the five Executive parties," he said.
"Our concerns over side deals was one of the reasons the Ulster Unionist Party felt unable to fully support the Stormont House Agreement last December, and as time passes, the wisdom of that decision appears to strengthen by the day."
The Westminster government had agreed a number of new measures to address Troubles legacy issues during last December's Stormont House Agreement.
However, the deal has been in jeopardy since March, when Sinn FÃ©in withdrew its support after a row over how future welfare claims would be dealt with.


Harlequins have appointed England international Joe Marler as captain, with the prop forward taking over from national team skipper Chris Robshaw.

Marler, 24, came through the Quins academy and has made 105 appearances for the club since his debut in 2009.
Flanker Robshaw, 28, has captained Harlequins for the past four years.
Quins director of rugby Conor O'Shea said he wanted to relieve some of the pressure on Robshaw in the run-up to next year's Rugby World Cup.
"I have been speaking to Chris about the dual role of captaining both England and Harlequins for some time," O'Shea said.
"He has a massive year ahead of him. It will allow him to focus on being at his best for both club and country.
"We want him to be at his best for Harlequins, win trophies here and also lift the World Cup next year.
"To do so, we believe he needs to be fresh both mentally and physically, hence why we have made this decision now."
Eastbourne-born Marler, who made his England debut in 2012 and has won 22 caps, paid tribute to his predecessor.
"Chris led us through the most successful period we have had as a club," Marler said.
"It will be good to be able to take the pressure off him as he heads into a huge year with England.
"I'm really honoured to be asked to lead a special group like this and a great club."


David Cameron has told European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that "British people are not happy with the status quo" in Europe.

The prime minister hosted Mr Juncker at Chequers ahead of a week of efforts to renegotiate Britain's EU membership.
The EC president "reiterated that he wanted to find a fair deal for the UK", said a No 10 spokesman after the talks.
Meanwhile, Poland's prime minister told Mr Cameron she would not tolerate moves to "discriminate" against her country.
Ewa Kopacz said it would be "regrettable" if the UK voted to leave the EU, and Polish people working in the UK contributed to economic growth and should be "treated in the same way as others".
She is due to meet Mr Cameron on Friday.
Mr Cameron and Mr Juncker's meeting came as reports suggest France and Germany are planning to announce further eurozone integration.
French newspaper Le Monde is reporting that the two countries have agreed a deal to bring about closer political union between eurozone countries without the need for changes to the treaties which govern the EU.
Mr Cameron has argued that treaty changes are needed to bring about the reforms he wants - creating a two-tier Europe, with closer integration between eurozone countries and Britain exempted from the drive for "ever closer union" between member states.
The prime minister's call for tougher benefit restrictions on new migrants - expected to be a key demand in renegotiation talks - would also need to be agreed by all member states.
The chances of getting a new treaty ratified in 28 countries by the end of 2017, in time for Britain to hold its planned in/out referendum, are remote, according to the BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris.
But, he adds, member states have been allowed to change their relationship with the EU in the past and for those changes to be included in future treaties, something that could be presented as a treaty change by Mr Cameron ahead of Britain's referendum.
The talks between Mr Cameron and Mr Juncker on Monday focused on "reforming the EU and renegotiating the UK's relationship with it", the No 10 spokesman said.
"The prime minister underlined that the British people are not happy with the status quo and believe that the EU needs to change in order to better address their concerns.
"Mr Juncker reiterated that he wanted to find a fair deal for the UK and would seek to help.
"They talked through the issue at some length in the spirit of finding solutions to these problems. They agreed that more discussion would be needed, including with other leaders, on the best way forward."
The two men also discussed the Greek economic situation, as well as Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Downing Street added.
Mr Juncker is opposed to treaty changes but Eurosceptic MPs argue it is not possible to have meaningful negotiations without them.
Conservative backbencher, Bernard Jenkin, said the Le Monde leak "went to the heart" of what the prime minister's promised renegotiation was about.
"The treaties aren't designed to allow different states to do different things. It is all assumed that we will all be involved with integration," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
UKIP MP Douglas Carswell said before the meeting that the prime minister's promised renegotiation would be "more or less worthless" as it would not "fundamentally change our relationship with Europe".
Over the coming days, Mr Cameron will travel to France, Germany, Denmark, Poland and the Netherlands to hold talks with European leaders.
Earlier, No 10 confirmed UK-based citizens from most EU countries would not get a vote in the referendum. The eligibility rules will be broadly the same as for a general election, rather than for local or European polls.
Legislation on the voting eligibility for the referendum will be introduced to Parliament via the EU Referendum Bill. It will say:
A No 10 source said about the franchise: "This is a big decision for our country, one that is about the future of the United Kingdom. That's why we think it's important that it is British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens that are the ones who get to decide."
Eurosceptics have previously claimed that as many as 1.5 million people from other EU countries could have been allowed to vote in the referendum, if it had taken place under the rules for local government elections.
David Cameron is ready to start renegotiating the terms of Britain's EU membership ahead of a referendum. Here is some further reading on what it all means:
The UK and the EU: Better off in or out?
What Britain wants from Europe
Q&A: The UK's planned EU referendum
Timeline: EU referendum debate
Why Germany is David Cameron's new best friend


Bradley Dredge will play in his first US Open after finishing joint fifth in the qualifying event at Walton Heath.

Joint leader after a first round 62 on Sunday, the Welshman slipped down the leader board with a second-round 71.
Fellow Welshman David Boote missed out on one of the 15 qualifying places in a seven-way play-off.
The amateur also fired a 62 in the first round, but two bogeys on the back nine on Monday saw him slip from the automatic qualifying places.
Writing on his own website, Dredge said: "Not only was one of two players who shot a club record 10 under par 62 around the [Walton Heath] new course but I also made sure I would complete the major grand slam, having previously only played The Masters, The Open and The USPGA."
The qualifying event was won by Wolverhampton's Aaron Rai, with Andrew "Beef" Johnston also among the qualifiers for the 117th US Open at Erin Hills, Wisconsin, from June 12-18.
Qualifiers: Aaron Rai (Eng) -14; Haotong Li (China) -13; Alexander Levy (Fra) -12; Richie Ramsey (Sco) -12; Oliver Bekker (S Africa) -11; Joel Stalter (Fra) -11; Bradley Dredge (Wal) -11; Eddie Pepperell (Eng) -11; Brandon Stone (S Africa) -10; George Coetzee (S Africa) -10; Andrew Johnston (Eng) -10; Paul Dunne (ROI) -9; Matt Wallace (Eng) -9; Thomas Aiken (S Africa) -9; Wade Ormsby (Aus) -9.