Chelsea had to settle for a draw against a strong Liverpool side at Anfield after Diego Costa's late penalty was saved by Simon Mignolet.

However, the draw did extend Chelsea's lead at top of the Premier League to nine points.
Liverpool keeper Mignolet made up for his first-half embarrassment when he was beaten by David Luiz's superb free-kick from 25 yards.
Georginio Wijnaldum's close-range header in the second-half gave Liverpool a draw they fully deserved, ending a run of three home losses in a row.
However, it could have been much better for Chelsea and worse for Liverpool when Costa went to ground 14 minutes from the end.
Referee Mark Clattenburg pointed to the spot but Mignolet dived low to his right to save the Spain striker's spot-kick.
Arsenal 1-2 Watford: Arsenal's Premier League title hopes suffered a huge blow with a shock home defeat as Watford secured their first top-flight win over the Gunners since 1988.
Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace: Crystal Palace finally earned a Premier League victory under Sam Allardyce as goals by Scott Dann and Christian Benteke secured the points against Bournemouth away at a rain-swept Vitality Stadium.
Burnley 1-0 Leicester City: Burnley secured their fifth home Premier League win in a row with victory over Leicester at Turf Moor, thanks to Sam Vokes' late goal.
Middlesbrough 1-1 West Bromwich Albion: Middlesbrough came back from a goal down but were left frustrated as a hard-working West Brom claimed a point at the Riverside Stadium.
Swansea City 2-1 Southampton: Swansea boosted their Premier League survival hopes and secured back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a spirited victory over Southampton.
Sunderland 0-0 Tottenham: Title-chasing Tottenham had to settle for a point at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland climbed off the bottom of the table with a hard-fought draw.


A report into abducted schoolgirl Shannon Matthews will not be published in full because it could put her and her siblings at risk, the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board says.

Shannon disappeared from her home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, for more than three weeks in February 2008.
Her mother, Karen, was jailed for eight years for her part in the abduction.
Prior to the decision, Shannon's father Leon Rose, said publishing a full report would cause her "upheaval".
An executive summary of the Serious Case Review into the run-up to Shannon's disappearance was published two years ago.
The Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board has been under pressure to publish the full report, especially after the Government made a commitment to getting full Serious Case Reviews into the public domain wherever possible.
However, board chairman Bron Sanders said the Serious Case Review overview report, no matter how it was redacted, would allow specific children to be identified and would place details of their private lives into the public domain.
"The children in this family are all vulnerable and there is no doubt whatsoever that it would be wrong for us to knowingly cause them harm, " Mrs Sanders said.
"The board always made it clear that we would do our utmost to publish the overview report for this Serious Case Review," she added.
"A huge amount of work has gone into that process over the last two years because we are an open and transparent body who understand the level of public interest in the Matthews case.
"However, Shannon and her siblings are vulnerable children and their welfare must always come first."
The board's original intention to publish the full report was fought in the High Court by Shannon's father.
In October, his action was adjourned after "powerful" new "welfare material" was produced and the safeguarding board decided to reconsider its position.
Shannon's disappearance prompted a massive police operation and she was discovered 24 days later at her stepfather's uncle's home less than a mile away from her house.
In January 2009 her mother was sentenced for what the judge described as a "truly despicable" plot to abduct the nine-year-old.
Michael Donovan, in whose flat the youngster was found in the base of a bed, was also jailed for eight years.
Both have now been released from prison.
The safeguarding board did publish some new information relating to Shannon's case.
It said the Progress Review of Learning gave a detailed analysis of agencies' involvement with the family and showed how they have subsequently changed their working practices.


The entrance to Sunderland's Roker Pier is to benefit from a £75,000 make over.

New gates, made from a series of polished stainless steel posts and toughened glass panels are to be installed next year.
The design was described as "classy and contemporary" by residents in the city who took part in a public consultation on the project.
The pier and lighthouse are a Grade II listed structure. The pier took 18 years to build and opened in 1903.
Sunderland City Council's culture spokesman Denny Wilson, said the new gates - dubbed Lightwave - would create "an impressive new entrance to one of the seafront's best-loved landmarks."
He added: "The seafront is one of our greatest assets.
"This is just the first of a number of improvements people can expect to see to the seafront over the next 18 months following the consultation we carried out last year."
Sunderland was awarded £1m from the Commission for the Built Environment (CABE) to revamp the area and was boosted by £500,000 of extra funding from the city council.
Fiona Heron, who designed the gates, said: "Lightwave aims to capture the spirit of the place using ideas of reflection and movement linked with the sea and the effect of light on glass prisms.
"I hope to help re-invigorate the scene with an exciting high quality artwork which brings out the best in art and design."


A brilliant solo goal from Gaston Ramirez helped Middlesbrough to a first win in eight Premier League games as they beat Bournemouth at the Riverside Stadium.

Ramirez blocked a shot and picked up the loose ball in his own half before he ended a storming run into the Bournemouth penalty area by cutting inside Andrew Surman and side-footing home.
Stewart Downing added Middlesbrough's second from close range after Alvaro Negredo nodded Adam Traore's cross to the far post.
Bournemouth had almost taken the lead earlier on when Josh King chested down a Jack Wilshere pass and had a volley tipped on to the crossbar by impressive keeper Victor Valdes.
The Cherries were reduced to 10 men after 79 minutes when Surman went off injured, manager Eddie Howe having made his three substitutions.
There is plenty to admire about Middlesbrough's play in terms of effort, commitment and attitude but, prior to this match, they had struggled in front of goal with only seven goals in nine top-flight matches.
However, they scored two in a game for the first time since their only other league win this season, which came against Sunderland on 21 August.
Ramirez and Downing each scored for the first time this term, while the lively Adama Traore, who was denied a first-half penalty, was a constant threat with his pace and powerful running.
The main drawback for Boro from their first home win of the campaign will be the form of striker Negredo, who has not scored since the opening day of the season.
The Spaniard cannot be faulted for his work-rate but, when through on goal in the second half, he struck a tame shot which was easily saved.
"We deserved it and we were more clinical," said Downing. "We've played well in a lot of games so far this season but have lost or drawn. That was a big win and will give us a lot of confidence."
Bournemouth, now without a win in their past seven away league games, started promisingly as King had a shot cleared off the line by Adam Clayton and then hit the crossbar with a volley.
However, the visitors failed to match the intensity levels shown in last week's draw with Tottenham.
Striker Benik Afobe made a difference after his introduction - he was refused a penalty following a Ben Gibson challenge and looped a late header on to the crossbar - but Bournemouth could not prevent a first league defeat in five outings.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "Our last three games have been really good and we had to show everybody we could compete, especially at home.
"With this performance and commitment of everybody, I think we are going the right way.
"The team showed we are really good when we are together. Once again we showed we have a clear plan and we have to keep going."
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Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "Not a great performance from our perspective. We had our chances. The goals we conceded were really disappointing.
"It's been a surprise to us we haven't done better away from home. Our away form last season was excellent.
"For whatever reason we haven't quite got that momentum yet, and we have to build it quite quickly."
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Bournemouth host Sunderland and Middlesbrough are at Manchester City, with both games on Saturday, 5 November at 15:00 GMT.
Delay in match Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Adam Clayton.
Attempt blocked. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Benik Afobe.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Dan Gosling replaces Harry Arter.
Corner,  Bournemouth. Conceded by Víctor Valdés.
Attempt missed. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner,  Bournemouth. Conceded by Stewart Downing.
Corner,  Bournemouth. Conceded by Stewart Downing.
Attempt blocked. Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.
Attempt missed. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough).
Attempt blocked. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Charlie Daniels.
Attempt missed. Álvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Grant Leadbitter.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Grant Leadbitter replaces Gastón Ramírez.
Attempt saved. Álvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Forshaw with a through ball.
Attempt blocked. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.
Attempt saved. Benik Afobe (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Charlie Daniels with a through ball.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Ryan Fraser replaces Jordon Ibe.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Benik Afobe replaces Callum Wilson.
Foul by Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).
Antonio Barragán (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Middlesbrough 2, Bournemouth 0. Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Álvaro Negredo with a headed pass.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Joshua King.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jack Wilshere (Bournemouth).
Second Half begins Middlesbrough 1, Bournemouth 0.
First Half ends, Middlesbrough 1, Bournemouth 0.
Attempt blocked. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Simon Francis.
Attempt missed. Harry Arter (Bournemouth) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.
Goal!  Middlesbrough 1, Bournemouth 0. Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal following a fast break.
Attempt blocked. Adam Smith (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Bournemouth. Conceded by Gastón Ramírez.
Attempt missed. George Friend (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gastón Ramírez.
Attempt missed. Steve Cook (Bournemouth) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jordon Ibe with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Bournemouth. Conceded by Adam Clayton.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Joshua King (Bournemouth) because of an injury.
Jordon Ibe (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


Former Tottenham Hotspur captain Gary Mabbutt is recovering in hospital after heart surgery, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The 55-year-old was taken to hospital on Monday after experiencing chest pains and breathing problems.
"After undergoing successful heart surgery yesterday, we can confirm Gary Mabbutt is now in a stable condition," Spurs said on Twitter.
Mabbutt captained Spurs to victory in the 1991 FA Cup final.
The former England international defender played for Tottenham for 16 years between 1982 and 1998.
He was also part of the Spurs side who won the Uefa Cup in 1984.
On Monday, Spurs also tweeted: "Everyone at the club wishes our legendary former captain a speedy recovery. Get well soon, Mabbsy."
In 2013 Mabbutt, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager, had a five-hour operation to replace the main artery in his left leg.
"I can no longer do any sport or go running, and my life is now a lot more sedentary," he told BBC Radio 5 live at the time.
"It is frustrating that I cannot kick a ball ever again, but I still have my leg, which is the most important thing."
Match of the day commentator Gary Lineker, who was captained by Mabbutt at Spurs, said on Twitter: "See Gary Mabbutt is to undergo heart surgery.
"When they operate it will be the biggest heart they've ever seen. Thinking of you, skipper."


Port Vale boosted their League One survival hopes as a goal and an assist from returning defender Ryan Taylor saw off fellow strugglers Shrewsbury Town.

Taylor, who re-signed on Friday after previously leaving Vale at the end of a short-term deal earlier this term, set up Sam Foley and scored one himself to earn Vale's second straight home win.
Louis Dodds netted a consolation for the visitors but there was no way back.
Vale remain in the drop zone but are now just two points below Shrewsbury.
The hosts, who still have two games in hand on their relegation rivals, scored twice in the space of three minutes as Foley headed in Taylor's corner before the former Newcastle man turned in Kiko's square ball.
Former Vale player Dodds' long-range strike was not enough to prevent the visitors losing for a third time in four away games.
Match ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1.
Second Half ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1.
Corner,  Port Vale. Conceded by Mat Sadler.
Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town).
JJ Hooper (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town).
Attempt missed. A-Jay Leitch-Smith (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Dan Turner (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. A-Jay Leitch-Smith replaces Joe Riley.
Ryan Taylor (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale).
Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale).
Gary Deegan (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale).
Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sam Kelly (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town).
Substitution, Port Vale. Sam Kelly replaces Chris Eagles.
Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale).
Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town).
Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked.
Corner,  Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete.
Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete.
Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Goal!  Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Stephen Humphrys.
Corner,  Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by William Reeves.
Attempt blocked. Joe Riley (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale).
Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Ryan Taylor (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town).
Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. Stephen Humphrys replaces Stefan Payne.


Botswana has granted asylum to 10 Eritrean footballers who refused to return home after a World Cup qualifying match, their lawyer says.

Dick Barford said he had been informed of the decision by Botswana's secretary for justice, defence and security, Augustine Makgonatsotlhe.
Eritrea's footballers played the national team in Botswana on 13 October, losing the game 3-1.
Many Eritrean footballers have claimed asylum recently after playing abroad.
Six players claimed asylum in Angola in 2007, 12 in Kenya in 2009, and another 18 in Uganda in 2012.
A report by the UN human rights council in June accused the Eritrean government of systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations.
The situation has prompted hundreds of thousands of people to flee the country, the report said.
Eritrea has denied committing human rights abuses and says those leaving the country are economic migrants.


A farmer may have to take down his wind turbine after judges ruled it impacted on a nearby listed church.

The 41.8m-high (137ft) turbine at Upper Pengarth, near Builth Wells, was built last year following approval by Powys council.
But London's Court of Appeal said the council needs to reconsider the move.
It was found to have failed to give "special regard" to preserving the setting of the Grade II-listed Llanbedr Church.
The church is about one mile (1.5km) from the turbine, on the other side of a hill.
Although the turbine, owned by farmer Colin Bagley, could not be seen from the church, both might appear in more distant views, the court was told.
The council might have decided that that impact would be acceptable, but it "had to confront the issue" and its failure to do so was "deficient and therefore unlawful," judges ruled.
Lord Justice Lindblom urged the council to "lose no time" in reconsidering the turbine's future.


Material gathered for a bonfire in the New Lodge area of north Belfast has been removed from the site.

Pallets, wood and other items were taken away by Northern Ireland Housing Executive staff and community volunteers at about 06:00 BST on Friday.
Sinn FÃ©in councillor JJ Magee said many residents were supportive of the move.
Concerns had been expressed that the bonfire was too close to blocks of flats and a children's nursery.
Mr Magee said he believed there are other materials which have been hidden and may be placed on the site before 8 August, which is when the bonfire was due to be lit.
In August, anti-internment bonfires are lit in some republican areas to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects, which was brought in by the British government in 1971.
Mr Magee also said the process of removing the material has been ongoing throughout the summer, and that Housing Executive contractors had already removed up to 140 pallets on Tuesday.
"There is community engagement all year in relation to this," he said.
"There are ringleaders in the crowds that are using younger people to bring material there. I'd like them to stop and get involved in the community, in the summer schemes."
"I'd encourage them to stop collecting, and go and listen to residents and youth leaders who are frustrated with this," added Mr Magee.
On Wednesday, a Housing Executive spokesperson said it was regularly removing materials from the site, and would continue to do so.


A long-awaited report into the troubled Southern rail franchise has blamed the unions for widespread disruption - but the RMT and Aslef have slammed it as "an attack on staff".

The government said the independent report clearly blamed union action and sick leave for disruption.
The DFT had said the paper could not be published before the election but has now made it public.
It was written by Chris Gibb, a non-executive director at Network Rail.
Last week the RMT union demanded it should be released immediately.
Both unions have been in dispute with Southern's parent company, Govia Thameslink (GTR), for more than a year in a row over guards' roles on trains.
RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: "No wonder the government have sat on the Gibb report for seven months. It's taken them that long to slice and fillet it into a document that they can spin up as an attack on the unions and the staff."
Aslef general secretary, Mick Whelan, noted Mr Gibb said no single party was responsible and added: "He's right. It's a combination of the Department for Transport (DFT) and GTR/Southern deliberately provoking an industrial dispute."
A DFT spokesman said: "The report makes absolutely clear that passengers would have had  reliable services had staff come to work as normal - despite the other challenges faced by the network."
He said recommendations included spending Â£300m to improve infrastructure resilience and establishing a new board to tackle problems ahead of "huge" Thameslink upgrades in 2018.
So how does Chris Gibb propose fixing matters?
Some of his recommendations have already been carried out - remember, the government has had a copy of this since late 2016.
So, it chose to spend Â£300m on Thameslink upgrades before 2018 to avoid scrapping the programme. It chose to reduce overnight services on the Brighton mainline to make room for engineering work. But other recommendations remain.
They include closing the line between Horsham and Three Bridges for a fortnight to upgrade the track, phasing out older trains, spinning off parts of the network to Transport for London, using simpler and more sensible ways of rostering staff, and fewer trains through underused stations like Newhaven Harbour.
But what about stripping Govia Thameslink of the franchise? Gibb says this may be counterproductive and would probably lead to work on the Thameslink programme pausing.
The report described Southern as "running at absolute capacity at peak times and undergoing a period of dramatic and traumatic change" from 2015 to 2018, including revised working practices, new trains and major infrastructure enhancements.
In addressing how the system got to this point, Mr Gibb wrote: "I do not believe any single party to have been the cause."
He also said some elements of the system had been considered "as an afterthought", including train maintenance depots and stations such as London Victoria.
He added: "At the time of writing this, the RMT and Aslef leadership, supported currently by their members, are the primary cause for the system integrity to fail.
"Whatever their motives, which are debatable, I do not support their action."
Mr Gibb made more than 30 recommendations, concluding Southern's performance "can and will improve", as these were implemented.
GTR chief executive, Charles Horton, said it was a thorough review of the UK's most congested railway and the only way to address capacity problems was to modernise infrastructure, trains, systems and working practices.
He said: "We urge our trade unions to play their part by working with us on the modernisation of working practices and have assured them that there will be no job losses."
He added some recommendations had already been implemented and performance was improving.


A former adviser to DUP leader Arlene Foster has resigned after claims he exerted influence over a flawed energy scheme that went vastly over budget.

On Wednesday, a senior civil servant said he believed that Dr Andrew Crawford had influenced the decision to keep the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme running.
Dr Crawford denies the claim, saying he "acted with complete integrity".
Mrs Foster set up the scheme in 2012, when she was enterprise minister.
Dr Crawford was her adviser at the time, and had been working as an aide to Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen until his departure on Thursday.
Former first minister Mrs Foster said she "regretfully accepted his resignation" to quit.
"I have been notified that Dr Andrew Crawford has resigned as special adviser in the Department of Agriculture," she said.
"Andrew was a faithful servant, not only to this party but also to the people of Northern Ireland, through his work as special adviser in various departments."
Mrs Foster added that Dr Crawford felt that "he was becoming not only a distraction to the important work of his minister, but indeed he was becoming the story".
A son of a farmer from Beragh in County Tyrone, Dr Andrew Crawford is a former employee of the Ulster Farmers' Union.
He was an assistant to the former DUP MEP Jim Allister before the North Antrim politician quit to form the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV).
Dr Crawford was a long-time aide to Arlene Foster, working with her when she was enterprise minister and then finance minister.
Jonathan Bell, who succeeded Mrs Foster as enterprise minister, accused him of preventing the closure of the scheme, but Dr Crawford has denied that claim.
In a statement, Dr Crawford said he would appear before an independent inquiry, which would show that "at all times, I acted with complete integrity in all that I did".
"In light of the allegations made at the Public Accounts Committee yesterday I believe it is appropriate that I step back from my position in government and resign as a Special Advisor. I am conscious I have become the focus of the story.
I want to see a full and independent inquiry set up immediately so that it will become clear that at all times I acted with complete integrity in all that I did.   I will be happy to give a full account of all of my actions during this period to the inquiry and for due process to take its course.
I will continue to offer my full support to the party and intend to campaign for the election of the strongest DUP representation in the next Assembly.  I do not intend to make any further public comment on these issues prior to an inquiry."
One of the claimants of the RHI scheme is Dr Crawford's poultry-farmer brother.
Dr Crawford's decision to stand down came 24 hours after he was named by Dr Andrew McCormick, the permanent secretary at the Department for the Economy, as the DUP adviser who had applied pressure to delay the introduction of cost controls in the scheme.
Another of the party's advisers announced on Wednesday that he would step aside from any future involvement in the RHI scheme after failing to declare a family link.
The scandal surrounding the botched RHI initiative has led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive and the calling of an assembly election, set for 2 March.
The scheme was set up to encourage businesses and other non-domestic users to stop using fossil fuels and instead install renewable heating systems, mostly burning wood pellets.
But the subsidies it paid out were far greater than the cost of the pellets, leaving the scheme open to abuse as claimants could earn more cash the more fuel they burned, which led to a projected £490m overspend.
On Thursday, Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir announced that he would establish a public inquiry into the scheme, and its findings will be released in full.
Mrs Foster said she was "looking forward" to the inquiry's report as "we will finally get the truth of what happened".
Also on Thursday, Stormont's Economy Committee heard that the Treasury is "very concerned" about the scheme's cost.
In his second appearance before an assembly committee in two days, Dr McCormick said: "They read the Northern Ireland newspapers, they have noticed this."
The overall cost of the scheme is projected to hit £1.2bn over the next 20 years, of which almost half-a-billion pounds would have to come from Northern Ireland's block grant.
Executive plans to cut the overspend have been met with criticism from a group representing claimants of the initiative.
John Martin of the Renewable Heat Association told the Economy Committee that the "rush" to pass the plan has "bypassed the scrutiny mechanisms that are the cornerstone of good government".


Most UK universities do not assess how the millions of pounds of financial support they give students affects their progress, a report says.

The Office for Fair Access says some Â£478m was committed to supporting students financially in 2014-15.
The watchdog said it was key that universities evaluated the effect of bursaries and fee-waivers on student success, access and progression.
Universities are working on common tools for assessing bursaries' effect.
Students are offered subsidised loans to pay their tuition fees, but many universities offer those from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds bursaries and fee-waivers as a way of widening access to degree courses.
In total, a fifth of institutions reported they did not evaluate this financial support at all in 2014-15.
This amounts to some Â£50m of spending for which there was no evaluation.
A further 25% of institutions reported they had evaluated their financial support, but only by seeking the opinions of participants, not by looking at the impact on student behaviour.
Overall, 45% of institutions looked at how effective the support they offered students had been, by evaluating its impact on access, drop-out rates versus retention and attainment figures.
In its report, access agreement monitoring for 2014-15: institutional evaluation, and equality and diversity, Offa said: "With such significant investment, it is essential that institutions understand the effectiveness of their financial support on access, student success and progression, and adapt programmes of spend according to evidence of effectiveness."
However, the watchdog was clear that 99% of institutions were evaluating the range of activities they undertook to attract students from a wider range of backgrounds.
Director of fair access Prof Les Ebdon said: "Universities and colleges spent Â£725m on activities and programmes to support fair access through their access agreements in 2014-15, so it is hugely important that they have a considered approach to evaluation to ensure that their investment is having the greatest impact."
A spokesman for Universities UK said it was encouraging that most institutions now evaluated the impact of their financial spend.
"How the evaluation is done will vary across institutions and this will become more sophisticated as the evaluation process is embedded," he said.
"Furthermore, Offa has been working with institutions to develop a set of common measures for assessing the impact of bursaries so this should provide an important tool for institutions to enhance their evaluations further."


(Close) The UK stock market closed down 1.4%, with mining stocks bearing the brunt after a further fall in the Chinese yuan hit prices of metals.

After Tuesday's 1.9% devaluation, China's central bank cut the guiding rate for the yuan for a second day.
The fall in the yuan has hit commodity prices, driving down share prices in the big UK-listed mining companies.
The FTSE 100 was down 93.35 points at 6,571.19, with shares in mining giant Glencore falling 5.7%.
The losses were echoed across other major European stock markets, with Germany's Dax index and France's Cac 40 down 3.3% and 3.4% each.
Companies with direct exposure to China came under pressure. Shares in fashion house Burberry, for which China is an important market, fell 3.5%, having dropped more than 4% on Tuesday.
Shares in Unilever were down 4.3% after Goldman Sachs cut its rating on the consumer goods company to "sell" from "neutral".
Randgold Resources was the top riser in the FTSE 100, climbing 5.4%, after the price of gold rose.
Gold is traditionally seen as a safer asset in times of market turmoil, and the spot price of gold touched  a three-week high of $1,119.80 an ounce on Wednesday morning before slipping back.
On the currency markets, the pound fell sharply against the euro after signs of a slowdown in UK wage increases pushed back market expectations of when interest rates might rise.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics showed unemployment rose slightly in the three months to June, while earnings growth - including bonuses - slowed to an annual rate of 2.4%.
The pound fell by 1%, more than one euro cent, against the euro to â‚¬1.3959 but edged up 0.42% against the dollar to $1.5638.


The first night of the BBC Proms has opened with a tribute to the people of Nice, in the wake of the Bastille Day attack that left at least 84 dead.

The BBC Symphony Orchestra played La Marseillaise, France's national anthem, to a packed Royal Albert Hall.
The performance came ahead of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet overture, which was originally billed as the season opener.
Proms director David Pickard said the tribute was arranged early on Friday.
"Waking up to the tragic news this morning of the attacks in Nice I felt it was appropriate, as a mark of respect, that we open the 2016 Proms festival with a tribute to the victims," he told BBC News.
La Marseillaise, which was adopted by French revolutionaries, is regularly sung on Bastille Day. Many people have shared performances of the song on social media today, as a show of unity with France.
Concerts in Nice this weekend, including a show by pop star Rihanna and the city's annual jazz festival, have been called off.
Following the impromptu tribute, the first night of the Proms continued with the Romeo and Juliet overture - one of several pieces marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.
Argentine cellist Sol Gabetta also made her Proms debut with Elgar's Concerto in E minor. Ahead of the performance, she told the BBC that playing in London was "very special" but extremely nerve-wracking.
"You can imagine how big this feels in my head, knowing that I'm in front of a public that probably knows the piece even better than I do! Many in the audience will have listened to this piece maybe 100 times."
The 2016 Proms season will also include music by David Bowie and a Strictly Come Dancing theme night, while one event will see the festival leave its home in the Royal Albert Hall for a concert in a car park.
Elsewhere, the Proms will pay tribute to French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez, who died in January aged 90, while jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington has promised to premiere new material at his show with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 30 August.
Quincy Jones, Bryn Terfel and the John Wilson Orchestra will also appear, with more than 90 concerts taking place between now and the world-renowned Last Night on 10 September.
All of the concerts will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3, with 26 filmed for television or iPlayer. Television coverage will be limited to Saturday nights during the Olympic Games in August, but a week-long series of concerts will be broadcast on BBC Four immediately after the games.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The collapse of a wall at an Edinburgh primary school could have been caused by the way it was built, a BBC Scotland investigation has found.

The wall at Oxgangs Primary collapsed during stormy weather in January 2016.
A senior employee at the subcontractor that built it, VB Contracts, told the BBC the inner and outer walls were not constructed at the same time.
Architecture professor Alan Dunlop said this "design issue" could have been the root of the problem at Oxgangs.
VB Contracts went bust in 2010, but the BBC spoke to a former employee, who did not want to be identified, as part of the BBC Scotland Investigates: How Safe is My School? programme, which was broadcast on Monday evening.
The collapse of the Oxgangs wall led to 17 schools across Edinburgh being closed over safety concerns. They have all since reopened.
The schools had all been built or refurbished following a Â£360m deal between the city council and a private finance consortium under the Public Private Partnership 1 (PPP1) scheme.
The lead contractor for the Edinburgh schools project, Miller Construction, was bought by Galliford Try in 2014.
Miller Construction had outsourced some of the work to VB Contracts, which was responsible for the brick and blockworks at Oxgangs Primary, and built the wall that collapsed.
Internal blockworks for such walls are generally built at the same time as the brick which forms the outside skin of the building.
This allows the builder to ensure the two parts are properly connected, with wall ties in the right places.
But the former employee said Miller Construction had told VB Contracts to build the internal wall at Oxgangs first so the building could be made water and wind tight as quickly as possible in order to allow inside work such as plastering to get started.
It was the outer wall that subsequently fell down at Oxgangs school.
Architect Alan Dunlop told the BBC the way the walls were built was therefore not "standard practice" and in his view was at the "root of the problems" at Oxgangs school.
He said: "If you're going to do that, I would expect a method statement for that to be done. That's a design issue. It's not an add, it's not something you do ad hoc. And you have to do it properly and you have to specify the right wall ties for doing it.
"In the evidence of the photographs that we have seen, that doesn't look to be the proper wall tie that you would actually use in circumstances like that."
Mr Dunlop added: "The evidence is clear in the Oxgangs project. The wall collapsed and evidently it doesn't look as though it was safe at all. That's another whole shocking and worrying aspect of this whole process."
In a statement, Galliford Try said it had contractual responsibility for four of the 17 Edinburgh public private partnership schools built 10 years ago.
The statement added: "Work required to reopen those four schools temporarily closed has been completed and the schools opened on 24 May and 6 June 2016.
"Throughout, Galliford Try's priority has been to ensure the children return to their studies at the earliest opportunity. We worked tirelessly with the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Schools Partnership in order to achieve this."
An independent inquiry into the school closures matter will consider whether the private finance method used to construct them contributed to the structural issues with the buildings.
The City of Edinburgh Council said the schools would be safe and well-maintained for as long as the contract is in place.


Greek members of parliament are debating late into the night ahead of a vote on a new bailout agreement.

The proposed deal involves tax rises and spending cuts in return for a third international bailout of about €85bn (£61bn).
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said he is confident he will win the vote, but some senior members of his Syriza party are defying the government.
The debate itself was preceded by hours of often angry exchanges in parliament.
Mr Tsipras needs MPs to vote for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be adopted before eurozone ministers can endorse the draft deal worth about €85bn (£61bn; $95bn).
The eurozone ministers meet later on Friday.
The next crunch deadline for Greece is then 20 August, when it must repay about €3.2bn to the European Central Bank (ECB).
Third Greece bailout: What are eurozone conditions?
In two prior votes on bailout reforms, Mr Tsipras faced rebellions from his own party with more than 30 of Syriza's 149 MPs refusing to approve the latest tax increases, pension cuts and market reforms.
On Thursday, the bill was argued over in committee discussions and procedural wrangling for about nine hours, and the plenary debate did not start until well after midnight.
The leader of Syriza's far-left faction, former energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis called for a new movement to fight the deal.
The government said he had clearly decided "to choose a different path from that of the government and Syriza".
It has defended the controversial new programme as tough but essential if the country is to avoid financial collapse.
Analysis: BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams in Athens
Once again, the Greek parliament is the scene of long, passionate discussions, destined to go on all night. Earlier, during committee discussions, emotions were already running high. Now, as MPs wrangle over procedure, the main debate hasn't even started. It'll be many hours before the bailout bill comes to a vote.
With the main opposition parties generally supporting the bill, the outcome is not seriously in doubt. Parliament will approve an astonishing array of reforms which are likely to affect almost every aspect of economic life in Greece. Farmers will lose subsidies and see their rates of tax double. The self-employed will also be hit hard. There'll be pension reform, too, and a review of Greece's entire welfare system. The scope is breathtaking.
But getting all this through parliament will come at a cost. Mr Tsipras, who once vowed to resist any more austerity, faces a rebellion among hardline members of his own Syriza party. They're threatening to break away and there's already talk of fresh elections in the autumn.
The rebels, including parliamentary speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou and former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, insist the government should make good on its electoral promise to reverse spending cuts and tax rises.
However, lawmakers are expected to approve the MoU by a comfortable margin with the help of opposition parties.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) urged Greece's European partners "to make decisions on debt relief that will allow Greece's debt to become sustainable".
Senior IMF official Delia Velculescu said the organisation "will make an assessment of its participation in providing any additional financing to Greece once the steps on the authorities' programme and debt relief have been taken".
Her comments followed a meeting earlier this week with Greek and EU financial officials in Athens.
On Thursday, data showed the Greek economy grew by 0.8% in the second quarter of the year, confounding expectations of a steep contraction.
Until the figures were released, the economy had been forecast to shrink again this year by between 2.1% and 2.3%.


The two incursions into Turkish airspace over the weekend by Russian warplanes highlight the growing risks of Russian, Syrian and Nato aircraft all operating in close proximity.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has made it clear that the Alliance does not place much credence in Russian assertions that these incidents were accidental.
A third incident where what looks to be a Syrian MiG-29 (the Russians have not deployed this aircraft to Syria) actually locked its radar on to Turkish jets only compounds the problem.
This is not an academic concern.
Turkey itself shot down a Syrian jet last year and a helicopter only a few months ago. Both had strayed into its airspace.
The Syrians shot down a Turkish Phantom jet in June 2012 off their Mediterranean coast; they quickly acknowledged this had been a mistake.
So there is no room for complacency.
So the buzzword of the moment is "deconfliction" meaning steps to avoid friction between forces operating in the same area.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines deconfliction as: The reduction of the risk of collision between (aircraft, airborne weaponry, etc.) in an area by coordinating their movements.
How do you avoid misunderstandings and what procedures do you follow if encounters occur?
When everyone is fighting on the same side the planning process is complex but at least manageable.
US and Allied air operations over Iraq and Syria will be controlled by a detailed daily tasking order establishing targets; the resources to be deployed against each one; the routes to be taken to the target; and similarly the routes for aircraft to return to their bases.
The operations of a range of ancillary aircraft; tankers; intelligence gathering systems; and airborne command-and-control aircraft will all be included in the detailed plan.
But add in another major player who is not exactly an enemy, but is not particularly friendly either and the complexity - but more important the lack of predictability - gets much worse.
The Americans and others were watching Russia's build-up in Syria over the back-end of August and into September.
It appears to have been the Russians who first suggested the idea of talks; a response to Washington's growing worries about what it said was the lack of transparency concerning Moscow's intentions in Syria.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoygu spoke on the telephone on 18 September.
(This, of course, was a significant breach in the diplomatic isolation of Russia in the wake of its seizure of the Crimea; a secondary but important consideration in Mr Putin's wider game-plan).
These military-to-military talks moved forward in the wake of the meeting in the margins of the UN General Assembly between President Obama and President Putin.
Very little detail has been revealed in public about what is being discussed.
It is highly unlikely that either side will be willing to reveal its strike plans to the other.
And the whole thing is complicated by the fact that Russia, despite its protestations, is not only hitting so-called Islamic State targets, but is also bombing other groups opposed to President Assad - some of them backed by Washington or its Gulf allies.
What little has been said by US spokesmen about the talks has focused on procedural matters in the event of an encounter, for example the language that should be used in exchanges between pilots and the frequencies to be used.
There are well-established international procedures for such matters - but they don't usually happen over an active war zone.
That is all not to mention Syria's border to the south and Israel's security concerns.
It has reportedly mounted air strikes into southern Syria to attack Hezbollah arms convoys.
Not surprisingly the Israelis and the Russians are having their own "deconfliction" talks, with the Israeli military concerned that nothing should hamper their freedom of operation.


Walsall left it late as they moved to within four points of the League One play-off zone with a dramatic victory over Peterborough.

Injury-time goals from Erhun Oztumer and Kieron Morris secured the Saddlers' fourth home win in a row.
With Posh furiously appealing for a foul on keeper Luke McGee, Oztumer scored direct from a controversial corner in the 92nd minute.
Posh captain Chris Forrester was sent off for leading the protests before Morris then sealed the points with Walsall's second in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Morris, only playing because of an injury to Florent Cuvelier, found the bottom left corner with a left-foot shot which squeezed under McGee's body.
McGee had been the star of the first half for Posh, making a fine near-post reaction save on 25 minutes to keep out Simeon Jackson's close-range flick from Jason McCarthy's low cross.
But the game seemed set to peter out into a goalless draw before McGee fumbled Oztumer's corner over the line under pressure from Amadou Bakayoko in injury time.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Walsall 2, Peterborough United 0.
Second Half ends, Walsall 2, Peterborough United 0.
Goal!  Walsall 2, Peterborough United 0. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Lee Angol (Peterborough United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Walsall. Franck Moussa replaces Erhun Oztumer.
George Dobson (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Martin Samuelsen (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by George Dobson (Walsall).
Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
Luke McGee (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for dangerous play.
Goal!  Walsall 1, Peterborough United 0. Erhun Oztumer (Walsall) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right to the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Walsall. Conceded by Luke McGee.
Attempt saved. Erhun Oztumer (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt blocked. Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Adam Chambers (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Attempt saved. Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Ryan Tafazolli (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by George Dobson (Walsall).
Substitution, Peterborough United. Martin Samuelsen replaces Gwion Edwards because of an injury.
Delay in match Gwion Edwards (Peterborough United) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Ryan Tafazolli (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Dominic Ball (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall).
Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Tafazolli (Peterborough United).
Substitution, Walsall. Amadou Bakayoko replaces Simeon Jackson.
Corner,  Peterborough United. Conceded by James O'Connor.
Attempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Peterborough United. Lee Angol replaces Michael Smith.
Substitution, Peterborough United. Marcus Maddison replaces Paul Taylor.
Substitution, Walsall. George Dobson replaces Isaiah Osbourne.
Attempt blocked. Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Gwion Edwards (Peterborough United).
Simeon Jackson (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Simeon Jackson (Walsall).
(Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Kieron Morris (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Paul Taylor (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.


The White House says it is "confident" Bashar al-Assad's government was behind an apparent chemical attack that killed at least 58 people in north-west Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes on Khan Sheikhoun by Syrian government or Russian jets had caused many people to choke.
Later, aircraft fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors, medics and activists said.
Syria's army denied the government had used any such weapons.
In a statement, President Donald Trump condemned what he called "these heinous actions" by the Bashar al-Assad regime.
"It is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates," the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, "with brutal, unabashed barbarism."
The UK, United Nations and France, among others, also condemned the incident, which would, if confirmed, be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria's civil war.
The spectre of nerve agents in Syria - again
The warplanes are reported to have attacked rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun, about 50km (30 miles) south of the city of Idlib, early on Tuesday, when many people were asleep.
The source of the projectile was not clear, but the EMC and the opposition Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) network said warplanes had targeted several clinics.US blames Assad over 'chemical attack'
Aftermath of attack in pictures (Warning graphic images)
Why is there a war in Syria?
Pro-government journalists later cited military sources as saying there had been an explosion at an al-Qaeda chemical weapons factory in Khan Sheikhoun that was caused either by an air strike or an accident.
The defence ministry of Russia, President Assad's ally, insisted it had not carried out any air strikes in the vicinity.
The SOHR put the death toll at 58, including 11 children, but Mr Rasoul reported that 67 people had been killed and 300 injured.
The pro-opposition Step news agency said 100 had died.
One aid agency, the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), put the death toll at more than 100.
The EMC said it had stopped counting the victims because there were so many.
The SOHR said it was unable to say what exactly was dropped.
However, the EMC and LCC said it was believed to be the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and considered 20 times as deadly as cyanide.
Chemical weapons expert Dan Kaszeta said that determining whether Sarin was involved simply by examining video clips is problematic.
He added that Tuesday's attack could have been the result of one of any number of chemical agents as they tend to "behave the same in terms of their physiological effects on the human body".
Sarin is almost impossible to detect because it is a clear, colourless and tasteless liquid that has no odour in its purest form.
Syria's army, in a statement posted on state news agency Sana, said it never had and never would use poison gas.
The government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with Sarin at rebel-held suburbs of Damascus in August 2013, killing hundreds of people.
President Assad denied the charge, blaming rebel fighters, but he did subsequently agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal.
Despite that, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has continued to document the use of toxic chemicals in attacks in Syria.
In January 2016, it said blood samples taken from the victims of one unspecified attack showed victims had been exposed to Sarin or a Sarin-like substance.
Other reported use of chemical agents:


A former Goldman Sachs board member has been found guilty of four criminal counts of insider trading by a federal court in New York.

Rajat Gupta, 63, denied illegally leaking boardroom secrets to Raj Rajaratnam, a former hedge fund manager now serving 11 years in prison.
The jury acquitted Gupta, a former managing partner of consulting giant McKinsey & Co, of two other charges.
Gupta could face up to 20 years in jail when he is sentenced on 18 October.
Prosecutors said that, in secret recordings of conversations with Rajaratnam, Gupta shared corporate secrets as though "he was talking about what happened at a Yankee game yesterday".
But defence lawyers told the jury that the use of phone records and FBI wiretaps only created the illusion of illegal business activities.
"That is a gambit that can bamboozle people into thinking something was proven when it wasn't," defence lawyer Gary Naftalis said.
The trial focused on a phone call made to Rajaratnam on 23 September 2008, minutes after Gupta had listened to a private conference call discussing a $5bn (Â£3.2bn) investment in Goldman Sachs by Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway. The deal would be made public after stock markets closed that day.
According to phone records, Rajaratnam bought $40m in Goldman Sachs stock moments after the phone call, earning nearly $1m.
Gupta, who was born in India and educated at Harvard, becomes the most prominent corporate figure to be convicted in a sweeping probe into insider trading. Experts say the conviction sends a message that no-one is off-limits.
He also served on the boards of Procter & Gamble, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.


Scotland midfielder Chloe Arthur has joined Women's Super League Two club Bristol City from Hibernian.

The 21-year-old was part of the Hibs side that finished runner-up in the Scottish Women's Premier League and lost the Scottish Cup final last term.
"She ticks all the boxes in terms of the standard of players that we want at Bristol," said manager Willie Kirk.
Arthur is the second player to join Bristol this week after Ellie Wilson arrived from Reading on Wednesday.


The former Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, has been buried but many questions remain, both about his death and the future leadership and direction of his country.

Although a public transition of power began after Mr Karimov's death, questions are still being asked about the way Uzbek government handled his demise.
The first reports of his death emerged immediately after the official announcement of his hospitalisation on 28 August.
The initial report by the cabinet gave no details of his illness.
On 29 August, the president's youngest daughter, Lola Karimova-Tillayeva, said on Instagram that her father had had a brain haemorrhage over the weekend and was in intensive care.
On the same day, independent website Fergananews published its first report of Mr Karimov's death.
The Moscow-based news agency said his death occurred between 15:00 and 16:00 local time on 29 August.
That was denied by unnamed sources at the presidential administration and sources close to Mr Karimov's family.
By the time the cabinet officially announced his death on the evening of 2 September, several foreign leaders, including the Turkish prime minister, had already expressed their condolences to the Uzbek people on the death of their leader.
A long and detailed medical report on "Patient Islam Karimov" was read out on state television on the evening of 2 September and published on the government portal, gov.uz, after the official announcement had been made.
Some analysts say it was done in an attempt to stop speculation, including suggestions of a possible coup within the president's inner circle.
The official medical report confirmed earlier reports about the nature of his illness and a foreign doctor's participation in the treatment.
But there were some inconsistencies in this official report too.
For instance, the report said foreign specialists including Prof Alexander Potapov, the director of Russia's NN Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, who officials said had arrived in Tashkent on 28 August, fought for the president's life until the very end on 2 September.
But BBC Uzbek has confirmed that Prof Potapov was already back in his office at the NN Burdenko Institute in Moscow on 31 August.
Another Russian specialist, Prof Leo Bokeria, whose name was mentioned in the official medical report, was in Moscow on 29 August.
Prof Bokeria, who had reportedly treated the Uzbek leader before and was familiar with his history of illness, denied that he had travelled to Tashkent and refused to talk to journalists, including the BBC's Russian Service.
At the same time, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said Russia had not received any official requests to treat the Uzbek president.
Some suggest that Uzbek officials who had never encountered such a situation before was unprepared and did not know how to deal with the president's unexpected death.
As one social media user commented: "The Uzbek government cannot confirm President's death because it had no instruction from the President himself."
One former member of Mr Karimov's administration has told the BBC that groups involved in a power struggle wanted to have a clear agreement over the possible successor before the president was officially declared dead.
Under the Uzbek constitution, if the president dies or is unable to carry out his duties, power passes temporarily to the head of the Senate until an election can be held, which should be within three months.
Uzbek officials have yet to formally announce the acting president or arrangements for presidential elections, if they are to be called.
But the Kremlin stated that President Vladimir Putin had sent his condolences to the "head of parliament's upper house and acting President Nigmatilla Yuldoshev".
Mr Yuldoshev, a former justice minister who is regarded as an unlikely contender for permanent power, was not given a central role in the funeral and was not seen meeting foreign leaders arriving in Samarqand to pay their respects to the Karimov family.
Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev and his first deputy, Rustam Azimov, acted as pall-bearers and stood beside each other during the funeral ceremony.
Both have long been rumoured as possible successors to Mr Karimov.
But it was only Mr Mirziyoyev, who made a speech at the ceremony as chairman of the funeral commission, who was shown meeting Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Mr Mirziyoyev, 59, is the country's longest-serving prime minister with a reputation of having "a fist rather than a brain".
He has denied allegations of mistreating subordinates and beating them up, saying in 1998 that it was "not his style to beat someone".
He is reported to have close links with Russian oligarchs and is in charge of the country's key agricultural sector including the cotton industry, which has been criticised internationally for the use of child and forced labour.
He worked closely with Mr Putin when the Russian leader was his country's prime minister between 2007 and 2011.
As Uzbekistan enters the post-Karimov era, many believe that real power lies in the hands of Rustam Inoyatov, head of the powerful SNB security service.
A leaked US diplomatic cable from 2008 described him as a "key gatekeeper to President Karimov" and his style as alternating between "engaging and menacing".
Mr Inoyatov, 71, is regarded as the main instigator of moves to sideline Mr Karimov's once-powerful daughter, Gulnara.
There are fears that questions of the succession may contribute to uncertainty in the short term.
Another key figure is the long-standing head of the presidential administration, Zelimkon Haydarov. He may play an influential role behind the scene.
The Uzbek government has not made any significant statements on future foreign policy.
Mr Karimov tried to sit between the regional interests of the big powers and resisted Moscow's attempts to integrate Uzbekistan into its economic and security blocs.
Most of his colleagues from the former Soviet Union, including Mr Putin and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, failed to attend the funeral. The US and China sent low-level delegations.
President Barack Obama, who despite criticism from human rights groups continued working with Mr Karimov as a partner in security issues, spoke of "the new era" in Uzbekistan.


An ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee has been arrested in Uganda for questioning over his possible role in the killing of a top prosecutor, police say.

Jamal Kiyemba, a Ugandan, was arrested with the the help of US officials in the capital on Tuesday, police added.
Prosecutor Joan Kagezi was shot dead on 30 March, a day before the trial of men accused of involvement in bombings.
Mr Kiyemba, a former UK resident, was freed from Guantanamo Bay in 2006 without being charged with any offence.
For the latest news, views and analysis see the BBC Africa Live page.
He was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 for alleged links with al-Qaeda, and later transferred to the controversial US-run detention centre in Cuba.
"There was an operation which we carried out with our counter-terrorism team because we suspect that Jamal Kiyemba and his colleagues have been involved in some form of criminality," Ugandan police spokesman Fred Enanga told Associated Press news agency.
There was no conclusive evidence to link him to Ms Kagazi's killing, but he was being questioned about his possible role in her murder and in other crimes, he added.
Gunmen on a motorbike shot dead Ms Kagezi in a suburb of Kampala.
She was prosecuting 13 men accused of being linked to suicide bombings which killed 76 people in Kampala in 2010.
The US deported Mr Kiyemba to Uganda after the UK refused to take him back.
He had lived in the UK for eight years before travelling to Pakistan.
US President Barack Obama has promised to shut the Guatanamo Bay detention centre because of concerns of widespread human rights abuses.


Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 in the first friendly El Clasico since 1991 - and only the second meeting of the clubs outside Spain - to win the International Champions Cup.

A crowd of 66,014 in Miami on Saturday watched goals from Lionel Messi and Ivan Rakitic give Barca an early lead before Mateo Kovacic and Marco Asensio pulled Real level.
The spectators at the Hard Rock stadium were then treated to a prolonged half-time break with music, lights and fireworks more akin to the Super Bowl.
When the game eventually restarted, Gerard Pique steered in a Neymar free-kick to give last season's Copa del Rey winners victory over the reigning Spanish and European champions.
Brazil forward Neymar played for 72 minutes as speculation continues about a world record 220m euros (£197m) move to Paris St-Germain.
The 25-year-old was left clutching an ankle in the opening minutes of the game. However, he recovered to set up Rakitic after just seven minutes, before delivering a pin-point free-kick for Pique in the second half.
"I don't want to speculate about Neymar," said Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde after the match. "I always try to talk about things that happen rather than things that might happen.
"We are going to wait. From my perspective, we have Neymar in our team, we count on him and we have to see."
PSG full-back Dani Alves, a former Barcelona team-mate of Neymar, has urged his compatriot to "be brave" when making a choice about his future.
"It's an important decision for him and it's the kind of decision men have to make," said Alves.
"I helped him come to Barcelona. I did not make the decision for him, but I told him what Barcelona was like and he decided to move there. Decisions are for the brave.
"Obviously if he were here that would be much better. It's a decision you have to make carefully - but you have to be selfish."
While Barcelona had already beaten Manchester United and Juventus in the International Champions Cup, Real had failed to win a game in the friendly competition.
A penalty shootout defeat by United was followed by a 4-1 loss to Manchester City in Los Angeles.
However, Zinedine Zidane insists his side will be ready for the Super Cup meeting with United in Skopje in just over a week.
"This is pre-season and this doesn't alter anything. The important thing is to be ready for August 8," said the Frenchman.
"I saw some good things, but also some things I didn't like. I'm not bothered by the defeat. We don't like to lose but that's not the most important thing."


A sponsored walk in memory of the victims of the Shoreham air disaster has taken place in West Sussex.

Participants, including family and friends of footballer Jacob Schilt, set out to complete the journey he never finished.
Mr Schilt was among 11 people who died when the Hawker Hunter jet came down on the A27 in Sussex on 22 August.
He was part of the fundraising team at the Robert Eaton Memorial Fund (REMF), which organised the memorial walk.
The walk began at 10:00 BST and moved from a memorial footbridge in Shoreham, along an A27 footpath, to Worthing United's ground in Lyons Farm.
Brett Mendoza, REMF vice chairman, tweeted: "Today is the day. It's so sad we are doing this, but Jacob this is for you."
Mr Schilt, who played for Worthing United, was travelling to a game with team-mate Matthew Grimstone when they were killed.
The charity said it would donate any money raised to Worthing United Youth FC.
Later on Saturday, Brighton and Hove Albion paid tribute to Mr Schilt and Mr Grimstone before the match with Hull City.
Mr Grimstone worked as a groundsman at Brighton's Amex Stadium.
At the request of the families, who were present, there was a minute's applause just before kick-off, the club said.
During the applause, two giant shirts bearing messages of condolence were raised and 11 fans held candles and flowers in memory of all the victims.
On Friday, it was announced fire crews were to leave the crash site after spending nearly three weeks at the scene.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch wants to interview the Hawker Hunter pilot Andy Hill, 51, from Sandon in Hertfordshire, who survived the crash.
His family said they were devastated and deeply saddened by the loss of life and sent prayers and heartfelt condolences to the families of all those affected.


The Isle of Wight will be split into two Parliamentary constituencies at the next general election, its current MP has said.

Electoral reform plans in the last parliament suggested creating constituencies of 75,000 voters, but the island currently has about 110,000.
Conservative Andrew Turner MP tweeted the island "will have two MPs by 2020".
The Boundary Commission confirmed two undersized constituencies was the likely outcome of a new review.
In 2010, during the last review of constituency boundaries, the commission proposed dividing the Isle of Wight.
About 16,000 people signed a petition to stop a second island constituency being added to part of Hampshire.
The boundary review was never completed in the last parliament as the Lib Dems withdrew their support following a dispute with their Conservative coalition partners over proposed elections to the House of Lords.
The Boundary Commission is due to begin a new review of boundaries in time for the 2020 general election.
Mr Turner said: "Now we have the majority, the government can indeed turn it from a one-constituency to a two-constituency island."
He said it was likely to be an east-west division and there would "absolutely not" be any splitting of a constituency between the island and part of the mainland.


The brother of the alleged captor of British model Chloe Ayling is to fight extradition to Italy, Westminster Magistrates' Court has heard.

Michal Konrad Herba, 36, appeared in court for an extradition hearing following his arrest in Tividale, West Midlands, on Wednesday.
He is the brother of Lukasz Pawel Herba who is being held by Italian police over the alleged kidnap in Milan.
Michal Herba denies involvement. The case was adjourned until 25 September.
Prosecutor Florence Iveson told the court that he was suspected of kidnapping and unlawfully detaining Ms Ayling in a "joint enterprise" with his brother and other "unidentified persons".
The 20-year-old model was allegedly drugged and a ransom of â‚¬300,000 (Â£270,000) was demanded, the court heard.
Defence lawyer Katherine Newbey said "no evidence had been served in the case" and her client "denies involvement".
Mr Herba did not consent to extradition, meaning that a full hearing will have to take place.
Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram remanded the suspect in custody, saying he was satisfied there were "substantial grounds" to believe he would fail to surrender if he was released.
Mr Herba is due to appear in the same court by video link for a bail application on 23 August.
A full extradition hearing has been scheduled for 25 September.
Ms Ayling, from Coulsdon, south London, arrived in Milan on 10 July for a photo shoot.
Italian police say she was attacked by two men, drugged with ketamine and abducted, apparently to be sold in an online auction.
She is believed to have been transported in a bag to an isolated village near Turin, Italy, but was released on 17 July.
Ms Ayling's lawyer Francesco Pesce has said she was told she would be sold in the Middle East "for sex".
Speaking after the alleged abduction, Ms Ayling said she feared for her life throughout the "terrifying experience".
"I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release," she said.
Italian police documents claim that suspect Lukasz Herba said he had got involved in order to raise money for cancer treatment.
The Polish national, who lives in Oldbury in the West Midlands, told investigators he drove her to the British consulate in Milan and released her before the sale went ahead.


New research has shown that aggressive treatment of high blood pressure can significantly reduce risks of heart disease and death in people over 50.

The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found the risk of heart disease fell by about 30% when subjects were asked to lower blood pressure beyond current recommendations.
The results were so conclusive that the NIH ended the study a year early.
Experts have disagreed on how to control blood pressure as people age.
"More intensive management of high blood pressure in people 50 years and older can save lives and reduce cardiovascular complications such as heart attacks," said Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of the NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which sponsored the study.
The current standard for systolic blood pressure - the greater of the two numbers that measure blood pressure - is 140mmHg. The diastolic standard is 80mmHg.
However, researchers in the study adjusted participants' medication so their systolic pressure became 120mmHg, achieving big reductions in heart attacks, heart failures and strokes.
Systolic blood pressure is measured when the heart muscle muscle is working. Diastolic blood pressure is measured when the heart muscle is resting and refilling with blood.
It is too early to know if the study will change the current guidelines. Researchers advised people to discuss any changes to their blood pressure with their doctors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure can cause heart disease and stroke, which are two of the leading causes of death in the US.
About 70 million adults in the US - or one in three Americans - have high blood pressure, the CDC says.


Cardiff City have signed French midfielder Loic Damour on a two-year deal.

The 26-year-old joins the Bluebirds from French Ligue 2 club Bourg-Peronnas and has already linked up with Neil Warnock's squad for pre-season training.
Born in the northern French city of Chantilly, Damour has represented France up to Under-20 level.
Damour has spent his career playing his football in France and Belgium.
His previous clubs include Strasbourg, White Star Bruxelles, Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël.
Damour said he was pleased to have signed for the Welsh club and was looking forward to the challenges of the forthcoming season.
"I'm very happy to be here, it's a beautiful place," Damour told  the club's official website.
"I'm happy to come to play in the Championship, it's a very good opportunity for me and my career.
"I'm a midfield player. I am box-to-box. I like defending and attacking. I have so much energy to give."
Damour becomes the Welsh Championship club's sixth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Neil Etheridge, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Callum Paterson, Lee Camp and Danny Ward.
Cardiff also announced on Thursday that veteran striker Rickie Lambert has had his contact terminated by mutual consent.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A family in central London made homeless by the housing benefit cap was unlawfully prevented from registering for social housing, a court has ruled.

Mother-of-three "Ms A" lost her home in March 2014 when her housing benefit payment was cut and she could no longer afford the rent, The High Court heard.
Westminster City Council temporarily moved her to north London and tried to ban her from re-applying for a home in the central borough for 12 months.
A judge ruled the ban was unlawful.
The council, which has a long waiting list for social housing, offered her temporary accommodation in Enfield and said for 12 months it would register her with a private landlord instead.
However the family's lawyers argued the suspension on applying for social housing breached the 1996 Housing Act which requires councils to give homeless families "reasonable preference" for social housing.
Jayesh Kunwardia, from Hodge Jones & Allen solicitors, said: "This landmark ruling makes it abundantly clear that homeless people have the right to bid for social housing from the time they secure a full housing duty from a local authority rather than being suspended for one year."
Judge Peter Blair QC, sitting in London, said even without the ban the family, who had been living in Westminster for five years, may have a long wait to be allocated a permanent council home in Westminster because of the "high demand and very short supply."
He said "The waiting lists are so vast that on average people have a seven to 10-year wait before they reach a point high enough up on the register to have any realistic prospect of being successful in a bid."


A man described by police as "violent" has gone missing from a north London hospital.

Asad Taibzadah, 32, left St Ann's Hospital in Haringey on unescorted leave on Friday morning but did not return in the evening.
He is described as being of south Asian appearance, 5ft 6ins tall, medium build and with shoulder-length hair.
Scotland Yard said the public should not approach him but call 999 in the event of a sighting.


Aberdeen Asset Management has seen the outflow of funds continue, although it has slowed so far this year.

Its directors believe that investor confidence is returning to emerging markets, where it has focused its attention.
The company, which is preparing for merger with Standard Life, reported half-year profits up 15% to £115m, on revenue of £535m, up by 10%.
Its assets under management slipped to £308bn at the end of March.
That is down by £4bn since last September.
In the last three months of 2016, there was a net outflow of funds of £10.5bn. There was a stalling in the wake of the US presidential election.
In the first three months of 2017, that slowed to a net outflow of funds under management of £2.9bn.
Behind those figures was a shift in assets of £22.7bn of assets attracted into Aberdeen Asset Management, while £36.1bn flowed out.
Martin Gilbert, chief executive, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We have seen a big change in sentiment in the last three months towards the areas that we specialise in. We have seen outflows over the past four years in those areas, so it's a welcome return.
"People see values in emerging markets, especially India. Developed markets are probably higher than people would like them to be. So people are allocating assets to emerging markets and emerging market debt."
Asked about pension reforms being debated in the context of the Westminster election, the chief executive said: "Our plea is to stop tinkering with the pensions system and have a period of stability, so that people know what the rules are.
"The rules change so often people don't know how much they can put towards pensions, and therefore they don't save for their retirements".
The merger with Standard Life, based in Edinburgh, is due to see the prospectus published next week. "Everything is going to plan - in fact, slightly ahead of plan," Mr Gilbert said.
A large bonus pot, reported to be more than £30m, has been put aside by the two companies, as an incentive to keep the most valuable fund managers at their offices in Edinburgh, London and Aberdeen.
The Aberdeen boss explained: "The key criticism we get on mergers such as this are from the clients who ask: what is the benefit to us of doing a transaction such as this?
"Obviously, size gives us the ability to retain star fund managers. But one of the things that causes great uncertainty is what is going to happen to these managers during the merger. So it's very normal to put in a retention pool to make sure people stay during this period, and stay up to two years.
"Within an £11bn merger, where a large percentage of the asset is the people who manage the money, it's a very, very important component as far as our clients are concerned."


As the counts got under way in the Holyrood election the Scottish papers were predicting an SNP victory and there was little change as updated editions were published through the night.

At 05:00 The Scotsman's front page declared a "historic victory for SNP".
The Herald also published a 5am edition. The paper said: "Sturgeon triumphant as Labour humiliated."
"Victory's at hand" was the earlier headline in The National, with a full page picture of Nicola Sturgeon with her husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell. The paper said she was "on course to win her mandate".
"Just Like Nat" was the headline on the front page of the Scottish Sun. Earlier, shortly after the polls closed, the newspaper tweeted that the Tories would "comfortably" seal second place.
The Daily Record published its first edition with the caption "01:30 election latest". The headline was "Five more years" and the paper said Nicola Sturgeon was set to be returned as first minister.
The Scottish Daily Express said Nicola Sturgeon had been warned that there would be "no more excuses" for failing to deliver for Scotland as the SNP "swept to an historic third term" in the Holyrood election.
The Daily Star headline was "Five more years". It also predicted the SNP was poised to "hold Holyrood".
The Scottish Daily Mail had published three editions by 03:00. Its most recent said "SNP set for victory, Tory vote surges in push for second and Labour disaster as seats tumble".
The Daily Telegraph said Nicola Sturgeon "could be denied" a new independence referendum.


A two-year-old Indian girl has set a new national record in archery, according to the India Book of Records.

Dolly Shivani Cherukuri from Vijaywada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh - who turns three next week - became the youngest Indian to score more than 200 points at a trial event on Tuesday, reports the Press Trust of India.
She fired 36 arrows at a target 5m away, then again at a target 7m away, making a total of 388 points.
Her achievement was witnessed by senior sports personalities and India Book of Records officials.
"We are all very proud of her. We are very impressed," Archery Association of India official Gunjan Abrol told the BBC.
Dolly was conceived through surrogacy after the death of her brother, international archer and coach Cherukuri Lenin, in a road accident in 2010 reports said.
Her father, Cherukuri Satyanarayana, said she had been trained since birth to be a champion.
"When we came to know that the baby was on her way we decided to mould her as an archer," news agency AFP quoted Mr Satyanarayana, who runs an archery academy in Vijaywada, as saying.
"The preparations started when she was in the womb itself," he added.
Mr Satyanarayana said they had arrows specially made for the toddler out of carbon when she was first learning the sport to ensure they were light enough for her to carry.
Archery experts say children are trained on lighter bows and Mr Abrol says Dolly's bow would also have been very light.
"You can't put too much pressure on children, they can be trained for a maximum of two or three hours a day," he said.  "But Dolly comes from a family of archers so she's capable of a lot."
Photographs released by India Book of Records showed the toddler posing with her gold medal and certificate.
"My daughter achieved the feat we have been dreaming... I can't express in words how happy my family is," Mr Satyanarayana told PTI.
He said they would now try to get Dolly's name entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.


Moves to approve a major revamp of an Oxfordshire shopping centre have been described as "terrible" by campaigners.

Multi-million pound plans to redevelop the West Way shopping centre in Botley have been granted planning permission following years of negotiations.
The proposals include 149 homes, a 122-bedroom hotel, 262 student flats, a new community building and a new church.
Almost 350 residents have raised objections to the plans.
After the decision, Diane Harris said on Facebook it was "a very sad day" and "a terrible decision", while Jim Mower added that it was "the beginning of the overdevelopment of Botley".
Campaign group West Way Community Concern said the plans would cause "demonstrable harm to the local area, by nature of its excessive height and massing".
But developer Mace, which hopes to complete the scheme in 2019, said it was an "innovative sustainable development proposal that's capable of taking Botley Centre into the future".


The solicitor at the centre of the Nama loan sale controversy has said that no politician, nor any relative of any politician, was ever to receive any money from the deal.

Ian Coulter is the former managing partner of Tughans solicitors in Belfast and worked on behalf of the buyers in the £1bn deal.
He left Tughans in January.
The firm said he had transferred fees to an Isle of Man bank account of which he was the sole beneficiary.
In a statement, Mr Coulter said he had directed the transfer but it was for "a complex, commercially and legally-sensitive" reason.
He added that the reason had been explained to his former partners at Tughans and "will be explained to the appropriate authorities".
However, in a statement on Wednesday, Tughans said "it strongly disagrees with his version of events".
Julian O'Neill, BBC News NI Business Correspondent
Mr Coulter's headline is that no politician (or relative of any politician) was to have been paid over the Nama deal.
It is worth noting what is not said in this 800-word statement.
Does the opening line of his statement provide a clue?
"The concept of a Northern Ireland Nama deal was developed and significant work leading up to this deal was done by other business people in Northern Ireland, before any involvement of Cerberus (or any bidder)."
It will be interesting to know what, if anything, Nama knew of this.
The BBC's Spotlight programme has established the account was intended to facilitate payments to non-lawyers or deal fixers in the £1bn sale of Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio.
The Irish politician, Mick Wallace, alleged that a payment of £7m was due to be made to a politician though no evidence has been produced for that claim.
A fee of £7.5m was paid to Tughans for work it did on behalf of Brown Rudnick - the lawyers which represented the Cerberus investment fund which bought the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) portfolio.
It is understood that Mr Coulter was the only person at Tughans working on the deal.
He said: "Through Tughans I was formally engaged to provide the required local counsel to Brown Rudnick.
"This was a commercial arrangement with Brown Rudnick, for which fees were discussed and agreed."
He said the £7.5m had been paid into a Tughans company account and in September 2014 he instructed the firm's finance director to transfer a portion of it into the external account.
Mr Coulter directly contradicted a claim by Tughans that it had "discovered" the money.
He said he transferred it back to Tughans in early December 2014 and brought it to their attention and then "discussions took place to try to resolve the matter".
Following those discussions, he said he resigned on terms agreed with Tughans.
He added: "I have not received any personal financial benefit for my work on this transaction.  Neither I nor any third party has received any part of the £7.5m fees."
Mr Coulter said he has not yet been asked to attend either the finance committee of the NI Assembly or the Public Accounts Committee of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament).
In its statement, Tughans said it "strongly disagrees with his (Mr Coulter's) version of events surrounding the treatment, discovery and retrieval of the professional fees and his exit from the practice".
It said it had passed all documentation relating to this to the Law Society.
"The firm voluntarily brought the matter to the attention of the Law Society and will continue to co-operate with any inquiry," the statement said.


Mobile devices have transformed our lives, giving us the freedom to talk, work, watch and listen on the move.

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But unplugged from the mains, they only last as long as the energy held within their batteries.
And there's the rub.
While scientists are constantly dreaming up new ways to generate and bottle energy - from rhubarb and paper to viruses and urine - commercial battery technology has changed remarkably little in the past 50 years, particularly when compared with the advances in the devices they power.
As Tim Probert, editor at Energy Storage Publishing, says: "The battery industry is pretty conservative. It says a lot that we are still using very old technology like lead-acid in batteries.
"Breakthrough technologies are great but they need a reality check - this industry is all about small, incremental improvements."
The humble AA battery has been around since the 1940s and is based on 19th Century technology. But it still has a 15% share of the global battery market, along with other alkaline batteries.
And the lead-acid battery, which is fundamental to most combustion engine-powered cars, was invented more than 150 years ago and holds a 20% share of the market.
Clearly the battery industry, which is worth almost $90bn (Â£54bn; 66bn euros) globally, is not keeping pace with innovation in consumer electronics.
Even the near-ubiquitous rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which powers most modern gadgets, was invented in the 1970s.
It has about a 40% market share.
Electric vehicle pioneer Tesla, the brainchild of serial entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk, uses so-called 18650 lithium cells - "essentially old laptop batteries", according to Mr Probert - to power its cars.
Most laptop manufacturers gave up on 18650s long ago, but Tesla believes this old tech still has a future, and even has plans to build its own "gigafactory" to produce them.
"By choosing smaller, cylindrical cells, we have been able to save on manufacturing costs," explains Tesla's Laura Hardy.
"Smaller cells, which can have a better energy density, gave us more flexibility in packaging the cells and creating the battery pack."
By putting 7,000 of these cells together, Tesla's Model S Sedan is able to achieve a range of up to 300 miles, considerably more than many of its competitors using more advanced battery technologies.
Most other manufacturers use pouch cells, which involve lithium cells being placed side by side like slices of bread. The danger here is the risk of "thermal runaway", where one cell short-circuits and produces so much heat it sparks a ripple effect and the battery blows up.
This is thought to be what happened to Boeing's Dreamliner passenger jet in Japan at the beginning of last year.
The next generation of lithium-ion batteries will help solve this problem by replacing flammable liquid electrolyte with safer, solid-state components. This type of battery is also more powerful per unit.
Some companies are also trying to develop lithium-sulphur batteries, which promise to have five times the energy of a standard lithium-ion.
Mr Probert says UK-based Oxis Energy is making some real progress in this area, but warns that we should not expect a "quantum leap" any time soon.
The more realistic and exciting developments are taking place away from pure battery technology.
The first is wireless power - charging your gadgets without having to plug them in to the mains.
This is a market that could be worth $5bn by 2016, according to IMS Research (now part of IHS).
One company pioneering this new technology is Ossia, with its Cota remote power system. Founder and chief executive Hatem Zeine stumbled across the idea while researching wireless signal management.
He discovered that a small amount of power is transmitted alongside the radio waves, and set about researching how best to focus the signal from many antennae working in unison as a means to charge devices remotely. In 2013, more than decade later, Mr Zeine launched Cota.
"Cota comes in two parts - a charger and a power receiver," Mr Zeine explains. "Think of the charger as similar to a wireless router, and the receiver as a button battery."
"The receiver sends out a low power signal to the charger, which in turn sends back a signal from each of its thousands of antennae, targeted specifically at the receiver itself. The receiver will then track the device constantly."
The benefits are obvious. You no longer have to worry about recharging your phone or laptop, as it will do so automatically whenever it is within range of a charger.
This means the battery doesn't need to store as much energy, and so can be made much smaller - the holy grail for all consumer electronics manufacturers.
Mr Zeine believes the applications for wireless charging go way beyond consumer electronics and into medical devices, production lines and construction.
Indeed, he envisages a time when we need far fewer power sockets because remote chargers will be installed throughout our homes, offices, public buildings, cars and trains.
Swedish company MyFC, an offshoot of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, has developed Powertrekk, a portable fuel cell that can generate energy to power all manner of consumer devices.
"Our fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that converts hydrogen into protons and electrons. The protons go through a membrane and react with oxygen, so the only bi-product is water," explains Bjorn Westerholm, MyFC's chief executive.
Powertrekk, which provides up to 5 watts of power, incorporates a lithium-ion battery to provide the initial charge, before the fuel cell takes over. Once the device is fully charged, the fuel cell then recharges the battery.
This means you can power a device with just water and a small sodium silicide refill canister, anywhere at any time.
Powertrekk is being sold in 24 countries including, as of late May, the UK. Since launching a year ago, MyFC has sold 10,000 units.
Given that mobile phones and tablets are currently selling at a rate of about two billion a year, "we haven't even scratched the surface yet", says Mr Westerholm.
And while battery technology continues to develop at such a slow pace, there will be plenty more opportunities for eager entrepreneurs to elevate the art of energy generation and storage.


A doctor in the US city of Detroit has been charged with carrying out female genital mutilation (FGM) on young girls in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the country.

Prosecutors said Jumana Nagarwala had been performing the practice on girls aged between six and eight for 12 years.
She was investigated after the authorities received a tip-off.
If found guilty, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
FGM was made illegal in the US in 1996.
In a voluntary interview with investigators earlier this week Dr Nagarwala denied being involved in any such procedure, local media reported.
But prosecutors said she had performed "horrifying acts of brutality on the most vulnerable victims".
Some travelled to her practise from outside the state of Michigan and were told not to talk about the procedure, they added.
Dr Nagarwala appeared in a federal court in Detroit and was remanded in custody.
"Female genital mutilation constitutes a particularly brutal form of violence against women and girls. It is also a serious federal felony in the United States," acting US attorney Daniel Lemisch said.
"The practice has no place in modern society and those who perform FGM on minors will be held accountable under federal law."
The first recorded case of FGM in the US was in 2006, when an Ethiopian immigrant was jailed for 10 years for aggravated battery and cruelty to children for mutilating his two-year-old daughter five years earlier with a pair of scissors.
In 2012 the US authorities said more than 500,000 women and girls in the country had either been subjected to FGM or were at risk of it.
About 200 million girls and women around the world have suffered some form of FGM, the UN says, with half living in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia, the UN says.


Championship side Preston North End have signed Manchester United midfielder Ben Pearson until 2018 for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old recently returned to United after making 29 appearances on loan at League One club Barnsley.
Pearson also featured in 22 games in a loan spell with the Tykes last season.
"We see him as energetic, box-to-box, likes a tackle and coming from Manchester United he is decent on the ball," manager Simon Grayson said.
"He's at the right age, wants to go and make a good career in the game and we are delighted that we have been backed by the owner to spend the money to bring Ben here."
Pearson could make his debut for Preston when they travel to Bristol City on Tuesday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A documentary film about Nottingham Forest's European Cup triumphs will be premiered at the club's home ground, it has been confirmed.

I Believe in Miracles tells the story of the club's rise under Brian Clough, from second division strugglers to European champions in 1979 and 1980.
Nottingham Forest chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi announced the news on Twitter earlier.
The documentary film has been directed by actor Jonny Owen.
Mr Al Hasawi tweeted: "I am excited to announce that the world premiere of I Believe in Miracles will be held at The City Ground."
When Brian Clough took over at Nottingham Forest in January 1975, the team were in the bottom half of the old second division.
Within two years they were promoted to Division One and in their first season beat Liverpool, Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal to the title.
The following year the team, captained by John McGovern, beat some of Europe's best to claim the European Cup at the Olympic Stadium, in Munich.
The film features interviews with a number of the squad who won the trophy in 1979 and retained it a year later.
The documentary also charts events in Nottingham at the time and how the club's achievements impacted on the city.
Nottingham Contemporary will also hold a short exhibition, alongside the release, titled Miracle Men.
A book written by Daniel Taylor, the Guardian's chief football writer, who is also a Forest supporter, will be published to coincide with the film's general release, which is expected in October.