Second-placed Hearts were held to a goalless draw at home to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

Scott Fox made saves to deny Hearts' Tony Watt and Conor Sammon before the interval.
The hosts continued to dominate after the break but their ability to hit the target waned.
County, who threatened through Andrew Davies, finished with 10 men after Ian McShane received a second booking for a tackle on Faycal Rherras.
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Fox was the busier keeper and he was on top form as he produced a sequence of top-class saves, particularly in the first half.
He reacted well to turn striker Watt's shot from 16 yards over and held headed efforts from Callum Paterson and Igor Rossi.
Sammon was denied twice by the agile stopper as Hearts continued to press.
At the other end, a Martin Woods free-kick was flicked, in an attempt to clear, by Paterson against the head of Davies and the ball had to be scrambled clear by the Hearts defence.
Some of the visiting players claimed the ball had crossed the line but referee Alan Muir was unconvinced.
Alim Ozturk was relieved of the Hearts captaincy duties earlier in the week with the armband passed to midfielder Perry Kitchen.
Having been kept out of the side because of the form of John Souttar, Ozturk got his opportunity after half-an-hour when the former Dundee United defender had to limp off injured.
Hearts' dominance in possession continued into the second period but they found it harder to test Fox with Sam Nicholson clipping the outside of the post and Rherras firing over.
The Staggies, who have never won at Tynecastle, lost a man when McShane - earlier booked for a foul on Nicholson - caught Rherras late and was promptly dismissed.
But the Highlanders held out to earn a point and their third draw in a row.
Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson: "A disappointing result but the first 60, 70 minutes the performance was great. Again we created loads of chances but we are not taking those chances as we should be.
"It's that final little bit, if we had done it today we would have another three points on the board.
"It was poor finishing from our point of view. The performance is the key for us. If the performance is there then the three points are there. But today similar to last week the three points weren't there."
Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "If you take a point away from here it's never a bad result. That goes for any away ground in the Premiership, it's a tough league.
"We had Scott Fox to thank for a couple of good saves in that first period.
"We can't be disappointed with what the boys gave us today - I thought they were excellent and showed a real togetherness once we went down to 10 men.
"The Andrew Davies effort had not crossed the line. I've seen it back and as much as I would have wanted it to have gone over the line, it has not."
Match ends, Heart of Midlothian 0, Ross County 0.
Second Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 0, Ross County 0.
Attempt missed. Alim Ozturk (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.
Foul by Faycal Rherras (Heart of Midlothian).
Tony Dingwall (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Marcus Fraser (Ross County) is shown the yellow card.
Corner,  Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Marcus Fraser.
Tony Watt (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Paul Quinn (Ross County).
Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian).
Marcus Fraser (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Michael Gardyne (Ross County).
Second yellow card to Ian McShane (Ross County) for a bad foul.
Faycal Rherras (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ian McShane (Ross County).
Attempt missed. Tony Watt (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Michael Gardyne (Ross County).
Ian McShane (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ian McShane (Ross County).
Substitution, Ross County. Jay McEveley replaces Andrew Davies because of an injury.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Bjorn Johnsen replaces Conor Sammon.
Igor Rossi (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tony Dingwall (Ross County).
Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ian McShane (Ross County).
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Igor Rossi.
Foul by Arnaud Djoum (Heart of Midlothian).
Michael Gardyne (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Alim Ozturk (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Craig Curran (Ross County).
Attempt missed. Faycal Rherras (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Jamie Walker replaces Don Cowie.
Alim Ozturk (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tony Dingwall (Ross County).


Brexit presents the biggest economic opportunity for the UK in decades, First Minster Arlene Foster has told the DUP conference.

Mrs Foster also criticised the Irish government for allowing "political instability in Dublin" to drive its decision making "as much as any concern for Northern Ireland".
The first minister was speaking at her first DUP conference as party leader.
She was elected leader last December after Peter Robinson stood down.
Mrs Foster made her criticisms despite relations with the Irish government being "as good as they have been at any point in our history".
"While they seek to take the views of people in Northern Ireland on the issue of Brexit at home, their (the Irish government's) representatives are sent out around the world to talk down our economy and attempt to poach our investors.
"It is clear conference that the one place that a hard border does exist is in the mind of the Irish government.
"Well, I don't believe in a hard border and am happy to welcome shoppers looking for a bargain across the border anytime they want to come."
The DUP campaigned for a leave vote in the EU referendum campaign although a majority of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain.
Mrs Foster said that she respected those who wanted to remain, but that she has "no time for those who want to re-fight the referendum".
"That debate is over. Rather than talking up the challenges, we should be looking forward to the opportunities.
"Brexit represents the biggest economic opportunity for this country in decades.
"But, the only way we can ensure that Northern Ireland's interests are best served is if we are united and determined."


The authorities in Mexico have said gunmen dressed as clowns have shot dead a former leading member of a once-powerful and violent drug cartel.

Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, 63, was killed in a beach resort in Baja California in north-western Mexico.
He and his brothers controlled the drug trade on Mexico's border with the United States in the 1990s.
But their Tijuana cartel was gradually weakened by the capture or killing of other leading members.
"He was hit by two bullets, one in the chest and one in the head," said Isai Arias, a Baja California state government official.
The motive for the attack and the gunmen's disguise were being investigated, he added.
The attack took place during a family party at a rented beach house in the tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas.
The former cartel leader was arrested in 1993 but released nearly 15 years later after spending time in prison in Mexico and the United States.
His brother Eduardo was jailed in August in the US for 15 years after pleading guilty to money laundering.
Security experts believe the Tijuana cartel is now run by his sister Enedina and her son Fernando, known as "The Engineer", according to AFP news agency.
Most estimates put the number of people killed in Mexican drug-related violence since late 2006 at more than 60,000.


Cerberus, the US investment fund, will not appear before a Stormont committee investigating the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) loan sale.

Cerberus bought Nama's Northern Ireland loan book for more than Â£1.2bn in 2014.
It had been claimed in the Irish parliament that a Northern Ireland politician was to receive a payment as a result of the deal.
Cerberus has outlined a number of reasons for not appearing.
It has written to the Northern Ireland Assembly's finance committee to explain that for a variety of legal reasons it will not give oral evidence.
It states that while it wants to assist it "must act with care to ensure that we do not jeopardise the criminal or judicial process".
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating the deal and it is understood that the US Department of Justice has also asked for information about it.
Cerberus also pointed to a continuing legal action involving the businessman Gareth Graham.
Mr Graham made highly critical comments about Cerberus during evidence to the committee earlier this month.
Cerberus said it was keen to address his "inaccurate statements", but had accepted legal advice that the High Court is "the proper forum" for this.
The firm also restates that the sales process for the loan portfolio, know as Project Eagle, was "conducted with full integrity".
It also clarifies its relationship with the law firms Brown Rudnick and Tughans.
Those firms had been advising a previous bidder, Pimco.
Pimco withdrew from the bidding process when it emerged that its fee arrangement with the firms was to involve a payment to Frank Cushnahan, a former Nama advisor.
Cerberus then engaged Brown Rudnick on what it terms "a success fee only basis", meaning a fee would only be paid if the deal was done.
Brown Rudnick agreed to share the success fee with Tughans.
Cerberus said it received "express confirmation" from both firms that no fee or commission was payable to any current or former Nama advisors.
It adds that to its "best knowledge" no improper or illegal payments have been made on its behalf in connection with Project Eagle.
The finance committee also learned that Cerberus had "contact" with four senior DUP politicians, and the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
Cerberus has sought to defend its operations in Northern Ireland saying it has agreed to write-off almost Â£2bn of debt.
Meanwhile, some evidence sessions at the finance committee's inquiry could be held behind closed doors.
The committee has agreed that some evidence could be taken in private with transcripts published later.
The transcripts could also be redacted, subject to legal advice.
The committee's decision follows a proposal from Judith Cochrane, an Alliance MLA who sits on the committee.
She was among members expressing reservations about how the committee would handle evidence from the loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson who is due to appear before the inquiry next week.
Mrs Cochrane said the arrangements give a "little bit of extra protection to ensure we stay within the terms of reference."
But the move was criticised by SDLP committee member Dominic Bradley, who said there already were "a number of mechanisms" that addressed those concerns.


Slaven Bilic says West Ham are "weak" and "have a problem" after the 4-2 defeat by West Brom, their fourth Premier League loss of the season.

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The Hammers were 4-0 down after an hour, the second successive game in which they have conceded four goals.
It is their worst start to a Premier league season since they were relegated in 2010-11, despite spending over £50m in the transfer window.
"We have a problem we have to solve and that starts with me," said Bilic.
"I am the manager and have to do everything to turn this around and solve that problem."
West Ham are now 17th in the table with four defeats in five games, having conceded 13 goals.
They have also lost to Chelsea and Manchester City in the league, with a 1-0 win against Bournemouth their only victory so far.
Against Watford last week West Ham were 2-0 up before losing 4-2.
The Hammers enjoyed over 70% possession at West Brom but gifted the Baggies four goals through poor defending, and Bilic said he was "embarrassed" at half-time.
The Croat, who led West Ham to seventh last season in his first campaign in charge, added: "The problem is big.
"We can't say it is unlucky with some situations, or improve individual mistakes and we are going to be all right. It happens so many times since the start of the season - too many times.
"If we continue to defend like this as a team we can't win a Premier League game.
"We are weak and we have a problem. I don't want us to react, I want us to act. It is no time to panic but we have to act.
"We need to be aware of the situation and I don't want to sound pessimistic, but I am and I have to live with this 24/7."
West Ham, who moved into their new London Stadium home at the beginning of the season, were knocked out of the Europa League at the qualifying stages for the second successive season.
In 2010-11 the Hammers lost their first four matches and drew their fifth, ending the season bottom of the Premier League.
Former England and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said West Ham's defence was "a horror show".
Speaking on Match of the Day, he said: "I know they have injuries and two new full-backs but this is not a problem that has happened this season. It started at the end of last season. They have conceded at least two goals in 12 of their last 15 Premier League games.
"It was a horror show, so bad it was like watching an under-10s team. It was laughable and extraordinary.
"I have not seen defending like that for a long time. It was so bad it was unbelievable."
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When Erin Gibson Allen decided to return to the legal profession after a 10-year absence to raise her children, she knew she would have to get creative.

She took unpaid work experience in the chambers of a federal judge in the US city of Pittsburgh.
"Part of me thought 'what have I done?'," says Ms Allen, 46, who worked for the judge for nine months.
"But the other part of me believed very strongly in experience and networking."
Though Ms Allen says some people were sceptical about her choice, she believed she needed to make an "investment in her future".
The contacts she made during her internship eventually led to full-time, paid opportunities with a Pittsburgh law firm. She now works as a lawyer specialising in competition law.
"It is a tough jobs market right now, and you have to do whatever you can do to give yourself an edge," she says. "Taking an internship shows how serious you are about getting back to work."
Internships, or work experience placements, are often regarded as entry-level employment programmes for young people, fresh out of school and new to the working world.
But for Keryn Reynolds, of Melbourne, Australia, and a growing number of similar middle-aged professionals, internships are an appealing way to re-market themselves, and start a new phase of their working lives.
Ms Reynolds, 49, spent decades working for the Australian Federal Police, and then for the Office of Police Integrity in Victoria. After leaving the force, she decided on a complete change, and pursued a new career as a journalist.
She enrolled in a journalism course, and undertook a "challenging" unpaid five-week reporting internship at an English-language news website in Thailand.
Ms Reynolds says her age and experience were a boon to her employers, because they felt that she could handle herself in a way that younger interns might not.
"I think there is a different approach as a mature intern. I'm more than happy to make coffee, or photocopy. or do the basic stuff.
"But I ended up publishing more than 30 stories," she says. "For me it reinforced that I'm resilient and adaptable, even though I am older and haven't done this before."
Ms Reynolds has now graduated with a masters in journalism from the University of Melbourne, and is due to start actively looking for full-time work after she recovers from a foot injury.
Her positive experience of being a middle-aged intern is far from rare, says Marc Freedman, the chief executive of San Francisco-based Encore.org.
His non-profit organisation pairs experienced corporate retirees with work in the charity and not-for-profit sectors - both paid full and part-time employment, and unpaid internships.
Mr Freedman says that as average life expectancy has increased in the developed world, there is a growing trend of people wanting to start a new career in later life.
"There is a movement of people who are hitting what would traditionally be retirement age and are having a whole new chapter," he says.
"You think, 'how am I going to live a connected, productive existence for a period that could be as long as midlife in duration?'."
Mr Freedman says this shift is echoed in popular culture, such as the 2015 film The Intern where a 70-year-old Robert De Niro takes an internship at an online fashion site, or 2013's The Internship, in which Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson play former salesmen trying to get jobs at Google.
Anne Gable, 53, of San Francisco, lost her job at business news service Thompson Financial in 2008.
After a three-year stint in art school, in 2011 she enrolled in Encore's fellowship programme, and was paired with Aspiranet, a not-for-profit Californian family services agency.
Ms Gable was paid $25,000 (Â£17,000) for doing 1,000 hours of work over her year-long attachment, during which she helped develop a mobile phone app designed to help kids in foster care keep track of their information
"I think it would have been really hard to find work in this field without the Encore programme," she says. "I don't think it matters what business you're in. At the age of 50 you don't just walk in the door."
Ms Gable so impressed bosses at Aspiranet during her year's paid internship that she now has a full-time job with the organisation.
Carol Fishman Cohen, who runs Boston-based iRelaunch, another body that helps middle-aged people start a new career, says companies are increasingly interested in the experience and maturity that they find in older applicants.
"Some of the biggest and most prestigious companies in the world now run re-entry internship programmes [for older people]," she says, "and we expect to see them become much more prevalent in the next few years."
Corporations such as US banks Goldman Sachs and MetLife, and UK accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers now have internship programmes for older workers.
UK bank Barclays is another, which in 2015 announced its "Bolder Apprenticeships" paid 12-month  scheme for prospective employees aged up to 65.
Unlike their younger counterparts, older interns can find that they are more experienced than the managers they have to report to. "So they can become a sounding board and a mentor," says Encore's Mr Freedman.
That was the case for Dan Hamilton, who was 63 when he retired from a 30-year career in corporate training at computer industry giant Intel.
Encore placed Mr Hamilton, of Folsom, California, with local charity Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, with Intel - which is a sponsor of Encore - still paying his salary.
Mr Hamilton helped unemployed and, often homeless, people search for jobs, write their CVs, and research housing assistance.
He says many of his fellow employees were younger than him by as much as 30 years.
"I felt very much like a fatherly figure," he says. "It was actually more refreshing than in my last few years at Intel, where I was just seen as the old guy."
But whatever the age of someone doing an internship or period of work experience, UK-based pressure group Intern Aware says it is vital that the person is paid, so as not to limit it to people from a wealthy background.
"Internships are a really positive way for people to learn new skills and gain experience in a new profession," says Ben Lyons, Intern Aware's co-founder.
"But it is crucial that people are paid when they are doing work. This is the right thing to do, and also means that companies can get the best people, because otherwise the vast majority of people are priced out."
Back at Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, Mr Hamilton is now discussing the possibility of becoming a paid consultant for the organisation's chief executive.


UKIP's leader in Wales faces expulsion from the party because of concerns over him working as both an MEP and assembly member.

The party's National Executive Committee voted to remove Nathan Gill unless he resigns from one of his elected positions.
Mr Gill has represented Wales in the European Parliament since 2014 and won a seat in the Senedd in May's election.
The MEP said the decision was "anti-democratic" and "baseless".
In an open letter, Mr Gill said: "It is not for the NEC to inform me how to fulfil the mandate that I have been given by the electorate."
He said he was "not going to be coerced by the NEC into resigning positions to which I have been either elected by the people of Wales or appointed by the party leader".
Mr Gill added the decision may be "in clear breach of contract".
A group meeting of UKIP's AMs is expected to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
UKIP Assembly group leader Neil Hamilton, speaking at the National Eisteddfod, said the vote on Mr Gill "had nothing to do with infighting".
"When he was seeking nomination for the assembly he said that if he was elected he would stand down as MEP and devote his time to furthering the interests of the people of Wales. He hasn't done so," he said.
"I'm afraid we're only seven out of 60 members of the assembly. We can't afford part-time or half-time AMs. He has a choice. You can't do two jobs properly. He has to choose one or the other."
On Friday, the chairman of UKIP Wales, Chris Smart, said Mr Gill should step down as an MEP as a successor was now available.
Mr Smart said James Cole - who was number two on UKIP's Wales list at the 2014 European election and who has since rejoined the party - was ready to take over.
However, Mr Gill previously said calls for him to quit the role had been made out of "malice".


One cyclist was left fighting for his life and a woman was airlifted to hospital after two crashes in the London to Brighton charity bike ride.

About 28,000 people took part in the event, run by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), on Sunday.
Police said the man crashed into a telegraph pole near Reigate, Surrey, at about 07:25 BST. At about 10:00, the woman crashed near Redhill.
The BHF said an investigation would be carried out in conjunction with police.
Officers said the man, who is in his 30s and from London, was taken to St George's Hospital in south London where he remains in a serious condition.
The woman, also in her 30s, was airlifted to St George's with head and eye injuries. Police said her condition was stable.
Louise Parkes, director of fundraising at the BHF, said: "We are saddened to hear that two cyclists have been injured while taking part in today's British Heart Foundation London to Brighton Bike Ride.
"An investigation will be carried out in conjunction with the police, ride managers and other agencies.
"As soon as we're in a position to comment further we will do so. Our thoughts are with those involved and their families."
Some people have raised questions about the safety of the 54-mile ride on social media.
One tweeted: "@TheBHF very well organised event , but you need to address rider safety .#toomanyaccidents"
The BHF wrote back that it was always trying to improve safety and would be looking at issues for next year's bike ride.
Another cyclist wrote: "Pleased with my achievement today. An hour off my PB, but can't get the injured man's face out of my head. Update? @TheBHF @LDNtoBrighton"
Those who took part in Sunday's bike ride included Masterchef presenter and chef John Torode, Olympic gold-medal winning rowers Mark Hunter and Tom James and TV presenter Aggie Mackenzie.


Two women have denied the murder of a businesswoman who was found fatally stabbed at her Lancashire home.

Sadie Hartley, 60, was discovered with multiple stab wounds at her house on Sunny Bank Road in Helmshore, Rossendale, on 14 January.
Sarah Williams, 34, and Katrina Walsh, 56, both from Chester, appeared at Preston Crown Court via videolink from separate prisons.
They were both remanded ahead of the next court hearing on 10 June.
A trial date of 4 July was set by Judge Mark Brown.
Ms Hartley was the director of her own medical communications business Hartley Taylor, based in Knutsford, Cheshire.


A giant rabbit called Atlas is searching for a new home after he grew too big for his owner to look after.

The seven month old continental giant rabbit is being looked after at a rescue centre in Scotland.
He's already the size of a small dog but because he's still young he could grow even bigger.
Scottish SPCA centre manager Anna O'Donnell said "He is a very friendly rabbit who loves attention and getting cuddles."
Source: Pets4Homes
"Atlas is also an inquisitive boy who makes everyone laugh with his mischievous character."
The charity says the new owner will have to have experience of looking after this type of rabbit and lots of space so he can run around.


The BBC is to spend an extra £34m on children's content over the next three years.

The investment comes as plans were announced to reinvent the corporation "for a new generation" and combat competition from media giants like Netflix and Amazon.
Director general Tony Hall said it was "the biggest investment in children's services in a generation".
The funding was unveiled as part of the BBC's first Annual Plan.
Setting out the BBC's ambitions for the coming year, the extra money for children's content is going to be invested across the three years to 2019-20.
Lord Hall said: "Our ambition to reinvent the BBC for a new generation is our biggest priority for next year. Every part of the BBC will need to contribute to meeting this challenge."
The new investment, delivered following savings made across the BBC, will see the budget for children's programming reach £124.4m by 2019-20, up from the current figure of £110m.
In the three years, £31.4m will be spent online on content that will include video, live online programme extensions, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, quizzes, guides, games and apps.
Lord Hall said it was "the biggest investment for a generation" and will "increasingly offer a personalised online offering for our younger viewers".
The BBC said it wants to respond to changes to the way children "are watching and consuming programmes", adding: "Investment in British content - particularly for the young - is vital, unless we want more of our culture shaped and defined by the rise of West Coast American companies."
By David Sillito, media and arts correspondent
Over the last six years, children's TV viewing has dropped by more than a quarter.
Youngsters now spend more time online than they do in front of the television, around 15 hours a week. Even pre-schoolers spend more than eight hours a week online, according to Ofcom.
Naturally then, the CBBC channel aimed at six to 12-year-olds has seen a drop in its audience, and increasingly children are choosing to use the BBC's iPlayer.
Viewing habits are changing, but so too is the content they are watching. Shorter video clips, interactive content and games are all going to increase.
The setting for all of this is a long-term decline in spending on British children's programmes by other broadcasters - ITV's programming went from 424 hours in 1998 to 64 in 2013 - and the dominance of US programming.
This will only increase in an online world dominated by the tech giants. Children's culture is being shaped by firms based on the west coast of America.
The annual plan also explains how the BBC is aiming to tackle such challenges as "fake news" with BBC News's Reality Check being expanded to fact-check social media claims, and work being done alongside Facebook to build trust.
It also shows how the corporation will "rise to the challenge of better reflecting and representing a changing UK" and how it is focusing on personalisation.
The BBC's creative plans for the next 12 months also include:
The annual plan is not the same as the BBC's annual report, which looks back over the previous year's performance and publishes details about the corporation's finances and spending. That report is expected later this month.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and women have opened at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

The Games, organised by Prince Harry, will see competitors from 13 countries take part in events over four days.
The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke of Cambridge attended the opening ceremony, along with 6,500 spectators.
Prince Harry, who was introduced by US First Lady Michelle Obama, said "lives will be changed" by the Games.
He told the crowd: "Over the next four days we will see some truly remarkable achievements.
"For some of those taking part this will be a stepping stone to elite sport. But for others, it will mark the end of a chapter in their recovery and the beginning of a new one.
"Either way, you can be sure that everyone who takes part on the track, pool or field of play will be giving it their all. And I have no doubt that lives will be changed this weekend."
In a recorded message, Mrs Obama told competitors: "Some of the most inspiring moments I have had as First Lady have been when I have met with wounded warriors like so many of you.
"You tell me how you are not just going to recover, but you are going to thrive."
She added: "While I can't hide that I hope Team USA brings home a few golds, I want you all to know how proud my husband and I are of you and how humbled we are by your example".
The event began with a shortened version of God Save the Queen, followed by the Invictus fanfare and a flypast by the Red Arrows.
The actor Idris Elba read the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley, before the teams emerged to cheers from the crowd.
There were also ceremonial displays by military units including the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
The 13 nations appeared in alphabetical order, led by athletes from Afghanistan and culminating in the appearance of the host team from the UK.
The countries taking part are: Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Georgia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the US.
More than 400 competitors, both serving military personnel and veterans, will go head to head in nine adaptive sports at the Olympic Park and Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London from Thursday.
After Prince Harry's speech, three singers from the Armed Forces performed the Invictus Anthem, written by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.
They were joined by the Urban Voices Collective, the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra and the three service bands.
See here for more coverage of the games
Invictus Games chairman Sir Keith Mills told the ceremony: "Over the next few days we will experience some fantastic sport from some of the extraordinary competitors you see this evening.
"I am sure you will all join me in wishing them the very best of luck."
He added: "When Prince Harry conceived the Invictus Games he hoped they would be an inspiration for all of those that have been wounded, injured and sick while serving their countries.
"I have no doubt that these games will achieve that and much more."
On Tuesday at a "curtain raiser" event, Prince Harry said he had had some "sleepless nights" in the run-up to the Games, which are his brainchild and based on the Warrior Games in the US.
"The Americans made it, I stole it, and we made it bigger," he said.


Arthur Frederick's first love was music, and fittingly his songs can still be heard on the airwaves of his Caribbean island home.

The 60-year-old, who was killed in the explosion on the Piccadilly line train at Russell Square on 7 July 2005, was born in Grenada.
As a young man, he moved to the neighbouring island of Montserrat, a British overseas territory, where he made his home and established his career as a police officer.
His son Astrid Wade, a firefighter in Montserrat, said: "He was well-respected in the Montserrat community, known for his dedicated service to the island as a police officer, as well as recording the calypso hit Signs of Christmas."
In 1997, Mr Frederick retired after 31 years in the Royal Montserrat Police, and moved to London.
He settled in Seven Sisters, north London, and took work as a museum security guard.
Mr Wade said it was the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano in the late 1990s that had made his father first think about leaving Montserrat.
"He was scared of the volcano so packed up and left.
"London became his second home but his mind and his heart were in Grenada, and his mum and dad are still there."
Shortly before his death, he had returned to his country of origin for several weeks to help his elderly parents rebuild their home, which had been severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan.
Mr Frederick had a couple of hits on the island and he recorded a CD when he moved to London. His musical talents earned him the nicknames Soul, Vision, Napo and Otis.
At the inquest into his death, Mr Wade said in a statement: "I knew my father as a friendly person who got along with everyone.
"A man who loved his music and participated in the local calypso competition every December (in Montserrat).
"I still hear his songs on the radio and it brings back his memory to me. I do miss him.
"Although we had our ups and downs, he was my father and I have a lot of feelings for him."
Mr Frederick also left behind a brother, Albert, who lives in the US.
Shortly after his death, Montserrat police commissioner John Douglas paid tribute to Mr Frederick, who he first met in 1967.
"He was a very committed and devoted police officer who took his job very seriously and he served his country well," he said.


Australian researchers have retrieved a meteorite believed to be around 4.5 billion years old from a remote lakebed.

It was dug out of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre on New Years Eve, hours before rain would have washed away any trace of it.
Curtin University geologists Phil Bland and Robert Howie used a network of 32 remote cameras to track the meteorite.
The cameras, called the Desert Fireball Network, helped narrow the search area to a 500m line.
The recovery operation in a remote area of  the lake took three days and involved an aerial spotter, drone and local Aboriginal guides.
"It was an amazing team effort, we got there by the skin of our teeth," Mr Bland told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"It is older than the Earth itself. It's the oldest rock you'll ever hold in your hand.
"It came to us from beyond the orbit of Mars, so in between Mars and Jupiter," he said.
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, in northern South Australia, fills only a few times in a century. When this happens it is Australia's largest lake.
The area around the lake has been inundated with rain in early January, with falls over 150mm reported.
Mr Bland told the ABC the meteorite was believed to be a chondrite, or stony meteorite, and could provide an example of material created during the early formation of the solar system more than 4.5 billion years ago.


The family of British student Hannah Bladon, who was stabbed to death in Jerusalem, have said they are "devastated" by the "senseless and tragic attack".

Ms Bladon, 20, was attacked on a tram in Jerusalem on Good Friday.
She was studying at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at the time of her death and had been taking part in an archaeological dig that morning.
Ms Bladon was stabbed several times in the chest and died in hospital.
She was attacked by a man who pulled a knife from his bag and repeatedly stabbed her on the train travelling near Old City, which was busy as Christians marked Good Friday and Jews celebrated Passover.
A 57-year-old Palestinian man was detained at the scene.
Ms Bladon, from Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire, had been taking classes in bible studies, archaeology and Hebrew at the Rothberg International School, part of the Hebrew University, which expressed "deep sorrow" over her death.
In a statement, her family said she was "the most caring, sensitive and compassionate daughter you could ever wish for".
The family added: "Hannah was a talented musician, part of a serving team at her local church and a member of her local archaeological group.
"She was an enthusiastic rugby player and a keen Derby County supporter.
"She was driven and passionate and her death leaves so much promise unfulfilled."
Ms Bladon was a student at the University of Birmingham, which said it was "deeply saddened" by her death.
Her personal tutor, Dr Andrew Davies, the head of theology and religion at the university, said Ms Bladon was a "rare treasure".
"I think one of the first things that struck us about her was her enthusiasm," he said.
"She was always the kind of first to be there for lecture [sic], bright-eyed, bushy tailed, even in the early hours of the morning. Really enthusiastic, really dedicated and really committed - clear first-class material and she wanted to be an academic in the future."
Police said the suspect, a resident of Ras al-Amud in east Jerusalem, was recently released from a psychiatric hospital.
Jerusalem police chief Yoram Halevy told the AFP news agency the man was "very mentally disturbed".
An off-duty policeman travelling on the tram pulled an emergency brake and then tackled the attacker, with the help of another passenger.
He told the AFP news agency: "I was travelling with my family when I heard the cries of 'attack, attack'.
"I sounded the alarm then rushed to the scene of the attack. We overpowered him."
A 30-year-old pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man were also injured in the attack.
BBC Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman said the pair were either hurt when the tram came to a sudden stop or in the panic to get away.
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin said he was "filled with sadness about the attack" and that his thoughts and prayers were with the family of the victim.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld tweeted a picture of the knife used in the attack.


Olympic sailor Hannah Mills was among a host of Olympians who were honoured at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old, from Cardiff, was collecting the MBE she was awarded in the New Year Honours list.
Mills won gold at the Rio 2016 games with Saskia Clark in the women's 470 class.
She said Princess Anne asked her "if I had had any luck finding a new partner" following her crewmate's retirement.
Cyclists Laura and Jason Kenny and showjumping champion Nick Skelton were among the other sports stars to collect their accolades.
Mills said the ceremony was "nerve-wracking" but she got a warm reception.
Since Rio, she has changed boats and said: "This year is about learning as much as we possibly can - so for me a new boat is exciting, it means I'm upping my skill level - whatever boat I end up sailing I'll be a better sailor for it.
"It's just a new challenge and I'm loving it, and I think this first year if you can still be loving your sport and enjoying the training and excited to get fit and everything again then it's a good place to be because it's a long cycle - you can't expect everything to happen in year one."


Osceola, Arkansas is a town filled with the blues.

Both historically - pioneering blues musicians like Albert King hail from this tiny town on the state's so-called "Cotton Highway" - and emotionally.
Hard hit by the financial crisis, as factory after factory shut and jobs moved away, the town's main street is mostly hollowed out, with century-old buildings standing vacant.
Cotton strands masquerading as cobwebs - blown over from the fields dotted with puffy white plants in the surrounding the area - lurk in every corner.
A sign advertising weekly bingo games creaks in the wind, as a handful of people mill in front of the town's municipal building at midday.
However, like most small towns around this state that were battered by the recession, things are slowly improving.
Statewide, the unemployment rate peaked at 8.1% in 2010, but has since fallen nearly to its pre-recession level of 6.2% - just above the national average.
But the problem for the Democrats - who are fighting hard to help Senator Mark Pryor keep his position and to ensure outgoing Governor Mike Beebe's seat stays in Democratic hands - is that those statistics haven't translated into sentiment.
As former President Bill Clinton said, in speeches supporting the Democratic candidate in his home state: "The economy is coming back, but nobody believes it because you don't feel it."
Perhaps nowhere is this thorny issue for Democrats more evident than in Osceola.
After years of negotiations, Big River Steel was persuaded to locate their billion-dollar steel factory on the banks of the Mississippi in the city, lured by incentives promoted by both local and state-wide Democratic officials.
Construction of the plant, which is situated on nearly 1,300 acres next to what was once a Fruit of the Loom plant - a nod to the area's cotton heritage - began in earnest over the summer.
Nearly 2,000 people will be hired to build the facility and once it is up and running, more than 525 will be employed at the plant, smelting steel and sending it off down the nearby Mississippi river to neighbouring states.
Those jobs will pay $75,000 - nearly triple the local average wage.
Mark Bula, the chief commercial officer of the company, says that while the main drivers of the decision to locate the plant in Osceola were the cost of power and proximity to the Mississippi, tax incentives - totalling over $100m - certainly did not hurt.
But, he adds, it was also a good deal for the local community.
"A lot of other companies, you can drive around this town or any town, there's a lot companies that have just picked up and moved," he says
"They can move their equipment to Mexico or some other place.
"For us it's actually very difficult to do. You don't pick up a steel mill and move it every day."
Yet despite the arrival of Big River Steel - helped by government incentives - most residents are hesitant to give anyone credit for a recovery that they say, frankly, they still don't really feel.
Outside of the local Wal-Mart - Arkansas is the home of the US's biggest retailer - most were gloomy about the state of the US economy.
Shopper Angela Reuther says things for her haven't really improved since the recession.
"On paper it might be better, but for me it's the same," she says.
That's why despite the numbers, she says she is reluctant to give either party - Democrat or Republican - credit for improving the economy.
Tamiko Allen echoes the sentiments of many when she says that its not just Democrats who have disappointed her, but President Barack Obama specifically.
"He's taking us down, not bringing us up," she says.
That apathy - and general frustration with the president, despite the fact that he has now overseen a US economy that is back growing at its pre-recession levels - seems to be mainly what is driving voters away from the Democrats.
Zettie Sanders sums up the plight of many here.
"My Daddy always taught me I was a Democrat from birth," she says.
"But I'd say he'd turn over in his grave now, because I can't say that I'm a Democrat anymore - but I don't know if I'm a Republican either."
This malaise - and the inability of those in Osceola and the surrounding areas to really feel the effects of the recovery - has translated into swelling support for the aptly named Republican candidate, Representative Tom Cotton.
Just up a few miles north of the future home of Big River Steel, Mr Cotton met with a group of steelworkers at rival plant Nucor Steel.
Genial and approachable in a fleece vest, he made jokes - "It's like being in church, everyone's sitting in the back" - and shook hands - the typical political campaign fare.
Yet when he got up to address the group of 30 or so people, he stayed focused primarily on one topic: the economy.
"We've added three times as many people to food stamps as we have to the workforce - and wages have fallen by 5%," he said, as many in the room nodded.
"We need a healthy growing economy - taxes are too high and regulations are too costly," he added, in particular emphasising dysfunction in Washington and President Obama.
Noticeably, the name of his opponent - current Democratic Senator Mark Pryor - was never mentioned.
Representative Cotton even went so far as to single out another Democrat - former president Bill Clinton - for praise, noting with satisfaction his handling of the welfare system.
And that, in the end, seems to be the theme here in Arkansas and in many swing states across the US.
It is less about party politics, and more about the mid-term blues.
US voters seem desperate to cast a ballot more for change than for a political party - for anyone who can make the statistics about the US recovery translate into a local reality.
But for now, whatever recovery his happening here in Osceola feels much like the threads of cotton blowing in the air during the harvest.
They're all around - but barely felt.


Burton Albion veteran Lloyd Dyer has signed a new one-year contract with the Championship club.

The much-travelled 34-year-old former West Bromwich Albion, MK Dons, Leicester City and Birmingham City winger has been rewarded for helping to keep the Brewers at second-tier level.
"When I signed, everyone said we were going to get relegated but we didn't. That's a massive achievement," he said.
"We have a great team spirit and that was what got us through."
Dyer played in all but four of Burton's 46 league games, scoring seven times, matching the tally he achieved in Leicester's Championship title-winning season in 2013-14.
Having scored on his debut in the Brewers' first Championship game against Nottingham Forest in August, he also netted in their victories over Birmingham City and Aston Villa.
"Growing up I was a Villa fan so when I scored that goal it was a nice feeling," he said. "And, when I checked, I found out that I had equalled the most goals I have scored in the Championship so overall it has been a good season."
Burton finished 20th in the Championship, avoiding relegation by just a point.


Workers decommissioning Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have sued its operator Tokyo Electric (Tepco) over unpaid hazard pay.

The four men are demanding about 65m yen (Â£375,000; $620,000) in extra pay.
They claim the compensation for removing contaminated debris and patrolling the plant has been inadequate given the risks involved.
It is the first time Tepco has faced legal action from Fukushima workers over pay and working conditions.
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes says if they win, it could set a precedent for thousands of other workers to come forward.
The lawsuit was filed by two current and two former workers at Fukushima.
The Japanese utility company had no immediate comment.
"My health may be harmed some day,"  one of the workers was quoted as telling Japanese broadcaster NHK. "I believe there are many people who can't speak out about this kind of problem.
"I may get fired or may be given no further work. But I hope people will take this as an opportunity to speak up and get paid."
Fukushima fallout
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors went into meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 knocked out reactor cooling systems at the plant.
Subsequent radiation leaks made the surrounding areas around the plant unfit for habitation.
Tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes and businesses because of radioactive contamination, with the majority still unable to return home.
The facility is operated by Tepco, which has spent billions of dollars on the clean-up and decommissioning of the plant.
About 6,000 people have been working at the plant daily over the last two months, and the lawsuit is demanding that they either be paid directly by Tepco or the government.
However, many are employed by contractors and subcontractors.
Our correspondent says that there have long been complaints that many subcontractors are not paying their workers properly, and allegations that some are connected to Japan's Yakuza crime gangs.
The lawsuit claims that the subcontractors profit from the funds allocated for the decommissioning at the expense of worker wages.
The lawyer co-ordinating the case on behalf of the Fukushima workers said at least two more people were expected to join the lawsuit.
Last month another court ordered Tepco to pay damages to the family of an evacuee, Hamako Watanabe, who killed herself after she was forced to leave her home because of radioactive contamination.


Rory McIlroy believes he is close to a first win of a frustrating year as he warms up for the Scottish Open.

Injury and poor form has hampered the 28-year-old, who missed the cut at the Irish Open last week.
After his last Scottish Open appearance, in 2014, he won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
"I'm positive about it," said the Northern Irishman at Dundonald Links. "I'm excited about my game. I feel like I'm doing a lot of good things."
Ranked fourth in the world, McIlroy will partner Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler of the United States during rounds one and two in Ayrshire.
"It's just putting it all together, not just for one day but for four days; and not just for four days, to do it week in and week out," he said.
"I've got a busy stretch coming up and I'm excited to play.
"I might be putting a bit too much pressure on myself, but I know that it's coming around. But I'm realistic that I need to see it happen sooner, rather than later.
"I sound a bit like a broken record after a few weeks. But, really, it's not far away."
Dundonald Links is only five miles away from Royal Troon, where Stenson won the Open in stunning fashion last year.
Like McIlroy, the Swede, 41, has had an underwhelming season so far and admits he has struggled with the demands of being the Claret Jug holder.
"It's kind of like before and after having kids," Stenson explained. "When you have kids, your life changes and it's like you can't believe what you did with all the time you had before you had children.
"It's a little bit the same. I don't know what I did with my time before I had the Claret Jug in my possession. And I kind of treat it like my baby as well.
"It's been a busy year, but I don't want to sit here and complain about it. That's certainly not the way we look at it.
"I've been pretty good at saying no, but you've still got to do a lot of things and that impacts your focus on your game to a degree.
"For the year that you are the defending champion, every week you show up at a tournament it's new, it's fresh, they haven't seen you since you won and it's all the pictures and all the autographs and all the interviews.
"In this game, you've got to be in the moment and you've got to be focused and where you're at now and looking forward.
"And you're constantly talking about what happened six months, nine months, 12 months ago, so it's easy to be a little stuck in the past.
"I think it's going to be a bit of turning the page next week when I have to return the Claret Jug on Monday and then we're kind of looking ahead instead of looking back."
Defending champion Alex Noren, of Sweden, is in the company of England's Tyrrell Hatton and Australia's Adam Scott for the first two rounds.


A teaching assistant stole money raised at her school for charity to pay off her son's drug debt, a hearing has been told.

Caroline Hannigan collected £287 for the British Heart Foundation at Glanhowy Primary School in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, in February 2015.
But she used the money to pay drug dealers after her son was threatened.
Mrs Hannigan told a fitness to practise committee hearing in Cardiff she was "deeply remorseful".
Mrs Hannigan, who had worked at the school in various roles for 23 years, was arrested after she admitted to her head teacher that she had never passed on the money to the British Heart Foundation.
The hearing was told she was given a 12-month conditional discharge after admitting theft by an employee at Caerphilly Magistrates' Court in February 2016.
Mrs Hannigan, who had qualified as a teaching assistant in 2009, raised the money at a school cross country event.
The hearing was told Mrs Hannigan asked head teacher Rebecca Fowler if she could raise money for the British Heart Foundation because it was a cause close to her heart as her daughter has a heart defect.
When Mrs Fowler questioned what happened to the money in November 2015, Mrs Hannigan insisted she had given it to the charity.
But when Mrs Fowler asked to see a receipt, Mrs Hannigan confessed and the police were called.
Mrs Hannigan said she acted "on the spur of the moment out of fright".
She said she took the money home after missing the bank on the day of the fundraising event.
Instead, she said she stored the cash in a bag in her wardrobe, intending to pay it into the bank on the Saturday.
But that night, there was banging on both her front and back doors and two men demanded £500 towards a £1,000 drug debt owed by her 31-year-old son, who was living with her.
Mrs Hannigan told the hearing: "They made no qualms about what would happen to me [if they did not get the money].
"They threatened to hurt me and my son.
"They said if I phoned the police or anything, things would happen like your house would burn down, people would disappear."
Mrs Hannigan said her son was at the house at the time but she would not let him speak to the men as she was frightened for him. Instead, she got the money from the fundraising and made it up to £300.
She said the drug dealers accepted that sum on condition she paid off the rest of the debt at the end of the month.
Sarah Maunder, who carried out an independent investigation, told the panel: "Caroline Hannigan panicked when drug dealers turned up at her house threatening her son with violence."
She added Mrs Hannigan was "incredibly remorseful" and wanted to return to her job as she had a "deep connection" with the school.
Mrs Hannigan, who has left Glanhowy Primary and is now working as a supply teaching assistant, admits unacceptable professional misconduct.
The hearing was told she had since paid the money to the British Heart Foundation.


Spain's Sergio Garcia completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Dubai Desert Classic for his first European Tour title in more than three years.

The 37-year-old carded a bogey-free three-under-par 69 to finish on 19 under, three shots ahead of Open champion Henrik Stenson.
England's Tyrrell Hatton was tied for third on 14 under, two shots ahead of compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick.
"Hopefully it will be the beginning of a great year," Garcia said.
The victory at Emirates Golf Club will move Garcia back into the top 10 in the world rankings, from his current position of 15th.
Garcia entered the final round with a three-shot lead and managed to save par on the eighth, despite landing his tee shot in the desert.
Back-to-back birdies from Stenson on the 13th and 14th applied some pressure before the Swede bogeyed the 15th, while Garcia produced a stunning tee-shot on the 15th and a brilliant up-and-down on the next to ease to victory.
"It was tough," said Garcia, who claimed his first win since the 2014 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and his 12th career European Tour title.
"Even without playing his best, he [Stenson] is still always there. I am very happy with the way I played and the way I handled key moments.
"I stayed aggressive and positive. To be back inside the world's top 10 is great."
England's Ian Poulter, who had started the day in third place on 11 under, hit six bogeys in his round for a four-over par 76, to drop back to seven under.


It may not seem possible, but the almighty dollar could be about to exert even more influence on US politics - and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is blazing the trail.

What's more, Mr Bush could be creating the equivalent of a campaign finance battleship that lasts beyond this particular election - or uses its prodigious weapons in support of another candidate, if Mr Bush were to get knocked out of the race early.
According to multiple press reports, the former Florida governor will fund the bulk of his campaign infrastructure - television advertising buys, opposition research, voter outreach, position papers - through Right to Rise, the political action committee that will exist independent of his formal campaign apparatus.
The reason for this is that "official" campaigns are limited in the amount of money they can raise. So-called "super Pacs", on the other hand, can amass unlimited amounts from corporations, unions and individual donors with the deepest of pockets.*
There's a drawback to all of this, of course. Technically, super Pacs like Right to Rise must operate independently of presidential candidates. Any co-ordination between the campaign and a Pac is illegal.
Defining co-ordination, however, can be tricky. If Candidate X's team announces publicly that it'd really like to have television advertising in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, and X's super Pac starts running spots the following day â€¦ well, that's all just a legally permissible coincidence, right?
Another convenient loophole is that, until candidates officially announce, they can work with whatever super Pac they want.
Mr Bush is far from alone in setting up these Pacs. Virtually every major candidate, and even most minor ones, have established something similar - with varying levels of funding success. Mr Bush is, however, leading the Pac pack, with an estimated $100m in the bank. And it's Mr Bush and his supporters who are currently pushing the envelope in exactly how much of its campaign operations can be handled externally.
Overlooked in all of this talk of a Bush juggernaut, however, is the possibility that Mr Bush's prodigious independent political treasury could outlive his candidacy.
Last week was rough on the nascent Bush campaign, with the candidate repeatedly stumbling on questions of whether the Iraq War was a mistake. Mr Bush, at best, appeared a bit rusty on the stump. Others argue that his ties to George W Bush, his presidential sibling, will create an open wound on his candidacy.
Mr Bush continues to show weakness in his poll standings, as well. He trails or is effectively tied in many early voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire and is among a handful of candidates jostling for top tier status in national polls.
There's the not insignificant possibility, then, that Mr Bush's candidacy could falter. As the old sales parable goes, no matter how you package it, sometimes the dogs just don't like the dog food. Republican voters might never warm to the Florida governor, no matter how much he spends.
If that's the case, Mr Bush could get knocked out of the race but still have tens of millions of dollars (or more!) in his Pac. And the thing about an "independent" Pac is, if Mr Bush is done, that money could go just about anywhere, says Larry Noble, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, a public interest watchdog group.
"He could pretty much do anything he wants with it," says Noble, whose group has filed a federal complaint over the legality of Mr Bush's co-ordination with his super-Pac during his "non-candidacy" period. "He could turn it into a non-profit or keep it going as a super-Pac to keep his name in play."
About the only thing Mr Bush couldn't do, Moble says, is give the money directly to a political campaign. But Right to Rise could certainly partake in the same sort of "uncoordinated" support for someone else as it had been designed to provide for candidate Bush.
What if, for instance, fellow Floridian Marco Rubio were the fortunate beneficiary? He was, after all, Mr Bush's supposed protege in the Florida legislature, a man he helped support as speaker of the state House of Representatives. Sealing the Republican nomination for Mr Rubio might not be a bad Plan B for ex-candidate Bush.
Mr Bush could, in effect, become a Republican kingmaker surpassing even billionaires like the Koch brothers and Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who are already being relentlessly courted by presidential suitors.
Once upon a time, in the not-too-distant political past, the endorsement of a defeated candidate was largely symbolic. Even when, say, John Edwards backed 2008 Democratic winner Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton early in the primary season, there were no guarantees his voters would follow his lead. And any delegates a candidate accrued through primary victories were usually released to vote their conscience.
An endorsement did bring the possibility of campaign infrastructure - strategists and grass-roots organisers - going to the receiving candidate, which could prove handy down the road. But if anything, ex-candidates were a fund-raising drag, as they often would condition their support future on assistance in retiring their campaign debt.
Now, however, an endorsement could come with a financial windfall, making it all the more valuable. Want a choice appointment in a Scott Walker administration? Mr Bush may have millions of reasons why he'd make a good pick.
Then again, says Noble, Mr Bush could decide to sit on most of the money, saving it for another day and another campaign. The former governor is only 62 years old. There might be another play for the presidency or some other political office in the cards.
"For the most part, these people are very reluctant to give up control over their money that could be used to help them," Noble says. "Because it really could be a formidable war chest in the future."
And then there's Mr Bush's son, George P Bush, who was just elected as Texas land commissioner and is considered a rising star in the state's Republican circles. He's even helped fundraise for his father's super Pac. Someday, a well-heeled Right to Rise committee could be used to "independently" advance his career - a political trust fund, as it were.
That's all part of the brave new world of 2016 campaign finance. The race is becoming as much a contest of committees as it is a battle between actual flesh and blood candidates. And no matter which individual politician ends up winning or losing, the committees likely will keep chugging along - an enduring legacy to a candidate, or even a candidate's heirs.
There are only winners where big money is concerned.
(*An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that super Pacs are not bound by federal disclosure requirements imposed on traditional campaign donations. They are. Jeb Bush has a separate organisation, Right to Rise Policy Solutions, classified as a "social welfare" non-profit. It employs several of his advisors and does not have to disclose its donors.)


Babies who cry excessively and have problems feeding and sleeping have a greater risk of serious behavioural problems later in life, say scientists.

One in five babies has symptoms that could lead to conditions such as ADHD, according to research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The review of previous studies looked at nearly 17,000 children.
A child-health expert said it would be wrong for parents to be "overly alarmed" by the results.
Crying in babies is normal, but some cry "excessively" after the age of three months for reasons other than colic.
An international group of researchers looked at this as well as problems eating and sleeping.
By comparing data from 22 studies from 1987 to 2006, they found a link between these issues and problems later in life.
There was an increased risk of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), anxiety and depression as well as aggressive behaviour.
The research showed that a baby with more than one risk factor was even more likely to develop behavioural problems.
Professor Dieter Wolke, from the University of Warwick, told the BBC: "It is about a 100% increase in risk, a doubling of risk of behavioural problems with excessive crying, sleeping and eating problems."
Jane Valente, a consultant paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: "It would be wrong for people to get overly alarmed. I don't think on the basis of this report people should be going to their GPs.
"If a baby is not behaving like other babies it is probably worth discussing with a midwife or health visitor."
The study cannot tell if issues as a baby cause behavioural problems later in life: they could be an early symptom of those later problems.
Professor Wolke said while there were treatments for problem crying, feeding and sleeping in babies, there was no research assessing their impact later in life.
He added: "If you could prevent behavioural problems with an early intervention, in a public health-sense it could be very important."
Professor Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "It is an important study."
He said parents were very good at knowing when something was wrong with their children and that the study "really reinforces the need for attention at an early stage to prevent issues later in childhood".


The NHS in England could be losing up to £5.7bn a year to fraud from its £100bn budget, a report suggests.

A review - led by former NHS anti-fraud boss Jim Gee - highlighted fraud by pharmacists, dentists, GPs and patients.
Among the areas it found to be affected were procurement, prescriptions, registration of patients and payroll.
The government said the report was "highly speculative" and "full of inconsistencies".
To work out how much fraud is being committed, the review had to rely on estimates as well as detected fraud.
It said the level of fraud was likely to be between £3.7bn and £5.7bn a year, out of a budget of more than £110bn.
Among the scams highlighted were dentists claiming money for NHS care they did not carry out and GPs falsifying records for extra payments.
To illustrate the scale of some of these cases, it highlighted the jailing of a Birmingham dentist in 2012 after she stole £1.4m from the NHS.
Patient fraud identified included wrongful claims for free prescriptions, dental and optician care.
But the biggest area of fraud was estimated to be payroll, at between £555m and £1.49bn - although the report said this mainly consisted of lots of small-scale cases.
The report warned fraud was not being given the attention it deserved and it was now one of the "great unreduced healthcare costs".
Mr Gee, who carried out his work for PFK Littlejohn accountants, said: "There is a vast, honest majority who find fraud against the NHS to be completely unacceptable. However, there is also a dishonest minority who can cause significant financial damage.
"The best way of stopping this is not to wait for fraud to happen and then act after losses have been incurred, but to proactively deter and prevent them. Fraud is a cost to be measured, managed and minimised like any other."
By Hugh Pym, health editor
There is nothing new about fraud in the NHS. The scams are all too familiar - whether it's health service managers purchasing hospital supplies and taking backhanders or corrupt GPs claiming they have patients who don't actually exist.
But the report's authors argue that, even though the NHS's fraud problem is no worse than in other healthcare systems, the need for a crackdown is as urgent as ever because of the intense financial pressure on the NHS and the need to make efficiency savings.
They accuse the government of failing to carry out a detailed audit of the extent of health service fraud. The Department of Health said it didn't recognise the figures, but there has been no official denial that there is a problem that needs fixing.
Fraud officers work in each local area while at a national level, fraud work is co-ordinated by NHS Protect.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We do not recognise the figures in this highly speculative report which is full of inconsistencies.
"We are determined to stamp out fraud in the NHS through better information sharing to prevent and deter fraud and we are working with NHS Protect on crime risks and trends to do even more in the future."


Blackburn comfortably beat Reading in Paul Lambert's last game in charge of Rovers.

The home side raced into a two-goal lead as Elliot Bennett volleyed home before Danny Graham coolly finished from close range.
Yann Kermorgant pulled one back for the visitors midway through the first half with a superbly taken free-kick.
With time running out Simeon Jackson tapped-in from close range to seal the win for Blackburn.
Having sat comfortably in mid-table for most of the season, both sides had nothing but pride to play for going into the final game of the season.
Despite this, outgoing Blackburn manager Paul Lambert's side started wonderfully as Bennett and Graham gave the Ewood Park faithful two goals to celebrate.
Both teams pressed for goals in a high octane encounter but it was Reading who broke through as Kermorgant blasted home a free-kick from 25-yards out to reduce the deficit.
As the visitors continued to press for a leveller the home side's Jordi Gomez fed Jackson a simple tap-in to kill off the game at the death.
The result meant Blackburn finished in 15th place in the Championship whilst opponents Reading end the season two places behind in 17th position.
Blackburn manager Paul Lambert: "All credit to the players. To be fair we should have been five or six up in that first half.
"I can't ask any more from them. They gave us everything they had and it's a lot of the same guys that went week in, week out for us. We finished the season strongly which was important.
"I've got nothing but good things to say about the club and the players. There are some good players and I think they need help to sustain a challenge in this division."
Reading manager Brian McDermott: "It sums up where we've been in the last couple of years. We've got a lot of work to do, we know that.
"We have got to get the blend right, the chemistry right. We haven't got that right at the moment and that's not just been today. It's been a couple of years at least."


Teachers are bumping up students' predicted A-level grades to help them win places at top universities, the head of the admissions service claims.

Ucas head Mary Curnock Cook said universities were now "more flexible" with grade requirements, amid intense competition to attract more students.
Universities are accepting more candidates who fail to gain their predicted grades, Ucas data suggests.
There is no cap on degree place numbers at England's universities.
Last year, more than half of students accepted on to degree courses had missed their results by two or more grades, spread over three qualifications, Ms Curnock Cook said.
She added that some teachers had told her they were "over-predicting" sixth-formers' results in a bid to secure initial offers from university.
Speaking at a conference on higher education at Wellington College, Berkshire, she said: "I talk to a lot of schools and people who advise students and, in the past, I would have said, 'Surely you wouldn't be over-predicting your students on purpose?', and actually just this last summer really, I had teachers coming back to me and saying, 'Actually, yes we would.'
"I'll show you why, because actually, accepted applicants, the number who are being accepted with quite significant discounts on their offers and their predicted grades, has grown quite a lot - 52% of A-level accepts have missed their grades by two or more grades over the portfolio of three [A-levels]."
Ucas figures show a nine percentage point rise since 2010 in the number of students predicted to score at least two A grades and a B at A-level, to 63% in 2015.
Over-prediction of grades had always occurred, Ms Curnock Cook said, but she indicated that it was becoming more common.
"Offers are being discounted at confirmation time, and we can see that.
"We can see that because the lifting of the number controls has increased competition amongst universities to recruit students - you can see that happening.
"For example, of the proportion accepted to higher-tariff universities, about 44% of those with BBB in their A-levels got a place at higher-tariff institutions, compared to just 20% in 2011," she added.
As universities compete for students they are being "more flexible with their entry grades", she said.
But she stressed that there had always been inaccuracies in predicted grades because they have always been used by teachers to signal what a pupil is capable of.
Association of School and College Leaders acting general secretary Malcolm Trobe agreed that predictive grades were often higher than the ones pupils achieved.
"There are a number of reasons for this, one of which is teachers are looking at the best possible outcome for the student if everything goes really, really well - if they manage to achieve their maximum grade."
He added that there were likely to be more discrepancies between predicted grades and the ones pupils achieved because of the move to linear A-levels and the scrapping of AS-levels. This was because teachers were used to having half the marks from the AS level.
Prof Michael Arthur, provost and president of University College London, said that his institution's standard offer is one A* grade and two As or three A grades, adding that last year, "we did drop down one grade for about 9% or so of students that we admitted".
Previously universities were allowed to take as many ABB students as they wished to recruit. This is the grade threshold for many sought-after courses at many leading universities.


A fracking report has found that more research is needed into the controversial practice to allay health and environmental concerns.

The report, partly funded by a Stormont department, was compiled by the Environment Protection Agency in Dublin.
Two hundred thousand pounds was paid towards the cost by Stormont's former Department of Environment.
No fracking was carried out during the two-year research programme.
The report said that before there's any authorisation for hydraulic fracturing, three key areas need further research.
These include the potential for pollution of groundwater from a failing well casing; the risk of groundwater contamination by the transfer of pollutants through rock fractures and long-term leakage of methane from capped wells after their closure.
The report was designed to help regulators on both sides of the border decide whether fracking can be done without harming the environment or human health.
Fracking is a process to force gas out of shale rock by injecting water and chemicals into it under pressure.
There is a presumption against it in Northern Ireland's planning regulations until there's robust evidence to address health and environmental concerns.
In the Republic of Ireland, a bill to ban fracking is making its way through the DÃ¡il.
The research programme consisted of a desktop review of existing literature by technical experts.
There had been some criticism of it when it emerged that it was being led by a consultancy firm with links to the gas industry.
Australian company Tamboran had plans for exploratory work on a fracking facility in County Fermanagh.
It's now suing two Stormont departments after its plans were rejected in 2014.


Police hunting the jogger who knocked a pedestrian into the path of a bus in south west London say they have had a huge response to a public appeal.

CCTV footage showed a man barging into the 33-year-old woman on Putney Bridge on 5 May.
In doing so, he knocked her into the path of an oncoming bus.
It was only the quick reactions of the bus driver  - who swerved to avoid the woman - that prevented her being hit, the Metropolitan Police Service said.
Officers said the jogger ran the other way across the bridge about 15 minutes later and the victim attempted to speak to him, but "he did not acknowledge her".
Sgt Mat Knowles of the Met Police said his team was now following a number of "viable leads" in their search for the jogger.


James Armson hit a stunning hat-trick as National League North Brackley held off a Gillingham fightback to knock the League One side out of the FA Cup.

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Armson truck twice to put the hosts in control of a thrilling first-round replay, but close-range shots from Jake Hessenthaler and substitute Scott Wagstaff forced extra time.
An own goal by Gills goalkeeper Stuart Nelson made it 3-2 to the hosts.
And Armson's 20-yard effort ensured the win despite a late Cody McDonald goal.
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Having scored in the 2-2 draw to force a replay, Armson put his side in front when he smashed in a fine first-time volley from 12 yards.
He followed that up by producing a classy finish with the outside of his right foot to make it 2-0 - a reward for Brackley's impressive start.
But Hessenthaler scored his first FA Cup goal from an acute angle and Wagstaff's strike a minute after coming on seemed to have given the Gills the impetus.
Both sides had chances to win it in normal time but it was Brackley who prevailed in the extra period to set up a second-round trip to League Two side Blackpool.
The win sees the Gills humiliated by the Northamptonshire team for the second time in four seasons, having also been beaten by them at the same stage of the competition in 2013.
Match ends, Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 3.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 3.
Attempt missed. Billy Knott (Gillingham) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Scott Wagstaff.
Foul by Adedeji Oshilaja (Gillingham).
Gareth Dean (Brackley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Max Ehmer (Gillingham).
Matt Lowe (Brackley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. David Moyo (Brackley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Matt Lowe following a fast break.
Jake Hessenthaler (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Walker (Brackley Town).
Josh Wright (Gillingham) is shown the yellow card.
James Armson (Brackley Town) is shown the yellow card.
Josh Wright (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by James Armson (Brackley Town).
Foul by Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham).
Matt Lowe (Brackley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Goal!  Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 3. Cody McDonald (Gillingham) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal.
Foul by Ryan Jackson (Gillingham).
David Moyo (Brackley Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Adedeji Oshilaja (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Matt Lowe (Brackley Town).
Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham).
Ellis Myles (Brackley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Josh Wright (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Matt Lowe (Brackley Town).
Attempt saved. David Moyo (Brackley Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matt Lowe.
Second Half Extra Time begins Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 2.
First Half Extra Time ends, Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 2.
Goal!  Brackley Town 4, Gillingham 2. James Armson (Brackley Town) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner.
Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Moyo (Brackley Town).
Substitution, Brackley Town. Matt Lowe replaces Lee Ndlovu.
Offside, Gillingham. Jake Hessenthaler tries a through ball, but Rory Donnelly is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Jake Hessenthaler (Gillingham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adedeji Oshilaja.
Corner,  Gillingham. Conceded by Ellis Myles.
Attempt saved. David Moyo (Brackley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Shane Byrne.
Corner,  Brackley Town. Conceded by Scott Wagstaff.
Attempt blocked. Lee Ndlovu (Brackley Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Moyo with a cross.
Offside, Brackley Town. James Armson tries a through ball, but Lee Ndlovu is caught offside.


A Scottish engineer has been awarded $1m after he revealed that a cruise liner was illegally dumping waste.

Christopher Keays, from Glasgow, turned whistleblower shortly after starting a new job on board the Caribbean Princess in 2013.
He discovered that a so-called "magic pipe" was being used to illegally pump oily waste into British waters.
His evidence led to US courts imposing a $40m penalty on Princess Cruise Liners.
The US Department of Justice said it was the largest ever fine for a crime involving deliberate vessel pollution.
Court papers reveal that Mr Keays was 27 when he took a post as a junior engineer onboard the 3,140-passenger Caribbean Princess.
It was his first job since graduating from City of Glasgow College.
When he became aware of pollution issues, he secretly used his mobile phone to take photographs and record video footage of key equipment.
"His concern and fear throughout the video recordings is palpable", the court papers note.
Mr Keays walked off the ship at the next port - Southampton - and immediately reported his findings to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
In a letter to US District Judge Patricia A Seitz, Mr Keays told her that his job with Princess Cruise Lines was the "chance of a lifetime".
But he left the ship feeling "hugely disappointed" that there was a "blatant disregard for the protection of the seas and in defiance of the law".
"Thinking back, I had not considered the implications of my response and that my career may be over before it barely started," he said.
"My actions were an automatic response to wrong, when so many others clearly turned a blind eye," he added.
"I genuinely hope that this will be a wake up call for the industry, that my actions will be replicated and empower those with knowledge of these practices to do the right thing, and finally deliberate pollution will become a past shame rather than a continued illegal practice that is unspoken of by many ships crew."
Mr Keays, who is now working in Spain, told The Times that he felt vindicated by the decision of the court.
He said the $1m (Â£870,000) reward would give him financial security.
The Caribbean Princess had been making illegal discharges since 2005, according to the US Department of Justice.
It said the case against Princess Cruise Lines included illegal practices which were found to take place five of its ships.
Rear Admiral Scott Buschman, commander of the US Coast Guard seventh district, praised the actions of Mr Keays.
He said: "Without the courageous act of a junior crewmember to alert authorities to these criminal behaviours of deliberately dumping oil at sea, the global environmental damage caused by the Princess fleet could have been much worse.
"The selflessness of this individual exposed five different ships that embraced a culture of shortcuts and I am pleased at this outcome."
Part of Princess Cruise Lines' $40m (Â£31.2m) fine will be split between environmental projects in the UK and Florida.
In a statement, the firm said: "We are extremely disappointed about the inexcusable actions of our employees who violated our policies and environmental law when they bypassed our bilge water treatment system and discharged untreated bilge water into the ocean."
It added that management cooperated with the authorities and they launched their own internal investigation.
"Although we had policies and procedures in place, it became apparent they were not fully effective," the statement continued.
"We are very sorry that this happened and have taken additional steps to ensure we meet or exceed all environmental requirements."


The York Mystery Plays, a theatrical tradition dating back to the 14th Century, have been resurrected in an epic production involving an Olivier Award-winning director and 1,700 enthusiastic local people.

It is with a mixture of pride and exhaustion that the two directors of the York Mystery Plays talk about the numbers of people taking part in their production, which retells Biblical stories on a near-Biblical scale.
There are two casts of 250 amateur performers, with bricklayers appearing alongside lawyers and children with their grandparents, who have between them been rehearsing for six nights a week for the past four months.
"One of our ambitions was to see how many people we could involve in this," says one of the directors, Paul Burbridge.
"Our working pattern has been very different from usual," adds Damian Cruden, the show's other director, with a sense of weary understatement.
The two sets of actors take turns - when one lot are on stage, the others are at home. That means the directors have been rehearsing two separate casts for the same three-hour show at the same time.
"Three hours of theatre is one thing - that's fairly normal," Burbridge continues. "But to get six hours of theatre ready in the first week has been quite a hurdle."
As well as the actors starring as angels and apostles, local sixth form woodwork students have made props, 80 women (and one man) have stitched the costumes and there is a 97-strong choir.
While the participants are mostly amateur (there are just two full-time actors), the production has been instilled with professional standards.
Cruden's day job is running York Theatre Royal. He won the Olivier Award for best entertainment show last year for The Railway Children, which featured a real steam train and was a hit in York and London.
Burbridge, meanwhile, is artistic director of the York-based Riding Lights Theatre Company. "Most of the productions I do normally are matchbox-sized compared with this," he says.
"At times you feel like you're looking at a huge film set with masses of people on stage, all pulling in the same direction, creating big pictures."
For rehearsals, the play was prepared in quarters and slotted together in the final weeks. The stage, too, was split into different zones, resulting in intricate instructions like: "Red 37 enter at Yellow 2, grab a section of the Ark and go off at Red 9."
The amateur involvement has its origins in the medieval plays, when craftsmen's guilds would bring Bible stories to life on wagons in the city streets - the butchers depicted the death of Christ, the bakers did the Last Supper and candle-makers took care of the annunciation to the shepherds. They were plays staged by the people for the people.
Several other towns had their own mystery plays, but the manuscript from York is the most complete version to have survived and is now kept at the British Library.
It was this ancient text that was mined by Mike Kenny - who worked with Cruden on The Railway Children - when crafting the script for the 2012 revival.
He has boiled it down from 14 hours to just the three, rewriting some sections while sticking to the medieval text in others.
"He's done a great job so you still hear the medieval flavour, you still hear the rhythms of the medieval words," says Burbridge.
"It feels very real and contemporary and easy to listen to, but it's still got those alliterations and rhythms in the poetry that meant it was brilliant for being shouted in the streets."
The setting is updated, too, with much of the costume placing it in post-war Yorkshire - the Virgin Mary wears a headscarf and Joseph has a flat cap.
And the preparation has paid off. The thronging crowd scenes are a form of choreographed chaos, while the volume of bodies creates some striking spectacles, like when the umbrellas of a mob surrounding the Ark suddenly become a bobbing sea.
Ferdinand Kingsley, son of Sir Ben, plays God and Jesus, opposite Graeme Hawley, better known as serial killer John Stape in Coronation Street, who is now playing another bad guy - Satan.
The action takes place against the impressive backdrop of the ruins of St Mary's Abbey, which, like the original Mystery Plays themselves, was closed down during the Reformation of the 16th Century.
The grounds now host the biggest stage in northern England, Burbridge claims - although it is temporary - and the production has been billed as the largest outdoor theatre event in Britain this year (that may depend on whether you count the Olympic ceremonies, mind you).
After being quashed under the Reformation, the Mystery Plays returned to York for the Festival of Britain in 1951 - a 16-year-old Judi Dench played an angel that year and starred twice more in the 1950s.
The plays have been staged at irregular intervals at various venues ever since, but this is the biggest of the modern era and the first time they have been in the open air since 1988.
"They were stories that were told deliberately not in a church," Cruden explains. "They were for lay people to tell their own stories in their own way. I think there's an honesty about bringing it back into the open air."
And after several decades of on-off uncertainty, Cruden believes they have now set the template to allow this tradition to continue.
"I genuinely believe we've made something that should be able to be repeated again and again in the city every four years, and its legacy should be that it goes on and that it is genuinely owned by the people of this city."
The York Mystery Plays are on until 27 August. The production will be broadcast on digital arts channel The Space on Saturday 11 August.


Four people due to stand trial charged with arranging Provisional IRA meetings have had the charges dropped after the prosecution offered "no evidence'' against them.

A judge entered not guilty verdicts against Padraic Wilson, Briege Wright, Seamus Finucane,  and Agnes McCrory.
The charges allegedly concerned several meetings held by the IRA in the late 1990s and 2000.
All four had denied the charges at arraignment.
Mr Wilson, 53, of Hamill Park, Andersonstown, Belfast, was the only one of the four present in the public gallery at Belfast Crown Court to hear the verdicts.
He was due to go on trial at a non-jury court accused of two counts of "arranging or assisting a meeting of three or more people, knowing that the meeting was to support a proscribed organisation, namely the Provisional Irish Republican Army''.
Agnes McCrory, 63, of Dermot Hill Road, Seamus Finucane, 57, of Hawthorn Hill, Hannahstown, and Briege Wright, 56, of Glasmullin Gardens, all west Belfast, were accused of professing to be members of the Provisional IRA, making threats, and organising or addressing meetings of PIRA.
The case had been listed for mention only on Thursday.
However, a prosecuting lawyer asked the judge that the charges "be left on the books and not to be proceeded without the leave of the Crown Court of the Court of Appeal''.
But a defence counsel said in the case last month of his client Martin Edward Morris, 49, of Welbeck Road, London, the prosecution offered no evidence against him on a charge of membership of the Provisional IRA.
"In the light of that decision, we say that the prosecution in this case should offer no evidence in the same terms," he said.
The prosecution lawyer told the court the prosecution was now "not offering evidence'' evidence against the four accused.
She added that the prosecution was also not "offering any evidence'' against Mr Morris who was awaiting trial on separate charges.
The Belfast Recorder said that as a result of the prosecution decision, he would enter "not guilty verdicts'' on all 13 charges faced by Morris.


Egypt will have extensive support in the West for its actions against the Islamic State in Libya this week, in response to the killing of Egyptian Christians there.

Its wider policies towards Libya are more controversial, however.
Egypt has been intervening in Libya for months, backing one of the two rival coalitions that claim to represent the country's legitimate government.
As militants in both countries develop closer ties, Egypt has become increasingly concerned about instability in Libya spilling over to its own Sinai peninsula.
Support for Egypt from European countries was underscored this week when Egypt announced it had concluded a deal to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets from France, at an estimated cost of $5.9bn (Â£4bn). And the US has been keen to emphasise the role of Sunni Arab nations like Egypt in combating jihadists in the region.
In terms of politics, Egypt's policies towards Libya reflect the attempts by the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's to undermine political Islamist movements - whether violent or peaceful - across the region.
This follows the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi as Egypt's president in 2013, and the failure of Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda party to win parliamentary elections in 2014.
Unlike its Western allies, Egypt's leaders emphasise the view that all forms of political Islam are a threat to international security.
Since overthrowing Mr Morsi, they have banned the Muslim Brotherhood, calling it a terrorist organisation.
By contrast, the US and Europe differentiate between forms of political Islam that they can potentially work with, and more radical violent groups.
Both in Egypt and in Libya, a variety of groups seek to claim legitimacy based on religious values. Rather than representing a single bloc, they are often competing fiercely with each other for the same audience.
The Muslim Brotherhood says it is a non-violent movement that can act as a counterweight to violent forms of political Islam.
It has condemned the IS killing of the Christians in Libya, though many Egyptian Christians feared the Brotherhood too.
Meanwhile, IS has tried to stoke sectarianism in Egypt by linking their killings to the reported murders of Egyptian Christian women who had converted to Islam, even though these reports have proven to be false.
In Egypt, most of those killed around the time of the coup in 2013 died when security forces violently dispersed two sit-ins by Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Cairo.
But there has been a sustained campaign of violence by jihadist groups since then, particularly by those based in the Sinai peninsula.
These groups contend that the coup in Egypt shows peaceful means of achieving Islamic government do not work.
In Libya, the political situation is extremely fragmented. Since the 2011 ousting of Muammar Gaddafi, no government has managed to establish control over the whole country.
Why is Libya lawless?
Two military coalitions claim to represent the legitimate government.
One is Libya Dawn, a grouping of militias that includes various Islamist groups as well as forces from the east of the country, which supports the former elected parliament, the General People's Congress.
It vehemently opposes any role for former members of the Gaddafi regime in politics, and is backed by Qatar and Turkey.
The other is Dignity, headed by a general, Khalifa Haftar, which supports the more recently elected (and internationally recognised) parliament, the House of Representatives.
It would prefer to include some members of the previous regime in politics, and is backed by Egypt and the UAE. The leaders of each side have limited control over their supporters, and many areas of the country are in effect autonomous.
Egypt backs the Dignity coalition because of its stance against political Islam.
In August last year there were reports that the Egyptian and UAE armies had co-operated to bomb Libya Dawn militants, and in January, Gen Haftar said his forces were receiving arms and training from Egypt and the UAE.
Some analysts argue this international involvement is making it more difficult for Libyans to resolve the internal conflict, and adding to the proliferation of arms there.
With these latest developments, as with the recent killing of a Jordanian pilot, IS' targeted violence has prompted cross-border military action by Arab armies.
This is a marked contrast with al-Qaeda, which was targeted primarily by international forces or, within specific countries, by the domestic security services.
The enhanced role of Arab air forces may be seen by some as a step towards dealing with security issues on a regional basis.
But ultimately, IS is thriving on the failure of states, in countries where there is an absence of effective or legitimate government.
Tackling the group requires local and international efforts to be better directed towards both ending conflicts and rebuilding the states.