Middlesbrough and Leicester played out a dull goalless draw at the Riverside to boost their respective effort to pull clear of the bottom three.

In a game bereft of clear-cut chances, there were just four efforts on target throughout the whole 90 minutes.
Middlesbrough wanted a penalty when Robert Huth brought down Adama Traore and Boro's Gaston Ramirez lashed the best opportunity wide from six yards.
Leicester, without a Premier League away win this season compared to 11 in last term's title-winning campaign, saw Leonardo Ulloa head a corner straight at Brad Guzan.
Boro move four points clear of the drop zone, while Leicester have a six-point cushion.
Possibly the most interesting event at the Riverside came after the game, when Huth admitted he should have conceded a penalty.
The German defender tried to get out of the way as Traore wormed his way into the area in the first half, and even though he made contact with the Boro winger, referee Bobby Madley waved away the appeals.
"We got lucky," Huth told Sky Sports.
Ex-Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, watching the game for BBC Radio 5 live, disagreed with Huth, saying: "There is nothing you can do as a defender. There is contact, but contact does not mean a penalty kick."
The point for Boro will be a minor consolation after conceding two late goals to lose at Manchester United on Saturday.
But it means they come out of the festive period with just one goal - and no wins - from three games.
Only Hull City have scored fewer goals than Boro's 17 in the Premier League this season and their lack of creativity against Leicester prevented them turning a draw into a win.
Left-back Friend - a first-half substitute for the injured Antonio Barragan - was often their most dangerous attacking outlet as he provided a number of dangerous crosses his team-mates failed to capitalise on.
Leicester's 1-0 win over West Ham at the weekend meant they were under less pressure to pick up all the points at the Riverside.
But they will now be without influential playmaker Riyad Mahrez potentially until early February, as he leaves to join the Algeria squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mahrez has not been at his best this season though, and in the victory over West Ham it was the combination of Marc Albrighton and Islam Slimani that proved to be the Foxes' most potent weapon.
But with Slimani missing out with a fever - and himself primed for Algeria duty - and Albrighton on the bench, it is a struggle to see where Leicester's attacking thrust will come from over the next few weeks.
Perhaps from Jamie Vardy, who will return from a three-match suspension to face Everton in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: "I am pleased with the players because it's two days after the tough defeat on Saturday against Manchester United.
"We played against a team who won the league last season and are in the Champions League - but we were better than them.
"I am happy with the performance but we could not score the goal."
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Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: "I am pleased with the point because we came here looking for a minimum of one point.
"We defended well and showed good spirit. We wanted to do more but it was difficult because they closed down our actions well. It is an important point to start 2017 with.
"We were not lucky today. I am very, very happy."
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It's FA Cup third-round weekend coming up, so Leicester travel to Everton on Saturday in an all-Premier League tie, while Middlesbrough host Championship side Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.
Match ends, Middlesbrough 0, Leicester City 0.
Second Half ends, Middlesbrough 0, Leicester City 0.
Attempt saved. Andy King (Leicester City) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Daniel Amartey with a headed pass.
Foul by Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough).
Andy King (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt missed. Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Marc Albrighton with a cross.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Grant Leadbitter replaces Adam Forshaw.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) because of an injury.
Fabio (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton replaces Nampalys Mendy.
Attempt missed. Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Stewart Downing replaces Adama Traoré.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) because of an injury.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ahmed Musa.
Substitution, Leicester City. Demarai Gray replaces Shinji Okazaki.
Substitution, Leicester City. Ahmed Musa replaces Riyad Mahrez.
Attempt saved. Leonardo Ulloa (Leicester City) header from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Christian Fuchs with a cross.
Corner,  Leicester City. Conceded by Fabio.
Attempt missed. George Friend (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Adam Forshaw.
Foul by Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough).
Andy King (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Fabio (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christian Fuchs (Leicester City).
Attempt blocked. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Leonardo Ulloa.
Foul by Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough).
Daniel Amartey (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Danny Simpson (Leicester City).
Attempt missed. Andy King (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Christian Fuchs.
Attempt blocked. Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Fabio.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Christian Fuchs.
Attempt saved. George Friend (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Second Half begins Middlesbrough 0, Leicester City 0.
First Half ends, Middlesbrough 0, Leicester City 0.
Marten de Roon (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


England crumbled to a 72-run defeat in the second Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi to lose the three-match series.

Chasing 145 to win, the tourists were bowled out for 72, with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman taking 6-25.
Only Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior reached double figures as England wilted under the pressure applied by the Pakistan spin bowlers.
Earlier, Monty Panesar ended with 6-62 as Pakistan were bowled out for 214, before the tourists disintegrated.
Panesar's efforts looked to have England left well placed to level the series, but Strauss's side slipped to their lowest total against Pakistan and their first series defeat since 2009.
The tourists, heavily beaten in the first Test in Dubai, simply could not cope with Pakistan spinners Rehman and Saeed Ajmal, as a procession of England batsmen were undone attempting to play off the back foot.
When Alastair Cook offered a leading edge back to bowler Mohammad Hafeez, it began a collapse that saw England lose all 10 wickets in under 22 overs for only 51 runs.
Ian Bell, batting at number three in place of the ill Jonathan Trott, defended Ajmal from the crease only to be bowled when the ball spun back between his legs, before Rehman took over.
Kevin Pietersen was trapped lbw playing slightly across the line and Eoin Morgan was bowled second ball playing on the back foot, both to left-armer Rehman.
At this point, England had lost four wickets for 16 runs, and their tea interval score of 39-4 could have been worse had Strauss not escaped when a bat-pad catch to short leg was ruled not to have carried after numerous television replays.
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However, with the captain and wicketkeeper Prior at the crease, the tourists were still within one significant partnership of victory, but those hopes evaporated in the final session.
Strauss, whose refusal to play on the front foot typified England's approach to combating the Pakistan spinners, eventually went back once too often to be pinned leg before by Rehman.
Trott had spent much of the morning off the field but, arriving at number seven, he failed to learn the lessons of those who had fallen before him and perished in almost identical fashion to his captain.
The Warwickshire man's dismissal hastened England's demise as a series of mindless shots saw the last five wickets fall in 23 deliveries for four runs.
After Stuart Broad was bowled through the gate aiming a drive at Rehman, Ajmal enticed Graeme Swann into becoming the latest England batsman trapped lbw on the back foot and then had Prior caught at cover from a meek drive.
In the following over, England's misery was complete when James Anderson swept Rehman to Umar Gul at deep backward square leg.
I've seen some bad performances over the years but that's as bad as I've seen. I couldn't find any excuses and I wouldn't want to. They had to change the batting order, but to not be able to make 150? They were missing straight balls. And [Eoin] Morgan? If he's a Test player, I'm going to eat that famous hat. You'd have to see it to believe how bad it was
It was a diabolical display by England, in stark contrast to the form that carried them to the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings, and one that wasted the good bowling work that had given them an opportunity to level the series.
In a morning session that showed no signs of the drama to come, Panesar, again bowling with immaculate control, had Asad Shafiq held at slip before Anderson, with the second new ball, found extra bounce to have Azhar Ali caught behind.
With the overnight batsmen removed, Broad and Swann took a wicket each to leave the stage set for Panesar to claim his first Test five-wicket haul in almost four years.
In the end, though, it proved academic as Pakistan had long since earned a lead large enough to seal the series, which concludes with the final Test in Dubai starting on Friday.
Listen to day four commentary highlights and the Test Match Special podcast.


A Welsh rugby coach has posted photographs on social media of burns his players received playing on an artificial pitch.

Merthyr RFC coach Lee Jarvis said seven players suffered the friction burns to their legs and arms after their match at Sardis Road, Pontypridd.
Merthyr were playing RGC 1404 in the National Cup semi-final on Sunday.
A spokesman for Pontypridd RFC said the club had no comment to make.
Merthyr RFC posted photos of the injuries on Twitter.
Mr Jarvis said: "The pitch was a little bit dry on the weekend and the boys came away with some nasty burns.
"With the weather being dry, they do say you need to water the pitch."
He said the players would be assessed later to see if they are fit to play their fixture against Pontypridd on Saturday.
The Â£500,000 pitch was installed in September.
Mr Jarvis said there had not been any problems when they played there previously and he did not think it would put players off using the pitch again.
"3G and 4G pitches are the way forward for me," he said. "We've played all our games throughout the season and none were called off, compared to last season when we had five or six called off.
"I'm sure Pontypridd will sort it out. It's a club I love and I hope people don't think we are trying to pull something over them.
"The usage has most probably flattened the pitch and made it a little bit harder than what it was. I'm guessing that's why these friction burns have occurred."
Last month, Pontypridd outside half Ceri Sweeney retweeted a picture of burn marks he received to his face during a game against Newport.
Sardis Road is due to hold an international under-18s tournament next month.


Fracking should not go ahead at two sites in Lancashire, a key report said.

The Lancashire County Council report follows an application by energy firm Cuadrilla to explore Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood for shale gas.
It comes a week before councillors are due to make a final decision on the company's planning application to extract the gas near Blackpool.
Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan told BBC Radio Lancashire the planners' recommendation was a "set-back".
In a statement, the company said "the limited issues that have been raised can be resolved".
The firm's bids were the first since fracking tests near Blackpool were thought to be the "likely cause" of earth tremors in 2011.
The council's report recommended the Little Plumpton application, for a site north of Preston New Road, should be turned down due to concerns over noise, which would "unnecessarily and unacceptably" affect neighbouring properties.
Regarding the Roseacre Wood site, it said there would be an increase in traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, which would result in "an unacceptable impact" on rural roads and reduce road safety.
However, applications for monitoring equipment to test seismic activity, groundwater and ground gas at both sites have been recommended for approval by planners.
Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - is a technique in which water and chemicals are pumped into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas.
A government report published in June 2012 concluded fracking was safe if adequately monitored.
However, anti-fracking campaigners claim the process is harmful to the environment.
David Cameron's spokesman said the prime minister's view on the potential for unconventional oil and gas had not changed but he believed it "should be up to local authorities" to take the decision.
Mr Egan said there had been a "degree of scare-mongering" against Cuadrilla's bid.
"On the issues of public health - other than noise - on the issues of air quality, seismicity or earth tremors, the council has concluded that none of those are reasons to refuse this application.
"They have concerns clearly with night-time noise on one, and noise and traffic on the other but that would be the case for any planning application."
BBC industry correspondent John Moylan said the planning process was twice as long as expected, with Cuadrilla's applications stretching to thousands of pages.
He added its protection plans for ground water, air quality and handling waste had been approved by the Environment Agency and its operations were due to be independently scrutinised by scientists from the British Geological Survey and leading universities.
Judy Hobson, BBC North West Tonight
Anti-fracking protesters will claim victory after today's report, but the planning committee has the final say when they vote next week.
They are likely to go with what the report's authors have recommended, but even then Cuadrilla can appeal and ultimately the government will decide.
All the noises emanating from the Cuadrilla camp this week suggested they believed this would go through.
Officers said the small rural roads at Roseacre Wood wouldn't be able to cope. Cuadrilla may now decide to try to construct separate roads - and another planning application might be needed. All this points to delays, delays and more delays.
So this isn't a final result. But it is a setback - not just for Cuadrilla and for fracking in Lancashire but potentially for fracking across the UK. Decisions made here could set the scene for the rest of the country.
Greenpeace member Simon Clydesdale said he "applauded" the planners' recommendation, adding "fracking could be a lot of pain for very little or no gain".
"The council now faces a clear choice: They can listen to the planners, and the Lancashire residents that elected them - almost two-thirds of whom want a moratorium on fracking. Or they can kow-tow to the corporate and political interests keen to force through fracking at almost any cost.
"The whole country is looking to Lancashire to protect its communities from the unnecessary risks that fracking plays with our futures."
Friends of the Earth campaigner Helen Rimmer added: "Councillors must now act on this and the tens of thousands of objections they have received and reject Cuadrilla's fracking applications next week.
"Only by doing so will they ensure that fracking is not allowed to cause further climate change while also putting communities and the local environment at risk."
Edward Cook, from the local residents' Defend Lytham group, said it was "delighted" about the planners' recommendations.
But he added: "We are more than a little surprised that the other serious concerns, expressed by the more than 27,000 people who wrote in to object, appear to have been dismissed."
He said concerns included the impact on air quality, public health and greenhouse gas emissions.
Steve Becker, BBC Radio Lancashire
Pat Davies could barely contain her joy - or tears - as the planning application failed its first test.
For the last year, her house has become the Little Plumpton Campaign Group's headquarters in their battle against Cuadrilla.
Several members of the group have given up a year of their lives to become full-time opponents.
Meanwhile in Roseacre, Barry and Elizabeth Warner, who campaign with the local Awareness Group, were also jubilant.
"It's often felt like David versus Goliath," Elizabeth said, "but to have planning decisions taken at a local level is absolutely crucial."
Both groups will be at county hall for next week's crucial meetings.
The North West Energy Task Force, a coalition of more than 500 businesses and academics financially supported by Cuadrilla and the firm Centrica Energy, said the planners' recommendation was "potentially a disappointing setback for job creation" in the region.
Local authorities in West Sussex have previously turned down applications from shale companies to explore for oil and gas.


A man has died after a car and tractor collided in Aberdeenshire earlier this month.

Douglas Edwardson, 58, was head of housing at Aberdeenshire Council.
The crash happened on the A944 Dunecht to Alford road on Saturday 5 December.
Relatives said in a statement issued through Police Scotland: "Douglas' family are devastated to confirm that Douglas has died. They are very grateful for all the support they have received."
Aberdeenshire Council chief executive Jim Savege said: "It is with great sadness that we have learned today of the death of one of our colleagues, Douglas Edwardson.
"Douglas was an incredibly warm, loyal and supportive colleague who will be greatly missed by many people right across this council.
"He had worked in the north east for more than 22 years, initially as director of housing and technical services with the former Banff and Buchan District Council, and was a well-known and respected figure in his role as head of service for housing with Aberdeenshire Council.
"Our thoughts are with his family, and for our colleagues who worked closely with Douglas over the years. We will be doing everything we can to ensure we provide them with the support they need."


A charity volunteer claims he faces deportation because he has not done enough to prove he is gay.

Valerie Ediage arrived in the UK six years ago and said his life would be at risk if he returned to Cameroon.
Homosexuals in the country can be jailed for up to five years.
The Home Office has declined to comment specifically on his case but said asylum applicants need to show they face persecution, inhumane or degrading treatment to qualify for protection.
Mr Ediage - who lives in West Bromwich and volunteers at a support group for gay people in Coventry - said he "lived in fear" and had to hide who he was in Cameroon.
"In the UK I live freely," he said.
"I go to Gay Pride... gay pubs - you can't in Cameroon. You fear prosecution and torture."
The 30-year-old said he moved to the UK to escape persecution over his sexuality and now lives with his partner, who is also from Cameroon but was granted UK residency.
He is awaiting the outcome of his latest asylum application but said he already supplied evidence including intimate photographs with his partner and support letters from gay friends.
"They [the Home Office] say I haven't given them sufficient evidence but I have given them everything," he said.
Mr Ediage is being backed by Aimee Challenor, the equality spokesman for the Green Party.
She said: "Valerie has been a committed member of our community in Coventry.
"He has been instrumental in setting a LGBT migrant support group in Coventry, he has attended Pride parades in Birminghamâ€¦.I cannot see how the Government has made this decision."
The Home Office said all applicants are required to establish they face persecution, inhumane or degrading treatment in their home country to qualify for UK protection.
It added it remains "committed to improving the asylum process for those claiming asylum on the basis of their sexual orientation and decision-makers are provided with dedicated guidance and training on the management of such claims".


Aberdeen will not have an across the board council tax rise.

Councillors decided against an increase, which could have been up to 3%. However, householders who live in properties in Band E to H will still face a rise after MSPs agreed changes.
It means a Band H property will go up by £553.68.
Council leader Jenny Laing said not increasing council tax was vital in a time of economic challenge. Aberdeen is the largest council not to raise bills.
Aberdeen City Council is ruled by a Labour-led coalition.
The SNP and Lib Dems also proposed no council tax increase.
BBC Scotland had revealed last week that Aberdeen was unlikely to have an across-the-board council tax rise.


An inspired spell of fast bowling from Stuart Broad catapulted England to a 74-run win over Australia in the fourth Test and sealed victory in the Ashes series.

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Chasing 299 for victory, Australia were well placed on 168-2 but lost their next eight wickets for 56 runs as they collapsed to 224 all out.
Tim Bresnan turned the tide when he had opener David Warner caught behind for 71 and Broad followed up with a devastating burst of 6-20 in 45 balls to finish with 11 wickets in the match.
"What a wonderful, dramatic day. This match was a wonderful advert for Test cricket, today in particular.  It ebbed and flowed - that's what you want - not this crash, bang, wallop, 20 or 50 overs.
"Anyone who tells me Twenty20 is better than this is an idiot. It's about seeing bowlers and batsmen straining. Then it boils down to England being better at the pressure moments."
A breathless and barely believable evening session, in which nine wickets fell, ended in fading light at 19:40 BST when Broad had Peter Siddle caught at mid-off to put England 3-0 up in the series with one match to play.
Amazingly, less than two hours before the final wicket fell, it appeared far more likely that Australia would be heading to The Oval on 21 August with a chance of levelling the series.
The tourists made the ideal start to their run chase as Warner and Chris Rogers put on 109 for the first wicket - Australia's first century opening partnership in the Ashes since The Oval in 2005.
Rogers eventually fell one short of a half-century - caught by Jonathan Trott at slip off Swann - but even when the off-spinner followed up with the wicket of Usman Khawaja for 21, there was little sign of the madness that followed.
The turning point arrived when Bresnan produced a superb delivery to remove the dangerous Warner, who was drawn into pushing at a ball angled across him and got a thin nick through to Matt Prior.
Sensing their opportunity, England pounced in ruthless fashion. Broad sent captain Michael Clarke's off stump cart-wheeling before Steve Smith played on as he attempted to pull.
England have never won four Tests in a home Ashes series
The last time they won three in a series at home was in 1985 when they won the series 3-1
England have won two Ashes series 3-0: 1886 (a three-Test series) and 1977
Their biggest Ashes series win is 5-1 in 1978-79. They have won 4-1 three times in Australia: 1911-12, 1928-29 and 1932-33
Roared on by the England supporters in the Chester-le-Street crowd, Bresnan trapped Shane Watson in front to leave Australia in disarray.
Broad, bowling as quickly and aggressively as at any time in his career, then had Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris lbw before bowling Nathan Lyon.
With just one wicket needed, England were granted an extra half-hour but, with the light fading, the umpires insisted on them bowling spinners from both ends.
Six overs came and went without any great alarm before the reappearance of the setting sun gave Alastair Cook the opportunity to go back to his pacemen.
Six balls from James Anderson failed to deliver the breakthrough but, when Broad returned from the Lumley End, it took him only three to induce a false stroke from Siddle and send the crowd into raptures.
Broad's match figures of 11-121 were the finest of his career and the best by an England bowler in the Ashes since Phil Tufnell's 11-93 at The Oval in 1997.
Earlier, Australia took England's last five wickets for 96 runs to bowl them out for 330, with Harris claiming 7-117.
The outstanding fast bowler, whose omission from the first Test is beginning to look like a glaring oversight, bowled centurion Ian Bell and Prior with successive balls and ended a brief cameo of 13 from Broad with a brutal bouncer that he gloved to gully.
1st Test: England won by 14 runs, Trent Bridge
2nd Test: England won by 347 runs, Lord's
3rd Test: Match drawn, Old Trafford
4th Test: England won by 74 runs, Chester-le-Street
5th Test: 21-25 August, The Oval
Bresnan, who made 45, and Swann fought back with a crucial attacking partnership of 42 and, by the time Anderson was last man out, England had pushed their lead to within two runs of 300.
Even then, for long periods of the day it looked as if Australia would pull off a famous chase with something to spare.
But when Broad and Bresnan found their stride in the evening session, England were irresistible.
Match scorecard
Relive the key moments from BBC Test Match Special's commentary.
Listen to the Test Match Special podcast as Geoffrey Boycott and Jonathan Agnew review each day's play.
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Partick Thistle christened the new look League Cup with a hard-fought victory over League One Airdrieonians.

One goal from Kris Doolan was enough to ensure the game did not go to penalties.
Every time Doolan scored last season, Thistle won, and they did again.
But the new format did not exactly fire the imagination of public on a miserably grey and wet summer's night and there was a crowd of just 1,632 inside the Excelsior Stadium.
There was, though, an emotional minute's silence and the playing of the French national anthem before kick-off in tribute to the victims of the Nice atrocity.
Thistle's line-up was peppered with new signings, including Ziggy Gordon, Danny Devine, Chris Erskine and emergency goalkeeper David Crawford, and for the first time Kevin McBride was in charge of Airdrieonians.
And the new boss, playing a 4-4-2 shape with a diamond in the middle, had to look on as his team were pegged in by waves of Thistle attacks in the first half.
But, in fairness, they looked well organised defensively throughout the opening 45 minutes and denied their Premiership opponents any clear-cut chances.
Doolan, Erskine and Lawless - all twice - Devine and Welsh all found some space but could not test goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson. Doolan also actually netted but he was clearly offside.
Against all that, it took Airdrie 24 minutes to create anything and actually it demanded a good save from Crawford to deny Andy Ryan, who tried to strike a low shot across him.
So, all square and goalless at half-time and the prospect of a UK first - straight to penalties with no extra time and an extra point for the winner of the shootout - came ever closer.
However, shortly after the break, Thistle had something to say about that. Hugo Faria, who had come on for Marc Fitzpatrick a few moments earlier, was caught in possession by Doolan, who burgled him of the ball just 25 yards out.
He took a couple of steps forward and delivered a low shot that beat Crawford low at his right-hand post.
The Jags suddenly had a grip on the game that they richly deserved, at least in terms of pressure.
Airdrie battled hard for an equaliser and only a wonderful block from Devine denied an effort from substitute Kevin Schmidt that might have triggered that shootout.
Thistle, who play two divisions above the home team, deserved their win and, late in the game, sub Ade Azeez should have scored a second goal, but Airdrie under McBride looked to have something about them.
They could yet be worth the watching this season.
Match ends, Airdrieonians 0, Partick Thistle 1.
Second Half ends, Airdrieonians 0, Partick Thistle 1.
Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Devine (Partick Thistle).
Attempt missed. Kris Doolan (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Kieran MacDonald (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle).
Attempt saved. Kevin Schmidt (Airdrieonians) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution, Airdrieonians. Craig Truesdale replaces Adam Brown.
Attempt missed. Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) header from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left following a corner.
Corner,  Partick Thistle. Conceded by Rohan Ferguson.
Attempt saved. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Joseph Gorman (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle).
Adam Brown (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle).
Foul by Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians).
David Wilson (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Airdrieonians. Conceded by Danny Devine.
Corner,  Airdrieonians. Conceded by Callum Booth.
Attempt blocked. Iain Russell (Airdrieonians) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Airdrieonians. Conceded by Liam Lindsay.
Attempt blocked. Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ziggy Gordon (Partick Thistle).
Attempt blocked. Callum Booth (Partick Thistle) header from the centre of the box is blocked.
Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle).
Attempt missed. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Ryan Edwards replaces Chris Erskine.
Attempt saved. Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Iain Russell (Airdrieonians) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Callum Booth (Partick Thistle).
Corner,  Partick Thistle. Conceded by Joseph Gorman.
Corner,  Partick Thistle. Conceded by Joseph Gorman.
Foul by Scott Stewart (Airdrieonians).
Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


Scottish retailers have reported another "disappointing" month, following a sharp fall in non-food sales.

Total sales in March were 2.1% down on a year ago, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
Adjusted for deflation, measured at 0.8%, overall sales last month declined by 1.3%.
Food sales were up 1.8%, but non-food sales dropped 5.2%.
Experts said the figures had been "heavily distorted" by a late Easter.
Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said sales were in line with the "somewhat disappointing" performance recorded by retailers so far this year.
He said: "Despite retailers' efforts to absorb costs, the impact of the fall in sterling on commodity prices is now clearly being seen through food price inflation.
"That's contributed to improved food sales of 1.8%. However, the concern is that consumers spending more on food are shifting spending from other items, potentially exacerbating the stresses affecting non-food retailers.
"Retailers will now look nervously forwards to Easter, hoping this month's depressed figures are a result of deferred, rather than reduced, consumer spending."
Craig Cavin, head of retail in Scotland for KPMG, added: "March's headline retail and non-food figures may cause concern at first glance, but a late Easter has negatively distorted the numbers.
"Retailers will be on the lookout for a bumper April, with school holidays bringing increased footfall and retail traffic."


The political talk this week has not been much about the inter-party talks.

Instead, the focus has been on revelations about Stormont expenses - and controversial remarks by senior politicians.
In his DUP conference speech last weekend, Gregory Campbell held up a yogurt pot as he spoke again about his parody of the Irish language.
He insisted the DUP would not agree to an Irish language act, saying they would regard Sinn FÃ©in's wish list as "no more than toilet paper".
A few days later, the Sinn FÃ©in President Gerry Adams apologised for using offensive language at a public meeting, but said he was referring to "bigots", and not all unionists.
In the meeting in Enniskillen, he also said: "The Trojan horse of the entire republican strategy is to reach out to people on the basis of equality."
While the parties criticised each other, the Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said the prospect of clinching a final deal in the talks was "slim".
Political researcher, Dr Paul Nolan, said he believed the harsh words outside the talks would have an impact on the political process.
"The message going out is that they will not sell out their own voters," he said.
"But in these cases, I think the choice of words was so dramatically bad as to do more than just that. I think they will have changed the mood music inside the talks."
The rows over the remarks by Mr Campbell and Mr Adams have eclipsed some other stories this week.
One of them was the appearance by the Catholic Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, at a seminar at the DUP conference.
Bishop McKeown suggests he has been disappointed at events since then.
"Sometimes politicians work on the assumption that we put them in power and we pay them to look after their party political interests," he said.
"We actually pay them to look after our interests. To find political leaders using rough language and crude language and mocking language makes it more difficult for people on the ground.
"If you find adults talking coarsely about each other, it's hard to blame 16 and 17 year olds when they do the same."
People who are seeing the effects of impending budget cuts are also feeling frustrated.
Lynn Carvill runs Women's Tec, which trains women in non-traditional skills.
She said: "I think hundreds of people working in the community and voluntary sector will be put on protective redundancy notice in the run-up to Christmas.
"Politicians need to understand the impact which their behaviour or lack of decision-making has on the ground. Politics is the art of the possible and they must make this work."
All the parties say they are committed to the negotiations.
But according to the secretary of state, "significant differences" remain between them.
The View will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland on Thursday at 22:35 GMT.


A County Tyrone property firm is planning two developments in Belfast that will provide accommodation for almost 1,300 students.

McAleer and Rushe, based in Cookstown, is one of Northern Ireland's biggest property firms.
It intends to start construction this autumn with the developments being ready for the intake of students in summer 2017.
One of the schemes will also include a 206-bedroom 4-star hotel.
It will be located on McClintock Street and Blackstaff Square.
These are the latest in a series of plans for student flats in the city centre which have been sparked by the development of a new campus by Ulster University.
The first McAleer and Rushe scheme will involve demolishing the 1960s Belfast Metropolitan College building on McClintock Street.
The second scheme is planned for a site on College Avenue that has been vacant for more than a decade.
Property director of McAleer and Rushe, Stephen Surphlis, said they were "large scale developments and investment projects which underpin our confidence in Belfast".
He said the company had significant experience in the student accommodation sector elsewhere in the UK.
There are currently at least 3,600 student flats planned for Belfast city centre, mainly around the new university campus.
The majority of those do not yet have planning permission.
The first of the new purpose built student flats, a small scheme at Mark Royal House on Donegall Street, is due to completed by August.


A 44-year-old woman has died after she was hit by a car which is believed to have mounted the pavement.

Linda Carson was walking her dog on Muirhouse Road, in the Muirhouse area of Motherwell, when she was struck by a silver Ford Mondeo at 20:12 on Sunday.
Emergency services attended but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said inquiries into the crash were continuing and appealed for anyone who saw the incident or was in the area at the time to get in touch.


A 34-year-old woman who was injured in an attack by a knifeman on a Swiss train has died in hospital, police say.

The attacker, a 27-year-old Swiss man, also died on Sunday, they said.
Five other people were hurt when the man set fire to the train and stabbed passengers in the attack on Saturday. Two of them, including a six-year-old child, are in a serious condition.
Police have said that, as yet, there is no indication of a political or terrorist motive for the attack.
The attack occurred around 14:20 (12:20 GMT) as the train was approaching Salez station, between the towns of Buchs and Sennwald.
Several dozen passengers were on board at the time.
In a statement (in German), St Gallen cantonal police said video evidence from inside the train showed the attacker, armed with a knife, pouring out a flammable liquid.
Six people - including the attacker - were injured. The seventh injured person was a man on the platform who pulled the burning attacker off the train.
Forensic experts are analysing the flammable liquid and the scene of the crime.
Police said the attacker lived in a canton adjoining St Gallen. His address has been searched.
On the basis of the video evidence, police say the man acted alone.


The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has defended allowing military surgeons to practise on live pigs that have been shot to replicate battlefield injuries.

The MoD said the training, which takes place twice a year in Denmark, gave surgeons "invaluable experience" and "helped save lives on operations".
Animal rights group Peta called for an end to the "barbaric" exercise, saying surgeons could use human simulators.
It could not be justified "medically, ethically and educationally", it said.
RSPCA spokesperson Klare Kennett said: "The practice of shooting and injuring pigs for Army surgeons to practice their skills on is abhorrent and shocking.
"Pigs are intelligent animals and most people would be appalled by this, especially as there is an alternative available which does not involve harming any animals."
The UK government suspended the training courses in the summer of 1998 after they were brought to the attention of ministers who said they had not been aware of them.
The courses were reinstated after a government-commissioned study found that "no equally effective alternative" could be identified and  that it was "entirely appropriate and, indeed, necessary" for military surgeons to go through the training.
During training courses, the animals are heavily anaesthetised - both before being shot and throughout exercises - and are attended at all times by veterinary staff.
The MoD says they are later killed humanely.
The department was responding to a report in the Mail on Sunday which said British surgeons treated 18 pigs that had been shot at a three-day training course earlier this month in Jaegerspris.
The pigs were tranquilised and shot at close range "to damage organs but not kill the animals", the paper said.
Peta says that "life-like human simulators that 'breathe' and 'bleed' in realistic battlefield scenarios have been shown to better prepare doctors and medics to treat injured humans than animal laboratories".
Peta's UK associate director Mimi Bekhechi said "the overwhelming majority of the UK's Nato allies do not shoot, stab and dismember animals for their military training exercises".
She condemned the MoD's decision "to ship out members of the armed forces for deadly and cruel exercises in Denmark", saying they would be illegal if conducted in the UK.
The MoD says that, while it would not be illegal to carry out similar training in the UK, the Home Office would have to give its approval on a case-by-case basis.
"This training provides invaluable experience, exposing our surgical teams to the specific challenges posed by the injuries of modern armed conflict," a spokesperson said.
"This training has helped save lives on operations and by participating in the Danish exercises we minimise the overall number of animals used."


A vital component of keeping order in any football dressing room are the fines.

The reason for having a fines system in place is to make sure players can police themselves in the changing room and the management don't have to look after us like kids.
It also allows players to make sure everyone is respecting and looking after our surroundings.
At Wycombe, we always have a fine on the list for leaving plates and cutlery at the dinner table. The management and our chef in the kitchen are not there to tidy up after us.
Other fines can be handed out for poor time-keeping, to ensure we wear the correct clothing and that boots and trainers are left in their correct place, and for putting dirty kit in the laundry baskets.
Never is there a subject that will spark more debate and arguments than fines.
Every player I have known has been in full agreement about the fact that we should have a fines system in place.
This is until he has been fined for something, then it's war and he wants to get every other player fined as well.
Also as soon as a player gets fined, he turns himself into a top lawyer and finds any little grey area or loophole he can to get away without paying it.
The wording has to be spot on to make sure they are watertight.
As we live in a democracy, there is always a right of reply and appeal for any fine given. The senior players will form a committee and after much deliberation find the player to be guilty or not guilty of the 'crime'.
The fines money mainly goes towards the annual Christmas party, which usually sees the squad head for a night out together after one of the early December fixtures. In recent years, there has been a trend of two nights away with a fancy-dress theme for the second day.
One of the fine-able offences we have at Wycombe is kicking a football in the gym area. The medical equipment costs the club a good amount of money and the last thing we need is to break something. Kicking a football into the gym from the training pitches outside also counts.
We were doing some shooting practices after training last week and one of our injured players was spotted opening the double doors that lead from the training pitches into the gym area.
We were doing the shooting right by the building and unfortunately one player managed to find the open doors twice. Once without even bouncing.
It's all fun and games and adds to the camaraderie that is essential for any successful team. I am of the opinion that fines are a very important factor in the players taking ownership of their behaviour and their surroundings. That is until I get fined for something...


Dissident republicans could find it easier to avoid prosecution after Brexit, the PSNI has warned.

Chief Constable George Hamilton expressed concern about the possible loss of European Arrest Warrants.
He said there must be international legislation to allow police on both sides of the border to effectively tackle organised crime.
The concerns are outlined in a written submission to a House of Lords inquiry examining the impact of Brexit.
He said uncertainty about policing arrangements between the PSNI and the gardaÃ (Irish police) after the UK leaves the European Union could "create an impetus for criminals to exploit perceived gaps in collective enforcement".
"The effect of the withdrawal of the European Arrest Warrant, without replacement, will be to encourage criminals to believe they can escape justice by fleeing from one jurisdiction to another, which could lead to further abuse of the land border between the United Kingdom and Ireland," he said.
The chief constable outlined a number of "unique" factors and risks created by Northern Ireland's 224-mile porous land border with the Republic.
These included:
- Dissident Republican terrorists use the land border to frustrate counter-terrorism efforts.
- Terrorists, organised crime gangs and volume-crime offenders breach bail and cross the land border to avoid prosecution.
- 43% of Northern Ireland's organised crime gangs have a cross-border dimension.
He said dissident republicans "make extensive use of the border to frustrate pro-active and reactive counter-terrorism investigations".
He added: "Weapons, explosives, personnel and finances move between jurisdictions, in order that attacks can be conducted and the various groups can advance their aims."
Chief Constable George Hamilton also said there is "significant interaction and relationships" between organised crime groups operating on both sides of the border.
He also warned that the introduction of border controls would be unlikely to assist "because the myriad of minor roads and private lanes that cross the border could not be effectively policed".
The existence of border controls, he added, would also be likely "to be used by dissident-republican groups as a rationale for continuing violence".
He said Brexit would not adversely affect the "deep and embedded culture of co-operation" between the PSNI and gardaÃ.
However, he said "there are legislative implications arising from the Brexit decision which require consideration in the interests of our communities on these islands".


The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) has announced that it will award its most prestigious honour to five musicians to mark its 200th birthday.

The recipients, who include British viola player Rosemary Nalden and pianist Ricardo Castro, will be given an honorary membership.
The society, which has only given out 131 memberships in the past 187 years, said the musicians had all made a "profound difference" with their work.
They will receive the awards on 14 May.
Former pilot Armand Diangienda, who founded a symphony orchestra in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is among those to be honoured.
Rosemary Nalden will be recognised for her work in a stringed instrument school in Soweto, South Africa. Ricardo Castro founded a youth music programme in Brazil.
Dr Ahmad Sarmast, who set up the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and violinist Aaron P Dworkin, will also receive honorary memberships.
RPS chairman John Gilhooly said the musicians were chosen because they "understand the fundamental importance of culture in society and its potential to change lives".
"Each has shown tenacity and vision, and each is driven by a 'love of their art' which is very much in keeping with the founding principles of the RPS," he added.
The RPS was formed in 1813 and the first honorary membership was awarded in 1826.
The society's annual Music Awards, which honour musicians, composers, writers and arts organisations, are described by organisers as "the highest recognition for live classical music in the UK".
This year sees the young musicians who performed at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony competing for the learning and participation prize.
Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel is among the big names nominated in the singer category, alongside the English mezzo-sopranos Alice Coote and Sarah Connolly and the US tenor Bryan Hymel.
BBC Radio 3's Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Sean Rafferty will host the ceremony, which will be broadcast on the station on 19 May.


Essex were denied the opportunity to push for a third Division Two victory after rain saw just six overs bowled on the final day against Northamptonshire.

The visitors required six wickets at the County Ground to clinch the win and nightwatchman Ben Sanderson fell lbw to Ravi Bopara (2-25) off the final ball of the fourth over of the day.
Rain halted play at 11:25 BST with the hosts on 75-5, still trailing by 121.
The match was abandoned at 16:50 BST, as both sides settled for a draw.
Essex remain top of Division Two, while Northants' sixth Championship draw in seven matches leaves them seventh.


A teenager was shadow boxing by a canal with friends when he was accidentally hit and fell into the water and died, an inquest has heard.

Sean Stevens, 17,  was in the Bilford Road area of Worcester when he was struck by Ryan Scott and fell backwards into the canal in March of this year.
Mr Scott was arrested for manslaughter but charges were later dropped.
Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict of accidental death.
He said the friends involved would be "scarred for life" by what happened.
More updates on this and other stories in Hereford and Worcester


Seven flood warnings have been issued across parts of the east of England, due to heavy rain.

The Environment Agency has put warnings in place around rivers in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk.
The agency gives warnings when flooding is expected and "immediate action" is required.
In Norfolk some trains have been cancelled between Norwich and Sheringham due to flooding on the line near Worstead.
In Cambridgeshire, flood warnings are in place along the River Granta from Linton to Babraham. In Essex, warnings are in place along the River Wid from Ingatestone to Writtle and the River Stort at Clavering and Manuden.
In Suffolk, warnings have been issued for the Chediston watercourse at Halesworth, the Rattlesden River from Rattlesden to Combs Ford, Stour Brook at Haverhill and Sturmer and the Bumpstead Brook from Steeple Bumpstead to New England.
There is also a flood warning on the River Kennett from Ousden to Freckenham.


The Green Party has gained its first seat of the local elections in Powys as no party gained overall control.

The party gained its first ever seat on the council, with Emily Durrant elected to represent Llangors.
Meanwhile Plaid Cymru gained two seats on the authority, which now has no overall control after independents failed to keep a majority.
Ceredigion council will remain under no overall control after no party secured a majority of the vote.
Plaid Cymru won 19 seats, independents have 13, the Liberal Democrats have eight and Labour has one.
The election for Llandyfriog ward has been postponed following the death of a candidate.
Former Ceredigion leader Keith Evans, who lost his seat in 2012, won the Llandysul seat. The independent took the seat from Plaid Cymru.
And former leader Jill Hopley, an independent, lost the New Quay seat to another independent.
The county's first result saw the Liberal Democrats re-elected to the Aberaeron seat.
In Powys, Plaid gained its first seat on the council as Bryn Pyryddon Davies took the Llanwddyn ward from an independent.


A Yorkshire power station that was due to close with the loss of up to 262 jobs has signed a new 12-month contract to supply electricity to the National Grid.

Eggborough Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire, will provide extra capacity to the grid next winter.
A spokeswoman for the firm said the deal would safeguard the jobs of 85% of the workforce for a year.
The 53-year-old coal-fired plant was due to stop generating in March.
Power will be supplied as part of the National Grid's Supplemental Balancing Reserve scheme, which is designed to provide extra electricity in the event that there is insufficient capacity in the market to meet demand.


The Labour leader has urged young people to "take control" of their future and vote to remain in the EU.

Jeremy Corbyn said the next generation will be most affected by the outcome of the referendum on 23 June.
He told an audience in Liverpool: "If you don't register to vote then you have no voice."
Meanwhile the Leave campaign criticised the "daily avalanche of institutional propaganda" against leaving the EU as the IMF warns of "bad" consequences.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail:
On Friday, Mr Corbyn launched a voter registration drive in Liverpool, telling an audience of young voters that their future was at stake.
Polls suggest that the under-30s are the most pro-EU but are least likely to vote, while older voters are more likely to favour Brexit.
If you are not on the electoral register and you want to vote in the EU referendum you have until midnight on Tuesday, 7 June to submit an application for a vote.
In England, Scotland or Wales, you can register to vote online anytime at gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you are a British citizen living abroad, you can register to vote online in the same way. In Northern Ireland, visit the government's Register to vote in Northern Ireland page to download a registration form. If you are an Irish citizen living abroad who was born in Northern Ireland, visit the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website to download the correct form.
The deadlines for applying for a postal vote at the referendum are: Northern Ireland - 5pm, Friday 3 June 2016, Great Britain - 5pm, Wednesday 8 June 2016.
EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments
The UK's EU vote: All you need to know
The Labour leader urged young voters to make sure they registered to vote in the referendum on 23 June: "Take destiny in your own hands, register to vote and make your decision. Don't let somebody else make it for you."
He said it would be "young people who will make the difference" and urged them to embrace the idea of people working together across Europe to tackle climate change, inequality and to "hold global corporations to account"
This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe.
Later, in a speech at Oxford University, former Conservative PM John Major will suggest some of his party colleagues who are campaigning for the UK to leave the EU risk "morphing into UKIP" by turning "to their default position - immigration".
"This is their trump card. I urge them to take care, this is dangerous territory that - if handled carelessly - can open up long-term divisions in our society," he will say.
But UKIP leader Nigel Farage told LBC Radio that the "Remain" campaign knew that "the strongest hand that the Leave camp have got is that by leaving the EU, we get back control of our borders and we would be able to put in place an Australian-style points system."
But he said the official Vote Leave campaign, of which UKIP is not a part, "don't think I should exist" and were "more concerned about Conservative Party politics" than winning the referendum.
Asked about Bank of England Governor Mark Carney's comments on Thursday that a vote to leave could hit the UK economy, Mr Farage dismissed "all these forecasts of doom and gloom" adding: "Mr Carney is paid out of the public purse and is doing the government's bidding isn't he?"
He added: "The whole apparatus of government at every level is being mobilised to tell us what we should think.... I suspect he would be fired if he didn't take the government's side."


In case George Clooney has not had enough gushing compliments during his career, the organisers of France's top film awards have some more for him.

They have said they want to honour "the most charismatic actor of his generation" whose "dazzling talent" means he belongs "in the pantheon of legendary actors".
Clooney will be bestowed with the Honorary Cesar Award from the Academie des Arts et Techniques du Cinema later this month at the French equivalent of the Oscars.
The Academie said it had chosen the Ocean's Eleven and Gravity star because of his "dazzling talent as an actor, director, scriptwriter and producer - and above all, his artistic and spiritual generosity".
He "embodies Hollywood glamour", their effusive statement went on, adding: "His charm, humour, personality and engagement stand at the heart of our perpetual and eternal admiration."
And they predicted that Clooney's name "will forever be inscribed in the pantheon of legendary actors".
That should be enough to make sure he turns up to the Cesar Awards ceremony in Paris on 24 February.
Others to have won the honorary Cesar in the past include Scarlett Johansson, Quentin Tarantino, Kate Winslet and Michael Douglas.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has probably been killed in a US air strike, US officials say.

He and another male combatant were targeted as they rode in a vehicle in a remote area of Pakistan close to the Afghan border, the officials said.
The Pentagon has confirmed it targeted Mansour in strikes but said they were still assessing the results.
Mansour assumed the leadership in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder and spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The operation took place near the town of Ahmad Wal at around 15:00 (10:00 GMT) on Saturday and was authorised by President Barack Obama.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan were informed about the strike shortly after it took place, the White House said.
"We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available," said Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook.
An unnamed Taliban commander told the Reuters news agency: "We heard about these baseless reports but this not first time. Just wanted to share with you my own information that Mullah Mansour has not been killed."
The death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, if confirmed, would be a big blow for the Taliban.
He was gradually tightening his grip on the movement by bringing into his fold other leading Taliban members, including a son and a brother of his predecessor Mullah Mohammed Omar, and by launching large scale attacks on Afghan security forces.
Under his leadership, the Taliban managed to capture an important city last year for the first time in 15 years.
Mansour also managed to silence the splinter Taliban group under Mullah Muhammad Rasool, which challenged his leadership, and is credited by his followers for containing so-called Islamic State in Taliban areas.
A vacuum created by his death would once again trigger a leadership struggle.
False rumours have often surrounded Taliban leaders.
Omar died in 2013 but this was only confirmed by the Taliban two years later, while Mansour was reported to have been killed in a gun battle last year, something dismissed by the Afghan government.
Mansour's appointment as Taliban chief was disputed, with a rival group selecting their own leader.
The Pentagon's statement said Mansour was actively involved with planning attacks "presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and security forces, our personnel, and Coalition partners".
The Taliban have made gains since international troops withdrew from an active fighting role in 2014.
Nato forces are increasingly being deployed in battle zones to support Afghan forces fighting the Taliban.
Profile: Mullah Akhtar Mansour


A jury trying two brothers accused of murdering a cash-and-carry manager from Cardiff has retired to consider its verdicts at Birmingham Crown Court.

Costco store manager Roger Cooper, 41, and ex-soldier David Cooper, 39, both deny killing Sameena Imam, 34.
Her body was found buried at an allotment in Leicester in January after allegedly been killed with chloroform.
Ms Imam had been having a two-year affair with Roger Cooper and issued him with an ultimatum to leave his partner.
Roger Cooper, of Coventry, denies murdering his colleague after driving her from Coventry to Leicester on December 24, claiming he dropped her off at a supermarket following an argument.
His brother, of Leicester, has admitted burying Ms Imam's body but denies doing anything to cause her death.
The prosecution claim Roger Cooper wanted Ms Imam out of his life as he conducted three relationships, and enlisted the help of his brother to "plan and execute" the alleged murder.
A trial at Birmingham Crown Court, which began in August, was told by a toxicologist that several metallic elements were found in the body of Ms Imam.
She had worked at Costco outlets in Cardiff, Coventry, Southampton and Bristol.


A former foster carer has admitted filming himself having sex with a 13-year-old girl and grooming another teenager on the internet.

Clifford Warde, from Clackmannanshire, was caught after the mother of the second victim intercepted messages he sent to her 14-year-old daughter.
Police discovered videos on Warde's phone of the 50-year-old having sex with the younger girl.
Warde will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on 7 December.
He committed the offences between November 2014 and March 2016.
Prosecutor Mark McGuire told judge Lord Boyd that the messages sent to the 14-year-old girl were "too graphic" to read in open court.
Warde targeted his other victim when she turned 13 when he began by texting graphic sexual messages to her.
The court was told that on a number of occasions Warde recorded himself having sex with the girl and sexually abusing her.
Mr McGuire added: "At no time during this abuse did the accused ever use contraception."
The girl told police she had felt embarrassed about the video recordings being made.
Warde admitted making arrangements for the 14-year-old girl to travel to meet him with the intention of taking part in unlawful sexual activity.
He also pleaded guilty to having sex with the other girl and sending her sexually explicit messages.


England's Tommy Fleetwood won the Abu Dhabi Championship to claim his second European Tour title.

Fleetwood, 26, was one shot behind overnight leader and countryman Tyrrell Hatton going into the final round and secured his success with a five-under-par round of 67 to finish on 17 under.
American Dustin Johnson made an eagle at the last to tie for second on 16 under with Spain's Pablo Larrazabal.
Hatton fell away badly, a 75 leaving him on 10 under.
Fleetwood's win was his first on the European Tour since the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in August 2013.
His closing round got off to a poor start when he bogeyed the third but he recovered with an eagle - chipping in at the 10th - and four birdies, including one at the 18th.
That final putt proved crucial with US Open champion Johnson later making an eagle on the same hole and Larrazabal a birdie as the pair, who both carded 68, finished one shot behind Fleetwood.
The victory continued the Southport golfer's recent good form after 10 top-20 finishes in his past 14 starts.
"I thought maybe the second win would come sooner to be honest," he told the European tour website. "It's been a massive comeback.
"I had a really hard time from July 2015 to July last year where I really struggled with my game. It's been an awkward curve.
"The only thing left was 'let's get a win' but, you know, if you keep knocking on the door it will come.
"The chip-in on 10, birdie on 11, changed everything. All of a sudden from nowhere and I was leading."


Relegated Bristol "underestimated the Premiership", the club's owner Steve Lansdown has admitted.

The Ashton Gate club, back in the top tier for the first time since 2009, won just three league games as they made an immediate return to the Championship.
"We thought we were ready, with a squad that could compete, but we were wrong," Lansdown told BBC Radio Bristol.
"We've learnt a lot of hard lessons. No excuses, we got it wrong. I should have recognised the danger signs sooner."
In November, after losing their first 10 games of the season in all competitions, Bristol sacked director of rugby Andy Robinson - who had led them to promotion in 2016.
With Connacht boss Pat Lam not able to replace Robinson until this summer, Mark Tainton took interim charge until the end of the season, but despite a brief upturn in form, he was unable to keep them in the top flight.
"Off the pitch, I don't think we've covered ourselves in glory," Lansdown admitted.
"I should have perhaps stuck my oar in a bit earlier and said 'we need that change'.
"We started off very badly. We underestimated what the Premiership would do.
"Our players have got better over time, but we know we didn't get it right at the start of the season.
"We knew it was going to be tough but we felt we would be able to win the number of games to keep us there."
Bristol finished the campaign 13 points adrift of 11th-placed Worcester and 20 below 10th-placed Sale.
But major changes have already been made to their squad for next season, with Worcester Warriors flanker Chris Vui, Gloucester pair Mat Protheroe and Dan Thomas, and Sam Bedlow from Sale Sharks their most recent signings.
"We [thought we] had teams like Worcester and Newcastle in our sights, but they were miles ahead of us. I don't think they will be when we come back," said Lansdown.
"We've got to take our medicine now, step back and regroup. We need that extra class - I think we've brought that in now - and we need that development. The plan is in place.
"We've got to regenerate Bristol. We were stuck in a time warp, and we never actually got ourselves out of it when we got up to the Premiership. But we've been shaken up now and we are definitely out of it."
Steve Lansdown was speaking to the BBC's Damian Derrick.


Research on cutting congestion and reducing the number of accidents on the north Wales expressway has been announced by the transport secretary.

Ken Skates said the A55 study would consider all aspects of the road and complement existing improvement plans.
He said more than 70,000 cars use sections of the road at peak times and the first stage of the research was intended to be done by late summer.
The A55 runs from Holyhead on Anglesey to Post House roundabout, near Chester.


The chief executive of Standard Life has voluntarily given up almost £600,000 of his bonus for next year.

A week ahead of its AGM, the Edinburgh-based group said Keith Skeoch had opted to take a bonus package worth 400% of his basic salary, rather than 500%.
Standard Life's annual report, published earlier this year, showed Mr Skeoch receiving a salary of £574,000, plus taxable benefits worth £36,000.
In addition to that was a bonus package taking the total to more than £3.64m.
Mr Skeoch took over as chief executive during last year, having received more than £5.88m in pay and bonus for 2014, when he was chief executive of Standard Life Investments.
His predecessor in the more senior role of Standard Life chief executive, David Nish, received pay and bonus for 2014 of just over £6m, making him the highest paid salaried businessman in Scotland.
Mr Nish received a base salary of more than £800,000, while Mr Skeoch has a lower base salary of £700,000. The lower figure for 2015 - £574,000 - reflects his transition during the year from the investments division to the top job.
Standard Life Investments, as one of the most powerful investors in British listed companies, has taken an active role in paring back executive pay for the companies in which it invests.
In recent years, in that role of shareholder, it has voted against the remuneration report presented by companies to their annual general meetings, at Barclays, HSBC, BP and advertising firm WPP.
Also on Wednesday, Royal Bank of Scotland confirmed plans by its chief executive Ross McEwan to pay half of his annual bonus to charity.
The Edinburgh-based lender allocated shares worth £265,000 after tax.
Half of these will be distributed to charity over the next five years, and half to Mr McEwan. RBS declined to say which charities will benefit.
Such awards are made twice a year, and the shares allocated on Wednesday cover the six months to the end of June.
According to the annual report, Mr McEwan was due to receive a total of £3.8m for pay and bonuses related to his work at RBS in 2015.
Of that, £1m was in salary, £1m was in annual bonus, his pension contribution was worth £350,000, and £1.35m was in the release of long-term incentive shares, allocated for 2013.
At the end of last year, Mr McEwan had 975,000 shares in RBS and two million held for several years as an incentive to maintain company performance. The share price closed on Wednesday at 213 pence.


Japan's Nikkei fell on Friday, after having risen in the previous three sessions and hitting 15-year highs.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed 0.8% lower at 20,021.70 while the broader Topix index dropped 0.4% to 1,618.66.
Despite Friday's fall, the Nikkei was still up 1.9% over the week as a whole.
Shares in China fell after the country's regulators said they would accelerate the approval of initial public offerings.
Analysts said the move was aimed at cooling the market's recent equity rally.
The Shanghai Composite closed down 0.5% at 4,393.69, although Hong Kong's Hang Seng index reversed earlier losses to end 0.8% higher at 28,060.98.
In South Korea, the Kospi index closed down 0.6% at 2,159.80. The index had risen on Thursday after economic data showed that growth in the country had improved in the January-to-March period.
Australia bucked the downward trend, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing up 1.3% at 5,922.70, helped by higher commodity prices.
Oil prices are on track for their sixth week of gains on a weaker US dollar and concerns unrest in the Middle East will disrupt fuel supplies.
Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, rose more than 3% overnight to $64.85 a barrel.
West Texas Intermediate - the US oil benchmark - climbed 2.8% to $57.74 a barrel.


Italian teams Treviso and Zebre should be dropped from Pro12, according to Wales legend and BBC dual-code pundit Jonathan Davies.

Ospreys beat Treviso 47-10 in the latest round of games while Ulster won 46-17 at Zebre.
Treviso are bottom of the table with Zebre one place higher, but guaranteed a European top-flight spot in 2016-17.
"I don't think at the moment that they offer anything to the Pro12," Davies told Scrum V.
"I don't think it's good for any of the sides in there and I don't think it's good for the Italian sides."
Treviso have won twice in the Pro12 this season with Zebre having four wins - the same number as third-from-bottom Welsh team Newport Gwent Dragons in the 12-team competition.
Two Italian teams - Treviso and Aironi - joined the competition in 2010. Aironi were replaced by Zebre in 2012.
Davies added: "You imagine being a Zebre player or Treviso player and getting walloped every week. It doesn't do your confidence any good, your attitude, and I just feel that it's not right for anyone."
Ex-union and league star Davies says Italy's two professional teams would be better served playing in a French competition rather than facing Welsh, Irish and Scottish opponents.
"It's difficult for everyone else involved because of the Italians and I think they should look at somewhere where maybe they can develop the players and be competitive, and maybe that's in one of the French leagues."
Davies also believes the rules that allow the highest-placed Italian Pro12 team to enter the European Champions Cup should be revised.
He says both should play in the second-tier European Challenge Cup.
"They're not good enough - they should go straight into the Challenge Cup," said Davies.


Ghana will always rely on handouts from international donors unless it learns to feed itself, according to Dr Joe Taabazuing at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

"The focus on increasing crops whilst at the same time neglecting our animal production is also detrimental to the country," he says.
His thoughts are echoed by Yao Fiagbeto of the Concerned Citizens Democratic Alliance for Ghana (CCDAG), who advocates that any developed nation should be self-sufficient in food production.
"No land lies idle in developed nations," he says. "If you are well fed then you can sit back and think about all the other issues."
His main concern is that in post-independent Africa, nobody is paying attention to the land.
"People are either ignorant about it, or think they can get food from developed nations," he says.
Dr Taabazuing says the reason that animal production is not vibrant, is mostly due to the cheap importation of animal products from Europe and the US.
"Farmers in those places are subsidised, or they have the technology which makes it difficult for local producers to compete with them," he says.
It is a fact however, that families have to be fed and they will look for the cheapest product, although Dr Taabazuing believes the government should intervene with subsidies for technology and animal feeds.
He also maintains that the government should put appropriate taxes on imported products to make it comparable and competitive with local products.
"We need to wake up to the realities of our times and do something," he says.
"Markets are limited and many farmers are not able to recoup their cost of production," he notes.
He would like to see the government providing guaranteed prices so farmers would know that they could sell their produce at a minimum cost.
"If we improve our marketing within the sub-Sahara region we could sell some of our produce there rather than relying on exports to Europe," Dr Taabazuing says.
"I don't see why we cannot mop up excess maize in Ghana and sell it to Niger or drier lands," he says. "Small farmers cannot market on that scale on their own."
Some crops already get government help.
"Cocoa farmers are subsidised and maize is improving, but other crops such as soya bean have not had the same attention," he says.
"The good thing about crops is that everyone will eat that, whereas with animal protein some people can survive without it," Dr Taabazuing points out.
"So there is always a better market for the crops. Crops are better off than animal production both in terms of government attention and in terms of demand and market possibilities," he says.
Most animal production in Ghana, particularly poultry, has collapsed.
"That has signalled to many people that opportunities to continue with animal production are limited, so a lot of people are shying away from it," Dr Taabazuing says.
He is concerned that over time, the knowledge and capacity to develop the animal industry will become weaker and weaker, and that will create serious problems for the future.
The older generation is accustomed to farming but younger people prefer to live in big cities and find a different kind of work.
This is where the government can make a difference, he believes.
Mr Fiagbeto of CCDAG maintains that if the government directs investment and develops rural resources it will encourage young people to stay on the land.
"If you don't develop your resources into different kinds of consumer products then all you will depend on is handouts from people who have concentrated on exploiting their own resources," says Mr Fiagbeto.
"Governments can help finance processing plants for the produce grown, and that in turn will create jobs," he says.
"At the moment, the young have nothing to fall back on in fishing and farming communities, so they all go to the cities in search of greener pastures."
Mr Fiagbeto advocates that 60% of Ghana's new oil revenues should be directed into agriculture and fishing by providing processing factories and infrastructure.
"It will be a rock of investment that Ghana can build upon. If we only use that income to build big buildings in cities, we will always be asking for handouts," he says.
Dr Taabazuing, meanwhile, says it is a question of deciding the country's priorities and once you prioritise something, you should be able to get the funding.
"I believe government expenditure can be trimmed in some areas. There are leakages in many areas of revenue collection and expenditure," he says.
"If we are determined as a people, that we want to block these leakages, and we want to use the resources we have more efficiently, and we get agriculture right, it will stimulate the rest of our economy," he asserts.
He believes it is time for everyone to make sacrifices - including government officials.
"It is unacceptable for politicians to say we should tighten our belt when they are loosening theirs," he says.
"If the leadership offered the right signals that they are ready to make their own sacrifices to build a better society, the economy would expand and all of us would be better off."


Bollywood actress Reema Lagoo, famous for playing the role of the "loving mother", has died at the age of 59.

She passed away in a Mumbai hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on Wednesday night.
The actress was famous for playing the role of the mother of main characters in films and TV soaps. She also acted in several Marathi language plays.
She starred in dozens of hit Bollywood films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Maine Pyar Kiya.
Lagoo started her career in the late 1970s, and soon became famous for playing the mother of lead characters.
She was also known as the "on-screen mother" of popular actor Salman Khan, with whom she acted in several films.
She played Khan's mother in his first film 28 years ago at the age of 31.
People have taken to Twitter to pay their tributes.


When Kenny Dalglish concluded his playing career in 1990, Liverpool's fans were almost unanimous in their view that this was the greatest player they had seen, and were possibly ever likely to see, in the red shirt.

The most accurate measure of the sheer scale of Steven Gerrard's contribution to Liverpool Football Club - which will come to a close when he leaves Anfield at the end of the season - is that he has made so many of those same fans think again.
It will be an argument conducted against two different backdrops, with Dalglish's brilliance performed in a Liverpool side that conquered all domestically and in Europe, while Gerrard was often left almost alone to shoulder the heavy burden of teams struggling to make their mark.
What is beyond dispute is that the debate will contain golden memories of some of the greatest moments in Liverpool's history.
They will range from Dalglish winning three European Cups and his involvement in eight title triumphs as player and manager, on through the years to Gerrard inspiring the famous comeback from 3-0 down at half-time to win the Champions League on penalties against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, to his match-defining display with two goals before another triumph on penalties against West Ham United in the FA Cup final in Cardiff 12 months later.
Gerrard may not have won trophies on the scale of other Liverpool players, but he still played his part in great successes, so often at times when the club were in reduced circumstances compared to the glory years.
In the post-war years, Liverpool fans had the great Billy Liddell to warm them before the Bill Shankly era gave them greats such as Roger Hunt and Ian St John. The 70s and the next decade gave them the likes of Kevin Keegan, Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Alan Hansen, Ian Rush and others.
For Liverpool fans, the years since the Merseyside-born midfielder made his debut on 29 November 1998 as a last-minute substitute for Vegard Heggem in a Premier League game against Blackburn Rovers will be known as the era of Steven Gerrard.
In that time, he is the only player to score in a Uefa Cup final, when Liverpool beat Alaves in Dortmund in 2001, a League Cup final, when they won 2-0 against Manchester United in Cardiff in 2003, an FA Cup final and a Champions League decider. All were Liverpool triumphs - and all with decisive Gerrard contributions.
Even on the day when news of his impending departure emerged, and at a time when the onset of age and manager Brendan Rodgers's understandable desire to occasionally leave him out pushes him to the margins, he still scored both Liverpool goals from the penalty spot in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City at his beloved Anfield.
As he prepares to officially confirm his date of departure, his current tally is 180 goals and 695 appearances, collecting 11 trophies along the way. It has all been achieved while at times carrying sub-standard Liverpool teams almost single-handedly.
One of his greatest nights was when he scored the late thunderbolt against Olympiakos at Anfield in December 2004 that gave Rafael Benitez's side the 3-1 victory required to take them out of the group stage en route to eventual, unlikely victory in Istanbul.
Gerrard has had great players around him such as Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez - all beneficiaries of his ability to fashion goals as well as score them - but often he has more or less carried the burden of inspiration and expectation alone.
Other Liverpool players may have secured more trophies than Gerrard but his greatness was often forged out of adversity, produced at the moments of greatest necessity. When Liverpool have had Gerrard, their fans have had hope - and so many times he delivered for them.
While no-one should ever doubt his genius for one second, Dalglish was nearly always surrounded by world-class quality in most areas of the pitch. This luxury has rarely been afforded to Gerrard.
Even in one of their darkest moments this season, when Liverpool made a desperately disappointing exit at the group stage after their return to the Champions League, the last faint hope of qualification only came in the final minutes against FC Basel after Gerrard produced a trademark brilliant free-kick, the sort he has scored on countless occasions.
Gerrard will also be held in special affection at Liverpool because of his loyalty, almost unswerving for his entire career despite temptations to join Chelsea in 2004 and 2005, which included a hastily withdrawn transfer request just weeks after Istanbul.
After asking to go, Gerrard realised hours later he simply could not leave and - despite interest from elsewhere over the years - has never been tempted again. Until now of course, as he has finally decided to call time on his Liverpool career, ahead of a likely move to the United States.
Barring developments from the realms of fantasy, Gerrard will now leave Anfield with the one space on his personal roll of honour permanently unfulfilled - namely a Premier League title.
And he must leave with the pain of constant reminders from opposition fans about his ill-fated slip against Chelsea last April that allowed Demba Ba to run clear and score in front of the Kop in a 2-0 defeat that took that elusive medal away from Gerrard when he almost had it in his grasp.
It will rank alongside his most bitter disappointments, but when Liverpool fans look back on his career it will barely register as a footnote because they know Gerrard has been at the heart of all the triumphs they have enjoyed during his career. No serious Liverpool fan will ever hold that moment against him.
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Despite a disappointing follow-up to that thrilling campaign last season, with Liverpool currently down in eighth, 17 points off the leaders, Gerrard still has the opportunity to add to his trophy collection.
Liverpool face his old adversaries and admirers Chelsea in the Capital One Cup semi-finals, the FA Cup is still to come and of course there is the Europa League, not the competition he would have wished to be contesting but one he would still love to win.
Whether Dalglish, Gerrard or others can be ranked as the greatest to represent the club is an argument Liverpool fans can, and probably will, have for years to come - and will be able to relive great times while doing so.
Different players, different eras, different teams. The argument may never have a winner - does it actually need one? - but what elations they have all given to Liverpool fans.
It is simply an illustration of just how good Steven Gerrard has been, and the indelible mark he has made on Liverpool's history, that he has truly earned his right to be in such stellar company and part of that conversation.


Argentina has said it will not accept the body of convicted Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke, who died in Italy on Friday aged 100.

Priebke fled to Argentina after World War II and lived for nearly 40 years in the Andean resort of Bariloche before his identity was unveiled in 1994.
He was later extradited to Italy and sentenced to life imprisonment.
An Italian official had said that Priebke's body was to be buried next to that of his wife in Argentina.
But in a Twitter message, the office of Foreign Minister Hector Timerman said that wouldn't happen.
"Foreign Minister Hector Timerman has given the order not to accept the slightest move to allow the return of the body of Nazi criminal Erich Priebke to our country," the foreign ministry said.
"Argentines will not accept this kind of affront to human dignity."
Priebke, a former SS captain, was found guilty of ordering a massacre at Rome's Ardeatine caves in March 1944, a crime for which he never expressed remorse.
The bloodbath left 335 people dead, including 75 Jews.
Priebke was jailed for life in 1998 but because of his age and poor health, he was allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest in the capital.
Argentina's decision was welcomed by two Jewish organisations, the Israelite Argentine Mutual Aid Association (Amia) and the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations (Daia).
The fact that Priebke had "resided with impunity for decades in our country, enjoying a life that so many civilians had been deprived of" was "an affront to the principles of the Republic", the Daia said.
It urged people "not to forget and not forgive the Nazi genocide, or any type of genocide".
Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America, consisting of some 300,000 members.


The Norwegian convicted of the massacre of 77 people last year has said he is being held in "inhumane" conditions.

Anders Behring Breivik complained in a letter to the prison service that his coffee is served cold, he does not have enough butter for his bread, and he is not allowed moisturiser.
Breivik is serving a minimum 21-year sentence for the bombings and shootings in Oslo and Utoeya island last July.
The Norwegian authorities have not commented on the letter.
However his lawyer has confirmed that the details of the 27-page document leaked to Norway's VG newspaper are authentic.
Breivik is being held in almost complete isolation - 23 hours a day, he says - at Ila prison outside Oslo.
His cell includes three sections, one to sleep, one for study and a third for exercise - each measuring 8 sq m (86 sq ft).
In the letter, he complains that the cell is poorly decorated and has no view.
"I highly doubt that there are worse detention facilities in Norway," he writes.
'Too cold'
Among his other complaints are:
Ila is an all-male institution which "houses some of the country's most dangerous men", its website says.
However it differs markedly from other maximum security jails in western Europe. The staff is a half-and-half mix of men and women and none are armed.
Breivik massacred 77 people, most of them teenagers at a youth camp run by Norway's governing Labour Party.
His 21-year sentence can be indefinitely extended for as long as he is considered a danger to society.


Friends who were with an RAF serviceman when he went missing are "hoping it's not the last time they see him", a station commander said.

Corrie Mckeague, 23, went missing after being separated from the group on a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Gp Capt Mick Smeath, who leaves his post at RAF Honington on Friday, said Mr Mckeague often "used to go off".
Mr Mckeague's friends knew about his "lifestyle" and "did not feel guilty", he said.
"I don't think they feel guilty," said Gp Capt Smeath. "He was used to going off on his own. They knew what his lifestyle was like. I think they are just very sad. They are hoping it's not the last time they see him."
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Gp Capt Mick Smeath said he was disappointed to go before the gunner was found and described the disappearance as "unusual".
A commander has said leaving an RAF base with a serviceman still missing had made his departure "hard".
"Leaving a station you have commanded for two years is actually quite a sad thing to do," he said. "Leaving with Corrie missing is actually quite hard. I really wanted Corrie to be found before I left, mainly for the family, for the station and also for me - he's one of mine."
He is "absolutely larger than life" and "very popular", said Gp Capt Smeath, who described the disappearance on 24 September as "unusual".
He said: "It's unusual for people to go missing in the services - we've never had that at RAF Honington.
"There was shock initially. Now there's very much concern."
Mr Mckeague, from Dunfermline, Fife, was last seen on CCTV walking along Brentgovel Street in the town just after 03:20 BST.
He had become separated from his friends after he was escorted out of Flex Nightclub on St Andrew's Street South just after 01:00 BST.
Gp Capt Smeath ruled out any link with the attempted abduction of an RAF Marham serviceman.
The outgoing station commander said Mr Mckeague was "very professional".


A jet-powered bike's attempts to break the British two-wheeled land speed record have been delayed because of bad conditions.

Jet Reaction had hoped to reach speeds of 400mph (643km/h) at Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, on Saturday.
The bike was to undergo tests on the beach ahead of a world record attempt in the US in September.
The Jet Reaction team tweeted they were hoping for better ground conditions on Sunday to allow a demonstration run.
The bike, which has a helicopter turbine engine, was built by Oxford engineer Richard Brown.
He hopes to beat US rider Rocky Robinson's 2010 world record of 376mph (605km/h) during a world land speed record attempt at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA in the autumn.
The bike, which cost Â£100,000 and took four years to build, had hoped to challenge a number of British speed records during the test runs in Wales this weekend.
If the bike eventually hits its target speed, it would cover 586ft (178 metres) a second.
Talking about his record bid, engineer Mr Brown said: "A land speed record is one of the finest opportunities any team can have to demonstrate engineering innovation.
"The challenge is to engineer a superior machine making it the best in the world.
"It is also an opportunity to demonstrate how a small team of talented individuals without vast financial support can produce a world-class vehicle."
Pendine Sands has been used for numerous world speed records over the decades.
The first person to use it for that purpose was Sir Malcolm Campbell on 25 September, 1924.
He set a world land speed record of 146mph (235km/h) in his Sunbeam 350HP car Bluebird.


A man has suffered serious head injuries in a hit-and-run involving a quad bike in County Tyrone.

It occurred on the Erganagh Road near Omagh at 22:45 BST on Friday, and the victim received treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital.
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area, particularly the movements of two quad motorbikes
The road was reopened to traffic on Saturday morning.
Witnesses are being asked to contact Omagh police station on the non-emergency number 101 or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


People in Portugal are due to vote in a parliamentary election that is widely seen as a referendum on four years of spending cuts and market reforms.

The centre-right governing coalition has vowed to continue austerity policies in place since 2011, after it was forced to seek a eurozone bailout.
The Socialists and other left-wing groups have criticised the cuts.
President Anibal Cavaco Silva called for a high turnout on Sunday, saying Portugal was facing a crucial moment.
The BBC's Alison Roberts in Lisbon says years of austerity have left Portugal's electorate deeply split, and with an unusually large number of undecided voters.
Socialist leader Antonio Costa has said that only a vote for his party is a "useful vote" against the government.
The centre-right Social Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, and its right-wing ally, the People's Party, have put up joint lists of candidates in all electoral districts.
Unemployment has been falling for two and a half years, but many regard the recovery as fragile.
Read more: Coalition hopes to survive austerity anger
12%
of the workforce is unemployed
20%
of people live below the poverty line
485,000 emigrated from Portugal between 2011 and 2014
125% debt to GDP - the second highest rate in the European Union


A brick has been thrown at a window of a Wakefield Labour MP's constituency office.

Mary Creagh condemned the attack and said staff were "distressed" by the discovery on Monday morning.
A Labour Party spokesperson said it happened at the Cheapside office just before midnight on Friday and was caught on CCTV.
The office, shared by the regional Labour Party, was empty at the time. West Yorkshire Police is investigating.
In a tweet, the MP said: "Staff distressed to discover brick through office window in Wakefield this morning.
"No excuse for violence & intimidation in our democracy."
A BBC survey found one in four Yorkshire MPs have received death threats or abuse in the past three years.
West Yorkshire Police recently offered advise and training to local MPs on how to step up their security after the death of the Batley and Spen Labour MP Jo Cox.
In July, a window was smashed at the Wallasey constituency office of Labour MP Angela Eagle.