Manchester City ended a barren sequence of 35 years without a major trophy as Yaya Toure's late strike gave them a deserved FA Cup Final victory over Stoke City.

Toure was City's Wembley hero with the semi-final winner against Manchester United - and the giant Ivory Coast midfield man was on target again 16 minutes from time to set the seal on their first top-level success since the 1976 League Cup win against Newcastle United.
Roberto Mancini's side dominated throughout against a disappointing Stoke, who never came close to reproducing the form that swept Bolton Wanderers aside to reach their first FA Cup final.
Manchester City were only kept at bay by an outstanding first-half display from Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen, as he produced saves from Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli while David Silva also squandered a glorious chance.
The Dane was powerless, however, in the moment that finally ended the long wait for Manchester City as Toure pounced on a loose ball 10 yards out to thrash his finish past Sorensen in front of the delirious hordes of sky blue supporters.
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It capped a momentous day for Manchester as City claimed the FA Cup just hours after United secured a record 19th league title with a point at Blackburn Rovers to set up a meeting between the clubs at Wembley in the Community Shield.
It was also a day of triumph for boss Mancini, whose long-term future at Eastlands has been questioned. He has now brought silverware back to the club and taken Manchester City into the Champions League - a more than acceptable return on lavish investment at the conclusion of his first full season in charge.
He threw his arms into the air in joy at the final whistle and his name rang around Wembley as captain Carlos Tevez ascended the steps to the Royal Box to lift the FA Cup.
Stoke's consolation is a place in next season's Europa League but boss Tony Pulis will be disappointed that his side, so dangerous and effective in recent weeks, failed to get to grips with the Wembley occasion and rarely threatened.
They were given a mighty ovation by their fans, superb throughout, as they collected their losers' medals - but the reality was they had not done themselves justice and could have no complaints at the outcome.
Kenwyne Jones had their best opportunity just after the hour, but it was the only moment of serious alarm for Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.
Mancini will now look to use Manchester City's Abu Dhabi riches to build even further on these foundations to make a serious challenge for the Premier League title next season and to have an impact in the Champions League.
Tevez's impressive cameo in the win against Spurs that secured City's top-four place was enough to convince Mancini of his fitness after a month out with a hamstring injury, and he played his full part in a dominant display.
Matthew Etherington also won his fitness battle after a hamstring problem, along with defender Robert Huth, but he looked off the pace and struggled to make any serious impact before being substituted.
City's early superiority should have brought a goal but they found Stoke keeper Sorensen in superb form as he formed a one-man barrier of defiance.
Sorensen set the tone with a fine diving save from Tevez's deflected shot and produced even better to turn away Balotelli's curling right-foot effort that looked destined for the top corner until his late intervention.
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Silva should have given City a deserved lead after 34 minutes, but if there is a weakness in the gifted Spaniard's game it is an occasional failure to produce the cutting edge to go with his creativity. He was perfectly placed to score after Sorensen could only block Balotelli but hit his shot into the ground and over the top from only eight yards.
Huth was fortunate referee Martin Atkinson did not see him catch Balotelli with an elbow early on, but there was no escape six minutes before the interval when he mistimed a challenge on Micah Richards horribly and was booked.
Stoke's support had been as passionate as ever despite their team's surprisingly timid approach. It was a display reflected in boss Pulis's animated behaviour in the technical area and only brought one half-chance in the opening period, which Jones failed to profit from.
Pulis clearly got his message across to Stoke at the break but it was Silva who was again guilty of over-elaboration as Manchester City wasted another chance after 55 minutes. Tevez found Silva unopposed in the area, only for him to inexplicably hesitate and allow Stoke's defence to regroup.
Stoke had started to show a lot more intent and should have taken the lead just after the hour when Jones latched onto a ball over the top and brushed aside Joleon Lescott with ease, but Hart raced off his line to make a crucial block.
Etherington's selection was clearly a gamble and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Dean Whitehead after 62 minutes. He had looked a shadow of the player who has been such a strong influence on Stoke's season.
The goal City had merited arrived on 74 minutes. Silva released Balotelli in the area and when his shot was deflected invitingly into the path of Toure he gave Sorensen no chance with a thunderous finish.
Stoke were unable to gather any serious momentum and even the sight of Sorensen venturing forward for corners failed to unsettle Manchester City before referee Atkinson blew the final whistle to end the years of suffering in the shadow of their illustrious neighbours.
Full Time   The referee brings the game to a close.
Corner taken by Jermaine Pennant from the left by-line, Headed effort from inside the penalty area by Ryan Shawcross misses to the right of the target.
Outswinging corner taken by Jermaine Pennant from the right by-line, Nigel De Jong manages to make a clearance.
Substitution      David Silva goes off and Patrick Vieira comes on.
Gnegneri Toure Yaya challenges Robert Huth unfairly and gives away a free kick. Thomas Sorensen restarts play with the free kick.
Mario Balotelli takes a shot. Andy Wilkinson gets a block in. David Silva takes a short corner.
Substitution      Carlos Tevez goes off and Pablo Zabaleta comes on.
Substitution      Glenn Whelan leaves the field to be replaced by Danny Pugh.
David Silva takes a shot. Save made by Thomas Sorensen.
David Silva decides to take a short corner.
Free kick taken by Glenn Whelan.
Substitution      Rory Delap leaves the field to be replaced by John Carew.
Unfair challenge on Dean Whitehead by Carlos Tevez results in a free kick.
David Silva takes a shot. Blocked by Ryan Shawcross.
Nigel De Jong fouled by Jonathan Walters, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Joe Hart.
Gnegneri Toure Yaya restarts play with the free kick.
Booking      The referee cautions Andy Wilkinson for unsporting behaviour.
Unfair challenge on Mario Balotelli by Andy Wilkinson results in a free kick.
Goal!  - Gnegneri Toure Yaya -    Man City 1 - 0 Stoke        Gnegneri Toure Yaya grabs a goal from deep inside the penalty box low into the middle of the goal. Man City 1-0 Stoke.
Mario Balotelli takes a shot. Ryan Shawcross gets a block in.
Substitution      Adam Johnson is brought on as a substitute for Gareth Barry.
The ball is sent over by Rory Delap, save by Joe Hart.
Foul by Micah Richards on Jermaine Pennant, free kick awarded. Jermaine Pennant takes the direct free kick.
Unfair challenge on David Silva by Kenwyne Jones results in a free kick. Gareth Barry takes the free kick.
Unfair challenge on Mario Balotelli by Ryan Shawcross results in a free kick. Mario Balotelli produces a strike on goal direct from the free kick. Mario Balotelli takes a shot. Blocked by Robert Huth.
Andy Wilkinson takes a shot from 35 yards and missed to the right of the net.
Carlos Tevez takes a shot. Save by Thomas Sorensen.
Substitution      Dean Whitehead replaces Matthew Etherington.
Kenwyne Jones takes a shot. Brilliant save by Joe Hart.
Foul by Andy Wilkinson on Mario Balotelli, free kick awarded. Aleksandar Kolarov takes the free kick.
Carlos Tevez takes a shot. Blocked by Robert Huth. Corner from the left by-line taken by Aleksandar Kolarov, Gareth Barry takes a shot from just outside the penalty area which clears the crossbar.
Nigel De Jong takes a shot. Carlos Tevez gets a block in.
Marc Wilson takes a shot.
Mario Balotelli challenges Jermaine Pennant unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick taken by Matthew Etherington.
Unfair challenge on Andy Wilkinson by Gnegneri Toure Yaya results in a free kick. Marc Wilson takes the free kick.
Joleon Lescott challenges Jermaine Pennant unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed left-footed by Matthew Etherington, Joleon Lescott makes a clearance.
Robert Huth is penalised for a handball. David Silva crosses the ball in from the free kick, free kick awarded for a foul by Micah Richards on Robert Huth. Direct free kick taken by Thomas Sorensen.
Jermaine Pennant takes a shot. Gnegneri Toure Yaya gets a block in.
Mario Balotelli concedes a free kick for a foul on Rory Delap. Marc Wilson restarts play with the free kick.
The ball is crossed by Jermaine Pennant, Header by Robert Huth from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the target.
Kenwyne Jones fouled by Joleon Lescott, the ref awards a free kick. Glenn Whelan takes the direct free kick.
Aleksandar Kolarov produces a left-footed shot from deep inside the six-yard box which goes wide of the left-hand post.
The second half has started.
Half Time    The half-time whistle blows.
Foul by Andy Wilkinson on Mario Balotelli, free kick awarded. Gareth Barry takes the direct free kick.
Free kick awarded for a foul by Joleon Lescott on Kenwyne Jones. Jermaine Pennant crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from right wing, Nigel De Jong manages to make a clearance.
Shot from 35 yards by Aleksandar Kolarov went over the net.
Nigel De Jong has an effort at goal from outside the penalty area missing to the wide left of the goal.
Unfair challenge on Carlos Tevez by Ryan Shawcross results in a free kick. Aleksandar Kolarov restarts play with the free kick.
Free kick awarded for a foul by Glenn Whelan on Nigel De Jong. Vincent Kompany restarts play with the free kick.
Aleksandar Kolarov produces a strike on goal direct from the free kick.
Booking      Robert Huth is given a yellow card.
Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Micah Richards by Robert Huth.
Outswinging corner taken by Aleksandar Kolarov, clearance made by Marc Wilson.
Kenwyne Jones produces a left-footed shot from outside the penalty box and misses left.
Shot by David Silva from inside the six-yard box clear the bar.
Aleksandar Kolarov challenges Jermaine Pennant unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick crossed right-footed by Jermaine Pennant from right wing, save made by Joe Hart.
Vincent Kompany takes a shot. Save made by Thomas Sorensen.
Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Kenwyne Jones by Vincent Kompany. Free kick taken by Marc Wilson.
A cross is delivered by David Silva, Matthew Etherington makes a clearance.
Effort from inside the area by Carlos Tevez misses to the left of the goal.
Mario Balotelli produces a curled right-footed shot from 18 yards. Save made by Thomas Sorensen. Inswinging corner taken by David Silva from the right by-line, save by Thomas Sorensen.
Foul by Vincent Kompany on Kenwyne Jones, free kick awarded. Marc Wilson shoots direct from the free kick.
Kenwyne Jones takes a shot. Vincent Kompany gets a block in.
The referee blows for offside. Free kick taken by Thomas Sorensen.
Aleksandar Kolarov gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Jermaine Pennant. The free kick is delivered right-footed by Jermaine Pennant from right wing, save made by Joe Hart.
Jermaine Pennant delivers the ball, Micah Richards manages to make a clearance.
Gnegneri Toure Yaya has an effort at goal from long range that misses to the right of the goal.
Corner taken by Aleksandar Kolarov.
Nigel De Jong has an effort at goal from outside the area missing to the wide right of the goal.
Mario Balotelli takes a shot. Robert Huth gets a block in. Corner taken left-footed by Aleksandar Kolarov to the near post, clearance by Andy Wilkinson.
Shot by Carlos Tevez. Save made by Thomas Sorensen.
Gareth Barry sends in a cross, Andy Wilkinson gets a block in. Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Aleksandar Kolarov from the left by-line to the near post.
The game begins.
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Hundreds of Jewish graves have been desecrated at a cemetery in eastern France, near the border with Germany.

Images on social media showed the gravestones in Sarre-Union daubed with swastikas and Nazi slogans.
On his Twitter feed, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said every effort would be made to catch the perpetrators of an "ignoble and anti-Semitic act, an insult to memory".
Anti-Semitic attacks have risen sharply in France in recent years.
A kosher supermarket in Paris was one of the sites targeted by Islamist gunmen in a series of attacks last month which left 17 people dead.
A special investigative team is at the cemetery in Sarre-Union, the French news agency AFP reports, quoting Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.


Wales coach John Kear says qualifying for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup is crucial for the game's development in the country.

The reigning European champions host Serbia in Llanelli on Saturday and face Italy away on Saturday, 29 October.
The group winners will reach the finals while the runners-up will play against the second-placed side in the group containing Ireland, Spain and Russia.
"The games against Serbia and Italy are absolutely vital," Kear said.
"We are doing many things correctly domestically and I think that's got to be reflected by the fact we're going to be at the World Cup."
Under former coach Iestyn Harris, Wales failed to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in 2013 after they were defeated by Italy, the United States and the Cook Islands.
Kear will be without Warrington Wolves' Rhys Evans and Ben Flower of Wigan Warriors, who are unavailable after playing in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
"They are bound to be a loss but I think if you look at any of the squads there's always the odd player who's missing after a long season," Kear added.
"I'm just really pleased with the squad we've got for this campaign because I feel it's got a mixture of youth, experience and quality within there."
Wales squad: Elliot Kear (London Broncos), Rhys Williams (London Broncos), Calvin Wellington(St Helens), Christiaan Roets (South Wales Ironmen), Regan Grace (St Helens), Courtney Davies (South Wales Ironmen), Ollie Olds (Souths Logan Magpies), Gil Dudson (Widnes Vikings), Lloyd White (Widnes Vikings), Craig Kopczak (Salford Red Devils - captain), Rhodri Lloyd (Swinton Lions), Lewis Reece (Gloucestershire All Golds), Phil Joseph (Salford Red Devils), Steve Parry (Gloucestershire All Golds), Joe Burke (Oldham Roughyeds), Jake Emmitt (Swinton Lions), Anthony Walker (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats), Andrew Gay (Mackay Cutters), Matty Fozard (Sheffield Eagles), Morgan Evans (Gloucestershire All Golds), Ian Newbury (South Wales Ironmen), Connor Farrer (South Wales Ironmen)


A Labour peer has died after being seriously injured when his mobility scooter collided with a van outside Parliament during rush hour.

Lord Taylor of Blackburn, 87, was taken to a south London hospital after the crash on Wednesday last week.
He was the Labour leader of Blackburn Council in the 1970s before being made a life peer in May 1978 and becoming a businessman.
Labour's Lords leader Baroness Smith said the peer would be sadly missed.
"Tom Taylor had a lifelong commitment to the Labour Party, through both local government and Parliament, and was held in high regard and with great affection by his party colleagues," she said.
"Tom was a committed member of the House of Lords right through to the tragic circumstances which led to his death. We in the Labour peers group are very sad and will miss him dearly."
Lord Taylor was admitted to hospital following the incident with a van last Wednesday. His injuries were initially not thought to be life-threatening.
The driver stopped at the scene but was not arrested, police said at the time.
For more on this story and others in London
Thomas Taylor became a member of Blackburn Town Council in 1954 and was its leader from 1972-76.
In 2009 Lord Taylor was suspended from the Lords for six months after allegedly offering to help a business secure favourable changes in legislation for a fee in a newspaper sting operation.  It was the first time in 350 years that a peer had been banned in this way.
He and three other peers were caught speaking to undercover journalists posing as lobbyists and appeared willing to amend a bill in return for cash.


Venezuela is due to begin installing about 20,000 fingerprint scanners at supermarkets across the country, as part of its introduction of rationing.

President Nicolas Maduro said the system would reduce food hoarding and panic buying.
Over the last year there have been long queues at supermarkets because of widespread shortages of basic goods.
Mr Maduro said the shortages were due to manipulation of the food supply and prices.
The president announced that seven major retailers have agreed to install the scanners in stores.
The government first introduced the plans for compulsory biometric cards in August 2014. This followed the failure of a voluntary card system earlier in the year.
Last month the owners of several chains of supermarkets and drugstores were arrested for allegedly artificially creating long queues by not opening enough tills.
Mr Maduro has also accused Colombian food smugglers of buying up price-controlled goods in state-run supermarkets along the border.
Critics argue that the scanners will make little difference as the state policy of control pricing incentivises cross-border smuggling.
In January the hashtag #AnaquelesVaciosEnVenezuela ("Empty shelves in Venezuela") became a worldwide Twitter trend, with over 200,000 tweets as Venezuelans tweeted pictures of empty supermarket shelves around the country.
Last week South American foreign ministers said the region would help Venezuela address the shortages.
The lack of staple foods and medicines has contributed to discontent and to frequent large, often violent anti-government demonstrations.
The economic crisis has been made worse by falling oil prices, with crude oil making up 95% of the country's exports.
Venezuela's plummeting currency rates and the falling price of oil by nearly half since November has diminished its supply of dollars to buy imported food.


New Zealand has begun cleaning up after avoiding the worst of a powerful storm that swept across the country.

Cyclone Cook caused power shortages, landslides, uprooted trees and forced road closures.
Ahead of the storm's arrival, some residents fled their homes as authorities declared a state of emergency in parts of the North Island.
Although the cyclone bypassed much of the country, thousands of homes are still without power.
There is still heavy rain and some roads on New Zealand's South Island remain underwater, with flooding in roads around Christchurch. Several rivers have burst their banks.
New Zealand's Civil Defence ministry is warning people to remain cautious, especially around fallen power lines.
The weakening weather system is continuing to bring heavy rain to parts of the South Island, and is expected to pass over Dunedin later on Friday.
The cyclone formed around Vanuatu on Sunday before moving towards  the Pacific islands of New Caledonia, bringing heavy rain and winds and causing cuts to power and water supplies.
It killed one person when it swept through New Caledonia.
The storm made New Zealand landfall in the Bay of Plenty at about 18:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Thursday.   It moved on to batter Hawkes Bay on the eastern coast, where two people were hospitalised after a tree hit their car, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Forecasts said the storm would be the worst since 1968, but meteorologists told local media that the storm system instead tracked away and because it was moving quickly the rain didn't last so long.
Air New Zealand cancelled several flights as the weather worsened in key areas.
Cyclone Cook comes after severe floods caused by the remnants of Cyclone Debbie hit some parts of the country last week. Cyclone  Debbie hit Australia at the end of March, before its remnants moved towards New Zealand.
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Wales stars Sam Warburton, Gethin Jenkins and Alex Cuthbert return for struggling Cardiff Blues against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.

Scrum-half Lloyd Williams starts after returning from the bench in their 26-15 defeat at Zebre last weekend.
Warriors have been boosted by the return of six players who featured for Scotland at the Rugby World Cup.
Stuart Hogg, Mark Bennett, Finn Russell, Jonny Gray, Josh Strauss and Ryan Grant are in the match-day squad.
The 34-year-old prop, Jenkins, leads Blues on his return to regional duty as head coach Danny Wilson makes seven changes.
Josh Navidi, Cam Dolan, Gareth Anscombe and Cory Allen will be absent through injury.
Wilson says he does not feel under any pressure in the wake of their poor start to the season.
After trouncing Zebre in their opening game of the season at Cardiff Arms Park, Blues have lost away games against Ireland's four provinces, followed by the loss in Italy that Wilson described as "diabolical" and "embarrassing".
Wilson reiterated his assertion that Blues' fortunes can only be improved by a long-term "project" after seasons in which predecessors Phil Davies and Mark Hammett departed.
He says wing Cuthbert, whose form for Wales has been criticised, has returned to Blues keen to impress.
"Alex trained really well and was extremely enthusiastic about what we were doing, and it was good to see him back and I'm looking forward to seeing him put the jersey on," said Wilson.
"But at the moment, like a lot of this squad, I'm yet to work with Alex over a period of time.
"I've yet to see him perform for a Blues team that I'm coaching."
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The return of the six Scotland caps means there are 20 internationals in the Glasgow squad and 15 full international caps in the visitors' starting line-up.
Hogg returns at full-back, with Tommy Seymour moving to the left wing in place of Sean Lamont.
Australia international Taqele Naiyaravoro comes in for Lee Jones on the opposite side.
Bennett returns to makes his first Warriors appearance since March, with Richie Vernon not involved this weekend.
Russell replaces Duncan Weir at fly-half and Grayson Hart comes in for Mike Blair at scrum-half.
Gray captains the side for the first time since being named club captain.
Strauss returns at blind-side flanker, while Chris Fusaro is at open-side and Adam Ashe starts at number eight, with Simone Favaro not involved this weekend and Ryan Wilson moving to the bench.
Ryan Grant returns from injury and is named among the replacements.
Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said: "We once again welcome back another group of Scotland internationals, which means competition within our squad is increasing all the time."
Cardiff: Dan Fish; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Gavin Evans, Tom James; Rhys Patchell, Lloyd Williams;  Gethin Jenkins (capt), Kristian Dacey, Taufa'ao Filise, Lou Reed, James Down, Ellis Jenkins, Sam Warburton, Josh Turnbull.
Replacements: Matthew Rees, Sam Hobbs, Craig Mitchell, Jarrad Hoeata, Manoa Vosawai, Tavis Knoyle, Jarrod Evans, Tom Isaacs.
Glasgow: Stuart Hogg, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Mark Bennett, Peter Horne, Tommy Seymour, Finn Russell, Grayson Hart, Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Sila Puafisi, Leone Nakarawa, Jonny Gray (Captain), Josh Strauss, Chris Fusaro, Adam Ashe.
Replacements: James Malcolm, Ryan Grant, Zander Fagerson, Greg Peterson, Rob Harley, Ryan Wilson, Mike Blair, Junior Bulumakau.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy).
Assistant referees: Rhys Thomas, Gwyn Morris (both WRU).
Citing commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU).
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU).


Moeen Ali claimed five wickets as England completed a 177-run win over South Africa in the fourth Test at Old Trafford to seal a 3-1 series victory.

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The Proteas, chasing an unlikely 380, were bowled out for 202, with James Anderson also picking up 3-16.
England were held up by Hashim Amla, who made 83, but after he was dismissed they lost their last seven wickets for 39 runs.
It is England's first home Test series win against South Africa since 1998.
It also ends a run of three series without a win and gives Joe Root success in his first as captain.
England climb to third in the International Cricket Council's Test rankings, above Australia, who they meet in defence of the Ashes this winter.
Their next assignment is a three-Test series against West Indies, which begins with the first day-night match in this country at Edgbaston on 17 August.
Moeen had blasted a thrilling 67 on the third evening and was left unbeaten on 75 as England lost their final two wickets to be bowled out in their second innings for 243.
After Anderson, Stuart Broad and Toby Roland-Jones took a wicket apiece, Moeen was asked to wheel away with his off-spin, only to be thwarted by the imperious Amla.
But, when he switched ends, he trapped Amla leg before and worked through the rest of the South Africa line-up.
Quinton de Kock played a loose drive to slash to gully and Theinus de Bruyn tamely edged to slip.
Moeen ended the third Test at The Oval with a hat-trick and closed this match with two wickets in two balls - Morne Morkel holed out to mid-off and Duanne Olivier nicked to slip.
Moeen is the first man to take 25 wickets and score more than 250 runs in a four-match Test series.
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Former captain Amla has endured a mixed series, averaging 35 before this knock, but the 34-year-old gave a reminder of his excellence in what his likely to be his last Test innings in this country.
On an increasingly uneven surface and faced with some testing England new-ball bowling, South Africa found themselves 40-3, with Amla needing 19 balls to get off the mark.
But, after lunch, the right-hander played classy front and back-foot drives off the seamers, as well as reverse-sweeping Moeen and hitting the spinner for a straight six.
He added 123 with skipper Faf du Plessis, who made a gritty 61. While they were together, the prospect of the game reaching a fifth day seemed real.
But, when Amla tried to work Moeen to the leg side, he was hit in front of the stumps.
The initial appeal reprieved him, but the review sealed his fate and the rest followed quickly.
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Though England have ultimately won this series by a comfortable margin, they are still no closer to solving the problems that existed beforehand.
Opener Keaton Jennings has averaged only 15 and looks set to be replaced, while Tom Westley and Dawid Malan - given opportunities at three and five respectively - have not yet proven they belong at this level.
In a series where matches have been won by huge margins, England have triumphed in the Tests in which they won the toss and batted first. But they remain vulnerable when batting second.
However, they have seen the emergence of Roland-Jones. The Middlesex pace bowler has taken 10 wickets in two matches and looks a strong candidate for the Ashes squad.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "I've enjoyed the series thoroughly. I now give this message to England - do it more often, be consistent.
"Show this same resolve, hard work, spirit and determination when you're under the cosh. Take that spirit to Australia this winter.
"Joe Root in his first series in charge, to win 3-1 - it's a tremendous effort.
"I thought he managed today's situation well during the Amla and Du Plessis partnership. He attacked with field settings, putting men around the bat and he made Amla play a ball to the on-side which resulted in his dismissal."
Ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell: "England are couple of picks away from being a top, top side.
"All of the pitches this summer have done bits and pieces but in Australia this winter they will be flatter."
England's man of the series Moeen Ali, as chosen by South Africa coach Russell Domingo: "This series I have felt more consistent with bat and ball, especially ball. I felt in good rhythm after the first game. I contributed with the bat a couple of times. In general, I'm very pleased.
"It doesn't matter what I'm labelled as, when we play one spinner, I'm the lead, if we play two then, depending on who it is, I may be second fiddle. But I have the experience in international cricket now and it's a good challenge.
"I was patient before I got my wickets today. My hat-trick at The Oval, to win the way we did, I felt was massive for my confidence. I still can't believe I have a hat-trick in international cricket."
England bowler James Anderson, who ended the series with 20 wickets: "It's an amazing win, we played really well through the game.
"We had some tough patches to get through. Bairstow's innings was crucial and Moeen in the second innings played brilliantly well, then finished it off with his bowling today.
"I'd like to say we were calm on the field today but the way the game has gone we knew it only takes one wicket and then you lose some in a cluster. We kept faith."
South Africa's man of the series Morne Morkel: "I'll enjoy this champagne tonight... it was hard work.
"Personally you set some goals for the year and this was definitely one of them. I was pleased what I did with the ball. The most important thing is to keep asking questions. I've committed to hitting that fuller length and I have done that consistently.
"As soon as the ball went a bit softer it is important to get a fuller length consistently. I worked hard on that and hopefully it is something I can continue to do."


A bride at a sham double wedding pointed to the wrong "groom" when quizzed by Border Agency officials, Mold Crown Court has heard.

The ceremony in Wrexham was raided after the registrar became suspicious during pre-ceremony interviews with the Lithuanian women and the Indian men.
Five men and two women admitted conspiracy to breach UK immigration rules and were given jail terms at the court, sitting at Chester.
The two "grooms" also face deportation.
The court heard the two couples and three other men were arrested as they arrived at Wrexham Register Office on 30 August 2011 ahead of the ceremonies they had planned.
The UK Border Agency's (UKBA) Criminal and Financial Investigation team found the couples had no common language and could only communicate to each other through interpreters.
Both women claimed to have been in sexual relationships with their intended, but the men said they had only kissed their "brides" on the cheek.
The seven, all from Wolverhampton, admitted arranging the sham marriages at hearings before Tuesday's sentencing.
They are:
Both Singhs face deportation after serving their terms.
The court heard Sahota had been a well-known businessman, trusted in his community, who carried out charity work both at home and in India.
Paul Abraham, defending, denied his client had been paid as much as Â£7,000 for helping organise the sham weddings.
He said was "not sophisticated but nonsensical" to have moved from Wolverhampton where mixed marriages were common place to an area like Wrexham where they "stuck out like a sore thumb".
He said: "It was a bit of a shambles. The risk of detection was almost inevitable."
Judge Niclas Parry said it was a serious conspiracy aimed at cheating the immigration laws to ensure that two men could remain in the UK when they should not.
He said: "Those who enter into sham marriages to frustrate the country's immigration controls must expect sentences that deter others."
After the sentencing, Dave Offside, of the UKBA's Criminal and Financial Investigation team, said: "The two grooms in this case saw sham marriage as a potential shortcut to a life in the UK, but they have ended up behind bars.
"The brides were prepared to marry people they barely know in exchange for cash and the others involved also stood to gain financially.
"The UK Border Agency is cracking down on sham marriages and those who seek to cheat immigration laws face jail."


Brazil legend Pele has earned £3.6m from a three-day auction of his footballing memorabilia.

More than 2,000 items were sold in total, with the Fifa Player of the Century selling his entire collection of awards and even his old passports.
The 75-year-old's World Cup winner's medal from 1970 fetched £346,000 on the final day of the sale, while his 1,000th game crown went for £162,000.
Some of the proceeds will go to a children's hospital in Brazil.
Pele's 1958 and 1962 World Cup medals were sold collectively for £340,000, while a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy made for Pele after his third World Cup success went for £394,000.
The player's football boots worn in the film Escape To Victory went for just over £8,000.
Pele said: "Having donated a significant portion of my collection to the city of Santos, I have decided to allow fans and collectors to own a piece of my history as well.
"I hope they treasure these artefacts and share my story with their children and generations to come."


Workers at British Sugar in the East of England have accepted a pay offer after a union ballot revealed insufficient support for strike action.

Unite's members at factories in Norfolk, Suffolk and Nottinghamshire had been asked to vote on a possible walk out over a 3.5% pay offer.
The union had wanted 5.2%, the current rate of inflation, but has decided to "reluctantly" accept the pay deal.
Of those who voted, 179 said no to industrial action and 135 said yes.
Unite's regional officer, Tony Ellingford, said: "Our members have unhappily and reluctantly accepted the company's pay offer.
"The decision was taken in the context of the grim economic climate that does not look like improving under the coalition government.
"Our members did hold an industrial action ballot, but it was deemed that there was insufficient support, by a narrow margin, for such action."
British Sugar said it had been in active pay negotiations with unions since March.
"We have worked extremely hard to secure an offer that we firmly believe is fair and reasonable within the current economic conditions, and is above average pay awards in the external market place," a spokeswoman said.
Members of the GMB Union accepted the pay offer, but members of Unite opted to conduct a ballot to vote on industrial action.
The British Sugar plants are at Wissington and Cantley in Norfolk, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and Newark in Nottinghamshire.


Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has said a top-six finish is "the minimum" for the team this season.

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The Italian became the sole owner of the Championship club in May after buying out Massimo Cellino's remaining 50% stake.
"We need to compete at the top of the league and be in the top six. A play-off place is the minimum requirement," he told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.
"Last year we had a good season but failed at the beginning and the end."
Leeds finished seventh in the Championship last season, missing out on the play-offs by five points to Fulham.
"If we keep the fighting characteristics we had during the season then we don't need to worry," added Radrizzani.
"I'd welcome promotion as a nice surprise but our target is the play-offs.
"For me pressure is positive. The players need to know they need to deliver results because we have massive support but we also need time because Rome was not built in a day."
The Italian businessman, who called the parachute payments given to relegated Premier League sides "unfair", said that he was committed to investing £100m into the club and he was there for "the long term".
In his first month in charge, Radrizzani bought back the club's Elland Road ground and appointed Dane Thomas Christiansen, 44, to replace Garry Monk, who left to take over at Middlesbrough.
Christiansen has never managed outside of Cyprus but Radrizzani believes the former Spain international is the right man for the job.
"I'm very confident in him otherwise I wouldn't have hired him," Radrizzani said. "We went through a lot of interviews and we found him as a young, emerging coach who he has done very well in the last couple of years
"He had good experience as a player and he knows his football. We have similar ideas about playing offensive and trying to win games."


At least 30 people have been killed as a bus collided with an oil tanker and burst into flames in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, officials say.

The accident took place on the key Kabul-Kandahar highway in the Maiwand district.
Women and children are among the dead and officials say that most bodies are badly burned.
Accidents are common in Afghanistan which has some of the most dangerous roads in the world.
One report suggested the tanker had been left on the road having been attacked by the Taliban, but it is unclear when such an attack might have taken place and if the tanker was still burning when the bus crashed into it.
Last September at least 50 people were killed after a bus and a fuel tanker collided in the eastern Afghan province of Ghazni.


The creation of "green walls" in urban areas could cut pollution by up to 30%, scientists have suggested.

UK researchers say more trees and other vegetation at street level would clean air in areas that are normally exposed to higher pollution levels.
Plants in towns and cities have been shown to remove nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM), both of which are harmful to human health.
The findings
          appear in the journal Environmental Science and Technology
.
"Up until now, every initiative around reducing pollution has taken a top-down approach, [such as] scrapping old cars, adding catalytic converters, bringing in the congestion charge - some of which have not had the desired effect," said co-author Rob MacKenzie from the University of Birmingham.
"The benefit of green walls is that they clean up the air coming into and staying in the street canyon," Prof MacKenzie observed.
"Planting more [green walls] in a strategic way could be a relatively easy way to take control of our local pollution problems."
Street canyons refer to the effect created by high buildings lining a street, preventing much of the pollution escaping.
Previous studies have shown that greening urban spaces can cut pollution, but only by about 5%. This study suggests that strategic placement of vegetation in street canyons can cut air pollution by up to 30%.
Green walls, consisting of climbing plants such as ivy, built on billboard-like structures could act as air pollution filters, the team said.
Nicola Cheetham, head of environment (surface transport) for Transport for London (TfL), welcomed the findings.
"Our own research, conducted by Imperial College London, shows the ability of different plants to trap particulate matter," she said.
Ms Cheetham added that TfL had just installed its second green wall in the capital to help mitigate the pollution associated with heavy flows of urban traffic.
The team reached their findings about the effectiveness of green walls by using a computer model that showed the effect of street canyons trapping air at street level and the accumulation of pollution.
The model also showed that street trees were effective filters, but only in less polluted streets and provided the trees' canopies did not result in the pollution being trapped at ground level.
Co-author Tom Pugh, from Lancaster University, said one of the challenges of greening urban areas was ensuring the plants were able to survive in the projected change in conditions.
"More care needs to be taken as to how and where we plant vegetation," Dr Pugh said.
"[We need to make sure] that it does not suffer from drought, become heat stressed or vandalised."
Anne Jaluzot from the co-ordinating group Trees and Design Action Group told BBC News that councils were planting too many small trees that did nothing for biodiversity, flood prevention or pollution control. She said they should concentrate on
          finding space for a smaller number of very big trees
.
She also said money was being wasted on designer green walls - vertical planting systems. "These green walls often look great, but they're unsustainable because of the high maintenance costs and need for fertilisers.
"Councils and developers would often be better to simply cover a wall with ivy and other creepers," she said.


Olympic champions Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark have won the prestigious female World Sailor of the Year Award.

Mills and Clark improved on the silver they won in London by taking Olympic gold in the women's 470 event in Rio.
Four-time world champion Giles Scott, who won Finn gold at Rio 2016, was nominated for the men's award but it went to Argentina's Santiago Lange.
"I've got the gold medal that was the childhood dream and the goal we set," said Clark, 37, who retired after Rio.
Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide.
Mills, 28, added: "Our whole six years together has been focused on building our team, making it as strong as it can be.
"London was a rushed Olympics where we had 18 months and it was kind of hashed together. Rio we had four years to really get it right and our team is at the centre of this. To finish like this just means everything."
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The father of a man missing for three years has been charged over an incident at a Fife home police are searching in connection with his son's disappearance.

Allan Bryant, 23, went missing after a night out at Styx nightclub in his home town of Glenrothes on 3 November 2013.
On Monday, Allan Bryant Snr was charged with breach of the peace.
Police are searching a house in Barnton Place, Glenrothes. His parents believe he has been murdered.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "Police in Glenrothes have charged a 51-year-old man in connection with a breach of the peace that happened in Barnton Place, Glenrothes.
"The incident happened on Monday 26 June.
"He will appear in court at a later date."


Hartlepool United have signed midfielder Jake Gray from Premier League side Crystal Palace on a month-long youth loan.

Gray, 19, has made two substitute appearances for his parent club and played four games while on loan at Cheltenham Town last season.
Palace gave the winger a two-year contract at Selhurst Park this summer.
He is eligible for Pools' FA Cup fixtures as part of his deal with the League Two side.


A £3.4m project to map sections of the Welsh coastline in more detail than ever before has begun.

The five-year joint Welsh and Irish study aims to find out how quickly remote coastal areas in Wales are disappearing due to climate change.
Data from the project will help the Welsh Government to manage heritage sites and communities at risk.
Researchers said it would create a "better understanding of how to map this coastal erosion".
The EU-funded project will be led by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, along with Aberystwyth University, the Discovery Programme: Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland and Geological Survey, Ireland.
It will focus on cultural heritage sites, such as pre-historic hill forts and ancient ruins along the coast, as well as the Welsh islands in the Irish Sea.
To get the best view the team will fly over some of the most inaccessible parts of the coast to take photographs, which will be used to create 3D computer models of each area.
Researchers from Dublin will also scan the sea bed. The work will give a more accurate picture of the coastline along the Irish Sea than ever before.
Dr Toby Driver, a senior aerial investigator on the CHERISH project, said, in certain parts of Wales, they do not know what has already disappeared into the sea.
"That's what this new project hopes to address, to really get a good idea of what's been lost in the last few years and what's been lost over the last century and how fast is this coastal erosion happening," he said.
"We've got the best computer software we can get, the best experts we can get in this project, working together to get a better understanding of how to map this coastal erosion."
Geographers from Aberystwyth University will also analyse historical records of extreme weather to see how coastal communities coped in the past.
They will be looking for patterns in storm activity to see if understanding what happened in the past can increase resilience in the future.
Hywel Griffiths, a senior lecturer in physical geography at Aberystwyth University, said it was important to know how quickly things were changing.
"There are communities living on these coastlines which have to manage and adapt to a changing coast on a yearly basis," he said.
"But there are also important cultural and historically-significant sites right on the coastline which could potentially be under threat from increased stormy conditions in the future as a result of climate change."
The project will also look at how the coast could change over the next 100 years.


A man has appeared in court accused of murdering a woman found dead at her home in Hertfordshire.

Nicola Cross, 37, was stabbed to death at her home in Dunlin Road, Hemel Hempstead on Monday night.
Marcin Porczynski, 23, of Claymore Avenue, appeared at Hatfield Remand Court charged with murder, two counts of kidnap and trespass with intent to inflict GBH.
In a tribute, Mrs Cross was described as "kind, generous and brave".
Mr Porczynski was remanded in custody to appear at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.
Using a Polish interpreter, he spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.
Officers were first called at 22:30 BST after receiving reports a man was acting suspiciously, police said.
They later admitted a man had been spoken to an hour before Mrs Cross's death but they let him go.
Her body was found when police responding to a separate call about a burglary at a neighbouring home heard a disturbance next door.
Hertfordshire Police have referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
A tribute statement issued by police on behalf of her family said: "Our Nikki is the heart and soul of our family.
"She was kind, generous, brave and incredibly talented - the most beautiful person inside and out, Nikki was the perfect wife and the most amazing mummy.
"She installed core belief in our children to never give up and we will continue what she has built, which is a solid loving family who will remember her with undying love."
A 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to burgle has been released on police bail until 24 September.


A former butcher who killed and dismembered a woman in Pontypridd told a barmaid "something disturbing" the week before, a court has heard.

Red-headed Tracey Woodford, 47, was discovered at a flat in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, in April.
Christopher May, 50, denies murder at Cardiff Crown Court.
A barmaid at the pub where the pair met said Mr May told her he "loved redheads" before Ms Woodford's death.
The court has heard Mr May strangled Ms Woodford before cutting up her body and placing her head in an underground storm drain.
She was last seen heading in the general direction of Mr May's flat in Andrew's Court, after the pair met at the town's Skinny Dog pub on 21 April.
Cerys Richards, 19, who works at the pub, said Mr May once came very close to her face before telling her redheads were "perfect people, better than anyone else".
"I thought it was strange, so I backed off and went to the other end of the bar," she said.
"It made me feel uncomfortable at the time. I didn't really want to serve him again after that".
Ms Richards said the week before Ms Woodford went missing, he again struck up conversation with her in the pub.
"He said something disturbing - I didn't like it. He said we (redheads) were good in bed. It was very inappropriate."
She said Mr May's comment was "creepy".
Barry Lee Hayman told the jury Mr May instructed him how to bone meat when they both worked at a butcher's shop 30 years ago.
He said Mr May was "very good" with complicated joints.
Earlier, Michael Elley, who lives below Mr May, told the jury he was woken by a loud bang from Mr May's bedroom above at 02:20 BST on 22 April.
He told the jury the thud was followed by footsteps out of the bedroom into the living room and back.
Mr Elley said he assumed Mr May had "fallen over drunk and then got back up".
He said he did not hear raised voices or the words Mr May claims he said during a verbal spat with Ms Woodford.
Mr May admits causing Ms Woodford's death, but claims he acted in self-defence and lost control during a row.
Prosecutors have "utterly rejected" suggestions they had consensual sex, saying the killing was triggered by a "perverted sexual desire that manifested itself violently".
The trial continues.


Several hundred people - including Poles from across the UK - have gathered for a vigil commemorating a murdered Polish man.

Arkadiusz (Arek) Jozwik, 39, suffered head injuries in an attack in Harlow last Saturday and died on Monday.
Six teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of killing Mr Jozwik.
Co-organiser the Reverend Robert Findlay said Polish people had come to Harlow from places across the UK including Edinburgh, Leeds and London.
The crowd gathered at the scene of the fatal attack outside a pizza takeaway before speeches and prayers and a silent march to a church in the town.
"The purpose of the march is that we meet to honour Arek who has died," the Reverend Findlay said.
"We also pray that our gathering will bring comfort to the family and friends of Arek and beyond that we want to affirm to all Polish citizens that they are welcome here.
"It began as a local vigil but it has expanded nationally."
Polish activist Wiktor Moszczynski travelled to Harlow from London.
"I was obviously shocked by what happened," he said. "I wanted to express my solidarity with the Polish people of Harlow who obviously must be feeling vulnerable at the moment."
He said people of Polish descent - especially children born in the UK - needed to feel secure in the UK.
Food factory worker Augustyn Smolilo, who is from the south of Poland and lives in London, said: "I came to support Arek's family and to show my and our solidarity because that's the tragedy that we must speak about this, we must do something to let other people know that this kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated and we are not going to tolerate this.
"This murder is just an example of things that happen all the time, that Polish people are abused just because of their origin.
"Like everywhere, there are good people and other people who do not respect other nationalities and people who came here to make a living."
Essex Police has warned against labelling the killing of Mr Jozwik as a "hate crime" but has confirmed his nationality was a line of inquiry in its investigation.


The building of a new water park in Rhyl has moved a step closer after plans were submitted to the council.

The Sun Centre was demolished in September to pave way for the regeneration, despite a 300-name petition to save it.
Plans include the building of a new water park, an outside splash pool, sun lounger areas, cafe terraces and a bar.
Denbighshire Council said it would attract 350,000 new visitors a year to Rhyl.
If full planning permission is approved, work will begin in September 2017 and the new facilities will open in early 2019.
The council supported outline proposals for the development of the scheme earlier this year.
As part of the redevelopment Rhyl's skate park and paddling pool will be moved.
The council said it would consult with young people on the design of the park.
Jamie Groves, head of facilities, assets and housing, said the submission of the plans was a "significant milestone" for the development.
"There is a lot of anticipation into how the new water park will look," he said.


A charity has launched a judicial review challenging the NHS's decision not to fund a so-called game-changer drug treatment that can prevent HIV.

The National Aids Trust (NAT) has described the decision as "shameful" and says lives will suffer if the drug known as Prep is not made available.
The NHS says it is up to local authorities to provide the treatment.
Both sides have agree to ask the court for an unusually fast timetable to resolve the issue within 6-8 weeks.
Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily pill that has the ability to reduce the risk of an HIV infection by more than 90%.
It is currently used in America, Canada, Australia and France to help protect the most at risk gay men.
In its legal challenge, the NAT argues it is possible for the NHS to fund preventative treatment through its specialised commissioning. It also argues there is no distinction between Prep and another HIV prevention drug treatment known as PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) which is funded by the NHS.
A statement on the NHS England website said: "As set out in the Local Authorities (Public Health Functions and Entry to Premises by Local Healthwatch Representatives) Regulations 2013, local authorities are the responsible commissioner for HIV prevention services."


Belgium fans have been partying in Cardiff ahead of the crucial European Championship qualifier against Wales.

Supporters were complimentary of the "wonderful" capital city, but they were not happy to swap their native lager for its Welsh counterpart.
Koen Gutschoven from Bruges said: "The lager here has no froth. It's like the pint is dead."
Nicholas Huwairi from Brussels added: "Belgium lager is the best in the world."
The match kicks off at 19:45 BST at Cardiff City Stadium.


Police have released CCTV images of three men they want to trace over a serious assault in the centre of Edinburgh.

A 39-year-old man was attacked at about 03:30 on 24 September 2016 in South Clerk Street.
The victim was knocked to the ground and was seriously injured.
Officers said the men had been seen near the attack and were with two young women. Anyone who recognises them is asked to come forward.
Police Scotland said they were particularly interested in speaking to the man shown in the centre of the image.
He had dark hair and a larger build, was about 5ft 9in tall and was about 18 or 19 years old. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt.
Det Sgt Adam Brown said: "This was an unprovoked assault which resulted in the victim sustaining an injury with a protracted recovery period and has significantly disrupted his daily life since.
"Anyone who recognises any of the males or who witnessed the assault is urged to get in touch as soon as possible."


About 40 hectares of heathland have been destroyed by fire in Surrey.

Crews fought the blaze through the night at Pirbright after the wildfire started on Wednesday afternoon.
Surrey fire service said the blaze covered four hectares when they were called at midday. Within four hours, it had spread across 30 hectares.
BBC reporter Mike Buxton said the heath was mostly Ministry of Defence land, but surrounding areas were also popular with dog walkers who raised the alarm.
The heath is home to species including the silver-studded blue butterfly, slow worms and lizards.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was brought under control on Thursday morning.
James Adler, from Surrey Wildlife Trust, said: "Following a dry winter... it's this time of year where everything starts to catch fire unfortunately."
He said ground nesting birds and some reptiles are unlikely to survive.


Conference Premier side Lincoln City battled to a goalless draw against League Two Plymouth Argyle in the first round of the FA Cup.

Argyle created chances early on, as Reuben Reid had a headed effort from within the six-yard box well saved.
The hosts grew into the tie and went close when Nick Wright saw his effort parried away by Jake Cole.
Luke Young had the best opportunity late on when his dinked ball over the Imps keeper was inches off target.
The replay will take place at Home Park on Wednesday, 20 November.
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Lincoln City manager Gary Simpson told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:
"I think we played okay again. The opportunities that we've had, we just couldn't put away. It was tight and they came into the game late on as we tired a bit in midfield but I think a draw was a fair result.
"Sometimes we fell asleep and didn't pick the runners up but overall we acquitted ourselves quite well. A better ball into the box might have given us some reward but it's another tie and more money in the coffers but we're doing it the hard way."
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Plymouth Argyle manager John Sheridan told BBC Radio Devon:
"We had good possession of the ball, especially in the second half, and I think if we'd used it a lot better, we could possibly have got one or two goals - but I was pleased with the way we played.
"I thought he [on-loan striker Tope Obadeyi] came on and looked sharp and bright. He's very quick and he'll give us that threat in behind, and I thought he did well. He only met up with us last night so full credit to him.
"Our form's not too bad at the moment - we've got to make sure we get through and I'll expect another tough game, but we're at home and I expect us to win."


The vice chancellor of Ulster University (UU) has said demand for modern language learning in Northern Ireland  can be met by further education colleges.

Professor Paddy Nixon was giving evidence to the Stormont Committee for Employment and Learning.
In September, UU said it would close its school of modern languages.
He said the university was "no longer funded to provide the degrees people might like."
Responding to a question from committee chair, UUP MLA Robin Swann, Prof Nixon said that FE colleges could teach languages at the level needed in Northern Ireland.
"The FE provision in languages is actually - particularly when it's about spoken languages as opposed to what a university should be doing, which is a different thing altogether - quite extensive."
"So there is an ability for the system in Northern Ireland to support language provision at the level we need it for business and industry."
"Northern Ireland does retain an ability to train language students, but it won't be provided any longer by Ulster University."
However, he said that there had been no consultation with the FE sector on the decision to close the school of modern languages at UU.
When the school, at the Coleraine campus, closes, UU will no longer offer degrees in French, German, Chinese, Spanish and Applied Languages and Translation.
However, Queen's University in Belfast currently offers undergraduate degrees in French, Irish, Spanish and Portuguese.
Prof Nixon also defended the redundancy process currently taking place at Ulster University.
SDLP MLA, Pat Ramsey, questioned whether the process was actually voluntary.
He said: "There was not an open call through all departments."
"These are specifically aimed and targeted at specific areas, so they're not voluntary redundancies, and staff are a wee bit angered and upset by that."
However, in response, Prof Nixon said he had no plans to change the redundancy procedure to make it open to all staff.
"I don't think that will serve the strategic purpose of the university or result in us being a stronger university to face some of the other challenges that we might face," he said.
In other evidence to the committee, Prof Nixon also said that UU had no current position on whether tuition fees for students should rise.
He suggested that a graduate tax based on ability to pay might be one model for the future, but warned that long-term sustained funding for universities was central.
He also revealed that UU was seeking to treble the number of international students it attracts.


Teenagers in London get better GCSE results than their peers in the rest of the country because of the higher proportion of ethnic minority pupils in the capital, research has found.

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12 November 2014 Last updated at 20:50 GMT
Professor Simon Burgess of Bristol University and head teacher David Boyle give their views on why the city's pupils are doing well to BBC London's Katharine Carpenter.


A dog stolen in Northamptonshire and found four months later in Bristol has settled back in with her family "like she's never been away".

Bella, an English springer spaniel, was taken from outside Tesco in Rothwell in October. CCTV showed a man untying her.
Earlier this week, she was found 130 miles (210km) away in Bristol and reunited with the Osborne family.
Her owner said she was "in very good spirits" but her paw injuries "suggested she had tried to escape".
Sarah and Philip Osborne had been searching for Bella since she was stolen moments after Mr Osborne popped into the shop.
After four months she was spotted by a shopkeeper in Bristol, who took her inside believing her to be a stray.
"A family came in trying to claim her, but the woman refused to hand Bella over because she was cowering under the counter," Mr Osborne said.
Bella was scanned and her microchip led the RSPCA to the Osbornes.
They were reunited with Bella in Bristol on Wednesday.
Back home, Mr Osborne said 48 hours after her ordeal ended, Bella had settled in well, recognised all the old smells and "most bizarrely it's like she's never been away".
However, she needs on-going treatment for several injuries sustained during her time away.
"She had been well-fed, but has sores on her paws where she'd been scratching to get out of wherever she was," Mr Osborne said.
She also has problems with her ears, eyes and gums.
"Bella must have been desperately unhappy.
"She smelt like a farmyard so must have been kept outside which is not what Bella knows," he added.
Mr Osborne took her for her first proper walk on Thursday evening.
"We were swamped by people asking about Bella. It was 45 minutes before we could finish our walk," he said.
"I just want people to know how important it is to microchip your pets. The chip is the be-all and end-all."
Northamptonshire and Bristol Police are investigating.


Chelsea captain Gary Cahill and top scorer Diego Costa are among the players likely to be recalled after Antonio Conte made nine changes for Monday's win over Watford.

John Terry could made his 717th appearance for the Blues in his last game at Stamford Bridge as a player.
Relegated Sunderland will be without 11 injured players.
Defender Lamine Kone and midfielder Didier Ndong are the latest absentees because of dead legs.
Jonathan Pearce: "It's party time for Chelsea but a Sunderland wake. Two clubs hurtling in opposite directions.
"I'm convinced Antonio Conte will stay to empower a decent Champions League campaign.
"He deserves the Manager of the Year title for reinvigorating the club, bringing the best out of players who had sagged under Jose Mourinho, reinvented others and buying successfully.
"Diego Costa will probably be sold, £100m or more of new signings brought in and Conte will succeed again.
"Sunderland's future looks gloomy. Jordan Pickford and Jermain Defoe will surely go. There's not enough quality or character in the squad to come straight back up for fans who deserve far better."
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte on the extent of John Terry's involvement on Sunday: "John is a champion and he deserves the best.
"He's a legend for this club and in this season he has been very important to win this title.
"For this reason I think I have to take my time and to make the best decision for him."
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "We've had a tough year but we'll dust ourselves down, get ready to go again.
"Sunderland will carry big expectations and they could arguably be the biggest club in the Championship next year.
"I think we have a core here and we need to keep those players. We need to find a way of adding players who have quality."
Whatever team Antonio Conte picks, I don't think Sunderland will be able to stop the Blues from finishing their title-winning campaign on a high note.
Prediction: 3-0
Lawro's full predictions v rock band Royal Blood
Head-to-head
Chelsea
Sunderland
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.


Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney says he has "more or less" decided his future at the club.

The 31-year-old has played a bit-part role for United this season, coming on as a last-minute substitute in the Europa League final triumph over Ajax.
"There's lots of offers on the table, both in England and abroad," he said.
But United's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals said he would only move to former club Everton if he stayed in the Premier League.
It is understood Rooney does not want the issue to drag on until the final day of the transfer window on 31 August, and he will go away with his family to discuss and decide on his next course of action.
Rooney has ruled out playing for any other Premier League side apart from Everton, while Toffees manager Ronald Koeman and director of football Steve Walsh have both said publicly this season they would be interested in the player should he become available.
Rooney joined the Old Trafford club for £27m in 2004 and has gone on to play more than 550 games, breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's 44-year goalscoring record this season.
But he has only started 15 league games this term and failed to play in the EFL Cup final victory over Southampton at Wembley.
He is also England's all-time leading scorer with 53 goals, but has been left out of Gareth Southgate's latest squad for the World Cup qualifier against Scotland on 10 June and the friendly against France three days later.
"Of course you want to play," said Rooney. "You want to be on the pitch. I think a younger me would have been a lot more frustrated. I think I understand what's right and what's needed for the club, and I respect that.
"Obviously I am happy to be part of that [Europa League win] and in some way help the club win trophies, and that is the way it's been over the last 18 months and last year.
"That is a decision I have to make now, whether I want to continue doing that or go on and play more regular football."
BBC Sport's Simon Stone looks at the player's options:
As with John Terry at Chelsea, Rooney appears to have slowly been eased out of the first-team, without there being one single pressure point that signalled a change in Mourinho's thinking.
It felt like a poignant moment when Rooney waved to both ends of Old Trafford as he was given a standing ovation after being substituted two minutes from the end of Manchester United's final game of the Premier League season on Saturday.
Then, on an emotional night in Stockholm, he came on as a 90th-minute substitute to rapturous applause and was front and centre in the celebrations that followed United's Europa League final victory over Ajax. Was this really a final goodbye for the club's record goalscorer?
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Rooney announced in August 2016 that the 2018 World Cup would be his last international tournament - England are well placed to qualify, being four points clear at the top of the group having played half of their 10 games.
Already England's highest goalscorer, with 53, and most-capped outfield player with 119, if Rooney can force his way back into Southgate's plans for the finals in Russia, he would almost certainly eclipse Peter Shilton's overall record of 125 appearances.
In addition, he would become the first England international to have played at four World Cups and the first to have played in seven major tournaments.
Rooney is aware of the milestone and, having committed so much time to his England career since making his debut against Australia in February 2003, it would not be dismissed lightly.
But, after Southgate did not pick Rooney for the World Cup qualifier with Slovenia in October, he dropped the striker altogether for the matches against Lithuania and Germany in March.
So does this latest omission now take the England dimension out of Rooney's thinking altogether?
Rooney remains available for England and does not feel he has a right to be picked. And the international door cannot be regarded as completely closed yet.
Rooney only played one game between 1 February and 1 April because of injury. And Southgate has already shown that age is no barrier - he picked striker Jermain Defoe, who is three years older than the Manchester United man and had not played for England since November 2013, back in March.
Evidently, to be considered for selection, Rooney must be playing regularly and in form - according to Southgate, certainly more than just five starts in games with little at stake but pride.
It is also worth noting that the only player to play for England whilst being at a club outside Europe is David Beckham, who played 14 times between August 2007 and October 2009 while being at Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy and a further five times in 2009 when on loan from the Galaxy to AC Milan.
Beckham never played in a major tournament during his time with the Galaxy as England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and he was ruled out of the 2010 World Cup after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
At the start of the season, United boss Jose Mourinho talked up Rooney as "my man", saying "the best is yet to come" from his captain. And immediately after the Ajax victory Mourinho was still insisting he would be "happy" for a "very important" Rooney to stay next season.
Rooney, 31, finished the campaign with a run of five Premier League starts - yet this was the first time since the very start of the season.
And that run of games came with Mourinho calling them "just matches we do not want to play" as he publically prioritised the Europa League campaign.
Before the Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo at Old Trafford, it was interesting to see Rooney appear at the press conference.
Both club and player knew he would be asked about his future at United, with each side knowing the answer needed to be a political one to avoid the potential for negative headlines.
Rooney's answers were largely neutral. When pushed, he did say his preference would be to stay at United and play for them, but, under the circumstances, it would be difficult for him to suggest anything else.
Rooney accepts he is not going to start every game and moving on is not straightforward. It would be a wrench for him to leave a club he joined as a teenager in 2004.
He still has two seasons left on a contract worth £13m-a-year - which is difficult to see any club outside the top six in England matching, or even getting close.
Other than Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the same is also true on mainland Europe, while in the US - another suggested destination - the highest paid player in Major League Soccer is Brazilian forward Kaka, who earns $7.167m (£5.51m).
That's less of an issue for clubs in the Chinese Super League - according to documents released recently by Football Leaks, Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi is the game's biggest earner, on a wage of £798,000-a-week - £41.5m-a-year - at Hebei China Fortune. But even Chinese clubs are starting to reign in their spending.
From those figures, any move away from Old Trafford for Rooney, other than to China, could get complicated and raise the potential for United having to pay part of his contract to make a deal financially viable.
Rooney's long-time adviser Paul Stretford held talks with Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian earlier in the season.
He travelled to China, where he has business interests through his Red Lantern digital media company, which has an office in Beijing, to see if he could complete a transfer prior to the Chinese Super League transfer deadline closing on 28 February.
Nothing could be concluded, but it is understood interest in signing Rooney in China is strong due to his high-profile and huge commercial value.
Chinese Super League clubs are allowed to pick three overseas players in their matchday squads, although they are allowed to sign four.
Currently, the only two clubs who do not have four overseas players are Jiangsu Suning, who have the same owners as Inter Milan, and Liaoning Whowin.
Is this realistic though for both parties? Rooney would potentially be the only Englishman in the league, far from home and China is introducing new rules discouraging spending on high-profile stars when their summer transfer window opens on 19 June.
Though they live in an exclusive part of Cheshire, Rooney and wife Coleen retain strong links to their Liverpool roots.
Their three children were born in the city, both sets of parents and extended family still live there. Leaving, undoubtedly, would be a wrench.
The MLS has worked for former England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, as well as Ashley Cole, who still plays for LA Galaxy. Former United team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger is playing well for Chicago Fire, although the money is a lot less.
There are eight MLS teams who currently have space in their three-man 'Designated Player' roster.
Galaxy, whose big spending included the arrival of David Beckham, were prepared to make changes to their squad during the summer transfer window so they could sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Manchester United and make him the highest-paid player in MLS history.
However, it is understood they have no interest in signing Rooney as an alternative to the Swede, who will miss the remainder of the year after rupturing cruciate ligaments.
In June 2016, when Rooney announced a planned testimonial against his only other professional club - and the one he supported as a boy - Everton, Rooney made a significant statement.
He said: "Manchester United and Everton are the only clubs I have played for as a professional footballer. I am happy to say now that, whatever may happen in the future, I will never play for another Premier League club."
Rooney has never gone back on those words - and there has been no indication from anyone close to him that the position has changed.
But if he was drafting a testimonial statement now, would it be so definitive?
When he issued the statement, Rooney had come back from injury to start United's final eight games of the season, including the FA Cup final and semi-final, and was about to captain England at Euro 2016.
At that point there was no reason to believe he would be looking at moving - to Everton or anywhere else - until after the 2018 World Cup at the earliest.
Mourinho has said of Rooney, and other players, that he would not prevent him leaving United if that was what he wanted.
In February, manager Ronald Koeman said Rooney "would be welcome" at Everton.
Rooney remains one of the most marketable players in the game and his presence at Goodison Park would help open commercial doors Everton's ambitious owner Farhad Moshiri knows would be useful in his attempts to gatecrash the current top six.
Equally though, Koeman may not see the same value in signing a player who will be 32 in October and has been through so many demanding seasons at the highest level for club and country since making the last of his 77 Everton appearances against Manchester City in May 2004.
By sticking with his 'no-one but United and Everton in the Premier League' stance, Rooney would be closing off the likes of West Ham, West Brom and Stoke who have either bought experienced players to further their cause in the past, or have managers who are adept at doing so.
"I've got decisions to make now over the next few weeks, have a word with my family, and then I'll decide," Rooney said in the aftermath of Wednesday's Europa League final. "I think I just have to make a decision in terms of a football decision, and that's what I'll do."


East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has overspent by almost £9m so far this financial year.

Latest figures released by EMAS reveal it has a £8.74m deficit - 20 times higher than predicted.
The NHS Trust Development Authority, which monitors trusts, said it was working closely with the service to help address financial pressures.
EMAS said it has spent more on extra vehicles, staff, training and overtime payments.
It had predicted an overspend of about £500,000 at the start of the year.
The money problems at EMAS are getting worse.
One of the biggest problems is handover delays to A&E because they're too busy to accept patients straight away.
So far this year, more than 10,000 patients have had to wait more than an hour and because the ambulance service gets paid for each patient it takes to hospital, they are losing out.
Also the NHS would like to treat more people at home, but of course it is a financial disincentive.
Our busiest A&E department at Leicester Royal Infirmary is trying to sort it out, but I don't think there's any quick fix.
EMAS claims it is owed £2.6m in compensation for the handover delays, which has contributed to the overspend.
The deficit could rise as demand for the emergency service traditionally increases in January and February.
Richard Wheeler, director of finance of EMAS, said: "The challenges we face come with an increase in cost, including cost of training and upskilling our frontline staff, given the national shortage in paramedics.
"[Also an] increased cost in providing additional staff and vehicles to cover for staff delayed at hospitals, and also extra payments for shifts which don't finish on time.
"Our five-year business plan... will contribute financially and to future sustainability.
"We will not do anything that will impact negatively on patient safety or care," he added.
A spokesperson for the NHS Trust Development Authority said: "It is a challenging time... and [we] are working closely with EMAS to help them address ongoing pressures around finances."


Widnes Vikings second row Chris Houston has signed a new contract, keeping him with the Super League club until the end of the 2018 season.

The 32-year-old has played 49 games since joining from National Rugby League side Newcastle Knights in 2016.
"Although we have had a tough year, I am confident that we will be able to perform at a high standard for the remainder of season," Houston said.
"I've enjoyed my time here and am excited for what we can achieve."


An inquiry is under way after a man's body was pulled from the River Avon in the centre of Bristol, police said.

The body of the man, who was in his 20s, was recovered by police divers near Welsh Back on Saturday.
Police said a member of the public reported seeing the man in the water at 12.30 GMT and went into the river to try to rescue him.
They have asked anyone who saw the man go into the river to contact them. The body has not been formally identified.
Insp Shaun Finn said: "The water at this time of year can be icy cold and can be very dangerous to even the young and fit.
"The cold water can really shock the body in a matter of seconds making it extremely difficult to swim or stay afloat.
"While trips and falls might happen, we'd strongly advise anyone against deliberately going in the water as what might seem like a harmless dip can go horribly wrong very quickly."


A Neolithic Orkney burial cairn is to stay open to the public thanks to a shuttle bus service aimed at addressing road safety concerns.

Concerns had been raised over the car park at Maeshowe.
Historic Environment Scotland said a shuttle bus service was being introduced from Thursday from the visitor centre at Skara Brae, allowing three tours a day.
The agency said work to find a long-term solution was ongoing.


People with dementia who exercise improve their thinking abilities and everyday life, a body of medical research concludes.

The Cochrane Collaboration carried out a systematic review of eight exercise trials involving more than 300 patients living at home or in care.
Exercise did little for patients' moods, the  research concluded.
But it did help them carry out daily activities such as rising from a chair, and boosted their cognitive skills.
Whether these benefits improve quality of life is still unclear, but the study authors say the findings are reason for optimism.
Dementia affects some 800,000 people in the UK. And the number of people with the condition is steadily increasing because people are living longer.
It is estimated that by 2021, the number of people with dementia in the UK will have increased to around one million.
With no cure, ways to improve the lives of those living with the condition are vital.
Researcher Dorothy Forbes, of the University of Alberta, and colleagues who carried out the Cochrane review, said: "Clearly, further research is needed to be able to develop best practice guidelines to enable healthcare providers to advise people with dementia living at home or in institutions.
"We also need to understand what level and intensity of exercise is beneficial for someone with dementia."
Dr Laura Phipps of Alzheimer's Research UK said: "We do know that exercise is an important part of keeping healthy, and though we can't say that exercise will prevent dementia, evidence does suggest it can help reduce the risk of the condition as part of a healthy lifestyle."


Sunderland have agreed to sign Wigan midfielder Jordi Gomez on a three-year contract from 1 July.

The Spaniard's contract expires this summer and the 29-year-old will join the Black Cats as a free agent.
Gomez joined Wigan from Espanyol in 2009 after working with Latics boss Roberto Martinez on loan at Swansea.
He scored 11 goals last season, including penalties in the 2-1 FA Cup win at Manchester City and the semi-final defeat against Arsenal.


More than 100 people gathered to celebrate the life of a "wonderful" man who was killed in an attack outside a takeaway.

Arek Jozwik, 39, who was originally from Poland, died from head injuries from the attack in Harlow on 27 August.
Essex Police said they believed he was knocked to the floor by a single punch outside the TGF Pizza and Mr Luigi's in The Stow.
His ashes were buried at Parndon Wood Crematorium in Harlow.
Read more on this and other Essex stories
Leading the prayers in Polish and English, Father Bogdan Kot, a priest at Harlow's Catholic Church, said: "We gather together to pray and ask why?
"Why God allowed this to happen? Whatever the cause God will bring good out of it, if we let him."
Mr Jozwik was cremated on Thursday at a private service.
His ashes were buried on Friday at a memorial service attended by friends and family.
Speaking at the service, his friend Eric Hind said: "Arek was a wonderful man and even better friend.
"We loved the same video games, we watched the same TV shows.
"He was one of the few people I've met who actually cared, he was a true friend.
"Let's all think back how Arek touched our lives. We should all be thankful we were given chance to know a man called Arek."
Mr Jozwik was taken Addenbrooke's Hospital after the attack where he was pronounced dead.
Six teenagers have been arrested and released on police bail as part of a murder inquiry.
In the aftermath of his death, more than 1,000 people - including Poles from across the UK - gathered for a vigil in Harlow.


Prosecutors have ordered an independent investigation after a 58-year-old woman apparently set herself on fire at a police station in West Dunbartonshire.

The woman suffered serious burns in the incident in the reception area of Clydebank police station, in the town's Montrose Street, on 7 January.
She is still being treated for her injuries at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner will look at the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report into the findings of the investigation will then be submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Meanwhile, officials at West Dunbartonshire Council are carrying out their own inquiry as the woman is known to have been in touch with council services in the hours before she went to the police station.


Swansea council has approved controversial plans for a new £6m primary school in Gorseinon.

The plans will unite three existing sites with ageing buildings into a new building at Parc Y Werin.
Many Gorseinon residents have opposed the new school being built there.
"We've handed petitions into the Senedd and Swansea City Council, with well over 3,000 signatures", said former Welsh international footballer Leighton James, who grew up using the park.
Local residents claim that the park is the only public open space with sports pitches in the town.
About 6.5% of the park will be covered by the new building, with new pitches being created for the school set to be available for community use, the planning committee was told.
The plans were narrowly passed by the planning committee, with 6 in favour and 5 against.
"This has never been about losing Parc y Werin because the park is not being lost," said Rob Stewart, council leader.
"The new school will help protect and enhance the park and provide additional benefits for the whole community for play, recreation and sport."


George Osborne has warned the standoff between Greece and the eurozone "is fast becoming the biggest risk to the global economy".

The chancellor was speaking after his meeting with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis on Monday.
He urged Mr Varoufakis "to act responsibly" in any bailout negotiations with Europe.
Mr Osborne added the standoff presented "a rising threat to our economy at home".
But the chancellor said the the eurozone must also come up with "a better plan for jobs and growth".
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Osborne said he welcomed the opportunity to "discuss face-to-face with Yanis Varoufakis the stability of the European economy and how to boost its growth".
Greece's finance minister is seeking to renegotiate Greece's huge debt obligation in the face of opposition from Germany, Europe's largest economy and Greece's biggest creditor.
The economist-turned-finance minister, who is on a tour of European capitals, says his priority is the well-being of all Europeans and has ruled out accepting more bailout cash.
After talks with his French counterpart over the weekend, Mr Varoufakis said a new debt deal was needed within months.
French Finance Minister Michel Sapin said his country was ready to help Greece settle with its creditors.
Mr Varoufakis is to travel to Rome next on his trip around Europe's capitals and financial hubs.
His comments follow remarks on Saturday by new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who said he was confident Greece could reach a deal with creditors.
Greece's anti-austerity Syriza party won last month's general election with a pledge to write off half the country's debt.
Greece still has a debt of €323bn - about 175% of gross domestic product - despite some creditors writing down debts in a renegotiation in 2012.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out debt cancellation, saying creditors had already made concessions.
Austerity measures imposed in an effort to manage the debt have prompted outrage in Greece and led voters to reject the previous government.
The European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank - the so-called "troika" - agreed a €240bn (£179bn) bailout with the previous Greek government.
Greece's current programme of loans ends on 28 February.  A final bailout tranche of €7.2bn was still to be negotiated but the new government has already begun to roll back austerity measures, including the cancellation of the previous government's programme of privatisations.


Several BBC Twitter accounts, including its weather, Arabic and Radio Ulster feeds were  hijacked by a group calling itself Syrian Electronic Army earlier.

A series of tweets about fake weather conditions in Middle Eastern countries began appearing on Thursday afternoon.
The accounts are the latest in a series of large corporate Twitter feeds to have been breached.
The BBC said that it now has control of all three accounts and all inappropriate content has been deleted.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We apologise to our audiences that this unacceptable material appeared under the BBC's name."
The attacks began in the early afternoon on Thursday. At the same time, BBC staff were alerted to a phishing email that had been sent to some BBC email accounts. It is not yet clear if the two are related.
The email contained a link that if clicked on could expose password details.
The BBC weather Twitter feed, which has 60,000 followers, was among those affected.
Alongside the standard tweets from the weather feed such as "'last night was chilly" some more bizarre comments began emerging.
They included: "Saudi weather station down due to head-on collision with camel."
Another read: "Chaotic weather forecast for Lebanon as the government decides to distance itself from the Milky Way."
The group claiming responsibility has previously spread messages in support of Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad.
The BBC's Arabic and Radio Ulster feeds were also affected.
Faris Couri, BBC Arabic's editor-in-chief said in a statement: "Today at around 11.00GMT, BBC Arabic's twitter account @BBCArabicOnline was hacked. Since then, several pro-Assad news tweets were published by the account.
"We strongly condemn such action and apologise to our audiences," he said.
The attacks on the BBC are the latest in a series of hacks on high-profile Twitter accounts.
Last month Burger King and Chrysler saw their Twitter feeds hijacked while a quarter of a million Twitter users had their passwords stolen.
"The BBC is an obvious place to attack as it a trusted brand and so anyone who wishes to broadcast a message can reach a audience that are likely to pay attention, certainly initially," said Prof Alan Woodward from the department of computing at the University of Surrey.
"The most likely source of the hack is via social engineering - someone managing to elicit the password by fooling the user who keeps the password," he added.
Increasingly experts are now calling for Twitter to step up security and offer two-factor authentication, essentially a disposable, single-use password for its users.
Writing about the hack on his blog, security consultant Graham Cluley said it was unclear how the password had been cracked.
"The good news is that the hack doesn't appear to have been done with the intention of spreading malicious links or scams. Instead, it appears that the Syrian Electronic Army are trying to spread political messages about Syria instead," he said.
"You should always use hard-to-guess, hard-to-crack, unique passwords for your online accounts that you are not using anywhere else on the web."


Hundreds of people have attended a vigil for a man who police said was murdered in a "sustained and vicious assault" in Belfast at the weekend.

Christopher Meli died after he was attacked by a gang of youths.  He was discovered on Saturday near houses at Glasvey Close in the Twinbrook estate.
A post mortem examination revealed he died of multiple head injuries after being kicked and punched.
Police are continuing to question five teenagers about the killing.
Two men aged 18 and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on Saturday, while two teenage males aged 17 and 18 were arrested on Sunday.
The Meli family was joined by friends and supporters for the vigil on the Springfield Road on Monday night.
Candles were lit and prayers were said in memory of the father of one.
In a press conference earlier, the police office leading the murder inquiry, Det Ch Insp Richard Campbell, said a "picture is starting to emerge of what happened".
"At this stage I believe that Christopher was one of a group of four people, when he was set upon by a number of individuals from a much larger group," he added.
"There appears to have been an initial incident on the Stewartstown Road before the attack on Christopher in an area known locally as Doc's Lane. Christopher became separated from his friends and he was fatally assaulted at the location where his body was found.
"Some of those people who were in that larger group may not have been involved in the attack on Christopher, nor may they have anticipated the outcome of the attack."
Appealing for those people to contact police, he said: "Come to us before we come to you.
"Anyone who was involved in the attack on Christopher should understand that they will be identified and it is in their interests to come forward now, voluntarily and with a solicitor if necessary, so that their role can be properly established."
Mr Meli's mother, Vanessa Burke, said her son was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
She said that when she went to the scene to be told her son was dead, she "just lost it completely".
"I couldn't believe it was him. I can't even explain what they've done," she said.
"As far as I know Christopher's got marks all over his body. I believe that Christopher died a very violent death."
She said that after finding out about Christopher's death she wanted to go and hold his son, two-year-old Kyle Christopher, to feel a connection with him.
"Coming down on the way home, I said to Christy [Christopher's father] I need to go see my grandson, I needed to be around my grandson, I just needed to hold him, because it was about as close as I was going to get to Christopher," Ms Burke said.
Christopher's father, Christopher Snr, said his son was never involved in any trouble.
"He wasn't into drugs, none of that, there was none of that around this house," Mr Meli said
"He was also doing his driving lessons, he had passed his theory -  he had a wee car outside there ready for when he passed his test and he couldn't wait to get that wee car on the road to go to work and all.
"It's like now where are we?"


Sue Gilroy must have thought her table tennis career was over when, as a 15-year-old, she was forced to retire from the sport with a condition that causes her joints to dislocate dozens of times a day.

Gilroy has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a degenerative muscle and ligament disease, as well as fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome. Her right wrist had to be fused because of constant dislocations, and she has limited use of her right shoulder.
Is it hard to imagine, then, how the girl who dreamed of becoming a sportswoman would have felt when in her late teens she was told an operation to cure the dislocations in her knees had failed and she would spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair.
Gilroy was also told to leave university - completing a maths and biology degree in a wheelchair was deemed a hazard - seemingly ending her dreams of becoming a schoolteacher.
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But by her early 20s she rediscovered that steely determination to make it as a sports star, and after toying with the idea of taking up archery or shooting, it was table tennis that caught Gilroy's eye. She was catching the eye too - that of a GB talent-spotter in fact, and with it the chance to realise her dreams.
On Monday, more than three decades since she began playing the sport, Gilroy is hoping to win her first Paralympic medal in five attempts. The 43-year-old faces Serbia's Nada Matic for the bronze medal Rio.
Gilroy is no stranger to success - she has two Commonwealth gold medals, was a European champion in 2005 and even won a continental silver while seven and half months pregnant in 2003 - but a podium place at the Paralympics has so far proved elusive.
It's not just through table tennis that Gilroy has been recognised either - her services to the sport and her efforts working with a number of charities have earned the ParalympicsGB stalwart an MBE, as well as an honorary doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University.
Oh, and if juggling all those honours isn't enough for the 21-time national champion, Gilroy now couples her successful wheelchair table tennis career with another one of her childhood aspirations.
It turns out the wheelchair wasn't a 'hazard' after all for this GB star, who is a full-time primary school teacher in her home town of Barnsley.
How did she do? Unfortunately, the wait for a Paralympic medal goes on for Sue Gilroy, who lost 3-2 in the bronze medal match despite leading Serbia's Nada Matic 2-0 at one stage.


More Welsh dramas should become bilingual, the director of Hinterland has said.

Ed Thomas has encouraged more programmes to use both Welsh and English to reflect life across Wales.
Hinterland will broadcast its third bilingual season on 5 April, after the Welsh-language version Y Gwyll was shown on S4C last year.
He said the use of both languages in Hinterland represented the "Wales that we are familiar with".
The award-winning drama, filmed in Ceredigion, was originally an experiment to test programmes featuring both Welsh and English.
He said: "It's really worked and I think more people will do that this year - which is a good thing."
"There is definitely a place for showing and dramatising the reality of how we speak in Wales," he added.
"We have a fragile identity here in this old country of Wales, so if bilingualism makes that last longer, [it is a] good thing."