The Quartet of Middle East negotiators has urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within one month and aim for a deal by the end of 2012.

The Quartet - the EU, UN, US, Russia - acted after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas submitted his bid to the UN for the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010.
The Palestinians walked out in protest at the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN the core of the conflict was not settlements but the refusal of the Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state.
"Within a month there will be a preparatory meeting between the parties to agree an agenda and method of proceeding in the negotiation," a Quartet statement said.
"At that meeting there will be a commitment by both sides that the objective of any negotiation is to reach an agreement within a timeframe agreed to by the parties but not longer than the end of 2012."
Q&A: Palestinians' UN statehood plans
Palestinian request
Why Obama has turned towards Israel
The Quartet said that both Israel and the Palestinians should then produce "comprehensive proposals within three months on territory and security," and "substantial progress" should be achieved within six months.
An international conference to fine-tune all outstanding issues would be held in Moscow "at an appropriate time," the Middle East negotiators added.
They said that Israeli and Palestinian leaders were now studying the Quartet proposals.
EU foreign policy chief Baroness (Catherine) Ashton said she hoped both sides would react positively to the plan.
"If ever there was a time to resolve this conflict, it is now," Lady Ashton said.
"It is now because Israel worries about its security, because the people of Palestine have waited long for their country."
The Quartet unveiled its proposals shortly after Mr Abbas formally submitted the request for a Palestinian state to become a full member of the UN.
Addressing the General Assembly in New York, he urged the Security Council to back a state with pre-1967 borders.
"I call upon the distinguished members of the Security Council to vote in favour of our full membership," Mr Abbas told the General Assembly, in what was for him an unusually impassioned speech.
"I also appeal to the states that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to do so," Mr Abbas said.
"The time has come for my courageous and proud people, after decades of displacement and colonial occupation and ceaseless suffering, to live like other peoples of the earth, free in a sovereign and independent homeland," he said.
He added that he hoped for swift backing. Many delegates gave him a standing ovation, and some were clapping and even whistling in support.
Hours after receiving it, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon transmitted the Palestinian request to the Security Council.
Nawaf Salam, Lebanon's ambassador to the UN and the current Security Council president, said the application would be discussed on Monday.
In order to pass, it would need the backing of nine out of 15 council members, with no vetoes from the permanent members, but it could take weeks to reach a vote.
Currently the Palestinians have observer status at the UN.
Israel and the US say a Palestinian state can only be achieved through talks with Israel - not through UN resolutions.
"I continue to hope that President Abbas will be my partner in peace," Mr Netanyahu said in his speech at the General Assembly.
"Let's meet here today in the United Nations. Who's there to stop us?" he added.
President Barack Obama told Mr Abbas earlier this week that the US would use its UN Security Council veto to block the Palestinian bid.
BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says this is significant because the Palestinians may yet apply to the General Assembly for enhanced status if their Security Council bid fails.
A spokesman for the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, criticised Mr Abbas' speech.
Salah Bardawil said Mr Abbas had deviated from the aspirations of the Palestinian people by accepting the 1967 borders, which he said left 80% of Palestinian land inside Israel.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, crowds roared their approval as Mr Abbas demanded UN acceptance of a Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders.
"With our souls, with our blood, we will defend Palestine," they said.


Concerns have been raised that a charity boss may not have accounted for thousands of pounds intended for children with cancer.

Kids 'n' Cancer's assets were frozen last month after Mike Hyman was arrested on suspicion of theft.
The BBC has learned of claims he made unexplained withdrawals of up to £5,000 and falsely took credit for funding the treatment of at least two children.
Mr Hyman denied wrongdoing and said he could not comment while on police bail.
Mike Hyman, 69, is founder, trustee and salaried CEO of the Chesterfield-based charity.
Since starting in 2010 it has raised more than £2m for proton therapy, a radiation treatment currently not available in the UK and only in some cases funded by the NHS.
But some transactions have caused concern.
Speaking to Inside Out, the charity's former bookkeeper, Bill Wilson, said a £5,000 withdrawal in 2014 particularly stuck out.
"There was no paperwork to support it, no receipts or anything and £5,000 is the limit of what the Kids 'n' Cancer debit card can take out of an ATM.
"I was told it was a cash grant to two ladies who did not have bank accounts".
The women, Nadine Wilson and Ros Barnes from Leicestershire, who had bank accounts, were taking a child to the US for treatment but both denied ever having received that sum.
Ms Barnes is also the mother of Alex Barnes, who had successful proton treatment in 2008, and his case featured prominently in the charity's publicity.
She said: "I received zero money from Kids 'n' Cancer for Alex's treatment because it didn't exist then.
"I was originally happy for Alex to be the 'poster boy' for the charity because we believe in the treatment and we believed in the charity.
"But it was the people of the East Midlands that donated the money that saved my son."
Brandon Bell also features in Kids 'n' Cancer fundraising efforts but the £200,000 to send him to the US was also  raised before the charity was set up.
The BBC requested a list of the 13 children Mr Hyman claims to have fully funded for foreign proton therapy treatment.  Kids 'n' Cancer has not provided this.
Mr Wilson has also told the BBC Mr Hyman took frequent charity-funded trips to the US and on one flight he spent £700 without providing receipts.
Accounts also show thousands spent on tickets to the Royal Variety performance, £2,750 in cash withdrawals during the summer of 2015 and a £800 cheque to Mrs June Hyman signed by the couple themselves.
A letter from the Charity Commission to Kids 'n' Cancer's solicitors dated September 2015 detailed concern about "inadequate financial controls which fail to protect the charity's assets".
In a statement via his solicitors Mr Hyman said: "Our client makes it clear that he denies any wrongdoing and will be able to make a full explanation in respect of all questions but not at this time due to the ongoing police investigation."
This story will be broadcast on Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshshire at 19:30 BST on 31 March.


When 34-year-old Kwok Law fell off his skateboard while hurtling down a hill, he could feel his front teeth breaking as his face hit the road.

He was patched up at A&E before being referred to a dentist at King's College Hospital, who recommended dental implants.
"I hadn't heard of them. I thought I'd end up wearing dentures for the rest of my life to replace the three front teeth I'd lost."
Instead, he had two screws drilled through his gum and into the jaw bone and, several months later, three replacement porcelain teeth were attached to them.
Two years on and Kwok is very happy with his new look and confident smile.
"They get better as time goes on. I can eat everything I want. They're fantastic and really sturdy."
But dental experts are warning that if implants are not looked after carefully, the story may not have such a happy ending.
Around 10,000 implant procedures are performed in the lower jaw each year in the UK, the majority in people over 65. Most procedures are carried out privately and can be expensive, costing around Â£1,000 per tooth.
Although implants are a growing industry, they are still far from being commonplace.
Dr Aws Alani, consultant in restorative dentistry at King's College Hospital, says implants have been a very successful innovation over the last 30 years. But he says patients are often not aware how to maintain them - and that can cause problems.
He is seeing more cases of peri-implantitis, a bacterial infection around the implant that results in inflammation of the gums and, in the worst cases, can lead to bone loss in the jaw itself.
Dr Alani has written about his findings in the British Dental Journal.
"There is an attitude that implants are indestructible, but that's not the reality.
"The majority of cases are successful as long as patients are told how to care for their new teeth.
"Most importantly, we want them to quit smoking and improve their oral hygiene," Dr Alani says.
And, he adds, patients should go for regular check-ups.
Those at high risk of developing gum disease are those who don't clean their teeth regularly, smokers and patients who already have gum disease.
If an infection is allowed to take hold around an implant inserted in the gum, the jaw bone around the implant can also become affected and begin to waste away.
Over time, this can reduce support for the implant.
It is inserted through the gum and into the jaw bone to support replacement teeth.
Implants are a substitute for a natural tooth root. They are made of titanium and are normally screw or cylinder-shaped.
Once in place, and after the gum has healed, an internal screw or post is placed into the implant.
This allows false teeth, crowns and dentures to be fitted.
Draegon Ismael, 40, originally from Tennessee, knows how it feels to have peri-implantitis.
He had implants inserted in 2007 in the US, several years after a serious car accident knocked out a number of his upper and lower teeth.
Now living in London, he has serious problems with his implants which he puts down to the fact that too many of his own teeth were removed at the time.
He also admits to not paying enough attention to the cleanliness of his teeth.
"They didn't tell me the best way to take care of them. I didn't know I had to go for cleanings.
"I thought implants were going to be a fix-all but they filed down too much bone and now the implants are starting to show through.
"Sooner or later they are going to fall out."
He regularly gets painful infections in his gums and he says his teeth have begun to separate.
Draegon was seen at King's College Hospital because of the acute nature of his problem, but his long-term treatment will need to be managed by a private dentist.
This is true for any patient who has had implants fitted abroad.
His options are limited because of the amount of jaw bone he has lost and this has left him feeling very stressed.
"I am a positive person, but at the moment, I wish I'd never gone ahead with the treatment," he says.
"People need to do a lot more research about them, and understand the risks. That includes knowing that, however good implants are, they are likely to fail at some point."
The message, according to Philip Friel, from the Association of Dental Implantology, is very simple.
Implants are no different from natural teeth and roots. They must be kept clean and maintained regularly.
"If you see any inflammation of the gums or any deterioration of the implant, then tell your dentist.
"It can be resolved, but if it isn't identified, it can progress and lead to bone loss - and that's permanent."
Kwok Law knows exactly what he needs to do to make sure his implants last a long time.
He was told to brush his teeth at least twice a day, floss regularly and use mouthwash - something he has adhered to.
"When brushing, you're only cleaning the surface of the teeth, but the problems come around the gums."
"Gum disease is the worst thing that could happen for me now."


Essex have named Ryan ten Doeschate as their new Championship captain and Ravi Bopara as limited-overs skipper.

Ten Doeschate, 35, steps up from one-day captain to replace James Foster, who held the role for five years.
England all-rounder Bopara, 30, has been with Essex since 2002.
"I personally think Ryan will make a really good four-day captain. I believe he has the skills and determination to drive us forward," head coach Chris Silverwood told BBC Essex.
All-rounder ten Doeschate, who has been with Essex since 2003 has scored 7,638 first-class runs at an average of 47.14 and taken 195 wickets, as well as appearing 33 one-day internationals and nine &20 matches for the Netherlands
"We've seen he's a cool head out on the field and tactically he's very good," said Silverwood.
"That's the sort of quality we need if we're looking at not just getting out of Division Two, but competing in Division One and ultimately winning Division One, and I think he's got the skills to take us there."
Meanwhile, Bopara, whose last England appearance was in a one-day international against Afghanistan in March last year, is expected to try to play in the Indian Premier League this year, but this will not have a major impact on his Essex role.
Silverwood added: "Ravi wants to be a captain. He's reached the stage of his life where he wants to be a leader on the field and that's exactly what he's going to get the opportunity to do.
"He is [putting himself up for IPL auction], there's a possibility he'll miss a couple of games but we've go to live with that - that's the modern age of cricket."


England and Wales are set to have "a little war" over Liverpool teenager Ben Woodburn, former Reds boss and Wales assistant Roy Evans says.

The striker became Liverpool's youngest scorer at 17 years and 45 days in their 2-0 win over Leeds United on Tuesday.
Ex-Wales defender Andy Legg says they must cap Woodburn "as soon as possible".
"You've got to jump in there whether you're Chris Coleman or you're Southgate," said Evans.
"You've got to jump on these players when they become available and you think they're going to be good enough.
"So it'll be a little war between the two countries, I think, over this young lad because he is full of talent."
Woodburn's goal helped Liverpool reach the EFL Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp hopes to protect the 17-year-old from media hype.
Legg, who played for Cardiff City and Swansea, said Wales fans would "love to see him now get a Welsh shirt on".
Woodburn made his senior debut for the Reds in Saturday's Premier League win over Sunderland.
Three days later, he broke Michael Owen's Liverpool scoring record by 98 days, as the former England striker watched at Anfield.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Woodburn, then 16, scored in an impressive display during a pre-season win over Wigan.
He has played for Wales at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level and although still eligible to play for England, Woodburn has said he wants to "replicate" the feats of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
That is a point Legg emphasised, telling BBC Radio Wales: "He could probably see a pathway and is thinking 'hang on a minute, I could be a part of the Aaron Ramseys, the Gareth Bales who came through from years ago'.
"And he could be the next generation as a superstar.
"So he may think that Wales is his best option anyway, and as a youngster he's got to be guided and we just need to get an arm around him and make sure we guide him the right way."
Wales manager Chris Coleman's next chance to cap the Chester-born player is on 24 March, when Wales travel to Dublin to face the Republic of Ireland in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.
England play a friendly against Germany two days earlier.


Restricted operations at the British Antarctic Survey's Halley station may have to continue for some time to come.

The base, which ordinarily stays open year-round, is currently closed because of uncertainty over a developing crack in the ice shelf on which it sits.
Scientists are using automated ground instruments and satellites to monitor the fissure from afar, and plan to reoccupy Halley from November.
Whether that is just for the length of the Summer season, though, is unclear.
"That decision will have to be based on our observations; and these processes, because they are ice-related, are often painstakingly slow," BAS glaciologist Jan De Rydt told BBC News.
The UK has had a permanent presence on the Brunt Ice Shelf since 1956, and scientists would be loath to see their operations routinely reduced to just a few months a year.
Halley VI, as the base is known in its latest incarnation, will feature in a colourful BBC Horizon documentary on Wednesday.
Filmmaker Natalie Hewit spent three months at the turn of the year recording the huge effort to shift the station's futuristic-looking buildings to a new location.
Tractors dragged the eight modules a further 23km from the ocean's edge, to put them in a more secure spot.
"It was an incredible sight," recalled Natalie. "We have some amazing drone shots, taken from up high, of one of these blue modules moving across the ice, but you can't see where it is going because this place is so expansive, so huge, so desolate - all the way to the horizon is just white. And it really reminds you how teeny-weeny we are.
"This programme, though, is about more than just moving some buildings; it's very much about the people who work at the end of the world to do their science."
Halley base is geared up to be mobile. It has a hydraulic leg and ski system that allows it to be raised above the annual snowfall, and towed. Without this mechanism, the station would eventually be buried and carried to the shelf edge where it would then be dropped into the ocean inside an iceberg.
Halley bases I to V were abandoned to this fate or demolished. The latest design represents a novel solution, and the recent move was its first implementation.
The relocation was initially ordered because some long-dormant chasms in the Brunt Ice Shelf to the south and west of Halley had started lengthening again. This turned out to be serendipitous because a completely different fissure system then opened to the east.
This new crack - dubbed the Halloween Crack because it was first discovered on 31 October last year - propagated rapidly and now extends for about 60km.
It poses no immediate threat to Halley but the uncertainties surrounding its likely future behaviour are what prompted the temporary withdrawal of staff. This was seen as a sensible precaution given the dangers of trying to fly planes in and out of the base during the polar winter, when nights are long and weather conditions deteriorate.
BAS experts now have to decide whether November's returning teams can once again take up permanent residence or limit their stay to just the length of the southern summer.
The Halloween Crack is propagating roughly eastwards, broadly parallel to the continent, and away from Halley. It is the other end, though, close to the ocean, that is concentrating minds.
This tip is currently held up at a location known as the McDonald Rumples - a raised area of seafloor that catches on the bottom of the floating ice shelf. Dr De Rydt explained: â€œThe Brunt Ice Shelf is pinned at the rumples; it's where the shelf runs aground. The rumples are an anchor point that keeps everything in place and stable."
Glaciologists are waiting to see if the crack will break past the rumples, and on which side. They should then get a clearer idea of the longer term reaction of the shelf to the changes that are presently in play.
Ultimately, the Halloween fissure will probably calve a huge iceberg into the ocean.
"In the 1970s, we had a similar event where a crack happened very close to where we see Halloween Crack today," Dr De Rydt told BBC News.
"That crack ended another 20km or so towards the east of where the tip of Halloween is now. And that created a berg of several thousand square kilometres."
Halley's mobility means it should not be anywhere near this great block of ice when it cuts free.
Antarctica - Ice Station Rescue is broadcast on BBC Two on Wednesday, 7 June, at 21:00 BST.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


Marissa Mayer, chief executive of technology company Yahoo, gave birth to twin girls early on Thursday morning.

In a post on her tumblr page, she wrote: "Zack and I are excited to announce that our identical twin girls have arrived!" adding "Our whole family is doing great!".
She is expected to take "limited" time off for maternity leave.
Yahoo announced on Wednesday a plan to spin off its core internet business into a separate company.
Ms Mayer and her husband Zachary Bogue have a three-year-old son, Macallister.
After his birth she took just two weeks off, sparking criticism that she was setting a bad precedent for working mothers at Yahoo.
The company officially offers 16 weeks of maternity leave.


Whiskers, a ginger tomcat missing for three months in Australia has finally been returned to his family.

20 July 2017 Last updated at 17:20 BST
Whiskers was found and taken to the nearest vet where his microchip was scanned.
His owners were contacted, and a Facebook post calling for help in getting him home was seen by 60,000 people and shared more than 600 times.
Ayshah has been finding out more about this story with such a purr-fect ending..


A veteran US photojournalist and a translator have been killed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

David Gilkey of National Public Radio (NPR) and Zabihullah Tamanna were travelling with the Afghan army when they came under fire and their vehicle was hit by a shell, NPR said.
The attack also killed the driver of the vehicle, an Afghan soldier.
Two other NPR employees travelling with the pair were unharmed, the US public radio network said in a statement.
The vehicle Mr Gilkey, 50, and Mr Tamanna, 38, were travelling in was struck by shellfire near the town of Marjah, NPR said.
Mr Tamanna was a photographer and journalist in Afghanistan, as well as a translator.
Michael Oreskes, senior vice president at NPR, paid tribute to the photographer.
He said: "David has been covering war and conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. He was devoted to helping the public see these wars and the people caught up in them. He died pursuing that commitment.
"As a man and as a photojournalist, David brought out the humanity of all those around him. He let us see the world and each other through his eyes."
Mr Gilkey is the first US journalist outside the military to be killed in the conflict in Afghanistan.
He received a series of awards during his career, including a 2007 national Emmy for a video series about US Marines from Michigan serving in in Iraq.
In 2011, he was named still photographer of the year by the White House Photographers' Association, one of nine first-place awards he received from the body.
His work on an investigation into veteran medical care and his coverage of the Ebola crisis helped secure awards for NPR.
Last year, he received the Edward R Murrow Award for his coverage of international breaking news, military conflicts and natural disasters.


Power is, in many ways, a family business.

You need only look at the looming prospect of (yet another) Bush-Clinton US presidential contest in 2016 to see that there must be something in the idea.
And so it is in Saudi Arabia.
But, in true Saudi Arabian style, the family business involves a much bigger family and the money involved is that much greater.
The bad news, however, is that the family business is set in a dodgy and ever more violent neighbourhood.
On top of that, some other long-running family businesses in the area (think Gaddafi and Mubarak) have gone down the pan rather suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly.
The critics and enemies of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, and they have plenty both in and out of the country, had been predicting for a while that when King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died, which he did on Friday, there would be a real possibility of chaos.
They had expected the fissures and disputes between rival factions within the ruling family to spill out into the wider world - but that has not happened.
And, for now at least, the ruling family have shown that when it comes to it, they know exactly what needs to be done to hang on to power.
Saudi Arabia's old ruler was buried and a new king installed on the throne in quick time.  And the country declared it was business as usual. Well, not quite.
Negotiations between members of the Saudi Arabia's first family about who gets what job must make the fraught negotiations in 2010 to form a coalition government in the UK seem like a walk in the park.
The key thing to note is King Salman's appointment of his half-brother, Prince Muqrin, as Crown Prince and next in line to the throne.
Prince Muqrin is a former head of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency and the youngest surviving son of the country's founder.
The confirmation of Mohammed bin Nayef as Deputy Crown Prince is another important signal and an attempt to seal the deal for the next generation of grandsons all vying for position in the future.
But it's too early to tell what will happen, and the intrigue about the long-term succession will continue.
As the past few years across the Middle East have shown, there are no guarantees.
Family politics aside, the challenges for the Saudi Arabian rulers continue to multiply, at home and abroad.
At home, there are no signs that anyone has found a long-term answer to the country's economic and social problems.
Unemployment rates are high and the population is growing, with the young in particular restless and hungry for change.
Far too many Saudi Arabians rely on government jobs to make their way, and the country's human rights record continues to attract opprobrium worldwide.
Women's rights, or more accurately non-rights, also remain a festering sore, with the ban on women drivers just one item in a long list of restrictions.
Meanwhile, beyond the centre of power in Riyadh, things continue to deteriorate from the Saudi Arabian point of view.
There are problems with the Shia minority in the east of the country.
Neighbouring Bahrain, Sunni-ruled but with a Shia majority, is also an ongoing source of concern for Riyadh, as is Yemen, where Shia rebels now appear to have the upper hand in a fight with the government.
But above all, Iran is the bogeyman of the region, and the Saudi Arabians see the hand of Tehran at work everywhere.
They worry most about Iran's nuclear programme but also its influence over Iraq through that country's Shia majority.
Syria's civil war has spawned multiple uncertainties. And then of course there's Islamic State and the threat it poses to Saudi Arabian interests in the region.
That's why US President Barack Obama's visit this week will have been a source of some comfort. The leader of the free world brought with him a big entourage, a visible expression of support for Saudi Arabia.
The relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia has had its ups and downs (the disagreements on the approach to Iran being one current example), but ties remain strong.
But at a time of huge volatility in the Middle East, the fact that this relationship endures is a puzzle to many critics. Many don't understand why the West generally, and particularly the US and Britain, refuses to cut the cord.
"Follow the money," is too crude an answer. But the money is a factor.
The Saudi Arabians have huge cash reserves built up over recent decades.
This money wields huge influence in the economies of the West, in everything from banking to property. And of course there's oil.
At the moment, the Saudi Arabians are sustaining oil output at a low price. They can afford to, given their vast cash reserves.
From an American view the depressed oil prices are also having the welcome effect of causing Russia some big economic problems.
And to understand why it's hard to cut the cord, despite all the discomfort over human rights and the alleged nebulous funding links from wealthy Saudi Arabian nationals to all manner of groups that are the sworn enemies of Western interests and values, all that's needed is to ask any American leader to envisage the Middle East without Saudi Arabia.
That thought alone sends a chill down the spines of most Washington insiders.


British Superbike rider Christian Iddon says he is keen to make his debut at the Ulster Grand Prix in August.

The 32-year-old is a leading contender on the British short circuits and is in his second year with the Tyco BMW team.
"I'm really keen to do a comprehensive roads campaign and of all the circuits to start with I think the Ulster would be the best for me," explained Iddon.
"It's a mass start on an incredible circuit and doesn't need the same level of homework as somewhere like the TT."
The former 10-times British Supermoto champion, whose father Paul raced on road circuits, admits he has "been contemplating road racing for quite a while now and every year it gets stronger and stronger".
"It just interests me. The buzz you get from a circuit is immense so I can only imagine what it's like to race on the roads.
"Of course though, I want to win a title at BSB so I have to consider whether doing other races like the Ulster is going to detract from that."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Should he make the jump to the roads, Iddon could have the backing of one of the most successful teams in the sport, as Philip and Hector Neill's Tyco TAS squad have enjoyed years of success at Dundrod with the likes of the currently injured Ian Hutchinson, Guy Martin and Bruce Anstey.
"With Tyco I would be in seriously good hands. Their pedigree on the roads is arguably even better than on short circuits so who better to go racing with.
"We'll have to wait and see though. I think if it was down to Hector it would be it would be a yes immediately and I'd be at the Ulster Grand Prix.
"Philip is keener for me to focus on the short circuits, as 'Hutchy' is their man for the roads. I can see the logic but who knows if I can twist an arm or two."
Ulster Grand Prix Clerk of the Course Noel Johnston commented:  "My instincts are that he would be a very, very quick on the roads if he gets the chance, so hopefully we can make it happen.
"With backing from the Tyco boys, there's no reason why he couldn't be one of our fastest ever newcomers, and he'd be a great character to have the paddock as well."


A man has been charged with the murder of a woman found dead 35 years ago.

Nova Welsh, 24, was found in a utility cupboard at flats in Lighthorne Avenue, Birmingham, on 18 August 1981, said West Midlands Police.
A post-mortem examination revealed the mother-of-two died from pressure to the neck.
Osmond Bell, 59, from Handsworth, has been remanded in custody until Friday when he is due before Birmingham Crown Court.
More on this and other Birmingham stories


A police watchdog has referred a complaint made by the family of a man who died while under restraint to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Kingsley Burrell, 29,  was detained in March 2011 after West Midlands Police attended a disturbance in Birmingham. He later died from a cardiac arrest.
In May, an inquest ruled prolonged restraint and a failure to provide basic medical attention contributed to his death.
Three officers are being investigated.
A statement from the Independent Police Complaints Commission said in 2013 it had found there was a case to answer for gross misconduct against three officers, on the grounds of honesty and integrity in the accounts they provided to investigators. A misconduct hearing is pending.
After the inquest the IPCC received a complaint from Mr Burrell's family about evidence given by the police officers.
A second investigation has been carried out and a referral made to the CPS for it to consider whether criminal offences may have been committed.
A fourth police officer faces a misconduct charge for gross use of force.
West Midlands Police said it was co-operating with the IPCC and the CPS and awaited the outcome.
In July 2014, the CPS said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone over Mr Burrell's death.
He had been detained under mental health laws after calling emergency services to the Haymer shop in Winson Green on 27 March, claiming he had been threatened by two armed men while with his four-year-old son.
CCTV footage revealed no sign of armed men, but showed Mr Burrell looking agitated near the counter.
Police officers told the family he had gone "berserk" in the ambulance and attacked his own son, and had to be restrained.
During the inquest his sister, Kadisha Brown-Burrell said she had visited the mental health unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and had been concerned by his condition.
After the inquest Ms Brown-Burrell said if there had been an unlawful killing verdict the family would "see that as having justice".


Police in Bangladesh have charged the owner of the Rana Plaza complex with murder over the building's collapse in 2013, killing more than 1,100 people.

Sohel Rana and more than a dozen government officials are among 42 people to face charges.
They are accused of ignoring warnings not to allow workers into the building the day before it collapsed.
It was the worst industrial disaster in the country's history - and prompted criticism of global retail practices.
The 41 people accused of murder, who include owners of factories housed in the complex and government officials, initially faced charges of culpable homicide.
Prosecutors say that the seriousness of the accident meant that the charges have been upgraded to murder. If convicted, defendants face the death penalty.
Eighteen people, including 17 of those charged with murder, have been charged with building code violation.
The prosecution says that Mr Rana should now appoint a lawyer ahead of the trial process. A court hearing is due to take place on 28 June to decide further proceedings.
The fact that it has taken more than two years to bring formal charges in relation to the factory collapse has led to allegations that officers dawdled during the investigation process.
Questions have been raised about the government's willingness to bring the guilty to justice.
Factory owners in Bangladesh have political power to influence government policy.
But investigators argue that it has not been an easy task. They have had to record statements from more than 1,200 people including injured factory workers, government officials and experts.
Furthermore they have been under pressure from some politicians, officials and factory owners who have tried to hinder their investigation and prevent certain people from being charged.
What is happening now is unprecedented - no-one in the past has been punished for accidents at garment factories. But such is the seriousness of the disaster - it is alleged that the factory was a death trap - there is no way this case could have been ignored.
Public Prosecutor Khandaker Abdul Mannan told the BBC that the government's permission was required to include the names of officials in the list of those charge, which he described as "a long procedure".
Mr Rana was arrested days after the disaster as he attempted to flee to India.
The building code violation charges allege that three extra stories were added to the factory.
The factory, in Savar, some 30km (20 miles) outside Dhaka, collapsed suddenly on 24 April 2013.
More than 2,500 people were rescued alive, some suffering from terrible injuries.
The disaster drew attention to the poor working conditions in Bangladesh's garment industry, one of the world's largest.
Bangladeshi factories provide cheap clothing for major Western retailers, which benefit from the country's widespread low-cost labour.


When Joel Quispe Rodriguez  was arrested last year at a bar in north-western Peru, many Peruvians thought his capture marked the beginning of the end of a multi-million-dollar illegal trade in counterfeit money.

He was thrown behind bars, and accused of running a criminal network of close family members who had been trafficking huge amounts of forged currency abroad since 2009.
Yet, twice this year, on 17 July and 1 August, the Quispe Rodriguez clan, as the police refer to them, made the news again.
After an operation lasting several months, police said they had detained two further family members and seized counterfeit bills totalling nearly $7m (Â£4.5m), including euros and Peruvian soles.
"We have dealt a hard blow to organised crime," police chief Raul Salazar told journalists, as he stood next to a long table covered with layers of freshly-printed uncut sheets of fake $50 bills.
Cesar Cortijo, the director of the crime investigation unit within the Peruvian police, says most of that money was intended to be transported abroad, in ways similar to those used by drug-traffickers.
"We have found notebooks with Peruvian traditional drawings on the cover, to make them look like souvenirs," he told the BBC.
"They have a compartment to hide the dollars, which are all wrapped in carbon paper so that the contents are invisible to X-rays."
According to the police, more than $17m in fake money has been seized so far this year, mostly bound for the US and countries that use the dollar as currency, such as Ecuador.
The US authorities believe that Peru is the major foreign producer of fake dollar bills circulating in the US.
"In 2003, we detected the first note that was manufactured in Peru," says Brian Leary, a spokesman for the US Secret Services.
"It's been increasing, and right now 17% of all counterfeit dollars in the US are of Peruvian origin."
The overall amount of fake dollars that makes it out of Peru is unknown.
But the Central Reserve Bank of Peru believes that the forged currency in circulation does not pose a macro-economic threat.
"This is organised crime that mostly affects low-income people," says bank official Juan Antonio Ramirez.
"For them, accepting a forged note can mean losing a lot of money.
"That's why we tell the public to be careful and know very well what security features to look for in banknotes," he says.
Mr Ramirez thinks that around 0.5% of all bills in Peru, including dollars, are fake.
Peruvians are learning to live with the problem, and know to be suspicious when dealing with high-denomination banknotes.
Shops and hotels use ultraviolet lights and special pens to search for signs that could identify fakes, and taxi drivers go as far as forcibly snapping suspicious bills in the air to test for quality.
Peru has a large informal economy, where fake identity cards and other documents can be bought on the black market.
It also has smuggling routes for drugs, goods and people already in place, which could be exploited by forgers.
But whether these factors contribute to the high level of counterfeiting in Peru is hard to say for certain.
The Peruvian government recognises there is a problem, which it says is being tackled as a priority in its fight against organised crime.
Forgers face up to 12 years in jail, and officials say border security is continually being improved to try to detect fake currency.
But Jorge Gonzalez, a Peruvian economist who specialises in monetary policy, believes the authorities should do more to arrest criminal gang leaders, in Peru and abroad.
"They mostly catch the small fish, not those at the top.
"They catch the courier who's taking the money through the airport, but not the person who's sending it," he says.
Multi-national co-operation and shared intelligence may, however, be having some effect.
The US Secret Service estimates that this year the number of fake dollars from Peru will be down by 4%.
The Andean country has been working more closely with the US authorities since 2009, and its Central Bank also exchanges information with Interpol and with Spain, which uses the euro.
But Prof Gonzalez, who has twice served as a government minister, believes that as long as it remains profitable, counterfeiting will not disappear.
According to his calculations, for every 10 fake dollars smuggled out of Peru, a trafficker could be receiving one real dollar in compensation.
"So if you give me millions to take out of the country, you can imagine how much money I could be making," he says.
With such high profit margins, he points out, forgers could move their money-making productions somewhere else if the police in Peru gain the upper hand.
Or if their dollar markets are squeezed here, they could switch to printing more fake euros and other currencies instead, Prof Gonzalez believes.


A 10-year strategy to improve skill levels in Wales has been launched by the Welsh government.

The ideas include creating a "flexible fund" to help key companies get the skilled workforce they need.
There are also proposals to streamline and simplify employment and skills support, and cut duplication.
Ministers said action was needed to help Wales to compete in a "global race to develop our skills" and "evolve into a highly-skilled economy".
Deputy Skills Minister Ken Skates unveiled the plans at Coleg Cambria's Deeside Campus.
The document lists four priorities:
Before the launch, Mr Skates said a "step change" on skills was needed.
By Brian MeechanBBC Wales business correspondent
Businesses often report that skills is one of the top issues for them.
In a globally competitive marketplace, it is also vital in encouraging investors to set up their companies here.
The Welsh government outlined  four main priorities including responding to the needs of local communities and ensuring employers are getting the skills they need to help them grow their businesses.
It will give more support to companies and people looking to access training.
Ministers add that businesses will need to take more responsibility for their employees' development but they say the Welsh government will help with investment.
"Our economy is changing and, if we're to attract the more high-skilled jobs we need to see, then we need to take action now," he said.
"This means addressing the essential skills not only of people who are in the workplace, but people who are unemployed and young people who will soon be entering the labour market.
"We also need to address the skills gaps that exist in our workforce.
"If we're to succeed in doing this we need employers of all sizes to work with us and invest in the skills of their employees.
"Ultimately, these are the same skills that will define our future competitiveness as a nation."
The event took place a day after researchers forecast that nearly 18,000 new construction jobs were expected to be created in Wales over the next five years.
The Construction Skills Network (CSN) said the industry in Wales would grow 3.4% annually between now and 2018, boosted by work on the new Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey.
CSN predicted Wales' output growth would be above the UK average of 2%.


Senator Mark Daly, deputy leader of Fianna Fail, was on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday, discussing the complexities of the Irish border.

The claim: There are more border crossings in Ireland than on the whole of the EU's eastern border.
Reality Check verdict: This is true - there are 137 land border crossings to the east of the EU, compared with 275 between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
"There are over 300 miles of border between the north and south of Ireland," he said.
"And there are more border crossings on this island than there is between the European Union and all the countries to the east of it."
It is hard to find a precise figure for the number of land border crossings in Ireland, because there is no definitive view of how major a track or path has to be before it counts as a border crossing.
A reasonable figure, though, comes from a website called BorderCrossingMemories.com, which has an interactive map showing the location of 275 crossings.
During the Troubles, only 20 of them were open.
What makes the border particularly tricky is that some roads cross the border several times, especially around Fermanagh.
This is in stark contrast to the eastern border of the EU. On the border between Poland and Ukraine, for example, looking at a map there are only 11 crossings on a 330-mile border and most of them are on major roads.
Information about the EU's eastern border comes from Frontex, the European border and coastguard agency.
It measures the land border as being 6,000km (3,720 miles) long, covering the borders between EU member states and Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia.
It cannot give a figure for the number of roads crossing that border, but it sent a link to a list of borders in EU states. The list was prepared as part of the establishment of the Schengen passport-check-free zone that runs along much of the eastern border of the EU (although not all - Romania, for example, is an EU member but not part of Schengen).
So the Romanian borders are based on just counting from a map.
Frontex does not consider the borders with Turkey to be part of the eastern border, although if they were counted there are two land borders with Greece and four between Bulgaria and Turkey (those also counted on a map).
So that gives a total figure of 137 land border crossings, about half as many as there are in Ireland, despite being 12 times its length.
Read more from Reality Check
Follow us on Twitter


Chelsea striker Diego Costa is available, having missed the win over Leicester because of a back problem amid widespread reports of interest from Chinese clubs.

Club captain John Terry is available again after serving a suspension.
Hull top scorer Robert Snodgrass is a slight doubt with a muscle problem but David Meyler has returned to training and should be fit.
Right-back Omar Elabdellaoui, signed on loan from Olympiakos, is available.
Recent recruits Oumar Niasse and Evandro could make their first starts.
Jonathan Pearce: "Hull City transformed Chelsea's season.
"It was at the KC on 1 October where Antonio Conte started with a back three for the first time. It brought the first of 13 league victories in a row.
"It's difficult to see Hull stopping what they helped to start.
"Chelsea have won their last eight at home. The media storm over Diego Costa will quickly subside if he scores for a fourth game in a row against the Tigers.
"Hull have lost their last eight league games away. Marco Silva has invigorated survival hopes but this is a huge task.
"Hull to dismantle Chelsea's season? I doubt it."
Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte: "If you think this type of game is easy you make a great mistake, and you can pay for it at the end of the season.
"Hull are a good team. They have changed the coach and usually you have a great reaction from the players."
Hull head coach Marco Silva: "It will be a difficult game at Chelsea. They are the best team in the Premier League right now because they are in first position.
"The only difference this week is that we have had more time to prepare ahead of the game. That is important for me and my players.
"They have had more time to work with my ideas and hopefully we will see the benefits on Sunday."
The Tigers have won two of their last three games but it is a step too far to think they can challenge the leaders at Stamford Bridge.
Prediction: 3-0
Lawro's full predictions v actor James McAvoy
Head-to-head
Chelsea
Hull City
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.


Many students are unconvinced they have received value for money from their university courses, according to an annual survey.

And a large majority do not think they have been given enough information about how tuition fees are spent.
The survey suggests students average 12 hours per week "contact" time, when they are taught by staff.
The findings are part of a survey of 15,000 students in the UK, carried out by higher education think tanks.
The Student Academic Experience Survey, carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute and the Higher Education Academy, examines levels of consumer satisfaction among undergraduate students.
The survey suggests 59% of students are "fairly satisfied" with their course - and a further 28% are "very satisfied".
But, with "the benefit of hindsight", more than a third said they would have chosen a different course. That represents about half a million students with regrets about their choice, say the researchers.
Less than half of the students believed they had had good or very good value for money from their courses - but there were big differences between the students in England and Scotland.
Only 7% of the students in England, where tuition fees are up to Â£9,000 per year, said they had received "very good" value, compared with 35% in Scotland, where there no tuition fees.
The survey found a widespread view the students were not being told enough about how tuition fees were being spent - with three-quarters saying the information was insufficient.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said this information gap was one of the most striking findings of the survey and that universities would have to respond.
"If it doesn't happen soon, it could be forced on universities by policymakers," he said.
The survey examined students' hours when they were taught by staff. There was an average of 12 hours "contact time" across all subjects, but some arts and humanities courses had eight hours per week.
Across all subjects, an average of three hours per week were spent in classes of 15 students or less, with the rest of students' classes being taught in larger groups.
"Course quality depends on more than contact hours and class size, but students do care deeply about these issues. They are notably less satisfied when they have fewer than 10 contact hours and classes of over 50 students," said Mr Hillman.
For many subjects, a majority of students' course time is "independent study", where students are expected to work on projects alone.
Stephanie Marshall, chief executive at the Higher Education Academy, said the study showed "high levels of overall student satisfaction".
But she also highlighted that it showed "the relatively high numbers who do not feel supported in independent study".
She said that "providing guidance and structure outside timetabled sessions is key here".
Students were also asked where any cuts in spending should fall.
The most popular options for cuts were to spend less on sports facilities and new buildings, while the areas where students wanted the least cuts were hours of teaching and learning facilities.
"This survey confirms that there is a clear link between higher education funding systems and student perceptions about value for money," said Pam Tatlow, chief executive of the Million+ group of universities.


The price of an average house or flat in the UK rose by £16,000 in the year to May, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

The house price inflation rate remained at 8.1%, the same as in April. It brings the average price to £211,000.
The figures relate to the period before the referendum on the EU.
The first indication of what may happen in the housing market as a result of Brexit came last week, in a report by surveyors.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said that it expected house prices to fall in London and East Anglia in the months ahead.
It also said that demand from buyers had hit its lowest level for eight years.
Find out where you can afford to live in the UK
Read more about the history of house prices in the UK, and advice on renting v. buying in this BBC guide


A jury has been asked to convict former Rangers owner Craig Whyte of acquiring the club by fraud in May 2011.

Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC told the High Court in Glasgow that Mr Whyte took over the football club using money that he was not entitled to.
During his closing speech, Mr Prentice also said Mr Whyte had tried to conceal his funding source for buying the club.
Mr Whyte denies a charge of fraud, and a second charge under the Companies Act.
The prosecution QC told the jury of eight men and seven women that the case was not a public inquiry into how Rangers was run at a corporate level, but was about whether or not Craig Whyte had committed fraud.
He said Mr Whyte and his company Wavetower had no right to money used to purchase the club.
Prosecutors state the sums said to have been "immediately available" actually consisted of money from Ticketus, investment firm Merchant Turnaround and the Jerome Group  pensions fund.
Mr Prentice put it to the jury that Mr Whyte bought Rangers using money that he was not entitled to and that he actively concealed his funding sources.
He also asked the jury to discount testimony that related to the historical governance of Rangers before Mr Whyte became the club's new owner in May 2011.
He said: "Evidence in relation to historical governance of Rangers is irrelevant.
"It doesn't relate to whether Mr Whyte had the money on completion of the Rangers takeover."
Craig Whyte denies the charges against him.
The trial, before judge Lady Stacey, continues.


A team of charity pub-crawlers has reached its 20,000th ale house after three decades of touring pubs.

The West Bromwich-based Black Country Ale Tairsters began visiting pubs listed on a map, issued by Wolverhampton brewer Banks's, in 1984.
But on Friday, they arrived at the Knot and Plough in Stafford where they were given free drinks.
The group's co-founder Peter Hill said Â£24,000 has been raised for charity since their epic tour began.
He has asked landlords at each pub for a Â£1 donation.
More updates on this story and other in Birmingham and the Black Country
"I am the Samuel Pepys of my day. On every pub crawl everything is documented - from the beers in the pub to the decor," he said.
The Tairsters - Black Country dialect for tasters - initially planned to tour just 300 inns listed on the brewer's map, but turned their focus to the 12 Midlands counties in 1991, followed by a seven-year tour of Wales in 2006.
Mr Hill, who has drunk 46,632 pints during the tour, said the milestone was "a bit emotional" after losing his father in 2014.
"Last May when we'd done 19,000 I took my lump sum out of my pension to get to 20,000 and I have spent the bloody lot.
"Today is a bit emotional to be honest because it was my dad's ambition to get to 20,000 and it would have been his birthday tomorrow," said Mr Hill,
A spokesman for Marston's, which runs the pub, praised the group.
"Pete and his friends' journey is a brilliant achievement.
"The fact he's raised thousands for good causes while having a great time is a tribute to him and the Great British pub."


A four-year-old boy from Romford who went viral on social media on World Book Day after he wore a costume based on the popular 'Transformers' series got the surprise of his life on Monday when the 'Optimus Prime' truck turned up at his school.

28 March 2017 Last updated at 09:30 BST
Romeo and his classmates had their photos taken and were given special badges.
Romeo got to sit in the cab of the truck and pull the horn. He even went for a ride.
"I just thought it would be normal to put a normal Romeo picture on Facebook," Romeo's dad Charlie Makaveli said.
"I didn't think it would go quite as far. I don't think he quite understands how big it's become. He just brushes it aside and just gets on with his day."


British Olympic veteran Winston Gordon has criticised British Judo Association leadership under Densign White, saying things need to be "shaken up".

GB have endured a poor Olympics so far and Gordon, 35, lost in the last 16 of the men's under-90kgs.
"My grandmother told me there is a saying: when a fish rots, it rots from the head," Gordon said.
"I hope the new chairman coming in [White steps down after the Olympics] shakes a few feathers."
My grandmother told me there is a saying: when a fish rots, it rots from the head
White has claimed some of the elite fighters have missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become Olympic champion at London 2012, with only Colin Oates so far making it into the afternoon medal blocks before finishing seventh.
He pointed to the lack of commitment from athletes to the centralisation plan for the British Performance Institute at Dartford.
"If someone is coming out with those comments, then they have to look on themselves and see what they have done to help everything else come through," Gordon, a three-time Olympian, added.
"They are the ones who employ the coaches. Centralisation can work, but you need to get everybody under the roof, all the coaches from the regional clubs, one or two of the players, sitting around the mat and have a big discussion on how we can go forwards."
On Thursday, Greenwich-born Gemma Gibbons fights at under-78kg against 2011 European bronze medallist Yahima Ramirez of Portugal.
James Austin opens in the under-100kgs against Japan's third seed, Takamasa Anai, the 2010 World Champion.


A social media war has broken out in Malaysia between supporters of embattled leader Najib Razak - and those demanding his resignation.

The hashtag #RespectMyPM began to trend on Twitter on Sunday. It has now shot to the top of Malaysia's Twitter chart.
It is unclear if the hashtag started out as an official campaign.
But Johor politician Azalina Othman Said provoked an early outcry from netizens after she tweeted her support for Mr Najib along with her state flag.
"I am from #Johor, and I #RespectMyPM," she said in a tweet.
Other political figures, including Youth Chief Tan Keng Liang, also came out in defence of Mr Najib. "Criticism is fine but don't damage our own country," he tweeted. "We are all Malaysians. It's our country!"
"This is a good campaign," tweeted Adibah Baharum, "Even if you hate someone, it doesn't mean you have the right to insult them. Don't let your hate blind you."
Malaysia's 'mysterious millions' - case solved?
1MDB: The case riveting Malaysia
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak has been plagued by serious corruption allegations regarding his reported involvement in a high-profile financial scandal over the misuse of state funds.
While he has denied all charges and has been officially cleared, calls for his resignation continue to grow louder, especially among Malaysia's vocal netizen community.
Mr Najib has since issued a stern warning to netizens, urging them to refrain from abusing social media and "causing disharmony" in the country.
But that has not stopped thousands of his critics from stepping in to voice their anger, turning the hashtag into a battleground against the prime minister.
"Why should we respect our leader when he's actually destroying the image and the status of Malaysia?" asked student Leong Jia Meng.
"I'm sorry but I just don't respect my prime minister," said a Twitter user in the capital Kuala Lumpur. "Surely this is some kind of satire," another user remarked.
One Twitter user, student activist Dorian Wilde, pointed out the revision of the hashtag, which was used by Indian supporters by then-newly elected leader Narendra Modi in 2014.
"Oh the irony. Go back far enough and you'll see that #RespectMyPM was used by Modi supporters in 2014," he observed in a tweet.
The hashtag also gathered momentum on Facebook, where Malaysians flooded Mr Najib's official page with posts, including hashtags and comments criticising his role as leader of the country.
This movement has happened on his page several times before.
Calls demanding Mr Najib's resignation also continued to grow louder, with the addition of a second hashtag, #RespectMalaysia.
Malaysian netizens then began to retaliate against the pro-establishment voices on social media.
A strongly worded tweet from Syed Saddiq read: "Respect cannot forced. It must be earned. Respect Malaysia, not the prime minister."
"I firmly believe respecting Malaysia is a lot more important than respecting the prime minister," said another.
"I choose to respect Malaysia rather than any individual," tweeted another Malaysian user.


The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has questioned the government's goal of reducing net migration below 100,000.

In the Daily Telegraph, Ruth Davidson said "we have to ask whether the target continues to be the right one".
"The time for easy slogans is over," she added.
Ms Davidson also called for students to be taken out of net migration figures, in contrast to Theresa May's insistence they should be included.
The government has promised a new set of migration rules after Brexit.
It has also promised to get net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving -  to the tens of thousands.
The target has never come close to being met since it was first proposed in 2010 and the government has not set a date by which it should be achieved.
According to the latest figures, net migration to the UK was estimated to be 248,000 in 2016, a fall of 84,000 from 2015.
In her newspaper article, Ms Davidson said Brexit - which will mean the UK is no longer subject to EU free movement rules - would be a "big reset button" which should make it "much easier" to hit the target.
She added: "But we have to ask whether the target continues to be the right one?"
Citing low unemployment levels, she said "potential for growth is facing ever greater limitations".
Neither her party nor Labour had "sought to have a meaningful and sustained discussion with the public about the merits and drawbacks of immigration", she said.
"Let's treat the British public like the grownups they are and have the mature conversation we need."
As home secretary and now prime minister, Mrs May has consistently resisted calls to exempt international students from immigration numbers.
But Ms Davidson said most Britons did not think international students should be treated as migrants, adding: "So let's start there.
"If people don't think that students should be included in the net migration numbers, let's take them out."
Ms Davidson was boosted by the general election as the Tories won 13 seats in Scotland.
She has previously spoken of the need to welcome migrants and for her party to be "internationalist in outlook".
She was a leading campaigner for a Remain vote in last year's EU referendum.
Labour's shadow Scotland Office minister Paul Sweeney said: "The Tories are in open warfare and these comments from Ruth Davidson show just deep the splits in the party run."


Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says striker Daniel Sturridge is in the "best condition" he has been in during Klopp's time at the club.

Injuries have limited 27-year-old Sturridge to 46 league appearances in the past three seasons.
"He is in good physical shape, absolutely," said Klopp, who took over at Anfield in October 2015.
"Daniel could be part of the full pre-season so far so that's very important. It's looking good."
He added: "[Pre-season] was quite intense, especially in England. He was part of pretty much each session so it's good."
Liverpool have been linked with RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita but Klopp would not be drawn on any move for the 22-year-old Guinea international.
"Nothing new to say about this," said the German.
Media playback is not supported on this device


Belfast Giants moved to within five points of Elite League leaders Cardiff Devils with this comfortable win over the Panthers at the SSE Arena.

James Desmarais, Michael Quesnele and Colin Shields netted to give the hosts a 3-0 lead after the first period.
Chris Lawrence pulled one back before Giants goals from David Rutherford, Shields and Blair Riley.
Shields completed his hat-trick early in the third period before Lawrence and Dan Spang scored consolation goals.
Needing a win to keep their title hopes alive, the Giants set about Nottingham from the start of a free-flowing first period.
They made the breakthrough with a lovely goal from Desmarais.  Taking the puck wide right on the wing, he fired a rocket of a shot into the net past Miika Wiikman in the Panthers' goal in the 11th minute.
And it was soon 2-0 as Desmarais turned provider, feeding Quesnele to score.
The visitors were then reeling at 3-0 down as Ryan Martinelli passed to Shields, who deflected the puck in from close range.
The Giants received a standing ovation from the crowd at the end of a breathless first period which they had dominated in impressive fashion.
The second period saw two goals in a minute as Lawrence got Nottingham on the scoreboard.
Jim Vandermeer was caught in possession during a Giants' power-play and the Panthers player broke clear to score.
But, within 40 seconds, it was 4-1 as Rutherford restored the Giants' three-goal advantage.
Shields then got his second of the night, bundling the puck in on a power-play past an unprotected Wiikman.
The overworked Panthers keeper then saved a Blair Riley shot at close range but the Giants' leading goalscorer followed up to put in the rebound as the home side racked up a half-dozen goals before the halfway point in the contest had been reached.
The Giants went 7-1 up in the final period as Shields secured his treble before the Panthers notched up a second goal through Lawrence and added another with 20 seconds remaining as Spang scored.
The sides meet again at the same venue on Sunday afternoon.
Belfast have played one game more than Cardiff and remain reliant on the Welsh team dropping points with just five more games left in their regular season campaign.


The US and Russian military will hold talks "as soon as possible" to avoid clashing in Syria, the countries' top diplomats say.

Russian defence officials say their aircraft carried out about 20 missions against the so-called Islamic State group (IS) on Wednesday.
But the US expressed fears the targets were non-IS opponents of Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The US is targeting IS with air strikes in both Syria and Iraq.
Nato said there had been little co-ordination by Russia with US-led forces against IS, also known as Isil. The US says it was informed of Wednesday's air strikes only an hour before they took place.
The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal report that US-backed rebels were targeted by Russia.
Are the Russians trying to destroy IS/Isis/Isil/Daesh or are they trying to prop up President Assad? The Americans see the two as very different, the Russians less so.
On the evidence of one day's bombing it looks to be very much the latter. The target of Russian ordnance has been in places where IS has no presence.
In other words, other rebel groups - any rebel groups - opposed to President Assad are being targeted. And that raises another huge question. What if the Russians start hitting US backed and armed rebel groups? That is not going to end well.
How Putin blindsided the US
Diplomatic goals behind Putin's Syria build-up
Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said there was a need to "establish channels of communication to avoid any unintended incidents". His US counterpart, John Kerry, said talks will be held "as soon as possible," maybe as early as Thursday.
Mr Kerry added: "It's one thing to be targeting Isil, but the concern, obviously, is that this is not what was happening."
France's Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, told French MPs: "Curiously, they didn't hit Islamic State. I will let you draw a certain number of conclusions yourselves."
Syria's civil war has raged for four years, with an array of armed groups fighting to overthrow the government.
The US and its allies have insisted that President Assad should leave office, while Russia has backed him remaining in power.
The Russian defence ministry said the country's air force had targeted IS military equipment, communication facilities, arms depots, ammunition and fuel supplies - and did not hit civilian infrastructure or areas nearby.
Syrian opposition activists said Russian warplanes hit towns including Zafaraneh, Rastan and Talbiseh, resulting in the deaths of at least 36 civilians, a number of them children.
None of the areas targeted was controlled by IS, activists said.
A resident of Talbiseh told the BBC that the Russians were striking the only area in that part of Syria that was still under rebel control. "In my opinion they are helping Assad to get rid of the rebels in general," he said.
One doctor in Rastan told Reuters: "We have been exposed to a wide range of weapons over the last five years. But what happened today was absolutely the most violent and ferocious, and the most comprehensive."
Mr Kerry said the United States would not object to Russian military action in Syria - as long as it was directed against IS and groups linked to al-Qaeda.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter went further, saying: "By supporting Assad and seemingly taking on everyone who is fighting Assad, you're taking on the whole rest of the country of Syria.
"At least some parts of the anti-Assad opposition belong in the political transition going forward. That's why the Russian approach is doomed to fail."
In a televised address, Mr Putin said the air strikes were targeting Islamist militants - including Russian citizens - who have taken over large parts of Syria and Iraq.
"If they [militants] succeed in Syria, they will return to their home country, and they will come to Russia, too," he said.
He added that Russia would be "supporting the Syrian army purely in its legitimate fight with terrorist groups".
Mr Putin also said he expected President Assad to talk with the Syrian opposition about a political settlement, but clarified that he was referring to what he described as "healthy'' opposition groups.
What's the human cost?
More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war.
And the survivors?
More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes, four million of them abroad, as forces loyal to President Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from IS and other groups. Growing numbers of refugees are going to Europe.
How has the world reacted?
Regional and world powers have also been drawn into the conflict. Iran and Russia, along with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, are propping up the Alawite-led government. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are backing the Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France.
The battle for Syria and Iraq in maps
Syria's civil war explained


The government of Venezuela has said it has seized a factory owned by the US firm Kimberly-Clark.

The firm had said it was halting operations in Venezuela as it was unable to obtain raw materials.
But the labour minister said on Monday that the factory closure was illegal and it had re-opened "in the hands of the workers".
Kimberly-Clark, which makes hygiene products including tissues and nappies, said it had acted appropriately.
Over the weekend it became the latest multinational to close or scale back operations in the country, citing strict currency controls, a lack of raw materials and soaring inflation.
General Mills, Procter & Gamble and other corporations have reduced operations in Venezuela as the country is gripped by economic crisis and widespread shortages of basic household goods.
What has gone wrong in Venezuela?
Labour Minister Oswaldo Vera, from the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV), visited the factory in Maracay and said it was illegal.
Almost 1,000 workers had asked him to re-start production, he said.
Mr Vera said: "Kimberly-Clark will continue producing, now in the hands of the workers.
"We've just turned on the first engine."
The Texas-based company said in a statement: "If the Venezuelan government takes control of Kimberly-Clark facilities and operations, it will be responsible for the well-being of the workers and the physical asset, equipment and machinery in the facilities going forward."
Venezuelans cross in to Colombia to buy food
There are daily protests against shortages at the moment in Venezuela.
A growing opposition blames President Nicolas Maduro of wrecking the oil-rich economy and is seeking a referendum to remove him.
Mr Maduro has previously threatened to jail the owners of factories that have stopped production.
A private supermarket chain and an electronic goods shop have been seized in recent years after Mr Maduro accused many businessmen of conducting an economic war in collusion with the country's opposition.


Some businesses hit by malware in a cyber-attack that began on 27 June are still struggling to return operations to normal, the BBC has learned.

Nuance Communications, which provides transcription software for medical professionals, has slowly been bringing its products back online.
But one IT worker told the BBC that two US hospitals were still having issues.
A security researcher said the situation was "alarming" but praised the transparency of some companies.
The IT worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "We have been waiting for [Nuance Communications'] iChart [product] since they were first hit with the ransomware and are still waiting for it to come back.
"We will likely have to move to another product or even another vendor to get the same type of benefit."
A spokesman for Nuance Communications declined to comment on the matter, but directed the BBC to an update from 5 July.
On Monday, logistics company FedEx said customers of its TNT Express arm were still experiencing "widespread" service and invoicing delays.
Shipping giant Maersk was also affected by Petya.
Some port terminals managed by its subsidiary APM Terminals had to be shut down in the wake of the attack.
Maersk had restored all of its major systems and customer interfaces, a spokesman told the BBC.
But he added: "There are some delays on some processes due to manual workarounds or backlogs that needed to be cleared.
"In some cases our turn time to customers might be longer than usual, but we are nevertheless providing them with the services they expect from us."
There have been financial costs, too.
Some affected companies, including Mondelez International - which owns chocolate-maker Cadbury - and consumer health manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser, said the effect of the attack would deduct a few percentage points from their quarterly sales figures.
French construction giant Saint-Gobain, which recorded â‚¬39.1bn (Â£34.7bn) in sales in 2016, said sales in the first half of the current financial year would probably drop by about 1%.
"On one hand, it is alarming to see large multinational corporations still feeling the impact and attempting to recover systems," said security researcher Kevin Beaumont.
"On the other hand, it is good to see some of the businesses communicating so openly about the problems they are experiencing."
Both Mr Beaumont and Mikko Hypponen, at cyber-security company F-Secure, have praised Maersk's openness.
The wave of malware infections that unfolded during the Petya cyber-attack appeared to begin in Ukraine at the end of June.
Since then, about Â£8,000 of ransom payments in Bitcoin have been moved from a digital wallet - but it is still not known who was behind the attack.


Film fans have inundated Ed Skrein with love after the British actor turned down the role of Major Ben Daimio in the new Hellboy film because the character is of mixed Asian heritage (and he isn't).

Skrein's decision comes after years of controversy about Hollywood whitewashing. The rising star has been praised for his stance, especially since he's at a crucial point in his career, and won lots of new admirers.


A man accused of a stabbing murder in a seaside town had a large knife which he described as his "pride and joy", a court has heard.

Warren Blake, 18, and Tevin Birmingham, 21, have denied the murder of Andrew McGowan, who was stabbed to death in a Great Yarmouth flat.
Norwich Crown Court heard Mr Blake's then girlfriend said he had a knife which was about 15cm long.
Mr McGowan bled to death in a flat in Dickens Court on 14 November.
Prosecutor Andrew Radcliffe said the flat was well-known as a place where drugs were dealt. Mr Blake, of Thorncliffe Road, south London; and Tevin Birmingham, of Spring Road, Ipswich; went there to sell them.
Mr McGowan was stabbed five times, once in the front by a knife that pierced his lung and heart, and four times in the back, Mr Radcliffe said.
The trial continues.


Scotland's four-time champion Paul Foster will play England's Greg Harlow in the final of the World Indoor Bowls Championships in Great Yarmouth.

Harlow, the 2010 champion, prevented an all-Scottish final with a titanic 6-7 9-7 2-1 victory over 2013 winner Stewart Anderson.
Foster had earlier beaten England's Les Gillett 11-4 5-5.
The Scot, who last won the title in 2013, said "it is an incredible feeling" to be in another final.
Gillett, the 16th seed who has yet to win a singles world title, had beaten six-time champion Alex Marshall and 2014 winner Darren Burnett.
But he could not make it a hat-trick against former champions from Scotland as a three picked up by Foster at the seventh end of the first set proved crucial.
"I had to work extremely hard," Foster told BBC Sport. "Les has been playing great for the last two weeks and, rightly so, picked up the world pairs title.
"I saw his match last night, plus his match against Alex - and Alex didn't play bad.
"So I knew I would have to come out the traps quickly."
Foster, seeded sixth, also beat Gillett in 1998 and 2005 on his way to winning the world title.
"I remember the 2005 game, because I wasn't well at the time, but I can't remember playing Les in 1998, although I obviously remember winning the title," said Foster.
"But hopefully the same result comes round.
"If I win another world title then great. If I don't then I move on, but I am delighted the way things are going at the moment."
Harlow, seeded four, looked to be coasting to a first-set win when he established an early 5-0 lead over Anderson.
However, the Scot, who had knocked out holder and world number one Nick Brett in the quarter-finals, worked his way back into the match before a two in the ninth end clinched the first set.
It was Anderson's turn to squander leads - of 4-1 and 6-3 - in the second set and, after Harlow shot three in the sixth end, the Englishman was on the front foot and levelled the match.
Anderson took the first end of the tie-break, but Harlow fought back again and took his place in the final thanks to a ricochet with his final bowl of the decider.
There were Scotland versus England ties in all four quarter-finals, the two semi-finals and now the final itself.


Six Egyptian soldiers have been killed by gunmen at a checkpoint in the northern Cairo suburb of Shubra al-Khayma, state media reports.

A security official said two bombs left behind by the attackers had been defused.
The violence comes two days after another soldier was shot dead in an attack on an army bus in eastern Cairo.
There has been an upsurge in violence since the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last July.
Islamist militants have killed hundreds of police and soldiers in numerous attacks.
The military accused Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood of carrying out this latest attack, which was carried out as the soldiers took part in dawn prayers.
The Brotherhood denies involvement in violence, saying it is committed to peaceful campaigning.
It was designated a terrorist group in December and thousands of its members have been put on trial.
A series of high-profile attacks on security forces in Cairo and the Sinai peninsula have been claimed by another group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which it says are in revenge for the military-backed government's repression of Mr Morsi's supporters.
Mr Morsi, elected in 2012 following the overthrow of veteran ruler Hosni Mubarak, was ousted by the military amid huge streets protests against him, after a year in power marred by deep political and social divisions.
Mr Morsi is in jail facing four separate trials. The charges, which he denies, include the killing of opposition protesters, espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror.
Military chief Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is expected to stand in presidential elections which are due to be held in April.


A warning for heavy rain has been issued for parts of north Wales overnight into Sunday.

The Met Office said rain will become persistent and heavy and could cause disruption.
A yellow "be aware" warning is from 00:15 BST to 09:00 on Sunday covering Anglesey, Conwy, Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Flintshire.
Up to 4cm (1.5in) of rain could fall during this period.


The candidates for the Isle of Wight in the general election have clashed over the future of education on the island.

Education has been run by Hampshire County Council since 2013 following concerns over standards on the island.
Speaking on a BBC Radio Solent election debate, Conservative candidate Andrew Turner insisted secondary schools were "getting better".
Other candidates criticised the government policy of free schools set up by parents and independent groups.
In 2008, Isle of Wight Council scrapped the island's three-tier education system for two tiers, which led to the closure of some schools.
Four of the island's six secondary schools were rated "inadequate" in their Ofsted reports from 2012 - the lowest grade.
The government subsequently directed the council to form a strategic partnership with Hampshire County Council to run its education and children's services.
Isle of Wight Council is once again consulting on secondary school provision on the island as it seeks to tackle issues related to over-capacity.
One option put forward is to merge two Newport schools; Medina College and Carisbrooke College.
Meanwhile two new schools, the Island Free School and Isle of Wight Studio School, have opened their doors.
Mr Turner said the government's policy of supporting free schools had benefited the island.
"We made a difference by introducing two new secondary schools.
"The others are getting better now, but it took two or three years to move in that direction."
Labour hopeful Stewart Blackmore said the island did not need another "disastrous" reorganisation of schooling.
"We need a local director of education who has the power to do something about falling standards locally," he said.
Liberal Democrat David Goodall criticised the creation of free schools.
"As a party we wouldn't allow any new schools to be set up in an area unless there is actually a need for new school places."
Vix Lowthion, of the Greens, who is a teacher, said: "We need consolidation and no more reorganisation - the free schools created a bit of a mess.
"The council are right to look at it, but in the meantime our children are suffering."
UKIP's Iain McKie said education was a "national disgrace" and pledged to set up a grammar school in the island by 2020 - an idea rejected by other candidates.
Independent Ian Stephens, the former leader of Isle of Wight Council,  said the authority had "tackled the job" of education and said the partnership with Hampshire County Council had "given us a breadth of talent and expertise we wouldn't have had otherwise."
The candidates for the constituency are:
Stewart Blackmore (Labour)
David Goodall (Liberal Democrats)
Vix Lowthion (Green)
Iain McKie (UKIP)
Ian Stephens (Independent)
Andrew Turner (Conservative)


A man is due in court charged with an assault on a four-week-old baby boy.

Ben Gilkes, 25, of Stratford Road, Sparkhill, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court, West Midlands Police said.
A man was arrested on Friday after the child was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital with serious head injuries, police said.
The baby remains seriously ill since the assault in Hall Green on Friday, they added.


Mae dioddefwyr yng Nghymru wedi colli mwy na £2.6m trwy dwyll yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf yn ôl y ffigyrau diweddaraf gan Action Fraud, a'r henoed sy'n cael eu targedu waethaf.

Ond mae Safonau Masnach yn rhybuddio bod y nifer o bobl sydd wedi eu heffeithio yn debygol o fod 10 neu 20 gwaith yn uwch na'r ffigwr yma, gan nad yw llawer yn dweud wrth yr awdurdodau.
Collodd un unigolyn o ogledd Cymru dros £100,000 o'i gynilion trwy dri chynllun buddsoddi gwahanol.
Mae'r heddlu yn dweud bod gofalwyr angen bod yn ymwybodol o'r arwyddion bod aelodau teuluoedd yn cael eu targedu.
Mae ymchwil gan Action Fraud a Heddlu'r Met yn Llundain yn awgrymu bod 77% o ddioddefwyr twyll buddsoddi yn ddynion, a'r oed cyfartalog yw 65.
Ar gyfartaledd maen nhw'n colli £32,000.
Yn ôl y swyddog Safonau Masnach Alison Farrar, mae sgamiau yn gallu dechrau pan mae person yn cymryd rhan mewn cystadleuaeth ac yn anfon ychydig o arian i ffwrdd i hawlio gwobr.
Ond mae'r sefyllfa yn gallu tyfu fel caseg eira.
Dywedodd: "Mi ydyn ni yn adnabod pobl sydd wedi colli popeth. Mae eu tai yn berchen i rywun arall am eu bod wedi eu perswadio i gymryd rhan mewn cynllun rhyddhau ecwiti mewn eiddo.
"Ac mae hynny'n golygu eu bod nhw'n poeni yn eu henaint ynglŷn ag aros yn eu cartrefi."
Bydd rhai cwmnïau yn gwneud popeth posib i berswadio pobl i roi arian, gan dreulio misoedd yn eu hargyhoeddi bod eu cynigion yn ddiffuant.
Fe gollodd un dyn o Sir Fôn dros £100,000 trwy dri chynllun gwahanol.
Gydag un o'r sgamiau fe brynodd bum diemwnt am chwech neu saith gwaith eu gwerth, gan feddwl y bydden nhw yn codi yn eu gwerth dros amser.
Mae am aros yn anhysbys am nad yw wedi dweud wrth ei deulu.
Esboniodd y dyn: "O'n i yn wirion ond mi oedden nhw mor gyfeillgar. Fe ddywedodd un dyn wrtha i fod ei wraig wedi colli babi. Mi oedd o'n crio ar y ffôn.
"Mi oedd wedi dweud wrth ei benaethiaid y byddai yn gwerthu'r diemwnt. 'Oedd o isio £1,000. O'n i methu talu hynny ond o'n i yn gallu fforddio £500.
"Nes i anfon £500. Trwy beidio talu am y diemwnt o'n i yn teimlo mod i yn ei siomi. Meddyliwch bod mor wirion ac anfon £500."
Fe brynodd bum diemwnt oedd yn amrywio o £3,000 i £18,000 ond maen nhw wedi eu prisio llawer yn llai.
Ym mis Awst y llynedd cafodd Martin Rhys-Jones o Gaerdydd ei garcharu am chwe blynedd gan lys yn America ar ôl cyfaddef i 'lanhau' arian mewn twyll gwerth $2.9m.
Roedd yr achos yn y penawdau am fod ei ferch, Emma, wedi dyweddïo gyda phêl-droediwr Real Madrid, Gareth Bale, a'i ferch arall, Charlotte, yn gariad i'r chwaraewr rygbi rhyngwladol Taulaupe Faletau.
Roedd Nigel Cash o Gaint yn un o'r 250 o bobl wnaeth ddioddef yn sgil twyll Rhys-Jones. Fe brynodd gwerth £5,000 o gyfranddaliadau oedd bron yn ddi-werth.
10 mlynedd ers iddo brynu'r cyfranddaliadau cyntaf mae'n dal i gael galwadau.
Dywedodd: "Yr effaith ydy eich bod chi'n dod yn darged. Chi'n cael mwy o alwadau ffôn achos chi wedi prynu un set o gyfranddaliadau ac maen nhw wedyn yn meddwl bod chi'n hawdd i'ch twyllo.
"Dwi wedi cael sgyrsiau gwahanol gyda rhai yn trio rhoi pwysau arna i brynu a thro arall wedi ffraeo gyda nhw am fy mod i yn gwrthod buddsoddi mwy ac maen nhw yn troi'n ymosodol."
Dywedodd yr Uwch Arolygydd David Manley o Heddlu'r Met yn Llundain bod hi'n bwysig lledaenu gwybodaeth sut i atal trosedd fel hyn, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd mwy gwledig.
"Da ni'n sôn am filiynau [yn cael eu colli]. Mae'n swm mawr o arian ar gyfer pobl sydd yn buddsoddi sydd yn dod i ddiwedd eu cyfnod gweithio. Dydyn nhw ddim mewn sefyllfa i allu ailgodi ar eu traed.
"Mae'n newid bywydau pobl."


Great Britain's Corie Mapp won gold in the inaugural World Cup Para bobsleigh race.

Lance Corporal Mapp, of the Household Cavalry, finished 0.18 seconds ahead of American Jason Storm in Igls, Austria.
"What a feeling," said Mapp. "Delighted to win the first Para bobsleigh gold."
Mapp lost both legs when his military vehicle ran over an explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010. He is in the GB sitting volleyball team and took part in the Invictus Games.
He said: "Being part of the world's first ever Para bobsleigh race today was incredible. To win was something really special.
"I hope that I have done people proud - I've had so much support from many different people.
"Help for Heroes have been instrumental in supporting me to this point - it's been great to have their backing.
"I love bobsleigh. I only tried it for the first time in Calgary last season so to be here in Austria, at the first ever race and win is just amazing.
"I feel so excited about where the sport is going and for our next race in St. Moritz next week.
"The field of athletes has been strong and there's been some tough competition. It was an amazingly close race - only three-tenths of a second between the top four finishers.
"To think I nearly quit bobsleigh last summer to focus on my other sports. It's been a fantastic experience to be here, with such a great group of competitors. "
Para bobsleigh and Para skeleton are being included at World Cup events for the first time this season but the International Paralympic Committee have said that the sports will not be included in a Winter Paralympics until 2022 at the earliest.


Sekouba Konate, a former Guinean president and serving African Union general, has pleaded guilty to smuggling money into the US.

The 51-year-old tried to sneak in more than $64,000 (Â£42,600) after arriving on a flight from Ethiopia in 2013.
He faces up to five years in jail when he is sentenced next February, said the US Department of Justice.
Known as "El Tigre" for his military prowess, he was in the junta which took power in December 2008.
Gen Konate handed over power in December 2010, after Guinea's first democratic elections in 50 years.
Afterwards he was appointed general commander of the security forces of the African Union, US court papers said.
Hide and seek with $64,770
Source: US Justice Department statement
According to the Associated Press agency, Gen Konate, who had been due to go on trial on Tuesday, has family in North Carolina and owns property in the state.
He testified at a pre-trial hearing that he did not understand the customs process because of language barriers, the agency reports.
Prosecutors said he claimed to have $10,000 or less when he arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport in June 2013 and did not declare the other cash he was carrying, much of which was hidden in his luggage.
His lawyer asked the court to exclude at trial any statement regarding the source of the money, the Wall Street Journal newspaper reports.
"Mr Konate is not charged with, for example, money laundering, which would put at issue the source of funds," a document filed by the defence on 25 November said.
As part of his plea agreement, the parties agreed that $61,770 was properly seized and that $3,000 would be given back to the general as "humanitarian aid", Reuters news agency reports.
Gen Konate served as an interim president in Guinea for about a year having taken over leadership of the junta after coup leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara was shot and injured in 2009.
At the pre-trial hearing, a customs agent testified that there had been suspicions about Gen Konate because of his property purchases in North Carolina, AP reports.


Riki Wessels became the first man to score a Twenty20 century for Nottinghamshire as they beat Derbyshire in a thrilling game at Trent Bridge.

The opener smashed seven sixes and 11 fours in his 54-ball 110 as Notts posted 227-3, their highest T20 total.
Derbyshire, attempting a record T20 run chase in England, fell short on 222-5 despite Wayne Madsen's unbeaten 86.
Kevin Pietersen suffered a recurrence of a calf injury as his Surrey side beat Middlesex by 15 runs at The Oval.
Yorkshire won by 29 runs to inflict a third straight defeat on Birmingham Bears, while Hampshire suffered their second defeat in two nights as Essex cruised to a seven-wicket win at Chelmsford with six overs to spare.
There was little indication of the drama to come at Trent Bridge when Madsen removed Alex Hales and Samit Patel with the final ball of the first over and the first ball of the third to leave Notts 19-2.
Brendan Taylor survived the hat-trick delivery and went on to make an unbeaten 67 in a Notts record third-wicket stand of 153 while playing the support act to Wessels.
Wessels, 31, already held the county record for the highest score in T20 cricket, the 97 he made against Durham in 2015.
Derbyshire needed eight off the final two balls to win but England bowler Jake Ball held his nerve as the visitors had to settle for equalling their highest score in the format.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Surrey's victory over Middlesex was overshadowed by Pietersen's troublesome calf.
The former England batsman passed a fitness test on the injury - suffered while making 52 on his return against Essex on Wednesday - and strode to the crease following the fall of Jason Roy.
The 37-year-old defended his first ball off the back foot and turned down a single, running out Aaron Finch for 40 off 22 balls in the process.
Middlesex captain Brendon McCullum generously allowed Roy to return as a runner but, clearly hampered, Pietersen scooped an easy catch to Toby Roland-Jones off Steven Finn to depart for four.
Surrey captain Gareth Batty told BBC Radio London: "It caught us off guard because Kev had got through the fitness test, no problems at all. It wasn't on our radar and then unfortunately it went pop."
Batty said it is "unlikely" Pietersen will be fit for Surrey's game against Hampshire at Southampton on Sunday.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Leicestershire suffered a two-run defeat on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after rain cut short their pursuit of 166 against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.
Leicestershire, who went into the game with the only remaining 100% record in the T20 Blast, restricted the defending champions to 165-8 at Grace Road.
However, rain forced the players off with Leicestershire 107-3 with 5.3 overs remaining.
Only eight overs were possible in Cardiff after a delayed start before Glamorgan's game with Sussex was called off, while the West Country derby between Somerset and Gloucestershire at Taunton and Lancashire's visit to Worcestershire were abandoned without a ball being bowled.
What is the most memorable T20 innings you have witnessed?


A tree has been planted by members of Nottingham's Polish community to mark Remembrance Day.

In Poland, 11 November is a public holiday and is called Independence Day, as the end of the First World War allowed Polish people to regain the freedom and unity of their country.
The tree was planted at Woodthorpe Grange Park on Saturday.
The idea for the planting came from a Polish journalist who moved to England to live with her English husband.
Barbara Zaliwska-Moreton, who has lived in England for 11 years, has given the Japanese maple to Nottingham on behalf of the Polish community.
The tree planting is also intended to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The event was organised by the Signpost to Polish Success (SPS), a Nottingham-based charity which helps Eastern European migrants become integrated members of British society.
Beata Polanowska, SPS project co-ordinator, said: "We, the Polish community want to join our British hosts in their celebrations, reflect on our own important historical moments and make a positive contribution to the society where we now live."
The Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Å


Scottish Premiership matches hosted by Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Partick Thistle have been postponed because of waterlogged pitches.

Games hosted by Raith Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Berwick Rangers and Stirling Albion also failed Saturday morning pitch inspections.
The match at Caledonian Stadium, where Hearts were due to be visitors, was called off before 08:00.
Dundee United's game at Firhill followed three hours later.
But the Championship game between Dumbarton and Livingston and the League Two fixtures between East Fife and Clyde and East Stirlingshire against Arbroath go ahead following successful inspections.
Caley Thistle, whose game was first to be postponed, stated that the prospect of further poor weather also contributed to the decision.
Queen of the South were due to be visitors at Raith Rovers' Stark's Park in the Championship.
Forfar Athletic were the visitors at Cowdenbeath in League One, with Ayr United v Stenhousemuir also off in that division.
Queen's Park were travelling to Berwick, while Montrose were Stirling Albion's visitors.
Premiership
Inverness CT P-P Hearts
Partick Thistle P-P Dundee United
Championship
Raith Rovers P-P Queen of the South
League One
Ayr United P-P Stenhousemuir
Cowdenbeath P-P Forfar Athletic
League Two
Berwick Rangers P-P Queen's Park
Stirling Albion P-P Montrose


The Football Association of Wales has confirmed it has been given 3,300 tickets for away fans for the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 24 March.

The chairman of Wales' fan group, Vince Alm, was "quite shocked" at the figure.
He expected 10% of the Aviva Stadium's 51,700 capacity, not 6.5%.
Wales' Cardiff City Stadium has a 33,280 capacity and Republic of Ireland fans have been offered 10% of the tickets for their visit.
Speaking before the allocation was confirmed, Alm said: "Wales fans will be furious about it, I'm sure."
Alm does not believe the allocation will be "anywhere near" the demand.
He said: "It's obviously a big stadium and we were expecting our normal 10% allocation.
"That's what's been talked about, which would take us just over 5,000.
"We're being penalised for having a smaller stadium, if it's true.
"We're giving them 10% of the crowd and we're only having five or six per cent of the crowd in Ireland."
Alm has urged the FAW to offer Republic of Ireland fans the same percentage of tickets as their governing body offer Wales supporters.
He said 10% of tickets was "the going rate is almost wherever you go in the world".
"Occasionally - very, very occasionally - you'll be offered less than 10%, but the majority of stadiums you go to, if you've got enough interest, they'll offer you 10% and you take it," he said.
"Whatever they offer us, I would go tit-for-tat and I would reduce their (allocation) to five or six per cent.
"But ultimately, let's do the gentleman's agreement and have the 10%."