Bristol City have completed the loan signings of QPR midfielder Ben Gladwin and Derby County defender Alex Pearce.

Republic of Ireland international Pearce, 27, joins the Robins until the end of the season after making just two appearances for Derby this season.
Gladwin, 23, has agreed a 93-day deal, having already spent time out on loan with former club Swindon in 2015-16.
Meanwhile, Gillingham have rejected three bids from City for 22-year-old midfielder Bradley Dack.
However, Gills chairman Paul Scally refused to confirm to BBC Radio Kent whether the Robins had offered as much as £1m.
Pearce and Gladwin are both cup tied so will be unavailable for Tuesday's FA Cup third-round match against West Bromwich Albion.
"Alex will offer us experience - he knows this division inside out," said interim manager John Pemberton.
"When I spoke to Alex, it's clear how desperate he is to get into the Ireland team for the Euros - if he does that then it means he will have played well for us."
Gladwin, who only joined QPR from Swindon in the summer, will officially begin his loan on Friday, meaning he will be eligible to play for Bristol City for the rest of the season.
"When we played Swindon last year he was always the one we picked out as a danger. He was always the one who caused us problems because he's a kid with exceptional ability."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Instagram is rated as the worst social media platform when it comes to its impact on young people's mental health, a UK snapshot survey suggests.

The poll asked 1,479 people aged 14-24 to score popular apps on issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying and body image.
Keeping Instagram a safe and supportive place for young people was a top priority, the company said.
Mental health charities urged companies to act to increase users' safety.
The Royal Society for Public Health study says social platforms should flag up heavy social media use and identify users with mental health issues.
Instagram says it provides tools and information on how to cope with bullying and warns users before they view certain content.
The RSPH report says that "social media may be fuelling a mental health crisis" in young people.
However, it can also be used as a tool for good, the report said. Instagram, for example, was found to have a positive effect on self-expression and self-identity.
About 90% of young people use social media - more than any other age group - so they are particularly vulnerable to its effects, although it is not clear what these are on current evidence.
Isla is in her early 20s. She got hooked on social media as a teenager when going through a difficult time in her life.
"The online communities made me feel included and that I was worthwhile.
"However, I soon began to neglect 'real life' friendships and constantly spent all my time online talking to my friends there.
"I fell into a deep depressive episode aged 16, which lasted for months and was utterly horrible.
"During this time social media made me feel worse, as I would constantly compare myself to other people and make myself feel bad.
"When I was 19, I had another bad depressive episode. I'd go on social media, see all my friends doing things and hate myself for not being able to do them, or feel bad that I wasn't as good a person as them."
Social media has also been a positive in Isla's life.
"I have blogged a lot about mental health and I'm quite open about it and have good conversations with people about it.
"I find it gives me a platform to talk and talking with people is something I find imperative to my own health.
"The online friends I made five or six years ago I'm still friends with to this day and have met many of them in person."
The online survey asked participants a series of questions about whether YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter had an impact on their health and well-being.
Participants were asked to score each platform on 14 health and well-being issues.
Based on these ratings, YouTube was considered to have the most positive impact on mental health, followed by Twitter and then Facebook.
Snapchat and Instagram were given the lowest scores overall, h
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the RSPH, said: "It is interesting to see Instagram and Snapchat ranking as the worst for mental health and well-being - both platforms are very image-focused and it appears they may be driving feelings of inadequacy and anxiety in young people."
In light of the findings, public health experts are calling for social media platforms to introduce a series of checks and measures to help tackle mental health, including:
The report also recommends that NHS England comes up with a vetting scheme for health and well-being information so young people are better able to judge whether information is trustworthy.
Ms Cramer added: "As the evidence grows that there may be potential harms from heavy use of social media, and as we upgrade the status of mental health within society, it is important that we have checks and balances in place to make social media less of a 'wild West' when it comes to young people's mental health and well-being."
Tom Madders, from mental health charity YoungMinds, said the recommendations could help many young people.
"Increasing safety within social media platforms is an important step and one we urge Instagram and other sites to act upon.
"But it's also important to recognise that simply 'protecting' young people from particular content types can never be the whole solution."
He said young people needed to understand the risks of how they behaved online and should be taught how to respond to "harmful content that slips through filters".
Michelle Napchan, Instgram head of policy at EMEA, said: "Keeping Instagram a safe and supportive place, where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, is our top priority - particularly when it comes to young people.
"Every day people from all over the world use Instagram to share their own mental health journey and get support from the community. For those struggling with mental health issues, we want them to be able to access support on Instagram when and where they need it.
"That's why we work in partnership with experts to give people the tools and information they need while using the app, including how to report content, get support for a friend they are worried about or directly contact an expert to ask for advice on an issue they may be struggling with."
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British number one Johanna Konta reached the Rogers Cup quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over American Varvara Lepchenko in Montreal.

The world number 14, who claimed her first WTA Tour title in California on Sunday, won in 67 minutes.
Konta, 25, will face Kristina Kucova, 26, for a place in the semi-finals, after the Slovak beat Montreal-born Eugenie Bouchard 3-6 6-4 6-3.
World number six Venus Williams lost to fellow American Madison Keys.
Williams, 36, who was beaten by Konta in the final of the Stanford Classic at the weekend, went down 6-1 6-7 (2-7) 6-3.
World number one Novak Djokovic eased into the quarter-finals after a 6-2 6-4 win over Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek as the top five men's seeds progressed.
Serb Djokovic will now face world number eight Tomas Berdych.
Milos Raonic, this year's beaten Wimbledon finalist, was also untroubled in the third round with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over 19-year-old American Jared Donaldson.
World number 14 Gael Monfils is the Canadian's quarter-final opponent after the Frenchman edged out Belgian David Goffin 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-4.


Russian shock artist Petr Pavlensky, whose work has included nailing himself to Red Square by the scrotum, has said he has fled the country.

He and his partner have been accused of "violent action of a sexual nature", he told the BBC from France.
He insisted the allegation was false and argued that it was intended to get rid of him.
Pavlensky, 32, who calls himself a political artist, has faced criminal charges several times for his work.
Most recently he spent seven months behind bars after torching the door of Russia's intelligence agency.
He and partner Oksana Shalygina were detained by police last month at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport as they returned home.
Under questioning, they learned that an actress they had been involved with had accused them of a sex crime. Officials have confirmed an investigation is under way.
"There was nothing at all even remotely resembling violence. Of course not," the artist told the BBC, adding that the couple - who have an open relationship - learned of the accusation whilst abroad.
"We had a warning... that the police were looking for us. But we had no reason to take it seriously, so we ignored it. Then when they met us at the airport they revealed how serious their intentions were," he said. The charge carries a 10-year prison sentence.
The couple were questioned for some seven hours then freed pending investigation. They took that as a clear hint to leave the country and drove to Ukraine before flying on to France with their children.
More on this story:
The artist came to prominence when he sewed his lips together in support of anti-Kremlin punk group Pussy Riot.
He has since nailed himself to Red Square, wrapped himself in barbed wire and lopped off an earlobe while sitting naked on the wall of a psychiatric institute.
Since his release from jail last summer he believes he has been under surveillance; he also suggested that ill-wishers had tried to spur him on to more radical action, which he saw as a trick.
He insisted that the charge of sexual assault was also politically motivated.
"Of course they want to get rid of what gets in their way," he said. "We think they were showing us that we had two options. Either we would be liquidated from the political context, in a regime prison. Or we could leave the country," the artist said.
Staff at drama company Teatr.doc - known for its liberal, opposition agenda - have defended the actress involved, dismissing any suggestion that she's some kind of agent for Russia's intelligence services.
They also allege that the artist had previously beaten up her boyfriend, and have released CCTV footage of an incident.
Petr Pavlensky said he planned to ask for political asylum in France if formal charges are eventually brought.
"I have no desire to return like a lamb to the slaughter," the artist told the BBC by phone. "Especially a slaughter that is desired, by the state."


Starting pay for new recruits has been rising strongly, according to the latest data on Scotland's labour market.

It found that the numbers available for work had been falling while employers took on more staff.
The Bank of Scotland survey for September saw weaker growth than in the previous three months.
The number of vacancies grew, but at the slowest pace for 11 months.
The labour market barometer remains high by longer-term comparison and remained stronger in September than the equivalent UK index.
Survey responses from more than 100 recruitment consultants in Scottish cities showed that Aberdeen had the fastest rise in placement of work applicants.
Edinburgh saw growth, but at the slowest rate of the cities.
Glasgow had the highest growth in pay for permanent new recruits, and Dundee had the fastest rise in pay for those on temporary contracts.
The sectors showing strongest demand for recruits were in health and care work, computing, engineering and construction.
The survey data follows a particularly strong set of employment figures last week from the Office for National Statistics, taking the share of the Scottish workforce seeking jobs during summer down to 5.5%.
Donald MacRae, chief economist at the Bank of Scotland, said: "Starting salary pay rose strongly, reflecting the growing lack of available candidates for vacant positions.
"The barometer is showing almost four years of monthly improvement, resulting in the rate of unemployment in September of 5.5%. The Scottish economic recovery continues."
In other economic news from the British Retail Consortium, footfall for Scottish retail grew last month by 2% - while it fell across most other parts of the UK.
Averaged across July to September, Scotland and south-east England were the only parts of the UK to see growth, with Scotland up 2.6%.
Within the 0.9% UK drop in September footfall, compared with the same month last year, shopping centres saw a 2.6% drop, the steepest fall since October last year.
Passing trade on high streets was down by 0.6%, while out-of-town shopping was up by 0.5%. Fashion sales were hardest hit.
Helen Dickinson, of the British Retail Consortium, said: "To look at the figures initially they seem slightly gloomier than they actually are.
"Despite a dip for the month of 0.9%, largely due to less visits to indoor shopping centres, footfall was up on the 1.1% fall for August which shows that it is going in the right direction.
"As online sales increase, overall we can see how shopping is changing and retailers are adapting.
"The industry is working hard on providing great online shopping experiences for consumers and this too impacts footfall."


Props Sila Puafisi and Alex Allan have both secured contract extensions with Glasgow Warriors.

Scotland loose-head Allan, 23, has signed a two-year deal, while Tonga tight-head Puafisi, 27, has agreed a contract for another season.
Head coach Gregor Townsend said: "Alex has been working hard on his set-piece game to build on his outstanding ability in general play.
"Sila has played regularly for us this season and there's a lot more to come."
Puafisi, who has 20 caps for his country and played at last summer's Rugby World Cup, joined the Pro12 club last summer from Gloucester and has been ever present in the Warriors front-row this season.
Earlier this month, the Warriors signed tight-head Jarrod Firth on a two-and-a-half-year deal from Counties Manukau in New Zealand and Townsend thinks that retaining Puafisi ensures strong competition for places next season.
"Sila integrated so quickly after the Rugby World Cup it was if he'd been a Warrior for the past 10 years," said Townsend.
"His work-rate in training and in games is excellent and he has been really solid at scrum time."
Puafisi was pleased with the way he had settled in Glasgow.
"The set-up at the club is great and the standard of play is really high," he said.
"My wife and son really enjoy life in Scotland, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the season to see what we can achieve as well as next year too."
Allan, who joined the Warriors from Edinburgh in 2014, made his only Scotland appearance in the 24-6 win over the USA on the 2014 summer tour but is currently training with Vern Cotter's squad.
The prop said: "There's a great set-up at the club and the atmosphere in the squad is good as well.
"Last year was a great first season, but I'm always looking to improve and I feel I can do that at the Warriors.
"Being named in the Scotland squad for the Six Nations was a huge honour and I want to build on that selection and try and get more caps."


Leicestershire say approval for six floodlights at Grace Road will improve attendances and increase revenue.

Planning permission for the 40m-high lights was unanimously approved at a Leicester City Council meeting on Wednesday evening.
Chief executive Wasim Khan said: "It is fantastic news.
"We saw an average 48% increase in attendances for NatWest T20 Blast matches in 2015. The floodlights will help retain and grow our audiences."
The club hope to have to the floodlights installed for the first T20 Blast game of the season in May.
Mr Khan added: "We can start games later in the evening which will give more people the opportunity to attend after work."


Chinese tech giant Tencent has spent $1.78bn (Â£1.4bn) on buying a 5% stake in electric carmaker Tesla.

Tencent, best known for its WeChat mobile app, has been investing in a number of sectors, including gaming, entertainment, cloud computing and online financing.
Tesla said the stake was passive, meaning Tencent would not get a say in how the US firm was run.
Shares in Tesla rose 2.3% in early trading following the announcement.
Tesla's range of electric cars has included the Model S and the Roadster, which was billed as the world's first electric sports car.
The company also specialises in battery storage, and, through its SolarCity subsidiary, residential solar panels.
The firm has been raising capital ahead of the launch of its mass-market Model 3 sedan, and gained about $1.2bn through a bond and share sale earlier in March.
Tencent, one of Asia's largest technology firms, has backed several electric vehicle companies in the past.
It was an early investor in NextEV, a Shanghai-based start-up which since has rebranded itself as Nio and has offices in San Jose, California, close to Tesla's base.
Tencent is now the fifth-largest shareholder in Tesla behind chief executive Elon Musk and investment companies Fidelity, Baillie Gifford and T Rowe Price.
Mr Musk remains the largest shareholder, with a stake of about 21% as of the end of 2016.


Exeter's wait for a home win in League Two extended to six games following a goalless draw with Grimsby.

Exeter had the better of the first half, but they failed to take any of the chances that came their way.
Robbie Simpson volleyed wastefully high and wide from a promising position for the Grecians, while Lee Holmes forced James McKeown into a flying stop with a curling shot from 25 yards.
Reuben Reid then forced McKeown into another good save before the Exeter striker failed to make the most of a superb Pierce Sweeney cross when he failed to make contact from close range.
Things continued in much the same vein after the break as David Wheeler and Holmes both saw long-range efforts go high, Reid hit the crossbar after lofting the ball over the goalkeeper, and then saw a similar effort land on top of the net.
Omar Bogle was high with a free-kick for Grimsby, who rarely threatened the Exeter goal, but it is just one goal in six league games at St James' Park now for the Grecians, who ended the game to chants of manager Paul Tisdale to go once again.
Reports supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Exeter City 0, Grimsby Town 0.
Second Half ends, Exeter City 0, Grimsby Town 0.
Lee Holmes (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luke Summerfield (Grimsby Town).
Attempt missed. Luke Summerfield (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt missed. Danny Collins (Grimsby Town) header from the right side of the six yard box is high and wide to the right.
Corner,  Grimsby Town. Conceded by Pierce Sweeney.
Substitution, Exeter City. Liam McAlinden replaces Robbie Simpson.
Substitution, Grimsby Town. Tom Bolarinwa replaces Dominic Vose.
Attempt missed. Luke Summerfield (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Lloyd James (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Dominic Vose (Grimsby Town).
Attempt saved. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner,  Exeter City. Conceded by Danny Collins.
Foul by Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City).
Omar Bogle (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Josh Gowling (Grimsby Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Gowling (Grimsby Town).
Substitution, Exeter City. Ollie Watkins replaces Reuben Reid.
Corner,  Grimsby Town. Conceded by Lee Holmes.
Corner,  Grimsby Town. Conceded by Lee Holmes.
Corner,  Grimsby Town. Conceded by Lee Holmes.
Foul by Robbie Simpson (Exeter City).
Josh Gowling (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Luke Summerfield (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Scott Vernon (Grimsby Town).
Corner,  Grimsby Town. Conceded by Craig Woodman.
Attempt missed. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Exeter City. Conceded by Danny Collins.
Attempt saved. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by James Berrett (Grimsby Town).
Foul by Robbie Simpson (Exeter City).
(Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Collins (Grimsby Town).
Attempt missed. Robbie Simpson (Exeter City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner,  Exeter City. Conceded by Zak Mills.


Cardiff boss Neil Warnock has criticised Newport County manager Graham Westley over his treatment of loan striker Rhys Healey.

Warnock is unhappy Healey was allowed to speak to the media about interest from County's FA Cup second round opponents Plymouth Argyle.
"I disagree totally with what's happened and I'm very, very annoyed with Graham at the moment if I'm honest," said Warnock.
Healey's loan expires in January.
The row will put a big question mark over the forward staying with the League Two side, with other clubs also interested in Healey, who has scored six goals in 18 appearances this season.
Warnock has confirmed Cardiff will now reconsider their position.
"To ask a young lad to face the media and talk about Plymouth, I think is totally out of order and I'll be speaking to Rhys on Sunday," he confirmed.
"Plymouth have spoken to me as have a number of clubs, but the club has not spoken to Rhys - that's been made up.
"He knew of the interest but he didn't speak to them. His agent has spoken to clubs, which is normal for a young player out on loan."
Though Warnock has no intention of selling Healey, he admits he could now move elsewhere on loan at the end of his Rodney Parade agreement.
"We have to weigh up the pros and cons of whether we want the lad playing at a team at that end of the table or another challenge," he said.
"That could be either in another division - because a number of League One clubs have asked - or whether we want him to go to the other end of the League Two table, like Carlisle where Keith Curle has asked me, or Plymouth.
"I expect him to play until January - if he gets selected, which might not happen this weekend. It'll be disappointing for him but that's up to their manager."
Warnock says the current situation has hurt relations between the two south Wales clubs.
"I've no idea if Rhys will move. Last time I spoke to Graham, if I thought it was beneficial to let him stay I would have let him stay," he said.
"But the current situation is not helping. I believe you should talk manager to manager about things, not through the papers.
"I have no intention of selling him. We've got three other young lads from the Under-23s Newport want a look at and by all means, I don't mind helping them out, but that's another matter."


Johnny McKinstry is on the final leg of a remarkable journey.

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It began when he left behind a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle for the wonder and wastelands of Sierra Leone five years ago. It will end when he walks through the front door of the family home in Lisburn, Belfast for Christmas, having lived through an incredible time in modern history.
Very few 29-year-olds have managed a national football team. None have done it while that country is being brought to its knees by Ebola. "I'm very sad, very emotional," he said.
"Saying goodbye to Sierra Leone was very emotional, very difficult. I don't keep my distance from things; I invest emotionally. The country has become part of me."
Having been an academy coach with the New York Red Bulls, McKinstry was appointed technical director of the Craig Bellamy academy in Sierra Leone at the age of 24.
By 27, he was manager of the national team. Within 18 months his squad were in the top 50 of the world rankings for the first time. "I've made a career of proving doubters wrong," he said.
Two months ago he was sacked by email, as the Ebola outbreak gathered momentum.
"We believed we had the chemistry, cohesion and spirit to achieve anything. But the Ebola outbreak changed everything. Circumstances meant that, in the end, it was an impossible job."
McKinstry stepped off a plane four hours before we met in a London hotel. He had not slept for the best part of two days.
The journey to Freetown Airport had to be made by boat to avoid some of the areas worst affected by Ebola. An early flight meant crossing the night before.
A night at an airport, one plane to Morocco, another to London followed by a medical check by customs officers is no ordinary preparation for an interview. But for a man who has spent much of the past six months living in lockdown, being among the bustle again is a welcome change.
His time in Sierra Leone has now come to an end. The memory of it will, however, live on.
"In the last month or so when I went into Freetown for supplies, I started to see more of the Ebola response teams, with the full yellow bio-hazard suits," he said. "You might see an ambulance driving past and even the driver would be in the full bio-hazard gear.
"When you see that it really does bring it home to you just how serious the situation is."
McKinstry was offered a way out, a safe passage home in July, but refused it. Many of the players in the academy were from affected areas, he felt he had a duty of care not to walk away and send the young footballers into danger.
Instead he quarantined the academy behind the gate and walls of the compound. "When the outbreak started a lot of people ran for cover," he said.
"But Ebola is a disease of contact, if you remove the contact, you remove the risk. So that is what we did. We moved everyone who was off site, behind the walls. We had generators for power, bore holes for fresh water, we had dorm rooms, classrooms and a football pitch."
In Northern Ireland his family were growing increasingly worried about the situation. Did they want him home? "They wanted information. They wanted to know what was going on, to know that I was safe, that the boys at the academy were safe," he said.
It is not sensationalist to suggest that the Ebola virus cost McKinstry his job as head coach. But before he explained how it came to an end, he addressed the question of how it all began.
"When it comes to football, confidence has not been something I have been lacking," McKinstry said with a smile. "There is a saying in Newcastle - 'shy bearns get nowt' - if you don't ask you don't get.
"That was my attitude to the Sierra Leone job. I know I was 27 but if they said no, nothing is lost. If they said yes, it was going to be the start of an exciting new chapter."
McKinstry had watched every Sierra Leone home game in person, every away game on TV, he had watched them train, studied their players. "I thought I was the best man for the job," he added. "I got in the room with the decision-makers and I went through Sierra Leone's last two games with a fine tooth comb and Tunisia's last two, who would be our next opponents.
"I outlined how I'd beat Tunisia, how I saw the future. Every member of the panel went away with a dossier, which I told them they could keep and use even if they didn't choose me.
"Two days later they offered me the job."
McKinstry made an impressive start, losing just one of his first six matches and leading Sierra Leone into the top 50 of Fifa's world rankings, above Northern Ireland, the Republic, Cameroon and Senegal. Then the Ebola outbreak happened and football became a side issue.
"We looked at what little we could do as sporting heroes, could we put smiles on the faces of the nation?" McKinstry said. "Football is a second religion in Sierra Leone.
"So when the national team wins, the national psyche is buoyed, everyone walks an inch or two taller. We made a commitment to keep on winning to try to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations so that people in the country would feel a little bit better. Unfortunately it wasn't to work out that way."
The Confederation of African Football ruled that Sierra Leone could not play games at home. A challenging task was becoming a near-impossible one. "In football, the home team tends to win 50% of the time. In Africa, the home team wins 65 or 70% of the time," McKinstry explained.
That was not the only complication. "In my final game, against DR Congo, we had 17,000 fans just chanting 'Ebola, Ebola, Ebola' at us. It was upsetting for our players. The atmosphere was difficult. It made the players angry that people were mocking the situation in their homeland," he said.
Sierra Leone players found opponents unwilling to shake hands, hotels unwilling to check them in and governments uncertain on granting them entry. "People fear things they don't know," he said. "Hotel arrangements were monitored wherever we went, there were daily medical checks for my players and, while that is not overly difficult, it can impact on players' mental state."
Sierra Leone's first group game as they attempted to qualify for the African Cup of Nations was away to Ivory Coast in early September.
With a week to go, McKinstry was still unsure whether he and his players would be allowed into the country. The confusion meant some players had to buy their own plane tickets. Others arrived the night before the game.
Sierra Leone led for an hour, only to lose 2-1. The demands of their schedule meant the squad left at 11pm that night to fly to DR Congo for a 'home' qualifier that was to be played in the away team's stadium. That game too ended in a 2-0 defeat and was marred by chants of 'Ebola, Ebola.'
McKinstry did not see the end coming. He said: "I had been in the FA building that day and not once was anything mentioned. I was driving back home, over a mountain pass, when my phone buzzed with an email from one of the men I'd been speaking to, not two hours earlier. It said they had terminated my contract. I was disappointed. I'd been standing in their office a few hours earlier.
"But I believe in a certain way of doing things. So I spun the car around, went straight back to the FA, not to argue with them but just to go in shake hands and say 'best of luck for the future and it has been a pleasure for the past 18 months.'"
McKinstry has a voracious appetite for football and for learning, he lives and breathes it and his sense of adventure means predicting his next move is not easy.
In the New Year he has a series of meetings in Asia. This is not a man who does things by the book. Having been a coach from the age of 15, McKinstry already has miles on the clock.
The boyhood Newcastle United fan still dreams of taking charge at St James' Park or leading his native Northern Ireland out. "Nothing would make me prouder, my heart would be beating out of my chest for both those opportunities at some stage in my career."
Watch the full interview with Johnny McKinstry - Football Focus, BBC One on Saturday 20 December at 12:10 GMT.


Russia is "fully committed" to the reform needed to comply with anti-doping laws after an athletics scandal.

The country was banned from international competition after a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) commission examined claims of widespread doping.
Wada director general David Howman was "pleased" with assurances from Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko, but said there was "much work to be done".
Russia faces exclusion from next year's Olympics if not declared compliant.
Howman and Mutko met in Frankfurt, Germany, for the first time since the Russian anti-doping agency (Rusada) was declared non-compliant on 18 November.
A Wada statement said: "During the meeting, minister Mutko committed fully to the process and the changes required of Rusada if they are to achieve compliance status."
Howman added: "Wada is pleased with the assurances provided by Minister Mutko to address the issues raised in Wada's independent commission report.
"There is, however, still much work to be done by Rusada. It is imperative that Russia's anti-doping programme be overhauled in order to protect the rights of clean athletes worldwide and to re-establish public confidence in Russian athletics."
The IAAF, the sport's governing body, is holding a meeting in Monaco on Thursday to determine the measures Russia needs to implement to be reinstated to world athletics.
An inspection team will monitor Russia's federation (Araf) as it bids to regain its IAAF membership.
Araf said it would cooperate "fully and actively with the team".
The IAAF is also awaiting the findings of a report into the conduct of its officials.
That section of the report, likely to be released in January, has been held back after a French police investigation began earlier this month into former IAAF president Lamine Diack and former head of anti-doping Gabriel Dolle.


The Met Office says it has made "major improvements" to its Mountain Forecast.

The service aims to provide forecasts for peaks and upland areas across Great Britain, including most of the high ground in Scotland.
It also covers the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Peak District, Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons.
Mountain weather research in Scotland has helped to create the updated service.
The service has been updated for the summer walking season.
It also follows research commissioned by the Met Office that suggests more than half the people in the UK who head outdoors have been caught out by bad weather.
The survey also suggests that one third of those who regard themselves as outdoor enthusiasts said they had put themselves in a dangerous situation by not checking the weather.
The Met Office said it would be able to give more detail in its area-specific forecasts for weather conditions in three-hourly periods.
The conditions include wind speed and direction, temperature, the probability of rain or snow, visibility levels and whether cloud is expected over hill tops.
Shaun Roberts, principal at Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre, said: "Detailed mountain weather forecasting is an integral and critical part of our daily planning.
"We are delighted that the SportScotland Mountain Weather Research in 2015 has helped influence commitment and developments into public mountain weather service provision and welcome the investment that the Met office has made to support those heading into our hills and mountains."
Richard Orrell, of the Met Office, added: "Mountain weather can change very quickly.
"Good weather can rapidly turn severe when altitude is added to the mix, so being prepared is essential.
"Our new and improved Mountain Forecast is compiled by specially-trained meteorologists who often spend time in the hills and mountains and know the ins and outs of mountain weather."
Mountaineering Scotland, which represents the interests of outdoor pursuits enthusiasts, said good weather forecasts were essential to enjoying the hills safely.
The organisation's Neil Reid said: "We strongly recommend checking a dedicated mountain weather forecast as an essential part of preparation before heading for the hills.
"The weather in the mountains can be very different from that at lower level - and is notoriously fickle - so even when you've checked the forecast you should ensure you have suitable clothing and equipment."
Mountaineering Scotland has information on summer hillwalking on its website.


Police have issued CCTV footage of an armed robbery at a petrol station in Denny in a bid to catch the culprit.

The video shows a masked person brandishing what appears to be a gun before taking cash from the till at the Gulf filling station on Glasgow Road.
Police said the lone female staff attendant was "terrified" by the incident, which occurred at about 21:30 on 21 October.
Officers continue to investigate and have appealed for witnesses.
The suspect, thought to be a man, was about 6ft tall, between 16 and 30 years of age, was of slim or medium build and was wearing dark clothing including a black hoodie with the hood up.
Det Insp Graeme Hendry said officers had been making "extensive" inquiries.
He said: "The response from people in Denny has been magnificent and I am grateful to them, however we have still to identify the person.
"I am sure that someone knows the identity of the person and that they too will be alarmed by the trauma this crime caused the staff at the garage."


A Welsh Labour MP who said the only people in his town with "coloured skin" ran takeaways has apologised.

Caerphilly MP Wayne David made the comment in a BBC Radio Wales programme from the town on Thursday following the vote to leave the European Union.
He had been responding to a question about immigration, saying it was not an issue locally "in terms of numbers".
Mr David has apologised via Twitter, saying: "Ethnic minorities play a vitally important role in our society".
During the programme, he was asked: "In terms of hard figures, how much of an issue is immigration in Caerphilly?"
The MP replied: "Well, in terms of numbers it's not an issue.
"I mean, I think the only people who have coloured skin, if you like, are people who run takeaways".
Apologising for the gaffe, Mr David said on Twitter: "Ethnic minorities play a vitally important role in our society.
"Now more than ever, it is vitally important to combat racism in Caerphilly Borough and elsewhere."
A majority in Wales voted for Brexit, with Caerphilly recording one of the highest votes in favour of leaving the EU, by 58% to 42%.
On Monday, Mr David was one of several dozen MPs to resign from Labour's front bench in protest at the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn during the referendum campaign.


A Sinn Féin MLA has spoken about what it was like to lose a baby due to a fatal foetal abnormality.

Cathal Ó hOisín and his wife lost their baby daughter 12 years ago.
In his first interview, the East Londonderry MLA described the experience as "very emotional and fairly surreal".
He hopes his story will contribute to the debate about whether NI's abortion law should be amended to reflect cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
"Your baby is born and dies in the same instance, that's how surreal it is really," he said.
"It's a totally traumatic experience for everybody, but particularly for the mother of course."
He said the memory was still raw.
"It's absolutely devastating as you have no indication up until that point and then within a 12 or 24 hour period your whole world is stood on it's head," he said.
Mr Ó hOisín supported his wife to carry their baby for the full-term of her pregnancy, but makes the point that a woman should be given the choice of whether to go ahead with a pregnancy or abortion.
He says he hopes his family's experience will contribute to the ongoing debate about whether the abortion law in Northern Ireland should be amended to reflect cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
"I don't think there can be a dogmatic or ideological position on this," he said.
"I think people have to look at this very much in human terms and show some compassion in these cases.
"At the end of the day you are talking about a baby, a baby that maybe was planned for and is certainly wished for and wanted."
Mr Ó hOisín tells me that there was no counselling or support available from his health trust.
A view that was highlighted in an Amnesty International report into abortion services in Northern Ireland.
It was highly critical of the current law, including the lack of guidance for cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
It said where a woman lives can depend on whether she can access services including a legal abortion.
Sinn Féin will hold its Ard Fheis (annual conference) next week and will debate whether current abortion law should reflect cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
"I suppose this was very much an anomaly within the party whereby this had not been addressed or dealt with previously, so it's really dotting the i's and crossing the t's more than anything else and I think it will be ratified at Ard Fheis level," he said.
"I think that's maybe reflective of a wider opinion, both north and south in terms of dealing with this very unique and very different case in terms of fatal foetal abnormality."
Northern Ireland's abortion law differs from the rest of the UK.
It is only allowed in very restricted circumstances.
The only exceptions are to save a woman's life or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.
Last year, 23 women terminated their pregnancies in hospitals in Northern Ireland mainly because the unborn baby had a lethal foetal abnormality.
To be lawful, each case had to prove the woman's life or her mental and physical health was at risk.
But, according to clinicians fewer procedures are happening because the draft abortion guidelines are designed to encourage doctors to avoid avoid any terminations even if lawful.
You can see more of Mr Mr Ó hOisín's on BBC's The View on Thursday at 22:40 GMT on BBC One Northern Ireland.


Burger chain McDonald's has said it is "disappointed" by Labour's decision to ban the company from its party conference in Liverpool.

Labour's ruling National Executive Committee rejected its application to set up a stand at the annual gathering.
The decision, which is thought to have cost the party £30,000 in sponsorship money, was criticised as "snobby" by one Labour MP.
A Labour spokeswoman said: "We do not comment on commercial decisions."
A McDonald's spokesman said: "We are disappointed with the decision that has been taken."
The company had reportedly wanted to mount an "interactive experience" display in support of British farm produce and is planning to rent space at the Conservative and SNP conferences.
Former Labour minister Ian Austin tweeted: "Why has @UKLabour turned down £30k from McDonald's? My first job was in their branch of Dudley High Street."
Labour MP Wes Streeting told the Sun on Sunday: "I'm exasperated that we should throw away £30,000 worth of sponsorship like this.
"It smacks of a snobby attitude towards fast-food restaurants and people who work or eat at them."
Hiring out exhibition space to charities and companies is a major source of income for Britain's political parties.
The Labour Party has come under fire in the past for renting stands to controversial companies, including, in 2013, tobacco giant Philip Morris.


A babysitter caused fatal injuries to a seven-month-old girl by shaking her "repeatedly, vigorously and aggressively", a court has heard.

Chuanfang Zheng, 31, was looking after Phoebe Guo at a home in Lutterworth, Leicestershire on 22 March 2015.
Phoebe suffered a "catastrophic injury" caused by "excessive force", jurors at Leicester Crown Court were told.
Ms Zheng, of Mortlock Close, Southwark, London, denies one charge of manslaughter.
The court heard Phoebe was "in good health and acting normally" when she was left with Ms Zheng.
Within half an hour, prosecutors said, the baby had suffered "significant bleeding" on the brain and behind the eye and had lapsed into unconsciousness.
With the baby in her arms, Ms Zheng ran to a Chinese takeaway next door, on Linden Drive, where the baby's parents worked.
Phoebe was then rushed by car to hospital.
There were '"extensive" medical efforts to save her, but the baby died four days later from her severe injuries having never regained consciousness, the court heard.
Adrian Langdale, prosecuting, said it would never be possible to establish exactly what happened behind closed doors that evening.
"Chuanfang Zheng must have caused significant abusive head trauma described historically as 'shaken baby' and described by an expert as being 'very much at the severe end of the range'," he said.
"It would have been immediately apparent to Chuanfang Zheng what she had done."
The jury was told Ms Zheng made a concerted effort to lie about the events leading up to the incident and had tried to cover up her actions.
Ms Zheng tried to blame the mother's efforts to resuscitate the baby for causing the serious injuries.
The trial, listed for three weeks, continues.


A controversial smartphone app which allows passengers to hail a taxi using a mobile phone has launched in Glasgow.

Uber, which has faced criticism over safety issues, began operating in the city on Friday.
Glasgow City Council granted the firm a one-year licence on condition that all drivers and vehicles are appropriately licensed.
It comes on the day a High Court judge in London ruled that the controversial minicab-hailing app is legal.
Transport for London (TfL) sought clarification as to whether or not the smartphone app breaks the law by operating in the same way as meters used by more strictly regulated black cabs to calculate fares.
Authorities in Europe have criticised Uber over safety issues but the California-based firm insists its drivers are safe and reliable and required to pass enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
Uber's UK head, Max Lines, said: "We're a private hire operator and we only use private hire drivers and private hire vehicles so all the drivers are going to be background checked.
"From a customer perspective, customers love it and drivers love it, we've seen huge growth. What we're bringing to them is a system that is very safe and very efficient and what we see is drivers actually earning good money because the system means that they are very well utilised."
Mr Lines acknowledged that the system had proved controversial for some city-based taxi firms.
He said: "We're coming into markets that maybe haven't seen innovation for quite a long time and that to me is the disruption.
"What we're trying to do is bring in new technologies, new ways of doing things and I think because of that it can be seen as disruption. But what we're trying to do is make it easier and better for both riders and drivers to get around."
Passengers are required to download the app and create a rider account before they can request a car. Once the taxi is booked, the driver's photo, name and car registration will appear on the app, along with real-time information about the car's location. Passengers are then notified when the car arrives.
Glasgow has joined London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol, Merseyside and Sheffield in offering the service.


A molecule can clear Alzheimer's plaques from the brains of mice and improve learning and memory, Korean scientists have found in early tests.

Exactly how it gets rid of the abnormal build-up is not understood.
The small Nature Communications study hints at a way to tackle the disease even once its in full swing, dementia experts say.
But there is no proof the same method would work in people - many more years of animal trials are needed first.
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Treatments can lessen the symptoms, but scientists are looking for ways to prevent, halt or reverse the disease.
As the dementia progresses, more plaques (clumps of abnormal proteins and chemicals) form in the brain and healthy brain cells die off.
Scientists reason that preventing or removing the plaques might help, and many drug candidates are in development.
Some drugs still being tested appear to stop the plaques from forming - but that is if it taken early enough, before the disease has advanced.
However, the South Korean researchers believe they may have found a molecule, called EPPS, that could work even if plaques have already formed.
They gave EPPS to mice (bred to have the Alzheimer's plaques) by spiking their drinking water for two weeks, and then monitored them over the next three months to see what effect it might have.
Compared with a control group of mice who received only normal water, the EPPS mice performed better on memory and learning problems (running through a maze).
The EPPS mice also had far fewer plaques in their brain at the end of the trial than they had had at the beginning. The same could not be said for the control group.
The Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK said it was important to remain cautious - animal study findings may never apply to humans.
Prof Tom Dening, an expert in dementia research at the University of Nottingham, said: "From a clinician's point of view, this research is of interest, but we still don't know if removing amyloid plaques is useful in humans.
"It may well be that the appearance of plaques is too far down the chain of molecular processes to be beneficial.
"We don't know if this animal work will lead to any useful agent that can be used for clinical trials."


Earlier this week former Conservative MP Sir Peter Luff was sent by his wife to buy a birthday card for her niece.

What he found in his local Waitrose appalled him: the cards were all pink ballerinas for girls, footballers and astronauts for boys. There was nothing that challenged those gendered stereotypes.
So he sent a quick tweet.
What followed was a vitriolic debate over the question of exactly what greetings cards should show.
His initial tweet addressed publicly to the upmarket food store simply asked "Dear @waitrose, do you think your children's cards may be just a bit stereotypical?"
Sir Peter wasn't prepared for the online response, which included insults and sneers from people who thought the matter trivial or too prescriptive.
Several said they, or their daughters, liked pink and wanted to buy cards that reflected their femininity. Others agreed with him.
He hastens to clarify: "I'm happy for there to be pink cards with ballerinas on display. It's choice I'm arguing for, not banning or limiting options. Lots of girls I know would not want to be sent those cards."
"Some adults make assumptions about children that are patronising and wrong."
Waitrose responded that while many of their cards are already suitable for both boys and girls they are "constantly updating to reflect what our customers want to buy".
"We are currently working with our suppliers to explore how we can reflect a wider range of children's interests which aren't gender specific," said Waitrose press spokesperson, Gill Smith.
In the meantime Sir Peter argues that the current preponderance of images of girls dancing, shopping and dressing up, while boys are shown having adventures and doing sport can have a subtle impact on children's future ambitions.
"This crude stereotyping does do harm. It limits aspiration, it shapes careers. If girls are told they should be ballerinas and boys astronauts and scientists it's damaging."
During his parliamentary career Sir Peter worked to encourage women to enter the engineering profession and persuaded magazines aimed at teenage girls to address their portrayal of women.
"We have lowest participation of women in engineering in Europe, probably the world. Our engineering companies are missing out on talent," he said.
The number and passion of responses - several hundred - indicates he may have hit a raw nerve. Already there have been outspoken campaigns against toy manufacturers that entrench stereotypes and some companies such as Lego have adapted their marketing as a result.
But it isn't an matter that has been discussed much within the greetings card business, at least not yet, according to Sharon Little, chief executive of the Greeting Card Association (GCA), the industry trade body.
Ms Little says retailers decide what cards they stock, based simply on what they think their customers will buy.
So why don't retailers offer cards showing girls driving diggers and boys dancing?
"Maybe they don't sell in enough quantities," she suggests. But if customers want something different all they need to do is ask.
"They need to give feedback to the retailer, if they don't feel their needs are being met.
"Card publishers are producing new ranges all the time and they would be able to react very quickly."
And getting it right will pay off. The UK boasts a huge greeting cards industry, worth Â£1.7bn a year.
According to the GCA Brits buy an average of of 31 cards per person per year, and the vast majority, it is thought, by women.


One of the leading lawyers in the renewable power sector has criticised the UK and Welsh governments for their approaches to green energy.

Michelle Davies from law firm Eversheds echoed concerns of employers' group, the CBI that the UK government decision to cut subsidies for renewables will damage investment and jobs.
She said the Welsh government missed the boat by not doing enough when subsidies were in place.
Both government rejected the criticism.
The UK government cut subsidies because it is already meeting its renewable energy targets, but Ms Davies told BBC Radio Wales that was "not a sensible decision" because it made the UK a less attractive place to invest.
Ms Davies said Wales was not near where it should be on renewables, particularly when compared to Scotland's "strong leadership position".
"We didn't create that environment initially and we're paying the price for it now," she told the Wales at Work programme.
"Unfortunately there isn't a huge amount we can do about that now because the [UK] government sets the level of support that is provided," she said.
A Welsh government spokesman said it did not have the same energy powers as Scotland, and defended its green energy record.
The UK government said its priority was to move towards a low-carbon economy and ensure subsidies were used where they were needed most.


A group of North Korean accordionists who took the internet by storm with their version of 80s pop tune Take On Me are destined for stardom, a Norwegian director says.

Morten Traavik, who posted a video of them playing on YouTube, told the BBC their version of the A-ha hit had attracted more than one million hits. The video went viral earlier this month.
A-ha achieved worldwide fame in 1985 with Take On Me.
The single made them Norway's most famous band.
"These musicians are among the best I have ever encountered," Mr Traavik told the BBC.
"They are talented enough to be successful anywhere in the world.
"When I was in North Korea, I lent them a CD of Take on Me on a Monday morning. By the following Wednesday morning they had mastered the song, with no annotation and no outside help. It showed incredible skill."
The accordionists will be playing a leading role in the Barents Spektakel festival that Mr Traavik is organising over the weekend in north-east Norway near the Russian border, itself an isolated, militarised area during the Cold War.
Mr Traavik met the musicians from Kum Song Music School while in North Korea to develop an arts project, in which he introduced them to classical and popular music.
"It was pretty obvious from the outset that they were brilliant students, with great technical skills. They were interested in all forms of music, especially music from Norway including works by the classical composer Edvard Grieg."
Mr Traavik says that he thinks the reason why their A-ha song has proved so popular is because people in the West are intrigued by the idea of musicians in a collective society - using traditional instruments - genuinely enjoying their performance of a 1980s Euro-pop classic.
"People [in Norway] are amazed by their skills and also by the fact that you can have fun in North Korea. I think that insight really rocks a lot of people's established preconceptions about the country," he said.
He said that the accordionists have already played several concerts in Norway, including for ambassadors, the culture minister and shipyard-workers.
The director - who arranges artistic and cultural exchanges across East Asia - says he also plans to hold a North Korean-style coloured card picture spectacle at this weekend's festival.
He has arranged for two directors from North Korea to teach about 250 Norwegian border guards to create a similar sight - but on a smaller scale - as the mass card rallies staged in Pyongyang.
The card carrying performance will be set against the picturesque backdrop of the Norwegian-Russian border area, with the accordion ensemble providing the soundtrack.
The display is entitled "the Promised Land".


The Football Association of Wales is considering a future bid to host another Champions League final.

Wales host the  showpiece event on Saturday, 3 June, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Speaking to BBC Wales, chief executive Jonathan Ford said he "would love the FAW to be considered in the future to host these major events".
He also said Wales' run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 has boosted their standing in the game.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are expected to tune in to watch the Champions League final live.
Ford said the FAW had built up its credentials in hosting major tournaments and matches, and he wanted more.
"We do not want it to just stop there in June," he explained. "We would like to continue to do it."
Wales has already hosted the Uefa under-19s Women's championship in 2013 and the Super Cup final in 2014, but the Champions League final is a giant step up, with estimates it will generate £45m for the local economy.
"We are at the business end now," Mr Ford said.
"We have got a team of 12 people at the FAW working full time on it, and in Wales alone there are probably several hundred people working on it.
"That will go up when Uefa are over here and if you add in the volunteers and the people working in the stadium then you are probably talking about four to five thousand people who will work this event.
"There is a lot of work being done to make sure this is successful and to make sure we utilise it to achieve the objectives we have with football."
Hundreds of thousands of spectators - with and without tickets -  are expected to travel to south Wales in the days leading up to the final, with the FAW, police, governments and local authorities involved in a huge logistics exercise.
Details of road closures and restrictions in the Welsh capital are yet to be officially published, but significant disruption is expected.
Major sporting events in the Welsh capital have been dogged by transport problems in the past, down in part to capacity issues at Cardiff Central railway station and pinch-points on the M4 at the Second Severn Crossing and Brynglas Tunnels in Newport.
BBC Wales has been told that 10% of the UK's entire rolling stock of coaches will be used to bring fans in and out of Cardiff on the day of the final and 21 intercity trains will be in place after the match to take supporters from Cardiff back to London.
Wales take on Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on Friday, still unbeaten in their group, but needing a win to improve their chances of qualifying for the finals in Russia next year.


The US Supreme Court has heard arguments in a controversial abortion case that may have implications for millions of women across the country.

It considered a challenge to a Texas law that imposes strict regulations on abortion doctors and clinics.
But the court's eight justices so far appear divided on the hot button issue.
It is the court's first major abortion case in decades and the first big case since its most conservative justice, Antonin Scalia, died in February.
His death leaves the court evenly split between liberals and conservatives, with all eyes on Justice Anthony Kennedy who holds a swing vote on the highly charged issue.
Hundreds of activists - both in support and in opposition to abortion - camped outside the court on Wednesday.
The crowd was overwhelmingly in favour of abortion access for women. Mostly younger women enthusiastically gathered together, holding signs and wearing hats emblazoned with the logo of pro-choice groups. They called the Texas abortion regulation in question a "sham law".
"It's too important to miss," said Gena Johnson, 36, who came from Chicago for the hearing. "My mom fought for Roe v Wade in the 1970s, and now here we areâ€¦ still fighting about abortion, it's ridiculous. I'm here for my daughter so we don't have to do this every couple of years."
Caroline Goldfarb, 19, a student at Harvard, said people don't understand that abortion is "one of the safest medical procedures."
"It's not fair, and it's not safe, to force women to have children when they can't afford them, or they know it's not right."
But Amanda Quigley, 22, who came to the Supreme Court with her mother, said she hopes the law is upheld, and that it has reasonable requirements for women's health.
"I'm here because I believe in the dignity of all human life, from womb to tomb," said Jean Morrow, 27, from Virginia. "I understand there are a lot of people who are pro-choice, but I believe the tide is turning to a pro-life mindset."
Wednesday's case focuses on a part of the law that has yet to go into effect requiring abortion clinics in Texas to have hospital-grade facilities - a requirement that would require costly upgrades at many providers' offices.
It also focuses on a mandate within the law already gone into effect that requires doctors to have the ability to admit patients to hospitals within 30 miles (50km) of their clinic.
Opponents to the law say it would leave just 10 abortion clinics in Texas, making it harder for women there to obtain the procedure. But the law's proponents argue it is necessary to protect women's health.
Justices at the court must decide whether such restrictions on clinics hampers a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
Hear both sides speak
What is Planned Parenthood?
But after 90 minutes of arguments, they failed to show a unified front on the issue. In their questions, liberal judges voiced hostility towards the law while the conservatives appeared more sympathetic.
Justice Kennedy did not give a clear indication of which way he stood, however he did suggest sending the case back to the lower court to allow more evidence to be gathered on the law's impact.
A ruling is not expected until the end of June, although experts say this is likely to end in deadlock with a 4-4 split in the case. Without a majority verdict, the Texas law would be implemented but the court will not set a nationwide legal precedent.
Abortion is a highly disputed issue in the US, and is a hot topic in the presidential election, with all of the Republican candidates backing bans on the procedure.
The Supreme Court legalised abortion more than 40 years ago in a landmark ruling, but some states have since endeavoured to pass laws placing restrictions on a woman's ability to terminate a pregnancy.


Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is making her first visit to western Rakhine state since communal violence erupted there three years ago.

She is campaigning ahead of the first openly contested elections in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in 25 years.
Scores of people died and tens of thousands were displaced in 2012 amid clashes between the Muslim Rohingya minority and non-Muslims.
Ms Suu Kyi has been criticised for not speaking up for the Rohingya.
Others, particularly Buddhist nationalists, have accused her of being too close to Muslims.
Most of the people killed or displaced in 2012 were Rohingya Muslims. More than 100,000 Rohingya have since been living in camps in Rakhine.
They are not considered citizens by the government, so are not allowed to vote in the election, among other restrictions.
Ms Suu Kyi's visit will not take her to the north of the state, where the camps are, nor to the state capital of Sittwe, where a rival party holds sway.
The BBC's Myanmar correspondent Jonah Fisher says it is almost certain she will not meet any Rohingyas, nor even use the word, as taking an interest in them would only cost her votes among the country's Buddhist majority.
The chair of Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy said more than 1,000 security personnel were accompanying the party leader during her visit.
"We are worried and taking precautions because we do not want any problem," the AFP news agency quoted Win Naing as saying.
The NLD is facing stiff competition in Rakhine state from the pro-Buddhist Arakan National Party.
The visit comes a day after the Myanmar government signed a ceasefire with eight armed rebel groups in the hopes of ending decades of conflict.
The government has been engaged in armed conflict with various groups seeking autonomy since independence from the British in 1948.


Top Gear raced back to our screens on Sunday night, with a brand new set of presenters and more crazy car capers.

The new team include racing driver Sabine Schmitz, actor Matt Le Blanc and BBC 2 DJ Chris Evans.
The presenters replace Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond who left the show last year.
The revamped show featured the profile of a supercar and a head-to-head challenge between the presenters.
Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc drove Reliant three-wheelers from London to Blackpool, whilst actor Jesse Eisenberg and chef Gordon Ramsay tackled the Top Gear track.
The relaunch was watched by an average of 4.4 million people, according to viewing figures.
New host Chris Evans had earlier said he would be "disappointed" with anything fewer than five million viewers for the show's first episode.
The final Top Gear featuring former host Jeremy Clarkson attracted 5.3 million viewers last June.
We asked you to tell us what you thought of the revamped show and the new presenters.
This chat page is now closed. Thanks for all your comments.
I thought the new Top Gear was as good as the old one especially with Matt Le Blanc, because when he was in the epic Nomad he really knew how to make people laugh!
Matthew, 9, Kent
I think the 1st episode of the new Top Gear was pretty good. The new presenters have adapted the previous format to make it a car show of their own.  At the moment I haven't decided who my favourite presenter is as it is still early days. I like the rally cross track for the stars in the brand new rally cross car because it is a new way to test the Stars' driving ability and it looks lots of fun. At the moment, I still think Clarkson, Hammond and May are better but after the new presenters have spent more time together, I think that they will be as fun to watch.
Bradley, 12, Gainsborough
I think that the new Top Gear isn't as great as it was and Chris needs a bit more practice on how to do things, though it was nice to have Matt on the show.
Rick, 12, Milton Keynes
I think that it's not that good because it doesn't have Jeremy Clarkson.
Archie and Basil, 10 and 7, Basingstoke
I think that the new top gear is boring.
Ben, 15, Penrith
I think the only good bit about top gear was the land rover series 1. Also they didn't roll the robin reliant over.
Ryan, 13, Milton Keynes
We think it was rubbish.
Emma, 9, Hertfordshire
FLOP GEAR!
Harriet, 10, Oxfordshire
It was really good, I really enjoyed it!
Indi, 12, Lincoln
Worst show I've ever seen. No new ideas. It's like they echoed Jeremy Clarkson.
Dottie, 12, Kent
I haven't seen it but I don't want to because I liked the old one.
Sarah, 8, Liverpool
I don't like the new gang. I like the old gang and I want them to be on the show!!!!!
Ilya, 8, Cambridge
Omg amazed.
Rhys, 10, Burnham on Sea


Director Alan Parker has sung the praises of a new stage version of his film Bugsy Malone, confessing he had "never liked" previous adaptations.

"They've made the most of the music and brought it up to date," he said of the production, which opened this week at the Lyric Hammersmith in west London.
Parker said he had previously been wary of stage versions of his 1976 comedy, in which child actors played gangsters.
"I've never encouraged it to be on stage," said the 71-year-old.
"I've never liked [stage versions] in the past".
The current production, directed by Sean Holmes, is the first professional UK staging of the crime film pastiche in more than a decade.
"I said to Sean, 'Please just make it as good as the film,'" Parker told the BBC. "When I was watching the rehearsals I said to him, 'You're not meant to make it better than the film!'
"In some ways, it is better."
The Daily Telegraph echoed those sentiments in its five-star review, calling its mix of child actors, 'splurge guns' and custard pies "a blast".
"Where it counts - American accents, deadpan attitudes, dance-steps and vocal strength - the show delivers the goods with knock-out force," wrote critic Dominic Cavendish.
Another five-star rave on the WhatsOnStage website called the production - the first to be staged at the Lyric since its Â£20m redevelopment - "extraordinary and unforgettable".
"Brilliantly directed by Holmes and sensationally well-choreographed by Drew McOnie, the show is a blast from titfer top to tapping toe," wrote reviewer Michael Coveney.
Set in a parodic version of Prohibition era New York, the show sees ex-boxer Bugsy fall for aspiring singer Blousey Brown against a backdrop of warring gangster clans.
The original film starred Scott Biao in the title role and memorably featured Jodie Foster as a torch singer whose "name is Tallulah".
"To have kids as the heroes is such an odd idea in itself," said Parker. "It can fall flat on its face if it's not done well.
"People don't realise how hard it is to get these kids to be as good as they are."
The new production, continued the film-maker, had "a brilliant director, fantastic choreography and extraordinary talent" and was "really good theatre".
The main roles are rotated among three different sets of young performers who, unlike their cinematic predecessors, are required to sing their songs live.
"We have 21 children in all, seven each night," said Holmes. "It's tricky to direct as you have to treat everybody the same.
"What I hope is that you get a sense of their own delight, energy and ownership."
"It is all staged by Sean Holmes with great elan, the cast is highly talented, and the audience went wild with delight," wrote The Guardian's Michael Billington.
The critic, though, said there was "an unavoidable cutesiness about the sight of kids apeing adult mannerisms" and "found something resistible about [the show's] desperate desire to be loved."
Bugsy Malone continues at the Lyric Hammersmith until 1 August.


Saint Denis was in lockdown as a police operation unfolded against suspects in Friday's attacks, and the latest developments moved the focus to this northern Paris suburb at the heart of France's debate over radicalisation.

While Parisians warily return to the cafes, restaurants and theatres, the mood among young people in this banlieue - less then a 30-minute train-ride away - is a far cry from the fun lifestyle that epitomises the central districts.
Around the Place de la Republique in central Paris, streets away from last Friday's deadly attacks, all the talk is of solidarity. But in Saint Denis, it is different.
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"Right, solidarityâ€¦ But don't you think they exaggerate the Paris attacks when there are more Syrians dying everyday?"  This is what I heard in Saint Denis, a multicultural and multi-ethnic place with a population of Africans, Algerians, Indians, Chinese, Turkish and many other backgrounds.
Many here have a "sans-papiers" status, without legal status or an ID that would allow them to work.
Crime is rife, with high rates of robbery, drugs offences and murder.
The first thing you notice outside the station is the supermarket trolleys with a little makeshift brazier on top.
Mainly run by African French locals, these are "mobile shish kebab shops" on wheels apparently to help them flee police more quickly.
There are no bistros here but there is a variety of restaurants, halal butchers and Maghreb sweets.
Chinese stores sell all types of gadgets while boutiques display glittering, sequined, frilled and lacy nightdresses along the main rue de la Republique.
Celine and her friend Lemea are both 17 and part of the banlieue generation.
When I ask about the Paris attacks, Celine blames French government policy.
"I think there will be a third world war. But France has been asking for it because of its intervention in Syria," she says.
"The Paris attacks lasted three hours - but this happens everyday in Syria. And Palestinians are dying, too.
"A quarter of Paris says: 'Pray for the French, pray for Paris' - but they don't do it for Palestinians. They have called for solidarity with the Palestinians for some time - but they did it as if it was fashionable."
Atek Riles, 19, who works at a halal meat butcher has a similar argument.
Born in Saint Denis, he rarely leaves the area and has little time for the Paris attacks.
"If you look closer at Syria, there are now nearly 250,000 dead there. It is about 160 dead per day. So, I am not shocked by these Paris attacks. They are important, of course. But there is nothing we can do."
Although his suburb has been caught up in the violence, Atek believes anyone who grows up in Saint Denis is not at risk of being indoctrinated by Islamists.
"Those who become radicalised are mentally weak. I used to get upset by what people said about the banlieues, but now I don't even care. They have their lives, we have ours."
Residents here see themselves as separate from the rest of Paris. I frequently hear remarks about "us and them".
That separation from the rest of French society is highlighted by Nilgul, a 29-year-old ethnic Turkish woman born in Saint Denis.
Much of the anger here dates back to France's war in Algeria from 1954-62, in which at least 60,000 Algerian civilians died, she suggests.
"Their problem is not Paris. The reason they're being radicalised might be their desire to take revenge for their parents," she believes.
"But also they are mentally weak. Their weaknesses are being exploited in the name of Islam. They are brainwashed."
Turkish-born Abdullah shows me the bullet holes in his shop, which was hit last month by a gunman chasing his target.
"Virtually no day passes without incident."
"This is the most dangerous place in Paris," says a Moroccan woman, who works as an Arabic translator at the local police station.
As I head back to the station, the "mobile kebab shops" are nowhere to be seen. The spot is now occupied by three policemen.
I ask them to sum up Saint Denis.
"Rotten," says one. Then, perhaps regretting his choice of word, he adds: "Difficult, I would say. In a single word, this place is difficult."


Having a baby is demanding enough but balancing a newborn with being a world-class distance runner is even more demanding.

But that is exactly what Jo Pavey has been doing for the past nine months since she gave birth to her second child, Emily, last year.
The 40-year-old has already qualified for the 10,000m at the European Championships and has fulfilled the selection criteria to run for England at 5,000m and 10,000m at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
"It's very, very busy," she says as she prepares to go for a training run in the sunny lanes surrounding her home in the countryside outside Exeter.
"I don't get a chance to get nervous before training, I just have to get on with it, get the nappies changed and get my kids ready.
As a mum, my kids are always my first priority
"Keeping busy has actually done me good. I feel so happy in my personal life it gives me a lot of motivation and happiness towards my training as well."
Pavey made her major British debut in the 1997 World Championships in Athens and has raced at the last four Olympic Games; her best result coming in 2004 when she was fifth in the 5,000m.
She made the finals of the 5,000m and 10,000m at the last of those in London, and won silver medals at the 2012 European Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
But to get to that standard requires putting in dozens of miles on the road every week, plus the arduous sessions at the track with her husband, coach and chief babysitter Gavin, and two children in tow.
"It meant we had to go to running venues as a family and I had to run with my phone just in case I was needed," she said.
"I didn't know even if it would be possible for me to get back to fitness at this age, it seemed a long way back and I was still breast feeding at the start of April.
"I was training fairly hard, but I think being in that state probably got me really fit because I found it really hard to run fast but I was still putting the effort in.
"Being a mum is my main priority and I've been pleased to be able to combine it with getting back to fitness."
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But at an age when many mothers are considering less exercise and more time at home, Pavey has her eyes on qualification for Glasgow in July and racing at her first championship since the 2012 Olympics.
She has already qualified for August's European Championships after winning the UK 10,000m title in her first race for the best part of two years last month.
But how long can she go on balancing being a mother and a runner?
"I don't know how much longer I'll go on," she says with a smile. "For me, as a mum, my kids are always my first priority.
"I'm very fortunate that my husband's very supportive and we very much work at the running together. He coaches and manages me and obviously looks after the children when I'm training.
"I'm still enjoying it, still doing it, but it's got to work for us as a family.
"I've just got to do this year and see what happens from there really."


The first fracking operation in England since a ban was lifted in 2012 has been approved.

North Yorkshire County Council considered a bid by Third Energy to extract shale gas at a site near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale.
Hundreds of protesters attended a meeting in Northallerton to voice anger at the project, which had been recommended for approval.
The council's planning committee voted seven to four in favour.
As it happened: Fracking decision meeting
A number of objections from people opposed to the plans were heard over the course of two days prior to the decision.
Supporters including landowners, farmers and Third Energy employees also had their say.
Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at rock to release the gas inside.
Opponents say it can cause water contamination, earthquakes and noise and traffic pollution.
Planners had recommended the Kirby Misperton plan was approved, but acknowledged the majority of representations received in consultation were objections.
Vicky Perkin, a council planning officer, told the committee that of 4,420 individual representations, just 36 were in support of the application.
But her report also said it should be noted there was a "national policy support for the development of a shale gas industry in this country and this is an important material consideration".
The result was met with boos and jeers from protesters who had gathered on the lawn outside County Hall during the two-day meeting.
Some campaigners chanted "We say no".
Immediately after the vote, North Yorkshire Police tweeted a warning to protesters.
It read: "Please be aware, the police will take action against unlawful behaviour linked to the #nyshale protest."
Rasik Valand, chief executive of Third Energy, said the approval meant the firm now had "a huge responsibility".
"We will have to deliver on our commitment, made to the committee and to the people of Ryedale, to undertake this operation safely and without impacting on the local environment," he said.
Campaign group Frack Off said: "These plans could pave the way for thousands of fracking wells to spread across Yorkshire and many other parts of the country if not stopped.
"Impacts, including pipelines, air pollution and waste disposal will spread far beyond the areas being drilled.
"Third Energy's plans in Ryedale are the thin end of a very large wedge."
No fracking has taken place in the UK since 2011, when tests on the Fylde coast were found to have been the probable cause of minor earthquakes in the area.
Since then, two high-profile applications to frack in Lancashire were rejected by councillors and are now the subject of appeals.
Third Energy wants to frack for shale gas using an existing two-mile deep well - called KM8 - drilled in 2013 close to the North York Moors National Park. It could start by the end of the year.
Andy Mortimer, the company's subsurface director, told the committee fracking at Kirby Misperton was "highly unlikely to cause any sort of earth tremor", describing the area as "seismically benign"
He said Third Energy would operate a safety system that would halt operations if a seismic event measuring above 0.5 on the Richter Scale occurred, adding that "trains cause seismic signals several orders of magnitude greater than our proposed threshold".
The firm already had licences to produce gas in North Yorkshire and offshore in the North Sea.
Dr Adam Marshall, acting director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, described the decision as a "much-needed victory for pragmatism, in the face of the serious energy security problems Britain faces".
He added: "Fracking has the potential to play a part in solving the UK's energy crunch, and create new energy-related jobs in many areas."
Greenpeace accused the government of having a "pro-fracking bias", which it said made the outcome inevitable.
Daisy Sands, head of the group's energy campaign said: "This isn't over and people will continue to raise their very valid concerns and keep fighting against fracking because it will industrialise the beautiful Yorkshire countryside and contribute to climate change."
The government has said it is going "all out for shale" to boost energy security and the economy.


Ipswich Town is suing police for more than £500,000 of "illegal charging" for match-day policing costs.

Suffolk Police was paid £511,869 for keeping order on the streets around Portman Road, the club's owners said.
They claim the force should not have demanded payment for policing the public areas surrounding the ground between 2008 and 2013.
The case comes after Leeds United successfully sued West Yorkshire Police for match-day policing costs.
A  judge ruled charges could not be levied for policing public land on match days, but only for providing services on land under the club's control.
A High Court writ issued by Ipswich Football Club Company Ltd said it had been the victim of "illegal charging" in relation to league, cup and friendly games since July 2008.
Barrister Hugh Southey QC said the club signed two agreements with police to pay charges for "supply of special police services" on match days, ranging from £5,926 to £25,242 per match.
Mr Southey said because the charges were levied for "public order policing on public land", Suffolk Constabulary had no legal power to collect them.
He said the club had written to police to request reimbursement but "no substantive response" had been received.
An Ipswich Town spokesman said: "The matter is with both respective legal advisors and the club has no further comment at this time."
A Suffolk Police spokeswoman said the force was aware of action being taken but could not comment further "due to ongoing legal proceedings".


The New England Patriots reached the AFC title game for a record sixth successive time as Dion Lewis scored touchdowns three different ways in a 34-16 win over the Houston Texans.

Lewis became the first NFL player to score on a kick-off return, pass and run in a play-off game.
His team will face Kansas or Pittsburgh next week for a Super Bowl place.
In Saturday's other match, the Atlanta Falcons made the NFC title game by beating the Seattle Seahawks 36-20.
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The Falcons, who had lost 26-24 at Seattle in the regular season, will play either Dallas or Green Bay on January 22 for a berth in the Super Bowl.
Lewis scored on a 98-yard kick-off return, caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tom Brady and ran for a one-yard touchdown in the final quarter.
Brady finished 18-of-38 for 287 yards with two interceptions for the Patriots, who are chasing their fifth Super Bowl championship.
In Atlanta, quarterback Ryan threw for three touchdowns as the Falcons overpowered the Seahawks.
Ryan - the favourite to win the MVP award - has won both his play-off games against the Seahawks but is winless in four post-season starts against other NFL teams.


Eilish McColgan ran a personal best and comfortably met the Olympic 5000m qualifying time on her return to the track after a 22-month injury lay-off.

McColgan's time of 15 minutes 09.94 seconds at the Payton Jordan Invitation in California was well inside the 15:24.00 qualifying mark.
"Can't stop smiling," tweeted McColgan, whose time was 35 seconds quicker than her previous best over the distance.
"First track race in over 22 months was worth waiting for!"
The Scottish middle-distance runner suffered complications after surgery on a broken ankle, which robbed her of any competitive action in 2015.
She has now switched disciplines having previously specialised in the 3000m steeplechase. She finished sixth in the final of the 3000m steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
McColgan finished fifth in California behind fellow Scot Laura Whittle, who was fourth in a time 15:08.58.
In the men's 5000m Scotland's Andrew Butchart delivered an impressive run to come in second, his time of 13:18.96 under the 13:25:00 required to meet the qualifying time for Rio.


The European Space Agency has launched a second radar satellite into the EU's new Sentinel constellation.

Sentinel-1b was carried into orbit by a Soyuz rocket that flew out of Sinamary in French Guiana.
The new platform will monitor shipping lanes for pollution and icebergs, and survey land surfaces for evidence of subsidence - to name just three of the myriad applications for radar imagery.
Sentinel-1b will work alongside the 1a spacecraft, which was launched in 2014.
Operating in the same orbit but separated by 180 degrees, the pair will be able to map the entire Earth every six days.
This promises an avalanche of data - some five terabits per day - and both satellites are carrying laser communications systems to help get all the information to the ground.
The Sentinels are a flagship space project for the European Union, which has committed billions of euros to the endeavour.
The satellites fit into a programme the European Commission calls Copernicus, which draws together all sorts of data about the health of the Earth, not just from orbit.
Copernicus will support a multitude of services, ranging from air quality updates to crop-performance monitoring, from water-resource management to transport infrastructure planning.
Esa is acting as the technical agent, procuring the satellites for the EU. Sentinel-1b is the fourth to launch, with more platforms to follow.
"At the moment, we have around 36,000 self-registered users (for Sentinel data), who have downloaded already about four million images, mainly from Sentinel-1a; although this is now picking up because Sentinel-2a (a visible colour camera) has just become operational as well," explained Esa's Earth-observation director Prof Volker Liebig.
The Soyuz' lift-off from French Guiana occurred at 18:02 local time (21:02 GMT), following three postponements in previous days due to meteorological and technical issues.
The 2.1-tonne Sentinel was ejected 23 minutes into the ascent. The planned injection altitude was 686km (426 miles).
"We will not start commissioning until we have raised ourselves to the proper orbit (693km), which could take two weeks, a maximum of three," Esa's Sentinel-1 project manager, Ramon Torres told BBC News.
"We will then go into detail with the calibration of the radar instrument. We plan the commissioning review (to declare Sentinel-1b operational) for 14 September."
Four other satellites were put in orbit on the same Soyuz flight.
Three were university cubesats. One, however, was a French space agency mission called Microscope - a fundamental physics experiment.
This satellite will spend the next couple of years investigating the so-called "equivalence principle".
It is the concept in general relativity that holds that gravity accelerates all objects equally, regardless of their mass or composition.
The Apollo 15 astronaut Dave Scott famously demonstrated the principle on the Moon in 1971 when he dropped a geology hammer and a falcon feather. Both hit the surface of the airless body at the same time.
Microscope's examination will be much more exacting, of course. It will "drop" metal cylinders made from titanium-aluminium-vanadium and platinum-rhodium - to see if they also fall at the same rate in the vacuum of space.
The experiment can sense accelerations that are a millionth of a billionth of Earth's gravity.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


On the outskirts of Pisa in a back room of a modern block, a machine is waiting for its operator.

The device has arms and legs and is suspended by ropes from a metal frame. Its only other tether is a thick umbilical cable plugged into its back.
After a few final checks, research engineer Gianluca approaches the machine, turns, and puts his feet on its feet and buckles them in. He straps himself in across his chest and puts his arms into its arms.
With a finger he then presses a button, and the machine jolts into life, lights flashing and joints whirring as he cautiously steers his body suit across the floor.
The machine is called the "Body Extender" and has been developed at the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory (Percro), part of the Pisa's Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
It can lift 50kg (7st 12lb) in each extended hand, can exert 10 times the force the user applies to an object, and its makers claim it is the most complex exoskeleton yet built.
"This is the most complex wearable robot that has been ever built in the world," says Percro's Fabio Salsedo who leads the project. "It's a device which is able to track the complex movement of the human body and also to amplify the force of the operator."
The machine has 22 degrees of freedom each actuated with an electric motor, and is made up of modular components, which means the robot can be easily rebuilt to suit the application, says its designer.
"There are several possible applications. For example if you have to assemble a very complex product like an aircraft, this is a machine which is very flexible. You can lift the panel, rotate it and position it in the right position."
"Another application is the rescue of victims in case of an earthquake. You need something very flexible in order to intervene rapidly without damaging the victim."
Meaning "outer skeleton", exoskeletons are common in nature. Grasshoppers, cockroaches, crabs and lobsters have exoskeletons rather than an inner endoskeleton like humans, providing both support to the body and protection against predators. Turtles and tortoises have both an inner skeleton and an exoskeleton shell.
Robotic or mechanical exoskeletons could offer humans the kind of protection, support and strength they afford in nature.
The Body Extender is just one of a host of machines now being developed or marketed around the world by researchers and companies.
A subsidiary of Panasonic recently unveiled its Powerloader, which it's claimed can also lift a total of 100kg and walk at 8km/h (5mph). The plan is to bring the machine to market in 2015 for work on the factory floor or any other application customers can imagine.
Another Japanese company, Cyberdyne, has developed its hybrid assistive limb or Hal system, a range of machines designed for rescue recovery or "back load reduction" in the work place.
The military application of exoskeletons has become quickly apparent. US corporation Raytheon has developed the XOS 2 for combat soldiers in the field, while Lockheed Martin has the Hulc, a hydraulic exoskeleton that provides soldiers with the ability to carry loads of about 90kg.
Then there are the medical uses. Israeli company Argo Medical Technologies markets its ReWalk device to help those with lower limb disabilities to walk upright using crutches, while Cyberdyne and Ekso Bionics - which developed the Hulc originally - offer similar devices.
Swiss company Hocoma offers a therapeutic device called the Lokomat, robotic trousers worn by a user on a treadmill designed to help stroke patients and others improve their walking, while a similar device called Lopes has been developed by Dutch researchers.
Prof Chris Melhuish, director of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, believes exoskeletons will have a place in the future of robotics where it's deemed humans are still required to steer or control a robotic device or quickly and adaptively respond to environmental hazards or changes.
"It's a technology which is growing fast and maturing," he told BBC News. "The type of functionality of the exoskeleton depends on what you want it to do and to what degree you want it to be autonomous."
"They can have a medical restorative function, or it can extend to augmenting human function and that might be the case for military systems, rescue services or in factories where perhaps large or heavy materials need to be handled."
He said the three main issues were developing the control systems, the materials and, crucially, the power systems.
"If you're doing this and you don't have access to sufficient power that's a problem. If you can plug yourself into the mains it's absolutely fine but then your movement is limited by an umbilical power supply.
"The evolution of the exoskeleton will go hand in hand with the evolution of batteries or other high density storage systems as well as lightweight structural materials."
Fabio Salsedo believes the simpler medical devices will become commonplace before the more complex full-body exoskeletons researchers such as he and his team are developing.
"There is still a problem with the overall equilibrium of the [Body Extender] machine so it is very difficult at the moment to guarantee the machine won't fall down on uneven terrain," he told BBC News.
"But there are other applications of these kinds of platforms which need a simplified version where not all the articulations are actuated but only a subset. In this case the machine can be lighter and more simple to control."
Rich Walker, of the London-based Shadow Robot Company, told BBC News: "Exoskeletons have a really important role in keeping older people active and healthy for longer, whether at work or at home. Much of the Japanese effort is focused on delivering systems that can help older people help their spouses without injury."
But he agrees safety issues will have to be overcome with some of the more complex devices.
"Safety will be vital for 'on the body' robotics. There is a new ISO standard covering this, but we haven't yet seen what happens when an exoskeleton goes wrong."