Dale Farm has been fined £30,000 plus costs of £2,500 after two ventilation engineers were exposed to asbestos fibres.

The incident happened during extension work at Dunmanbridge Creamery, Cookstown, on 13 March 2013.
The company pleaded guilty to breaches of health and safety legislation.
The case was brought by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).
Dungannon Crown Court was told that the two engineers had not been provided with important information on the location of asbestos containing materials at the site before work began..
An investigation by HSENI found that Dale Farm had an asbestos management survey carried out 10 years prior to the incident.
However, an asbestos management plan had not been developed in the intervening time, nor had a refurbishment/demolition survey been undertaken before the extension work began.
Dale Farm had also failed to update their asbestos register to take account of asbestos insulation board discovered in 2007 in the area where the incident took place.
After the hearing, HSENI inspector Jonathan Knox said: Asbestos exposure is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in Northern Ireland.
"Although the supply of asbestos containing materials was prohibited in 1999 many buildings in Northern Ireland still contain such products.
"Those in charge of non-domestic premises have a duty to manage the risks presented by asbestos containing materials."


The Republic of Ireland have been given more than 6,500 more tickets for Euro 2016 after talks between the Football Association of Ireland and Uefa.

Republic fans now have a total ticket allocation of 32,502 for their games against Sweden, Italy and Belgium.
A further 3,087 tickets have been made available for the Sweden game, raising their allocation to more than 16,000.
More than 1,000 extra Irish fans can go to the Belgium game, with a further 2,320 able to watch the Italy match.
In all, 7,095 Republic fans will now have tickets for the Belgium contest in Bordeaux on 18 June with 9,320 supporters able to attend the Italy match in Lille four days later.
The Republic will open their Group E challenge against Sweden at the Stade de France in Paris on Monday, 13 June.
In total, Republic fans applied for more than 275,000 tickets and their increased allocation is still massively shy of the demand.
However, FAI chief executive John Delaney said that he was "very happy" at Tuesday's news.
"These tickets will go some way to satisfying the huge demand for Ireland matches at Euro 2016," said the FAI chief.
Uefa intends to contact each successful applicant by the end of February to tell them when payments for tickets will be taken.
All applicants will be told whether they have been successful by 29 February.


Two men wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a British holidaymaker in Cyprus have been arrested in the north of the island.

Estate agent George Low, 22, from Dartford, was stabbed in the neck near a nightclub in Ayia Napa on the Greek side of the border on Sunday.
Police were told it happened after a row about urinating in the street.
Arrest warrants were issued for Mehmet Akpinar, 22, and Sali Ahmet, 42, who were detained late on Friday.
The men, thought to be Turkish Cypriots, were detained on the Turkish side of the island for an offence unconnected to the stabbing, said deputy police chief of the Famagusta region George Economou,
"They appeared in court this morning [on the Turkish side] over this unconnected offence and have been remanded in custody for three days," he said.
"I am now waiting to hear what will happen at the end of those three days."
The investigation into Mr Low's murder has been carried out by Greek Cypriot police but they have no jurisdiction in the Turkish-controlled north of the island.
Mr Low's mother Helen, 47, welcomed the development.
"We have not heard anything official from CID, but we are aware of the reports and are overjoyed," she said.
"We just want justice for George and Ben, who has been left traumatised by all this."
Mrs Low said her son's body had not yet been flown back to the UK to allow preparations for his funeral to go ahead.
Police have also issued a warrant for a third man suspected to have helped the suspects escape to the Turkish side.
Mr Low, a former club manager in Ayia Napa, and his friend Ben Barker are believed to have been stabbed after a row broke out.
Mr Barker, 22, received knife wounds to his back in the attack in Grigori Axfentiou Street, but survived.
Mr Economou said earlier this week his officers were told the two British men were urinating in the street and two Turkish Cypriot men told them not to, which led to the argument.
He said the assailants allegedly returned with a knife about 10 minutes later.
The group did not know each other beforehand.
A 48-year-old woman taken into custody pending further inquiries - but not charged - is said to be the girlfriend of Mr Akpinar and is accused of taking him a fresh pair of clothes and retrieving his mobile phone.
A district court in Larnaca remanded her in custody for eight days.


A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, after a man died following an attack in Coleraine.

Fifty-four-year-old Mark Lamont was critically injured outside a house on the Ballycastle Road last month.
He died in hospital on Tuesday evening.
The man was detained in Newtownards on Tuesday evening.


Dogs are commonly known as man's best friend, but it turns out they may also be a child's - particularly if those children are one of the 45,000 deaf children in the UK.

"Hearing dogs", as they are known, could transform many young lives by offering companionship, confidence and independence.
Not only that, but these specially trained dogs could improve behaviour at school and lead to better academic performance, a recent study has found.
James Cheung is 11 years old and the owner of Kurt, a golden labrador retriever.
Kurt is specially trained to respond to household sounds that a deaf child cannot hear, like a door bell ringing, a telephone sounding and any alarms going off in the home.
But Kurt has proved to be much more than just a dog who hears.
"He is a wonderful accompaniment to our household," say James's mother Louise, from Derbyshire.
"I can't remember life without him."
Although they have had Kurt for less than a year, he has become a close companion for James, who is an only child, and a reassuring presence around the home.
"James had sleep anxieties, which he was being treated for, but now that Kurt sleeps with him in his bedroom he feels much less isolated when he takes out his hearing aid at night."
Kurt has also helped James' social interaction, which he had always found difficult because of a speech disability.
"James is now mad keen on dogs, even his teachers have noticed. He researches them and talks about them. It's an interest which helps him initiate conversation with people.
"Before he would have avoided dogs. Now he adores them."
The study, carried out by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, looked at the impact of hearing dogs on the lives of 12 deaf children and their hearing families in the UK since 2008.
It found that hearing dogs had a positive effect in a number of areas, such as helping parents get the child's attention, making bedtime and sleeping easier, and giving the child confidence - particularly in social settings.
Parental concerns about the child's safety also fell dramatically, the study found.
Michele Jennings, chief executive of the charity, says this is because they can feel more relaxed about everything.
"Parents are concerned about dangers around the home but we train dogs to respond to smoke alarms, to alert a child to alarming noises, even things like ambulance sirens when they are out and about.
The responses of the families involved in the study said the dogs helped the children stay safe near roads and prevented them wandering off in public places.
But there were other noticeable benefits to placing hearing dogs with deaf children.
Their teachers noticed better behaviour at school and parents experienced happier family times at home.
The child was also more likely to wear a hearing aid, which often led to better academic progress and improved speech.
Most importantly, the dogs became their friends - often "best friends".
Hearing dogs are trained to alert children by nudging the child with their nose or, in the case of an alarm clock, wake the child up by putting two paws on the bed and pulling the duvet off.
Hearing dogs can also be used by the parent to fetch the child when needed and to carry written messages in a small purse, which the child can then respond to in the same way.
"The dog is a great conduit between parent and child - it gives the child independence," Michele Jennings says.
The majority of the dogs trained by the charity are cocker spaniels, miniature poodles, labradors and golden retrievers - dogs that can cope in most situations and be obedient, loving family dogs.
Volunteers offer to socialise the dogs when they are puppies, and when they are 10 or 11 months old, they start their sound skills training.
They are then introduced to a recipient deaf child and the bonding starts to take place.
There are currently 750 working hearing dogs in the UK for adults and, following the success of the trial, the charity wants to train many more dogs to work with deaf children.
It's a costly process though, with each dog costing Â£45,000 to be trained during its lifetime.
All hearing dogs are retired at 11 years of age but they are usually kept on by the families.
"The bond between family and dog and child and hearing dog is so strong. It's a joy to see. They just become part of the family," says Ms Jennings.


A Vale of Glamorgan bank worker faces jail for withdrawing more than £17,000 from the accounts of two customers, one of which had died.

Anne Peterson, 59, was found guilty of four counts of fraud while working at Lloyds Bank in Barry.
She told Cardiff Crown Court that she was on holiday when the transactions took place and that somebody else had used her bank log in details.
Judge Stephen Hopkins adjourned sentencing until 23 June.
He told Peterson that she had been convicted on "compelling and overwhelming evidence" and that she "ought to be thoroughly ashamed" of herself.
Peterson withdrew £12,000 from the account belonging to a 92-year-old woman, £4,000 of which was just a fortnight after her death.
Her second victim was an 83-year-old man, who had £5,080 taken from his account.
The court heard Peterson diverted their statements so they would not be able to find out what was going on.


One of the eight candidates to become UKIP's leader has pulled out of the contest, stating that one of his rivals is "the only person who can effectively unite our party".

West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge added that the other contenders should follow his example and stand down in favour of current deputy leader Paul Nuttall.
He urged UKIP to stick to its "patriotic, libertarian" principles.
Mr Nuttall announced on Sunday that he would run for leader.
Whoever wins the race will replace Nigel Farage, who is filling the role on a temporary basis. This follows the resignation of Diane James, who won the previous UKIP leadership election over the summer but quit after just 18 days in the job.
In his withdrawal statement, Mr Etheridge said:  "I always said that if a candidate better suited to take this party forward emerged I would back down and support them. That candidate has emerged.
"Paul Nuttall is not only a personal friend and an honourable man but I believe he is the only person who can effectively unite our party after the recent well publicised problems we have suffered.
"I will be supporting Paul and giving him my 100% backing. I call on all other potential candidates to follow my example and withdraw from the race to allow Paul to go forward from here and unite our party."
Mr Etheridge also said: "I believe that UKIP must remain a patriotic, libertarian party standing for the individual against the over-powerful state, and not be tempted into cultural nationalism and the so-called centre ground on economic policy."
Mr Nuttall, an MEP for North-West England, described himself as the candidate to "bring the factions together" following months of infighting within UKIP.
Another candidate, Suzanne Evans, a former Conservative councillor who helped write UKIP's general election manifesto, announced on Sunday that she would run, promising to make the party less "toxic" and aim to occupy the "common sense centre" ground.
Former Welsh parliamentary candidate John Rees-Evans said on Monday that he would enter the contest, meaning there were eight candidates until Mr Etheridge stood down.
Nominations close on 31 October, with the eventual winner announced on 28 November.


South African President Jacob Zuma has taken steps to prevent the release of a report into the alleged political interference by him and his supporters.

The public protector is due to release her preliminary findings on Friday.
She has been examining allegations that Mr Zuma allowed a business family undue influence over his administration.
The president denies any wrongdoing. In March a court ruled that he had failed to repay taxpayers' money used to upgrade his private residence.
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Profile: Jacob Zuma
"I can confirm that the president has applied for a court interdict," Mr Zuma's spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga told the Reuters news agency on Thursday.
Ms Madonsela questioned Mr Zuma for four hours last week as part of her final investigation before her seven-year term tenure as public protector concludes this weekend.
She has been hailed for her diligent work exposing official misconduct, including allegations that the president used taxpayers' money to build a cattle enclosure, amphitheatre, swimming pool, visitor centre and chicken run at his home in Nkandla.
South African media has quoted sources within Ms Madonsela's office as saying that her latest report cannot be released until a court has made an order in relation to Mr Zuma's request for it to be blocked.
The focus of her probe is on the Indian-born Gupta family, who are accused of using their close links with Mr Zuma to influence cabinet appointments.
Although Mr Zuma and the Guptas insist they are innocent, correspondents say the allegations will do little to improve the tarnished reputation of the president, who was forced to repay part of the cost of the lavish upgrade to his private residence because of Ms Madonsela's inquiries.
On Monday, Mr Zuma asked her not to report her findings until he has been given an opportunity to question witnesses and review any evidence that implicates him.
Ms Madonsela argues the president was supplied with all the evidence he needs earlier this month and has urged him fully to co-operate with her inquiry.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance party for its part argues that Mr Zuma is "worried about what is contained in this report, and desperate to stop it from being made public".
The latest row adds to the pressure on Mr Zuma, whose government was reeling this week when prosecutors ordered Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to appear in court in early November to face fraud charges.
He denies any wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated.


School children from Blaenau Gwent were caught up in a dramatic armed incident while on a trip in the United States.

One pupil from Tredegar Comprehensive School was on the phone to her mother when police shot an armed man as he tried to enter the US Capitol Building visitor centre in Washington.
Lisa Reardon told BBC Radio Wales how her daughter, Chelsea, began screaming down the phone, "he's got a gun".
Police called the shooting an "isolated" incident.
Ms Reardon paid tribute to the way teachers dealt with children, including her 16-year-old daughter.
"The next minute she is screaming down the phone to me saying, 'he's got a gun, he's got a gun'," she said.
"The first thing that goes through my head is what the hell is going on.
"Even though I'm panicking, I'm trying to calm her down as well, saying, you have to listen to the teacher.
"Everything was going through my mind. I felt more useless than anything."
A female bystander suffered minor injuries when police fired at the suspect.
Ms Reardon said: "The teachers were amazing for looking after them and reassuring them. They are carrying on with their trip. It is not going to stop them.
"I can't wait for her to come home on Thursday."
The school posted a message on Twitter to say all children were fine and shared photos on their Facebook page saying "all are safe and well".


With its picturesque villages and quiet country lanes, the county of Suffolk embodies a vision of a certain kind of Englishness. Yet nestled away in its north-western corner lies a pocket of pure Americana, where the cars are huge, you can pay for a haircut in dollars and the Stars and Stripes flutter proudly.
The accent is unmistakably American.
The man, elderly, slightly hunched but with a freshly cut short-back-and-sides, hauls himself out of the black leather barber's chair and places some money in Steve Snazell's palm.
"Until next time," he says, heading out of the door with a sense of purpose honed from years in the military.
"He's a regular," says Mr Snazell, a second generation barber whose shop sits directly opposite the wired fence of RAF Mildenhall.
The American community was established here during World War Two and the years immediately afterwards when the US military coagulated into a crescent of RAF bases that stretch across southern England from Lakenheath in Suffolk to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
West Suffolk is home to both RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall, with RAF Feltwell perched just over the Norfolk border to the north.
In the past seven decades, tens of thousands of US military personnel, their spouses and their children have set up home in this Suffolk enclave for postings lasting between two and four years.
The United States Air Force claims RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall are worth a combined Â£700m ($910m) to the local economy. The influence of the American dollar stretches far and wide - from the local property rental market to the pubs and restaurants, where US patrons are noted for eating out earlier than their British counterparts.
About half of all Mr Snazell's customers are Americans - either those currently serving in the military, or retirees who have settled in the area.
The cost of a haircut is Â£8 - though Mr Snazell is equally happy to take payment in dollars ($12).
One of the current batch of Americans living in the area is Jolene Jeffers, an aspiring photographer currently working for a car rental company.
She and husband Caleb, originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, are almost three years into a four-year posting. He works on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules at RAF Mildenhall.
"It is a different experience but still a really cool one," she says of life in west Suffolk.
"Sometimes I just want to go to Walmart at 03:00 for ice cream and socks, and you can't do that here.
"I miss home but it's amazing to be so close to London and to Paris.
"It's very small compared to what I'm used to, but Suffolk is so cosy and the people are so nice."
Such appreciation is reciprocated by retiree Rosalind Hamill, who is one of the thousands of British people to have made a living working on the bases.
"We've always worked together, the base and the local community," says Mrs Hamill, a West Row councillor who left school aged 15 to work at RAF Mildenhall.
"The young ones are so polite - it's all yes ma'am, no ma'am."
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Another local who has taken the American community to his heart is Terence Grinling.
He started on base as an electrical contractor before being made a permanent member of staff at RAF Mildenhall.
"I enjoyed every minute of it - so much so that when I reached retirement age I did an extra four years there."
As well as a living, the base gave him a son-in-law, Kenneth, from Ohio.
"He did not want to go back to the US and Hayley (Mr Grinling's daughter) did not want to leave," says the retiree. "So they settled here and live with my grandson William in Red Lodge."
Talk to people in this area of Suffolk and the conversation will at some stage invariably turn to cars.
Huge American Chevrolets, Fords and Chryslers are commonplace. But driving left-handed cars along Suffolk's often narrow winding lanes can prove problematic.
Terry James, who runs Mildenhall Car Sales, says many of the airmen pop into their showroom for advice about negotiating the county's roads.
As well as selling cars - nearly all automatic - to the Americans, Mr James's staff prepare US cars for the roads in the UK and for their MOTs.
But many Americans have an ulterior motive for visiting Mr James's car showroom: his dog, a velvety grey three-year-old Weimaraner called Charlie.
Most service personnel have to leave their pets at home and so for many Charlie has become a much-loved surrogate.
Terry's wife Sylvia says the airmen and their families feel a "strong sense of belonging" in their offices.
"Sometimes people just happen to come in here," she says. "We listen to them, we're here for them, even if it's just for a chat.
"We push the boat out and make an effort. You have to remember nothing is familiar to them here - even mince pies at Christmas time. They didn't know what they were."
If you scratch beneath the surface, there is a sense of uncertainty about what the future holds for businesses reliant on the airbase.
In 2015, the USAF revealed it planned to pull out of RAF Mildenhall, RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth by 2020-23.
That decision is now reportedly being reviewed.
"If Mildenhall closes, we'd have to change our business model pretty sharpish," says Bill Flynn, the managing director of removals firm Safepac.
Half of the company's business involves moving American "members" - the term given to service families - back and forth across "the pond".
Each year they handle some 2,000 US house shipments. (If you have wondered how much the average family's possessions (excluding cars) weigh, Mr Flynn can tell you. It is about 4,000kg.)
"Service families are so used to moving, the old adage that moving house being the most stressful thing you do in your life doesn't apply to them", Mr Flynn says.
"We do everything you'd expect in a normal house move - we pack and wrap household possessions into crates, 10 crates to a container. We organise shipping them to America, where they can then face a couple of thousand miles by road."
For those who do return to America, the pull of Suffolk can remain strong in the years after leaving.
Retired USAF major Steve Balkan runs a pizzeria in Rothsay in Minnesota but 13 years ago he was stationed at RAF Mildenhall.
"This was by far the best assignment in my whole air force career," he said.
"We love the Brits, the sense of humour. And the countryside around here is so beautiful.
"I've always wanted to come back and show the kids where they came from."


A Coventry City fans' trust says disruption at Saturday's defeat by Northampton was caused by "desperation" with the club's owners, Sisu.

Nine men were arrested over a pitch invasion and flares being thrown during City's 3-0 loss at Sixfields.
The club has said that the "repeated disruptions" were "unacceptable".
A Sky Blue Trust statement said: "We do not condone anti-social and illegal acts such as the throwing of smoke bombs and multiple pitch invasions."
The statement continued: "We do understand, however, that it was entirely the result of frustration and desperation and that many supporters are simply at the end of their tethers feeling powerless and ignored.
"While peaceful protests and petitions have attracted national attention and sympathy, they have seemingly been ignored by Sisu and [chairman] Tim Fisher and this once great club is in now in total disarray and turmoil.
"The scenes were ugly but borne of desperation and passion. The Trust urges all fans to keep any protests lawful and ensure these scenes are not be repeated."
Coventry fans have held a number of protests against the club's owners this season, with December's EFL Trophy second round win over Crawley attracting a record-low home crowd.
The Sky Blues are without a League One victory since 1 November and have only won four times all season.


US actor Steven Hill, who was best known for roles on the original Law & Order and Mission: Impossible TV shows, has died at the age of 94.

Hill played undercover team leader Daniel Briggs in the first series of Mission: Impossible in 1966.
And he appeared as District Attorney Adam Schiff on NBC's Law & Order for 10 years from 1990.
Law & Order producer Dick Wolf described Hill as "one of the truly great actors of his generation".
He was also "one of the most intelligent people I have ever met", Wolf said, adding: "He is also the only actor I've known who consistently tried to cut his own lines."
Hill began his acting career on Broadway in 1946 and took classes alongside Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift at the Actors Studio in New York.
In a 1983 interview, Actors Studio founder Lee Strasberg described him as "one of the finest actors America ever produced".
While at the studio, Hill worked with director Elia Kazan. Hill later recalled: "His phrase, 'acting is an act of will', still stays with me. By that he meant tenacity and perseverance, no matter what."
In a 1996 interview with The Washington Post, Hill reflected: "I don't think I ever worked as hard as I should have."
He was a regular on Broadway and on television in the 1950s and '60s, but quit acting after Mission: Impossible, which he said was "not the happiest experience".
He took a string of jobs as a salesman in the subsequent decade, peddling, among other things, real estate and bathroom deodorisers.
But he returned to showbusiness with supporting roles in films like Yentl, Billy Bathgate and The Firm, and earned two Emmy Award nominations for his Law & Order performances in the 1990s.
He died on Tuesday at Mount Sinai hospital in New York, his wife Rachel told the Associated Press news agency.
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Animation studio King Rollo Films plans to make its first Gaelic language television series.

The makers of children's TV programmes Spot, Humf and Deer Little Forest previously announced plans to develop a new series from a base on Skye.
It also emerged last month that it will hold free workshops for artists next month and in January as part of an effort to create a local workforce.
Gaelic language college Sabhal MÃ²r Ostaig UHI will host the training.
King Rollo Films said the new animated series, which will be offered in Gaelic and English, could be ready within three years.
The studio's Leo Nielsen said: "This is just the start. We hope to create an animation unit that will develop and expand in years to come, producing films to entertain families around the world.
"In the process, it will create exciting and sustainable creative jobs rooted in the Highlands."
Amanda Millen, Gaelic-speaking director of the XpoNorth network which is supporting the training programme, said: "This is exactly the kind of ambitious project which should be taking root in places such as Skye.
"We are very happy to be in at the start, helping turn it all into a reality."


A £14bn class action lawsuit against Mastercard has been thrown out by the Competition Appeals Tribunal.

The former financial ombudsman, Walter Merricks, had claimed that 46 million consumers had been overcharged by Mastercard over a 16-year period.
But the court ruled that the case could not proceed through a collective - or class - action.
The ruling was welcomed by Mastercard, which said the claims were completely unsuitable.
The tribunal found that even if a loss had been suffered, and could be estimated across the whole class, there was no way any individual could receive compensation equal to the loss that he or she had actually suffered.
The case was filed in September 2016, and followed a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling against the level of so-called interchange fees - the amounts that retailers have to pay on debit and credit cards.
It related to the fees charged by Mastercard between 1992 and 2008.
"We welcome the Competition Appeal Tribunal's judgment refusing certification for the proposed collective action," said a spokesperson for Mastercard.
"As set out in Mastercard's arguments to date, we believe that the claims were completely unsuitable to be brought under the collective actions regime."
Interchange fees have since been capped by the European Union.


E-commerce giant Alibaba has broken its own record for sales on China's Singles Day, the world's biggest online shopping event.

By the close of trade, the site had seen sales worth 91.2bn yuan ($14.3bn; Â£9.4bn), a 60% increase from last year.
In comparison, sales on Cyber Monday, which is the biggest online shopping day in the US, hit $1.35bn, according to data analytics firm ComScore.
Singles Day is held every year on 11 November.
The day is also referred to as Double Eleven because of its date.
James Bond, bragging and 'eating dirt' - China celebrates Singles Day
Analysis: Celia Hatton, BBC News, Beijing
80%
share of China's total online shopping market
120,000  estimated orders each minute on 2015 Singles Day
73% of purchases in first hour made via mobile phone
12 hours time taken to beat 2014 whole-day record of $9.3bn
The reaction to China's Singles Day shopping bonanza reflects the drama and excitement of China's capitalist holiday.
"I wanted two different coats, but they both sold out in the first three minutes of the sale!", complained one young woman online.
"I spent 2,000RMB last night ($315; Â£207)" exclaimed another. "Now I'm going to have to eat dirt if I'm hungry because I'm broke!"
But don't mistake the rush to spend as a sign the Chinese economy is turning around.
Many shoppers are well aware the economy is slowing. It is common for people to wait to spend on Singles Day to save money.
New data supports nagging concerns about the economy. Inflation is down: non-food prices dropped 0.3% in October, indicating that consumption continues to fall in China - a long-term trend that Singles Day won't fix.
Why China's big brands are cashing in on singles
Singles Day has grown tremendously since Alibaba began promoting it as a shopping day in 2009, and now includes many retailers such as rivals JD.com that stage sales promotions.
This year, Alibaba said there would be more than 40,000 merchants and 30,000 brands from 25 countries selling goods on its platforms.
More than 130 million users have already visited its marketplace app, Taobao, which exceeds the peak from last year.
In the lead up to the event, the firm hosted a four-hour TV variety show featuring Chinese celebrities and Western entertainers such as British actor Daniel Craig of James Bond fame.
American actor Kevin Spacey appeared as his character President Frank Underwood from the Netflix series House of Cards to wish shoppers a "happy Singles' Day" in a two minute video.
Alibaba chief Executive Daniel Zhang had said in a statement that the event would mean "the whole world will witness the power of Chinese consumption".
He promised consumers "a new surprise every hour" over the 24-hour marathon, especially mobile users.
The firm said more than 27 million purchases came via mobile devices in the first hour.
Although its competitors offered attractive discounts, Fangting Sun, China-based analyst at market research firm Euromonitor International said that consumers' attention was still focused on Alibaba's online marketplace Tmall.com.
"[It's] not only due to the wide choices and competitive prices, but also the heavy marketing campaigns especially the successful gala evening which invited lots of famous entertainment stars," she said.
Kitty Fok, China manager for market research firm IDC said online shopping had become a comfortable channel for most consumers.
"China is a big market with close to one billion smart connected device users - it is a good news for both Alibaba and their competitors," she said.
Alibaba accounts for more than 80% of China's internet sales market.
It predicts that 1.7 million couriers, 400,000 vehicles and 200 planes will be making deliveries of products that range from electronics goods to cosmetics despite slowing growth in China.
Economists will be looking for clues about domestic consumption in Wednesday's sales as the world's second-biggest economy heads for its slowest growth in nearly a quarter of a century.
Ms Sun of Euromonitor said the shopping event would not only stimulate domestic demand but also trade.
"Alibaba aims to both attract more international players selling products to China and the domestic players to expand to the overseas markets," she added.


A caretaker at a top London school who needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother in Nigeria has been told he cannot come to the UK.

Issac Aganozor, who works at Dulwich College, has leukaemia.
His brother Patrick, who lives in Nigeria, is a match but has been refused a visa by the Home Office.
The refusal letter says he did not meet economic requirements. Isaac Aganozor's MP said she was "appalled" by the decision.
In Nigeria Patrick Aganozor is said to earn Â£69 a month as a tricycle courier.
Dulwich College has offered to pay Â£1,500 for his return flight and to sponsor him during his stay by making sure he has accommodation.
The rejection letter from the British High Commission in Lagos said although it was aware of the compassionate circumstances, the application had to be assessed according to immigration rules.
It said it had to take into account his personal socio-economic circumstances, adding: "Given your limited economic circumstances in Nigeria I am not satisfied that these provide you with an incentive to leave the UK at the end of your stay as claimed."
A new application is being submitted in the next couple of days.
Mr Aganozor, who is on his fifth cycle of chemotherapy, said: "I really need this transplant. I want to beg the Home Office, to beg the minister of immigration, please, consider my case.
"It should not be refused again, it should be granted. Patrick is not coming to the UK to stay. Patrick will definitely go back to Nigeria."
Helen Hayes, Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, said she was "appalled" by the decision.
"There is no reason to believe that he would be away for longer than is necessary," she said citing the fact that Mr Aganozor's brother supported his daughter and mother in Nigeria.
"This is not an ordinary situation - it's life or death - and they had all the information they needed to make a decision.
"I'm puzzled and dumbfound by the lack of compassion."
She said searches on the transplant register had not found a match so Mr Aganozor, of Sydenham Hill, south-east London, was forced to rely on his brother as his only hope.
"It shouldn't have come to this, we should have a system where if there is a clear case to come here they will be allowed," said Ms Hayes.
The Home Office said: "All cases are carefully considered on their individual merits and the onus is on the individual to provide the necessary supporting evidence to meet the UK immigration rules.
"We are sensitive to cases with compassionate circumstances but all visa applications must be assessed against the immigration rules.
"The applicant is free to submit a new application with supporting evidence."


It won't be like the glory days of Kauto Star, Denman, See More Business, Master Minded or Big Buck's for Paul Nicholls at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival.

Jump racing's 10-time champion trainer, the winner of 40 races at the sport's showpiece event, finds himself sending a smaller than usual team of runners to line up during the most important four days of the season, with its 28 races.
While the chaser Politologue, a fabulous jumper, and hurdlers Movewiththetimes and Dreamcatching, plus a few others, will all have their fair share of supporters, the squad of 20 or so is probably lacking star quality.
The trainer, who's on course for a likely 11th title, is rated fourth favourite to collect most winners, behind the fixture's reigning champion Willie Mullins, Nicky Henderson and Gordon Elliott.
After all of them comes Colin Tizzard - a near-neighbour of Nicholls in England's West Country - whose list of fancied horses includes the two biggest Gold Cup hopes, Cue Card and Native River.
And in an interview to mark the return of Friday afternoon racing to BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Nicholls said: "You'd have to say there's a bit of jealousy with, say, Colin having all those superstars, but then I know that's what everyone was thinking when I was in that situation.
"And I mean jealous in a nice way, not in a vindictive way at all. We're all good friends but he wants to beat me and I want to beat him.
"Everyone loves to have those type of horses, and I was lucky to have mine, but I'd like to have those [trained by Tizzard].
"It is a little bit frustrating because having run all those horses in the Gold Cup every year, and you're winning Champion Chases, and suddenly you haven't got those and there's a little bit of a hole to fill."
It's pretty extraordinary to think that 10 years have passed since Kauto Star's first Gold Cup success; it seems in so many ways like the day before yesterday.
Twelve months later, Kauto was toppled, finishing second behind Denman, only to turn the tables around again in 2009, becoming the first horse to regain national hunt racing's top prize, with his illustrious stablemate relegated to the runner's-up spot. They met in the race twice more.
Though it wasn't the first time that two horses under the care of the same trainer had competed against each other at that kind of level. The fierce rivalry captured the public's imagination with fans displaying their allegiance with rosettes, scarves and other merchandise.
With Kauto Star now dead, as the result of a freak accident in his retirement paddock, and Denman a regular in the hunting fields of the Cotswolds these days, how does Nicholls reflect on the pair?
"You can't take sides because you're training them all the same," he says.
"I always called Kauto my mate because he was human in a lot of ways, and he was so brilliant, while Denman was trying to take your arm off - he was a bit more aggressive.
"Both were amazing horses; I'd love to have another one, but it would be awfully hard to find horses as good as them."
Those 40 successes since the first in 1999 puts Nicholls third in the Festival's all-time roll of honour of successful trainers, equal with the late Fulke Walwyn and behind Henderson (55) and Mullins (48).
Though he has a loyal group of owners, they include just one of jump racing's 'big-money three' - the businessman JP McManus. The other two - Ryanair's Michael O'Leary and financier Rich Ricci - concentrate their support in Ireland; O'Leary principally with Gordon Elliott and Ricci exclusively with Mullins.
I've been incredibly lucky to have won all those good races, and probably don't deserve to again
It makes competing harder and harder, and sometimes makes Nicholls wonder if he's had his most fruity slice of Festival luck.
He said: "They were amazing days and I've been incredibly lucky to have won all those good races, and probably don't deserve to again.
"To have had those amazing horses that you'd call the 'horse of a lifetime', you'd probably say I'd be lucky to find another - but that doesn't mean to say I won't be trying to find another one - I am."
We were chatting at one of the dozens of Cheltenham previews that take place around these islands in the weeks leading up to the Festival - this one at the newly re-opened Hereford racecourse.
For the record, Nicholls gave Politologue, who'll be ridden by stable jockey Sam Twiston-Davies in the JLT Chase, as his best chance of the week.
And Arpege D'Alene, partly-owned by [former Manchester United manager] Sir Alex Ferguson, got a favourable mention for the JT McNamara National Hunt Chase.
As for the Gold Cup, he thinks Native River will win because he evokes memories of Denman, and that, he says, is good enough for him.
Hear the full Paul Nicholls interview on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Friday, 10 March from 13:50 GMT or on the 5 live Racing podcast, available to download from the5 live website.


Life expectancy at birth in Scotland has reached its highest ever level, according to official figures.

The statistics said a baby boy can expect to live for 76.5 years, while girls have an average life expectancy of 80.7 years.
However, life expectancy in Scotland is still lower than elsewhere in the UK.
The statistics released by the National Records of Scotland also showed an increasing number of people living beyond 100.
There were 800 centenarians in Scotland in 2012, a rise of 280 compared with 2002.
The vast majority of centenarians are females although the proportion who are male has increased from 10% in 2002 to 15% in 2012.
A century ago living to 100 was very uncommon, but this changed at the beginning of the 21st century when estimates showed there were more than 500 people aged 100 years old and over in Scotland. The number of centenarians has been increasing ever since.
The statistics also showed the the gap for life expectancy at birth between males and females has narrowed from 6.2 years in 1980-1982 to 4.2 years in 2010-2012.
And Life expectancy at birth has increased by two and a half years per decade since 1980-1982 in Scotland for males, and by about two years per decade for females
But Registrar General for Scotland Tim Ellis said: "More generally, while life expectancy at birth in Scotland is higher than it has ever been, life expectancy at birth in Scotland is still the lowest within the UK.
"In Scotland, males and females can expect to live shorter lives (by 2.5 years and 2.1 years respectively) than in England, where male and female life expectancy is the highest in the UK."
Amongst European Union countries, male life expectancy was highest in Sweden (79.9 years), 3.4 years higher than in Scotland.
Female life expectancy was highest in Spain (85.1 years), 4.4 years higher than in Scotland.


A man has died after the crane he was driving hit overhead power cables in Norfolk.

The man, who is in his 50s and has yet to be named, was at Buxton Road, Frettenham, near Norwich, when the crane's arm struck the power line.
Police said they were called shortly before midday and attended, along with fire and ambulance crews. The man died at the scene.
An investigation involving the Health and Safety Executive has begun.
More on this story and others from Norfolk


Ukraine's economy is likely to shrink by a worse-than-expected 9% in 2015, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission to the country has concluded.

The continuing conflict in the east of the country "took a heavier-than-expected toll on the economy in the first quarter of 2015", IMF mission chief Nikolay Gueorguiev said.
Ukraine's inflation rate will hit 46% by the end of the year, he said.
But Ukraine's commitment to economic reform "remains strong", the IMF added.
Cash-strapped Ukraine has agreed a $17.5bn (Â£11.5bn) bailout programme with the IMF, and is hoping that the latest $2.5bn tranche of credit will be made soon.
But the IMF will only release the money if it is satisfied the government is serious about reforming its beleaguered economy, which has been crippled by high energy costs, endemic corruption, and the conflict with pro-Russia separatists in the east of the country.
At the end of the 18-day mission to Kiev, Mr Gueorguiev concluded that discussions with the authorities had been "constructive" and that "understandings were reached on most issues".
"All performance criteria for end-March were met and all structural benchmarks due in the spring are on course to be met, albeit some with a delay," he said in a statement.
He praised the government for achieving this in "an exceptionally difficult environment".
The IMF said "signs that economic stability is gradually taking hold are steadily emerging".
Ukraine's gross international reserves grew slightly at the end of April to $9.6bn and domestic currency deposits "have been recovering", said Mr Gueorguiev.
Discussions "will continue in the coming days to finalise a staff-level agreement that can be taken for approval to the IMF management and the Executive Board", he said.


A Chinese fishing boat has capsized off South Korea's southern coast, with four people believed to be trapped inside.

The accident occurred on Wednesday morning while the boat, which had broken down, was being towed by a second Chinese fishing boat.
Five people were rescued but one later died.
The accident happened close to where the Sewol ferry sank in 2014, killing more than 300 people in South Korea's biggest maritime disaster.
Divers believe at least four people are still inside the fishing boat, which did not have approval by South Korean authorities to fish in the area, an official from South Korea's Ministry of Public Safety and Security told AP news agency.
The boat overturned 85km (50 miles) north-west of the island of Gageo.
South Korean maritime police based in the port city of Mokpo later withdrew divers after they failed to locate those thought trapped, AP reported.
It was unclear whether Chinese coastguard officials would continue search and rescue efforts or tow the boat away, a ministry official was quoted as saying.


A van driver who was investigated for links to Islamist radicals has attacked a gas factory near the south-eastern city of Lyon, a French prosecutor says.

Yassin Salhi, 35, caused an explosion by ramming his car into an area containing flammable liquids and was arrested at the scene, Francois Molins said.
Mr Salhi's boss, the owner of a delivery firm, was found beheaded alongside flags containing Arabic inscriptions.
The attack put France back on to its highest terror alert.
An investigation has been launched by French anti-terror police.
The attack in France comes on the same day as:
France, Kuwait and Tunisia attacks: What we know
France beheading attack: As it happened
Yassin Salhi drove his van into the Air Products factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, some 40km (25 miles) from Lyon, at just after 09:30 (07:30 GMT).
He was waved through by staff who recognised him as one of their regular delivery drivers, Prosecutor Molins said.
It began as an ordinary working day, on an ordinary industrial estate in an ordinary French town. People were going about their business in their usual way. But just after 09:00 the day changed.
An explosion was heard from the Air Products plant. Police and firefighters found a half destroyed car which had been rammed into canisters containing chemicals, then a man trying to ignite more canisters.
He was soon arrested, but they also found a decapitated body - the head some distance away - impaled on railings.
When the very first journalists arrived from Lyon, the head was still there.  Now the bland anonymous roads of the estate are crowded with the world's media. Satellite trucks line the verges.
Local people have come to look: some to express their horror, some out of simple curiosity.  In the background, white-suited French forensic experts comb the scene, looking for clues to an extraordinarily brutal crime.
CCTV footage caught the van a few minutes later accelerating towards an open building which contained many jars of flammable liquid. Shortly afterwards, there was a blast.
The fire brigade was called and, at just before 10:00, one of the fire officers caught the suspect trying to open bottles of acetone at a second hangar, Mr Molins said.
The decapitated body of Mr Salhi's boss, the 54-year-old owner of a local transport company, was found nearby.
His head - reportedly bearing Arabic inscriptions - had been hooked on to some factory railings, alongside two flags also with Arabic writing on it.
Mr Molins said the suspect was a father of three who had been married for 10 years. His wife, sister and another person have also been taken into custody.
Mr Salhi, Mr Molins said, had never been found guilty of any crime but had been "under surveillance for radical Islamist activities since 2006".
Before her arrest, Mr Salhi's wife told Europe 1 radio of her shock at his arrest, saying he had left for his delivery job as normal and was due home for lunch.
"We have a normal family life," she said.
President Francois Hollande ordered security in the region to be tightened to the highest possible level for the next three days.
He said earlier: "We have no doubt that the attack was to blow up the building. It bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack."
Speaking to reporters before flying back from an EU summit in Brussels, he reflected on the fact it would remind people of the attacks in and around Paris in January that killed 17 people.
"We all remember what happened before in our country. There is therefore a lot of emotion," he said.
US-owned Air Products makes gases and chemicals for a wide range of industries, including technology, energy, healthcare, food, and has employees in 50 countries around the world.
Chief Executive Seifi Ghasemi said: "I believe I speak for all of our Air Products family around the world in expressing our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim of this unspeakable act.
"My heart also goes out to the people who work at the site and their families."


The Environment Agency has been ordered to prioritise protecting people's homes ahead of nature when tackling flooding, the prime minister says.

David Cameron told a committee of MPs there had been an "attitudinal change" which he wanted to see continue.
He cited the example of the Somerset Levels, where dredging of rivers has resumed in a bid to avoid a repeat of flooding seen in 2013-14.
He also defended the response to floods in northern England and Scotland.
In an appearance before the Commons Liaison Committee, Mr Cameron said: "You've seen quite an attitudinal change in the Environment Agency that in years gone past, I think, were trying to balance up the effects on nature on the one hand and protecting property on the other hand.
"We've said to them: 'The time for that is over. This is about protecting human lives. This is about protecting our homes.'
"I want to see that continued shift. You saw that very directly in Somerset, where there is a man-made environment and it was ridiculous those rivers weren't being dredged.
I threatened to go and drive the dredger myself. Those rivers have now been dredged.
"Do we need an attitudinal change in the way we approach flooding? Yes, we absolutely do."
The Environment Agency, which covers England, is responsible for managing the risk of flooding from main rivers, and issues flood alerts and warnings.
But that was not the reason it was set up or the main part of its remit.
"We work to create better places for people and wildlife, and support sustainable development," the agency says on the "what we do" section of its website.
Several storms wreaked havoc across the UK in December, with Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire among the worst affected by the floods.
Parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland also saw flooding and damage from a series of storms, including Desmond, Eva and Frank.
The environment agency's chairman, Sir Philip Dilley, resigned on Monday after coming under pressure for holidaying in Barbados during the recent floods.
Last month the agency's deputy chief executive said a "complete rethink" of the UK's flood defences was required, saying better waterproofing of homes and improved warning systems were vital for tackling future weather extremes.
Mr Cameron told MPs more could be done, saying that "the country wants us to do more and we will do more".
The authorities need to get better at river management and more flood defences are needed, he said.


The death of a man in York is not being treated as suspicious, police have said.

A 20-year-old local man's body was pulled from the River Foss in the city on Wednesday night.
Underwater searches were carried out after a member of the public reported seeing a man in the water near Merchant Hall in the Piccadilly area.
Police said they were not in a position to identify the man until his family were informed of his death.


Dagenham & Redbridge have signed striker Elliott Romain from National League South side Eastbourne Borough.

Romain, 25, has scored 20 league goals this season for the Sussex club, who have agreed to sell him for an undisclosed fee.
A former Brighton and Millwall trainee, he made his name in non-League football with Three Bridges and Lewes, before joining Eastbourne in July 2015.
Romain will be available for Dagenham's away trip to Barrow on Saturday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


A scientific study says it's come up with the most beautiful male and female faces.

Researcher Dr David Soloman, an expert in facial mapping software, spoke to 200 British people over two months.
Using their responses, as well as the latest e-fit software that is used by dozens of police forces around the world, he came up with these two.
So what do you think?
But how do they compare against other couples regularly talked about as some of the most attractive around the world?
David and Victoria Beckham have been together for nearly two decades but he still regularly picks up style awards and she is becoming more and more successful as a fashion designer.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have consistently refused to confirm reports they've tied the knot. But the couple already have a baby together and are regularly counted among the world's most glamorous couples.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are one of the most powerful couples in Hollywood. Not only starring in but producing and directing their own blockbusters.
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are regularly voted in the top ten of world's most beautiful people. But as a couple the pair are fiercely private of their relationship.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively met on the set of Green Lantern in 2010 and married two years later. Last year they had their first child together.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


Airlines wanting to fly from Wales to Heathrow will be able to bid for a share of a proposed £10m route fund, the Welsh Government has said.

Ministers and Heathrow have signed a "strategic partnership" agreement to identify business opportunities from the planned third runway.
The Welsh Government claim it will create up to 8,400 new skilled jobs and boost the Welsh economy by £6.2bn.
But the Welsh Conservatives said the deal had no "tangible commitments".
A third Heathrow runway will be Europe's largest privately-funded infrastructure project and create significant growth opportunities.
Plaid Cymru criticised Welsh Labour support for the third runway project in 2016 without getting anything back in return, while the Scottish Government had reached a "memorandum of understanding" which included £200m in construction spending.
The UK government said in October 2016, after years of delay, that building a third runway at Heathrow, Europe's largest privately-funded infrastructure project, was its preferred option for expanding airport capacity in the UK.
Under the partnership, Heathrow and the Welsh Government agreed to hold a summit on 5 July in Cardiff to help Welsh businesses seek contracts at the airport.
The Welsh Government also said that airlines wishing to operate a route from Wales to Heathrow would be eligible to bid for a proposed £10m Heathrow Route Development fund.
The fund, paid for by Heathrow, is due to be available for five UK domestic routes and is due to start from 2021.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said the partnership "opens the door to explore a wide range of new opportunities, particularly for our existing supply chain companies that have the experience and expertise to support infrastructure projects at Heathrow".
But Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservative leader, said the announcement "is a case of the Welsh Labour Government joining the party after last orders with no strong and tangible commitments like those secured by counterparts in Scotland".
Plaid Cymru's transport spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards, said: "Heathrow should be congratulated on having superior negotiating skills to the First Minister of Wales.
"The Scottish Government secured a commitment from Heathrow to reduce landing charges for all airlines operating services from Heathrow to Scotland, and a £200m commitment on construction related spend in Scotland. No such commitments for Wales."
Cardiff Airport is keen to explore opportunities with Heathrow after the new runway is operational, chief executive Deb Barber said.


A County Down mother-of-four was a surprise winner of the Irish marathon championship, run as part of Sunday's Dublin Marathon.

Laura Graham from Kilkeel, who finished 10th overall, crossed the line in 2:41.53.
The 30-year-old was over three minutes clear of silver medal winner Caitriona Jennings.
Donegal woman Jennings posted a time of 2:44.59, with last year's national champion Pauline Curley taking bronze.
Graham, who has competed in just five marathons before, said: "I only first did a marathon because my dad had a heart attack.
"I still don't think I am good enough to be an elite athlete.
"I knew I had to go steady and think smart for a change, because I didn't do that in London last year."
Charity fundraiser Pat O'Loughlin, 79, completed his 36th Dublin Marathon on Sunday - a record in terms of runners from Northern Ireland.
The Castlederg man, who turns 80 in December, crossed the line in 6:47.
Nambia's Helalia Johannes won the women's race outright in a sprint finish with Bizuayehu Gebireyes.
Helalia clocked 2:32.31 a second ahead of Gebireyes.
Dereje Debele produced a front running display to take the men's title in 2:12:18 in an Ethopian 1-2-3 with Dereje Beyecha second in 2:14.37 and Legese Bekele third (2:15.00).
Sergui Ciobanu, the marathoner who just missed out on Rio 2016 selection, took the men's Irish title in 2:17:39, just 39 seconds outside the qualifying time for the 2017 World Championships in London.
Paul Pollock and Mick Clohissey have already secured the qualifying standard of 2:17.00 for London 2017.


A woman has admitted the unlawful killing of pensioner Eddie Girvan last year.

Just as she was about to go on trial for murder, mother-of-two Margaret Henderson-McCarroll pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The 31-year-old was to have gone on trial at for murdering Mr Girvan, 67, in his home in Greenisland.
She said she was "not guilty of murder, but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility".
A Crown barrister said the prosecution accepted the plea of Henderson-McCarroll, who has a long history of drug addiction.
She also pleaded guilty to eight other charges resulting from the killing including:
The judge then remanded her back into custody while pre-sentence reports are compiled before sentencing next month.
In a bail application last November, the court heard that Mr Girvan's body was discovered tied up and seated inside his home on Station Road, where he collected antiques and jewellery, in January 2016.
He had stab wounds to his chest and his shorts were round his ankles.


Tesco will pay $12m (£8m) to settle legal action by US shareholders which claimed that accounting irregularities inflated the supermarket's share price.

The lawsuit alleged that Tesco's overstatement of its profits guidance, revealed last year, breached certain US securities laws.
The cash settlement was disclosed on Wednesday in the US District Court in Manhattan and requires court approval.
Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket group, has not admitted any liability.
The retailer said in September 2014 it had overstated its profit guidance for the first half of the year by £250m after incorrectly booking payments from suppliers.
The announcement sent Tesco's New York-listed shares down by 15% the following day. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) account for about 2% of Tesco shares.
Tesco later raised the estimated overstatement of profits to £263m.
The incident led to an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and other regulators.
The legal action claimed that Tesco had misled investors about its financial health.
Kim Miller, a partner at Kahn Swick & Foti, called the settlement an "outstanding recovery".
The average recovery will be 37 cents per ADR before fees and expenses of about 30%, court papers showed.
Tesco shares, which are down almost 10% this year, rose 1.5% to 171.1p in morning trading on Thursday.
Analysts at Shore Capital maintained their "hold" recommendation on the stock.
"We believe that chief executive Dave Lewis and his team deserve considerable credit for the way in which they have stabilised an organisation in a state of chaos - the settlement of class actions in the USA merely serving to remind us of the challenges that management have faced over the last year," they said in a note.


Edinburgh University is to continue investing in companies that produce fossil fuels, it has announced.

The university said it would instead work with firms in an attempt to reduce their emissions.
The institution had carried out a consultation after its students' association asked it to reconsider its position on fossil fuel investment.
Environmental campaigners described the decision as "disappointing" and a "missed opportunity".
The university had established a Fossil Fuels Review Group to look into the issue.
Announcing the changes to its policy, the university said its choices had not been limited to no change or pulling out of all investments.
It said it would use its research activities and "responsible investment" to work with companies to reduce their emissions.
The university will require companies to report on their emissions and benchmark them according to the best performance in their sector.
It said it would focus on companies involved in the extraction of coal and tar sands, the highest carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
"The university will withdraw from investment in these companies if realistic alternative sources of energy are available and the companies involved are not investing in technologies that help address the effects of carbon emissions and climate change," it said.
Last year, Glasgow University became the first in the UK to announce it would sell off the shares it holds in companies that produce fossil fuels.
Prof Charlie Jeffery, Edinburgh University's senior vice principal, said: "The decision outlines our commitment to use the leverage of our investments to bring about change that reduces carbon emissions in the fossil fuels and other sectors, and to press further with our world-leading research activities that actively contribute to the solution of problems arising from fossil fuel emissions and the identification of alternative technologies.
"As a global civic institution, the University of Edinburgh will continue to take its lead through our research, teaching and knowledge exchange and helping society understand, manage and reduce climate risks."
However, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: "It's disappointing that Edinburgh University has chosen not to join the growing number of organisations opting to divest from climate-trashing fossil fuels.
"The science is clear, to protect our climate the vast majority of known fossil fuel reserves must remain unburned and in the ground."
Ric Lander, Friends of the Earth Scotland finance campaigner, said: "The university has missed a clear opportunity to take a moral lead on tackling climate change and stand up for environmental justice.
"The university appears content to have its money invested in the world's most polluting companies, including Shell, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.
"These companies are oil drilling in the Arctic and mining coal in virgin rainforest. Any investment policy which continues to allow investment in such irresponsible companies is not fit for purpose."
Prof Paul Younger, professor of Energy Engineering at Glasgow University, said: "Having been plunged involuntarily into the midst of the fossil fuel divestment debate when my own institution ploughed ahead with a simplistic commitment to divest from fossil fuels, as if all are equally damaging to the climate and as if simple alternatives exist for all their uses, it is refreshing to see the University of Edinburgh propose a policy that is consistent both with ethical principles and with what is technically feasible.
"Their stance is actually very similar to that adopted by the Church of England.
"I applaud both institutions for taking the time to probe the science and engineering constraints on the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"No such precaution was taken by my own university, with the result that we are now mired in a needless debate, in which the desire to avoid losing face is poised to overrule the application of reason."


The family of a girl who died after the bouncy castle she was playing on blew away said the messages of support they have received have been "overwhelming".

Summer Grant, seven, from Norwich, died in Harlow, Essex, on 26 March.
A crowdfunding page set up the next day received 350 donations and has already beaten its Â£5,000 target.
Summer's uncle Shawn Grant said the messages, donations, flowers and teddy bears left in her memory were "important for the family".
"It's such a tragic thing to happen. She was a little angel - so kind, so loving, so polite - adorable little girl," he told the BBC.
"On social media, the messages we've received, it's just been wonderful, it really has.
"I just want to say, on behalf of the family, thank you so much for all the flowers, gifts, donations towards the funeral costs."
Dozens of teddy bears have been left at the entrance to the park where Summer was injured, along with bunches of flowers and other tributes.
Follow updates on this story and other Essex news
A comment thought to be left by Summer's father, Lee, said the money raised on the crowdfunding page would be used to "give my beautiful daughter the send off she deserves".
A 24-year-old woman and a man, 27, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence and bailed until May.
Paramedics were called to Harlow Town Park on Saturday afternoon where they treated Summer, but she later died from multiple injuries in hospital.
It is believed a strong gust of wind swept the dome-shaped inflatable she was playing on 150 metres across the park, over the top of a number of trailers and caravans.
Police have asked anyone with mobile phone video footage of the incident to get in touch.
The crowdfunding page was set up by a man called Ken Spooner, whom the BBC has tried to contact.
Other messages attributed to family members, including Summer's grandmother, thanked those who had donated.
"I want to say thank you all who donated and for the heartfelt messages here. It will give our beautiful angel a good send off," she wrote.
Many of those who donated left messages of support, with one writing: "No amount of money can help but I hope at least we can help with some of the financial burden of what comes next."


Colchester United assistant manager David Wright says he had no idea that Kevin Keen would leave the club.

Keen parted company with the U's on Tuesday after four months in charge, leaving Wright, who was appointed by the former Liverpool and West Ham coach, in caretaker charge.
Colchester were relegated from League One at the weekend after a 3-0 defeat at home by Burton Albion.
"I've been really surprised, I didn't see it coming," Wright told BBC Essex.
"We came in on Monday and Kevin went across to watch the under-21s at QPR so it was generally a normal week, and then on Tuesday the news broke."
Wright, who finished his playing career at Colchester in 2014, is in his first coaching job at a Football league club, having worked in non-league and with Ipswich's academy.
"Kevin's been at some big clubs and worked at one of the biggest clubs in Liverpool, so to tap into all his experiences and his knowledge of how to do things has been invaluable for me," the 35-year-old added.
"Early on we were really unlucky in not getting the results, and I think if we did get the results back then we would have had a real positive end to the season.
"We tried to put our finger on it but we couldn't quite nail it down.
"We had the four-game spell of three wins and a draw and we really thought 'we've cracked it', but then unfortunately we had a couple of defeats after that."


A legal challenge over plans for an 8,000-seat community stadium complex has failed.

The challenge, brought by Vue Cinemas, centred on the City of York Council's decision to allow a larger cinema on the site than originally proposed.
The council initially approved a 12-screen design but later gave permission for a 13th screen and 400 extra seats.
The judge found the decision-making process to be correct. Vue Cinemas has not commented on the decision.
Read more about this story and others from across York and North Yorkshire
The 12-screen Vue cinema at the Clifton Moor Centre is one of three in York.
The additional screen and extra seating at the stadium site at Monks Cross on the outskirts of the city were approved in June 2016.
The council said it welcomed the court decision and said in a statement it was a "great step forward".
The stadium development has suffered a number of delays since it was first proposed in 2009.
It was originally forecast to cost Â£37m and open in spring 2017 but is now expected to cost an additional Â£7m and will not be operational until next year.
In December, the main contractor announced it was withdrawing from the plans.
The stadium is due to become home to York City FC and York City Knights Rugby League Club alongside leisure, retail, office and community facilities.


Arsenal's trip to defending champions Leicester is a huge game for both teams, but it is especially important for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

Wenger has big problems at the back and I really fear for his side if he does not bring Laurent Koscielny back into central defence on Saturday.
The way young duo Calum Chambers and Rob Holding performed there in last week's defeat by Liverpool means there is a massive question mark over them, and Wenger's decision to play them.
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Some Gunners supporters are already unhappy and, if this game also goes the wrong way, they are going to become even more irate.
That is really unhelpful for their players at this stage of the season when they are trying to gain momentum and confidence, so Wenger has a big call to make - and he has to get it right.
Arsenal were the only team to beat Leicester home and away last season but I cannot see them dominating the Foxes this time.
It will be end to end because the Gunners are not capable of shutting up shop. They will have a go at Claudio Ranieri's side, which of course plays into their hands.
On their day, Arsenal's free-flowing football is good enough to destroy anyone and it does not matter who they play at the back.
However, they looked fragile with Chambers and Holding playing together and there was definitely a lack of confidence in their defence, which is why Koscielny has to return this time. I would be amazed if he doesn't.
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Koscielny is not injured, just being rested after returning to training late after Euro 2016 and, even if he is only 80% fit, I would play him.
In his position, he does not have to cover as much ground as other outfield players and he could get through the game.
As a player, if I was in his situation I would be hammering on the manager's door saying, 'you need me, I can play, stick me in'.
But maybe he is saying that, and Wenger is still not picking him because he thinks he is not ready physically. If that is the case Wenger will have to take responsibility if things go wrong again.
Arsenal played a high-pressing game in the first half against Liverpool but they could not sustain that tempo for 90 minutes - it is virtually impossible for any team.
When the Gunners stopped doing it, in the second half at Emirates Stadium, they conceded a flurry of goals but very rarely will they come up against a team that plays so well for such an intense period of a game.
Yes, Arsenal could have defended better, kept their shape better and played more percentage football but Liverpool's performance in that 20-minute spell was pretty sensational and they scored some absolutely brilliant goals.
So I don't think Wenger will be overly concerned that will happen to his team every week, and he certainly will not be worried about it against Leicester. I don't think Arsenal will try to press the Foxes in the same way.
I would imagine he and the Arsenal players believe they can go to the King Power Stadium, dominate the ball and cause more problems than the Foxes can cause them.
They did it last season, when they won 5-2, and they will think that once again they have more quality on the pitch so they will create more chances and be able to win the game playing that way too.
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Leicester also lost last week, going down to a surprise defeat at Hull.
But I did not read too much into the Foxes' poor performance because their defence was missing Robert Huth, whose organisation and presence was absolutely pivotal in their title win.
Huth is back from his ban on Saturday and he might not be the only familiar face back in Ranieri's starting XI.
Against Hull, he left out Marc Albrighton and Shinji Okazaki from the team that played almost every game last season.
I understand why he did it - because he is trying to move his team forward - but it is hard to do that while retaining the same ethos that brought them their success.
They will be desperate for three points from their first home game of the season, and a tried and tested line-up might be the way to get it. They are likely to return to their regular way of playing too.
Leicester only had more possession than their opponents in five of their 38 league games last season, but they had marginally more of the ball than Hull last weekend - 50.3%.
The Tigers sat deep and did not allow them to play to their strengths on the break but against Arsenal the game is far more likely to follow a pattern that suits Ranieri's fast attackers.
I also think Leicester have to be careful not to believe their own hype now they are champions, start to over-play and forget their strengths.
It can easily happen - I played in teams where we did that when we just won a few games in a row, for example at Fulham when we were on a good run and got a bit confident.
We still had Bobby Zamora up top, who we could play long to, get the ball into his chest and play off him but at times he would be screaming at us to give him the ball because we would be passing it around at the back thinking we were a good side.
All of a sudden teams were pressing us, nicking the ball and causing us problems, and we had to rethink, and remember what was getting us results.
Leicester have bright players and a clever manager so I do not see that being a massive issue for them, especially on Saturday. Arsenal will come at them and leave space behind their defence for them to pump it up there for Jamie Vardy to get in the channels and cause havoc.
This is a big game for Vardy, against the team he turned down over the summer.
He was visibly frustrated at missing the chances he got against Hull and, facing Arsenal, he will be determined to prove a point and show them why they wanted him.
There is the chance the circumstances mean he could try a little bit too hard to make things happen instead of just playing naturally but it will be hard to tell because he looks like he gives absolutely everything in every game anyway.
I actually thought he was a bit unlucky not to score against Hull because he was only denied by a tremendous block.
Yes, he also blazed one shot over the bar which is unlike him but he set himself ridiculously high standards last season and it will be very difficult for him to maintain that ratio.
It is the same for any striker, and can happen for a variety of reasons but I do not see it becoming an issue for Vardy because the way he plays and the way his team plays means he is always going to get chances, including against Arsenal.
The occasion is set up for him and, the way he is, it certainly would not surprise me if he goes and bangs in the winner.
Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.


A bill aimed at strengthening the management of higher education in Scotland has been passed at Holyrood.

The Higher Education Governance Bill had proved controversial, with the government agreeing to cut some measures from the legislation.
Labour backed the general principles of the bill, while the Lib Dems and Conservatives hit out at it.
The bill modernises academic boards with elected chairs and an enhanced definition of academic freedom.
It was passed by 92 votes to 17.
Education Secretary Angela Constance said: "This is an important day for the future of Scotland's world class universities and their students.
"The passing of the Higher Education Governance Bill will ensure greater openness and transparency in the governance of these important and influential institutions.
"Every voice on campus will be heard as part of elections for chairs, or senior lay members, with staff, students and union representatives involved in the whole recruitment and election process. The historic role of rectors in those universities that have them will also continue.
"We have listened closely to stakeholders and interested parties over the course of the bill's passage and made a number of amendments, both to clarify the bill, and to make sure it has maximum impact in improving governance practice."
She added: "Our higher education institutions are, and will remain, a great source of pride to Scotland. Our research work is known the world over and the student experience is of the highest quality.
"An enhanced voice on campus for those who may not have been able to contribute before can only improve the sector's standing."
Mary Senior, University and College Union (UCU) Scotland official, said: "We welcome the passing of this important bill.  Reforming university governance and making our universities more democratic, transparent and accountable is something that UCU has campaigned for over many years.
"These changes will reconnect the way universities are run with those most affected by decisions - the staff and students - and allow our universities to remain the world leading institutions they are."
Emily Beever, NUS Scotland women's officer, said: "The bill provides for far greater levels of staff and student involvement in key decision making and ensures that our universities - charitable bodies, rightly in receipt of over a billion pounds of public funding every year - are more representative and inclusive of the communities they serve."
During the debate at Holyrood Labour MSP Mark Griffin said the Scottish government's proposals had caused an unnecessarily difficult process, pointing out that there had been "bad drafting, ministerial overreach and incompetence" in its progress.
But he commended the minister for listening and making changes and said his party would be scrutinising every detail as the policy moved into practice.
Scottish Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon said this was the first time she had "found legislation looking for a problem".
She claimed that every higher education institution in the whole of Scotland criticised the bill.
Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur said that in the higher education sector, Scotland had something to value and respect.
He said the bill should be about ensuring that all staff and student voices were heard and said it was unclear what ministers were trying to fix and how the bill would make things better.
Although universities get a large chunk of their income from the Scottish government, unlike schools and colleges they are not part of the public sector or directly accountable to politicians.
The proposal which caused the most controversy was for directly elected chairs for university courts - students and staff would be able to take part in the vote.
But this was seen by some as a threat to the role of the rector at the ancient universities.
The role of the rector is sometimes seen as purely symbolic and ceremonial. However, supporters argue the best rectors can be powerful ambassadors for their universities and champions of the students' interests.


Stormont needs to monitor the impact of job cuts on staff morale in the public sector, a report by the NI Audit Office has recommended.

The Northern Ireland Executive's voluntary exit scheme opened in 2015.
The spending watchdog has reported that 4,383 posts were axed in year one, with more than half the redundancies within the Civil Service.
While redundancy payments to staff totalled £171m, the report said they will result in annual savings of £155m.
The average cost of compensation ranged from £16,000 in NI Water to £58,000 in Libraries NI.
Auditor General Kieran Donnelly said the Department of Finance ran the scheme "in a way which was consistent with value for money".
However he added that over time "it will be important to demonstrate" savings have been sustained.
Mr Donnelly also said the scheme should be monitored going forward, so as not to have "a negative impact on staff skills, morale and service delivery".
The Northern Ireland Executive intends borrowing up to £700m over four years to reduce the size and cost of the local public sector.
The Audit Office said it was "a significant achievement" to deliver the cuts so quickly.


There is no clear link between performance pay for teachers and raising standards in schools, says an international survey.

The OECD has examined data from its Pisa tests to find whether targeting pay improves pupil achievement.
Previous studies have identified the importance of high-quality teaching.
But the OECD's Andreas Schleicher says the international evidence reveals "no relationship" between pupils' test results and the use of performance pay.
Researchers have already established that top-performing school systems are likely to have teachers who are well-paid or with high social status.
The quality of teaching has been identified as central to the outcomes for pupils.
A previous OECD report advised that raising achievement in schools depended on attracting the best students into teaching with "status, pay and professional autonomy".
But raising the pay for all teachers becomes difficult when public spending is under such pressure in many countries.
The OECD report says many countries facing financial constraints want to see whether they can increase the rewards for the most effective teachers.
The OECD's membership includes more than 30 of the world's industrialised countries - and about half of these already use some kind of extra pay incentives for specific teachers.
As such, the OECD has examined whether such a targeted, performance-related approach delivers better results.
The findings are that there is no clear pattern.
"In other words, some high-performing education systems use performance-based pay while others don't," writes Mr Schleicher.
South Korea, often applauded as an education success story, does not use performance pay. But Finland, often commended for an equitable system, does use an element of performance-based pay.
England has a performance threshold linked to higher pay - while France and Germany do not use performance pay.
But within this bigger picture of ambiguity there are some identifiable and contradictory trends.
In economies where teachers are relatively poorly paid, performance-related pay can be associated with improved student performance.
The report says this might suggest that for countries that cannot afford good pay for teachers, such a strategy could have value.
But in countries where teachers' pay is relatively good, the use of performance pay is linked to poorer performance.
The report also emphasises that performance pay comes in many forms and raises many difficult questions:
How is performance to be reliably and fairly measured? How can an individual teacher's impact be separated from the contribution of other staff? Should rewards be shared among staff reflecting their collective effort?
And it says that many successful school systems have a wider approach to attracting and rewarding staff.
This can include ensuring the public status of teachers, providing career development and giving teachers professional responsibility.


Google has not done enough to address concerns it is unfairly stifling competition, an EU official has said.

Google stands accused of using its 90% market share of internet search in Europe to promote its own services.
The company has offered to change the way it displays some results to address the worries.
But European Commission competition chief Joaquin Almunia said Google must rethink its response and "present better proposals".
"I concluded that proposals that Google sent to us months ago are not enough to overcome our concerns," Mr Almunia said on Wednesday.
In response, Google spokesman Al Verney said the search giant remained committed to settling the case, and that its offer "clearly addresses" the four areas of concern highlighted by the EU.
Those areas of concern, first highlighted in 2010, were:
On advertising, competitors have complained that it is too difficult to place ads on Google's Ad service using third-party software.
Both sides of the dispute have said they are eager to reach a settlement, but if necessary, the commission could formally file a case - leaving Google open to the prospect of being fined 10% of its annual revenue.
Google submitted in April its proposal to solve the problem. It agreed to display links to rivals close to where it displayed its own services on its results page.
It also offered to more clearly label results from YouTube, Google Maps and its other sites.
But lobby groups from other companies, including Microsoft, disputed the effectiveness of the changes.
"It is clear that mere labelling is not any kind of solution to the competition concerns that have been identified. Google should implement the same ranking policy to all websites," Microsoft said in April.
Google had also been subject to an earlier US Federal Trade Commission probe into competition issues - which ruled there were no concerns.
After receiving Google's proposals in April, the EU submitted the offer to the complainants - Google's rivals - for their consideration.
By Mark GregoryBBC News
Until recently it had seemed that European competition authorities would follow their American counterparts in deciding there were no serious concerns for Google to address.
But now after studying the small print of the search company's proposed remedies, EU officials are clearly taking a much tougher line.
They seem to have some sympathy towards the view - vigorously expressed by Google's opponents - that the search giant's plans to give greater prominence to links to rivals' sites were essentially cosmetic, and would not lead to significant changes in the flow of internet traffic.
The EU has in effect thrown the ball back into Google's court, demanding that it volunteers more meaningful concessions, backed with a still-distant threat of a legal battle and severe penalties if it fails to do so.
The interested third parties include Microsoft, Expedia and Trip Advisor - who form part of Fairsearch, a group of businesses looking to increase competition in the search industry.
A study of UK web users commissioned by the group, conducted by a pair of US academics, suggested that, even under the new proposals, Google-owned services enjoyed "better placement, richer graphics and better visuals" than competitors.
It said that as many as one in five of the 1,888 people studied clicked on Google's commercial web services, compared to one in 200 clicking on its rivals.
Another group, the Microsoft-backed Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace (Icomp), called for a "tight deadline" for Google's revised offer.
"It is reassuring that the commission has recognised, as had been argued by many, that Google's offer of proposed remedies was inadequate," said Icomp's legal counsel David Wood.
"Frankly, Google's offer made rather surprising reading and clearly fell far short of meeting the key requirement."


Fresh concerns have emerged over the future of Tata Steel's UK assets, which include the huge Port Talbot works.

It is understood that the Indian owners of the plant fear that the current UK political uncertainty could derail efforts linked to the planned sale.
Concerns centre on proposed changes to the pension scheme which are crucial to securing the future of the business.
The government says its consultation on the scheme is closed, and it will respond in due course.
Tata announced in March that it was considering selling its UK steel business, putting 11,000 jobs at risk.
But buyers are reluctant to take on the huge steelworkers' pension scheme, which has 130,000 members. Including spouses and children, hundreds of thousands of people depend upon it.
The scheme also has a deficit of about Â£700m.
In May, the business secretary Sajid Javid launched a consultation outlining options to resolve the pensions issue.
But it is understood that Tata now has concerns that the political uncertainty surrounding the Tory leadership battle could derail the process.
"It's clearly an incredibly busy time in UK politics," a source close to the company said.
"Nevertheless, the company still hopes that the hundreds of thousands of people in Britain who are dependent on a steel pension will not be left worse off by the current political leadership uncertainties."
The consultation on Tata's pension scheme is being handled by the Department of Work and Pensions.
On Wednesday the Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
He is being backed by Sajid Javid, who hopes to become chancellor if Mr Crabb wins. Mr Javid has led efforts to resolve the crisis in the steel industry which has intensified under his watch.
That's led to concerns that the leadership race could take priority over efforts to resolve the pensions issue.
The consultation on the scheme closed on 23 June, with a government response due four weeks later, just before the summer parliamentary recess.
The Tata Steel pension consultation included a plan to base the scheme's annual increase on the CPI measure of inflation rather than RPI, a move expected to save billions of pounds.
While reducing payouts, the plan would leave most pensions holders either better off or no worse off compared with entering the Pension Protection Fund - the industry lifeboat for pension schemes that go under.
But the plans have been criticised for setting a precedent that could lead other employers to attempt to dilute their pensions promises.
A DWP spokesman said: "Our consultation into the British Steel Pensions Scheme has now closed. We have received over 5,000 responses and will respond in due course."
You can follow John at @JohnMoylanBBC


Motherwell came from behind to claim a point against Ross County in Dingwall.

Liam Boyce gave County the lead just after the hour mark, firing past Craig Samson after being teed up by Alex Schalk.
Louis Moult converted a penalty after Scott McDonald was fouled to bring Motherwell level.
County's Jay McEveley saw red for his second booking with 20 minutes left but the visitors could not press home their numerical advantage.
Dingwall is often a difficult destination and most sides leaving with a point will feel fairly content.
The fact that Motherwell had a numerical advantage after McEveley's sending off and didn't win might frustrate Mark McGhee, but County didn't sit back and might have nicked it themselves.
Jim McIntyre might feel his side should have managed the game better after getting in front but an honest appraisal of events would suggests a point was fair for both.
The destination of the points may have hinged on the sending off of McEveley, which was hardly contentious, after picking up a second yellow card.
Perhaps referee Alan Muir's decision to award Motherwell the penalty from which Moult scored will attract a little more scrutiny.
McDonald ran through on Scott Fox and went down under the keeper's challenge. There was contact but the question is whether the contact occurred before the player was going down.
There were few complaints from County players which suggest it was a clear penalty.
It's one of those decisions that is very hard for the referee, with some spectators convinced it was a stonewall penalty, others casting doubt depending on their location in the stadium.
TV pictures will give a clearer indication.
Once again Boyce was the man to deliver for County with another composed finish.
He instinctively drifted into space and confidently slotted home to open the scoring in a match, until that point, which lacked finesse in the final third.
Frustratingly, he did have chances to win the match and might have expected to have taken at least one of them.
He slashed at one which flew past the post, missed a close range header from a brilliant Jonathan Franks cross and nodded one over from six yards.
It's hard to criticise a striker who's scoring but he might have delivered more on this occasion.
Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "Once we get the goal I thought we were well on top and looked as if we would go on and get the next one.
"Obviously the sending off just turned the game on its head. It's a silly challenge, Jay doesn't need to make that challenge. I thought the boys from then battled manfully, we still looked a threat.
"I'm annoyed that we haven't taken three points
"I think, Scott McDonald is definitely looking for it (the penalty), there's no doubt about that. Being a former striker I understand that. I've not seen it again to see whether there's clear contact."
Motherwell manager Mark McGhee: "Regardless of the man being sent off, a draw was probably about right. They missed chances, we missed chances. I'm absolutely content with a point.
"We're still working out what is the best system and best way to play with this team. In a sense our season started today.
"Marvin Johnson's gone, we put a lot of onus on him and have him no longer. We've got to find other ways of beating teams. We're content.
"For all the world it can look like a penalty. It's one of these ones you know you see it up close in replay it might not be.
"There wasn't a lot of complaint from them and that's usually quite a good indicator."
Match ends, Ross County 1, Motherwell 1.
Second Half ends, Ross County 1, Motherwell 1.
Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
Louis Moult (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Scott McDonald (Motherwell) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Erik Cikos (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by James McFadden (Motherwell).
Attempt saved. Lionel Ainsworth (Motherwell) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Christopher Routis (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chris Cadden (Motherwell).
Corner,  Ross County. Conceded by Richard Tait.
Tim Chow (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Scott McDonald (Motherwell).
Substitution, Ross County. Tim Chow replaces Michael Gardyne.
Attempt missed. Stephen McManus (Motherwell) left footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Motherwell. Conceded by Paul Quinn.
Christopher Routis (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by James McFadden (Motherwell).
Attempt missed. Liam Boyce (Ross County) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left.
Craig Curran (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chris Cadden (Motherwell).
Substitution, Ross County. Craig Curran replaces Jonathan Franks.
Andrew Davies (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Louis Moult (Motherwell).
Substitution, Ross County. Kenny van der Weg replaces Alex Schalk.
Second yellow card to Jay McEveley (Ross County) for a bad foul.
Foul by Jay McEveley (Ross County).
Scott McDonald (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Motherwell. James McFadden replaces Joe Chalmers.
Goal!  Ross County 1, Motherwell 1. Louis Moult (Motherwell) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Scott Fox (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Penalty conceded by Scott Fox (Ross County) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Motherwell. Scott McDonald draws a foul in the penalty area.
Attempt missed. Martin Woods (Ross County) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Paul Quinn (Ross County).
Louis Moult (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!  Ross County 1, Motherwell 0. Liam Boyce (Ross County) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Motherwell. Louis Moult replaces Ryan Bowman.
Jonathan Franks (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Chris Cadden (Motherwell).


Defender Callum Fordyce scored again as Queen of the South made it back-to-back wins with victory over Dumbarton.

Fordyce's header capped a dominant first half from the hosts which saw visiting goalkeeper Scott Gallacher keep out efforts from Shaun Rooney and twice from Stephen Dobbie.
Gallacher was called upon again to deny Dobbie.
Sons' substitute Calum Gallagher had a second half chance but Queens held on for a win that lifts them up to third.