Arsenal's six-match winning run in the Premier League came to an end against Middlesbrough but a point was enough to move them top of the table.

Manager Arsene Wenger - celebrating his 67th birthday - watched his side dominate possession but underwhelm in the final third.
The Gunners managed five efforts on target, but only one worried Boro keeper Victor Valdes when he pulled off a great one-handed stop to deny Alexis Sanchez.
The invitations have been sent out, the hall is decorated and the party food is prepared - but then only a handful of guests turn up and music is barely audible
Aitor Karanka's side defended brilliantly and, despite conceding much of the possession to the home side, created the better chances.
Arsenal keeper Petr Cech blocked Gaston Ramirez's header, twice denied the outstanding Adama Traore and also saved from Alvaro Negredo.
The home side briefly thought they had won it in injury time but Mesut Ozil's effort was rightly ruled out for offside.
Despite remaining in 17th place, Boro should be buoyed by the display and unexpected result.
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The invitations have been sent out, the hall is decorated and the party food is prepared - but then only a handful of guests turn up and music is barely audible.
That is how birthday boy Wenger must have felt at the final whistle as his side, who have been in tremendous form, had their wings clipped by a resilient and disciplined Boro.
Karanka's side might have only had 25% of the possession but the gameplan was to set up a defensive wall across their area and hit the Gunners on the counter-attack.
Wenger's men tried almost everything.
After failing to walk through the Boro defence they tried to play the ball over the top, but lacked accuracy. When they did have a sight of goal they lacked conviction.
Sanchez tested former Barcelona team-mate Valdes from 20 yards but should have done much better with one from half that distance.
They mustered a final set of attacks in the closing moments and had the ball in the net when Ozil poked in, but the German was clearly offside.
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Finding goals was Middlesbrough's problem coming into this game having scored only seven in the league.
Loan signing Negredo netted on the opening day of the season but has been off-key since. At the Emirates he should have beaten Cech with a low shot and then, with moments remaining, he allowed Laurent Koscielny to tackle him in the area.
Both Gaston Ramirez and in particular Traore impressed in midfield, with Karanka's counter-attacking plan suiting the pacy Spaniard, who twice threatened with runs from his own area.
One of those ended with a shot that Cech had to push away and another saw him play in Negredo for that late chance. The 20-year-old also had another strike saved by the Gunners keeper in the first half.
If Boro build on this display and start finding the net then they might avoid a relegation battle at the end of the season.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy on Match of the Day:
"It was a brilliant team performance by Middlesbrough but Adama Traore gave them a threat on the break. He's strong, demands the ball and is comfortable in possession.
"Middlesbrough made some good chances and he was at the centre of everything they did well in the game. He kept up that intensity throughout.
"He was the one player on the pitch who looked as if he could win the game and he deserved to be on the winning side."
Former Middlesbrough and Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on Match of the Day:
"I was pleasantly surprised with Victor Valdes. He had one of his best games for Middlesbrough so far.
"He has been out injured but he came out and dominated his area which is a surprise, I've never seen him do that before.
"You didn't expect Petr Cech to be the busier goalkeeper of the two. He is the best goalkeeper in the league and has been for five years.
"I have had the privilege of working with him [at Chelsea] and class him as a good mate. He stayed big and kept Arsenal in the match, which was quite strange."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "It is a game where you had a lot of possession but there were tired legs and you are prone to counter-attacks. You make it difficult for yourself - 75% possession but you could have lost the game, that is modern football.
"When you are not sharp, you lack creativity in the final third. The energy levels were a bit down but we were intelligent enough not to lose it.
"We were exposed at times. When you cannot win, you must not lose.
"They had chances but our goalkeeper saved us today. Cech had a good performance in decisive phases.
"At least you can have a drink on your birthday. When you win you deserve it, when you don't you need it."
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka: "It was an amazing performance from my team especially after the last defeat at home.
"For me, it is good if you come here and their best player is Cech.
"We have to keep going, keep working and we have shown we can compete with the best teams in the Premier League.
"I said I did not want to panic the boys but they have quality players and we have to defend. We were organised, the transition was good and this team and fans deserve to live these moments.
"Every single game in the Premier League is important. It is good to enjoy it for a few hours but it will be back to work tomorrow for the Bournemouth game. We need as many points as possible.
"We have to grow, we have to learn for experience. Once again, adding this kind of point and to see this team performance is pleasing."
Arsenal face Reading in the EFL Cup on Tuesday before they travel to Sunderland next Saturday for a 12:30 BST encounter. Boro host Bournemouth in the league at 15:00 on the same day.
Match ends, Arsenal 0, Middlesbrough 0.
Second Half ends, Arsenal 0, Middlesbrough 0.
Offside, Arsenal. Héctor Bellerín tries a through ball, but Theo Walcott is caught offside.
Offside, Arsenal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tries a through ball, but Mesut Özil is caught offside.
Lucas Pérez (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Antonio Barragán (Middlesbrough).
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Cristhian Stuani replaces Álvaro Negredo.
Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Álvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough).
Foul by Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal).
Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Adam Forshaw (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Stewart Downing.
Substitution, Middlesbrough. Stewart Downing replaces Gastón Ramírez.
Attempt saved. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) header from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross.
Attempt saved. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Lucas Pérez.
Offside, Arsenal. Laurent Koscielny tries a through ball, but Alexis Sánchez is caught offside.
Substitution, Arsenal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Mohamed Elneny.
Offside, Middlesbrough. Gastón Ramírez tries a through ball, but Álvaro Negredo is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Antonio Barragán.
Substitution, Arsenal. Lucas Pérez replaces Alex Iwobi.
Foul by Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal).
Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Theo Walcott with a through ball.
Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal).
Gastón Ramírez (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt blocked. Álvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough) header from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Assisted by Gastón Ramírez with a cross.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Petr Cech.
Attempt saved. Adama Traoré (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Adam Clayton.
Attempt blocked. Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Iwobi.
Corner,  Middlesbrough. Conceded by Héctor Bellerín.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Víctor Valdés (Middlesbrough) because of an injury.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Víctor Valdés.
Attempt saved. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Mohamed Elneny.
Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Marten de Roon (Middlesbrough).
Attempt missed. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
Mesut Özil (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


A 16-year-old boy has been charged with a drugs offence after the death of a Caerphilly girl.

Shauna Davies, 15, died in the early hours of Sunday, shortly after emergency services were called to Caerphilly Mountain Road.
Gwent Police said the boy has been charged with supplying drugs while four others who were arrested have been released pending further inquiries.
Shauna's family described her as "a beautiful person inside and out".
The circumstances surrounding her death are not yet known and a police investigation is ongoing.
In a tribute, Shauna's family said: "She was loved by so many people, she loved her brother and sister and friends and was fiercely loyal to them. She will be missed by so many.
"We were very proud parents. Fly high our beautiful daughter."


A mother and her young son were racially abused as they spoke in their mother tongue at Cardiff Central station, British Transport Police says.

The incident happened on 8 May at 19:30 BST and CCTV images of a man detectives want to speak to have been released.
After travelling from Cadoxton, the woman, 32 and boy, five, were shouted at as they headed for the exit.
This continued outside and, afraid his mother would be assaulted, the boy stood between her and the man.
He called for him to leave her alone, with investigating officer PC Liam Perry commending his "incredible bravery in standing up to this bully", saying "hate crime will simply not be tolerated".
"This man's behaviour was totally unacceptable and utterly absurd," PC Perry added.
"His claims and threatening behaviour was deeply upsetting to both victims and we are working hard to identify the man responsible."


A detailed inquiry is to be carried out into the future of councils and local services in Scotland.

Cosla has announced details of a commission which will examine how councils and local services might evolve.
Its remit is to examine ways of strengthening local democracy across the country, regardless of the result of the independence referendum.
Members will include councillors, academics and journalists.
Cosla hopes it will result in a blueprint for how local government might evolve in the discussions about the future of Scotland after the referendum - whether that means the shaping of an independent country's constitution, devising a "devo max" settlement or simply improving existing arrangements.
The local government organisation's president, David O'Neill, said: "The bottom line is that local matters and it is valued within our communities. Making Scotland a fairer, healthier and wealthier place will not be achieved from the top down - we know that trying to do so simply does not work."
He added: "The reality is that empowering lives in our communities means empowering local democracy and letting local people decide on their priorities, their services and their spending."
As well as Mr O'Neill, the commission has 20 other members. They include councillors from across Scotland, representatives of voluntary groups, STUC general secretary Graham Smith, the academic Prof Richard Kerley and the editor of the Daily Record newspaper Alan Rennie.
Some in local government fear that since devolution in 1999 there has been a trend towards the "creep centralisation" of services in Scotland.
They would argue that unrelated measures such as the terms of the council tax freeze and the creation of national police and fire services have, when taken together, weakened local accountability.
Some councillors argue devolution did not just mean a transfer of power from Westminster to Holyrood but from town halls to the Scottish government.
Mr O'Neill is keen to see a form of "constitutional protection" for local government in Scotland after the independence question is settled.
He believes central government and local government should have guaranteed responsibilities - at the moment councils could, in theory at least, be abolished by Holyrood.
Mr O'Neill describes the need for "spheres of influence - not tiers of influence". In other words, he would want a formal mechanism to ensure that central government recognised the responsibility of councils to make certain decisions or provide local services."
He said: "Over the decades we have moved away from the local aspect of almost everything. More and more services are being run by distant bureaucracies and often these services are being done to people rather than delivered with them.
"Yet, across Europe the opposite is often true. That trend simply won't see us through for much longer because it is no coincidence that our European neighbours are often more successful at improving outcomes."
One question might concern the details of local government finance. At present around 80p of every pound each council spends comes directly from the Scottish government.
Most of the rest comes from the council tax but the terms of the council tax freeze - due to last until 2016 - make it difficult to raise extra money to a significant level.
Because of this, many councils feel their hands are tied when it comes to money. Some would like to have more financial flexibility to minimise the need for continuing austerity and hard decisions on local spending. This could mean, for instance, greater flexibility over business rates.
Another question might be whether all councils should have the same set of powers - or if they should vary depending on local circumstances.
The three island authorities are currently arguing for additional powers while the councils responsible for Scotland's cities are examining the case for extra economic powers and responsibilities.
The commission might also look at ways of "devolving" power from councils to local communities.
But it is unlikely to make recommendations about redrawing the map of Scotland's 32 councils while decisions to share local services - either by pooling them with neighbouring authorities or other public services - are likely to be left to individual councils.
The commission intends to try to gather evidence from all across Scotland.
But one challenge might simply be engaging the broader public in the debate. Just 38% of voters took part in last year's council elections.
Another might be the extent to which it is possible to devolve real power to communities. Community councils have no formal legal responsibilities but exist to feed into local authority decision making.
Supporters say they can make a real difference to the people they serve but in many parts of the country, community councils are lying moribund through apparent lack of interest.
The commission's report is expected in the spring.
In the event of Scots rejecting independence, it would be largely be up to the Scottish government to decide whether to put any of the commission's recommendations into practice.
However it is possible the commission may also urge some council control over the practicalities of welfare delivery and other services which Westminster is responsible for.
In the event of a no vote, Cosla might hope to convince Westminster that any move to give Scotland more power did not automatically mean transferring more power to the Scottish Parliament.
Were there to be a vote in favour of independence, the report might play a part in the debate over what an independent Scotland would actually be like.


The UK should take in 25,000 refugees over the next six months, former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett has said.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Mr Blunkett said the US and other developed nations should share responsibility for responding to "a global crisis".
But he said the UK needs to take "very large numbers" of refugees if it is "to be taken seriously" as a nation.
Those from Syria and women and children should have priority, Mr Blunkett said.
The former minister's intervention came as the government faced increasing pressure to commit to taking more people fleeing conflict, following the publication around the world of images of a young Syrian boy who drowned and was found on a beach in Turkey.
Mr Blunkett said: "This time we must be seen not to wash our hands and not to pretend that, good though it is, investment we are making in the camps in the region is an alternative to overcoming the sheer, blinding misery of women and children who have nowhere else to go, who are destitute".
"I understand entirely people do not want the borders opened and do not want a situation where anything goes," he added.
"How could I not understand that, having been home secretary at a time when we had to take quite drastic measures? But this is on a different scale."
Mr Blunkett was home secretary from 2001-2004, during which time he took a hard line stance and significantly reduced the number of asylum seekers accepted into the UK.
"With united agreement from the developed world and a united front from Europe, we won't have the pictures we have seen this week, we won't have the handwringing," he said.
Mr Blunkett said the photos of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying dead on a Turkish beach have "brought this home to people in a way that all the words that we could ever use could never do."
Speaking earlier on Thursday Prime Minister David Cameron said that "as a father" he felt "deeply moved" by the images, and said the UK would meet its "moral responsibilities" but he did not give any commitment on numbers.
Mr Blunkett's suggestion is a significant increase on the figure of 10,000 which Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper called for on Tuesday.


Part of a Russian cruise missile hit a block of flats in the Russian Arctic, during a test that went wrong, but nobody was hurt, media report.

A fire broke out in the three-storey block in the village of Nyenoksa, but residents were evacuated in time.
The village is near a Russian naval base at Severodvinsk, in the far north-west. The missile was fired from a defence ministry test range.
Russia has fired cruise missiles at targets in Syria from the Caspian Sea.


A dedicated coffee cup recycling project has been launched in Manchester city centre.

Environmental charity Hubbub said the "pioneering" #1MoreShot campaign aimed to recycle 20,000 coffee cups into 15,000 plastic flower pot holders with new technology.
Only 1% of the 2.5bn paper coffee cups used in the UK each year is recycled.
The "wanton waste" of the cups was the topic of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's War on Waste programmes this year.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said most people in the UK were unaware so few of their coffee cups were being recycled but to make them waterproof the card is fused with polyethylene, a material that cannot be separated out again in a standard recycling mill.
Mr Ellis said his charity wanted to explore solutions to the coffee cup crisis and chef Fearnley-Whittingstall's BBC One show had "galvanised the industry into action".
The three-month pilot will see the addition of 11 giant bins in the shape of coffee cups on Oxford Road in Manchester.
Simply Cups, a partner in #1MoreShot, will then transform the disposed cups into plastic products.
The plastic flower pot holders will be donated to Groundwork and used in community gardens for the "people of Manchester to benefit from".
Major high street coffee chains CaffÃ© Nero, Costa, Greggs, KFC, McDonald's, Nestle, Pret a Manger and Waitrose have all offered financial support to the project.
Jason Cotta, managing director of UK & Ireland Costa, said he was "delighted" to be part of the trial to recycle cups and "look at innovative ways to encourage consumers to separate and deposit their takeaway cups".


The inaugural Women's Super League is set for a big finish on Sunday, with the first winners of the Twenty20 competition set to be decided at Finals Day.

Southern Vipers have already reached the decider at Chelmsford and will find out who their opponents will be earlier in the day, following the semi-final between Western Storm and Loughborough Lightning.
There have been impressive turnouts throughout the competition, with more than 15,000 spectators attending the 15 group games, and a peak crowd of 2,200 turning up at Southampton on the first weekend.
BBC Sport looks at how each of the teams have performed so far and some of the players to watch on Finals Day.
Southern Vipers - topped the group with 11 points from five matches
Led by former England captain Charlotte Edwards, the Vipers were dominant through the group stages, losing no more than than four wickets in any of their games.
Undefeated at their home venue of the Ageas Bowl, picking up three bonus-point wins in the process, Arran Brindle is the only top-order batter to have remained unbeaten in all four of her innings so far.
The Vipers' thumping 59-run victory over Loughborough Lightning in the final group match ensured an easy passage through to the final.
Western Storm - won four out of five matches to finish second
England strike bowler Anya Shrubsole bowled Storm to second spot as she took tournament-best figures of 5-23 in the final group game against Yorkshire Diamonds, including finishing with a four-wicket maiden.
Skipper Heather Knight was the only bowler in the group stages who bowled her full allocation of 20 overs, while the Storm's only loss of the competition came against their semi-final opponents Loughborough Lightning.
The team posted the third highest total in the group stages, as they pulled off an unlikely and thrilling final-over victory over Surrey Stars in their third match, when they looked to have been heading towards a second successive defeat
Loughborough Lightning - lost final group game to finish third
Boasting three of the top six highest totals in the Super League group stages, Lightning lit up the competition as they smashed 72 boundaries at Haslegrave.
Sussex batter Paige Scholfield boasts the second-highest strike rate at 155.26, with her 69-run eighth-wicket stand with Thea Brookes off just 38 balls almost firing her side to an outlandish victory over Lancashire Thunder.
Despite losing their final group game to the Vipers, Lightning won three of their five games to finish third, earning them the opportunity to have a second bite of the cherry to reach the final.
Linsey Smith (Southern Vipers)
Spinner Smith has made a name for herself during the group stages and along with having the best average (8.12) and strike rate (11.2), the 21-year-old is joint leading wicket taker with eight scalps.
The previously unknown county treasure boasts second-best figures of 4-10, having outbowled team-mate and New Zealand international Morna Nielsen.
Stafanie Taylor (Western Storm)
The West Indies captain sparked into life after a slow start to tournament with the bat, hitting back-to-back unbeaten half-centuries to propel her side to three consecutive victories.
Having hit 61.8% of her runs in boundaries, smashing 22 fours and eight sixes so far, the all-rounder has contributed well with the ball too, having taken eight wickets.
Amy Jones (Loughborough Lightning)
An all-round team effort from Loughborough Lightning saw plenty of impressive contributions, including a magnificent innings from England wicketkeeper Jones.
Having been starved of the opportunity with the bat during the recent international series against Pakistan, Jones' 46 off 30 balls helped Lightning pull off a five-run win over Storm.
Southern Vipers captain Charlotte Edwards:
"You set out to win any competition you play in and to be one step away from winning the Super League is a good position.
"We have the semi-final to look at and see how the wicket plays, but we're just looking forward to three o'clock on Sunday.
"If you ask all three teams, everyone would want to be in our position. As quite an older team, it was always an incentive to play just one game on the day.
"I'm not sure how much of the semi-final we will watch. We have to focus on ourselves, as neither team will be surprising us with anything because we've already played them.
"We won't stop the girls from going down early. For us it's all about peaking at the right time on Sunday and how each individual does that in our team is up to them.
"It's important for the senior players to look and be relaxed so the younger players in the team feed off that and treat the final just like any other match."
Western Storm captain Heather Knight:
"Playing the semi-final will give whoever is going into the final a bit of an advantage, having seen the pitch and being able to work their game plans around the conditions.
"Our last game against Loughborough was a really close game, we have plans in place for their players and we'll look to make the result different this time.
"I don't think we put in our best bowling performance against them and I think our bowling is the one thing that has improved throughout the competition.
"It will be massive for our younger players. Before this competition they had never played in front of such large crowds and the occasion of playing in a Finals Day is really exciting for them.
"On the day it will be about keeping everyone relaxed and calm and remembering to nail your basics and your skills."
Loughborough Lightning captain Georgia Elwiss:
"We know we didn't play very well in the final group game. It was important to regroup and get our head around playing in the semi-final.
"There were plenty of positives and reaching Finals Day was the target we set ourselves at the beginning of the competition.
"We know what sort of team we're coming up against (Western Storm) and we played some good cricket against them last time out.
"We've benefited from having plenty of close games during the group stage, so it is a case of been there and done it in terms of pressure, even for the younger players.
"We've told the players to go out and have fun because that's when we play our best cricket."


Sir John Major has praised immigrants for having what he called "the very Conservative instinct" of wanting to improve their lives.

Immigrants had the "guts and drive" to travel halfway across the world to better themselves and their families, the former prime minister said.
Not all immigrants in his experience came to Britain "to benefit from our social security system", he said.
His tone is in contrast to that used by present Conservative PM David Cameron.
In his attempts to crack down on immigration numbers, the current prime minister talks of an immigration system that "puts Britain first" as he makes it harder for migrants to claim benefits.
Sir John was speaking in an interview with the historian Peter Hennessy for the BBC Radio 4 programme, Reflections, which will be broadcast at 09:00 BST on Wednesday 13 August.
He was talking about his time as a young man when he lived in modest circumstances with his family in Brixton, south London.
Sir John said: "There was a different social value placed on immigration. I saw immigration at very close quarters in the 1950s.
"They shared my house. They were my neighbours. I played with them as boys. I didn't see people who had come here just to benefit from our social system. I saw people with guts and the drive to travel halfway across the world in many cases to better themselves and their families.
"And I think that is a very Conservative instinct."
In the programme, Sir John also admits that he knew as early as 1992 that he would not win the 1997 general election.
"The day after the 1992 general election, Chris Patten (the Conservative chairman) and I sat in the White Room at Number 10. Chris had lost his seat at Bath. And we agreed that in winning a fourth successive term, we had stretched the democratic elastic as far as it would go, and unless Labour collapsed, we would have little chance of winning the next election.
"I was reinforced in that view by the impact of Black Wednesday. In one sense it was liberating. It meant I could go and do, as Sarah Hogg (his Policy Unit head), for one, repeatedly said to me, you can do what you think is right. You don't have to politically trim. You can do what you think is right and economically we did."
* You can hear Reflections with Sir John Major on 13 August on BBC Radio 4 at 09:00BST, 21:30BST and afterwards on the series website.


The head of an inquiry into historical child abuse in Jersey said he was advised not to return to the island.

Lenny Harper, who retired in 2008, led the investigation centred on homes such as Haut de la Garrenne.
He gave evidence to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry over video link from Edinburgh rather than in person.
Mr Harper said this was on the advice of his lawyer over concerns Jersey law officers had prepared a "nasty surprise" for him.
States of Jersey Police said he would not have been arrested if he had returned.
Mr Harper said: "We were told by several people that the States lawyers had been discussing in the office that they had a nasty surprise for me if I arrived back in Jersey.
"Bearing in mind they had already launched investigations a few years back without telling me. The lawyer advised me against going back so I took his advice."
Mr Harper gave two days of evidence to the care inquiry this week about the historic child abuse investigation he led, called Operation Rectangle.
He said he did not know what form the "nasty surprise" would take, but suspected it was in connection with "baseless" allegations he had leaked documents.
"I have got previous experience of them manoeuvring so I don't know what they were planning.
"I am happy that the only crime I've committed in their eyes is covering up child abuse.
"I'm not losing any sleep over it but my lawyer felt their capability to produce anything out of the dishonest hat, it would be best if I gave my evidence from Edinburgh."


The town of Dungog in New South Wales (NSW), Australia has experienced floods before but this time lives have been lost.

The country town, about 215km (133 miles) north of Sydney, was the hardest hit by storms that have also battered other parts of the state.
Dungog sits in the middle of the catchment for a major river system and the town is now flooded by swollen rivers.
Dungog Shire councillor Glenn Wall described a tragedy unfolding in the town where at least three people have died.
"It has been raining for about 24 hours now but in the early hours of this morning it really started coming down heavily," he told the BBC.
"Every river system that we have up here is in severe flood mode," said Mr Wall, who lives in a property in Gresford about 26km from Dungog.
"I have heard that four houses have been inundated and washed away," he said.
"I have real concern about the next 24 hours because there are reports of another storm front coming in from the north."
Dungog has a population of about 2,000 people. Mobile phone and landline connections have been cut off, and the roads into the town are inaccessible.
Mr Wall said he had had trouble contacting people in the town, but had been told by officials that as many as four houses and several bridges and roads had been washed away.
Reports say the three people killed were all elderly - two men and a woman - and were washed away with one of the houses.
"People are used to this kind of thing but not to the loss of life," he said.
"Just about every town and village in the area is isolated [by the rising water]," he said.
He said he had also heard that a bridge to the village of Torryburn had been washed away, isolating about 200 residents.
Mr Wall said when the floods eventually subside, there would likely be considerable livestock losses and damage to fences and road infrastructure.


The UK's manufacturing sector had its best month for more than a year in October, a survey suggests.

The Markit/CIPS UK manufacturing PMI came in at 55.5, up from 51.8 in September - any figure over 50 suggests expansion.
The result was considerably better than had been expected, showing the highest reading since June 2014 and one of the fastest rises since the survey began.
The improvement comes despite bad news for the steel sector during the month.
The pound rose following the release of the survey. It was up a fifth of a cent against the euro and two fifths of a cent against the US dollar.
"The revival provides a tentative suggestion that the manufacturers are pulling out of their recent funk, having been dogged by recession since the start of the year, and may help boost economic growth in the fourth quarter," said Rob Dobson, senior economist at survey compilers Markit.
"The big question now is whether this bounceback is a one-off or the start of a sustained re-emergence from recession."
The manufacturing sector has contracted in the last two quarters, meaning that by the usual definition, it is in recession.
It contracted by 0.3% in the third quarter and 0.5% in the second quarter, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Ruth Miller, UK economist at Capital Economics, said that the "figures offer some hope that the sector may now have passed the worst".
"However, we will need to see a few more upbeat surveys before a renaissance in UK manufacturing can be declared."


UK shoppers are "completely in the dark" about the effect Brexit will have on their weekly shop, a former Sainsbury's boss has told BBC Panorama.

Justin King, who ran the supermarket for a decade, said the "last thing" any current supermarket boss would reveal was their intention to put up prices.
But he added it was "very clear" shoppers would face "higher prices, less choice and poorer quality".
The main supermarkets declined to speak to BBC Panorama.
Mr King, who ran Sainsbury's until 2014, said: "Brexit, almost in whatever version it is, will introduce barriers.
"That makes it less efficient which means all three of those benefits - prices, quality and choice - go backwards."
Food and farming combined are the UK's biggest manufacturing sector and the EU is involved all along the chain - from what grows in British fields to the labels in shops.
The EU also guarantees free trade across the continent and Mr King - who supported Remain - said this frictionless movement kept food prices down.
Mr King, who has said the weaker pound will push up prices, added that EU membership helped retailers find the best suppliers and markets throughout Europe.
He also said the EU had driven up standards and enabled the UK to get out-of-season vegetables all year round.
But manufacturing boss and Vote Leave campaigner John Mills believes the EU keeps prices artificially high for the shopper.
He said: "Food prices inside the EU vary from food product to food product, but the average is something like 20% higher than they are in the rest of the world - so there is very substantial scope for food prices coming down if we switch sources of supply outside the EU."
Mr Mills, chairman of consumer goods firm JML, said cheaper prices may not mean lower standards.
He said: "The reason why food prices are higher inside the EU is because they have got tariffs which keep the prices up.
"It's not anything to do with quality - it's due to the institutional arrangements with means the food prices are kept much higher to increase farmers' incomes."
Some British farmers fear that a bad Brexit deal - which does not protect them - could drive them out of business.
John Davies, a livestock farmer from Powys in Wales, told Panorama: "I'm really scared of imports - produced to completely different standards [with] hormones, you know, feedlot beef, you know - we're based on green and pleasant land, high environmental standards. We really are proud of that."
Feedlots - places where cattle are fattened for slaughter - are common in the US, which is the world's largest beef producer.
It supplies one fifth of the beef eaten around the world.
But in the UK, less than 1% of the fresh and frozen beef bought last year came from the US, according to Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Possibly the most controversial difference in livestock farming either side of the Atlantic is the American use of growth hormones, which is banned in the EU.
The UK is largely self-sufficient when it comes to beef - with home-grown British beef accounting for 76% of purchases last year.
Brexit could change that.
Mr Davies said: "Brexit could have a massive effect on our food-producing ability in this nation, that's a key strategic decision to be made."
The prime minister has already been driving for new deals in America and the UK's special relationship with the US could provide a source of cheap food.
David Trowbridge, president-elect of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association in the US, told BBC Panorama: "We don't want to destroy an industry within another country, but you know... we are very competitive... It's up to your consumers on what they want to pay for the product."
In the UK, we spend roughly 8% of our income on food, according to the World Economic Forum.
Americans spend 6% - less than any other country in the world - and that is partly down to large-scale, cheap and efficient farming.
Other farmers that Panorama spoke to welcomed Brexit.
Jacob Anthony, a 24-year-old fifth generation beef and sheep farmer who runs a 700-acre farm in Bridgend, Wales, voted to leave the EU.
"I'm a young farmer and I'm looking to the future," he said. "I think a lot of us in the industry were not happy with the way the sector was going and I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for realistic change."
Mr Anthony said leaving the EU would give British farmers a chance to strike new trade deals and push into new emerging markets.
Last year, 13% of UK-produced beef was exported, according to the AHDB, whose spokesman said it was largely the bits British shoppers did not want.
Conservative MP James Cleverly insists that the UK doesn't "have to just roll over" in Brexit negotiations.
He said: "We are a highly desirable market. That actually gives us some strength in the negotiations."
For Mr Mills, it is the establishment who "doesn't really like Brexit".
"And they are throwing up difficulties all over the place, which I don't think are going to materialise to anything like the extent to which they claim," he said.
Ex-Sainsbury's boss Mr King is concerned, however, that "there has been, in my estimation, almost no conversation about the potential impact of Brexit on the food supply chain by definition".
He said with less than two years to go until Brexit, "food needs to get on the agenda pretty soon".
The government has said little about plans for food and farming after Brexit, and the new UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) secretary Michael Gove declined to speak to BBC Panorama.
Defra said: "We will not in any way dilute high quality environmental standards, we will make sure our environment and animal welfare are protected."
Watch BBC Panorama - Britain's Food & Farming: The Brexit Effect on Monday 10th July on BBC1 at 20:30 BST and afterwards on BBC iPlayer.


A number of Brexit-backing MPs walked out of a private meeting of the Commons Brexit Select Committee in protest at a report they claimed was "too gloomy".

A source said Labour chairman Hilary Benn had tried to "bounce" members into agreeing a 155-page report into the government's Brexit White Paper.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the source had told her the report could not be allowed to stand.
The committee's press spokesman declined to comment on the claims.
According to the source, there had been no consultation on the committee's report - drawn up after a number of evidence sessions held in Parliament - before Mr Benn put it forward to a vote.
The report, which has yet to be published, was into the White Paper which sets out the themes of the government's goals for its negotiations with the EU.
These include:
The Exiting the European Union Committee was appointed by the House of Commons to scrutinise the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Exiting the European Union.
It has a 21-strong membership, made up of MPs from all parties, including Labour, the Conservatives - including ex-cabinet ministers Michael Gove and John Whittingdale - the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the Democratic Unionist Party.
Mr Benn - a Remain supporter during the referendum - was elected to lead the new select committee last October, beating Leave campaigner and fellow Labour MP Kate Hoey to the job.
The role of select committees, which interview witnesses and produce reports to check the work of different areas of government, has increased in profile in recent years.
Committees are often split along party lines and in some cases have been known to publish "minority reports" where a faction disagree with the majority view on an issue.
It is not known yet whether those who disagree with the proposed report will produce their own one.
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New legislation on cremations will ensure that Scotland's baby ashes scandal will never be repeated, the public health minister has said.

Maureen Watt made the pledge as MSPs unanimously backed the general principles of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill on Thursday.
The bill was brought forward in response to the scandal at the Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh.
Staff at the crematorium had secretly buried the ashes of babies for decades.
The parents of the infants had been told there were no ashes left when young babies were cremated.
Concerns were later raised about other crematoriums across Scotland.
The new legislation follows on from the recommendations of Lord Bonomy's Infant Cremation Commission.
Ms Watt set out plans to bring forward a series of amendments in response to calls from Holyrood's Health and Sport Committee to strengthen its provisions.
Committee convener Duncan McNeil said MSPs had heard moving evidence of the "long-lasting and devastating" impact of the ashes scandal.
He said: "The bereaved parents who shared their views with the committee sent a very clear message - this bill must ensure that the poor practice of the past should never happen again."
Ms Watt said the bill would make "valuable and much needed" improvements to burial and cremation laws which were more than 100-years-old.
She said there were a number of problems with the current system, including an overly-complicated process that can be "difficult to understand at the best of times, let alone when dealing with the loss of a loved one."
Ms Watt added: "There can also be a lack of clear information given to the person who is making the funeral arrangements.
"Lord Bonomy's Infant Cremation Commission identified all too clearly the potential impact of these problems.
"The steps taken in this bill will help ensure that such failings can never occur again."
The minister confirmed amendments to ensure that women experiencing a pregnancy loss were put at the centre of decision-making over any remains, to improve the process following a post 24-week termination and to strengthen what crematoriums and funeral director could do with ashes.
Labour MSP Jenny Marra said: "What happened with infant ashes in Scotland should never be allowed to happen again and we must ensure that women are at the centre of decisions at a very, very difficult time."
Conservative MSP Nanette Milne added: "The bill goes some way towards ensuring that past bad practice will not recur although I think it will need to be refined as it goes through the next stages of the parliamentary process."
Holyrood's Local Government and Regeneration Committee, which looked at aspects of the bill relating to burials, complained that it "lacks ambition" and called for the introduction of licensing for funeral directors.
Ms Watt said: "At the moment there is not enough evidence about the industry as a whole to say with certainty that licensing is required or what form a licensing scheme would take."
She said the inspectors appointed under the bill would review the industry and make recommendations about the need for licensing.


Owner Fawaz Al Hasawi says he understands why Nottingham Forest fans do not trust him after the collapse of two takeovers in less than six months.

Al Hasawi claims he has spent £122m since buying Forest in 2012, but has been widely criticised after a sale to a US consortium fell through last week.
The Reds are managerless, without a chief executive and just five points above the Championship relegation zone.
"I will let actions talk better than words," he told BBC Nottingham Sport.
"At the moment I am not going to sell the club. I would like to focus on the club, and I would like to build a structure and put the right people in the club.
"People will think that I am lying or just saying things that will not happen. I can say many things, but at the moment we are putting this in the right way to build the structure."
Many supporters have become increasingly angry and disillusioned with the Al Hasawi reign, which has seen the club fail to pay bills on time, be placed under transfer embargo and part company with seven permanent managers.
Last week's 1-0 home win over Bristol City was their first win in eight matches, but was played against a backdrop of unrest as fans protested against the Forest owner.
"I [have] spent over £122m for Nottingham Forest, from the time I bought the club to now," Al Hasawi added.
"Every single month I put between £2.5-£2.8m of my money into the club.
"People ask where is the money for Oliver Burke and Henri Lansbury. People think that I put the money in my pocket. All of it is in the club.
"I am not a thief. I build everything from before. I bought Nottingham Forest and I invest lots of money."
Academy director Gary Brazil is in interim charge of the Reds following the sacking of Philippe Montanier on 14 January.
Al Hasawi, who first looked to sell the club to Greek businessman Evangelos Marinakis in the summer, said he is talking to potential new managers and said the deal with the US consortium led by John Jay Moores is now "finished".
He said he was now determined to get things right.
"I spoke to many people who love the club and know me very well," he said. "We are trying hard to put the structure for the club again.
"Because I was committed with the buyers I cannot do anything, say anything or pick managers of players unless I go to the buyers. Now there is no buyer. Now it is Fawaz on his own.
"I would like to keep the club and would like to keep Nottingham Forest, and I would like to get the club in the Premier League; it would be like a dream for me."


The Berlin authorities say they no longer want a private company, PeWoBe, to run migrant hostels in the city, after company emails denigrating migrants were leaked to German media.

A lawyer for PeWoBe said the emails had been quoted out of context and were never meant to be taken seriously.
Some PeWoBe managers joked about how to spend a â‚¬5,000 (Â£4,340) donation. A "child guillotine" was suggested.
Another email said residents would turn a sandpit into "an ashtray".
PeWoBe runs nine migrant hostels in the German capital, catering for about 3,100 asylum seekers.
Berlin's Social Affairs Senator Mario Czaja said the "inexcusable" email exchange between PeWoBe managers "makes it clear that any further work with PeWoBe is impossible".
He said shortcomings had also been found earlier in PeWoBe's hostel management.
It is not clear who could manage the hostels instead of PeWoBe, which remains under contract with the Berlin government.
German media say PeWoBe is likely to appeal against Mr Czaja's decision.
The unprecedented influx of migrants last year put German cities under huge pressure to find extra accommodation. About 1.1m migrants - many of them refugees from the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - reached Germany.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


Indian health officials are struggling to contain a swine flu outbreak that has killed more than 700 people since it took hold in mid-December.

The number of cases has doubled since last week to more than 11,000.
Critics have accused the government of failing to distribute medicines, but officials insisted the situation was under control.
This year's outbreak of the H1N1 virus, which causes swine flu, is the deadliest in India since 2010.
The virus first appeared in Mexico in 2009 and rapidly spread around the world.
The northern state of Rajasthan has been worst affected.
Health authorities across India have launched TV and radio campaigns to tell people about precautions they can take to avoid the flu.
Health Minister JP Nadda attempted to rebuff reports of drug shortages.
"If any medicine store refuses to give medicines after showing a medical prescription, it should be reported to the authorities and action will be taken," he said.
He said there was no need to panic, and insisted the government was monitoring the situation closely.
Experts investigating the cause of the outbreak say low winter temperatures are to blame.


The far-right leader of the Russian football supporters' association is being thrown out of France following violence at the England-Russia Euro 2016 match in Marseille.

Alexander Shprygin is among 20 Russian fans being deported.
They were detained on Tuesday while travelling from Marseille to Lille to watch Russia face Slovakia.
Three other detained Russian fans have been jailed for up to two years over the violence in Marseille.
They are also banned from re-entering France for two years. The men received 12, 18 and 24 months in prison.
Separately, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said he was investigating an attack on two England fans ahead of the 1-1 draw with Russia as attempted murder.
The arrests have angered Moscow, which summoned the French ambassador to protest.
A Russian foreign ministry statement warned against "further stoking of anti-Russian sentiments".
Deputy Foreign Minister Arkady Dvorkovich was quoted by the Tass news agency as saying blacklists of troublemakers would be drawn up before the 2018 World Cup, which Russia is hosting.
He said those accused of violence in France might yet face trial in Russia. "We need to figure out who did what," he said.
Mr Shprygin's All-Russia Supporters Union is backed by the Kremlin. He is reported to hold far-right views and has been photographed giving a Nazi salute.
A statement from the union said he and the other 19 fans had been transferred to a deportation centre from which they would be expelled in the next five days.
It said the French authorities were taking the measures for "security reasons".
Russia and England fans clashed before and after the two teams played on Saturday.
French police blamed 150 "well-trained" Russian hooligans for the violence.
Afterwards, Russia was hit with a fine and a suspended disqualification, meaning the team will be thrown out of the Euro tournament if their fans cause more trouble inside stadiums.
Five England fans were jailed for throwing bottles at police and a sixth jailed in connection with the violence.
On Wednesday at least 36 people were arrested in the city of Lille and 16 taken to hospital following disorder involving England supporters.
In total, French police have made more than 300 arrests since the start of the European championships.
"Of these arrests, 196 were taken into custody, eight convicted to jail terms and three given suspended sentences," an interior ministry statement said.


A 79-year-old man has died after being hit by a lorry.

The man was killed in the incident in Fairfield Road, near to the junction of Lightwood Road, in Buxton at 17:45 GMT on Thursday.
Derbyshire Police said a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.
Officers said the man was due to be interviewed later on Friday.


A Malaysian lawmaker has come under fire for saying that women denying sex to their husbands was a form of "psychological and emotional abuse".

Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was addressing a domestic violence debate during a parliamentary session.
Malaysia is in talks to amend existing laws against domestic violence.
The 58-year-old politician from Terengganu state said men "suffered emotional rather than physical abuse".
"Even though men are said to be physically stronger than women, there are cases where wives hurt or abuse their husbands in an extreme manner," he said.
"Usually, it involves wives cursing their husbands: this is emotional abuse. They insult their husbands and refuse his sexual needs. All these are types of psychological and emotional abuse."
Mr Che made the comments during a parliamentary debate on amendments to domestic violence legislation.
Politicians and activist groups have expressed hopes that the new bill will offer more protection for victims of domestic abuse.
It also remains legal in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, for Muslim men to have as many as four wives as long as they obtain permission from a Sharia court.
Mr Che touched on this in a speech to parliament, saying that denying a Muslim man the chance to marry a second wife also amounted to "abuse".
Mr Che's stand drew widespread outrage, including condemnation from women's rights activist Marina Mahathir who is also the daughter of former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed.
"This is an old notion, that when you marry a women you own her body. It does not work that way," she told the AFP news agency.
"Women have a right to say no to sex. It is ridiculous to say men are abused if women say no."
Ms Marina also shared the news on Facebook, saying: "And yet we let men rule countries?"
The MP's words follow a similar controversy in April after another ruling party politician was criticised for saying it was okay for rapists to marry their victims.
Online anger erupted, following the parliamentary session on Wednesday.
Many Facebook users criticised the "primal mentality" of Mr Che.
"Social illness and corruption are problems to tackle first. Lawmakers can be sex therapists later," said Sharkawi Lu from Labuan island. "What a joke Malaysia has become."
"Women are not sexual tools," said Gopenatan Madaven. "You need to respect and share their feelings. And taking four wives is a sick craze. Can women do that?"
Others like Rachel Khoo questioned the credibility of the government: "Why are we paying such uncivilised people to represent our country anyway?"


The government will "press for change" to the dog meat trade in South Korea, a Foreign Office minister said.

Alok Sharma said the UK's "reputation as a nation of animal lovers" meant it could make a "strong case" for reform.
He was speaking in a Parliamentary debate triggered by a petition calling for an end to the "brutal" trade which attracted more than 100,000 signatures.
Celebrities and campaigners also signed a letter urging Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to make the case.
Animal welfare campaigners want to end the dog meat trade in South Korea - where dogs are eaten and also used to produce a soup with supposed curative properties - criticising the methods used to kill the animals.
During the Westminster Hall debate, Mr Sharma held up a photograph of his pet golden retriever to demonstrate Britons' "special relationship" with dogs.
He told MPs dogs were not an internationally protected species and the UK had no jurisdiction to take action in countries where eating the animal is legal.
He said: "But I do agree that whilst we have no legal jurisdiction, we can and do still work hard to make our views known to the South Korean government and to press for change."
Mr Sharma went on: "Our reputation as a nation of animal lovers means we can make a strong case for dogs as pets rather than as food."
Dame Judi Dench, Downton Abbey star Peter Egan and author Jilly Cooper were among the signatories of the celebrities' letter, co-ordinated by Humane Society International (HSI).
It said the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang would "bring global media to South Korea's door", and urged the government to "reach out to their South Korean counterparts and support the growing number of Korean politicians and citizens who want to see reform".
It said recent draft laws in South Korea offered "a real opportunity to move towards an end to the dog meat trade" and urged the government "to vigorously encourage such legislative reforms".
In response to the petition, the Foreign Office said: "The British Embassy in Seoul has raised the issue of cruelty towards animals on numerous occasions with the South Korean authorities and explained that the UK public and parliamentarians would like to see Korean regulation that would bring the practice to an end.
It noted that changing attitudes mean dog soup is declining in popularity, adding: "The trend is such that dog meat eating is likely to die out of its own accord, though that day could still be some years off."


Josh Hazlewood says India's failure to intimidate Australia has given his side a psychological advantage ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

India tried to antagonise Mitchell Johnson in the second Test in Brisbane, which Australia won by four wickets.
"I guess it backfired on them a little bit with them trying to get stuck into us," fast bowler Hazlewood said.
South Africa also host West Indies in Port Elizabeth, while New Zealand face Sri Lanka in Christchurch.
Australia lead the four-match series 2-0 after stand-in captain Steve Smith oversaw the win at the Gabba in the absence of Michael Clarke, who was injured during their 48-run victory in the first Test in Adelaide.
Queensland batsman Joe Burns is set to make his Test debut at the MCG in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh, who misses out with a hamstring problem, with pace bowler Ryan Harris fit again.
All-rounder Shane Watson will play at the MCG despite being left "shaken" after he was struck on the helmet by a James Pattinson bouncer in training on Tuesday.
Australia batsman Phillip Hughes died in November after he was struck on the neck by a ball during a domestic match, but opener David Warner says Watson is fine.
"He went out there and practised as well as I've seen him hit the ball," Warner said. "He got back on the horse and trained again which was fantastic."
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the tour with a shoulder injury and has been replaced by Akshar Patel.
Batsman Temba Bavuma is poised to become only the sixth black South African to play in a Test match for the country.
Bavuma, 24, will take the place of wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, who has been ruled out the rest of the series with an ankle injury. AB de Villiers is set to take the gloves.
The Proteas, who thrashed West Indies by an innings and 220 runs in the first Test in Centurion, are likely to include a spinner because of the conditions in Port Elizabeth, with Imran Tahir set to be selected ahead of seamer Kyle Abbott.
Experienced batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who played in West Indies' only Test win in South Africa at Port Elizabeth in December 2007, expects an improvement in their batting.
"We're disappointed after Centurion We just have to put it behind us and take it as a learning experience," said the 40-year-old.
"South Africa are the number one team in the world, but I think we're a better team than we showed."
Sri Lanka will play their first Test match since Mahela Jayawardene retired from the longer format of the game in August and his position at number four against New Zealand is likely to go to Lahiru Thirimanne.
The two-match series will also one of the last played by veteran Kumar Sangakkara, 37, who will quit one-day cricket after the World Cup and has yet to finalise how long he will continue playing international cricket.
Sri Lanka's bowling attack will be weakened by the absence of leading spinner Rangana Herath, who has been ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.
New Zealand wicketkepeer BJ Watling says Sri Lanka will miss Jayawardene, but the Black Caps will not underestimate their opponents.
"Mahela Jayawardene is a big loss for them," he said. "But they've definitely got some good young players coming through."
The game at the Hagley Oval, a venue which will host its first Test, is the first match New Zealand will play in Christchurch since the city was hit by a major earthquake in February 2011.


Social media swiftly responded to what Twitter users termed #ballsup, with the hashtag being used more 1,500 times between 10:00 BST - after Labour trailed a pledge to scrap the non-domiciled tax status - and the formal announcement at midday.

Twitter was awash with comments on the discrepancy between this and an interview Ed Balls gave to BBC Leeds in January, during which he said: "If you abolish the whole status it will end up costing Britain money..."
The Tories were swift to respond with a poster that quickly went viral.
And the video of the original interview, posted on BBC Radio Leeds's Facebook page at the time, began doing the rounds again, with much comment.
After much debate about the whole affair across social media, Ed Balls himself then weighed in on Twitter offering this explanation for the apparent inconsistency...
He later issued a statement on his blog in which he accused the Tories of attempting to "deliberately mislead people".
If you want to know more about what non-dom tax status is and Labour's plan to cut it, you can read more here.
Written by Kerry Alexandra


Hull have been charged for failing to control their players during the 2-0 Premier League defeat at Arsenal.

The Football Association charge relates to an incident "in or around" the 55th minute of the game, when Arsenal full-back Kieran Gibbs was booked for a foul on Hull winger Lazar Markovic.
The FA said Hull allegedly failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.
Hull have until 18:00 GMT on Friday, 17 February to respond.


Jordan Spieth leads the Tournament of Champions by four shots after shooting a nine-under second-round 64 in Hawaii.

The American world number one shot seven birdies and an eagle as he moved to 16 under and overtook Patrick Reed.
Reed (69) is joined on 12 under by fellow American Kevin Kisner (65) and Argentina's Fabian Gomez (66).
Irishman Padraig Harrington (68) is eight under and Australia's US PGA champion Jason Day is three under (73), alongside Scotland's Russell Knox (72).
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is one under after a 70 at the Plantation Course in Kapalua.
Masters and US Open champion Spieth, who is bogey-free after his first two rounds, said: "It is nice to have no blemishes on the card. I want to prepare and start the year with a bang, but I'm only through 36 holes. There's a long way to go."
Rickie Fowler (67) is on 10 under, while two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (68) is a shot further back.


Austria's far-right presidential candidate Norbert Hofer has said he would push for a referendum on EU membership, if the EU became more centralised after Brexit.

He told the BBC that while the 28-country bloc was important for Austria, he wanted a "better European Union".
Austria's presidential vote re-run is on 4 December and the polls indicate the result is too close to call.
If Mr Hofer wins, he will become the EU's first far-right head of state.
His independent rival, Alexander Van der Bellen, won the election in May but the vote was overturned.
The former Green party leader had beaten Mr Hofer by a margin of only 30,863 votes and Austria's high court backed a complaint that election rules on postal voting had been broken.
Mr Hofer's Freedom Party had argued that postal ballots were illegally and improperly handled in 94 out of 117 districts.
Read more on Austria's neck-and-neck vote:
Although the role is largely ceremonial, the Austrian president does have the power to dissolve the lower house of parliament, the National Council, and trigger elections.
The Freedom Party candidate told the BBC that no-one should be scared of him as a leader. However, while Muslims living in Austria were part of the country, "Islam is not part of our values", he said.
The far-right leader has insisted that a vote for him would not be a vote for Austria pulling out of the EU, or "Oexit".
However, Mr Hofer told the BBC that two issues might change his mind.
One was any future decision to admit Turkey into the EU. Although Turkey is in accession talks, there seems little likelihood of it joining the EU any time soon.
And then there was the EU's response to the UK leaving the bloc.
"If the answer to Brexit would be to make a centralised European Union, where the national parliaments are disempowered and where the union is governed like a state. In this case, we would have to hold a referendum in Austria, because it would lead to a constitutional change," he said.
Norbert Hofer
Alexander Van der Bellen


Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic has cut short a visit to Brussels, accusing Croatia of blocking his nation's progress towards EU membership.

Serbia's anger at Croatia - which joined the EU in 2013 - contrasted with the warmth Serbia afforded Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on his visit to Belgrade on Monday.
Mr Lavrov was told that Serbia would not seek to join Nato, nor would it join EU sanctions against Russia.
Russia is re-equipping Serbian forces.
The details of new deliveries of Russian military hardware will be discussed in Moscow with Mr Vucic on 21 December. Four MiG-29 jets are expected to be in the package for Serbia.
"If Croatia is the one to decide if Serbia becomes an EU member, then I have suddenly lost interest," Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said at a joint news conference with Mr Lavrov.
Serbia gave Mr Lavrov a sabre as a gift for the family of a Russian pilot killed in the Syria conflict.
Deep scars remain from the fighting between Croatia and Serbia in the 1990s, during the break-up of Yugoslavia.
Many Serbs also remain hostile to Nato because of the alliance's bombing of their country in 1999. That bombing was aimed at halting a brutal Serb crackdown on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, where guerrillas were fighting for independence.
Serbia and Russia are centuries-old allies, sharing an Orthodox Christian bond.
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Serbia country profile
So far Serbia has opened four chapters in its EU accession negotiations, out of 35 chapters in the EU acquis, the body of law applied throughout the bloc.
There will be an accession conference in Brussels on Tuesday and Serbia is due to open two more chapters, a source close to the talks told the BBC.
"They were hoping for a third, but there was no unanimity for that," the source said. Croatia blocked Chapter 26, covering education and culture, because of concerns about Serb treatment of its Croat minority.
Mr Dacic also criticised Bulgaria, suggesting that it had backed Croatia's objection.
Croatian Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier reportedly raised concerns about translations of Serb textbooks into Croatian. The two languages are very close - in former Yugoslavia people spoke Serbo-Croat.
"Serbia was patient so far, but now it will talk differently," Mr Vucic said.
In Brussels, Serbian media reported, Mr Vucic "stated his opinion about the behaviour of the countries in the region". He reportedly said he had "had enough" of Croatia's behaviour.
Last week Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic apologised for handing out Serbian-made chocolates to children in Dubrovnik.
Mr Dacic said Croatia's leaders had "a problem with chocolates from Serbia" and that the pro-Nazi Ustasha movement was being revived by Croat nationalists.
Neighbouring Montenegro has progressed further than Serbia towards EU accession. It broke away from Serbia in 2006.
Montenegro - also a candidate for Nato membership - suspects Russian agents of plotting to assassinate pro-Western Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.


North Korea is believed to have more than 1,000 missiles of varying capabilities, including long-range missiles, which could one day strike the US.

Pyongyang's programme has progressed over the last few decades from tactical artillery rockets in the 1960s and 70s, to shortÂ-range and medium-range ballistic missiles in the 1980s and 90s.
Systems capable of even greater ranges are now understood to be under research and development.
Most recently, North Korea has announced it is developing intercontinental-range missiles which could have the capability of hitting targets in the West.
Source: Federation of American Scientists
North Korea's modern missile programme began with Scuds, with its first batch reportedly coming via Egypt in 1976.
By 1984, it was building its own versions called Hwasongs.
It is believed to have a variety of these short-range missiles which could target neighbouring South Korea. Relations between the two Koreas are fraught and they remain, technically, in a state of war.
The Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6, also known as Scud-B and C, have ranges of 300km and 500km respectively, according to the US Center for Nonproliferation Studies.
These missiles can deliver conventional warheads, but may also have biological, chemical and nuclear capabilities.
Both these missiles have been tested and deployed, and the Hwasong-6 has also been sold to Iran.
North Korea went on to embark on a programme in the late 1980s to build a new medium-range missile, known as the Nodong, with a range of about 1,000km.
The missile is based on the Scud design, but is 50% larger and has a more powerful engine.
In an April 2016 analysis, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the missiles were a "proven system which can hit all of South Korea and much of Japan".
It added that a variant displayed in October 2010 could possibly reach 1,600km, meaning it could hit US bases in Okinawa.
Nodongs are believed to have been test-fired in 2006, 2009, 2014 and 2016.
North Korea has been developing Musudan missiles for several years, and most recently conducted several tests in 2016.
Estimates differ dramatically on its range, with Israeli intelligence putting it at 2,500km and the US Missile Defense Agency estimating about 3,200km. Other sources put its upper limit at 4,000km.
The lower range of the Musudan, also known as the Nodong-B or the Taepodong-X, will enable it to hit the whole of South Korea and Japan.
At its upper range it would be able to target US military bases on Guam. Its payload is unknown, but is estimated at 1.0 to 1.25 tonnes.
Additionally, North Korea says it tested a "surface-to-surface medium-to-long-range ballistic missile", the Pukguksong, in August 2016, fired from a submarine. A second was launched from land in February 2017.
Pyongyang said it used solid fuel, making it faster to deploy and launch. Details of its range are not yet known.
The Taepodong-1 - known as Paektusan-1 in North Korea - was the country's first multi-stage missile, test-flown in 1998 as a space launcher.
Independent think-tank the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) believes the first stage was a Nodong missile and the second stage a Hwasong-6.
It was followed by the Taepodong-2 - or Paektusan-2 - also a two to three-stage ballistic missile, but with significant advances. This has been flight tested several times in the past decade.
Its range has been estimated at anything between 5,000 and 15,000km. The Center for Nonproliferation Studies puts the figure at a maximum estimated 6,000km.
North Korea refers to the space launcher version of the Taepodong-2 as Unha - Korean for galaxy - and describes it as a "carrier rocket". It was used successfully in February 2016 to launch a satellite.
Although space launches and missile launches follow slightly different trajectories and the rocket may be optimised for one purpose or the other, the basic technology used is the same. This includes the structure, engines and fuel.
If the Taepodong-2 was successfully launched and it reached its maximum estimated range, its increased power could put Australia and parts of the US, among other countries, within range.
North Korea is believed to be developing its longest-range missile, a road-mobile weapon which observers have dubbed the KN-08 or Hwasong-13.
One of the first signs of this development was in September 2016, when the country tested a new rocket engine which some said could power an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The US Pentagon believes North Korea has at least six KN-08s in its possession, which could be capable of reaching much of the United States.
North Korea is believed to have also developed an upgraded version called KN-14. Neither missile has been publicly tested before.
But in January 2017 there were signs of an imminent test, shortly after leader Kim Jong-un claimed that the country was in the "last stages" of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Combined with previous claims that the country has miniaturised nuclear warheads, it has raised the possibility that North Korea is close to developing a long-range nuclear weapon, although experts have cast doubts on this given the lack of evidence.


Images have been published of a snowy owl's rare appearance in the Cairngorms.

Wildlife enthusiast Lucy Dunn was ski touring with her partner when they spotted the bird of prey on 17 February.
Their sighting has been reported on the nature website iSpot.
RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust said snowy owls made rare appearances in Scotland. The birds are native to Arctic regions.
Ms Dunn and her partner were on their way back from Carn Etchachan and were heading towards Feith Buidhe, in the Northern Cairngorms, when they had their encounter.
She said: "The owl spotted us first, heard us coming and took off.
"I caught a glimpse of large white wings and was unsure what it was. I remember thinking - that's too big for a ptarmigan.
"Fortunately the owl did not go far and settled down again to watch us, which is how I managed to get the photos. Eventually after a short while it did fly off."
Ms Dunn added: "We felt very privileged to spot such a wonderful bird."
In 2011, a male snowy owl appeared on the Western Isles for the eighth year running in a search for a mate.
The large white owl first visited the islands in 2003 and had previously flown around North Uist, Lewis, Harris and St Kilda.
In 2008, birdwatchers' hopes of snowy owls breeding in the UK for first time in more than 30 years were raised when the bird was joined by a female.
However, the pair were later spotted 50 miles apart.
The last pair of snowy owls to breed in the UK was on Shetland in 1975.


The Canadian parliament is considering passing legislation that will make the English version of the national anthem gender-neutral.

If the bill is adopted, the lyrics would change from "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command".
The initiative is backed by the Liberal government and will reach the Senate soon, having passed two readings in the House of Commons.
The fight to change two words to O Canada has stirred a passionate debate.
Who wants to change the lyrics?
A similar idea to change the lyrics was rejected in 2010 by Conservatives, who held the majority in parliament.
Longtime liberal MP Mauril Belanger started the initiative this time with Bill C-210, and many in Parliament view the bill as his legacy project. Mr Belanger is sick with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and uses a computer with a voice generator because he can no longer speak.
The Ottawa Citizen reports that there has been a push by Liberals and New Democrats to move the bill for Mr Belanger's sake, while some Conservatives want more time to debate the bill because of the anthem's significance to Canadians.
What's the case for a gender-neutral anthem?
In May, Mr Belanger presented the case for his bill: "On the eve of the 150th anniversary of our federation, it is important that one of our most recognised and appreciated national symbols reflect the progress made by our country in terms of gender equality."
"We are in 2016. The Canadian population will understand why we want to make the change," New Democrat MP Christine Moore said. "It is not a big change, and there will not be a big difference in the national anthem, but the difference is significant for women all across Canada."
Liberal MP Greg Fergus said it "would be nice if [Canada] stops excluding women from the national anthem", according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Why stick with tradition?
Some Conservative MPs have voted yes to the bill, but others want more time to debate the issue.
"It is tragic that this is being done in a fashion where Canadians are being shut out," Peter Van Loan, a Conservative MP, said in committee last week, the National Post reports. "Their national anthem is being changed. They have been singing it for decades, millions of Canadians. It belongs to them, it is not a plaything of us."
"We are telling Canadians, 'Guess what, you don't have a say in your national anthem. It belongs to us as politicians ... for us to deliver our worldview to you and impose it upon you'."
O Canada, originally composed with French lyrics, became the country's national anthem in 1980.
The first English version included the lines "Our home, our native land, True patriot love thou dost in us command". But during World War 1 that phrase was changed to "in all thy sons command" in an effort to stir patriotic feelings.
Other countries have changed their national anthem lyrics to make them more inclusive. In Austria, for example, a lyric about "sons" was changed to "sons and daughters" and a lyric about "fraternal choirs" was changed to "jubilant choirs".
In Switzerland, a contest was held to replace the country's national anthem in 2015, but the government has not decided on a winner yet.


A man has died following a one-vehicle crash in Neath Port Talbot on Saturday.

The driver of a Citroen C2 died at the scene of the incident, which happened at about 18:45 BST on the B4242, north of Abergarwed.
Police closed the road, which leads towards Neath, on Saturday evening as they investigated.
The road has now reopened and an appeal was made for witnesses.


Banbridge impressed in beating Saint Germain 2-0 before a crowd of over 2,500 at Havelock Park in their first match of the European Hockey League.

Bann got off to a great start with Jonny McKee going close on two occasions before breaking the deadlock.
The hosts went 2-0 ahead before half-time when Dane Ward was on hand to deflect in a Fraser Mills shot.
Banbridge need a draw on Sunday against Royal Leopold to reach the KO16 phase of the competition for the first time.
McKee was under pressure but showed enough strength to hold off the challenge of the Saint Germain defender and goalkeeper to slot the ball into the goal.
Led by the impressive Matthew Bell, the home side defended their circle resolutely throughout and were always dangerous on the counter attack.
In the final minute of the first half they doubled their advantage when Mills, on the reverse stick, fired low and hard towards the far corner of the French side's goal and Dane Ward was on hand to deflect the ball in.
The second half saw Saint Germain fight back, making numerous good chances with Martin Genestet hitting the post while Bann goalkeeper Gareth Lennox kept out three corners in a row including one that he saved with his head.
The result eliminated Saint Germain and leaves a winner takes all battle between Banbridge and Belgian team Royal Leopold.
Defending champions Kampong from the Netherlands, with Irish international goalkeeper Davy Harte in their ranks, beat English side Holcombe 2-1 and will need only a draw with Poznan on Sunday to make it through.
Holcombe, who include local GB international Iain Lewers, beat the Polish side 8-1 on Friday.
The other games on Sunday see Scottish club Kelburne face Atletic Terrassa from Spain while Hamburg play Cardiff, with the winners of both games progressing in the competition.


Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has imposed a ban on Russia's biggest social media networks and internet services popular with millions.

His decision is a significant ramping up of sanctions on Ukraine's neighbour for its annexation of Crimea and the continuing conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Those targeted include social networks VK.com and Odnoklassniki, search engine Yandex and the Mail.ru email service.
Ukrainian service providers have been ordered to block access to the sites.
The companies' offices in Ukraine will also face asset freezes and other restrictions although it was not immediately clear how the ban on the services would come into force and whether Ukraine had the technical means to enforce it.
The president's decision to push through a decision by Ukraine's national security council could prove controversial domestically, as VK (VKontakte) alone has an estimated 15 million users in Ukraine and Odnoklassiki (which translates as Classmates) is also widely popular.
Blogger Anton Hodza hailed the ban as a "fantastic opportunity" for Ukrainian start-ups, while another joked that Ukraine's authorities should prepare for riots from angry schoolchildren and pensioners.
But IT expert Artur Orujaliev condemned the move as censorship and journalist Oksana Romanyuk from Reporters Without Borders said the economic reasons used to justify the ban were actually economic sanctions against Ukrainians.
Tipichnyy Kiev, a news community with 695,000 subscribers on VK, offered practical advice to its readers to either use mirror sites on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and promised help in using proxy servers.
Several other Russian companies also face sanctions, including cyber-security company Kaspersky Lab, Doctor Web, and Aeroflot, as well as several TV companies including NTV and RT and news agency Ria Novosti.
The sanctions row led to Russia's Eurovision contestant, Julia Samoilova, was unable to travel to Kiev because she had performed in Crimea. Ukraine has gradually broadened its sanctions list, which now includes more than 1,200 individuals.
When Ukraine's President, Viktor Yanukovych, was deposed in 2014, Russian troops moved into Crimea and the government in Moscow annexed the Ukrainian peninsula.
Conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine as pro-Russian separatists launched an insurgency against the government in Kiev. Since the conflict began, some 10,000 people have died.
A tentative ceasefire is in place but there are regular violations and 13 people were killed last month, mainly by shelling or landmines.
The European Union and US imposed sanctions on a number of Russian companies and individuals linked to the Russian involvement, and Moscow responded with its own measures.


Meet the coconut crab, a massive species of crab which lives on the land.

Scientists have measured its grip and found that its claw is stupendously strong!
The coconut crab has the most powerful claw of any crustacean, that's creatures like crabs, shrimps and lobsters.
The projects lead scientist, Shin-ichiro Oka said that the crabs' grip is almost as strong as a lion's bite.
This puts the coconut crabs claws strength higher than most other land hunters.
The coconut crab uses its powerful claws for a number of things, but mainly for eating.
The powerful creatures are fierce and their claws are used to kill smaller crabs to eat and also to crack open hard food like coconuts.
They also come in handy when they have to fight off things trying to eat them.
They live alone in burrows or in cracks in the rocks and will attack other crabs if they meet them.


Kurt Masur, the German conductor who led the New York Philharmonic orchestra, has died in the US at the age of 88.

Philharmonic President Matthew VanBesien said Masur had "left a legacy that lives on today".
Masur was music director of the philharmonic from 1991-2002 and is credited with reinvigorating it.
Prior to that he led the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in eastern Germany for 26 years.
In the celebrations marking the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990 he directed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
As the East German regime collapsed in the 1980s, Masur was credited with using his influence to help prevent a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
Many thought he should become East Germany's first post-Communist  leader but instead he moved to the US.
Masur's death on Saturday was announced by the New York Philharmonic.
"It is with the deepest sadness that I write on behalf of the Masur family and the New York Philharmonic that Kurt Masur - our inspiring music director, 1991-2002, and music director emeritus - passed away," Mr VanBesien said.
"What we remember most vividly is Masur's profound belief in music as an expression of humanism. We felt this powerfully in the wake of 9/11, when he led the philharmonic in a moving performance of Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem and musicians from the orchestra gave free chamber concerts around Ground Zero.
"Today, New Yorkers still experience this humanist mark through the popular Annual Free Memorial Day Concert, which he introduced."
Masur served as the principal conductor of the London Philharmonic between 2000 and 2007, after which he became honorary musical director at the Paris-based National Orchestra of France.
In April 2012 he fell off the stage while conducting the National Orchestra of France in Paris and was treated in hospital.
The same year, after cancelling several concert engagements, he revealed on his website that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Masur was born in 1927 in Lower Silesia, Germany - now part of Poland - and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony.
He is survived by his third wife, Tomoko, a soprano from Japan, and five children.


Plans for a 13-storey building on a hilltop in Swindon have been shelved after more than 2,000 people signed a petition against it.

Architects had put forward their ideas for the former Swindon Advertiser building in Victoria Road, Old Town.
They included 148 new flats, offices and a new community space.
Objectors called on Swindon Borough Council to reject the plans "to save the charm and character of Old Town from a monstrosity of a tower block".
The Quad Group has since withdrawn its plans and is preparing a new submission.
Campaigner Neil Robinson started the online petition because he was "absolutely mortified" by the plans.
"Even though the tower block has been scrapped I still don't think this is the end of it," he said.
"I still think the new plans they're going to come up with aren't going to be in keeping with the architecture of Old Town."
Mike Price, from Quad Group, said the company had listened to the community's concerns.
"We are sorry it caused so much bad feeling, this was never our intention and we will endeavour to get a better understanding of the needs and wants of the local community during the next stage," he added.


The world leader of millions of Muslims has condemned the Westminster terror attack calling it an "affront to the teachings of Islam".

Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC), said his "heartfelt sympathies" were with the victims.
He was speaking at a Peace Symposium held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, south London on Saturday.
Five people died and 50 were hurt outside Parliament, last Wednesday.
In a message Prime Minister Theresa May praised the conference, which she called "an annual reminder of your community's commitment to promoting peace".
MPs Paul Scully and Siobhan McDonagh were among the hundreds who attended the event at the UK's largest mosque.
The caliph described the attack in central London a "barbaric atrocity".
"No matter what terrorists may claim, under no circumstances are indiscriminate acts, or killings ever justified," he said.
He added that Muslims and non-Muslims "must stand up against all forms of oppression, hatred and use all our capabilities to try and foster peace in the world."
Three people were killed in Wednesday's attack when Khalid Masood drove his car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before stabbing to death unarmed PC Keith Palmer.
Masood was then shot dead by police.


The number of people who donated their organs after death in Scotland has almost doubled over a six-year period, according to government figures.

A total of 106 people donated organs in hospitals across Scotland last year compared with 54 in 2007.
The statistics showed a 62% increase in organ transplants from deceased donors, with 341 operations carried out.
However, about 600 people remain on the transplant waiting list.
Some 2,110,881 people living in Scotland have now joined the UK Organ Donor Register.
The figure means 40% of the Scottish population has registered, compared to 32% across the UK as a whole.
Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: "First and foremost I want to offer my thanks to every donor and every donor's family in Scotland who have demonstrated such kindness and benevolence in the face of tragic and difficult circumstances.
"It is our responsibility to ensure that people's organ donation wishes are respected and to ensure that we make every donation count."
Mr Matheson added: "It's important to remember, however, that around 600 people in Scotland are still waiting for an organ and we must be doing all we can to give them hope."
Peter McGeehan, 64, from Dunfermline, suffered serious heart failure and was listed for a transplant in 2004. In the ten years since a heart transplant, the father-of-two said he has thought about his donor every day.
He said: "People take living for granted, but as I approach the ten-year anniversary I can honestly say there's never a day where I've woken up and haven't thought about my unnamed donor."


More than 100 musicians and dancers will represent the Isle of Man at Europe's largest celebration of Celtic culture in France this weekend.

Four Manx artists have also been selected to display work in an exhibition at the Festival Interceltique Lorient.
Juan Moore, Julie Roberts, Eileen Schaer and Will Sutton will display works on the theme of mythology.
The annual event welcomes more than 800,000 people to Brittany.
Culture Vannin Chairman Phil Gawne said it is an amazing opportunity to showcase Manx culture to a huge audience".
This year the festival is celebrating the Isle of Man and Cornwall as its joint honoured nations for the first time in its 45-year history.
The event brings together performers and artists from all of the Celtic Nations - the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Wales, Brittany and Ireland - as well as visitors from countries including Argentina, Australia and Cuba.


Leinster Lighting cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Northern Knights in Friday's Twenty/20 game at Merrion.

Greg Thompson hit 56 from 40 balls and James Shannon added 52 as the Knights made 157-8.
The hosts were 79-3 before Andrew Balbirnie and James Anderson put on an unbeaten partnership of 79 to reach 158-3 in 17.1 overs.
Balbirnie blasted three sixes in his 71 while Anderson scored 41.
The T20 encounter between Munster Reds and North-West Warriors scheduled for Mardyke was abandoned due to rain with each side receiving two points.
Northern Knights 157-8 G Thompson 56, J Shannon 52, S Singh 3-19
Leinster Lightning 158-3 (17.1 overs) A Balbirnie 71 no, J Anderson 41 no


A teenage boy had to be rescued after getting stuck waist-deep in quicksand on the coast near Weymouth.

The 13-year-old had strayed from the coastal path onto the sand when he became trapped up to his waist for an hour at The Fleet Lagoon, close to Chesil Beach, just before 11:15 BST.
It took rescuers from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service (DWF) and the coastguard 15 minutes to pull him free.
A spokesman for DWF advised the public "to always stick to the coastal path".
He said it was not believed the boy was injured but was treated by paramedics at the scene as a precaution.


Whenever the word "Brexit" is mentioned, the word "Commonwealth" is usually not far behind.

Eurosceptics campaigning for the UK to leave the European Union are keen to dismiss the idea that the move would leave the country economically isolated and bereft of trade alliances.
They point out that the UK's links with the 53-nation Commonwealth, composed mainly of territories that belonged to the former British Empire, predate its membership of the EU.
And the Commonwealth itself is eager to stress the trade advantages that its members enjoy by virtue of belonging to the association.
As it opens its 24th summit in the Maltese capital, Valletta, which runs from 27 to 29 November, its place in the global trade landscape is a topic high on the agenda.
But even while continuing to be an EU member, the UK is already making great efforts to trade with the Commonwealth's most dynamic economies - and it is unclear how these efforts would be enhanced by a Brexit.
Meanwhile, at least one influential senior Commonwealth figure from outside the UK argues that the country has no need to choose between the EU and the Commonwealth - it can have both.
With the eurozone currently beset by economic troubles, some commentators feel that the UK should turn away from its stagnating neighbours in favour of broader global trade pacts.
They are assisted in this view by statistics such as those produced by the organisation World Economics, which has a growth tracker showing that the Commonwealth has already overtaken the eurozone in its share of world economic output.
"The Commonwealth accounts for 2.6% more than the eurozone in terms of world GDP share," states World Economics. "Economic growth in the Commonwealth has accelerated over the post-1973 period in sharp contrast to the EU."
However, such comparisons can be misleading, since the Commonwealth is far from being a unified or homogenous bloc.
As the Commonwealth's own website says, "Our countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse - they are amongst the world's largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries.
"Thirty-one of our members are classified as small states - countries with a population size of 1.5 million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them."
For instance, when anti-EU campaigners talk of boosting trade with the Commonwealth, it's a safe bet that they're not talking about Vanuatu, a Pacific Ocean island chain with a population of 246,000.
The country was due to host the next Commonwealth summit in 2017, but was devastated by Cyclone Pam in March of this year, meaning that leaders in Malta will have to decide on another venue for the event.
In fact, just six Commonwealth countries account for more than four-fifths of all trade conducted by the organisation's members. Apart from the UK, they are Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia and Singapore.
As things stand, the UK isn't exactly giving any of these countries the cold shoulder. Earlier this month, the UK and India signed commercial deals worth Â£9bn during a visit to London by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi - a visit seen as giving an important boost to the UK's relations with the world's fastest-growing large economy.
Other big Commonwealth economies are not badly placed either. Some Conservative MPs, including Boris Johnson, feel that the UK "betrayed" countries such as Australia when it joined the EU in 1973, but the Australian government doesn't seem to see it that way.
"We share an extensive economic, trade and investment relationship," says the Australian government website's country brief on UK relations, before going on to list the evidence.
Investment is particularly strong: the UK is "the second-largest source of total and direct foreign investment in Australia", while Australia returns the favour, with the UK also being "Australia's second most important foreign investment destination".
For its part, the Commonwealth stresses that countries benefit economically from belonging to the club. According to its Trade Review 2015, members' combined exports of goods and services amounted to $3.4 trillion in 2013, "which is about 15% of the world's total exports".
"When both bilateral partners are Commonwealth members, they tend to trade 20% more, and generate 10% more foreign direct investment inflows than otherwise," says the review.
"This 'Commonwealth effect' implies bilateral trade costs between Commonwealth partners are on average 19% lower compared with those for other country peers."
So the Commonwealth does seem to confer economic benefits on its members. However, senior Commonwealth figures don't see that as a reason for the UK to leave the EU.
One task of the Malta summit will be to choose the Commonwealth's next secretary-general, the sixth person to hold the post.
One of the three candidates currently in the running, veteran Caribbean diplomat Sir Ronald Sanders, has argued that there is no need for the UK to choose between the two alliances.
"Increased trade with Commonwealth countries is perfectly possible for Britain," he wrote in 2013. "It does not have to shed itself of Europe for that to happen."
As Sir Ronald points out, the EU is still the largest single market for UK exports, accounting for more than 40% of the total.
In his view, the goal for the Commonwealth is to work to "bring more Commonwealth countries into the gains of increased trade" by helping them to tackle their structural failings - something that heads of government could do well to reflect on as they gather in Valletta.


Two women and a man have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after a crash on the A71 in Livingston.

The collision, which involved two vehicles, happened at about 13:40 west of the Lizzie Bryce roundabout near Dedridge.
The A71 has been closed eastbound from Newpark roundabout and westbound at the Lizzie Bryce roundabout.
Police said it would remain shut for several hours to allow crash investigations to be carried out.
Officers appealed for witnesses to contact them.