Donald Trump won two more states on his march toward the Republican nomination - did he kill off Marco Rubio's presidential dream in the process?

Call it "lesser Tuesday" - the respite between the blockbuster Southern primaries on 1 March and the key winner-take-all votes in Ohio and Florida on 15 March.
While the voting in Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho and Hawaii doesn't have the same kind of glamour or import as the other key electoral dates in March, that doesn't mean there aren't lessons to learn from the day's results.
Fourth place stings. If Marco Rubio were an Olympian, he'd be clapping politely and picking a nice spot to watch the medal ceremony. If it were a horse race, Rubio backers would be tearing up their betting slips.
Once again the Florida senator took a drubbing across the board, with single-digit finishes in both Michigan and Mississippi netting him zero convention delegates.
He may only place a few percentage points ahead of Ben Carson in Mississippi, who dropped out of the race last week and hasn't had a political pulse in weeks. It's got so bad Donald Trump didn't even feel compelled to belittle the candidate in his victory speech.
Full results - how the states were won
In hindsight his decision to wage total war against Mr Trump, flinging mud with both fists, was a disastrous mistake. And if his attacks were supposed to be a selfless kamikaze mission against the front-runner, well, the USS Trump is still steaming ahead.
Mr Rubio now has exactly one week to pull off a minor miracle and defeat Mr Trump in his home state of Florida. A win there likely won't improve his presidential prospects, which are basically zero, but it could salvage his pride. It would also do a great service for the anti-Trump forces, who are now largely left hoping for a primary season that ends in a draw and a brokered convention.
Reports of Donald Trump's demise are ... well, you know the drill by now.
After taking a beating from Mr Rubio and Ted Cruz at the Republican debate last week and being denounced by 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Saturday, the media were rife with reports that the front-runner's formidable armour might be cracking. He underperformed in voting on Saturday, posting losses in Kansas and Maine and only narrow wins in Kentucky and Louisiana. Perhaps the relentless attacks were finally taking a toll?
Er, no.
Mr Trump once again showed he has nationwide appeal. He dominated the vote in a Southern state not bordering Mr Cruz's Texas home, and rolled to victory in Michigan. That second win is particularly key, since the South is largely done voting but the Mid-West - with its blue-collar voters hit hard by the decline in US manufacturing - is just starting to weigh in.
Who is voting for Donald Trump?
In search of Trump's Scottish roots
Trump detractors may take some solace in the fact that both Michigan and Mississippi held primaries that were open to non-Republicans - a setup that has favoured the New Yorker in the past. Most of the remaining states only allow participation by registered Republicans.
They shouldn't get their hopes up too high, however. According to exit polls in both Michigan and Mississippi, Mr Trump performed equally well among Republicans and the unaffiliated.
Mr Trump is now in a position to deliver a mortal blow to his opponents next week and send the Republican establishment into full-on paroxysms of despair.
Going into Tuesday's voting, some thought that Mr Cruz could build on his weekend momentum and post a surprise win in Mississippi. Others speculated that Ohio Governor John Kasich could demonstrate his Mid-Western appeal and pull out a Michigan victory, as he invested considerable time and money there.
In the end Mr Trump won by comfortable margins in each state - which is hardly good news for either challenger.
Is Cruz the most radical Republican?
Mr Kasich can find a bit of a silver lining in Mr Rubio's abysmal performance, however. Without the Florida senator in the picture, he looks likely to pick up the mantle of the mainstream, moderate candidate. Of course this primary landscape is now littered with the bodies of establishment politicians, so he may not want to get too comfortable.
As for Mr Cruz, he pushed Mr Kasich for second place in Michigan, which has to be encouraging. If he's going to battle Mr Trump all the way to the Republican convention, the Texas senator will have to continue to show support outside his native South. He did beat Mr Trump in sparsely populated Idaho but the delegate prize was tiny.
Once again Hillary Clinton posted a dominating win in a Southern state, taking Mississippi by nearly 70% and netting a lion's share of its 36 delegates.
Michigan was another story, however. Although polls showed her with a comfortable lead, Democratic voters had other ideas - and Bernie Sanders delivered a surprise defeat to the front-runner.
The good news for the former secretary of state is that big wins coupled with narrow losses will only continue her climb ahead of the Vermont senator in the all-important delegate count for the Democratic convention. Thanks to her dominating performance across the South, she's already built up a sizable lead, and Tuesday's balloting will add to it.
The most progressive president ever?
The bad news is that the South is nearly done voting, and the Michigan results could indicate that she will be in a dogfight with Mr Sanders in the Mid-West. While she still is the odds-on favourite to win the nomination, a series of narrow victories - or losses - from here on out will do little to encourage Mr Sanders to quit the race.
Instead, she seems destined to grind out a long, hard primary campaign against a stubborn opponent.
The delegate tracker -  charting who's ahead in the nomination races.


Newry-based Norbrook Laboratories has said it plans to recruit 400 additional staff over the next two years.

The company, which develops and manufactures veterinary pharmaceutical products, is expanding to meet a growing global demand.
It currently employs around 1,700 people at three factories in the city.
The company is controlled by its founder, Lord Ballyedmond, Northern Ireland's wealthiest man with an estimated fortune of £860m.
His wealth is in part due to a high-end property portfolio.
Norbrook has already employed around 200 people this year.
Last year, Norbrook made pre-tax profits of £16m.
According to the company the jobs will range across several areas including production, scientific analysis, research, finance and engineering.
It said there is "an excellent recruitment pool" in Northern Ireland.
"The new jobs will be spread right across the full spectrum of our operation," said James Gibbs, recruitment manager of Norbrook.
"Norbrook is a true Northern Ireland success story which has defied the recession by continuing to grow," he stated.
In recent years it has invested £150m in expanding its facilities in Newry, with new production suites, warehousing and office space.
Recently, there was another boost to the pharmaceuticals sector when Almac, based in Craigavon, said it was creating 229 new posts.


The wife of a 78-year-old man left brain damaged and using a wheelchair after a car-jacking has spoken of their "nightmare".

4 November 2015 Last updated at 21:58 GMT
Sylvia Stocking found her husband Reg lying in a pool of blood outside their home in West Bromwich, Sandwell.
She said: "It's been a nightmare really. It's changed our lives. Our lives were stopped. We can't do anything that we did before."
Drug addict Andrew Jones, 34, was convicted of grievous bodily harm and robbery at Wolverhampton Crown Court and awaits sentencing.


A French sailor has been airlifted off a military vessel off the south west of Barra after falling and suffering a back injury.

The alarm was raised at about 11:20 and the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter was called in to help.
The sailor was flown to a hospital in Glasgow.
Ships, aircraft and personnel from Europe and North America have been arriving in and around Scotland for a major Nato exercise.
Joint Warrior is held twice a year, in April and in October.
The exercise is one of Nato's largest training events and involves thousands of army, navy and air force personnel.
For the first time, this October's Joint Warrior will see exercises using unmanned vehicles. This event is called Unmanned Warrior.


Three people have been arrested after a man was found unconscious after a suspected assault in Brighton.

He was found in North Street at 07:10 GMT on Saturday remains in a hospital in a critical condition.
A 28-year-old man of no fixed address and a 43-year-old woman from Brighton have been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remain in custody.
A 30-year-old Brighton man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and is also still in custody.
Any witnesses are asked to contact Sussex Police.


Notts County have signed defender Gary MacKenzie on a one-month loan from League One side Doncaster Rovers.

The 30-year-old joined Rovers in June, but has struggled with injuries and has only played two games since October.
He told BBC Radio Nottingham: "The boss [Darren Ferguson] felt I needed games, having been out for the best part of four months, to get me up to speed."
The Magpies have also terminated the contract of former Belgian international defender Gill Swerts.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Three former Polish presidents have attacked the right-wing government in an open letter, accusing it of "violating" the constitution.

The letter was published on the front page of the Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland's second-largest newspaper, on Monday.
The row centres on the government's wish to change the way the main legislative court works. The court says the changes are unconstitutional.
Poland's prime minister says she has a mandate to make changes.
The letter is signed by:
In it, the co-signatories criticise "draconian" new laws, including proposed new regulation that would make all abortions illegal. They also condemn "the anti-European and xenophobic declarations and actions of the current leaders".
New rules sought by the governing Law and Justice party (PiS) would increase the number of Constitutional Court judges needed for a ruling and change the order in which cases are heard. While the court did not support the steps, the government has refused to publish the court's ruling.
A draft report by the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, said the changes made it extremely difficult for the court to take decisions, thereby endangering the rule of law.
The moves to alter the court are "paralysing the work of the Constitutional Tribunal and all of the judicial authorities", the letter says. "An attempt by Law and Justice to create its own order represents an usurpation of power."
The PiS won a majority in last October's election, thereby giving it a mandate to bring in the changes it wishes, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said in response to the letter.
"These men say: 'We are democracy.' I say: 'Democracy is the free choice of Poles who have chosen the PiS and its programme'," she said.
Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski said it was "absurd" to suggest democracy in Poland was under threat.
In the past month, rallies have taken place in Polish cities to protest against the moves to change the work of the court.
Large demonstrations have also been held against the abortion law and the decision to give government a hands-on role in running media organisations.


A man wearing a mask targeted a woman in a carjacking, police said.

Officers were called to reports of a robbery in Grove Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, just after 22:00 GMT on Sunday.
West Midlands Police says two men threatened a woman before driving off in her white Mercedes A-Class car. The woman was shaken but not injured.
Officers say a dedicated operation is in place to address a recent spike in car robberies in the area.
See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country area here
The men are described as black, with one about 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall, of slim build and wearing a green and white mask.
The car - registration KW65 AXK - has black wing mirrors and black alloy wheels, police said.
Last month a woman was attacked in Kings Heath with a stun device during a carjacking - the sixth such attack in as many days.
Det Sgt Toni Holl, from the investigation team at Bournvillle Lane police station, said: "We have a dedicated operation in place to address the recent spike in car robberies and have arrested several people.
"Four of those - including two youths aged 14 - have since been charged and put before the courts.
"We do not believe Sunday's incident is linked to these offences."


In our series of letters from African journalists, Ghanaian writer and former government minister Elizabeth Ohene explains why she has had a change of heart about the African Union.

I have a confession to make. I am falling in love with the African Union.
I suspect it is not a secret that I have never liked the African Union (AU) and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
I have been a lifelong critic.
I have been vocal in my criticism and I have written many articles stating my frustrations and disbelief in the workings of the organisation.
I think I can safely say that my criticisms were not made from afar; I had followed and studied the organisation right from its inception with keen interest.
My work brought me into close and uncomfortable contact with the staff and officials and I covered more OAU summits than I care to admit to.
I gritted my teeth through sessions chaired by the Ugandan leader Idi Amin.
I cheered Tanzanian leader Julius Nyerere when he made a brave and, at the time, politically incorrect speech to the assembled heads.
I covered the OAU when dead bodies used to be heaped at the square in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, which the secretary general looked out on from his desk.
I covered the OAU when a civil war was convulsing the host nation Ethiopia and the war was almost at the gates of the organisation and nobody ever said a word about that war at any of the meetings.
I covered the OAU throughout the 1980s when the overall majority of African nations were either one party or military dictatorships, and the economies were mostly in shambles.
I covered the OAU when the principle of non-interference in internal affairs was sacrosanct and members would not condemn "Brother Presidents", no matter how badly they behaved towards their own citizens.
I covered the OAU when the condemnation of the apartheid regime appeared to be the only subject on the agenda of every summit.
I covered the OAU when there appeared a fresh crop of leaders who proclaimed belief in human rights, democratic process and condemned African leaders holding on to power, and then watched those same leaders become petty dictators and proclaim only they can save their countries.
I covered the OAU when more than three-quarters of the members were in arrears with their membership dues.
I covered the OAU when apartheid was defeated and Nelson Mandela became an African president and brought his stature to the organisation.
I covered the OAU when "African Renaissance" became the bywords for the continent and for the organisation.
I then went into government and followed from the other end as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi tried to buy his way to become the dominant leader of the organisation.
I saw the OAU metamorphose into the AU and carry with it many of the old habits.
Then I got rather tired and I have been watching these days mostly without comment as China built a multi-million dollar headquarters, and the new nation of South Sudan degenerated into yet another African basket case.
Suddenly though, it seems the AU refrain is changing.
Elizabeth Ohene:
"After a lifetime of taking the OAU/AU for a joke, it looks like I have to take the AU seriously at last"
Two weeks ago, the African Union organised a conference in Lusaka on the subject of early marriages.
When I first heard the news, I was incredulous.
The AU simply does not do things like that; it does not touch subjects like that; it does not deal with every day, bread and butter issues.
Then I heard an official being interviewed during that conference and she said the fact that something might be a cultural practice does not mean it can't be challenged and discarded; "after all", she said, "culture is something started by us humans and we can stop it, if we want".
I took a deep breath.
That is the kind of language that would never have been uttered in AU circles.
Then on I heard on the news recently that the AU had decided that it would not sit by and watch Burundi slide into a civil war and a possible genocide.
The news further said that the AU had decided to send a peacekeeping force of up to 5,000 to Burundi even if the Burundi government was against the idea.
After a lifetime of taking the OAU/AU for a joke, it looks like I have to take the AU seriously at last.
More from Elizabeth Ohene:


A teenage moped rider has died in a police chase in east London.

Two men, thought to be in their late teens, were riding the vehicle when it collided with a van in Upper Clapton Road, Hackney, at 11:55 GMT.
The moped was linked to a suspected theft earlier. One rider died at the scene and the other is in a serious condition in hospital, police said.
The Metropolitan Police's professional standards directorate has been informed.
Officers said they were called at about 11:15 GMT to reports that a moped was spotted being driven away from Kingsland Road following a suspected theft.
The moped was sighted again about 30 minutes later in Stamford Road, police said.
When the driver of the moped failed to stop, a chase ensued.
The National Police Air Service was also called.


The Premier League is back - but who will come out on top in the opening round of fixtures?

BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson has made his predictions for the first 10 games of the new campaign, which include Arsenal hosting Leicester on Friday night, champions Chelsea against Burnley on Saturday and last season's runners-up Tottenham against newly promoted Newcastle on Sunday.
You can make your own predictions now - take on Lawro and other fans and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the new-look BBC Sport Predictor game.
Lawro will be making a prediction for all 380 Premier League games this season against a variety of guests.
His opponents for the opening round of Premier League fixtures are BBC athletics commentators Brendan Foster and Steve Cram.
Foster, who supports Newcastle, and Sunderland fan Cram saw their teams swap divisions last season, with the Magpies promoted back to the Premier League at the same time as the Black Cats went down.
"It's great to have my team Newcastle back in the Premier League," said Foster. "Particularly - and he is standing next to me laughing as I say this - because Steve's team are not in the Premier League any more. So that is good news."
Cram is not confident Sunderland will bounce straight back to the top flight either, adding: "I have got friends who are a bit worried that we are going to go straight down again.
"It is not going to be easy and I would be amazed if we won promotion this season. I am always hopeful and always look on the positive side... but I don't sound confident, do I?
You can hear more of their tales of Tyne-Wear derby banter and the mixed fortunes of north east of England football clubs on Football Focus at 12:00 BST on Saturday on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
Remember you can try to beat Lawro yourself by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.
All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.
Arsenal 4-3 Leicester
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Cram's prediction: 2-0
Foster's prediction: 3-1
Match report
Watford 3-3 Liverpool
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Cram's prediction: 0-2
Foster's prediction: 0-4
Match report
Chelsea 2-3 Burnley
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Cram's prediction: 2-1
Foster's prediction: 4-0
Match report
Crystal Palace 0-3 Huddersfield
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Cram's prediction: 0-1
Foster's prediction: 0-0
Match report
Everton 1-0 Stoke
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Cram's prediction: 3-0
Foster's prediction: 2-0
Match report
Southampton 0-0 Swansea
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
Cram's prediction: 2-0
Foster's prediction: 0-0
Match report
West Brom 1-0 Bournemouth
Lawro's prediction: 1-2
Cram's prediction: 0-1
Foster's prediction: 2-1
Match report
Brighton 0-2 Man City
Lawro's prediction: 0-2
Cram's prediction: 1-3
Foster's prediction: 2-1
Match report
Newcastle 0-2 Tottenham
Lawro's prediction: 0-2
Cram's prediction: 1-1
Foster's prediction: 5-0
Match report
Man Utd 4-0 West Ham
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Cram's prediction: 2-0
Foster's prediction: 2-0
Match report
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
In Lawro's league table based on his 2016-17 weekly predictions, Chelsea and Liverpool finished joint champions.
Overall, he had four teams out of 20 in their correct positions, with seven more only one place out (see bottom of the page).
Lawro's best score: 140 points (week 22 v James McAvoy)
Lawro's worst score: 30 points (week four v Dave Bautista)


Authorities in Mali say they have arrested a Mauritanian man suspected of masterminding deadly attacks on hotels in the country last year.

Fawaz Ould Ahmeida is accused of planning, among others, the November attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital Bamako that left 20 dead.
Security services said he had been plotting to carry out attacks on Western targets in Bamako this weekend.
They said he was a member of the al-Murabitoun jihadist group.
Al-Murabitoun, an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM), has said it carried out the Radisson Blu attack.
Security officials accuse Mr Ould Ahmeida, alias Ibrahim 10, of being involved in an attack on the Terrace bar and restaurant in Bamako in March 2015, in which five people died.
As well as the Radisson Blu attack, they say he is also believed to have planned the siege of the Byblos hotel in central Mali in August, in which 13 people died.
And he has been linked to an attack last month on the Azalai Nord-Sud hotel in Bamako, where the EU mission is based.
He was detained on Thursday in a Bamako suburb, allegedly with a large number of weapons and explosives in his possession.
Malian special forces said in November that they had arrested two suspects in connection with the Radisson Blu attack.
Two armed men held 170 guests and staff hostage at the hotel during the nine-hour siege, killing 20 and wounding 14 before police stormed the building.
In the past month the security forces in Mali have arrested several people suspected of involvement in attacks in Mali and neighbouring Ivory Coast.
However, the BBC's Alou Diawara in Bamako says the authorities there are still looking for a man named as Kounta Dallah, accused of being behind last month's attack on the Ivory Coast resort of Grand Bassam, which killed 19 people.


Plans to close tax offices across Wales and centralise services in a new centre in Cardiff have been criticised by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

Wrexham, Swansea, Porthmadog and the current Cardiff office will go, with the Merthyr office already closing.
Mr Jones told BBC Wales he did not see how "moving services further away from people" would improve the system.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said it had "too many expensive, isolated and outdated offices".
Mr Jones told BBC Radio Cymru on Friday: "To centralise everything in Cardiff - what sort of message does that send to people in the north and the west?
"We as a government wouldn't centralise everything in Cardiff."
"I don't see how moving services further away from people is going to make things better," he added.
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies told BBC Radio Wales there could be a boost from new jobs in Cardiff but HMRC had to "convince people like myself that their service will not deteriorate" and that "local intelligence won't be lost" by centralising services.
Rhodri Evans, from the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales, hoped the changes would solve the "difficulties" firms had dealing with the tax authorities online or by phone.
"Over the long-term, this modernisation programme may bring benefits and efficiency savings," he said.
"In the short-term however, FSB members will be concerned that the closure of these tax offices will simply compound existing problems."
On Thursday, HMRC chief executive Lin Homer said the current tax office structure "makes it difficult for us to collaborate, modernise our ways of working, and make the changes we need to transform our service to customers and clamp down further on the minority who try to cheat the system".
HMRC said it currently had around 2,900 staff in Wales, including 350 in Wrexham, 300 in Swansea, and 20 in Porthmadog.


Blackburn Rovers have signed Cardiff City midfielder Peter Whittingham on two-year contract after he turned down a new deal with the Championship side.

The 32-year-old was offered reduced terms by the Bluebirds, but has decided to end his 10-year stay at the club and drop down a division to League One.
The former Aston Villa trainee and England Under-21 international made 450 appearances for the Welsh side.
Whittingham is boss Tony Mowbray's first signing since Rovers' relegation.
"I've had ten-and-a-half awesome years at Cardiff City, reached several cup finals that I never thought I'd reach, won promotion and played a lot of games at this great club," Whittingham said in a statement on Cardiff's website.
"For me now, it is time for a new challenge. I'm not one of those footballers who can train all week and sit and watch a match. I want to play as many games as possible - and I think at this stage of my career this move will help me to do so."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Leeds Rhinos have signed Australian hooker Beau Falloon as a replacement for Paul Aiton, who is moving to Catalans Dragons for 2016.

Falloon will join the treble winners on a one-year deal after Gold Coast Titans opted to release him.
The 28-year-old was among a group of players involved in a drug-trafficking case earlier this year, but the charges against him were later dropped.
"Leeds has a proud history and it will be special to play for them," he said.
"Being a hooker, Leeds have got a great forward pack who like to go forward and that excites me."
Gold Coast's 2014 player of the year Falloon played 12 games in 2015. taking his NRL tally to 85 and also appeared for the New South Wales City Origin side in 2014.
"We are pleased to have signed a player with the experience that Beau has," Leeds head coach Brian McDermott said.
"He has been playing in the NRL for eight seasons and, having spoken to him, I know he is very excited about the challenge of coming to England and playing with the Rhinos."


Prince William says he and the Duchess of Cambridge are "thrilled" they are expecting their second child.

Kensington Palace said the duchess was suffering from a severe sickness - as she did when she was pregnant with Prince George.
Speaking at a visit to Oxford University the duke said it had been a "tricky few days" but was "great news".
The couple's second baby will become fourth in line to the throne, behind 13-month-old Prince George.
Asked about the duchess, Prince William said she was "feeling okay" and that he was "going to go back and look after her now".
He told journalists the couple were "immensely thrilled", but said it was still "early days".
"It's important that we all focus on the big news, the big international and domestic things that are going on at the moment. That's what my thoughts are at the moment," he said.
A statement from the palace said the Queen and both families were delighted with news of the pregnancy.
Prince Harry said it was "very exciting news" and joked that he "can't wait to see my brother suffer more".
Speaking while visiting competitors ahead of the first Invictus Games, he said Catherine was "pretty poorly" but was "doing the best she can".
Prince William was speaking after he formally opened a Â£21m China study centre at Oxford University.
The duchess had been due to accompany him on the visit, but the palace said her sickness meant that she would no longer be attending and was being treated by doctors.
The duchess's first pregnancy was revealed when she was just a few weeks pregnant with Prince George after she was admitted to hospital suffering from severe sickness in December 2012.
The sickness - called hyperemesis gravidarum - is a condition that may require supplementary hydration, medication and nutrients.
It affects 3.5 per 1,000 pregnancies, causes severe vomiting and can lead to dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine, called ketosis.
Arriving at the new study centre at about 13:30 BST, the duke told a well-wisher who sympathised with Catherine's condition that she may be over the worst of the acute sickness in a "few weeks' time".
The duchess is scheduled to be among the guests at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in London on Wednesday evening along with Prince William, Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
On Thursday she is also due to attend a Drumhead service at Lee Valley Athletics Centre with William and Harry, and later with William to watch Invictus competitors taking part in matches and heats.
The duchess is due to make her first official solo overseas tour, to Malta for two days, from 20 September.
Kensington Palace said the duchess's attendance at future events would be decided on a "case-by-case" basis.
The baby announcement came after the couple's first child, Prince George, had his first birthday on 22 July.
Prime Minister David Cameron offered his congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the House of Commons.
"We have heard this morning the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second baby.
"On behalf of the whole country, I'm sure the whole House will want to join me in congratulating them on this fantastic news and wishing them well in the months ahead," he said.
Labour leader Ed Miliband added his own good wishes, saying: "I join with the Prime Minister in congratulating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their happy news.
"I too wish them well in the months ahead."
Earl Spencer, Prince William's uncle, told LBC radio station it was "fantastic" news.
"I have never known a period of news where things have looked so dark and bleak around the world and to have this pop up is just fantastic.
"I think that's really what it's about, it's just making the nation a happier place and that is what today's news does," the earl, brother of the late Princess Diana, said.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the pregnancy was "fantastic news".
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is very happy news for any couple, and on behalf of the people of Scotland, I am delighted to send our best wishes to the countess and our hearty congratulations to the royal couple."
The duchess is known as the Countess of Strathearn in Scotland.


A woman who killed her daughter shortly after giving birth in the bathroom of her West Sussex home is to walk free.

Gintare Suminaite's baby was the result of a secret affair and she kept her pregnancy hidden, the Old Bailey heard.
Suminaite, of Bognor Regis, denied murder but admitted infanticide as she was mentally disturbed by giving birth. The 30-year-old had suffered significant blood loss and an injury.
Mr Justice Nicol said her circumstances were "tragic in themselves".
He sentenced Suminaite, who had spent 298 days on remand, to a 24-month community order with a rehabilitation requirement order.
"You were overwhelmed by the stress of your situation and in a state of partial denial during the pregnancy," he told her.
"At the time of giving birth you were in a state of extreme anxiety and panic."
The court heard Suminaite kept her pregnancy hidden from the authorities and her long-term partner, with whom she already had a child.
She planned to run away with her lover, a fellow Lithuanian, but did not want to be separated from her child and he went alone.
On 5 April last year, she left work early saying she had "big problems", and gave birth.
Her partner, who had been in another room in their Aldwick Road home, found her lying bleeding and pale in the bathroom surrounded by blood and a baby bath full of what appeared to be clothes.
He called an ambulance but the child lay undiscovered as medics initially did not spot the body in the baby bath.
Ambulance staff and police later returned to find the baby hidden in wet towels with a ligature around her neck, prosecutor Ed Brown QC said.
After her arrest, Suminaite said she did not know why she strangled her baby.
The court heard she had been emotionally and socially isolated during her life in England.
Her former boyfriend has cut all ties, but Suminaite remained in contact with her lover who has returned to England.
Suminaite appeared in court by videolink from Bronzefield jail.


A former aide to an ex-UKIP MEP told the party of fears her expenses claims were being inflated six months before going to police, a court heard.

At Birmingham Crown Court John Ison said Nikki Sinclaire compared one reimbursement - about Â£500 - to a deposit for a parliamentary candidate.
Ms Sinclaire denies misconduct in public office between 1 October 2009 and 31 July 2010, while a serving MEP.
She submitted expenses in excess of flight costs, the prosecution said.
Ms Sinclaire, 47, of Shirley, Solihull, further denies claims that between 14 October 2009 and 31 December 2010 she fraudulently transferred criminal property into her bank account.
The misconduct charge relates to making or causing to be made false or dishonest claims for travel expenses.
Mr Ison told the court how she "instructed" him to get a cash receipt when picking up a new car for her in 2010.
He also told how during a drive with her from a Christmas party in Telford, Shropshire, in 2009, she had asked him to remind her to fill up at a petrol station.
Mr Ison said: "She told me that if she had a cash receipt for petrol, she could claim for mileage at 78p per mile against the travel expenses of her expenses allowance in the European Parliament.
"She then equated this reimbursement she would get to the equivalent of a deposit for a parliamentary candidate would need to stand for election - that would have been for the general election in 2010 about Â£500."
Mr Ison was accused in court of being a "mole" for the UKIP leadership.
He was accused of stealing documents and making secret recordings while working for Ms Sinclaire "to further your own position and ingratiate yourself with the party leadership", by the ex-MEP's barrister, Sean Hammond.
Judge Stephen Eye QC told Mr Ison he could "decline to answer" any question which might incriminate him, but he denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Ison said he raised concerns over her travel expenses with then fellow party West Midlands MEP Mike Nattrass in November 2009.
After she had the UKIP party whip removed, Mr Ison tendered his resignation and ceased working for her at the end of March 2010.
Ms Sinclaire, West Midlands MEP until 2014, is on bail. The trial continues.


A bird sanctuary has defended decisions made over the welfare of ospreys after social media criticism.

Dyfi projects manager Emyr Evans said "threats, some of them very personal" had been received over decisions at the Glaslyn and Dyfi nests in mid Wales.
He added a ringer with decades of experience had quit as a result.
Mr Evans said the projects welcomed scrutiny but had received "a torrent of critical, vitriolic and abusive comments".
Some of the criticism focused on the issue of intervention when a chick is injured or unwell - with some claiming more should be done at the first sign of trouble and others arguing against any intervention at all.
Mr Evans said decisions were based solely on what is deemed to be the best course of action at that time for the osprey and its family members - with these carrying legal implications.
There was also criticism of bird ringing (an identification tool), which Mr Evans said was strictly regulated and had "stood the test of time" for more than a century.
"Ringers are tree climbers, cliff hangers, cave clingers and rope and ladder hugging professionals working in inaccessible and tough environments most of us skip a heart beat just thinking about," he added.
"They are amongst the most respected fieldworkers in the bird world, and most do it for no pay, purely on a voluntary basis.
"It is heartbreaking that a ringer with decades of experience and one of the most caring and compassionate people I know, decides to throw in the towel after being so upset by a tiny minority."
During the first 10 years at Glaslyn, Gwynedd, two or three chicks were born per year, "completely defying" the national average by 200-300%, Mr Evans said in a statement released by Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
But in 2016, a bird was displaced in his nest at the Dyfi project near Machynlleth and photographed a few weeks later with a possible injury, while an egg did not hatch. The same situation occurred at Glaslyn.
"It's hardly ever happened before," Mr Evans said.
Some of the chicks also sustained injuries, two survived and one died.
"The next time we have an injured chick or an osprey in distress somewhere, the last thing we want to do is to worry about what people, sometimes thousands of miles away, may think of our decisions," Mr Evans said.
"The vast majority of you guys are completely understanding of the nature of our work and the decisions we sometimes have to make when things go wrong."
Mr Evans added the project cared deeply about the ospreys but could not always guarantee "happy ever after" endings.
"Abuse has no place in civil society," he said.
"At the first sign of a limp or a cough, we can't simply scramble people together and climb a 100 foot tree or ladder up to a 40 foot platform. These actions have consequences on all sorts of other things such as the other birds concerned, legally, and the safety of the people involved.
"These are wild birds, it's nature, it's unpredictable and it certainly isn't Disney World."
Source: Dyfi Ospreys Projects


Africa's richest man, Nigerian business tycoon Aliko Dangote, has pledged $10m (Â£7m) to help families affected by Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency.

It is one of the biggest donations by a businessman towards easing a humanitarian crisis which has left more than two million people homeless.
Some Nigerian businessmen have been accused of failing to fulfil pledges made to the government last year.
However, an official told the BBC Mr Dangote had kept previous promises.
Nigeria's government is urging people to return to areas recaptured from the militant Islamist group.
A leaked World Bank report estimates that about 30% of 3.2 million private homes have been destroyed in the state, which has been worst-affected by the insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria.
Prominent Nigerian cleric Bishop Mike Bamidele said that churches had also been destroyed, and the government should help rebuild them, Nigeria's privately owned This Day newspaper reports.
Mr Dangote, who has an estimated fortune of $17bn, announced the donation while visiting refugee camps in Borno state with its governor Kashim Shettima on Monday.
Welcoming the donation, Mr Shettima said: "Our people are in dire straits and there is only so much that we can do with our limited resources."
Mr Dangote said his main priority was to help curb malnutrition and hunger in the camps, and to then create education and job opportunities for people.
"This is not the first time I am coming here and it will not be the last," Mr Dangote said, adding that he had previously donated about $6m to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Borno and two other north-eastern states affected by the insurgency, the This Day newspaper reports.
Usman Kumo, media assistant to Borno's governor, told the BBC Hausa service that as far as he was aware Mr Dangote had fulfilled his previous promises.
The north-east in extremely under-developed, with Boko Haram exploiting high levels of unemployment to recruit young fighters.
Some 17,000 people have been killed by the insurgency.
In December, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari said the militants had been "technically defeated".
However, the group has continued to carry out suicide bombings, and attacks in north-eastern Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Boko Haram is affiliated to the Islamic State group, and says it is fighting to establish a caliphate in the region.
Using football to tackle Boko Haram
Why Boko Haram remains a threat


Captain Ken Owens wants to avenge some "hidings" when Scarlets play Ospreys in the Pro12 on Saturday.

The 29-year-old is among 11 players set to return from Six Nations duty in the west Wales derby.
"I just want to win one. I've only beaten the Ospreys twice in my 11 years at this place," said Owens.
"I've copped plenty of hidings off them during the last couple of years so it would be nice to get one over on them and get a win, especially as captain."
Scarlets, who won the Pro 12 in 2004, are third in the table while four-time winners Ospreys are eighth.
The hooker added: "They've always been the flag-bearers since I've been here for Welsh rugby.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"They're great games to play in, very competitive."
Scarlets lost to their Swansea-based rivals on Boxing Day in Llanelli and Owens says he and his team-mates must avoid the discipline issues that beset them that day.
"We had two yellow cards and gave away way too many penalties, which cost us," he said.
"That's where it's going to be won and lost.
"They're scrapping and fighting for their lives to push for a European spot and the boys coming back for them will make an impact."
Ospreys fly-half Dan Biggar returns from the Six Nations fray on the bench in the knowledge his side's European Champions Cup ambitions need a boost.
The highest-placed team from each of the four nations in the Pro12 will play in Europe's top-tier tournament, with three more places up for grabs.
Treviso or Zebre from Italy take up one of the best-placed slots, leaving the four Irish, four Welsh and two Scottish teams competing for the other six slots.
Ospreys and Cardiff Blues are tied on 39 points in eighth and ninth places respectively, eight points behind Glasgow in sixth.
"We're looking at picking up a couple of wins to push us up the table for European qualification and we're up against it, there's no doubt about that," said Biggar.
"It's going to be a tough ask, but fingers crossed we can be positive and pick up a few results and see where that takes us.
"If we win on Saturday, it puts us in a decent place to maybe go on a bit of a run."


Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a 27-year-old woman was found at a house in Nuneaton.

Dionne Clark's body was found at 22:22 BST at an address in Cornish Close on Saturday.
A man, 28, and a woman, 19, remain in custody. A 33-year-old woman has been released under investigation.
A 54-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
The two held on suspicion of murder who remain in custody have also been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.
The death is currently being treated as "unexplained" after an initial post-mortem test was inconclusive.
See more stories from Coventry and Warwickshire here
A spokesperson from Warwickshire Police said inquiries were under way to establish exactly what occurred and further tests were being carried out to establish a cause of death.


As anticipation builds for this week's Cheltenham Festival, here's a look at some highlights to watch out for.

There will be comprehensive coverage of the four-day meeting, which takes place from Tuesday to Friday, on BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra.
There will be about 12 hours of live commentary on Radio 5 live, and up to another four on 5 live sports extra, with coverage also available online and via the BBC Sport app.
No trainer has ever before assembled such a powerful squad of horses for the Cheltenham Festival. The list of 60 or so runners that will travel from Mullins' County Carlow HQ to the Cotswolds contains the favourite, or at least a strong fancy, for 21 of the 28 races.
So the answer is yes, of course Ireland's champion jumps trainer, who's topped the Festival league table for four of the past five seasons, may equal or even go by last year's record tally.
With the likes of Annie Power, Un De Sceaux, Vautour, Djakadam and Don Poli, he has the equine ammunition to achieve it. But with horseracing as unpredictable as it is, no-one will be amazed if he falls short.
The general consensus is that Douvan (Racing Post Arkle Chase, Tuesday, 14:10 GMT) and Limini (Trull House Stud Mares Novice Hurdle, Thursday, 16:50), both to be ridden like a majority of the team's leading lights by the Festival's winning-most jockey Ruby Walsh (45 victories), are perhaps the standouts.
Mullins modestly insists he goes to Cheltenham hoping rather than expecting, seeking just one winner, but with the millions that have been pumped into his string, particularly by financier Rich Ricci and his wife Susannah, anything less than five or six will be viewed as disappointing.
No question. In 2015, had his quartet of first-day 'bankers' all gone in it would have cost the betting industry a not particularly small fortune, with the final-obstacle fall of heavily backed Annie Power in the OLBG Mares Hurdle said to have saved a £50m payout.
Such was Mullins' luck however that he still won that race with the less-fancied Glens Melody.
For the bookmakers, Cheltenham is the biggest week of the racing year, knocking Royal Ascot into a Champagne bucket with a £150m turnover that can tear gaping wounds in their accounts.
This year some bookies may be more evident than others as the sport's new policy of awarding 'authorised betting partner' status only to those considered to be contributing sufficient of their profits to fund the sport means non-ABPs are no longer welcome as new or renewing race sponsors.
It is, very much so. In contrast to many construction projects the 6,000+ capacity stand was completed within its £45m budget and, after 18 months of work, ahead of the planned schedule so it's been in use since the autumn.
The building blends into the landscape remarkably well, and it's anticipated that balconies looking out over the paddock/winners' enclosure will enhance considerably the amphitheatre atmosphere, especially when there's a popular winner.
Public bars on the ground and first floor have been named respectively after long-serving course chairman Lord Vestey and the four-time World Hurdle victor Big Buck's. Upper floors are reserved, and, in my experience, their exclusivity is policed with a rare determination.
You could do worse than get a good position around the paddock before and after day two's Weatherbys Bumper (17:30) because race-favourite Augusta Kate is owned by a group calling itself The Masters Syndicate, which includes TV's Ant and Dec, football pundit Alan Shearer and golfer Lee Westwood.
The daughter of stallion Yeats has recorded two wins from two career starts so far, and attempts to give her trainer - yes, you've guessed it, Willie Mullins - an eighth Festival Bumper success.
Willie Mullins' dad, the legendary Paddy, trained Dawn Run, probably Ireland's outstanding horse since the great 1960s icon Arkle - and it's 30 years since Jonjo O'Neill, then a top jockey, steered the mare to a famous victory over Wayward Lad, Forgive 'N' Forget and Run And Skip in one of the great Cheltenham Gold Cup finishes of all time.
Sadly, only a short time after the much-celebrated victory of the only horse to have completed the Champion Hurdle (1984)/Gold Cup double, she lost her life in a fall in France and O'Neill was diagnosed with cancer.
He made an inspiring recovery and now trains at stables close to Cheltenham from where former champion staying hurdler More Of That defends an unbeaten record over steeplechase fences in Wednesday's RSA Chase (14:10).
The winner of the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2013 - when he also took equivalent major trophies at the Aintree and Punchestown Festivals - Sprinter Sacre's apparent invincibility combined with a flamboyant style led him to be dubbed an equine James Bond by adoring fans.
But later that year the now 10-year-old, trained by the Festival's most successful trainer Nicky Henderson (53 winners), dropped from 007 to zero when pulled up in his comeback race.
A heart problem was discovered followed by a long winless period, including pulling up behind Dodging Bullets in this race 12 months ago, but in November, the gelding made a triumphant return to the track at Cheltenham before following up at Kempton after Christmas.
Henderson and new jockey Nico de Boinville, last year's Gold Cup winner, believe 'Sprinter' is back to somewhere near his best. However, with the brilliant Un De Sceaux, Dodging Bullets, Sire De Grugy, another former winner on the comeback trail, and Special Tiara in the mix he will have to be.
It is not quite a Leicester City scenario - trainer Colin Tizzard has been a growing force for some time - but his stable stars Cue Card, bound for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup (Friday, 15:30), and Thistlecrack (Ryanair World Hurdle, Thursday, 15:30) have behind them a tide of emotional as well as financial support at least partly because the Tizzards aren't among the 'usual suspects'.
And the former dairy farmer, based on the Somerset/Dorset border and assisted by ex-jockey son Joe and daughter Kim, has the opportunity to win more than most at the Festival. Cue Card will net £1m if he adds the Gold Cup to his Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase successes late last year, as winner of the Jockey Club's new Steeplechasing Triple Crown.
Already a two-time Festival winner, he and Smad Place are the two big hopes for the Britons in the race which has the strongest of Irish challenges. Meanwhile, Thistlecrack is hot favourite for the World after a prolific run.
Tizzard, who as a schoolboy preferred cricket and played with and against Ian Botham at county level, has gone through the season looking part-excited and part-disbelieving at his latest 'innings'. A memorable Festival double is not impossible.
The double Olympic cycling champion's attempt to swap saddles and line up as a jockey on Pacha Du Polder in the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase, the race for amateur riders immediately after the Gold Cup on Friday, has ensured the most frenetic Festival build-up in years.
Pendleton's every high - a first win, at Wincanton - and low - the inevitable tumbles - have been well-documented and forensically analysed.
Either you believe Pendleton has embarked on a daring and bold adventure barely a year after being legged up of a horse for the first time, or it's an extremely well-paid and hazardous sideshow on the most significant day of the jumps season.
Of course there will be an element of distraction on Gold Cup day, but it's hard not to doff the proverbial Trilby to what she's achieved already. As for the horse, the three-and-a-quarter-mile distance is probably a little far and completing the course without incident is, realistically, the best that can be hoped for.
With the reigning Stan James Champion Hurdler Faugheen absent from the first-day feature, along with the next three home from 12 months ago, there may well not be as much strength-in-depth as usual. Last year's fifth The New One, the mount of jockey Sam Twiston-Davies, is being talked up for the race in which he was also a luckless third in 2014.
Yanworth, trained by Alan King and unbeaten over hurdles, is all the rage to get the new association between owner JP McManus and jockey Barry Geraghty, who replaced the new retired AP McCoy, off to a flying start in the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle (Wednesday, 13:30).
On a pre-Festival visit to Ireland I heard the name of McManus' Gordon Elliott-trained Campeador being well-touted for the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Wednesday, 16:50).
And while Geraghty and Ruby Walsh head the betting for the week's top jockey, one or two shrewdies like the look of the chances of Bryan Cooper in his capacity as number one rider to airline tycoon Michael O'Leary's powerful Gigginstown House Stud operation, which is likely to have 30-plus runners.
Final word to Balthazar King, the mount of champion jockey-presumptive Richard Johnson in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Wednesday, 16:10). Returning from serious injury sustained in the Grand National, the 12-year-old veteran attempts to win the race for the third time.


A Royal Navy warrant officer groped a junior colleague, telling her he could help her gain promotion if she "helped him out", a court martial has heard.

Warrant Officer Stephen Vernon, 52, is accused of three charges of sexual assault at the court martial at Portsmouth Naval Base.
The prosecution alleges the assaults took place during a swing band night in a bar at the HMS Excellent training complex in Portsmouth in January 2016.
WO1 Vernon denies the charges.
Lt Col Victoria Phillips, prosecuting, told the court martial the non-commissioned officer had bought a ticket for the complainant for the event in Moby Dick's Bar on the base and offered her the use of his cabin.
She said his behaviour became "increasingly inappropriate" during the evening and he engaged in "sexual touching".
It was alleged WO1 Vernon told the complainant, with regards her career: "I can help you there if you help me out. Why do you think I offered to you my cabin for the night?"
Her behaviour became "rather introverted" following the alleged assaults, Lt Col Phillips told the court martial.
"In the course of the following days, WO1 Vernon made a number of attempts to contact her, apparently concerned for her well-being.
"This was a cynical attempt on his part to ensure there would be no consequences from his misconduct that night and she would make no waves for him by reporting the matters," she said.
The trial continues.


International cosmetic brand Avon said it had reached an agreement with a private investment firm designed to boost the company's performance.

Cerberus Capital Management will invest $605m (£406m) in Avon.
As part of the agreement, the North American division will be separated from the rest and mostly controlled by Cerberus.
Avon's North American business has been struggling, while its growth in emerging markets has been strong.
Avon's sales in North America accounted for just 14% of the company's revenue in 2014. Sales in Latin America made up nearly half of the company's total sales during that year.
"We believe that the separation of Avon North America is the best way to ensure that both businesses have an unencumbered path to profitability and growth," said Sheri McCoy, chief executive of Avon Products.
Cerberus will pay $170m for an 80% stake in Avon North America and will appoint a new chief executive. The investment firm said it will focus on creating new product lines and new incentive structures for its sales representatives.
The firm will also make a separate $435m investment for a minority stake in the international brand, Avon Products.
The company has turned down previous offers from would be buyers.
In 2012, beauty brand Coty made a $10bn offer to buy Avon that was rejected.
With the company's stock price falling 55% over the year, the executive team appeared to be changing their minds about buyouts.
Shares rose 1.2% following the deals announcement.
Avon, known for its catch phrase "Avon Calling" was set up in 1886.
The company relies on a direct door-to door sales method rather than selling products in stores.  Most of Avon's sales representatives are women and the company prides itself on female empowerment.
"We are strong believers in the direct selling model, the principle of empowering Representatives, and the growth that direct selling can generate when Representatives are appropriately supported and incentivised to build their businesses," said Ms McCoy.


There have been many women in Silvio Berlusconi's life - but Karima El Mahroug may turn out to be the most fateful.

The three-time Italian prime minister has been convicted of paying Ms Mahroug for sex when she was too young to be a prostitute, and of misusing his position to spring her from a police cell.
She may now be only 20, but by her own admission, Ms Mahroug - a night-club dancer who went by the stage name Ruby Rubacuori, or Ruby Heartstealer - has not been shielded from the darker sides of life.
She says that, as a child, she was a victim of rape and abuse.
She has been in and out of care since running away from home at - reports say - either 12 or 14 years old.
The transcripts of tapped telephone conversations quoted in Italian media suggest she began her acquaintance with Mr Berlusconi when she was just 16 years old.
But Ms Mahroug has sought to draw a distinction between her treatment by men in general and her treatment by Mr Berlusconi.
"It is the first time in my life that a man has not tried to take me to bed. He behaved like a father, I swear," she told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
She denies any sexual relationship with Mr Berlusconi, saying he was just a lonely man who paid to be in the company of young women.
Karima El Mahroug reportedly arrived in Italy with her family from Morocco in 2003, settling in the eastern Sicilian coastal town of Letojanni.
Her childhood was a difficult one, she said in an interview on one of the TV channels owned by Mr Berlusconi.
"When I was nine years old, I was raped by two of my uncles - my father's brothers," she was quoted as saying.
"The only person who I dared to talk to about what happened, my mother, said, 'Keep quiet, because if your dad finds out you're not a virgin, he'll kill you,'" she said.
After she was raped, she said she invented a "parallel world" to block out the memories.
"I told my schoolmates I had a marvellous family, and I pretended I was Wonderwoman."
But at 12, her Muslim father threw a pan of boiling oil over her after she said she wanted to become a Catholic, Ms Mahroug claimed.
Other reports suggest she was known in the local town for her fiery character and for being a petty thief.
She ran away, stealing a woman's handbag, before being found by police and sent to a series of care homes.
Later, Ms Mahroug became a belly dancer but denied ever working as a prostitute. "I tried but I didn't succeed. Like my mother told me, you're born a hooker, you don't become one."
She is said to have met Mr Berlusconi after one of his friends spotted her in a nightclub - the introduction arranged by Nicole Minetti, the prime minister's former dental hygienist who is alleged to have procured women for his parties - and admits spending nights at his residence.
Their relationship came to light after Ms Mahroug was arrested by Milan police on a charge of theft but was released - controversially handed over to Ms Minetti rather than put into care - after a phone call from the prime minister himself.
Mr Berlusconi told police she was a grand-daughter or niece of then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and demanded her freedom to avoid a diplomatic incident. He told the court that was what he believed at the time.
Mr Berlusconi claims he gave money, gifts and help to Ms Mahroug out of pity, while she also denies any sexual aspect of their relationship.
In another interview, she said he staved off loneliness by buying affection - something she said she could relate to, as she often sent money to her estranged father.
"He is alone and fights loneliness, a bit like I do," Ms Mahroug reportedly said. "I pay to get my father's affection; he pays for young women."
Being called as a witness in at least two investigations, she has often given conflicting evidence.
She said she had invented details about erotic parties held at Mr Berlusconi's villa, and she said she had lied to investigators when she said was paid a large amount of money to attend.
Prosecutor Ilda Boccassini told a Milan court that Ms Mahroug was "part of a prostitution system set up for the personal sexual satisfaction of the defendant", that she quickly became the his "favourite" and had been paid as much as 4.5m euros (Â£3.8m) to keep their relationship quiet.
Ms Mahroug turned her role in the scandal to her advantage, appearing in lucrative TV interviews, adverts and by making special appearances in nightclubs around Italy.
She is now a mother and reportedly married to a nightclub manager.


An email that was worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the taxpayers of Northern Ireland and ignored by the Department of Enterprise has been obtained by BBC Spotlight.

In 2014, a whistleblower sent the email, to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
It warned them that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was seriously flawed.
In the email, the whistleblower is remarkably clear about where the scheme was going wrong.
The warning was not acted on and the scheme continued on. It was closed earlier this year with a likely overspend of £400m and potentially even more.
The department has acknowledged a series of blunders in how the scheme was set up.
Firstly, the subsidy paid to businesses for the heat that they generated was too high.
It is very likely to be more than the cost of the wood over the 20 years of the scheme - a crucial point missed by civil servants.
Imagine your home heating oil costing you 2p an hour. And for every hour you keep the heating on you get 3p from the government.
That was similar to the flaw within RHI, so we ended up with a scheme where "the more you burn, the more you earn" - a scheme that was not only economically calamitous, but potentially environmentally damaging.
Patsy McGlone, who chaired the DETI committee when RHI was set up, said: "This is the paradox of it, that burn more wood and you get more money.
"It's not an incentive to improve or enhance the environment. It's an incentive to put more smoke up into it."
As well as the rate being too high, the department missed important cost controls introduced in Great Britain.
Firstly tiering - or paying two different rates. In Britain, the rate paid each year starts off high to incentivise customers to switch to a wood-burning boiler. Then it drops off significantly to less than the cost of production - avoiding "the more you burn, the more you earn" issue.
Tiering was not introduced in Northern Ireland. Here, there was one flat rate which was too high.
But by far the biggest alarm bell missed by the department was the warning of a whistleblower as far back as 2013.
She first expressed concerns to then enterprise minister Arlene Foster, who referred her to the team of civil servants in DETI which dealt with energy to investigate.
The woman met them in autumn 2013. The email obtained by Spotlight shows she says she urged them to address the flaws in the scheme.
Nothing was done.
In May 2014, she emailed the department, apparently exasperated.
"What we are seeing on the ground in Northern Ireland is that buildings are using more energy than before because it pays them to do so," she said.
"The flat rate means there is no incentive at all to be efficient, so the heat in buildings is on all year round with the windows open everywhere.
"When we had spoken (referring to the autumn 2013 meeting) you did not believe that people would do this. But believe me it's happening.
"It's got to a stage where it cannot be ignored any longer."
It wasn't acted upon.
The scheme was closed earlier this year after a huge spike in applications in late 2015 finally broke the budget.
Mrs Foster, now Northern Ireland's first minister, did not answer our question about whether she made any other effort to follow up on the claims of the whistleblower.
She pointed to a comment by the chief civil servant in the Department for the Economy, the new name for DETI, who said she had dealt with the whistleblower "entirely appropriately".
But she acknowledged that investigations into the whistleblower's claims "should have highlighted the failings of the scheme and actions should have been taken".
Actions were not taken and the NI taxpayer has been left with a bill for hundreds of millions of pounds.
Enough to pay for the new Omagh hospital, converting the A26 at Frosses in County Antrim in to dual carriageway, the Belfast Interchange Project and the Belfast Rapid Transit system - with £15m left over.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has said Mrs Foster should consider her position over the issue.
"What is now in the public domain proves hundreds of millions of pounds were wasted needlessly, the department was dysfunctional, unaware of the rules, and hapless in seeking solutions," he said.
"This is a scandal prone executive and on this occasion, it comes to a fundamental tenet of democratic government called ministerial accountability. If Arlene Foster believes in it, she must consider her position."


The government is to look at ways to transform libraries and make the borrowing of ebooks more commonplace.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has asked publisher William Sieghart to lead a review of e-lending with a panel of experts.
While some libraries in the UK already lend books electronically, many do not.
There is little agreement about the best way to make ebooks available and also how to remunerate authors and publishers.
"E-lending is currently in its infancy but growing fast. Just as e-readers are transforming the way people access books, e-lending could help transform the way people use libraries," said Mr Vaizey.
"By acting now we we can help influence the growth of e-lending to ensure libraries, authors, publishers and the public all benefit from this potentially valuable new service."
Mr Sieghart and the panel will consider a range of issues including: the benefits of e-lending; the current level of e-lending and future demand; the impact on libraries; and the effect on those who cannot keep up with changes in technology.
One of the panellists is Janene Cox, president of the Society of Chief Librarians.
She said that offering ebooks in libraries would help to generate new audiences.
"We need to ensure that our service reflects the changing way that people want to read and also engage with local services."
But she added, "I don't believe that they [ebooks] will replace printed books or other information sources totally but they will complement and enhance them."
The panel is due to report back in the new year.


Liverpool FC is considering what action to take against a supporter who branded two Muslim fans "a disgrace" for praying during half-time at a match.

Stephen Dodd tweeted an image of solicitors Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula on prayer mats in a stairwell.
He captioned the tweet: "Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday. Disgrace."
The Premier League club reported the tweet to Merseyside Police following a number of complaints.
A number of social media users shared the photograph, taken during Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn on 8 March.
In a statement it said police had now referred the issue back to the club, which was "currently in the process of determining the appropriate action to take".
It added:  "Liverpool Football Club would like to remind its supporters that it does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is committed to ensuring that the club and Anfield provides a welcoming and safe environment for all fans regardless of race, religion, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation."
The club said a further statement would be made in due course.
Speaking last month, Mr Bodi, 46, from Preston, told the Liverpool Echo: "We have a small window in which to pray, a bit like the transfer window in football. Once that closes the chance has gone.
"That day, the time came for prayer and the window would have closed before the game finished so we did it at half-time.
"Most people are absolutely fine with it...but it only takes one or two people to react in the wrong way and you could have a nasty situation."


A nursery where babies were allowed to eat hard-trodden cereal off the floor and chew on cardboard has been rated "inadequate" by inspectors.

Ofsted found babies at Poppies Nursery in Swindon had been put at risk by staff failing to notice them filling their mouths with "dried, hard cereal".
Inspectors also found the privately-run nursery had poor teaching at times and weak assessment procedures.
The nursery, which has yet to comment, will be re-inspected in six months.
Poppies Nursery, in Ferndale Road, cares for babies and children up to the age of eight. It has 135 youngsters on its roll.
The report said managers and staff had a "poor understanding of potential hazards" to children's safety and were not "suitably vigilant" when babies were crawling around on the floor.
It added that teaching was "inadequate" at times and children's development was "not as good as it should be".
However, inspectors did find that children's physical development was being promoted with regular outdoor play opportunities.
Current rules mean if a nursery is rated inadequate, another Ofsted inspection will take place within the following six months.


Celtic boss Ronny Deila was frustrated not to establish a stronger lead over Malmo in the Champions League play-off.

A stoppage-time goal from ex-Celtic forward Jo Inge Berget left the tie finely poised at 3-2 to Deila's men.
"You get disappointed that you feel you could get something more," the Norwegian reflected on the first leg.
"They scored on almost the two chances they had. But we have to see out the two legs, and they have to beat us in Malmo to get through."
Celtic took an early lead with goals in the opening 10 minutes from Leigh Griffiths and Nir Bitton.
Berget scored either side of Griffiths's second after the interval, however, to give Malmo two crucial away goals for the return leg in Sweden on Tuesday.
"It could be better but it's an OK result," Deila said. "I think we played well in the first half, especially at the start of the game. We were all over them and scored two great goals.
"So, of course it was a little bit disappointing in the end but I have a very good belief we can do it in Malmo.
"We are ahead one goal and we were ahead when we faced Qarabag [in the third qualifying round] and we defended very well down there, so we can do both things."
Berget's second came from a corner Deila believed his side ought to have dealt with better.
"We haven't almost conceded goals in set-plays this season - that's one of the first," he said. "Two players going in the same challenge and it bounced down.
"It's small details. The second was something we should have cleared out, we had enough people in the box to take out those two players."
The 39-year-old, who is beginning his second season at Celtic, was pleased with the performance of Griffiths, who started ahead of summer signing Nadir Ciftci.
The diminutive striker's second goal earned him particular praise, as he rose highest in the penalty area to loop a header in off the post.
"He played well. They were great goals he scored," Deila said. "The second, he shows he is small but he is good in the air.
"He had played so many games now - Nadir has been out for 14 days, Griffiths has scored goals in every game. He is in good shape now. That was a good choice and he scored good goals."
Defender Mikael Lustig, however, picked up a hamstring injury in the second half and left on a stretcher to be replaced by Efe Ambrose.
"I haven't talked with him yet, but of course it doesn't look well," added Deila.
"We'll have to see how serious it is - he's a good, important player for us, and we'll see tomorrow how bad it is."


Adrian Pogmore was described in court as a "swinging and sex-obsessed air observer" who went to extraordinary lengths to spy on naked people and film them from above in a police helicopter.

The 51-year-old admitted making recordings of people sunbathing nude and swinger friends having sex in their back garden, with four other men cleared at Sheffield Crown Court of misconduct in a public office.
Recordings were made from the helicopter on four occasions between 2007 and 2012 while the crew were out on police assignments.
Pogmore was part of the South Yorkshire Police Air Support Unit when the aircraft was used to record footage.
On a July 2008 flight, two naturists were filmed as they sat outside a caravan on Candy Farm, a naturist campsite near Doncaster.
Matthew Lucas, a police officer who was cleared of misconduct, told police in his interview that it was "common knowledge" Pogmore visited naturist camps and was the "team deviant".
Colin Wood, who runs Candy Farm, described the filming of it as an "abuse of power".
"It was an invasion of privacy just the same as somebody going out in a public place with a hidden camera and filming up ladies' skirts," he said.
"When we're naked there's nothing wrong with it, we're not ashamed, it's just the secretive invasion of privacy that's upsetting."
The pair who were filmed from the helicopter are said not to have returned to the campsite since.
"It's an abuse of public equipment," Mr Wood added.
He said it was the sort of thing you might expect from a schoolboy, not a grown man.
On the same day, Pogmore recorded a couple, who were his friends, having sex on their patio, the court heard.
At one point the naked woman is seen to wave at the aircraft, with the prosecution stating it was "no coincidence" that the helicopter flew above "while they brazenly put on a show".
A nude woman who was sunbathing with her daughters was also filmed from the aircraft in 2007, while other naked sunbathers were recorded in 2012.
Statements from all except the couple filmed having sex on the patio - who did not make a statement to police - said their privacy had been invaded.
As well as the privacy aspect of the case, there is also the issue of reputational damage to the police.
Former Ch Supt Dick Rothwell said the misconduct was "as extreme as it gets" and would tarnish the image of the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
"This was not NPAS, this was the South Yorkshire Police Air Support Unit, but to most people a helicopter in the sky is just a police helicopter," he said.
"NPAS on a daily basis work their socks off. They work throughout the whole country, keeping people safe, finding people that are missing. Now all that, possibly, is tarnished."
Pogmore pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office but Matthew Lucas, 42, Lee Walls, 47, Matthew Loosemore, 45, and Malcolm Reeves, 64, were all cleared by a jury of the same charge.
Mr Rothwell continued: "Whilst time will heal, initially people will have this case at the front of their minds; they will start to question for the first time what the police are doing in the air as opposed to just accepting it.
"For a period of time confidence will be reduced."
Outlining the severity of Pogmore's conduct, he said: "First of all it's a gross violation of the privacy of the individuals concerned, but also it's a gross misuse of a vital public resource.
"It's disgraceful, there's an element of trust in the public services and that trust has been grossly breached in this case. This just lets everybody down."


Netherlands bowler Paul van Meekeren has been rewarded with a two-year deal at Somerset following an initial three-month contract with the county.

The 23-year-old, who mostly played for the second XI in 2016, featured in two first-team T20 Blast matches.
The seamer has played in 15 T20 internationals and two one-day games for the Netherlands.
"He's shown he offers something a bit different," director of cricket Matt Maynard told Somerset's website.
"We look forward to having him here with us for at least the next two seasons."


Austria winger Martin Harnik will miss Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Wales in Vienna because of a calf injury.

The Hannover forward, who will also miss Austria's game in Serbia on Sunday, has been replaced by Sturm Graz striker Deni Alar
Harnik is the team's most-capped player, with 14 goals in 61 matches.
Alar is the leading top-scorer for Austrian league leaders Graz, with nine goals in as many games.


A whirring sound is heard in the sky above Niamey, the capital of Niger.

Several soldiers get into position. It's a drill they've been through countless times.
As the engine noise grows louder, what at first appeared to be a small plane reveals itself as something else altogether.
It is a drone.
This is Base 101, an intelligence-gathering centre set up by the French military as part of Operation Barkhane.
Launched in February 2014, its aim is to support countries in the region in their fight against Islamist extremists.
And drones play a crucial role, collecting information from the skies above the vast stretches of the Sahel and using their sophisticated cameras and radars to look down on a area roughly the size of western Europe.
The intelligence specialists in Base 101 are on the look-out for fighters belonging to groups like so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM).
The officer in charge of Operation Barkhane's five drones is Lt Col Ben; for security reasons, the French military are now only referred to by their first names.
He opens the door of what looks like a metal container. Inside, there are two seats, several screens showing views from the air, a multitude of buttons and switches, flickering red lights and a couple of joysticks.
"This is where we pilot the drones," he says. "We call this the cockpit."
There are on average about 40 drone sorties every month; more than one a day. In this cramped and confined space, Lt Col Ben's team work six-hour shifts, eyes glued to their screens.
Niger has now become a vital counter-terrorism partner for the West. A look at a map explains why.
The country is landlocked and surrounded by neighbours in a position to export the last thing Niger needs: instability.
To the north is Libya which, in recent times, has become a byword for chaos.
To the west lies Mali and its extremist uprisings.
Head east, and you reach Chad, struggling to contain its own internal tensions.
The other major source of concern is on Niger's southern flank, the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
Clashes there have sparked a human exodus. And more than 200,000 people have fled to Diffa in south-eastern Niger.
It is a dusty run-down place just a few kilometres away from the Nigerian border.
Already living under the shadow of poverty and food insecurity, Diffa's meagre resources are being stretched to the limit.
"Traders here have been hard hit by developments across the border," Ousmane Oumara, a local English teacher, tells me in the town's main market.
"Things aren't like they used to be."
Nearby, a grain merchant explains that the price of maize and millet keeps going up because supplies from Nigeria have been cut off.
"Sometimes I hear the sound of gunfire just outside the town and I'm afraid," says Mr Oumara.
With so many people arriving from Nigeria, there is not enough shelter for them in Diffa itself.
So tens of thousands of refugees have had to make do as best they can, living in temporary encampments which line the Route Nationale 1 - Highway Number One - which runs parallel to the Nigerian border.
At one of these temporary refugee villages, Assaga, people have separated along national lines.
Along one one side of the road are straw shacks housing the displaced from Nigeria; on the other, similar fragile shelters are now home to those who have fled their homes in the border settlements of Niger.
As I arrive, pointing to the left, my driver tells me: "Here is Assaga-Nigeria."
He then nods his head towards the other side, adding: "And there is Assaga-Niger."
The road has become a sort of unofficial frontier.
I ask one young woman on the Niger side if she feels safe here.
"It's more secure along the road than back in my village," she answers. "I can't go back home because I'm scared of Boko Haram."
Her story is echoed all along a 200km (120 miles) stretch of road.
As he sits cross-legged inside a makeshift tent, to escape the sweltering heat of the midday sun, a 16-year-old boy explains his own personal tragedy.
For his own safety, he prefers we do not use his real name because while he and his family managed to escape the violence, his 14-year-old brother has been left behind.
"He was studying in Diffa and Boko Haram took him away. They forced him to join them."
You can see in his eyes that he deeply misses his brother, but he is also worried about what will become of him.
"They're going to fill his head with all sorts of ideas I don't like - and I want nothing to do with that."
In another camp a little further along the road, some big white tarpaulin tents stand out.
From inside comes the sound of laughter and the eager shouts of children.
With their hands up, they're all calling out: "Teacher! Teacher! I have the answer!"
The teacher is Mustafa Diri, who when he was forced to escape his village, just 8km from the Nigerian border, he did not want to leave his school behind.
So he took it with him.


Jared Allen will retire as a Minnesota Vikings player after he signed a one-day deal with the NFL team on Thursday.

He had an initial spell with the Vikings between 2008 and 2013 and was named one of its 50 greatest players.
Defensive end Allen, 34, last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2015 and also had spells with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears.
"We are proud to have Jared retire as a member of the Vikings franchise," said Vikings owner Zygi Wilf.


Commemorations to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele are getting under way in Wales and Belgium.

On the first day of the battle, 4,000 Welsh soldiers where either killed or injured.
The Duke of Cambridge laid a wreath at the Menin Gate at Ypres on Sunday, alongside the band of the Welsh Guards.
In Wales, a service will be held to remember the first Welsh Guard to win a Victoria Cross, on the battle's first day.
Sgt Robert Bye, from Penrhiwceiber in Rhondda Cynon Taff, led single-handed assaults on machine gun positions.
His actions will be the focus of a ceremony at Ynysangharad Memorial Park in Pontypridd - the town where he was honoured in 2015.
Colonel T C S Bonas, Regimental Adjutant Welsh Guards, said: “Sgt Robert Bye remains as much an inspiration today as he has always been throughout the years to generations of Welsh Guardsmen.
“We have all learnt about him, we all look up to him and we all honour his memory.
“His name and deeds are forever etched in our history and as Welsh Guardsmen, we seek to live up to his selfless act of bravery, strength of character and devotion to duty."
Sgt Bye survived the battle and returned to Wales after the war.
His memory will also be marked on Sunday at Artillery Wood, the cemetery where many of the Welsh fallen from the 38th Division are buried - including the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn.
A plaque to the poet - whose real name is Ellis Humphrey Evans, from Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, will also be unveiled on Sunday at the Welsh Memorial for Passchendaele near Langemark.
On Monday, further events will be held across the region to commemorate Passchendaele - also known as the Third Battle of Ypres.


The government's scheme to overhaul the welfare system has been the subject of much scrutiny in Westminster, but now the same is happening outside a north London job centre.

Two claimants become animated as they wait for the next part of their appointment inside.
No, they don't want to do an interview - but yes, they have something to say about Universal Credit - the single payment streamlining six current in-work benefits.
One woman was supposed to sign up to it, she says, only to be told she wasn't eligible - and doesn't know why.
Another thinks paying housing costs directly to claimants is a terrible idea which some people will find impossible to manage.
It is hardly a representative survey about one of the biggest changes to benefits since the start of the welfare state, but it tells you something important: Universal Credit has arrived.
It is now up and running in 690 jobcentres and will be available for all single jobseekers in all jobcentres from the end of April.
Almost 405,000 people have now made a claim for Universal Credit.
After delays, IT problems and an entire "reset" of the system - the piecemeal, if deliberately slow, implementation has begun.
But that is the simpler part; the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) now has to deliver the changes to 20 times that number of people, many of whose cases will be far more complex, in a project already running several years late.
And it no longer resembles the scheme originally conceived under former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, at a cost of £1.7bn to implement.
Universal Credit was meant to bring "radical changes" to people's real incomes and incentivise them to move off benefits and into work, according to David Finch, a former economic analyst at the DWP.
"But... the strength of the improved incentives it was meant to bring have been gradually eroded," he says, speaking in his current role as a researcher at the Resolution Foundation.
There have been significant tensions between the Treasury and the DWP over its cost.
Last year the government announced funding cuts to the universal credit "work allowance" - reducing the amount people can earn before benefit payments are withdrawn.
Labour believes those changes have left the project in a perilous situation.
"Universal Credit is a great idea that unfortunately is running the risk of being stillborn as a result of the cuts that Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith oversaw," says Labour's work and pensions spokesman Owen Smith.
"It should make work pay for people but unless (new work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb) reverses the cuts to the work allowance and restores the work incentives it's going to leave millions of people worse off."
Iain Duncan Smith's resignation in March came amid a febrile atmosphere over planned government cuts to disability benefits - later reversed - resulting in the effective protection of the welfare budget at current levels.
The former cabinet minister criticised the "cutting away and eroding" of universal credit and an "assault" on its incentives system while he was in office.
But those close to Mr Duncan Smith regard other criticisms of Universal Credit as over-played and a "media narrative".
One source said the project was now "wholly owned by the civil service" and that there was no concern that Mr Duncan Smith's departure compromises it.
Certainly the speech by his successor Stephen Crabb confirmed that.
Mr Crabb said he was "absolutely committed" to the reform, describing it as "the spine that runs through the welfare system".
So where does all this leave us?
Despite many people losing out after last year's changes, the Institute for Fiscal Studies thinks the objective of Universal Credit remains broadly intact - some of the worst disincentives to moving off welfare and into work will be gone under the new system.
Government officials claim it will help generate £7bn in economic benefit each year and say it will "revolutionise" welfare.
But its biggest challenge may lie not in its politics or even divided opinions over its funding, but in its delivery.
In May it will start to be made available to all types of new claimants, including those on ESA illness and disability payments where perhaps greater political sensitivity lies.
The full service will be available at five new job centre areas per month, ramping up to 50 a month in 2017.
These will be testing times for a project aiming to reach eight million households by the end of this parliament.


North Korea has confirmed that it "successfully" fired a ballistic missile on Sunday in a test supervised by leader Kim Jong-un.

The device was described as a "surface-to-surface medium-to-long-range ballistic missile", the Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
South Korea's defence ministry called it an armed provocation to test the response of US President Donald Trump.
North Korea's latest ballistic missile test has been widely condemned.
The US, Japan and South Korea have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the incident.
KCNA reported that the test of the Pukguksong-2 missile, a new type of strategic weapon said to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un.
It added that the missile was fired at a high angle in consideration of neighbouring countries.
The rocket used a solid-fuel engine, the report said, which gives ballistic rockets greater power and range.
The report also said that Kim Jong-un "expressed great satisfaction" over the test launch, which it said "adds to the tremendous might of the country".
South Korea and US officials said the missile flew east towards the Sea of Japan for about 500km (300 miles).
The missile reached an altitude of about 550km (350 miles), the South Korean military said.
Experts suggest the tests are programmed for shorter distances to avoid a missile landing on Japan.
This was the latest in a series of tests in the past year, including North Korea's fifth of a nuclear device.
The launch took place at 07:55 local time (22:55 GMT Saturday) from the Panghyon air base in North Pyongan province on the west side of the Korean peninsula.
United Nations resolutions forbid North Korea from carrying out ballistic missile tests - part of wider efforts to prevent it becoming a fully nuclear-armed power.
South Korea's foreign ministry said that "North Korea's repeated provocations show the Kim Jong-un regime's nature of irrationality, maniacally obsessed in its nuclear and missile development".
Nato also condemned the missile test, with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urging North Korea "not to raise tensions further and to re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community".
The European Union joined the criticism, declaring in a statement that North Korea's "repeated disregard of its international obligations is provocative and unacceptable".
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, standing next to Mr Trump on a visit to the United States, said the test was "absolutely intolerable".
As for the US, Mr Trump said on Saturday: "America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100%."
China, North Korea's closest ally, has yet to comment. Beijing has joined in international efforts to press Kim Jong-un to rein in his nuclear ambitions.
In January, Kim Jong-un warned that his military was close to testing long-range missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the United States mainland, but experts doubt the technology has progressed that far.
At the time, Mr Trump derided the claim in a tweet, saying: "It won't happen."
On a visit to South Korea last week, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said that any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an "effective and overwhelming" response.
He also reconfirmed plans to deploy a US missile defence system in South Korea later this year.


In a quiet, dusty and fairly secluded corner of Enugu city, south-eastern Nigeria, a group of men unfurled a homemade flag and then sang.

"Biafra will live forever. Nothing will stop us," was the gist of their anthem in the Igbo language.
They were not exactly belting it out and instead of hoisting the flag up a pole, it was tied to a metal gate. But there is good reason for discretion - in the eyes of the authorities the gathering is illegal.
On 5 November, 100 men and women were arrested as they marched peacefully through the city's streets after raising the Biafran flag.
They were all imprisoned and accused of treason but then released when the charges were dropped. It appears the government is determined to ensure any agitation for secession is not allowed to gather momentum.
Forty-two years after the end of the devastating civil war in which government troops fought and defeated Biafran secessionists, the dream of independence has not completely died.
"No amount of threats or arrests will stop us from pursuing our freedom - self-determination for Biafrans," said Edeson Samuel, national chairman of the Biafran Zionist Movement (BZM).
"We were forced into this unholy marriage but we don't have the same culture as the northerners. Our religion and culture are quite different from the northerners," he told the BBC.
The group broke away from the better-known Movement For The Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (Massob).
The 1967-70 civil war threatened to tear apart the young Nigerian nation. Ethnic tensions were high in the mid 1960s.  The military had seized power and economic hardship was biting.
With the perception that they were pushing to dominate all sectors of society - from business to the civil service - and while they were prominent in the military, the Igbo people were attacked.
Thousands were killed, especially during the clashes between northerners, who are mostly Muslim, and Igbos. To save their lives, Igbos fled en masse back "home" to the east.
"People used to meet fuel tanker drivers who allowed them to hide inside the tankers - some survived that way," remembers Igwe Anthony Ojukwu, the traditional ruler of Ogui Nike in Enugu State.
"As we were licking our woundsâ€¦ it dawned on us that we could not just stay at home as they would come and fight us and that would mean... extinction," he said, adding that this prompted the move to declare Biafra independent.
Today on the streets of Enugu you can hear songs about the war.  Booming out from a stall selling CDs and DVDs I heard a song praising the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu - the man who raised the Biafran flag in 1967 and was the leader of the breakaway nation that existed for 31 troubled months.
"It was very terrifying. In the market place you hear a bang and you find limbs flying, people lying dead and others running helter-skelter," said war veteran Chief Nduka Eya, recalling the aerial bombardment by the Nigerian forces.
At his home he showed me the small card he was given after the Biafrans surrendered.  It reads: "Clearance certificate for members of armed forces of defunct Biafra."
"Naturally when you lose a war it can be very depressing but what can you do? We took it. But history shows Biafra is defunct out of surrender," said Chief Nduka Eya who is now the secretary general of Ohaneze Ndigbo, an umbrella group representing Igbos around the world.
In the bottom right-hand corner of the card is Olusegun Obasanjo's signature. The man who later became the president of Nigeria played a major role in the civil war, fighting on the federal government side.
Although no-one knows the true number, more than one million people died in the war - some from the fighting but many more from the resulting famine in the east.
In an effort to repair the bruised nation, the Nigerian head of state General Yakubu Gowan spoke of "No Victor, No Vanquished" and also promoted a policy of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.
But to this day, many Igbos complain that they were punished economically after the war and still speak of being marginalised. The fact that no Nigerian president has come from the east is a source of much rancour.
The prospect of an independent Igboland now seems impossible, especially as secessionists would want the area's lucrative oil fields.
While those publicly clamouring for independence are a very small minority, it is not hard to find young people who feel they would be better off as a separate nation. This ought to be of great concern to the government of Nigeria.
"If this present government does not have the solution for us upcoming youth here, I'd rather the nation breaks," said one young man playing football in Enugu near a statue referred to as "The Unknown Soldier" holding a gun aloft.
"We are willing to fight for our rights. Without sacrifice there will be nothing like freedom.  We have to pay the price if we want independence and we are ready to do that again," he added.
"Islams (sic) don't want the east to rule the country and our opportunities and rights are denied so we are better off as an independent Biafra sovereign nation.  Nothing is impossible," another man in his 20s added.
The renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe recently released his memoirs of the war entitled "There Was a Country."  The book includes an insight into what life was like for his family fleeing the city of Lagos and heading east.
His account has angered some - especially non-Igbos - and has caused a stir in the Nigerian media as well as on the internet where there are plenty of reminders that ethnic divisions still run deep.
Towards the end of his book Achebe asks: "Why has the war not been discussed, or taught to the young, over 40 years after its end?
"Are we perpetually doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past because we are too stubborn to learn from them?"
Today Nigeria faces massive security challenges - top of the list being the Islamist insurgency in the north that many Nigerians believe is being fuelled by politicians.
Many would argue that some of the root causes of the civil war were also triggers of the rebellion in the north as well as the militancy in the Niger Delta.
"Three words - injustice, inequality and unfair play," says Chief Nduka Eya who, like Achebe, believes it is essential for young Nigerians to learn about the war.
"If you think education is expensive try ignorance," he says.
"Ignorance is a very damaging disease. Our boys and girls need to know what actually happened. 'Why did my father go to war?'  Someone in the north will ask: 'Why did we go to fight them?'"
Sitting on his throne and holding his ox tail staff of office, Igwe Anthony Ojukwu calls for the war to be studied in schools.
"The experience of Biafra should be shared so that people outside Biafra will know when they are cheated and when they should start to fight for their own destiny," says the traditional ruler.
"The risk of not studying Biafra is that we will continue to subdue the subdueables no matter how justified they are in their demands.  We will continue to live a life where the stronger animal kills the other," he says, although he stresses that he is against further efforts to secede.
"I think it is important that Nigeria stays together.  Those who are singing for disintegration are doing so for selfish ends."
Forty-two years after the war, a beer has just been launched in eastern Nigeria.  The choice of name, "Hero", and the logo on the bottle of a rising sun similar to the one on the Biafran flag were no accident.
These days "Bring me a Hero" is a popular call in the bars of Enugu where people have not entirely given up on the dream of raising a glass to "independence".