Genocide is understood by most to be the gravest crime against humanity it is possible to commit.

It is the mass extermination of a whole group of people, an attempt to wipe them out of existence.
But at the heart of this simple idea is a complicated tangle of legal definitions.
So what is genocide and when can that term be applied?
The term was coined in 1943 by the Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin who combined the Greek word "genos" (race or tribe) with the Latin word "cide" (to kill).
After witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust, in which every member of his family except his brother was killed, Dr Lemkin campaigned to have genocide recognised as a crime under international law.
His efforts gave way to the adoption of the UN Convention on Genocide in December 1948, which came into effect in January 1951.
Article Two of the convention defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such":
The convention also imposes a general duty on states that are signatories to "prevent and to punish" genocide.
Since its adoption, the UN treaty has come under fire from different sides, mostly by people frustrated with the difficulty of applying it to specific cases.
They argue that the definition is too narrow. Others say the term is devalued by misuse.
Some analysts contend that the definition is so narrow that none of the mass killings perpetrated since the treaty's adoption would fall under it.
The objections most frequently raised against the treaty include:
But in spite of these criticisms, there are many who say genocide is recognisable.
In his book Rwanda and Genocide in the 20th Century, former secretary-general of Medecins Sans Frontieres, Alain Destexhe, says: "Genocide is distinguishable from all other crimes by the motivation behind it.
"Genocide is a crime on a different scale to all other crimes against humanity and implies an intention to completely exterminate the chosen group.
"Genocide is therefore both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against humanity."
But Mr Destexhe believes the word genocide has fallen victim to "a sort of verbal inflation, in much the same way as happened with the word fascist".
He says the term has progressively lost its initial meaning and is becoming "dangerously commonplace".
Michael Ignatieff, director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, agrees.
"Those who should use the word genocide never let it slip their mouths. Those who unfortunately do use it, banalise it into a validation of every kind of victimhood," he said in a lecture about Raphael Lemkin.
"Slavery, for example, is called genocide when - whatever it was, and it was an infamy - it was a system to exploit, rather than to exterminate the living."
The differences over how genocide should be defined have also led to disagreements on how many genocides actually occurred during the 20th Century.
Some say there was only one genocide in the last century: the Holocaust.
However, others say there have been at least three genocides under the 1948 UN convention:
In Bosnia, the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica has been ruled to be genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
And others give a long list of what they consider cases of genocide, including the Soviet man-made famine of Ukraine (1932-33), the Indonesian invasion of East Timor (1975), and the Khmer Rouge killings in Cambodia in the 1970s.
The International Criminal Court in 2010 issued an arrest warrant for the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, on genocide charges.
He is accused of waging a campaign against the citizens of the Sudanese region of Darfur.
Some 300,000 people are said to have died and millions have been displaced in seven years of fighting there.
More recently, in March 2016, the US said so-called Islamic State (IS) was carrying out genocide against Christian, Yazidi and Shia minorities in Iraq and Syria.
IS, or Daesh, was "genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions, in what it says, what it believes and what it does," Secretary of State John Kerry said.
The jihadist group seized large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq in 2014, and has since become notorious for its brutality against perceived opponents.
The first case to put into practice the convention on genocide was that of Jean Paul Akayesu, the Hutu mayor of the Rwandan town of Taba at the time of the killings.
In a landmark ruling, a special international tribunal convicted him of genocide and crimes against humanity on 2 September 1998.
More than 30 ringleaders of the Rwandan genocide have now been convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
In August 2010 a leaked UN report reportedly alleges that Rwandan Hutus, perpetrators of the 1994 genocide, may themselves have been victims of the same crime.
In 2004, the ICTY widened the definition of what constitutes genocide.
General Radislav Krstic, the first man convicted by the ICTY of genocide in Bosnia, had appealed against his conviction for his role in the killing of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica.
But the court rejected his argument that the numbers were "too insignificant" to be genocide - a decision likely to set an international legal precedent.
Since then a Bosnian Serb military commander has been cleared of being involved in Srebrenica.
It remains to be seen whether cases still pending will aid clarity on what is and what is not genocide.
The Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is currently on trial at The Hague accused of war crimes and genocide. He denies the charges.
President Bashir continues to travel outside Sudan, to countries who are signatories to the International Criminal Court, without being detained as ordered by the arrest warrant.
If his case is ever brought to trial it will be the first time that genocide charges are brought against a serving head of state.


People are being invited to give their views on Gloucestershire hospitals at two events, ahead of an inspection.

The events are being held in Cheltenham and Gloucester later to hear people's experiences of care in the last year.
England's chief inspector of hospitals said views expressed would help inspectors decide what to look at.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust will be inspected on 10 March and given an overall rating under changes by the Care Quality Commission.
The chief inspector, Prof Sir Mike Richards, announced last year he would lead significantly larger inspection teams than before, headed up by clinical and other experts including trained members of the public.
He said: "The new inspections are designed to provide people with a clear picture of the quality of the services in their local hospital, exposing poor or mediocre care as well as highlighting the many hospitals providing good and excellent care.
"Of course we will be talking to doctors and nurses, hospital managers and patients at the trust. But it is vital that we also hear the views of the people who have received care at the trust, or anyone who wants to share information with us.
"This will help us plan our inspection, and so help us focus on the things that really matter to people who depend on this service."
The inspectors are holding "listening" events for the public to share their experiences at Hotel Mercure Cheltenham Queens at 15:30 and New County Hotel, in Gloucester, at 18:00.


Former South Africa wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile has been banned for 12 years for his part in a match-fixing scandal.

Tsolekile, who played three Tests in 2004-05, was one of four players banned for fixing games in South Africa's Ram Slam Twenty20 competition.
Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Jean Symes were also sanctioned for accepting money from former Proteas spinner Gulam Bodi in 2015.
In January, Bodi was banned for 20 years for his part in the scandal.
Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the investigation was ongoing and more players could be sanctioned.
However, ICC chief executive David Richardson said that it was "particularly satisfying that any intended wrongdoing was disrupted before it happened".
"The domestic games in question went ahead without any act of corruption being committed," he said.
"The sanctions are rightly strong and, I hope, will act as a deterrent to anyone thinking about getting involved in criminal activity of this nature whether at international or domestic level."
Tsolekile, 35, was part of the South Africa Test squad that toured England in 2012.
Fast bowler Matshikwe and batsman Symes, who both played under Tsolekile for the Lions franchise, were banned for 10 and seven years respectively.
Titans fast bowler Mbhalati was given a 10-year ban.
The South African Cricketers' Association commended players for coming forward and reporting the corruption. It added: "Corruption is a worldwide issue in cricket and needs to be fought everywhere and at every level.
"The players are at the heart of this fight and it's virtually impossible to successfully defeat corruption unless players are prepared to come forward and help."


Lewis Hamilton believes the 2017 Formula 1 season could be "the most exciting" of his career.

The Mercedes driver is tied on points with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel after his victory in the Chinese Grand Prix.
Hamilton predicted the initiative would swing back and forth between the two teams throughout the season.
"It is close," he said. "I am down for it. I am looking forward to the fight with Sebastian and the other guys are going to be in amongst it."
Hamilton's win in Shanghai means he and Vettel have a victory and a second place apiece after the first two races.
Hamilton gained the advantage in China through early strategy calls in a chaotic opening few laps but the race eventually distilled to a battle between him and Vettel in the closing laps, the two cars separated by about eight seconds.
Hamilton said: "We are both pushing. It's great, last 20 laps, exchanging times, he was closing the gap a little bit, but I managed to stay ahead."
The 32-year-old won two of his three titles in last-race showdowns, beating Ferrari's Felipe Massa in 2008 only when he passed a car on the last corner of the final lap of the last race.
Hamilton also tied on points with then-McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso in 2007, the pair finishing one point behind champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari.
But Hamilton said he believed this year's battle could be the toughest he has yet had.
"It is going to be one of the closest ones - if not the closest - I have ever experienced," he said.
Vettel told his team over the radio on the slowing-down lap the he believed they again had the fastest car, two weeks after winning in Australia by pressuring Mercedes into an early pit stop.
The four-time champion said: "It felt like we were the quickest, man. We couldn't prove that, but next time we will."
But the German, whose team failed to win a race in 2016, played down talk of a season-long fight between Ferrari and Mercedes.
"It would be great news for us," Vettel said. "They are the ones to beat, they have a very strong team, doing very well the last three years being flawless and smashing a lot of records.
"So for us it is really good news we had another race where we were really close and were able to put some pressure on.
"It is just race two. I really enjoyed it and at this point I don't care about the rest of the year."


Employees of Tower Hamlets Council were warned they may lose their jobs if they did not each illegally obtain 100 votes for Mayor Lutfur Rahman, according to court documents seen by BBC London.

Mayor Rahman and his party face claims of corrupt practices and exerting undue spiritual influence on voters.
A file obtained by the BBC now provides a raft of detail on the allegations Mr Rahman faces in court next month.
The mayor and his party Tower Hamlets First deny any wrongdoing.
The evidence will be heard over several weeks at the High Court by Richard Mawrey QC. He has the power to order a recount or ban the mayor from public office for up to five years.
Part of the Statement of Case, collated by the members of the public who brought the legal action, details an array of alleged misdeeds in the run-up to the election last May, when he was re-elected as mayor.
It claims that in April last year, 30 council employees were asked to a meeting at a Bangladeshi restaurant.
The document continues: "During the meeting both council managers and agents of the First Respondent [Mayor Rahman] instructed each of those attending to obtain 100 votes each for the First Respondent; and informed them that, if they did not do so, they may lose their jobs.
"It was made clear that these votes should be obtained by illegal means, including through postal voting fraud."
The petitioners allege that at another restaurant meeting in the period: "The First Respondent attended together with all or almost all the Tower Hamlets First candidates for the Council elections and some activists.
"The First Respondent told all assembled activists that they must fill up to 250 postal vote application forms each.
"Each of the persons at the meeting was then given a bundle of 250 postal vote application forms."
A spokesman for Mr Rahman denied either meeting ever happened.
The documents also claim Mr Rahman and his party tried to exert undue spiritual influence over voters, which is illegal.
They state that a letter was published by a newspaper in Bengali with a circulation in the borough of about 20,000 entitled "Be United Against Injustice; Make Lutfur Rahman Victorious".
This was signed by 101 leaders of the Islamic community in the borough, including chairmen of Mosques and the head teachers of religious schools.
The petitioners allege the effect was to indicate that a vote against Mayor Rahman would be un-Islamic and sinful.
They claim Mr Rahman corruptly attempted to influence these religious leaders by giving them grants of public money ranging from Â£8,000 to Â£25,000, alleging that a total of Â£278,000 was given out in this way.
A spokesman for the mayor responded: "At no point did religious authority figures use spiritual coercion to procure votes. We believe such claims to be entirely spurious.
"Unless we are now in the business of disenfranchising the Muslim community, local leaders have a right to canvass for their preferred candidate."
There are also claims that during the count corrupt council officers deliberately miscounted votes.
The documents state: "In one instance a bundle of ballot papers purportedly containing only votes cast for the First Respondent was assembled by corrupt members of the counting staff and actually consisted mostly of votes for other candidates, with only the top few ballot papers containing votes for the First Respondent."
A spokesman for the mayor said: "All these allegations are characterised by an utter lack of substantial evidence.
"The police and Electoral Commission have already investigated and found nothing of merit, as has been the case when similar allegations have been made in the past by politicians.
"It is a shame that some elements of the local political establishment cannot cope with losing a free and fair election."
Tower Hamlets Council has made no comment.
Mr Rahman was previously Labour leader in the borough, before leaving during a split within the local party. He received 43.38% of first preference votes in May's election.
Numerous functions of the council have since been taken over by government commissioners after a report found numerous financial failings and what Communities Secretary Eric Pickles called a "culture of cronyism" within the authority.


Police are investigating the discovery of an Asian woman's body in a suitcase at the Italian port town of Rimini.

The woman likely died of malnutrition and showed signs of extended physical suffering, police told Italian media.
Previous reports had linked the body to a missing Dublin-based woman, who has not been seen since 10 February when she boarded a ship to Genoa.
However, investigators have now ruled out any link between the body and the existing investigation.
Chinese-born Xing Lei Li is still unaccounted for, and her husband Daniel Belling was arrested in Rome attempting to board a flight to Dublin last month.
Italy's Ansa news agency said police are now "certain" the body is not that of Ms Li.
Her height does not match that of the corpse, and the cruise ship she was on did not stop anywhere near the location of the body.
The suitcase was found in the port of Rimini, northeast of Rome and hundreds of miles away from where Italian police had suggested Ms Li could have been murdered and thrown overboard.
The man who discovered the suitcase floating in the marina at the port told local TV he had initially thought the case was particularly heavy because it was waterlogged.
He said he only discovered a body wrapped in a black plastic bag once he opened the case on the dock.
Police found no evidence of violent death during an autopsy and believe she may have been "nearly dead when she was put into the suitcase", Ansa reported.
"She looked as if she'd come out of a labour camp," the news agency quoted its sources as saying.
Police said they were examining all possibilities in the new case.


The first meeting has been held to decide on Leeds' bid to become European Capital of Culture 2023.

Fourteen people sit on the steering group, hailing from the city's arts, music, business, education and political sectors.
The group has until December 2017 to work on its bid to best showcase the city.
Leader of the panel Sharon Watson, said the 2023 bid would "belong to the people of Leeds".
Ms Watson is artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre and trustee for the West Yorkshire Playhouse, The Place and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures.
She said the group would have "the drive and the ambition to create a bid that will be a great representation of Leeds".
"Leeds is a city with so much to be proud of and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us all to show that to the world," she added.
Also on the panel is Godfrey Worsdale, director of the Henry Moore Foundation, and Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.
Ms Blake said the first meeting was "inspiring" and she expected "a formidable and eclectic bid that will be tough for any city to beat."
"It brings home just how rich and varied our city's cultural offering really is," Ms Blake said.
Previous UK holders of the title are Glasgow in 1990 and Liverpool in 2008.
A Leeds council report said the cost of hosting the title has previously ranged from Â£14.5m to Â£58m.


The chief fire officer working at a collapsed Didcot power station site said it was the "most technically challenging" operation he had seen.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue chief Dave Etheridge said the Didcot site "reminds me of Chernobyl, the sheer extent of what we're dealing with".
One person is known to have died in the collapse on Tuesday.
But Mr Etheridge said it was "highly unlikely" three missing people would be found alive.
Live updates on the Didcot collapse
The families of the three missing men visited the site on Wednesday.
Mr Etheridge told BBC Radio Oxford: "I hope that they felt that was a way of understanding the enormity of the challenge that we are facing, but we won't step back from that challenge.
"I have been in the fire service for 30 years and undoubtedly the incident we are facing at the moment is the most technically challenging incident I have ever come across."
He said the area being searched was 55m (180ft) long, 30m (98ft) wide and 25m (82ft) high, and "unstable".
Heavy engineering cranes and lifting equipment are needed and would arrive at the site on Thursday, said Oxfordshire County Council.
Thermal imaging cameras, drones with audio sensing equipment, sniffer dogs and military remote-controlled vehicles are already being used in the search.
The mayor of Didcot, Des Healy, said a book of condolence was to be set up at the town's Civic Hall.
He said: "We've got to keep the families at the forefront and so I'm glad they were brought down last night and able to see it first hand."
The demolition of the decommissioned Didcot A power plant was being carried out by Coleman and Company.
Oxfordshire's coal-fired Didcot A Power Station was turned off in 2013, after 43 years in service.
The station included six cooling towers, measuring 375ft (114m) in height, which dominated the skyline of the town.
Hundreds of people gathered to watch when three of the towers were demolished in the early hours of 27 July 2014.
RWE Npower expects complete deconstruction of the site by the end of this year.
A gas-burning power station - known as Didcot B - opened in 1997 on the site and continues to operate.
A major fire was declared at Didcot B in October 2014, with 20 fire crews sent to tackle the blaze, which was caused by an electrical fault.


A lottery-winning lorry driver has struck lucky for the second time - scooping £1m four years after he won £55,000.

Stuart Powell hit the jackpot on the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker draw almost four years to the day of his previous Lotto win.
The father-of-three said he did not intend to buy a ticket for that day.
"The lady in the shop got her dates mixed up and I'm so glad she did," said the 50-year-old.
Mr Powell from Featherstone, South Staffordshire, said he will give all the money to his wife Denise, 44 and their three sons, Matthew, 26, Adam, 25 and Nathan, 20.
Back in 2011 Mr Powell matched five numbers and the bonus ball on the Lotto.
The latest win came via a Millionaire Maker code on a lucky dip ticket.
It was secured after a shop assistant at the Co-op, Boley Park, Lichfield, sold Mr Powell a ticket for 24 November - not 20 November as requested.
He said: "I won £55,464 on 30 November 2011, my birthday, and gave all of it away to my children and wife. I intend to do exactly the same with this million.
"I'm going to buy the kids a house each and my elderly father a car. Denise wants a Range Rover Evoque and me, well, I'm not bothered as long as they are happy."
The couple had already booked to go to Lanzarote to celebrate his 50th birthday so they hid the winning ticket in their safe while they were away.
Mr Powell said it was only on their return that they collected the cheque and the dream became a reality.
He said: "The timing couldn't be better with Christmas around the corner. Maybe when I sit at the table on Christmas Day it may start to sink in. To think I have won twice…it's just unbelievable…the stuff of dreams!"


Hundreds of people were evacuated from Topshop's Oxford Street branch amid reports of a fire on the premises.

Shoppers at the central London store said they were asked to leave at about 15:30 GMT after a warning about a blaze in the basement of the building.
They were led to streets behind the shop while the fire brigade investigated.
The shop reopened after about an hour with no noticeable damage to the building.
There were no reported injuries.


Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are on a "final warning" that they will be severely punished if they crash again but remain free to race.

Their Mercedes team said they had "strengthened our rules of engagement to include much greater deterrents to contact between our cars".
Boss Toto Wolff said the drivers faced "sporting and financial consequences".
Wolff refused to give details of the potential sanctions but hinted it could include suspensions from races.
"You know how a driver is calibrated and what is important for them," Wolff said before this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
"It is clear if it would happen again it would be something that has a negative outcome for their campaign."
Mercedes added that team orders - which define the order in which the cars finish a race - could be imposed "as a solution of last resort" if the drivers failed to abide by their new guidelines.
The move follows their last-lap collision when Hamilton was trying to pass Rosberg for the lead at Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, their third contact in five races.
Hamilton went on to win the race, while Rosberg dropped down to fourth place with a damaged car.
Wolff said he had given Hamilton and Rosberg guidelines about their conduct on track but repeatedly refused to detail what they were or the potential penalties that could be imposed if they were not followed.
However, the only penalty the team could impose that would have any significant deterrent effect would be a fine or suspension from a race.
Hamilton earns a reputed $31m (£23.9m) a year and Rosberg about half that, so it can be assumed any fine would likely run into the millions for it to have any deterrent effect.
In terms of sporting penalties, the only realistic serious threat the team have at their disposal would be to exclude a driver.
Wolff admitted that what he was asking of the drivers was "difficult because they drive in a certain way and they are at Mercedes because they are like that".
He added: "It is tricky because if you have a yellow card, will it change the way you tackle or not because you know what happens with a second yellow card?"
Hamilton said the discussions had been "private and confidential" and refused to give details.
But he was asked whether he was still able to perform the same manoeuvres as he had in races in Japan and the United States last year, when Rosberg felt he had pushed him off the track on the first lap.
Hamilton replied: "In all those races, the stewards deemed that racing. So I will still race like that."
Rosberg said his "battle" with Hamilton "remains nearly unchanged," adding: "It is a serious matter. We must avoid contact and collisions. We have had a discussion about the best way to move forward and now we are going racing again."
The German said his ongoing contract extension negotiations were unaffected by the new deterrents. "It is a monetary thing which does not have an impact on the long-term happiness of the team with me, and me with the team," he said.
The title rivals were given the ultimatum in meetings with Wolff at the Mercedes F1 factory on Thursday.
The collision in Austria was the third time the cars had hit each other in the last five races, after they took each other out on the first lap in Spain and banged wheels at the start of the Canadian race.
Wolff contemplated "all options" in the days following Sunday's crash but, after meeting with senior management, decided not to impose team orders on the drivers.
Rosberg was penalised for the incident by race stewards, who said he had not given Hamilton "racing room" as the Briton tried to overtake the German around the outside of Turn Two at the Red Bull Ring.
Wolff, who called the collision "brainless", is determined it should not happen again.
The decision to lay down the law to the two drivers adds further spice to an already tense weekend at Silverstone, the 10th grand prix of a record 21-race season.
Hamilton trails Rosberg by 11 points following his Austria win, his third of the season. The German has taken five victories.


A man who murdered a woman with her own hair straighteners before hiding her body in his car boot has been given a life sentence.

Lee Nolan admitted murdering Katelyn Parker, 24, in the middle of his trial, after first denying the charge on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Manchester Crown Court heard he strangled Ms Parker after she called him "gay" for wanting to do her hair.
Nolan, 48, was ordered to spend a minimum of 18 years in jail.
Ms Parker was killed in Heywood, Greater Manchester, in August 2015.
The trial heard how, after strangling her, father-of-four Nolan bundled her body into the boot of his blue Nissan car.
He later bragged to a man he was trying to buy cannabis from that he had killed a woman.
Police said that when the man "expressed his disbelief", Nolan "pulled one of the rear seats in the car down and revealed Katelyn's body".
Following a tip-off, officers spotted the car driving on Claybank Street in Heywood the following day.
After a short pursuit Nolan abandoned the car behind a pub on Bamford Road and attempted to flee before he was detained nearby.
The car was then searched and Ms Parker's body found.
Nolan and the other man were both arrested on suspicion of murder. No further action was taken against the 70-year-old man.
A post-mortem examination confirmed Ms Parker died from ligature strangulation.
After the sentencing, senior investigating officer Duncan Thorpe, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "What happened to Katelyn was a tragedy and her friends and family went through something that nobody ever should.
"I know the sentence passed here today won't change what happened but I hope it will go some way to giving them all some form of closure."
In a statement at the time of her death, Ms Parker's family paid tribute to her, saying: "Katelyn was a loving and special person.
"She saw the best in everybody and was happiest when spending time with her friends and family.
"Katelyn was a vibrant and sociable young woman with a big heart and an even bigger smile.
"She will leave a void in all our lives and her death under such tragic circumstances is something that we will never be able to come to terms with."


US comedian Amy Schumer has said she will not make a new series of her TV show Inside Amy Schumer "in the foreseeable future".

Her comments follow an online furore over remarks about rape by one of the show's writers, Kurt Metzger.
The Trainwreck star wrote on Thursday that her Comedy Central programme had not been cancelled and that there will be a fifth series at some point.
But she said she will spend "the next year at least" writing and touring.
Inside Amy Schumer, which started in 2013, showcases the star's sketches, stand-up comedy and interviews.
The controversy surrounding Metzger erupted after he posted a series of strongly-worded Facebook rants stemming from accusations of rape against a fellow stand-up comedian.
He criticised those on social media who jumped to instant judgement, writing: "ALL women are as reliable as my bible! A book that, much like a women [sic], is incapable of lying!"
That sparked a firestorm and led to calls for Schumer to sack him from the TV show.
She said she could not fire him because "we aren't making the show anymore. There are no writers for it."
Speaking to TV interviewer Charlie Rose, Schumer said Metzger was her friend and she was not on Facebook so did not read his "crazy rants", but added they were "not representative of me at all".
She said: "I've asked him, 'Can you just stop?'
"Because he writes for the show, it's a bigger story because of our connection, and so whatever tangent he's gone off on, I have not agreed with and it's been really upsetting to me seeing someone I care about hurt themselves like this.
"And so right now there's no plans for the TV show to come back any time in the near future, so nobody's on my staff. There are no writers."
Apparently referring to outraged social media users, she continued: "They want his head. They want to burn him at the stake. I want them to not attach me to what he's writing.
"And I would love to refocus the energy and the attention on the real problem, which, I feel, is about rape, and what's consensual and what's not."
Schumer is currently promoting her memoir The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo, in which she says she lost her virginity as a teenager when her then-boyfriend had sex with her without her consent.
In the Charlie Rose interview, she added: "I was sexually assaulted. I encourage women to come out and I want men to hear what happens so there's no confusion because people have different understandings of what sexual assault is, what rape is.
"So let's all get on the same page so it happens less."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


Bollywood actress and MP Hema Malini has been injured in a car accident in which a four-year-old girl has died, police said.

The child was a passenger aboard a hatchback car that was involved in a collision with the actress's Mercedes on Thursday night in Rajasthan state.
The MP from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of Ms Malini's car has been arrested, police said.
"Hema has injuries above her eyes, on her back and legs. I drove her to the hospital in my car. She was in pain," state lawmaker Shankar Lal Sharma told reporters.
"One girl child has died in the accident," he added.
Other passengers in the hatchback and its driver were injured and taken to hospital, the Press Trust of India quoted a local official as saying.
Television images showed Ms Malini, 66, holding a handkerchief to her bloodied forehead.
The actress has starred in nearly 150 films, including hits such as Sholay, Seeta aur Geeta and Johnny Mera Naam.
At the peak of her career, she was nicknamed "Dream Girl" and starred in a film of the same name.
News of the accident has been trending on social media in India with many writing in to express their concern for the actress.
Most, however, are criticising Ms Malini's driver, accusing him of rash driving:


Pétanque - pronounced "pay-tank", sometimes called boules, is a game that can be enjoyed by all the family and socially with friends for fun or more competitively up to European and World Championship levels.

French in origin, it is now played right across the world and is one of the most inclusive activities available where people of all ages, gender, ability and fitness can play equally together.
The most highly regarded of throws in pétanque is the "carreau". This is when a player shoots their opponent's boule in such a manner that their boule stops in exactly the same position as the original boule. It's not as easy as it sounds so why not give it a try?
Played with hand-sized hollow metal boules on various types of dirt or gravel surfaces (terrains) the object of the sport is to get as many of your team' boules closer to a small wooden ball (jack) than that of your opponents.
All boules of one team nearer to the jack than any boule of the opponent's counts for one point each. Usually all games are up to 13 points.
Classically the sport is a team game of Triples (3 players with 2 boules each) or Doubles (2 players with 3 boules each) though pétanque can also be played as Singles (1 player with 3 boules).
There are two main roles in pétanque :-
1)Pointer - tries to get their boule as close as possible to the jack
2)Shooter - tries to remove an opponent's boule
The basic rules are simple and new players can start playing straight away but the various techniques of pointing and shooting as well as the tactics can take years of practice to master.
Unlike in English bowls where teams always alternate play, in pétanque a team only throws their boule when the opponent's boule is closer to the jack. Therefore if your team's boule is closest to the jack it is deemed as holding the point and your opponents keep playing their boules until they are closer or out of boules.
Why is it good for you?
Pétanque is perfect as a low impact exercise involving throwing, bending and walking. However it also requires team play, concentration, tactics and strategy. Being a relatively inexpensive activity the social side of the sport is another of its great benefits.
As long as you can hold and throw a boule you can play pétanque. The rules have also been adapted to include players who use wheelchairs or walking sticks for mobility.
Get Involved
In England the sport is run by the English Pétanque Association and structured around 15 regions each having a network of clubs. All clubs welcome new members and often run Come & Try days so that you can experience the sport.
Go to English Petanque, Scottish Petanque, Welsh Petanque or Irish Petanque to find out about games near you.
The only equipment you will need is a set of boules but many clubs will be able to loan you sets as well as advise where and what boules to buy. Competition class boules are sold in sets of 3 by different weights, sizes, patterns and hardness and the cost starts from around £50 a set.
History
The origin of boules can probably be traced back to ancient Greeks first tossing coins as far as possible then progressing to round stones. It is believed the Romans then introduced the concept of throwing as near as possible to a target.
There are many variations of boules or bowls games around the world. Pétanque was derived in La Ciotat in1907 from its ancestor Jeu Provencal after one of the top players could no longer run and throw the boules due to rheumatism. The name pétanque is a derivation of the provençal word "ped tanca" and means "feet together on the ground".
Pétanque is now by far the most popular of boule sports around the world, possibly due to its simplicity, with over 600,000 licensed players.
Are you inspired to try Petanque? Or maybe you are an enthusiast already? Get in touch and tell us your experience of the game by tweeting us on @bbcgetinspired or email us on getinspired@bbc.co.uk.
See our full list of activity guides for more inspiration.


Two Belfast men who stole £700 worth of sex toys have been given suspended prison sentences.

Gary McCann, 26, of Bray Street, Belfast and Aaron McCrory, 29, of Caledon Street, took a rucksack full of stock from a city shop.
They also broke into Soho Books, Gresham Street, and took £800 in cash.
The men had planned to contest the charges at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, but pleaded guilty to  burglary and theft.
The court heard McCann worked at the counter and McCrory was a security man in the city centre shop.
CCTV footage showed them filling a rucksack with sex toys and paraphernalia belonging to shop boss Ian Brown before leaving without paying at the end of their shift last October.
They were recorded coming back on the same night and entering without permission. Cash was stolen during that raid.
The men had been planning to fight the case by claiming they acted under duress.
A defence lawyer for McCrory said Soho Books was allegedly selling so-called legal highs at the time.
The barrister said these were an "absolute scourge on society".
"The very next day this shop closed," he said.
Separate criminal proceedings have been brought against the business for allegedly supplying a dangerous product, Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS).
Neither McCann nor McCrory face charges in connection with that prosecution which has been taken by Belfast City Council.
Lawyers for both men said that they had been candid during police interviews.
The judge said the offences warranted a prison sentence, but he gave the two men credit for their guilty pleas and suspended the five-month jail terms for 12 months.


A conservation group has been awarded a £10,000 grant to help people learn more about the popular countryside broadcaster Tom Weir.

The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs will receive the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Part of it will be spent improving the area around the Tom Weir statue at Balmaha which was unveiled last year.
The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is also contributing to the project.
The friends charity - an independent conservation and heritage group - said there were plans for "storyboards" at the Tom Weir site, along with an educational booklet and a special celebration in June 2016 involving local schoolchildren and volunteers.
Some of the information boards will introduce visitors to Rhona's Mountain Garden - named after Tom's widow Rhona - which is being built on the site.
The statue of Tom Weir was unveiled in December 2014, marking 100 years since the broadcaster's birth.
Friends Chairman James Fraser said: "We are delighted to receive this latest grant award from the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with some top-up funding from the National Park Authority, as it means we will be able to share Tom's love of the wonders of Loch Lomond more widely.
"We intend to build on the resounding success of his statue and the associated greatly improved picnic area that is on target to host 80,000 visitors this year."
The chief executive of the national park, Gordon Watson, said the charity had worked hard to create a "fitting tribute" to Tom Weir.
"We have been pleased to support their efforts with grant contributions towards the statue itself and also the storyboards which will bring to life Tom's story and the rich heritage of Loch Lomond," he added.


A safety device created by a firefighter following the death of two colleagues is to be rolled out to Royal Navy vessels.

Pete Broomfield attended the 2010 fire in Shirley Towers, Southampton, which resulted in the death of colleagues James Shears and Alan Bannon.
An inquest found they were entangled in fallen ceiling cables.
Mr Broomfield's device forms a bridge to stop cables getting tangled around cylinders on firefighters' backs.
It was incorporated into all of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's breathing apparatus (BA) sets in 2012.
Mr Broomfield said he based the design for the strap on a hair clip worn by his wife.
He said: "It is extremely gratifying to think that something I created off the cuff will be making lives safer in other services.
"It is fantastic news that this is being rolled out to the military."
A wiring safety change requiring electrical cables to be mounted in metal trunking instead of plastic was also brought in following the fire.


A man has been arrested after a suspicious package led to about 12 homes being evacuated in the West Midlands.

Several families spent Saturday night in emergency accommodation after a box containing a suspect device was found in Danford Close, Oldswinford.
Specialist officers found the package "to be non-explosive". A 100m (328ft) cordon was lifted earlier.
The man, 25 and from Stourbridge, remains in custody, police said.
He was arrested in Staffordshire. The package was found shortly before 13:00 BST on Saturday.


The view from the calm shores of Italy's Lake Como is clear - Mrs May needs to hurry up and make it plain what Brexit means, apart from Brexit.

There's a growing impatience within the EU about the lack of clarity and lack of sense of urgency from the British cabinet.
A European commissioner has warned the British government that it needs to make a strategic choice - whether it wants to stay inside the single market or not.
Valdis Dombrovskis, commissioner for the euro, told the BBC there had been mixed messages from Mrs May's government - on the one hand wanting to stay in the internal market, on the other had not respecting freedom of movement.
Mrs May has made it clear she wants some curbs on immigration from the EU.
But Mr Dombrovskis told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend there can't be cherry picking, and the commission is waiting for a formal notification of what the UK wants.
He was speaking at a conference in Italy organised by an Italian think tank called the European House - Ambrosetti.
It is like a European Davos, a gathering of business leaders and bankers, politicians past and present - in short, the European elite.
Most of the sessions are private but we spoke to a number of senior figures on the record.
Former Irish Taoiseach John Bruton expressed incredulity that Mrs May doesn't want to start negotiations until next year.
"There's a lot of surprise in European capitals that a party that had promised a referendum in its manifesto hadn't decided in advance what it would look for if people voted to leave," he said.
"One would have thought they would have prepared, but they don't appear to have done that."
Former head of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet told us there would be a period of uncertainty.
"I would call for this period to be as short as possible, and for the position of the British government to be as clear as possible, as soon as possible," he said.
Greek Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis told us: "The hard part of the story is that the EU is quite strict - free trade means free movement, it is difficult to find a compromise."
I asked him if he would back such a compromise.
"We wouldn't - whatever compromises take place will include reduction in access to trade," he said.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leading plans for Brexit alongside Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, has let it be known that he hopes the UK can become the EU's "best friend".
But he's warned the split-up should happen as soon as possible - and it will be impossible for the UK to keep all the advantages of membership.
Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti told me that if Britain was given concessions over free movement it would mean the end of the free market.
He said he would swear on oath that other countries would also want to cherry pick, and that would be devastating and lead to the collapse of the single market.
He also said there could be one positive outcome from the "disgraceful" Brexit - other leaders may be warned off attacking the EU to strengthen their domestic leadership.
"This little bomb exploded in the hands of David Cameron and destroyed him and the political landscape," he said.
The views from Lake Como are a million miles from the perception at Westminster.
There is still a huge gulf of understanding between policy makers here and on the continent.
Ours do not understand free movement is a sacred principle to many within the EU - theirs do not accept the British government is serious about wanting to curb immigration.
It will need many meetings to sort out both the broad and technical details.
I'd recommend the calming backdrop of Lake Como as a soothing place for a summit.
Mark's report will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 13:00 BST, and will appear online later.


A north Wales college is set to get a £20m investment to make sure the area  is ready to meet the demands of a new nuclear power station on Anglesey.

The plans will see Coleg Menai's campus at Llangefni expanded to develop a specialist technology and energy centre, and an engineering site.
The college also wants to set up business "incubator" units.
The new Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant will need 8,500 construction workers and a 1,000 station staff when built.
As well as plans for Horizon's replacement nuclear station on the island, there are renewable energy projects and the whole of Anglesey is an enterprise zone.
The Anglesey Energy Island strategy aims to bring in 2,500 new jobs and £2.3bn of investment over 15 years.
The college is part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai - Wales' largest further education institution -  which also includes Coleg Llandrillo in Conwy and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor in Gwynedd.
Group chief executive Glyn Jones told BBC Wales it was working closely with the Horizon project on Wylfa.
It is hoped local people will make up at least 20% of the construction workforce.
"We already have engineering and construction courses in Rhos-on-Sea, Rhyl, Dolgellau, Bangor and Llangefni - but we need to expand Llangefni," said Mr Jones.
"This is going to be a massive project - the equivalent of the London 2012 Olympic village - and this could cause a big displacement from across local employers."


Tiger Woods has revealed he had a follow-up procedure on Wednesday to relieve discomfort which resulted from his back surgery in September.

The statement on his website added that there was "no timetable" for the return of the 39-year-old American, who has won 14 majors.
"It's one of those things that had to be done," said Woods, who has dropped from world number one to 351.
"I have an outstanding team of doctors, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
He is currently on bed rest and will miss a planned 5 November visit to the Bluejack National - a course he has designed near Houston.
"I'm extremely disappointed not going to Bluejack, but I'm very excited about our grand opening in the spring," he said.
"It's a fantastic course and we're very proud of our first US design."
Woods, who had a small disc fragment pinching his nerve removed last month, missed the cut at three of the four majors this year.
The American has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has struggled with form and injury in recent years.
He missed three months of last season after surgery on a pinched nerve in his back in March 2014.


These elections are a complicated set of local contests, some old, some new, some electing an individual to a position of great power, most, individual races in wards that make up only a few streets, for councillors who then group together to run our towns and cities.
So as the results come in, from the early hours of Friday morning right through the day, what are we looking for?
First, these are important elections in their own right, and the results make a big difference to decisions that are made on our behalves all round the country.
Local authorities have significant powers over education, planning, local business rates for example, and the drift of government policy has been to give them more, not less.
Second, while you will hear my colleagues and me caution dozens of times in the next 24 hours that the results do not translate directly to the general election, they are a really significant barometer.
Pay attention, therefore, to how the Conservative and Labour fight shapes up in areas like Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire.
Big Tory inroads will be a real worry for Labour as we hurtle towards the General Election.
The loss of Glasgow council to the SNP and falling back in Wales too seem feasible - and would again add to Jeremy Corbyn's party's anxieties about June.
The elections will also be a test of whether the UKIP vote really does seem set to fade away now that we are heading for Brexit and, as it seems, Nigel Farage has taken his final bow.
And the Lib Dems are crossing their fingers for signs of a comeback.
To get their activists gingered up for the General Election they need signs of decent gains around the country.
The elections of new metro mayors will also be big headlines - particularly in Birmingham where the two big parties are both desperate to win.
It will be a long, and complicated day, and don't forget the caveats with which these results need to be coupled.
But the most important test of all will be whether Labour loses or gains seats in England, in parts of the country where the General Election will really be decided.
If they lose seats in England, that is a depressing indicator for any political party that wants to be seen to be on track for government


A man has been charged with murder after a woman was stabbed to death in south-east London.

Donna Williamson, 44, died at a home in Somertrees Avenue, Lee, on Friday evening.
A post-mortem examination found she died from stab injuries. Next of kin have been informed.
A 37-year-old man was charged with her murder on Saturday evening. He will appear before Bromley Magistrates' Court on Monday.


This season's Uefa Champions League and Europa League finals will be broadcast live on YouTube.

BT Sport has the competition rights and, in addition to its TV channel, will show both games free-to-air in the UK on the video-sharing website.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool face defending champions Sevilla in the Europa League final on Wednesday, 18 May.
La Liga rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid then meet in the Champions League final on Saturday, 28 May.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid won 4-1 the last time the sides met in the final in 2014.
Liverpool have agreed to screen the Europa League final at the city's Echo Arena, with 9,000 seats available to fans unable to attend Basel's St Jakob-Park.
The winner of this year's Europa League final will earn a spot in the Champions League for next season.
In 2013, BT Sport announced a £897m three-year deal to show all 350 fixtures across both competitions each season from 2015.
As part of that deal, BT said it would show at least one match involving each participating British team for free every season.


Prince Harry has spoken for the first time about the help he received after the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

In an interview he said he was in a "good place" because of the "process I have been through".
Prince Harry has decided to talk about his feelings about it, in the hope it would encourage people to talk more about mental health issues.
Along with his brother and sister-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, he is promoting the Heads Together mental health campaign.
The Princess of Wales died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Prince Harry said: "My way of dealing with it was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum... (I thought) it's only going to make you sad, it's not going to bring her back. "
"And then [I] started to have a few conversations and actually all of a sudden... I was like, there is actually a lot of stuff here that I need to deal with."
Prince Harry decided to have counselling and said  "Some of the best people or easiest people to speak to is.... someone you have never met before. I've done that a couple of times, more than a couple of times, but it's great."
You can watch our Newsround special about coming to terms with losing a loved one here, and you can also read an expert answering questions on coming to terms with how you feel when someone you love dies.


National League Dover have signed defender George Essuman from Ryman League North side VCD Athletic.

The centre-back, who spent time in the youth ranks at Norwich, has signed a two-year contract at Crabble.
Essuman had spells at Maldon & Tiptree United and Grays Athletic before joining VCD Athletic in January.
Chris Kinnear's Dover are fifth in the table with 11 games of the campaign remaining after Saturday's 0-0 draw at home to Solihull Moors.


Uzbekistan has voted in a presidential election all but certain to be won by long-term incumbent Islam Karimov, who has led the country for over 25 years.

He faces three other candidates for the position but all come from parties supporting his presidency.
Opposition activists are in jail or live abroad; independent challengers were not allowed to run.
Turnout was 91%, the election commission said, with results due to be announced on Monday.
Mr Karimov, 77, has led Uzbekistan since 1989, when the country was still part of the Soviet Union.
The Uzbek constitution limits the presidency to two consecutive terms but he is running again after amending it.
"I voted for our president, Islam Karimov. I am really satisfied with what he is doing for young people," one 18-year-old voter told the AFP agency in the capital, Tashkent.
"I really wanted our respected President Karimov to retire, give the rule to someone younger and enjoy his happy retirement... But this is not going to happen, so I don't care now and I don't know who to vote for," said another, a taxi driver who requested anonymity.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has sent observers. It said the last presidential vote failed to offer "a real choice" to Uzbek voters.
Despite few expecting anything other than a landslide win for Mr Karimov, there are some signs of instability.
He has faced speculation about his health, after failing to appear in public for a period earlier this year.
There are also rumours of a rift with his daughter, Gulnara Karimova, once seen as a potential successor but now reportedly under house arrest.
Russia's economic woes could have a knock-on effect, with more than two million Uzbeks living and working there.
Mr Karimov has justified his strongman tactics as essential to counter radical Islam in central Asia.


Paul Hartley is adamant he wants to keep prolific striker Kane Hemmings at Dundee, but admits his goal-scoring exploits this season will attract interest from other clubs.

Hemmings' match-winning brace against Partick Thistle took his goals tally to 25 in all competitions this season.
"He's a player that we want to keep but we can't stop speculation and you can't stop players being ambitious.
"When we do have him we're grateful for that," Hartley said.
Hemmings' goal nine minutes from the end sealed the points for Dundee at Firhill after Kris Doolan had cancelled out the Englishman's opener.
Hartley said he was always confident his team would prevail, even after Doolan's leveller 20 minutes from time.
"We never want to try and settle for a draw," the Dundee manager told BBC Scotland.
"We always try to go and win the game and I felt that today. I felt there were always more chances for us.
"For Hemmings again, his 25th goal of the season, it's a fantastic return and a really pleasing performance for us.
"Goalscorers are hard to come by and for Kane getting 25 goals for a team that's in the middle of the table has been a terrific return, but he's got his team-mates to thank for that also.
"We set him a little target at the start of the season, we said 15 goals. Then we went 20, 25, now I think we've got to go 30.
"That's the problem that we will have [keeping him] but we've got two years left with him. We're not a selling club now. I know that might sound stupid but we're not. We want to try and keep our best players.
"We're trying to build something good here. We feel we've got a really talented squad. Although we were disappointed not to get into the top six, but I think when we play well we're good to watch."
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald felt his side's display merited something from the match.
"I thought we had a good second half," Archibald said.
"First half, I didn't think we were at the races but second half was much more positive and I thought we deserved at least a point.
"Dundee are always a danger on the break with Hemmings up top but I thought it looked like the game was swaying towards us. Then they got what turned out to be the winner, but I thought we did enough to get an equaliser at the end with [David] Amoo's chance."


(Close) The FTSE 100 index ended the day down 1.4% to 6,730.43, dragged lower for the second session in a row.

Shares in companies exposed to emerging markets suffered, with Standard Chartered closing down 6.3% and packaging firm Mondi falling 4.7%.
Donald Trump's US election victory has raised worries he could introduce protectionist trade policies.
In the FTSE 250, SIG dived 21.8% as it warned on profits and said its chief executive had left the company.
The building materials firm said it had been affected by softer trading conditions in the UK since the Brexit vote and increased competition.
As a result it has lowered its forecast for full-year profits to between Â£75m and Â£80m.
SIG also announced that group chief executive Stuart Mitchell was leaving the company by "mutual agreement" with immediate effect.
On the currency markets, the pound continued its recovery of the past few days, hitting its highest level against the pound since October's flash crash.
Sterling rose 0.3% against the dollar to $1.2593 and was 0.88% higher against the euro at â‚¬1.1621.
The pound's recovery has been put down to the news of Donald Trump's election victory, but slightly better-than-expected construction figures also helped sterling.
While official figures showed construction output fell 1.1% in the third quarter, the sector's weakest performance for four years, output managed to rise 0.3% in September.


As the price of food continues to rise, people are shopping around for bargains.

Some are forced to go to food banks. Others, though, are growing their own.
Nigel McKinney is one of them. Back in April he transformed a piece of rough ground at the back of his house outside Kilcoo, County Down, into a fruit and vegetable garden.
There are now 10 raised beds full of produce. He wouldn't claim to be an expert, but he is delighted with what he has grown so far.
"We have rhubarb, chard, sprouts, runner beans, sweet corn, onions, parsley and celery," said Nigel.
"I like food and you can't eat anything else.
"I have always tried to grow little bits of salad and when you have a bit of space as we have here, it seems a real pity not to put it to productive use.
"Out in the garden you are working, it clears the head and you get to enjoy the fruits of it."
Nigel is a member of the Grow It Yourself organisation, which was founded in Waterford by Michael Kelly in 2009. There are now over 30,000 people involved and over 100 GIY groups across Ireland.
Nigel organised a public meeting in Newcastle with a view to setting up a group for south Down. More than two dozen people turned up eager to listen and learn. The guest speaker was GIY Ulster Champion Michael McEvoy.
"There is at least one group in every county in Ireland, north and south," he said.
"People come together on a monthly or seasonally or online to share information, learn from each other or support each other."
To mark the winter solstice, established GIYers, as they are called, from Belfast and north Down gathered on a farm outside Bangor.
Heather Boyd belongs to the Lisburn group. She has been growing her own food in back garden for years.
"It's great fun and there's nothing beats the pleasure of seeing something come on from seed and then going out and actually picking it and cooking it," she said.
"I've grown potatoes and onions, sweet corn, courgettes, lettuce, salad and tomatoes."
"It can be very difficult. You will have success and failures, but it is very rewarding and it makes you appreciate the food and the effort that goes into it."
For Noelle Robinson from the Bangor GIY group, it is more than just the food.
"Everybody enjoys the company. They have common interests. They enjoy discussing growing things, swopping ideas and swopping seeds as well," she said.
The consensus at the gathering is GIY groups bring people in a way that they would never meet each other anywhere else.
Growing your own food may not save you a trip to the supermarket but it could help to cut costs.
It might involve some hard work however there will be free food at the end of it.


A US furniture store owner is set to lose $7m (Â£4.2m) after promising a full refund to customers if the Seahawks beat Broncos in Sunday's Super Bowl.

The Seahawks duly won the game 43-8, which means about 1,000 customers will now get their orders free.
Nicknamed Mattress Mack, Jim McIngvale is well-known for his attention-grabbing ploys.
Though substantial, the loss amounts to only 6% of Mr McIngvale's annual income. He says it is good marketing.
Mr McIngvale ran the Super Bowl promotion for 10 days at his two Gallery Furniture stores.
To win, customers had to purchase at least $6,000 worth of furniture and have it delivered before kick-off on Sunday.
The average customer who was eligible for the refund bought around $7,000 worth of furniture.
McIngvale is philosophical about the loss and says his business is getting priceless media coverage.
"It's a big hit, but it's a marketing expense. But more importantly, it's a brand-builder," Mr McIngvale said in a phone interview.
1. San Francisco 49ers 55-10 Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XXIV, January 1990
2. Chicago Bears 46-10 New England Patriots, Super Bowl XX, January 1986
=3. Seattle Seahawks 43-8 Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XLVIII, February 2014
=3. Dallas Cowboys 52-17 Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl XXVII, January 1993
5. Los Angeles Raiders 38-9 Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XVIII, January 1984
It is not the first time Mattress Mack has pulled this kind of stunt.
Earlier this year, he refunded almost $700,000 to customers who bet correctly on the Super Bowl play-off victors.
In December, he was honoured by President George H W Bush for his anti-drugs campaigning, and he regularly gives talks to young people in Houston about his experience with addiction.
The Super Bowl was the most-watched television event in US history, the Fox TV network has said.
The event drew 111.5m viewers on Sunday night, it said.


Three people were killed and a number of others seriously hurt when a Merseyside-based coach crashed into a tree near a tunnel in Surrey.

The coach was heading north on the A3 when it crashed near the Hindhead Tunnel, at 23:50 BST on Monday.
It was carrying people who had been to the festival Bestival, on the Isle of Wight, when it crashed between the tunnel and the Thursley exit.
Injured passengers have been taken to a number of different hospitals.
Three people, including the driver, were declared dead at the scene.
By Mark SandersBBC News
The coach itself is concealed under a large tent.
Officers wearing white forensic suits have been entering and leaving the tent at short intervals throughout the morning.
The focus at this stage of the police investigation is the delicate operation to remove the bodies of those who died.
Once the bodies have been taken from the wreckage the vehicle can be examined more closely, as Surrey Police try to piece together what happened.
Officers stressed that weather and road conditions were fine at the time of the crash.
A fourth person was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with life-changing injuries, said police.
Eight people are being treated at St George's Hospital and Kings College Hospital in London and East Grinstead Hospital in West Sussex.
Surrey Police said many of the other passengers hurt in the crash, all aged between 22 and 28, had been released from hospital and were on their way home.
No other vehicles are thought to have been involved in the crash, involving a Merseypride Travel coach.
Insp Richard Mallett said the vehicle had sustained a "significant impact" in the crash, which has been declared a major incident.
"I understand the road was dry.  We cannot see any reason that the road conditions would have had any effect on what occurred," he said.
The road was closed in both directions and Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene, along with crash investigators.
The southbound carriageway was reopened at about 09:00 BST.
David Hannell, owner of Merseypride Travel, said: "Myself and the company offer our heartfelt sympathy to all the families of the passengers involved.
"We ourselves are devastated. I've been up all night worried sick about what's been happening."
Mr Hannell said a parent of one of the passengers called him at 04:00 BST to tell him about the crash.
He said the driver was semi-retired and had been with the company for six months.
"He was ideal for us because his sister lived in Portsmouth so he had somewhere to stay," he said.
"So it wasn't as if he had to drive down the day before, he was already there and according to his sister he was well rested."
He said this was the firm's first serious accident in 20 years.
Surrey Police said it was working with the Merseyside force and the coach firm, to identify all passengers and notify relatives.
Jerry Kirkby, Assistant Chief Constable of Surrey, said: "This has been declared a major incident.  Our thoughts remain with the relatives of the dead and the injured at this time."
Officers were carrying out a "thorough search of the scene including the coach and the surrounding area", according to Surrey Police.
A spokeswoman for South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) said: "Three people were pronounced dead at the scene and a total of 50 patients, some of whom have serious injuries, have been taken to hospitals across the region."
A casualty helpline has been set up by Surrey Police for anyone concerned about people travelling on the coach, on 0800 056 0154.
In a statement, the organisers of Bestival, which was held at the weekend, said: "This is devastating news.
"Our thoughts are with the relatives of those affected.  We are currently liaising with Surrey Police to establish the facts."


Islanders are being asked to suggest ideas to improve the bus service in Guernsey.

The Environment Department has received "considerable public feedback" in the past 18 months.
But any further suggestions will be explored before a contract to run the service from April is signed.
The contract of CT Plus ends in March and the tendering process for a five-year contract to take over the service begins at the end of the month.
The introduction of a two-tier fare system in May 2013 was heavily criticised and scrapped earlier this month.
Under the States transport strategy the bus service will be free for 18 months as a trial.
Comments have to be submitted by 4 July and can be emailed to env@gov.gg.


Brexit could exacerbate shortages of suitable candidates for jobs, a recruitment body has warned.

The warning from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) came as a Markit survey showed growth in demand for staff in Scotland.
REC said a lack of "appropriately-skilled" candidates had been a problem before last year's EU referendum.
It said Brexit could make things worse, especially if people coming from the EU to work faced "onerous restrictions".
REC chief executive Kevin Green said: "Finding people to do the jobs on offer is rapidly becoming employers' biggest headache and many are reporting an increasing number of white collar jobs as hard to fill, including in the IT and financial sectors."
The latest Markit Report on Jobs for Scotland found an increase in the number of permanent staff appointments for the second month running in March.
There was also a rise in temporary placements, which showed the sharpest increase since August 2014.
Demand for permanent staff rose at the quickest rate for 25 months, while Scottish recruiters reported the steepest increase in demand for temporary staff since September 2014.
The nursing/medical/care sector led growth in demand for permanent staff, while engineering and construction saw the biggest rise in demand for temporary workers.
The hotel and catering industry was the worst performer, and was placed at the bottom of the rankings in terms of both temporary and permanent job vacancies.
Average wages for temporary/contract staff rose sharply in March, while average salaries for permanent staff also increased markedly.
Mr Green said: "This shrinking talent pool of available candidates means that businesses are boosting the starting salaries and hourly rates they are prepared to offer to the right candidate.
"So for job hunters willing to move roles at the moment, there are financial rewards on offer - especially it seems in finance, IT and other management and office-based professional roles."
The Markit report was based on information provided by a panel of about 100 recruitment consultancies operating in Scotland.


A motorist who became intimate with his girlfriend moments before he crashed his car has been sentenced to seven years for causing her death.

Minesh Parbat, 36, of Gregory Close, in Maidenbower, Crawley, was driving his BMW at 60mph when he crashed on the A2011 in West Sussex, on 9 March 2014.
His girlfriend, Lisa Watling, 28, was thrown from the car and died later in hospital from her injuries.
Parbat denied causing her death but was found guilty after a trial in July.
He had claimed in court he dropped his trousers as part of a dare with mother-of-two Ms Watling.
He told jurors she said she was feeling "horny" and invited him to pull down his trousers as he drove.
He claimed she sat on the dashboard, then moved in front of him and obscured his view.
But he denied anything sexual had taken place and said he struggled to get Ms Watling off him before the crash.
Jurors heard Parbat veered into the central reservation, then over-steered before crashing into a fence.
In the aftermath of the collision, Parbat was discovered with his trousers and underwear around his ankles.  Ms Watling was found seriously injured in just a T-shirt and bra.
Parbat gave a positive blood test showing 102 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The drink-drive limit is 80 milligrams.
Jailing him, Recorder Peter Griffiths QC said Parbat was "entirely" responsible for causing the crash "while engaged in some form of sexual activity".
In a statement, Ms Watling's family said: "Our lives have been ripped apart, leaving a wound that will never fully heal.
"However the two real victims are Lisa's children.
"They will never have that soft comforting voice they know and love whisper goodnight, safe in the knowledge that when they wake up in the morning she'll be there to greet them.
"As a family we feel relief that some kind of justice has been seen. It feels like a very small step towards gaining a degree of closure."


The Minneapolis police union has said that an unarmed black man was not handcuffed and was trying to disarm police when he was fatally shot.

Protesters have maintained that Jamar Clark, 24, was restrained by police when they shot him on Sunday.
Clark was placed on life support and died a day later.
The shooting has led to protests in the mid-western city, with police and demonstrators using irritant spray against each other on Wednesday night.
Police say that Clark was the suspect in an assault case and was interfering with medics who were working on the assault victim when he was shot.
Lt Bob Kroll, the head of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis told the Associated Press news agency: "Cuffs were never on."
Since the shooting authorities have remained largely silent on the issue, with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension - the agency investigating the shooting - saying that it was one line of investigation.
Mr Kroll also said that Clark had "a violent history" and that the two officers who were involved in the shooting have no disciplinary issues on their records.
Demonstrations continued on Wednesday night, with police telling local media that officers sustained minor injuries and some squad cars receiving "significant damage" from bricks.
A number of high-profile police shootings of black people have sparked protests nationwide in recent months about the police use of excessive force against African Americans.


A campaign group aiming to reopen a rail link between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen is to press for a feasibility study to be carried out.

It follows a debate on the proposal in the Welsh assembly which received cross-party support.
Traws Link Cymru said reopening the line, last used by passengers in 1965 and freight in 1973, would strengthen the economy of mid Wales.
But the transport minister has said part of the track has been built on.
At a debate in the Senedd this month Mid Wales assembly members supported the group's idea to run the line from Carmarthen via Alltwalis, Llandysul or Pencader, Llanybydder, Lampeter, Tregaron, Llanilar, Llanfarian and Aberystwyth.
Leading the debate, Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas, said: "A new line is being built for the Borders region in Scotland which is 31 miles long and will cost something like £11m per mile.
"That would mean the cost of constructing a similar line from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth would be £650m at most.
"That is a significant amount of money but different engineering proposals could bring the cost down."
Mr Thomas added that more people live along the proposed Aberystwyth-Carmarthen line (55,000) than live along the Aberystwyth-Shrewsbury rail link (50,000).
But Transport Minister Edwina Hart told the Senedd "a significant portion of the track bed has been built on".
She added: "For example the line into Lampeter is now home to a supermarket and a car park."
The minister said she would discuss with officials whether any more representations could be made about the plan.
Following a Traws Link Cymru meeting at Lampeter on Thursday, a spokesman said the group would campaign for the Welsh government to conduct a feasibility study into reopening the line.
He added: "We need to brief assembly members about the fine detail of the proposed route to ensure the minister is better briefed about it."
Liberal Democrat Mid and West Wales AM William Powell said a new rail link would be "extremely valuable in the context of wider transport links to Swansea, Cardiff and beyond".
European funds were potentially available if a full feasibility study was completed, Mr Powell added.
"This could embrace not only EU structural funds, but also the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank (EIB).
"I know from a recent EIB briefing that I attended that they are keen to support innovative transport infrastructure proposals."
Labour Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson said: "I certainly support the idea. It is the glaring gap in Wales's rail network.
"However, there are obvious money issues, not least the fact that funding for rail infrastructure sits with the UK government."
Russell George, Conservative AM for Montgomeryshire. said he also supported the proposal, adding "In rural Wales, it's important that communities are connected."


Scotland sealed back-to-back London Sevens titles as they came from behind to beat England 12-7 at Twickenham.

Dan Norton's sublime solo try put the hosts ahead at the break but Hugh Blake levelled just after the restart, before captain Scott Riddell crossed late on.
Victory secures Scotland's second ever World Sevens Series title, having also won the London event last year.
Despite defeat, England confirmed second place overall in the 10-event series, behind champions South Africa.
Canada beat USA 22-19 to take bronze in the series finale, while Olympic champions Fiji finished third in the overall standings.
England lost Ollie Lindsay-Hague to injury early on but took the lead as all-time Sevens Series leading try-scorer Norton checked in from the left to beat four defenders and sidestep the final man to dive over.
Blake then took advantage when England paused, thinking there might have been a Scottish knock-on, but Norton was judged to have stripped the ball in the tackle and the Scotland player picked up the loose ball to score.
The Scots then produced a series of deft offloads to put Riddell over in the corner and, although Scott Wight missed the conversion, England could not find a response as Scotland capped Calum Macrae's final game as coach with a second title.
In the semi-finals, the hosts eased past Canada 24-5, while Scotland beat USA 21-14 thanks to Joe Nayacavou's try with the final play of the game.
England progressed to the semis after two tries from player of the tournament Norton sealed a 17-12 victory over South Africa, who had secured the overall title by beating Scotland in the Paris Sevens final last weekend.
In their quarter-final, Scotland came from 21-0 down at half-time to beat New Zealand for the first time, scoring 24 unanswered points as Jamie Farndale touched down with the clock in the red.
Elsewhere, South Africa saw off Australia 28-17 in the fifth-place play-off and Fiji were 26-14 winners over Wales in the Challenge Trophy final.
1. South Africa - 192 points
2. England - 164
3. Fiji - 150
4. New Zealand - 137
5. United States - 129
6. Australia - 113
7. Scotland - 109
8. Canada - 98
9. Argentina - 90
10. Wales - 73


The US has raised concerns with Rwandan officials over reports suggesting it is involved in "destabilising activities" in neighbouring Burundi, officials have said.

Rwanda is reported to have armed and trained refugees to fight on behalf of the Burundian opposition.
The Rwandan government has denied the allegations.
Burundi has been hit by civil conflict since President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to stand for a third term.
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Tit-for-tat killings spread fear
In a hearing in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, two top diplomats cited reports from colleagues in the field that they said pointed to Rwandan involvement in the Burundi crisis.
Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, said the reports suggested that Burundian refugees, including children, were being recruited from camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks against the Burundian government.
Turmoil erupted in Burundi after Mr Nkurunziza announced plans last April to run for a third term, which he went on to win.
More than 400 people have died in the violence and at least 240,000 have fled the country.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US assistant secretary of African affairs, said that US officials had encouraged Rwandan authorities "to play a productive role and not to do anything that might further destabilise Burundi".
The governments of Rwanda and Burundi are from rival ethnic groups and there is growing international concern that another ethnic conflict could take root in the region.
Last week, a UN panel reported that Burundian refugees had been recruited at a refugee camp in eastern Rwanda in May and June 2015, and given two months of military training.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has pneumonia, Lambeth Palace has said, a day after he pulled out of his Christmas Day sermon.

The Most Rev Justin Welby did not address Canterbury Cathedral after being confined to bed with what was described then as a "severe cold".
Lambeth Palace said the archbishop was now having further bed rest.
His sermon, an annual tradition, was instead released as a statement in which he reflected on lasting peace.
He alluded to the World War One battlefield truce on Christmas Day 1914, saying it illustrated "something of the heart of Christmas".
However, he also pointed out it was a "one-day wonder" and that the war continued afterwards.
Lambeth Palace had said the 58-year-old archbishop had been ill for several days and decided on the morning of the service that he was too unwell to make his address.
The Dean of Canterbury, the Very Reverend Robert Willis, delivered a homily in his place.
In the sermon, released in statement form, the archbishop said of the World War One truce: "The problem is that the way it is told now it seems to end with a 'happy ever after'.
"Of course we like Christmas stories with happy endings: singing carols, swapping photos, shaking hands, sharing chocolate, but the following day the war continued with the same severity.
"Nothing had changed; it was a one-day wonder. That is not the world in which we live, truces are rare."
The most recent sermon given by the archbishop was earlier this month at a cathedral in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, which is in the grip of the deadly Ebola outbreak.
He visited the country to express Britain's solidarity with the victims of the virus, and said he was "overwhelmed" by the people he met.
As well as being the leader of the Church of England, the archbishop is the spiritual leader of the 77 million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion.


The Delhi police chief has said they are watching at least three more cricketers for their role in alleged spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), media reports say.

Neeraj Kumar said the players under scrutiny were all Indians from one team but declined to name them.
Three cricketers, including Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth, were arrested last week over allegations of spot-fixing.
Sreesanth and the families of the other two have denied the charge.
The arrested players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - all belong to the Rajasthan Royals team. On Tuesday, a court extended their custody for five more days.
The players have also been suspended by India's cricket board and the Rajasthan Royals.
Spot-fixing involves illegally rigging parts of a match, for example by timing the delivery of a deliberate wide or no-ball, to benefit bookmakers or those betting on matches.
"The contours of our probe are likely to widen soon and we are hoping to crack a fresh syndicate of bookies," the Delhi police chief told The Indian Express newspaper.
"We are looking at other teams and other players as well, and specifically at three Indian players from one team," the paper quoted Mr Kumar as saying.
The police chief declined to name the players saying it will "affect our investigation".
Police say players use codes like "rotating their watches", "putting towels in their pants", "taking out lockets from their shirts", or "making signs with their clothes" to communicate with the bookmakers.
The arrests of Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan have shocked Indians who are fanatic about cricket.
More than a dozen bookmakers have also been arrested in connection with the spot-fixing inquiry.
On Tuesday, Mumbai police arrested actor Vindoo Randhawa, the first Bollywood personality to be arrested in connection with the scandal. Mr Randhawa, who won series three of Bigg Boss - India's version of the television show Big Brother - has made no public comment yet.
The sixth season of the IPL, which is considered to be the world's showcase for Twenty20 cricket, is currently under way in India.
Top Indian and international players are taking part, contributing to what is the world's richest cricket tournament.


The National Trust is asking the public to record the sounds of the UK seaside to create an audio archive.

The trust wants thousands of recordings uploaded onto a digital map which will be curated by the British Library.
It said the sounds of the coastline were constantly changing and the project would create an audio snapshot for future generations to hear.
Cheryl Tipp, from the British Library, said recordings could include man-made sounds like those of a busy port.
The "Sounds of our shores" project is a joint scheme between the National Trust - which protects historic places and spaces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - the National Trust for Scotland and the British Library.
Musician Martyn Ware, a founder member of bands The Human League and Heaven 17, will use sounds submitted by the public to create a piece of music for release in February 2016.
"I've had a deep connection with the coast all of my life," he said.
"As a kid growing up in Sheffield we'd go on family holidays to Scarborough or Skegness; I can still remember the sounds that filled our days at the seaside."
By Emma Atkinson, BBC News
The sound of waves lapping on the beach or the crunch of shingle underfoot are heard along coastlines the world over. But what are the things you can really only hear at the British seaside?
Ms Tipp, curator of wildlife and environment sounds at the British Library, said sounds submitted could include "someone wrestling with putting up a deck-chair, the sounds of a fish and chip shop, or a busy port".
"We'd also love to hear from people that might have historic coastal sounds, which might be stored in a box in the loft," she said.
Jeremy Cooke, BBC UK affairs correspondent
On the cliffs above Whitby, the herring gulls are nesting as they have for centuries. Their cries are a seemingly timeless sound of the coast.
But, with coastal erosion and climate change, scenes like this may not remain the same forever. Natural habitats change, and the sounds of the shores change too.
That's why the National Trust wants us all to become collectors of today's seaside sounds before they are lost.
And it's not just the natural environment that evolves.
Just along the coast, the old Whitby foghorn station stands as a silent reminder of how man-made sounds can pass into history.
On the roof of the white building are the giant twin horns of the "Hawsker Bull", as the foghorn was known. It was part of the soundtrack of life here for generations, but has not been heard since the late 1980s.
Kate Martin, of the National Trust, said the recordings would be valuable to future generations and would "bring back memories" in years to come.
Recordings can be uploaded along with pictures and text via the Audioboom website until 21 September.
After that, all the sounds recorded around the UK's 10,800 miles of coastline will be added to the British Library's Sound Archive, joining 6.5 million recordings dating back to the 19th Century.


Scotland's Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson has asked Nicola Sturgeon what she plans to do about a seven-year high in NHS staff sickness.

The matter was raised during First Minister's Questions at Holyrood.
Ms Davidson said health workers in Scotland were under pressure "like never before".
Ms Sturgeon said it had always been a priority of health boards to "keep levels of sickness absence in the NHS to a minimum".
She added that trade unions "work very hard with health boards" to try to support staff.
Ms Davidson told the Holyrood chamber that her party had written to health boards across the country to ask how often staffing concerns had been formally raised by doctors and nurses, stating that the answer was "in their thousands".
She said: "More patients are coming through the doors and the cracks are beginning to show in hospitals across the country.
"This week the NHS workforce statistics were published and they uncovered staff sickness levels across Scotland at a seven-year high - worst affected is the Scottish Ambulance Service where more than 7% of staff are off at any one time, that is four times the average sickness rate outside the public sector.
"It is clear that health workers are struggling to cope in an increasingly strained environment and the figures show that the problem is getting worse. What will the first minister do to help?"
The politician challenged Ms Sturgeon to back her party's pledge to fund 1,000 more nurses and midwives by ending universal free prescriptions, and to promise to pass on extra health funding that arises as a result of UK government decisions.
Ms Sturgeon said the latest statistics showed there were now 10,500 more NHS staff than when the SNP came to power.
In Dumfries and Galloway, staffing is up 6.3% from September 2007, she added.
Speaking in the chamber, Ms Sturgeon said: "We will continue to ensure record funding of our health service, we will continue to ensure our record staffing numbers in our health service, and it is because of that that we have a health service now that is delivering historically low waiting times.
"Making sure that we keep levels of sickness absence in the NHS to a minimum has always been a key priority for health boards. Trade unions work very hard with health boards to try to support staff to do that.
"I think perhaps the most important thing we have done as a government is to ensure that the number of people working in our health service to deal with the rising demand for health services, because of our ageing population, is increasing."


There are signs that the slowdown in the Scottish economy is coming to an end and business optimism is returning, according to a new report.

The Royal Bank of Scotland's quarterly monitor found more firms expecting sales to grow over the next six months than the number expecting a fall.
Financial and businesses services showed signs of renewed strength in the past three months.
Repeat orders also looked healthy for tourism ahead of its busy season.
However, the survey of 500 Scottish businesses suggested that the oil industry slump was still hurting business in north-east Scotland.
The survey was conducted by the Fraser of Allander Institute, which released its own report this week warning that Scotland may fail to avoid a recession this year.
The RBS survey is more upbeat, with companies across the country expecting to see an increase in business volumes, sales and repeat business during the next six months.
Almost a third (31%) firms reported a fall in the total volume of business during the last quarter, compared with 30% who witnessed an increase in activity.
However, the balance of -1% represented an improvement of 18 points on the first quarter of the year.
The performance of financial and businesses services firms was especially strong, with more than one in five (22%) reporting an increase in business volumes.
Overall, a net 18% of firms which took part in the survey said they expected to see a rise in repeat business for the remainder of 2016.
Turnover was strongest within the central belt, where a net 4% of business reported sales growth. This compared with 11% of businesses across Scotland reporting a fall.
In total, a net 13% of firms said they expected sales to grow over the next quarter. Within services, the figure was 16%.
While one in three (35%) of firms enjoyed an increase in the amount of new business, areas strongly associated with oil and gas and agriculture struggled.
Both the north-east and the Highlands and Islands reported no increase in new business.
The report also found that exports had proved "challenging for all businesses".
Just one in five firms (19%) stated that export activity rose, while one in four (26%) saw it fall.
Fraser of Allander Institute director Graeme Roy said: "The latest Royal Bank of Scotland Business Monitor report contains some grounds for cautious optimism with many of the key benchmark indicators improving.
"However, uncertainty appears to be having an impact on some business activities - perhaps most notably capital investment which could have implications for long-term growth. The services sector continues to outperform manufacturing.
"Overall the performance of the Scottish economy since 2015 has been relatively fragile, although this report confirms that growth is likely to return and build momentum through the 2nd half of 2016."
Scottish Economy Secretary Keith Brown said the economy was facing challenges but the RBS survey was encouraging.
He said: "Despite facing subdued global demand and the impact of the oil price on our offshore industry, Scotland's economy has proven resilient and continued to grow - with recent independent forecasts pointing to further growth this year and next.
"Across the world, people are still choosing Scotland as a good place to do business, with record inward investment in 2015 - putting us ahead of all other parts of the UK outside London.
"Despite this, there is no doubt conditions remain tough for companies across Scotland. That is why we will continue to take concerted action to support our economy, creating a competitive business environment in which companies can flourish, creating and protecting jobs and stimulating growth."


Former Celtic Boys Club coach and founder Jim Torbett has appeared in court on a string of historical sex charges.

The 69-year-old from Glasgow faces three charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviours, and three charges of indecent assault.
He appeared from custody in private at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
He made no plea and was released on bail by sheriff John McCormick.


Iraq appears to have joined the small but growing group of countries operating armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - or drones.

Video released by Iraq's military shows a fully armed Chinese-supplied CH-4 drone being inspected on the tarmac.
Poor-quality photos suggesting that the Chinese UAV may have been sold to Iraq first emerged in March.
If operational, this adds a significant new capability to the arsenal of Iraq, whose air force is being rebuilt.
The CH-4 can be used both for intelligence gathering and strike missions.
The latest video shows the UAV armed with what looks like a Chinese AR-1 laser-guided missile specifically designed to be used from drones.
The sale to Iraq underscores Baghdad's growing desire to diversify its sources of weaponry, reducing its reliance upon the US. Over the past year it has received weapons systems from Russia, Iran and China.
Joseph Dempsey, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, says this is "yet another example of China's willingness to export armed-UAVs".
Earlier this year Nigeria received a number of armed CH-3 UAVs from Beijing, which it appears to be using in its campaign against Boko Haram militants.
"China," he says, "also seems to have pursued some kind of technology transfer with Pakistan whose own UAV programme is very much influenced by the Chinese."
Pakistan's armed Burraq drone unveiled in November 2013 bears a striking similarity to the Chinese CH-3.
The proliferation of armed drones worries many arms-control and human rights experts. Initially the preserve of a small number of Western nations, notably Israel and the US, drone use is spreading rapidly.
While extensively used in conventional air campaigns, armed drones have also become very much the weapon of choice for targeted killings in counter-terrorist operations.
The ability of the armed drone to strike at individuals with little concern about crossing borders, and with little risk to the country using them, raises all sorts of strategic, diplomatic and human rights questions.


One of the most dramatic plotlines in The Archers is to be the subject of a special BBC radio drama.

Dead Girls Tell No Tales tells the behind-the-scenes story of Grace Archer's death in a fire.
The BBC said the drama, which airs later this year on Radio 4, would depict "life in and around The Archers' production office and studio" in 1955.
The cast will feature Ysanne Churchman, the original Grace Archer, who is now 90 years old.
Churchman said: "It was a great pleasure to be invited back to The Archers to record this momentous piece of radio drama and revisit the excitement of September 1955.  Looking back on those days, it was another life."
The world's longest running radio soap opera, The Archers is set in the fictional Midlands village of Ambridge.
Twenty million people tuned in to the episode in which Grace Archer died in her husband Phil's arms after she tried to rescue a horse from a stable fire.
It has been the subject of much debate whether the plotline was timed to thwart the launch night of ITV - the BBC's commercial rival.
"This is a really special occasion for anyone who has ever been a listener to The Archers," said the programme's current editor Sean O'Connor.
"We're going to reminisce about the very beginnings of this extraordinary programme - but also unearth the mysteries that surrounded this landmark moment.
"I'm particularly thrilled to welcome back Ysanne Churchman who created an iconic character and was at the very heart of a genuinely game-changing moment in media history."
Dead Girls Tell No Tales, written by Joanna Toye, will feature other characters from the early years of the programme, including Dan and Doris Archer, Carol Grey and John Tregorran, plus Archers creator Godfrey Baseley.
It will be broadcast on 19 September, almost 60 years to the day after the pivotal episode was originally aired.


Germany's highest court has struck down a ban on headscarves for state school teachers as unconstitutional.

The court ruled that a 2004 ban violated religious freedom.
The case was brought by two female Muslim teachers who had previously been forced to wear alternative head dress.
The ban was imposed on the grounds that headscarves could lead to disruption in classrooms and prompt questions about a teacher's neutrality. Christian symbols were exempt from the ban.
On Friday, the court ruled that schools will now need to show "not only an abstract but a sufficiently specific risk" to justify a ban on the earlier grounds.
It also decided that a clause exempting "Christian and Western educational and cultural values or traditions" from the ban was discriminatory.
In a statement, the Federal Constitutional Court said a "blanket ban on religious expression... based on the outward appearance of educators" was incompatible with religious freedoms.
The teachers originally brought the case against a local law in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Other states across the country also ban teachers from wearing headscarves, but this ruling strikes out those laws as well.