Nobel Prize-winning scientist Prof Peter Higgs has revealed he did not know he had won the award until a woman congratulated him in the street.

Prof Higgs, who does not own a mobile phone, said a former neighbour had pulled up in her car as he was returning from lunch in Edinburgh.
He added: "She congratulated me on the news and I said 'oh, what news?'"
The woman had been alerted by her daughter in London that Prof Higgs had won the award, he revealed.
He added: "I heard more about it obviously when I got home and started reading the messages."
The 84-year-old emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh was recognised by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his work on the theory of the particle which shares his name, the Higgs boson.
He shares this year's physics prize with Francois Englert of Belgium, and joins the ranks of past Nobel winners including Marie Curie and Albert Einstein.
The existence of the so-called "God particle", said to give matter its substance, or mass, was proved almost 50 years later by a team from the European nuclear research facility (Cern) and its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Speaking for the first time about the award at a media conference at the University of Edinburgh, he said: "How do I feel? Well, obviously I'm delighted and rather relieved in a sense that it's all over. It has been a long time coming."
An old friend told him he had been nominated as far back as 1980, he said.
Prof Higgs added: "In terms of later events, it seemed to me for many years that the experimental verification might not come in my lifetime.
"But since the start up of the LHC it has been pretty clear that they would get there, and despite some mishaps they did get there".
Stressing the involvement of other theorists and Cern, he added: "I think clearly they should, but it is going to be even more difficult for the Nobel Committee to allocate the credit when it comes to an organisation like Cern.
"I should remind you that although only two of us have shared this prize, Francois Englert of Brussels and myself, that the work in 1964 involved three groups of people, (including) two in Brussels.
"Unfortunately Robert Brout died a few years ago so is no longer able to be awarded the prize, but he would certainly have been one of the winners if he had still been alive.
"But there were three others who also contributed and it is already difficult to allocate the credit amongst the theorists.
"Although a lot of people seem to think I did all this single-handed, it was actually part of a theoretical programme which had been started in 1960."
Prof Higgs was born in Newcastle, but developed his theory while working at the University of Edinburgh.
The landmark research that defined what was to become known as the Higgs boson was published in 1964.
Discovering the particle became one of the most sought-after goals in science, and the team of scientists behind the $10bn LHC at Cern made proving its existence a key priority.
In July of last year, physicists at Cern confirmed the discovery of a particle consistent with the Higgs boson.
Prof Higgs, who had often been uncomfortable with the attention his theory brought, was in Geneva to hear the news, and wiped a tear from his eye as the announcement was made.
Reacting to the discovery at the time, he told reporters: "It's very nice to be right sometimes."


Wales' historic Euro 2016 campaign has been a heady emotional cocktail and the win against Russia was perhaps the most stirring yet.

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The manner of victory was exhilarating, the unity between fans and players uplifting and the result perhaps the greatest in Welsh football history.
For manager Chris Coleman, the strongest emotion was one of pride.
"I'm immensely proud of nights like tonight, when you see a sea of red supporters and hear that kind of support," he said.
The Wales football team has traditionally been more familiar with failure than success, although the current side have bucked that trend.
Qualifying for Euro 2016 ended a 58-year absence from major tournaments and the campaign included highlights such as the ruthless dispatching of Israel and a highly-charged victory against a Belgium side then ranked second in the world.
So where does the win against Russia rank among this team's achievements?
Euro 2016: Groups and schedule
"This is the best," according to Chris Coleman.
There was no hesitation from the former Wales defender, who rated the demolition of Russia as the undoubted highlight of his career.
Such was the comprehensive nature of the performance, it could justifiably be described as the greatest display in Welsh football history.
The pinnacle of Wales' 1958 World Cup campaign was a 2-1 win over Hungary, while a 1991 victory against then world champions Germany and a qualifying triumph against Italy in 2002 stand out as iconic games.
However, all those Wales teams were unable to deliver beyond those memorable results.
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In contrast, the current vintage could have settled for a draw to reach the knockout stages in their first appearance at a European Championship, but instead produced arguably the most complete performance ever from a Wales team.
"I think we have just gone to the next level," said former Wales striker Dean Saunders, who was part of the 1991 team that beat Germany.
"It is brilliant to top the group and now we move on, we are ready for the next challenge and we will not be scared of anybody - I think there will be a few scared of us, though."
Such is the influence of Gareth Bale, Wales have often been accused of being a one-man team that is overly reliant on the Real Madrid forward.
Bale and his team-mates have always refuted the claim, albeit with a realistic recognition of his immense importance to the side.
Their dismantling of Russia vindicated the suggestion Wales have more than just Bale. It was a brilliant team display founded on several stellar individual performances, with the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen stepping out of the former Tottenham man's shadow.
Ramsey has struggled to replicate his Arsenal form for his country, sometimes overzealous in his attempts to take control of games. He is undoubtedly committed, but has occasionally been guilty of over-complication in possession.
However, he delivered what was arguably his greatest international display against Russia, passing with precision and invention and scoring an excellent opening goal.
He was supported brilliantly in midfield by Allen, used infrequently by Liverpool but a passing metronome whose tenacity helped Wales play at a rapid pace to blow Russia away.
Not to be outdone, Bale was at his destructive best, evading Russia's defenders with embarrassing ease and flicking in a stylish third goal to go top of the Euro 2016 scoring charts.
There was a moment in the second half when Wales were 3-0 up, nonchalantly passing the ball around to cries of 'Ole' from their fans, when the red corner of Stadium de Toulouse called on Chris Coleman to give them a wave.
Naturally, he obliged, offering a stately hand to the crowd as he revelled in the majesty of the occasion.
It was a far cry from the tumult of the beginning of his reign, losing his first four matches to make the worst start of any Wales manager.
"Chris Coleman lost nine of his first 13 games and was under pressure, people calling for his head," said Saunders.
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"He decided to do it his own way and the players love him."
Coleman's way has seen him make some bold decisions, such as selecting Sam Vokes against Russia despite the striker starting only one of Wales' qualifying matches for Euro 2016.
Like many of his recent decisions, it paid off, and proved 'Coleman's way' to be the way forward for Wales.
Playing in their first European Championship, Wales face another step into the unknown as they wonder who they will face next in France.
That it will be staged at Parc de Princes in Paris on Saturday is as much as they know for certain.
Their opponents in the last 16 will be the third-placed team from Group A, C or D - but that could be any of Albania, Northern Ireland, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey or Croatia.
Who would Wales like to face? Ask the fans and many might answer that, having made it this far, they do not care.
Certainly, if Wales can scale the heights of their performance against Russia, Coleman believes his side are a match for anyone.
"Whoever's next is going to be a massive challenge for us," he said.
"It's not to say we can't enjoy tonight - we're not a country that's been at tournament after tournament, semi-finals, finals. This is new to us.
"It's exciting, nerve-wracking at times, a lot of pressure and tension. If we're maxing out and at our best then we've always got a chance."
Create leagues and play against your friends in BBC Sport's new Euro 2016 Predictor game.


Police in Copenhagen say they have shot dead a man they believe was behind two deadly attacks in the Danish capital hours earlier.

Police say they killed the man in the Norrebro district after he opened fire on them.
It came after one person was killed and three police officers injured at a free speech debate in a cafe on Saturday.
In the second attack, a Jewish man was killed and two police officers wounded near the city's main synagogue.
Police say video surveillance suggested the same man carried out both attacks. They do not believe any other people were involved.
The head of Danish intelligence said investigators were working on the theory that the gunman could have been inspired by the shootings in Paris last month. The attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine, a kosher supermarket and a policewoman claimed 17 lives.
Jens Madsen told reporters the man had been identified and had been on the agency's radar for some time.
Police were working to determine whether the man had travelled to Syria or Iraq, he said.
Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said it was "a very sad morning" and described the shootings as "a cynical act of terror against Denmark".
"We do not know the motive for the alleged perpetrator's actions, but we know that there are forces that want to hurt Denmark. They want to rebuke our freedom of speech,'' she said, according to the Associated Press.
Ms Thorning-Schmidt later visited the synagogue and said Denmark would do everything to protect its Jewish community.
On Saturday a gunman attacked a free-speech debate hosted by controversial Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks.
One man - identified by Danish media as film director Finn Norgaard, 55 - was killed and and three police officers wounded.
Officials said the gunman fled by car. A black Volkswagen Polo was found abandoned a short distance away.
Police said the gunman then called a taxi to take him home.
They used information from the taxi driver to identify the address, near the railway station in Norrebro. They released photos showing the alleged attacker wearing a purple balaclava and thick puffer jacket.
Hours later, a gunman opened fire outside a synagogue in Krystalgade street, about 5km from the scene of the first attack, killing a Jewish man and wounding two police officers.
The victim was named as Dan Uzan, 37. He had been on security duty while a bat mitzvah ceremony was taking place inside the synagogue.
Early on Sunday, police said they had been keeping the Norrebro address under observation, waiting for the occupant to return.
When the man appeared, he saw the officers, pulled out a gun and opened fire, police said. They returned fire and shot him dead.
It was always a case of not if but when. What's surprising is that it has taken this long for Denmark to be scarred by a fatal terror attack.
In September it will be 10 years since the Jyllands Posten newspaper inflamed the Muslim world with the publication of 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including one of him with a bomb in his turban.
The country has been perpetually vigilant since 2005, after its embassies in the Middle East were burned and Danish exports threatened.
Kurt Westergaard, the 79-year-old cartoonist who drew the seminal turban caricature, has spent the past decade living under a death fatwa (religious ruling). He narrowly escaped an attempt to kill him at home, and had to lock himself into a panic room when a Somali militant broke into his home in the city of Aarhus.
He continues to live under police protection.
Why Denmark was steeled for attack
French President Francois Hollande said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve would visit the Danish capital on Sunday.
US National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said they had been in touch with their Danish counterparts and were ready to help with the investigation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Jewish people in Europe to migrate to Israel following attacks on Jews in recent weeks.
"This wave of attacks will continue. I say to the Jews of Europe - Israel is your home," he told a cabinet meeting.


Following a damning report on the collapse of BHS and its pension fund, MPs are to widen their inquiry to study defined benefit pensions in general.

The Work and Pension Committee will ask whether the Pensions Regulator should be given extra powers.
Lesley Titcomb, the chief executive of the Pensions Regulator, will be called to give evidence.
She will be asked to explain whether she could have used her existing powers to block the sale of BHS.
Sir Phillip Green sold BHS to Dominic Chappell with a "gigantic" black hole in its pension fund, according to last month's report by MPs.
As a result 20,000 BHS pensioners face a lower income in retirement.
"The lessons of BHS must be learnt," said Frank Field MP, the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
"This may mean strengthening the powers and resolve of the Pensions Regulator to act early, quickly and firmly, with those who seek to avoid their pension responsibilities.
"It is important, however, that businesses that are run reputably and responsibly are not put under undue restriction."
The inquiry into defined benefit pensions - where retirees get a guaranteed level of pension, based on their years of service - will also look at other companies with big deficits in their pension schemes, such as Tata and BT.
A recent funding update found the BT pension scheme had a current deficit of £9.9bn, one of the largest of any British business.
The inquiry will examine:
Lesley Titcomb previously told MPs that she learnt about the sale of BHS through the newspapers.
The Pensions Regulator has also been criticised for having too light a touch in relation to master trust schemes, involving auto-enrolment pensions.
The BBC revealed earlier this year that hundreds of thousands of employees are paying into such pension funds, some of which may be at risk of failure.


A court prosecutor who repeatedly stabbed his wife in the head during a bout of work-induced depression has been jailed for six years.

Iain Farrimond attacked his wife with a kitchen knife and an ornamental cat on the eve of their wedding anniversary before turning the knife on himself.
Nottingham Crown Court heard Farrimond, of Worcester, meant to kill his wife of 28 years in her sleep but she woke up.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer, 54, admitted attempted murder.
Prosecuting, Bill Emlyn Jones said Farrimond, of Battenhall Road, had enjoyed a 23-year career with Birmingham CPS but had been suffering recent stress at work.
The court heard the senior crown prosecutor had written a suicide note at the scene and in the immediate aftermath of the attack on 26 May told police he had intended it to be a "day of death".
Nothing had seemed amiss on the night of the attack, Mr Emlyn Jones said.
But Farrimond's wife, Tina, woke up to find he "had armed himself with a large knife, and was stabbing her in the face and head".
She wrestled the knife from him but he resumed the attack with a large wooden ornamental cat, the jury heard.
Mrs Farrimond escaped to the bathroom, while her husband called 999 and stabbed himself with a large knife.
Mr Emlyn Jones said the motive had been a feeling of helplessness at work and fear he would have to leave.
"His increased workload and the introduction of the digital case system, which he was struggling to cope with, led him to desperation," he said.
His wife, who suffered five stab wounds in the attack, has recovered.
In sentencing, Judge Gregory Dickinson described it as a sad case of a "loving and devoted husband" committing a crime while "in the grip of severe depressive illness".
The CPS said the well-being of its staff was off the utmost importance and it had made stress management a priority.
Farrimond has been dismissed from the CPS.


Crusaders continue their bid to secure back-to-back Irish League titles for the first time in their history when they face Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

The Crues will retain the Gibson Cup if they beat the Lurgan Blues on Saturday and Linfield fail to defeat Coleraine.
"We must stay focused, it's definitely not over yet and we still have a job to do," said Crues manager Stephen Baxter.
"It's important that we come away from this game with something to push us a little closer to the title."
"We had a fantastic game against Glenavon in the Irish Cup a couple of weeks ago, which could have gone either way.
"We just have to concentrate on playing the games in front of us and focus on what we are trying to do."
"We will go there with confidence after our big win over Linfield last week but we now face two testing away games and Mourneview Park is a difficult place to go," added Baxter.
Second-placed Linfield now trail the champions by eight points and Blues manager David Healy has all but conceded defeat in his club's pursuit to overhaul the pacesetters with just four rounds of fixtures remaining.
"We now have to make sure we finish second and seal a European place," commented Healy.
"Credit to Crusaders as it's often said that it's more difficult to retain a title than to win it so well done to them if they do go on and win it.
"We have a cup final to look forward to and I've told the squad that they are playing for starting places in the team for that."
Glenavon will hope to bounce back from last week's reverse at the hands of Cliftonville, a result which saw Gary Hamilton's side drop below the Reds in the contest to clinch third position.
The Solitude outfit entertain Glentoran, who will be without injured pair Calum Birney (ankle) and Chris Lavery (knee).
The battle for valuable points to help avoid the drop continues at the foot of the table as bottom side Warrenpoint Town host Ballinamallard United, who are one point ahead of Barry Gray's charges in 11th.
Tenth-placed Carrick Rangers are one point better off than the Mallards but are at home to a Ballymena United side, who are now unbeaten in five matches under new boss David Jeffrey.
Struggling Portadown play Dungannon Swifts in the day's other Section B fixture.


A court in Libya has sentenced Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of deposed leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, and eight others to death over war crimes linked to the 2011 revolution.

More than 30 close associates of Col Gaddafi were tried for suppressing peaceful protests during the uprising.
Saif al-Islam was not in court, but has previously appeared via video link.
He is being held by a former rebel group from the town of Zintan that refuses to hand him over.
A Zintani source indicated to the BBC that they would not execute him or hand him over to the court.
Former head of intelligence for the Gaddafi regime, Abdullah al-Senussi, is among those also facing death by firing squad, as is former PM Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.
They have the right to appeal against their sentences within 60 days.
In court as Saif al-Islam sentenced
In the years before the uprising, Saif al-Islam was known for trying to introduce political and economic reforms, says the BBC's North African correspondent Rana Jawad.
"But as people called for the fall of his father's rule - he stood by him till the bitter end," she added.
He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Prosecutors say that he was part of his father's plans to "quell, by all means, the civilian demonstrations against the Gaddafi regime".
Eight other ex-officials received life sentences and seven were given jail terms of 12 years each, said chief investigator Sadiq al-Sur. Four were acquitted.
The defendants were accused of incitement to violence and murdering protesters during the revolution that eventually toppled Col Gaddafi.
Since his death, Libya has been plagued by instability, and currently has no single government.
Instead two warring factions each claim to run the country. An internationally-recognised parliament is based in Tobruk, while the capital Tripoli is held by rivals Libya Dawn.
The trial, which opened last year, has been dogged by criticism from human rights agencies, who are concerned about the fairness of Libya's judicial system.
The United Nations human rights office said it was "deeply disturbed" by the sentences, while Human Rights Watch said justice for the victims could "only be delivered through fair and transparent proceedings".
With the first news of Saif al-Islam's capture in 2011, I heard the sound of celebratory gunfire and car horns across Tripoli. Few could believe it had actually happened. But soon Libyans were mockingly waving their fingers as images of Saif al-Islam's severed finger surfaced on social media.
He was caught deep in Libya's southern desert and immediately flown north to the mountains. Hordes met his plane at Zintan's rudimentary airstrip before he was whisked to a secret prison somewhere in the town.
The town's fierce fighters were key to the overthrow of Col Gaddafi - and after the revolution they established themselves as one of the most powerful militias in the country, cementing this with the capture of Libya's most wanted man - Saif al-Islam.
His captors were proud of their catch and delighted to recount the story of what they claimed was an audacious ambush in the desert.
But even in these early days they were adamant that they would not hand him over to the official authorities - a promise that still holds true.
To them he was already a precious political commodity that could be used as a bargaining chip with Libya's newly formed government.
Why is Libya lawless?
West's light touch failed Libya


Melissa McCarthy's new comedy The Boss has unseated Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice from the top of the North American and Canadian box office.

The film, in which McCarthy plays an eccentric tycoon, took an estimated $23.5m (£16.5m) on its debut weekend.
Dawn of Justice was knocked to second place in its third week, pulling in an estimated $23.4m (£16.4m).
But when final box office figures are released on Monday, the DC comics "mash-up" could still come out on top.
The margin between the top two films is one of the closest in recent years, according to industry analysts.
Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill's superhero movie has defied poor reviews, having taken almost $300m (£211m) in the US.
The film, in which Affleck plays Batman and Cavill takes the role of Superman, now ranks as the third highest-grossing DC Comics release to date in the US, according to Box Office Mojo.
Its box office haul has now surpassed 2013's Man of Steel, also starring Cavill, which took $291m (£205m). However, Dawn of Justice's takings has dropped by 54% since its first week of release.
The Boss was co-written by Bridesmaids star McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone.
Critics had not expected it to perform well, but the film has done better than McCarthy's 2014 comedy Tammy.
In third place came Disney's Zootopia with $14.4m (£10m), slipping one spot from last week.
Now in its sixth weekend of release, the animated film featuring the voices of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin has made a US total of $296m (£208m).
Comedy sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 was at number four, making $6.4m (£4.5m).
The weekend's only other newcomer, action thriller Hardcore Henry, opened in fifth place with takings of $5.1m (£3.6m).
The Russian-American sci-fi stars Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, and Tim Roth.
Shot through the eyes of Henry in a style similar to a first-person shooter video game, it centres on a man who is resurrected from death with no memory but must discover his identity to save his wife from a murderous tyrant.
In the rest of the top 10,  Miracles from Heaven held on in sixth place with $4.8m (£3.4m) and God's Not Dead 2 slipped to seven with $4m (£2.8m).
The Divergent Series: Allegiant fell to eighth, thriller 10 Cloverfield Lane was at nine and drone drama Eye In The Sky was at 10.


A West Lothian pensioner who admitted raping two primary schoolgirls has been jailed for for eight and a half years.

John McGrogan, 65, of Blackridge, began abusing the girls when they were aged six and 11.
The offences were committed between 1981 and 2005 at addresses in Edinburgh.
The former playground supervisor was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. He was earlier placed on the sex offenders register.
A judge heard how the victims finally revealed their ordeals in 2014 after McGrogan was convicted of child porn offences.
Lord Burns told McGrogan he had "exploited" the duo for his own "gratification".
He added the victim impact statements given to him had made "harrowing" reading.
McGrogan will also be supervised for a further four years on his release.
The first girl was aged 11 when she was raped. The other was attacked between the ages of six and 11.
Both told how, during the abuse, McGrogan would try and spoil them by buying sweets or computer games.
Tony Lenehan, defending said McGrogan's regret for what happened was "sincere".


Russell Slade is to be removed from his role as Cardiff City manager and will take up a new role as head of football.

The club will appoint a head coach to look after the first team, with Slade overseeing scouting among other duties.
He will be in charge for the final time when they host Birmingham as the Championship season ends on Saturday.
"The club feels that it is necessary to have a change. We want to create a spark to take us to another level," said chief executive Ken Choo.
Slade joined Cardiff in October 2014 from Leyton Orient and has said he wants to stay with the Bluebirds.
He held talks with chairman Mehmet Dalman following the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday which ended their play-off hopes.
Slade has insisted he has made ''progress'' at Cardiff this season with the Bluebirds destined to finish either seventh or eighth, having been placed 11th at the end of the 2014-15 season.
He succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who was in charge when Cardiff were relegated from their only season in the Premier League, 2013-14.
Cardiff had targeted a place in the play-offs, and fell short as they recorded one win in their previous six matches.
Choo's comments hint that the club feel Slade has taken the team as far as he can.
"We feel it is necessary to have a vacancy in that position," he said.
"And then have some body take it to another level.
"This season we have improved significantly. We want to build on it so we are trying to create a leaner and meaner team for next season."
"It's going to be different, that's for sure and I've done an awful lot of games as a manager and now that has come to an end," said Slade.
"But I will look forward and focus and look to see what I can do help in the process of moving the club forward.
"I'm looking forward to the Birmingham game and it really would be nice to go out on a high and get three points to finish the season."
BBC Wales football correspondent Rob Phillips says: "The bookies have already installed Craig Bellamy as favourite to take over from Slade, but that is highly unlikely to happen.
"Cardiff are looking for an experienced candidate who they believe will build on the stability Slade installed.
"Any new recruit would also obviously have to be happy to work with a head of football, which might be off-putting for some."


Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has apologised to his victims in a federal court hearing where he was formally sentenced to death.

"I am sorry for the lives I have taken, for the suffering that I have caused you," he told the injured and bereaved.
Earlier on Wednesday, he remained impassive as victims lined up in court to condemn his "cowardly" actions.
Tsarnaev and his brother killed four and injured 264 when they bombed the finish line of the marathon in 2013.
His older brother later died and Tsarnaev was sentenced to death last month but he was formally sentenced by the judge on Wednesday.
In his first statements since the start of the trial, the 21-year-old said he listened to all the victims' testimony and noted survivors' strength, patience and dignity.
He thanked Allah and his lawyers.
But speaking outside the court following the sentencing, victim Lynne Julian said Tsarnaev's apology was hollow and insincere and that her sense of security is forever changed.
"I regret ever wanting to hear him speak," she said. "He showed no remorse."
Henry Borgard, who was walking home from work at the time of the bombing, said he forgives Tsarnaev.
"To hear he is sorry is enough for me. I hope he was genuine, I have no way of knowing that."
Before Tsarnaev spoke in court, several of the injured and bereaved used what was the first opportunity for them to make public their feelings.
Ed Fucarile, the father of Marc, who lost his right leg, said: "The first time I saw you in this courtroom, you were smirking at all the victims for your unspeakable cowardly act. You don't seem to be smirking today.''
The sister of Sean Collier, a police officer killed by the brothers in a shoot-out, called Tsarnaev a "leech abusing the privilege of American freedom".
One woman, Rebekah Gregory, who worked in corporate housing and lost part of her leg in the bombings, told him she'd watched him "smirking" and "cracking jokes" with his attorneys during the trial.
As she spoke, she stared hard at him and looked only occasionally at her notes. She said she had not been destroyed by the attack. "You made us stronger," she told him.
She sounded almost triumphant as she spoke about her achievements  such as working to overcome her injuries, since the bombings, and she concluded by saying to him: "So how's that for your victim impact statement?"
Then she was done.
Bill Richard, father of eight-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest victim, said Tsarnaev could have stopped his brother on the morning of the attack.
"He chose hate. He chose destruction. He chose death. This is all on him."
Seventeen people who lost legs in the attack were present in court. Many said they feared they were going to die.
It could be years until Tsarnaev's legal process is finished. Death penalty sentences in the US often take years to carry out, and there will be an appeal.
Victims' profiles in full


Campaigners aiming to retain children's heart surgery in Leicester have welcomed a High Court ruling.

Glenfield is one of 3 units which face closure following a review.
On Wednesday a judge decided the consultation over services at Leeds was "ill-judged" but stressed this applied to Leeds only.
Families of children treated at Glenfield said the news was a boost while the hospital's board is meeting later to discuss its implications.
In July a review by the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts (JCPCT) of 10 units in England and Wales recommended closing centres at Leeds General Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital and London's Royal Brompton.
JCPCT said treatment would be improved by focussing resources and expertise at fewer, larger centres.
Adam Tansey, whose son had life-saving surgery at Glenfield, said: "(The ruling) confirms what we all thought, that the process was illogical at best but at worst unlawful.
"It just confirms what we suspected."
Head of children's heart surgery at Glenfield,  Giles Peek, felt the news was highly significant.
"Exactly the same decision and logic were applied to all the centres, so although (the judge) wasn't considering how it applied to Glenfield, they used exactly the same methodology.
"So if it was unlawful for Leeds, it was unlawful for us but we haven't launched a legal challenge because we are relying on our clinical case."
An Independent Reconfiguration Panel, commissioned by Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt to review the work of the JCPCT, is due to report in April.


A record £210m was spent by Premier League clubs on transfer deadline day but the collapse of some of the window's most talked-about moves leaves as many questions as answers.

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There are likely to be some unhappy players around the Premier League after the close of the transfer window - leaving bosses to indulge in very careful man management before games resume following the international break.
Southampton's Virgil van Dijk has effectively been in exile all summer, deemed not to be in the right frame of mind to figure in games having handed in a transfer request in an attempt to push through a move to Liverpool.
Philippe Coutinho is in a similar position at Liverpool, refused his move to Barcelona despite emailing a transfer request to the club's hierarchy and a subsequent offer from the Catalans that would have amounted to £118m.
Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, have so far refused to move on the stance they held from day one. The Spanish transfer window does not close until Friday evening, but they have maintained throughout the summer that he Brazilian will not leave Anfield.
Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez was allowed special dispensation to leave the Algeria national camp to sign for his new club - the only problem being this was a mystery not just to his current club, but also to a list of supposedly interested teams.
Mahrez, for now, must return to Leicester after what seems a rather embarrassing unscheduled excursion.
And of course, after a day of claim and counter-claim covering Europe and South America, Alexis Sanchez stays at Arsenal when at one point he seemed certain to join Manchester City in a £60m deal.
Sanchez's frustration will be compounded by the fact it appeared the deal foundered over Thomas Lemar's reluctance to leave Monaco for Arsenal, despite reports of a £92m fee being agreed.
There will now be a significant period of reintegration for those players - and how successfully this is done will play a vital part in how their season unfolds.
Van Dijk's head and heart have appeared elsewhere all summer since it emerged he wished to move to Liverpool but the Merseysiders were forced to back off and apologise amid claims of an illegal approach.
The talented Netherlands central defender was still holding out for a move even on deadline day itself but Southampton, who have seen the path to Anfield become a well-worn route for their players in recent seasons, held firm.
Saints' new boss Mauricio Pellegrino faces the tough task of getting Van Dijk in shape to swallow that disappointment and return to the fray. There is little doubt he had no intention of playing for Southampton again but he cannot afford to waste time in a World Cup year and must knuckle down until January at least.
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Things may not be so difficult for Arsenal and Leicester City. Sanchez, rather like Luis Suarez after he became unsettled at Liverpool, has the driven winning mentality that ensures he can block out all outside distractions once he gets on the field. It would be no surprise to see him continue to exert a major influence on Arsenal.
And Mahrez has been outstanding for Leicester already this season despite making it clear all summer that he wished to leave.
Coutinho's response to disappointment remains to be seen, although Liverpool's worries have been eased by the fact they have so far been outstanding in attack even in his absence.
He has not played for them this season because of a back injury, although he reported for duty with Brazil, coming on as a substitute in Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Ecuador to score their second goal in a 2-0 win.
Manager Jurgen Klopp insists he would have no trouble welcoming Coutinho back but it will clearly be a blow to a player regarded as a model professional if his hopes of a dream move to the Nou Camp have indeed been thwarted.
In each case, managers will be working overtime to heal any lingering hurt while every piece of body language will be studied by fans whose affection for players they have hero-worshipped has been stretched this summer.
Premier League champions Chelsea have brought in real talent in this window in the shape of £60m striker Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid and Monaco's talented midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko - but there will still be frustration after several failures in the transfer market.
Romelu Lukaku was long-touted for a return to his former club but ended up joining Manchester United in a £75m switch from Everton, while a move for Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci never materialised as he chose to stay in Italy at AC Milan.
There was also the surprise departure of midfield powerhouse Nemanja Matic - not simply his exit, but a move to Manchester United that will significantly strengthen a rival's hand in the Premier League title race.
It was in the final week of the window, however, that Chelsea's difficulties were laid bare as they struggled to get deals over the line.
The Stamford Bridge club agreed a £40m fee with Arsenal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain only to discover the midfielder preferred Liverpool, before the steady pursuit of Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente was trumped by a late, swift £15m intervention from Tottenham.
Finally, and most bizarrely of all, Chelsea agreed a £35m deal with Everton for Ross Barkley, only for the 23-year-old England midfielder to change his mind on the move.
Everton major shareholder Farhad Moshiri said Barkley had even had a medical - a claim denied by Barkley's camp.
It was another blow to Chelsea, although compensation came in the signings of Torino defender Davide Zappacosta and the £35m addition of Leicester City's England man Danny Drinkwater.
Chelsea have normally been ruthlessly efficient in concluding business, so this week has been alien territory for them.
How will it affect their season and manager Conte?
The Italian has been keen to stress the squad needed strengthening and while it is stretching the point to suggest the champions have lost some of their allure, it has been a chastening week for all at Stamford Bridge.
The most astonishing turn of events on deadline day came with a deal that did not happen. Namely Chelsea's aborted £35m move for Barkley.
Chelsea thought they had got their man after an improved offer was accepted by the Toffees and personal terms were agreed, only for Barkley to back away from the move at the 11th hour.
In a bizarre conclusion to the window, Chelsea were left embarrassed and frustrated, while Everton were left contemplating the return of a player they may now lose for a lot less in January or for nothing next summer.
Whatever the reasons for the breakdown of the move, Barkley's first task is to get himself fit as he contemplates three months on the sidelines with a serious hamstring injury at a pivotal moment in his career.
So what next?
It is unlikely this means a long-term reunion with Everton.
Barkley's relationship with manager Ronald Koeman is uneasy, with the hard-nosed Dutchman seemingly ambivalent to whether he stays or goes, especially having strengthened in his position with £45m record buy Gylfi Sigurdsson and £24m former Ajax captain Davy Klaassen.
Chelsea would appear unlikely to return to the negotiating table after Thursday's events - so the beneficiaries may be Tottenham.
Spurs have held a long-term interest in Barkley and now have a strong hand to play in January, when he may be fully fit once more, or in the summer when he is available for free.
And, probably to Koeman's agitation, Barkley is back on his agenda once more.
Manchester City spent more than £130m strengthening a defence that was their weak spot last season by bringing in Kyle Walker from Spurs for £54m, Monaco's Benjamim Mendy for £52m and Danilo from Real Madrid for £26.5m - but will they eventually regret missing out on the unsung Jonny Evans?
Manager Pep Guardiola wanted 29-year-old Evans to add steel and reliability in central defence but was left frustrated as West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis attached a prohibitive £30m price tag and another avenue of opportunity was closed off by Eliaquim Mangala's reluctance to join Crystal Palace.
Evans may not be one of the Premier League's most celebrated defenders, and of course would have had his Manchester United links to overcome, but the Northern Ireland international has been simply outstanding at The Hawthorns.
City will hope captain Vincent Kompany stays fit and John Stones finds consistency after a transitional first season at Etihad Stadium, especially as Nicolas Otamendi remains unconvincing.
If not, Guardiola's desire to bring the no-nonsense, almost old-fashioned, defensive reliability of this greatly under-rated player to City will appear even more understandable.
Of all the eye-catching deals in this window, Swansea City may just have pulled off the biggest coup of all with the loan signing of Renato Sanches from Bayern Munich.
Sanches, just 20, was one of Europe's hottest properties when he joined Bayern for £35m before starring in Portugal's Euro 2016 win, where he was voted young player of the tournament.
He found life tough at Bayern but remains a prodigious talent rich in promise.
This deal is a coup for Swansea manager Paul Clement, who worked with Sanches as Bayern assistant manager and retains a close friendship with coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Sanches may be using the Swans as a stepping stone - but this is a win-win for both sides and could have the Premier League's elite looking back at the end of the season pondering: "Why didn't we think of that?"


A London estate agent has complained to the Liberal Democrats after they used the name of his company in a spoof website attacking Theresa May.

The Lib Dem site was called "May & Co" - the same name as a Chelsea estate agent established in 1920.
The firm's boss, John Yianni, said he started getting abusive and "weird" phone calls when the campaign appeared on Twitter.
The Lib Dems said it was "an innocent mistake" and the site had been changed.
A party spokesman blamed an "over-enthusiastic volunteer" who had released an early version of the campaign which had not been checked.
He said the party had apologised to Mr Yianni.
The Lib Dem site is now called "Theresa May and Co" - but Mr Yianni said it was still close to the name of his company and he was concerned it was affecting his business.
"The damage has been done and it's probably going to get worse. You don't want to be politically biased in your business.
"People were saying: 'What are you doing getting into bed with them?'"
He said he had contacted Sir Vince Cable and the Lib Dem headquarters to ask for the campaign to be dropped.
"I was a Vince Cable supporter. I told him that," said Mr Yianni, who said he would not now be voting for the former business secretary.
He added: "This company has been going since the 20s. They should have just checked before they unleashed it.
"They have changed it into something slightly different thinking it's going to be OK but it's still the same."
Lib Dem candidate Sir Ed Davey earlier staged a protest against Conservative social care reforms, which the party has dubbed the "dementia tax," with "Theresa May & Co" placards.
Plans to make people receiving care at home liable for the full costs if they are worth at least Â£100,000 have proved controversial since they were announced in the Conservative manifesto.
Theresa May later said proposed changes to social care funding in England would include an "absolute limit" on the money people will have to pay.
She has repeatedly stressed that people will not have to sell their homes while they are alive to fund care.
Speaking at the protest, Sir Ed said there are other ways of funding social care than "setting up May & Co estate agents to come after your home".


Contractors' confidence in the North Sea oil and gas industry is at a "record low", according to a survey.

It also found two-thirds of operators have been forced to cancel projects in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) because of the fall in oil prices
Just one in five contractors (21%) said they were working at or above optimum levels.
This was well down on the 47% recorded in the previous survey by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
Its 22nd oil and gas survey found only 7% of North Sea contractors were more confident about their activities than they were a year ago, compared with 76% who were less confident.
That is the lowest figure since the survey began in 2004.
An increase in decommissioning was described in the report as "a bittersweet positive", with more than 80% of contractors involved in that work seeing increases in their activity in the past 12 months.
Just 8% of firms involved in exploration said they expected the value of exploration to increase in the coming year.
Tax issues were cited by 81% of contractors as a constraint on their activity in the UKCS, up from 28% in the last survey.
There were also increases in the number of respondents reporting "complex regulations", "cost of capital" and "access to capital" as constraints on their UKCS operations.
Analysis by Douglas Fraser, BBC Scotland business and economy editor
It's no surprise that the offshore oil and gas industry is downbeat, following the cut in the price of oil and the sharp cuts in its costs. But the latest survey figures are striking for showing such a big change.
The biggest change in perception since the last survey is in attitudes to tax and regulation. It seems that offshore operators were happy to pay tax and handle regulation while everyone was busy, investing heavily and making a lot of money.
But with the squeeze on, and with the tax regime highlighted by the debate over cutting it, that now feels much more of a burden.
It also suggests that the new Oil and Gas Authority, which has taken over regulation from Whitehall, has a job on its hands to persuade industry bosses that they will have to face more intervention.
That's if the authority is to meet its targets for maximising recovery of reserves, which will require companies to change behaviour, cut costs further and collaborate more closely.
James Bream, research and policy director at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said the survey results provided "clear signals that new opportunities exist", despite low confidence within the sector.
He said: "Confidence levels are at an all-time low and we are now experiencing our first 'recession of confidence', and it looks gloomy in the year ahead too.
"However, we have seen positive tax changes, the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority) team is bedding in and in the Queen's Speech the new UK government has committed to legislating for the Infrastructure Bill.
"There is lots to build on and just perhaps it is possible that we are seeing the start of the next phase in our role at the frontier of the oil and gas sector."
An OGA spokesman said: "We have moved quickly to establish the OGA and have welcomed the strong support of industry and government as we aim to maximise economic recovery of oil and gas from the UKCS (MER UK).
"The Â£1.3bn package of measures announced in the March 2015 Budget provided a welcome boost to the sector. It is now essential that industry redoubles its efforts to create a more competitive cost base, improve efficiency and increase productivity."
A Scottish government spokeswoman said that changes brought by the Chancellor in his recent budget had not gone far enough to support the oil and gas industry.
She added: "In particular we note that survey respondents have highlighted the need to increase exploration drilling.
"We were disappointed that the changes announced by the Chancellor in his recent budget did not include the exploration credit which we proposed and which is clearly needed, however the forthcoming budget provides another opportunity for the UK government to take the necessary action to support exploration."
Scottish Labour's finance spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "While the recent oil price has been good for the economy overall, it has been a disaster for firms and families in the north east of Scotland.
"We need to do everything we can to make sure that the opportunities that are available through decommissioning are maximised to their full potential."
A total of 133 companies responded to the latest chamber of commerce survey. It was undertaken in partnership with UK law firm Bond Dickinson and conducted by the Fraser of Allander Institute.


The mother of missing British trekker Gareth Huntley has arrived in Malaysia to "be here when they find him".

Mr Huntley, 34, of Cricklewood, north London, has not been seen since going trekking on Tioman Island on Tuesday.
Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken to his Malaysian counterpart about the search.
Over 100 people have been looking for Mr Huntley, but the Malaysian government was criticised for its initial lack of action.
Mr Huntley's mother, Janet Southwell, said she believed her son had been injured but was still alive.
She arrived in Malaysia on Monday and said she wanted to join the search for her son.
She told the BBC: "I want to see the area for myself, absolutely, get a feel for where he's lost, where he's missing.
"I just want to be here when they find him, I think he will want to see a familiar face when they find him."
The British Government said it had been assured "all available search assets" were involved in the hunt, which includes police officers and rescue teams.
The Malaysian government has insisted all available resources are being used in the search after Mrs Southwell criticised their initial efforts.
A spokesman for Number 10 said David Cameron had spoken to prime minister Najib Razak of Malaysia and thanked him for the efforts made by authorities over the past few days to find Mr Huntley.
Mr Cameron was considering what more the UK could do to help, added the spokesman.
A local Foreign Office diplomat has arrived to co-ordinate the rescue effort from the ground.
Mr Huntley set off to visit a waterfall on the island, off the south-eastern coast of the country's mainland, on Tuesday.
He told friends he would be back at the charity project where he was volunteering by 14:00, but failed to return.
Ms Southwell, from Bradford, has been critical of efforts made so far to find her son, but told BBC 5 live she hoped the search would resume at daylight.
"My grateful thanks to David Cameron and the British government. I'm sure their involvement has really helped things," she said.
"It's a roller coaster of emotions. You know it's despair one minute and hope the next and back again.
"Gareth's quite a resilient character, he's a determined young man and I'm feeling really positive that with all this effort we are going to find him.
"He may be injured but we are going to find him and we will bring him out alive."
Mr Huntley's girlfriend Kit Natariga, who has also flown out to the island, wrote on Facebook that it was "absolutely crucial to act fast and continue to push the authorities and rescue teams".
But she admitted time to find him was "running out".
Last week, Mr Huntley's family raised concerns about the rescue effort.
His brother Mark had said police did not initially join the search and for days it was only his friends and local people who were looking for him.
Ms Southwell also appealed directly to Prime Minister David Cameron to put pressure on the Malaysian government to step up the search.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who is in Malaysia, raised the matter with his counterpart on Sunday.
He "was assured that the Malaysian authorities would do all they could to locate him and had already deployed significant assets", the Foreign Office said in a statement.
On his official Twitter feed, the Malaysian Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein also said he was helping to find missing Mr Huntley.
Steve Riches, who has attempted the trek to the waterfall, said: "It says two hours but once you get beyond the rubber tree hinterland, you enter the jungle proper and the path is not clearly marked.
"We crossed a very boulder-strewn river bed and then realised we were lost and with some difficulty, we retraced our steps until we hit the track.
"It is slippery and you can take a fall - I did - and we just played safe and came back to the start. Others say they did it ok."
He added: "Once you've headed off one of the few tracks, and are away from the rubber plantation strip, you really are in difficult virgin jungle with rattan palm that can rip your skin to pieces.
"It can be so dense that even a companion 15m (50ft) away cannot be heard.
"I saw a python, and there were vipers, and you get covered with bloodsucking leeches, but frankly the greatest dangers are not from nature but from falling or just being completely lost without water."
BBC News correspondent Jennifer Pak, who is in Kuala Lumpur, said the area was a dense jungle.
"It's extremely difficult because they've been experiencing rainfall every night, [and there is] more to come in the coming days," she said.
"Also the search has been limited to daylight hours so as soon as it gets dark at 19:00 local time, it has to stop.
"Even if the pathway he was using was well trodden, it's extremely wet, slippery, so it would have been very difficult."


A bronze book has been stolen from the top of a memorial cairn between two Borders villages.

It was taken from the top of the monument honouring poet William Henry Ogilvie some time between 27 July and 24 August.
The cairn is situated next to the B711 in the Horn Hill area between the villages of Roberton and Ashkirk.
Police said they were keen to return the "distinctive item" to its "rightful place".
"I'd urge anyone who may have information on its current whereabouts to get in touch," said PC Lesley Shiell.
"Likewise, anyone who may have seen any suspicious behaviour in the area during this time is asked to come forward."
Ogilvie was born in 1869 near Kelso but moved to Australia in 1889 before returning to Scotland in 1901.
He published numerous poetry collections and enjoyed great popularity in both countries.
He died on 30 January 1963 at Ashkirk near Selkirk.


Inner-ear problems could be a cause of hyperactive behaviour, research suggests.

A study on mice, published in Science, said such problems caused changes in the brain that led to hyperactivity.
It could lead to the development of new targets for behaviour disorder treatments, the US team says.
A UK expert said the study's findings were "intriguing" and should be investigated further.
Behavioural problems such as ADHD are usually thought to originate in the brain.
But scientists have observed that children and teenagers with inner-ear disorders - especially those that affect hearing and balance - often have behavioural problems.
However, no causal link has been found.
The researchers in this study suggest inner-ear disorders lead to problems in the brain which then also affect behaviour.
The team from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York noticed some mice in the lab were particularly active - constantly chasing their tails.
They were found to be profoundly deaf and have disorders of the inner ear - of both the cochlea, which is responsible for hearing, and the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance.
The researchers found a mutation in the Slc12a2 gene, also found in humans.
Blocking the gene's activity in the inner ears of healthy mice caused them to become increasingly active.
The researchers then examined the striatum, an area in the centre of the brain area that controls movement.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is thought to affect 2-5% of children and young people.
Common symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
Symptoms tend to be first noticed at an early age and it is normally diagnosed between the ages of three and seven.
Recent evidence showed a 50% rise in the use of drugs for the condition in England, with 657,000 prescriptions issued for drugs including Ritalin.
They found higher-than-normal levels of two proteins, pERK and pCREB.
Mice with the gene flaw were given injections of haloperidol, a medicine already used to treat tics - uncontrollable movement - in humans.
It was seen to counteract the high protein levels, and mouse activity patterns returned to normal.
The researchers suggest the same process could be targeted in people, and that medications could be developed to help manage hyperactivity in children with inner-ear disorders.
Prof Jean Hebert, the lead scientist, said: "Our study provides the first evidence that a sensory impairment, such as inner-ear dysfunction, can induce specific molecular changes in the brain that cause maladaptive [counterproductive] behaviours traditionally considered to originate exclusively in the brain."
Anita Thapar, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Cardiff University's Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, said it was an "intriguing study and set of findings".
Prof Thapar, whose research has suggested there could be a genetic link to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), added: "It certainly raises the issue that we ought to critically consider what contributes to the links between sensory impairments and specific behaviours/disorders."
But she added there should be caution about directly extrapolating the findings to humans.
"ADHD, like most neuropsychiatric and medical disorders, is not caused by a single mutation.
"On the other hand animal models allow for experimental manipulation in a way that cannot be achieved in humans and the results can help shape hypotheses to test in humans."


A fancy-dress retailer is appealing against a ruling it must surrender its starwars.co.uk web address to Disney.

For more than a decade, the Berkshire-based company has used the address to direct shoppers to a Star Wars section of its Jokers' Masquerade store.
But in July, Nominet, which oversees .uk domains, backed Disney's ownership claim.
The last time anyone successfully appealed against a Nominet ruling was in 2013.
The costume store's parent company, Abscissa, was also told to give up a further six domain names used for the same purpose:
Chief executive Mark Lewis said Abscissa had used two of the addresses for more than 12 years without being challenged.
"I can't believe that over the last two decades that someone from either Lucasfilm or Disney did not do a WhoIs [search] and find that that starwars.co.uk and star-wars.co.uk were not registered to them," he told the BBC.
"There has to be a point in time, surely, where a registrant has to be able to hold some title."
He added that Lucasfilm had owned star-wars.co.uk for a time prior to 2003, but had chosen not to renew it.
"We cannot find any case where a complainant lets a domain lapse, then files a complaint," he said. "I believe this case sets a precedent."
Nominet requires a complainant to prove that a domain name registration is "abusive" for it to agree to transfer ownership.
Its initial ruling supported Disney's claim on the basis that consumers visiting the sites would have "falsely inferred a commercial connection" between the fancy dress store and the film franchise.
But Mr Lewis disputes this conclusion.
"We haven't abused them," he said.
"We haven't rented them, we haven't offered them for sale - the internet domains point to legitimate Star Wars-branded costumes that we've been selling for the past 13 years."
He added that he did not believe the two sides would be engaged in the legal battle at all had Nominet not introduced shorter "name.uk" domains last year.
Disney bought Lucasfilm - the production company behind Star Wars - in 2012 for $4.1bn (Â£2.6bn). It plans to release a new film - The Force Awakens - in December.
A spokesman for the entertainment giant could not be reached for comment.
Nominet's initial rulings are determined by single expert, but appeals go to a three-person panel.
Since 2001, just 48 cases - representing 1.8% of the body's rulings - have led to an appeal. Of those appeals, 20 resulted in the original decision being overturned.
A spokesman for Nominet said it was unable to comment on the Star Wars case while it remained active.


As is normal when peace negotiations loom, the approach of the Geneva II conference scheduled for 22 January has witnessed something of an upsurge of violence in the struggle between regime and rebels in Syria.

But this is no normal conflict, and there is no guarantee at all that the conference - which diplomats insist is not an event, but the start of a process expected to last months - will produce an end to the carnage.
While it is highly unlikely that a whistle will blow and the guns will have to fall silent, the two sides are clearly trying to enhance their positions on the ground so that they can go into the talks - assuming they take place - looking as strong as possible.
At the moment, the regime side looks in slightly better shape than the rebels. But it is clearly not in a position to sweep the board and regain control of the country. The overall picture, despite daily upsets and advances here and there, remains one of stalemate.
As one analyst put it : "They look like two tired boxers slugging it out."
The most important current focus is on the crucial highway linking Damascus with Homs and thence to the main northern cities and the Alawite heartland on the coast.
The road has been cut by rebels for nearly three weeks, with government forces battling to regain control of a lifeline whose rupture has led to fuel shortages in the capital.
Control is vital for the regime in any eventuality, and all the more so should a future scenario involve the country's partition in any way, including a ceasefire in position which would leave the two sides at least provisionally in control of the territory they hold.
But so far it has been hard pushed to dislodge rebel fighters from towns like Nabak, halfway between Damascus and Homs, and clashes were taking place on the highway itself daily. Even if it does drive them out, it may find use of the road subject to disruption by guerrilla-type rebel attacks.
Government forces have made some limited progress around the southern edge of Aleppo in the north, and could use that as a springboard for further inroads into rebel-held terrain if they can marshal the resources.
But in other areas, they are making less than impressive headway.
Heavy fighting around Deraa in the south has made it hard for them to keep their supply lines open.
And despite months of battling and besieging - and even the chemical weapons assault on 21 August which was followed by a concerted ground offensive - regime troops have not been able to push the rebels out of a ring of suburbs around the capital, where they have been entrenched for well over a year.
The government side is better able to conduct a centralised military strategy, and is better resourced. It has made devastating, if often inaccurate, use of its air power and even ground-to-ground missiles.
But it continues to face a manpower problem which has often seen its forces unable to garrison and hold positions they have regained.
It has tried to mitigate the problem by developing a largely Alawite "National Defence" militia - with much Iranian help - to act as a kind of home guard or army auxiliary in many areas, largely subsuming the pro-government shabiha irregulars.
But it has been obliged to rely increasingly on Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and other Iranian-backed non-Syrian Shia militias (notably the Abul Fadl al-Abbas brigades, drawn from Iraq and elsewhere) in combat zones.
Given all that, it might seem fanciful for the regime to imagine that it can reconquer the whole country.
But given the disarray on the rebel side, it is not surprising that the government seems to believe it is on the road to victory and that time is on its side.
Western hopes of helping construct a unified, moderate, politically obedient rebel movement, sidelining Islamist hardliners and leaving them to wither away, could hardly be further from realisation.
The trend has been in exactly the opposite direction, with Islamic radicals increasingly making the running and the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) waning.
On the ground, in-fighting and profiteering have considerably sapped the opposition military effort.
Among the latest developments, fighters from the recently-formed Islamic Front alliance have humiliated the FSA's "General Staff" by taking over its positions and arms depots on the Bab al-Hawa border with Turkey.
FSA elements have been involved in clashes with the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, which is trying to impose itself in many areas, especially in the north and east of the country, and which has also tangled with its rivals for the al-Qaeda franchise, the Nusra Front.
Islamist groups - but FSA fighters and Arab tribesmen too - have also been involved in fighting with Kurdish militias controlling substantial pockets along the Turkish border in the north.
If all this has considerably eroded and fragmented the overall opposition military effort against the regime, it is an even bigger disaster politically for the Western advocates of a negotiated political settlement.
There is an almost complete disconnect between the effective forces on the ground inside the country, and the largely external political leadership - the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition - which claims to be the sole representative of the Syrian people.
Rejection of the Coalition and its willingness to engage in negotiations with the regime was the main motivation for the formation in November of the Islamic Front, which brings together the main non-al-Qaeda Islamist groups on a platform which favours an Islamic state and rejects democracy and secularism.
Unless powerful groupings like the Islamic Front can somehow be brought on board the negotiating process - or at least induced to tolerate it - it is hard to see how a credible opposition delegation can be formed.
That puts a huge onus on the US and its allies to lean on the regional countries - mainly Saudi Arabia but also Qatar and Turkey - which have influence with the Front.
Those countries were themselves infuriated and unsettled by Washington's failure to bomb Syria after the chemical attack in August, and its tentative detente with Iran.
The situation on the ground makes it even more vital for the Western powers to demonstrate, preferably in advance, that negotiations can deliver by political means what the rebels have failed to achieve militarily - first and foremost the removal of Bashar al-Assad and his key associates.
That is a huge challenge, given that the regime, which feels stronger than it has for a long time, insists that Mr Assad will lead any transitional arrangement that the Geneva process may produce.
Oppositionists fear that negotiation with the regime under the current balance of power implies that the West may have concluded that President Assad is there to stay, and that a bargain has to be struck with him to halt the bloodshed.
They also fear that the Western powers are now much more concerned about dealing with the rampant jihadist threat than getting rid of the Assad regime.
But Western diplomats insist that the two concerns are not mutually exclusive, and that there can be no deal that leaves Mr Assad in place - not as a moral judgment, but because it simply wouldn't work.
It goes without saying that the regime has no intention of going to Geneva to negotiate its own demise.
If President Assad is to be eased out, it will have to be because his Russian and Iranian saviours, upon whom his survival ultimately depends, judge it necessary for their own different interests.
That may seem unlikely, but is not inconceivable.
Some diplomats say they detect extreme nervousness in the upper echelons of the regime as Geneva approaches.
There are even hard-to-verify reports of large sums of money making their way out of the country via Shia businessmen in Lebanon, to feather nests abroad.
Why would Moscow and Tehran agree to let Mr Assad go? Clearly, only if a formula for Syria's future could be hammered out that met their own basic requirements, something that will obviously be hard to achieve.
But, like all the other regional and international actors involved in the gory drama, Russia and Iran can hardly look at Syria today as a success story for themselves.
For all, it's somewhere between a problem and a continuing and deepening disaster.
That, and a near-universal realisation by the outside players that there is no victory for either side, has helped make the Geneva talks possible and necessary, because there is no other way out.
Other favourable factors include the impressive new working relationship between the Russians and Americans, which produced the Syrian chemical weapons agreement; and Iran's new engagement with the US and other Western powers over its nuclear programme.
If sustained, both developments are game-changers which can only impact positively on Syrian peace efforts.
But success is far from guaranteed or even likely.
Neither of the warring sides can see a real interest in going into a situation where they would be obliged to make unwanted compromises.
On both sides, significant forces are profiting considerably from the conflict and have an interest in its continuation, whatever the consequences for the suffering civilians.
Left to their own devices, they would clearly continue to slug it out on the ground.
So if there is to be a solution, reconciling the seemingly irreconcilable will require multiple interventions and pressures by their regional and international patrons, interacting in a complex, opaque and unpredictable three-dimensional mesh of relationships.
Which makes trying to get a solution in Syria look like playing a slot machine with nine pieces of fruit, not just four. And some of them may turn out to be missing. But there is no alternative.


Two hillwalkers missing overnight in the Cairngorms have been traced following a major search.

The men - believed to be in their 30s - were reported overdue after visiting Loch Muick.
Four mountain rescue teams and a coastguard helicopter were sent to the area. The men were traced at about 04:30, and are being walked to safety.
Rescue teams from Braemar, Aberdeen, Tayside and Police Scotland had been joined by a Coastguard helicopter.
But the helicopter was forced to return to base in Inverness by high winds and poor visibility caused by driving snow.
Conditions on the ground were also described as "challenging", with visibility said to be down to 10 metres.
Police Scotland mountain rescue team leader, Insp Matt Smith, told BBC Scotland: "They were probably not as well-equipped as they might have been."
He said it was "full winter up there".
Braemar Mountain Rescue team tweeted: "Overnight CALLOUT to rescue 2 males from near Broad Cairn. Incredible team effort in very challenging conditions. @AberdeenMRT @TaysideMRT
"Small reminder if heading out into the mountains, please be prepared and have the relevant skill base."


West Ham winger Michail Antonio has withdrawn from the England squad because of a hamstring injury.

The uncapped 26-year-old reported the injury after Saturday's 3-2 Premier League defeat by Leicester City.
Antonio was able to complete the 90 minutes at London Stadium, but West Ham manager Slaven Bilic indicated afterwards that he was a doubt.
England face Germany in a friendly on Wednesday before hosting Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday.
Antonio's absence further weakens the attacking options of England boss Gareth Southgate.
Forwards Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney are all out through injury, while Theo Walcott was left out of the squad.
In addition to Antonio, West Ham lost centre-back Winston Reid to a leg injury, while midfielder Pedro Obiang was taken off on a stretcher after rolling his ankle.
On the injuries to Antonio and Reid, Bilic said: "Hopefully, they will be fit after the international break."


Scientists say that culling a small number of badgers risks increasing the spread of TB infection to cattle.

The research suggests that some farmers who have allegedly killed badgers on their property could be making things worse for themselves and neighbours.
The findings also indicate that Northern Ireland's badger culling strategy could be counter-productive.
The study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The deputy president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) said that all options should be considered to eradicate cattle TB.
Prof Rosie Woodroffe, who led the research, said that Northern Ireland's Department for Agricultural Development (Dard) should consider dropping its plans for selective culling of badgers.
"It is more likely to make things worse," she told BBC News. "My advice would be to trial vaccination."
Prof Woodroffe's analysis suggests that even culling a small number of badgers increases the movement of badgers - an effect known as perturbation - which increases rather than decreases the risk of cattle becoming infected.
Dard said that it would continue with its pilot cull, known as the Trap, Vaccinate and Remove (TVR) Research Project, because it believed that the data used in the new study was gathered from culls in England between 1986 and 1998 and could not be translated to the different terrain of Northern Ireland.
"This is why it is essential for the the TVR Research Project to proceed to see if perturbation is a factor here following badger removal," the department said in a statement to BBC News.
The results also suggest that farmers who are allegedly culling badgers may be doing more harm than good, according to Prof Woodroffe.
"We are aware that the illegal culling of badgers is widespread in England. What this work shows is that it is causing perturbation and so is probably causing an increase in badger TB."
Dard plans to cull badgers in a 100 sq km area in Bainbridge in County Down. The strategy involves first trapping badgers, testing them for infection, killing those that test positive and vaccinating those that seem to be infection-free.
It is a more targeted approach than used by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in two pilot sites in Somerset and Gloucestershire which involved attempting to kill up to 70% of badgers in the areas without testing to see if they were infected.
The English trials were judged ineffective by the government's own independent scientific assessment which was the main reason that the Environment Secretary, Owen Patterson, did not extend the trials to other parts of England as originally stated.
It was hoped that the more selective approach adopted in Northern Ireland would be more effective.
However, the new study suggests that even if one badger is killed in a sett then there is an increased risk of TB infection spreading to cattle, rather than it declining.
The uncertainty is compounded by the facts that the test can detect only half the number of infected badgers and vaccination is not 100% effective, according to Jon Bielby who also worked on the study.
"The policy appeals to a lot of people as it avoids indiscriminate culling. But you are not going to catch all the infected badgers and you are not going to detect all the infected badgers. Combined with the fact that it increases movement [this] makes it a very risky strategy," Mr Bielby told BBC News.
The deputy president of the National Farmers Union, Minette Batters, said that all options should be considered to eradicate TB in cattle, including the large scale culls adopted in England.
â€Ž"The Chief Vet has said that badger culling over a four-year period in the pilot areas in Somerset and Gloucestershire will help to reduce TB in cattle.
"We remain confident that these pilots will help to deliver a reduction of TB in cattle and it is vital that they are allowed to be successfully completed so they can deliver the biggest benefit and help us eradicate this terrible disease."
Dard says it has always been aware of the potential for badger movement.
"We are introducing certain measures to monitor and mitigate against the effects of perturbation should it happen here. This year, all captured badgers under TVR will be vaccinated and released. This is in preparation for badger removal from next year and is intended to build up some immunity to bovine TB in the badger population in advance of badger removal."
The Northern Ireland Badger Group has backed Dard's approach and said in a statement that the new research had not altered its view.
"One of the concerns others have raised about this project is the potential for perturbation. It is our understanding that no badgers will be removed in the first year of the project to provide baseline data and to mitigate any anomalies that badger removal might cause," it said.
But Mark Jones, the executive director of the Humane Society International UK, said that the new research confirmed his concerns about the impact that culling has on badgers.
"Farmers who decide to target badgers on their own land are not only breaking the law, but also increasing the risk of infection in their cattle, and those of their neighbours," he explained.
"It's high time Defra and the National Farmers Union started to listen to the scientists rather than their own flawed rhetoric, and abandoned badger culling in favour of the kinds of cattle-focused measures that are working so well in Wales, and the development and deployment of vaccines for both badgers and cattle."
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Public relations entrepreneur Chris Ward is speaking to me over an internet connection from a McDonald's somewhere in central France.

He's not quite sure where because he's just completed another stage of this year's Tour de France route in aid of charity. Names and places have become a little fuzzy after the 200km (124 miles). He's exhausted.
But at least Ward, 50, is practising what he preaches. His book, Out of Office, is a hymn to coffee-shop creativity and the myriad advantages of ditching the deadening confines of the office and working where you like.
"It's the way I've lived my life for 10 years," he says. "I started hanging out in coffee shops, and found I was being far more creative and productive. I do so many different things and people wanted to know how I managed it, so I wrote the book."
It wasn't always like this. From a young age Ward was a driven businessman, "brought up to believe that owning possessions was what you were worth".
He managed bands in his 20s, then set up PR company Beatwax in 1992 to help brands target the newly burgeoning student population.
"My original ambition was to be a boss and get a gold watch at 65,"  he says.
High-profile clients included social networking pioneers Julie and Steve Pankhurst, founders of Friends Reunited, and various beer companies. Another project was First Movies, a research firm offering members free movies and other incentives to provide feedback to Hollywood film studios.
However, despite the success, his busy working life began to pall.
"I marketed too many beers," explains Ward. "I had to decide the personality of a beer when it was exactly the same as supermarket own-label stuff. I was living a lie."
He sold his companies to Miracle Media Group in 2002 for an undisclosed sum, although he admits the amount was "close to seven figures".
"I then went out and bought Â£200 worth of Lycra, went cycling and ran 10 marathons," he says, in what sounds dangerously like a mid-life crisis.
He kept himself busy with various charity fund-raising projects and the years rolled by. Then he saw an advert for creative director of UK charity Comic Relief.
"I hadn't worked for five years but I still got the job, because doing marathons and cycling was seen as a positive. Yet people worry about having gaps in their CVs. They shouldn't."
Cynics might suggest that such Damascene conversions to a new way of life are a lot easier when you've got a big chunk of cash in your pocket. While that is undoubtedly true, there's no denying Ward's genuine enthusiasm for "out of office" working.
"The great thing about the internet is that it's freed people from the office. We don't have to be tied to our desks anymore. We can work when and where we like."
But he is not advocating quiet home-working. He likes to be immersed in the buzz and noise of people, in a coffee shop "surrounded by my potential customers".
Ward argues that background noise and the interaction of other human beings can actually help people concentrate and boost their creativity.
He also advocates the concept of "flow" - the state of total absorption in a task that brings us real happiness.
"A key part of this lifestyle is to work when you feel inspired; when you're in the flow," he says. "Stop when you don't feel like working anymore.
"Don't be confined by the nine to five. You're not productive when you're just fiddling around on Facebook and YouTube watching videos of cats."
But while not having an office works for him, Ward admits that there are still concerns associated with the practice.
Lack of presence in the office can mean being overlooked and distrusted by managers, he says, while many people find working from home makes them less, not more, productive.
"There is still an expectation that you have to have an office. Hopefully these ideas are beginning to change," he adds.
"You should be measured by your productivity, not your presence. Bosses need to be educated about this.
"The more out-of-office business success stories there are, the more bosses will be convinced."
In his book he cites plenty of examples of business ideas that were hatched in cafes and coffee shops, from Michael Acton Smith's Moshi Monsters children's game, to JK Rowling's Harry Potter books.
However, he also acknowledges that the luxury of flexible, non-office-based working isn't open to vocational professionals, such as doctors, dentists, firefighters, nurses and teachers.
Creative and service sector professionals, on the other hand, would find themselves feeling far more fulfilled and productive if they got out and about, he believes.
"There's a big opportunity for people to relax and do what they really want to do, to be more entrepreneurial."
When he's not entertaining his four children in west London, or cycling the Tour de France route, Ward is working for the Mandela Day Pledge Book charity and rubbing shoulders with retired South African bishop Desmond Tutu and Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
"I hope we're entering a less materialistic age," concludes Ward. "It's better to do things than buy things."


The government says it has no plans to buy the M6 Toll road and make it free for users.

Sion Simon, Labour's West Midlands metro mayor candidate, is among people calling for public ownership of the road to ease congestion on other roads.
But the Department for Transport said buying the road, which links Cannock and Coleshill, would cost about £1bn.
Midlands Expressway, which operates the M6 Toll, said it already carried 85% to 90% of through traffic at peak times.
For this reason, the firm added, making the road free would be of "little benefit" for reducing wider congestion.
However, Mr Simon claimed the road was often "empty".
"We need support from the government to take that road into regional control, making it free and taking the pressure off roads in the conurbation so people can move around," he said.
But Bob Sleigh, the Conservative leader of Solihull Council and chairman of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said the problem was drivers were using motorways for local journeys and were "junction hopping".
The answer was improving the local road network instead, he said.
The 27-mile route in the West Midlands opened in 2003 at a cost of £900m to build.
Car drivers are charged £5.50 and HGVs £11 to use the road during the week.


The money was invested in buying storage units from Lancashire-based Store First Ltd.
Pension holders told Radio 4's You & Yours they were promised high returns for renting the units out,  but these have not materialised.
Store First says it was unaware of the allegations and is not responsible for the sales tactics.
The firm operates a chain of self-storage warehouses across the UK and sponsored Accrington Stanley Football Club until August 2015.
The Liverpool sales company Jackson Francis Ltd was paid through an intermediary by Store First to cold call people with "dormant pensions" - savings they had accrued under previous employers.
From 2011, more than 1,000 people were persuaded by Jackson Francis staff to move these pensions into the Store First scheme.
David Griffiths from Sutton Coldfield said: "They brought me glossy booklets, with jolly people shaking hands.
"They told me it was a very good investment, and that many people have had their money back off it, so I looked on their website, and it looked all kosher."
But You & Yours heard former salesmen from Jackson Francis claim their immediate managers told them to lie to get clients signed up. They admitted forging documents, and say they witnessed other staff copying client signatures.
David's entire pension pot of £66,000 was used to buy Store First units called "storage pods", which he's still trying to sell.
Others have failed to sell their units after three years of trying, despite being promised an easy route out of the scheme by Store First.
David added: "I'm annoyed with myself, and I'm even more annoyed with the people who took it off me. It's £66,000 and I want it back."
One former Jackson Francis salesman said he'd seen colleagues fill out paperwork on customers' behalf and forge signatures, adding: "You'd see them practising on a piece of paper until they got it right, and then they'd sign."
Another former salesman said he witnessed the ticking of boxes on forms, which indicated investors were happy with a high level of risk - when the question had never been asked.
Two investors who have received the predicted income are used as testimonials on the Store First website.
Over two years, Store First owner Toby Whittaker paid £33m commission to Transeuro Worldwide Holdings Ltd, which funded Jackson Francis.
Transeuro was controlled by his friend and former co-director of Store First Midlands Limited, Mike Talbot, from Knutsford, Cheshire. Mr Whittaker also lent the Transeuro boss Rolls Royces and two Ferraris while Mr Talbot was based in Liverpool.
The same Liverpool-based sales team persuaded 500 people to invest in the now defunct Capita Oak and Henley Retirement Benefit Schemes.
These two schemes were also invested in Store First, with pensioners promised the same high returns. Toby Whittaker of Store First says he did pass on returns to Transeuro and does not know why the schemes did not receive them.
Toby Whittaker and Mike Talbot had previously operated Dylan Harvey, a property investment company that collapsed owing investors millions.
Toby Whittaker, owner of Store First, maintained that Jackson Francis, now in liquidation, was a sales agent and he was not responsible for their tactics, saying: "My company's sales agents are not employed to give financial advice, they are employed to explain the product, not to advise whether [it] is suitable for an individual's investment portfolio."
Mike Talbot says he had no management or control of Jackson Francis so can't comment on the allegations and the director of Jackson Francis says he is unaware of the claimed sales tactics. Salesmen have told the BBC they lied and forged to persuade investors to part with pensions worth £100m.


Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faces another trial, after being charged with bribing witnesses to silence them over accusations he paid for sex with young women.

In 2013, Mr Berlusconi was convicted of sex with an underage prostitute in what became known as the "bunga bunga" case.
He was cleared in 2015, after an appeal, but prosecutors claim witnesses were bought off.
Mr Berlusconi, 80, denies the charges. His trial starts on 5 April.
The four-time prime minister remains the leader of the centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy!) party.
The new charges stem from the previous case, when he was accused of having sex with Karima El Mahroug in 2010, when she was 17.
The Moroccan nightclub dancer became better known by her stage name, Ruby the Heartstealer, in the press.
The new trial will focus on the accusation that the billionaire businessman paid more than 10m euros (Â£8.5m; $10.7m), between 2011 and 2015, to get witnesses to testify in his favour.
Over half of that money is alleged to have been spent on Ms El Mahroug.
He is said to have brought gifts and cars, and paid for housing, bills and medical expenses, for guests visiting his Milan mansion, where he held his "bunga-bunga" parties.
His lawyer, Federico Cecconi, has quipped that he must be on trial for generosity.
In Italy, the age of consent is 14, but paying for sex with a woman under 18 is seen as involvement in underage prostitution.
Before Mr Berlusconi's sentence was overturned, he was handed a seven-year jail term and banned from holding public office ever again.
However, he was allowed to remain free pending the outcome of the appeal.
His connection to Ms El Mahroug was revealed after, in October 2010, it emerged that he had called a police station asking for her release.
She was being held for theft.
Mr Berlusconi has been embroiled in several high-profile legal battles.
In 2013, he was also convicted of tax fraud, and ejected from the Italian Senate.


The decline in Scotch whisky exports in recent years is showing signs of slowing, according to a report.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said the customs value of overseas sales fell by 2.4% last year to £3.86bn.
The figure compared with a 7% fall in the previous year.
The volume of whisky exports was down by 2.8% to 1.16 billion bottles - the equivalent of 34 bottles being shipped from Scotland every second.
SWA said consumer demand for single malt continued to be strong, with shipments up from £914m in 2014 to £916.4m last year.
According to SWA analysis of HMRC statistics, single malts accounted for nearly 25% of the value Scotch whisky exports in 2015, up from 18% five years ago.
Blends remained the biggest category (£2.77bn), accounting for 72% of the global value of exports.
The US, the biggest export destination for Scotch, remained steady at £749m - nearly a fifth of all exports - while sales to Japan were up 18% to £76m.
There was also growth in a number of emerging markets, with Mexico up 17% to £115m, Turkey up 24% to almost £53m and China returning to the top 20 markets with an increase of 5% to £41m.
However, SWA found sales were affected in countries whose economies were driven by oil and other commodities.
The industry body said the recession in Brazil in particular had "a notable impact" on overall export figures. The fifth largest market by volume in 2014, sales to Brazil dropped by 20% in 2015.
From Athens and Madrid to Caracas and Recife and on to Shanghai - Scotch whisky did well in attracting a cosmopolitan clientele, but not so well in picking the countries in which it has excelled.
In southern Europe's nightclubs to oil-enriched South America and lubricating the business deals of China, economic difficulties and official disapproval have combined to put the brakes on rapid growth.
So it has turned Scotch back to its two big export markets - the USA, which leads on value, and France, the clear leader on volume.
Some other destinations, according to HMRC figures, get big figures as distribution hubs.  Germany supplies much of Central Europe. The Baltic states funnel Scotch to Russia.
Singapore is the staging post for freight containers bound for further sea miles across east Asia and Australasia. These make it hard to see precisely where these exports go.
But whisky going to the US tends to stay in the States. Its image has been of the drink for up-market mature golfers. Smart marketing has also carved out a young clientele wanting to sample the range of single malts.
That 'premiumisation' of whisky has taken single malts close to quarter of exports by value.
Cheaper bulk exports have held relatively steady, a lot of them bound for Asia.
But blends have been in quite a steep decline, from £3.27bn of exports in 2011 to £2.71bn in 2015. To the rest of the European Union, the decline has been 29%.
Single malt exports have risen in that time from a total of £745m to £916m last year.
At £365m value in EU exports, that's nearly 40% of the value of sales into the trading bloc.
At £272m, that's nearly 30% of North American sales by value.
As UK sales of whisky showed last year with a modest reversal after years of decline, also achieved through single malts, it can pay off to stick with the mature and less exciting markets too.
SWA chief executive David Frost said: "Scotch whisky exports continue to deliver and the fundamentals for future growth are strong.
"Whilst the last couple of years have been more difficult, the longer-term picture has been one of increased demand, new investment, and premiumisation.
"Challenges remain, with an uncertain global economy and political uncertainty in some export markets."


Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has led the tributes to Derry City captain Ryan McBride, who has died at the age of 27.

Defender McBride was found dead at home on Sunday, a day after he led his side in a 4-0 League of Ireland win over Drogheda United.
The cause of death is not yet known but a post mortem is being carried out.
"He epitomised everything about our club and our city," said Derry City chief executive Sean Barrett.
McBride's funeral will take place on Thursday at 10:00 GMT at St Columba's Church in Derry, after which the player will be buried in the city cemetery.
The league game between Derry City and Limerick, due to take place on 21 March, will be rescheduled.
McBride's death is the latest tragedy to befall the club following the death of striker Mark Farren and the Buncrana pier tragedy, which claimed the lives of members of winger Josh Daniels a year ago.
Northern Ireland manager O'Neill was manager of League of Ireland Premier Division side Shamrock Rovers when McBride joined Derry six years ago.
"When I first saw him play, I remember thinking, 'what a fantastic young defender'. He was strong, physical and hugely committed.
"His leadership qualities were evident even at such a young age and it was no surprise to me that he became such an inspirational player for his hometown club."
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Derry City manager Kenny Shiels said the death was "hard for everybody to take" and that he was "the perfect example to any young player coming through".
And chief executive Barrett added: "Of the words that have been thrown around probably my favourite one is 'warrior'.
"He led boys to become men and he was a man. He was everything that is associated with Derry City Football Club and, indeed, the whole city."
The Irish Football Association tweeted: "Thoughts tonight with the family of Ryan McBride and everyone involved with Derry City FC."
Derry City released an official statement on Monday afternoon saying the team will "miss his inspiration and his leadership".
The statement went on to say: "In the hearts and minds of all of us, and long into the future, Ryan McBride will be remembered as one of the greats of Derry City Football Club."
Phil O'Doherty, Derry City Football Club chairman, said the team was "devastated" at the loss of a "leader on and off the field".
"He was incredibly respected. He was an ideal captain," he told the BBC. "He was from the Brandywell area and he walked across the road to his home after every game."
The CEO of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), John Delaney, said Irish football was in mourning.
"Ryan's passing has left a deep shock throughout football," he said. "We will remember Ryan with a tribute at Friday night's World Cup qualifier against Wales."
Since his debut in 2011, McBride had not only become a mainstay of the club's defence, but a fans' favourite.
He made more than 170 appearances, with more than 50 as captain after he took over the role permanently two years ago.
A self-professed quiet man off the pitch, McBride said it was a "different story" on it. "I switch on and then I'm in game mode," he said.
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Republic of Ireland footballer James McClean, a former team mate of McBride at Derry, said he was "a warrior that literally would throw his body on the line when he pulled on that Derry City jersey, a club that meant so much to him".
He said that McBride was a "big gentleman off the field", adding: "Sleep tight big man. May God bless you and your family."
Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has said West Brom's McClean will be permitted to leave the camp before Friday's game with Wales should he wish.
Former Derry City striker Liam Coyle said: "My brother phoned me to tell me and I was in total disbelief.
"I played football with Ryan's father and Ryan was always a rising star. Derry City has lost the best centre half in Ireland."
DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted: "My deepest condolences to the family and all Derry City FC as they mourn the loss of the talented Ryan McBride. Such devastating news."
Archbishop Eamon Martin said: "Sad news from Derry. Praying for the family and for his many friends and supporters who will miss him. Lord have mercy. RIP."
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, tweeted: "Along with all those who support Irish football, I express my sadness and condolences to the family of Derry City Football Club captain Ryan McBride."
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