@relation ejercicio_bbc_test

@attribute category {sport,business,politics,tech,entertainment}
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sport,'hingis to make unexpected return martina hingis makes her return to competitve tennis after two years out of the game at the volvo women s open in pattaya  thailand  on tuesday.  she faces german marlene weingartner in the first round.  as a competitor and athlete  i always want to win. i hope my body will hold up   said hingis.  you miss being out there in a grand slam final and not competing. it s a big difference between playing and commenting for tv. i miss it a lot.  the former world number one was 22 when she retired after having surgery on both ankles  and her last wta event was in filderstadt  germany  in october 2002  when she lost to elena dementieva. only last year she insisted that a comeback was unlikely  but speaking in thaliand hingis admitted:  i said that because i didn t know what would happen with my body.  her appearance will also benefit charities in the region and the swiss star will donate her prize money.'
business,'ethiopia s crop production up 24\% ethiopia produced 14.27 million tonnes of crops in 2004  24\% higher than in 2003 and 21\% more than the average of the past five years  a report says.  in 2003  crop production totalled 11.49 million tonnes  the joint report from the food and agriculture organisation and the world food programme said. good rains  increased use of fertilizers and improved seeds contributed to the rise in production. nevertheless  2.2 million ethiopians will still need emergency assistance.  the report calculated emergency food requirements for 2005 to be 387 500 tonnes. on top of that  89 000 tonnes of fortified blended food and vegetable oil for  targeted supplementary food distributions for a survival programme for children under five and pregnant and lactating women  will be needed.  in eastern and southern ethiopia  a prolonged drought has killed crops and drained wells. last year  a total of 965 000 tonnes of food assistance was needed to help seven million ethiopians. the food and agriculture organisation (fao) recommend that the food assistance is bought locally.  local purchase of cereals for food assistance programmes is recommended as far as possible  so as to assist domestic markets and farmers   said henri josserand  chief of fao s global information and early warning system. agriculture is the main economic activity in ethiopia  representing 45\% of gross domestic product. about 80\% of ethiopians depend directly or indirectly on agriculture.'
politics,'blair  pressing us on climate  tony blair is pressing the us to cut greenhouse gases despite its unwillingness to sign the kyoto protocol  downing street has indicated.  officials have confirmed climate change was discussed when influential senator john mccain recently visited mr blair. climate change was an issue the prime minister  wanted to progress  during the uk s presidency of the g8 and eu in 2005  said a spokesman. but he played down reports mr blair was considering a new us-friendly treaty.  according to the times  the uk leader wants to end us isolation with a  kyoto-lite  agreement on the scale and nature of the threat from climate change. he is said to have discussed the idea with mr mccain during his time at number 10. the prime minister is said to believe the united states  refusal to sign the kyoto protocol on emissions is undermining other countries  resolve to cut carbon dioxide production. so far the us has refused to sign up to the kyoto treaty - which aims to cut emissions - branding it politically motivated and not based on science. president bush s advisers have repeatedly denied global warming is taking place.  europe  which disputes the claim  has also signalled it wants to press ahead with talks about longer term climate change action in a way which involves both the united states and developing countries. mr blair s reported treaty would also establish an international programme to develop technology needed for renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions  says the times. but there is still apparently  little prospect  of america agreeing to cut emissions  which could further provoke environmental campaigners already angry at the lack of progress. mr blair was left blushing on wednesday when it emerged his manifesto target of a 20\% cut to the 1990 greenhouse gas level by 2010 was set to be missed.'
sport,'pearce keen on succeeding keegan joint assistant boss stuart pearce has admitted he would like to succeed kevin keegan as manager at manchester city.  keegan has decided to step down as city manager when his contract comes to an end in 18 months.  you don t have to be einstein to realise there will be a manager s job available at a really good club   pearce told bbc gmr.  i will certainly be applying for it  although whether the board deem me good enough to take it  i do not know.  pearce initially joined city as a player under keegan in 2001 before becoming part of the coaching staff. he was promoted to joint assistant-manager following the departure of arthur cox last summer.  the former england defender had a year as player-boss with nottingham forest eight seasons ago but has made no secret of his desire to have another crack at the job. he was linked with the manager s job at oldham and keegan has stated he would not get in the way if pearce wanted to leave. but it now appears pearce is keen to wait for his chance at city. he added:  by that time  i will have been here for five years so at least they will have had a good look at me and they are aware of my feelings with regard to being kevin s successor.  obviously  the issue is out of my hands but it is a fantastic job for anybody - i just hope it will be me.'
sport,'ferdinand casts doubt over glazer rio ferdinand has said he is unsure of malcolm glazer s motives after the american billionaire launched a new offer to buy manchester united.  the club have confirmed that the glazer family partnership have submitted proposals of a third bid.  a lot of people want the club s interest to be with people who have grown up with the club and have got its interests at heart   said ferdinand.  no one knows what this guy will be bringing to the table.  the central defender added on bbc radio five live:  we will have to wait and see what glazer comes with.  i would like to see the situation resolved either way.  i think people are getting bored with him coming in and out of the news with new proposals.  the other stuff off the pitch takes the shine off what is going on the pitch.   glazer  currently owns a 28.1\% stake in the club  and united s statement to the stock exchange said:  the board has noted the recent press speculation on this subject.  the board can confirm that it has now received a detailed proposal subject to various pre-conditions which may form the basis of an offer for manchester united from glazer.  a further announcement will be made in due course.  glazer s previous bids for the club  which united supporters opposed  were rejected by the board because of the high level of debt they would incur. but it is believed that glazer has substantially reduced the borrowing required for his latest move. he will still need the approval of major shareholders john magnier and jp mcmanus  who own 28.9\% of the club to succeed. but the irish duo have cut off talks with glazer over the proposed sale of their stake  while fans remain opposed to his involvement.'
tech,'ibm frees 500 software patents computer giant ibm says 500 of its software patents will be released into the open development community.  the move means developers will be able to use the technologies without paying for a licence from the company. ibm described the step as a  new era  in how it dealt with intellectual property and promised further patents would be made freely available. the patents include software for a range of practices  including text recognition and database management. traditional technology business policy is to amass patents and despite ibm s announcement the company continues to follow this route.  ibm was granted 3 248 patents in 2004  more than any other firm in the us  the new york times reports. for each of the past 12 years ibm has been granted more us patents than any other company. ibm has received 25 772 us patents in that period and reportedly has more than 40 000 current patents. in a statement  dr john e. kelly  ibm senior vice president  technology and intellectual property  said:  true innovation leadership is about more than just the numbers of patents granted. it s about innovating to benefit customers  partners and society.   our pledge today is the beginning of a new era in how ibm will manage intellectual property.  in the past  ibm has supported the non-commercial operating system linux although critics have said this was done only as an attempt to undermine microsoft.  the company said it wanted to encourage other firms to release patents into what it called a  patent commons . adam jollans  ibm s world-wide linux strategy manager  said the move was a genuine attempt to encourage innovation.  we believe that releasing these patents will result in innovation moving more quickly.  this is about encouraging collaboration and following a model much like academia.  mr jollans likened the plan for a patent commons to the way the internet was developed and said everyone could take advantage of the result of collaboration.  the internet s impact has been on everyone. the benefits are there for everyone to take advantage of.  stuart cohen  chief executive of us firm open source development labs  said the move could mean a change in the way companies deal with patents.   i think other companies will follow suit   he said. but not everyone was as supportive. florian mueller  campaign manager of a group lobbying toprevent software patents becoming legal in the european union dismissed ibm s move as insubstantial.  it s just diversionary tactics   wrote mr mueller  who leadsnosoftwarepatents.com  in a message on the group s website.  let s put this into perspective: we re talking aboutroughly one percent of ibm s worldwide patent portfolio. they filethat number of patents in about a month s time   he added. ibm will continue to hold the 500 patents but it has pledged to seek no royalties from the patents. the company said it would not place any restrictions on companies  groups or individuals who use them in open-source projects. open source software is developed by programmers who offer the source code - the origins of the program - for free and allow others to adapt or improve the software. end users have the right to modify and redistribute the software  as well as the right to package and sell the software. other areas covered by the patents released by ibm include storage management  simultaneous multiprocessing  image processing  networking and e-commerce.'
politics,'tories urge  change at the top  tory delegates are gathering for what is expected to be their last conference before the general election  declaring britain needs  a change at the top .  the party goes into its spring forum trying to highlight what it sees as a clear choice between it and labour. tory co-chairman liam fox has opened proceedings with a speech criticising tony blair s record in government. labour s rule has been characterised by  lost trust and failure to deliver   he told the brighton conference. he also attacked the government s  failure  to control immigration and asylum and criticised its record on the nhs  telling delegates labour cannot be trusted on education or crime. a tory government would sort out the  shambles  of immigration  put patients before statistics and bring discipline to schools  he said. dr fox also underlined tory promises to cut tax by £4bn.  bbc political correspondent shaun ley says opinion polls suggest the tories still lag some way behind labour on the issues of health  education and the economy. conservative leader michael howard  who had been due to welcome delegates to the conference on friday  will address them in a lunchtime speech. his welcome address had to be postponed after he stayed in london to lead the party s opposition to the prevention of terrorism bill in its lengthy progress through parliament. the bill was finally passed on friday evening  after more than 30 hours of debate. mr howard is likely to defend his party s handling of the bill  which was only passed after the conservatives accepted prime minister tony blair s promise that mps would be able to review it within a year.'
politics,'ex-pm lord callaghan dies aged 92 former labour prime minister lord callaghan has died on the eve of his 93rd birthday.  he passed away at home in east sussex  just 11 days after his wife audrey died aged 91. lord callaghan  who leaves a son and two daughters  was the longest living former british pm in history. he entered downing street in 1976 after the resignation of harold wilson. prime minister tony blair called him a  giant  of the labour movement. he held each of the major offices of chancellor  home secretary  foreign secretary and prime minister during his career and became lord callaghan of cardiff in 1987.  chancellor gordon brown said the former pm would be  mourned throughout the world .  it was a commitment to public service that brought jim callaghan into parliament in 1945  and while jim rose to the top he never forgot his roots.  former cabinet colleague lord hattersley said his first reaction on hearing the news was  immense sadness .   it was not a major surprise - i knew what a blow the death of his wife audrey was a few days ago   he said.  he was a decent kindly man who helped me and my generation of politicians immensely.   the labour party and the country will be poorer without him.  conservative peer lord heseltine said that despite their political differences  he and lord callaghan became friends.  you don t get to the premiership unless you have a streak of determination   he said.  but i saw the other side of jim callaghan  he became a personal friend in a way  and my family and i were very fond of him.  tory leader michael howard said he would be remembered with  affection and respect . liberal democrat leader charles kennedy said:  when i was first elected in 1983 as the youngest mp  he was the  father of the house  and as such took a very keen interest in my early days in parliament.   he was always full of warmth and wisdom.  born in 1912 and educated at portsmouth northern secondary school  lord callaghan became a clerk at the inland revenue. he enlisted in the royal navy in 1942 and rose to the rank of lieutenant. elected for a cardiff constituency at the 1945 general election  he represented cardiff seats for more than 40 years. after serving as a junior minister in the attlee government  he became chancellor of the exchequer when labour returned to power in 1964.  with sterling under pressure  he resisted devaluation for three years  before being forced into it in 1967. his political career was not without controversy. when he refused to support prime minister harold wilson and dame barbara castle over the latter s trade union manifesto  in place of strife  in 1968  he said:  i am not going to resign. they will have to throw me out . when home secretary  he ordered british troops to march into the streets of belfast to protect catholic civilians amid rising violence - a decision that has dominated british politics into the 21st century.  as foreign secretary in the early 1970s  lord callaghan kept an open mind about the uk s entry into the common market  seeing the advantages of the uk s entry. he once travelled to idi amin s uganda in 1975 to plead for the life of a british lecturer  dennis hills  who was under a death sentence for treason.  his political life was often tempered by battles against the hard left of the party. in the autumn of 1978  before the  winter of discontent  when trade unions carried out strikes that brought the country to a standstill  lord callaghan refused to hold an early election which may have delivered a labour victory. as garbage lay uncollected in the streets and hospital staff  council workers and even gravediggers stayed off work  lord callaghan failed to predict the mood of the country. when britain went to the polls in 1979  tory leader margaret thatcher was swept into power in a landslide victory  and lord callaghan resigned as labour leader.'
tech,'broadband fuels online change fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online  research suggests.  a quarter of broadband users in britain regularly upload content and have personal sites  according to a report by uk think-tank demos. it said that having an always-on  fast connection is changing the way people use the internet. more than five million households in the uk have broadband and that number is growing fast.  the demos report looked at the impact of broadband on people s net habits. it found that more than half of those with broadband logged on to the web before breakfast. one in five even admitted to getting up in the middle of the night to browse the web.  more significantly  argues the report  broadband is encouraging people to take a more active role online. it found that one in five post something on the net everyday  ranging from comments or opinions on sites to uploading photographs.  broadband is putting the  me  in media as it shifts power from institutions and into the hands of the individual   said john craig  co-author of the demos report.  from self-diagnosis to online education  broadband creates social innovation that moves the debate beyond simple questions of access and speed.  the demos report  entitled broadband britain: the end of asymmetry   was commissioned by net provider aol.  broadband is moving the perception of the internet as a piece of technology to an integral part of home life in the uk   said karen thomson  chief executive of aol uk   with many people spending time on their computers as automatically as they might switch on the television or radio.  according to analysts nielsen//netratings  more than 50\% of the 22.8 million uk net users regularly accessing the web from home each month are logging on at high speed they spend twice as long online than people on dial-up connections  viewing an average of 1 444 pages per month. the popularity of fast net access is growing  partly fuelled by fierce competition over prices and services.'
sport,'dent continues adelaide progress american taylor dent reached the final of the australian hardcourt event in adelaide with a crushing 6-1 6-1 win over argentine juan ignacio chela.  dent will meet swede joachim johansson on sunday after the second seed survived a tense tie-break to defeat belgium s olivier rochus 6-1 7-6 (7/5). johansson  the boyfriend of lleyton hewitt s sister jaslyn  received strong crowd support on saturday.  it feels like home for me  because jaslyn lives here   said johansson. rochus was leading 5-4 in the second set tiebreak but his concentration was ruffled by a disputed line call and the match slipped away.  it was so close - one mistake like this and the match is over  it s tough. for me  it was clearly out   rochus said.'
tech,'microsoft seeking spyware trojan microsoft is investigating a trojan program that attempts to switch off the firm s anti-spyware software.  the spyware tool was only released by microsoft in the last few weeks and has been downloaded by six million people. stephen toulouse  a security manager at microsoft  said the malicious program was called bankash-a trojan and was being sent as an e-mail attachment. microsoft said it did not believe the program was widespread and recommended users to use an anti-virus program. the program attempts to disable or delete microsoft s anti-spyware tool and suppress warning messages given to users.  it may also try to steal online banking passwords or other personal information by tracking users  keystrokes.  microsoft said in a statement it is investigating what it called a criminal attack on its software. earlier this week  microsoft said it would buy anti-virus software maker sybari software to improve its security in its windows and e-mail software. microsoft has said it plans to offer its own paid-for anti-virus software but it has not yet set a date for its release. the anti-spyware program being targeted is currently only in beta form and aims to help users find and remove spyware - programs which monitor internet use  causes advert pop-ups and slow a pc s performance.'
business,'uk young top euro earnings league british children enjoy the highest average annual income in europe - more than double that of spanish or italian youngsters  a report suggests.  children in the uk between the ages of 10 and 17 had an annual income of £775  said market analyst datamonitor. they use  pester power  to get their parents to stump up nearly a third of this income  the report said. as for how they spend their cash  the bulk goes on personal care  soft drinks and food  datamonitor said.  datamonitor adds that british teenagers are keen on personal care because it helps them combine two seemingly contradictory emotional needs - the desire to fit in and the desire to express their individuality.  british teenage girls  compared to their counterparts in seven european countries  are the most keen to use make-up products. nearly three out of four girls said they used make-up. according to the datamonitor report the trend marked british teenagers out as  particularly important to cosmetics manufacturers as they are likely to experiment more with brands and products and form long-term beauty routines . and the good times are likely to keep rolling for british children  as the report predicts that they will still be topping the earnings table in 2008.'
politics,'england children s tsar appointed the first children s commissioner for england has been appointed.  great ormond street hospital professor of child health  al aynsley-green  was chosen by the government and will start the £100 000-a-year job immediately. he will oversee a £2.5m annual budget and have the power to look into  any matter relating to the interests and well-being of children . prof aynsley-green has also been the national clinical director for children in the department of health. he promised to make sure that children s opinions  count .   i will be drawing on my experience of working with children and young people to help ensure that those with the power to improve children s lives do live up to their responsibilities.  i want all children and young people to know that they can approach me to discuss any matter that affects them  knowing that i will value their opinion.  education secretary ruth kelly said prof aynsley-green would  strengthen the voice of children and young people . prof aynsley-green was a lecturer at oxford university  trained at guy s hospital medical school  university of london; oriel college  oxford; and in switzerland. he is described as  a proud grandfather  of four. scotland  wales and northern ireland already have children s commissioners.'
sport,'iaaf to rule on greek sprint pair greek sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou are expected to find out on wednesday if they will be banned for missing drugs tests this summer.  the international association of athletics federations (iaaf) council held a conference call on tuesday and are set to announce their decision. kenteris and thanou could be suspended for up to two years. the duo withdrew from the olympics after missing a test but claimed they had suffered a motorcycle crash. the greek authorities have also brought criminal charges against the sprinters for avoiding a drugs test and faking an accident. their former coach christos tzekos is also facing charges and all three are awaiting a trial date.  however  the iaaf will determine the sprinters  future on the track after carefully considering all the evidence. the sport s ruling body is expected to direct the greek federation in what action it should take against the sprinters. kenteris and thanou can appeal against any decision at the court of arbitration for sport. the sprinters both sent written explanations to the iaaf  which have been taken into account. the iaaf sent an official warning to the sprinters and coach tzekos after they were discovered training in qatar rather than in crete  where they had said they would be. but kenteris and thanou then went on to skip tests in tel aviv and chicago  when they decided to fly back to greece early. just before the olympics  the pair dramatically missed another test in athens before withdrawing from the games. kenteris  31  won gold in the 200m at the sydney olympics in 2000  where thanou  29  won silver in the 100m.'
entertainment,'levy tipped for whitbread prize novelist andrea levy is favourite to win the main whitbread prize book of the year award  after winning novel of the year with her book small island.  the book has already won the orange prize for fiction  and is now 5/4 favourite for the £25 000 whitbread. second favourite is a biography of mary queen of scots  by john guy. a panel of judges including sir trevor mcdonald  actor hugh grant and writer joanne harris will decide the overall winner on tuesday.  the five writers in line for the award won their respective categories - first novel  novel  biography  poetry and children s book - on 6 january. small island  levy s fourth novel  is set in post-war london and centres on a landlady and her lodgers. one is a jamaican who joined british troops to fight hitler but finds life difficult out of uniform when he settles in the uk.  what could have been a didactic or preachy prospect turns out to hilarious  moving humane and eye-popping. it s hard to think of anybody not enjoying it   wrote the judges. the judges called guy s my heart is my own: the life of mary queen of scots  an impressive and readable piece of scholarship  which cannot fail but leave the reader moved and intrigued by this most tragic and likeable of queens . guy has published many histories  including one of tudor england. he is a fellow at clare college  cambridge and became a honorary research professor of the university of st andrews in 2003.  the other contenders include susan fletcher for eve green  which won the first novel prize. fletcher has recently graduated from the university of east anglia s creative writing course. the fourth book in the running is corpus  michael symmons roberts  fourth collection of poems. as well as writing poetry  symmons roberts also makes documentary films. geraldine mccaughrean is the final contender  having won the children s fiction category for the third time for not the end of the world. mccaughrean  who went into magazine publishing after studying teaching  previously won the category in 1987 with a little lower than angels and in 1994 with gold dust.'
tech,'looks and music to drive mobiles mobile phones are still enjoying a boom time in sales  according to research from technology analysts gartner.  more than 674 million mobiles were sold last year globally  said the report  the highest total sold to date. the figure was 30\% more than in 2003 and surpassed even the most optimistic predictions  gartner said. good design and the look of a mobile  as well as new services such as music downloads  could go some way to pushing up sales in 2005  said analysts. although people were still looking for better replacement phones  there was evidence  according to gartner  that some markets were seeing a slow-down in replacement sales.   all the markets grew apart from japan which shows that replacement sales are continuing in western europe   mobile analyst carolina milanesi told the bbc news website.  japan is where north america and western european markets can be in a couple of years  time.  they already have tv  music  ringtones  cameras  and all that we can think of on mobiles  so people have stopped buying replacement phones.   but there could be a slight slowdown in sales in european and us markets too  according to gartner  as people wait to see what comes next in mobile technology. this means mobile companies have to think carefully about what they are offering in new models so that people see a compelling reason to upgrade  said gartner. third generation mobiles (3g) with the ability to handle large amounts of data transfer  like video  could drive people into upgrading their phones  but ms milanesi said it was difficult to say how quickly that would happen.  at the end of the day  people have cameras and colour screens on mobiles and for the majority of people out there who don t really care about technology the speed of data to a phone is not critical.  nor would the rush to produce two or three megapixel camera phones be a reason for mobile owners to upgrade on its own. the majority of camera phone models are not at the stage where they can compete with digital cameras which also have flashes and zooms.  more likely to drive sales in 2005 would be the attention to design and aesthetics  as well as music services. the motorola razr v3 phone was typical of the attention to design that would be more commonplace in 2005  she added. this was not a  women s thing   she said  but a desire from men and women to have a gadget that is a form of self-expression too. it was not just about how the phone functioned  but about what it said about its owner.  western europe has always been a market which is quite attentive to design   said ms milanesi.   people are after something that is nice-looking  and together with that  there is the entertainment side.  this year music will have a part to play in this.  the market for full-track music downloads was worth just $20 million (£10.5 million) in 2004  but is set to be worth $1.8 billion (£9.4 million) by 2009  according to jupiter research. sony ericsson just released its walkman branded mobile phone  the w800  which combines a digital music player with up to 30 hours  battery life  and a two megapixel camera. in july last year  motorola and apple announced a version of itunes online music downloading service would be released which would be compatible with motorola mobile phones. apple said the new itunes music player would become motorola s standard music application for its music phones. but the challenge will be balancing storage capacity with battery life if mobile music hopes to compete with digital music players like the ipod. ms milanesi said more models would likely be released in the coming year with hard drives. but they would be more likely to compete with the smaller capacity music players that have around four gigabyte storage capacity  which would not put too much strain on battery life.'
entertainment,'boogeyman takes box office lead the low-budget horror film boogeyman has knocked robert de niro thriller hide and seek from the top spot at the uk box office.  the film  in which a young man is forced to revisit a traumatic childhood experience  took £788 439 in its first three days on release. hide and seek  which was knocked off the top of the us box office by boogeyman last month  fell one place. oscar nominee hotel rwanda was also a new entry in the chart  at number five. the film  which scored oscar nominations for don cheadle and british actress sophie okonedo  made £507  596 in its first week of nationwide release.  comedy sequel meet the fockers and shall we dance   starring jennifer lopez and richard gere  completed the top five. clint eastwood s million dollar baby re-entered the charts at number eight  following its recent success at the oscars. the boxing drama  which won four awards including best film and best director  has made £4.4m to date. two other new entries  a remake of the 1965 film flight of the phoenix  and the teen comedy harold and kumar get the munchies  debuted outside the top 10.'
tech,'format wars could  confuse users  technology firms sony  philips  matsushita and samsung are developing a common way to stop people pirating digital music and video.  the firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying. the move could mean more confusion for consumers already faced by many different  and conflicting  content control systems  experts warned. they say there are no guarantees the system will even prevent piracy.  currently many online stores wrap up downloadable files in an own-brand control system that means they can only be played on a small number of media players. systems that limit what people can do with the files they download are known as digital rights management systems. by setting up the alliance to work on a common control system  the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats. in a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy  appropriately licensed video and music on any device  independent of how they originally obtained that content . the firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music  movies and other digital content they have bought. called the marlin joint development association  the alliance will define basic specifications that every device made by the electronics firms will conform to. marlin will be built on technology from rights management firm intertrust as well as an earlier drm system developed by a group known as the coral consortium.  the move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by apple and microsoft. confusingly for consumers  the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as microsoft and apple.  in many ways the different drm systems are akin to the different physical formats  such as betamax and vhs  that consumers have seen in the past   said ian fogg  personal technology and broadband analyst at jupiter research.  the difference is that it is very fragmented   he said.  it s not a two-horse race  it s a five  six  seven or even eight-horse race  mr fogg said consumers had to be very careful when buying digital content to ensure that it would play on the devices they own. he said currently there were even incompatibilities within drm families. although initiatives such as microsoft s  plays for sure  program could help remove some of the uncertainty  he said  life was likely to be confusing for consumers for some time to come.  shelley taylor  analyst and author of a report about online music services  said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers. apple s itunes service was a perfect example of this  she said.  although itunes has been hugely successful  apple could not justify its existence if it did not help sell all those ipods   she said.  she said rampant competition between online music services  of which there are now 230 according to recent figures  could drive more openness and freer file formats.  it always works out that consumer needs win out in the long run   she said   and the services that win in the long run are the ones that listen to consumers earliest.  ms taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop.  people want portability   she said   and with peer-to-peer they have 100\% portability.  cory doctorow  european co-ordinator for the electronic frontier foundation which campaigns for consumers on many cyber-rights issues  expressed doubts that the marlin system would achieve its aims.  not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying   he said. he said many firms readily admit that their drm systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy. instead  said mr doctorow  drm systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers.  the studios and labels perceive an opportunity to sell you your media again and again - the ipod version  the auto version  the american and uk version  the ringtone version  and so on.'
sport,'davenport hits out at wimbledon world number one lindsay davenport has criticised wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women.  reacting to a disputed comment by all england club chairman tim phillips  the american said:  i think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away.  somebody  i think it was mr phillips  said they won t have money for flowers at wimbledon. that s insulting.  an all england club spokesperson denied phillips made the remark  insisting:  he definitely didn t say it.  the statement added:  it was said by someone else and was a humorous aside at the end of a radio interview when the conversation had moved to talking about the wimbledon grounds.   davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week s dubai duty free event will join the us and australian opens in offering equal prize money for women.  you hear about women playing only three sets while men play five   said daveport.  and the best women are never going to beat the best men.  but it s a different game you go to watch with the women - it doesn t make it better or worse.  hopefully we will be able to change people s minds.   serena williams  who is also in dubai  added:  i m obviously for equal prize money.  women s tennis is exciting. men s tennis is exciting as well  but the women have it right now.  if you are bringing in the spectators you should be able to reap what everyone else is able to reap.'
business,'algeria hit by further gas riots algeria suffered a weekend of violent protests against government plans to raise gas prices  local press reports.  demonstrators in a number of regions blocked roads  attacked public buildings and overturned vehicles  newspapers including el watan reported. the price of butane gas  a vital fuel for cooking  has risen to 200 dinars ($2.77) per canister from 170 dinars. even before the hike  failing economic conditions had been fanning resentment in some of algeria s poorest regions.  demonstrators took to the streets last week when the cost change was first announced  but police seemed to have restored order. according to local press reports  trouble flared up again on saturday and carried on into sunday. el watan said that a number of hot spots centred on the villages and towns close to bouira  about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of the capital algiers. among the other main areas affected were the western tiaret region and sidi ammar in the east of the country  agence france presse (afp) reported. riots also flared up in the maghnia region close to the border with morocco in the west  afp said. butane gas and fuel oil are used as the main source of fuel to heat homes and cook food in algeria s remote mountain areas.'
tech,'brainwave  cap controls computer a team of us researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer.  four people  two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users  successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. the new york team reported their findings in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences.  the results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions   said jonathan wolpaw and dennis mcfarlane. the research team  from new york state department of health and state university of new york in albany  said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought.  the four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which  meant no surgery or implantation was needed.  brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles  so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively.  the impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm  a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis   said the researchers. the four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall  the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. it is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. earlier this year  a team at the mit media labs europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character.'
politics,'blair and brown criticised by mps labour mps have angrily criticised tony blair and gordon brown amid renewed reports of a rift between the two men.  a meeting of the parliamentary labour party saw a succession of normally loyal members warn that feuding could jeopardise labour s election hopes. the pm insisted nothing would derail labour s campaign  despite a new book saying he has upset his chancellor by backing out of a pledge to stand aside. mr brown will again be in the public eye at the party s new poster launch. in what the party had hoped would be perceived as a show of unity  he is due to line up alongside alan milburn - the man controversially appointed as the party s election supremo - and deputy leader john prescott for the event in london on tuesday. relations between mr brown and mr milburn are widely reported to be cool ever since mr blair brought the latter back into the cabinet to run labour s election campaign  a role successfully carried out by mr brown in both 1997 and 2001.  mr blair told the parliamentary labour party on monday:  i know from everyone here  in cabinet and government  nothing is going to get in the way of a unified labour party with a unified position and winning the third term people desperately need.   the prime minister and his chancellor arrived within seconds of each other for the meeting of the plp and were seemingly in good spirits as it started. new speculation about the state of their relationship was sparked by claims in brown s britain  by sunday telegraph journalist robert peston  which suggested mr blair went back on a pledge to make way for mr brown. labour s paul flynn said mr blair and mr brown had a  scorching  from mps adding:  it was a parliamentary labour party meeting like no other.   backbencher stephen pound said some mps had threatend to expose those fuelling the reports if mr blair and mr brown did not  stop this nonsense  this poisonous briefing . lord campbell-savours  a former mp  challenged mr brown to deny reports that he had told the prime minister he did not believe anything he said. mr prescott said mps were entitled to complain about discipline after reading recent press reports.   they told us very clearly  it was the troops telling the leaders: get in line   he told bbc radio 4 s today on tuesday. mr prescott said there were occasional disagreements in any government. but he argued mr blair and mr brown could work successfully together and had produced a strong economy and better public services.  the new book claims mr prescott hosted a dinner in november 2003 where the prime minister told mr brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the iraq war. he had then changed his mind in june 2004  following intervention from cabinet allies and suspicion that the chancellor was manoeuvring against him  writes mr peston. mr prescott said there was a dinner but the discussions were confidential.  of course as a waiter for 10 years i have a professional ability here   he joked. mr blair has insisted he has done no deals over the premiership while mr brown says he will not let  gossip  distract him from helping a unified election campaign. the conservatives say the two men are behaving like squabbling schoolboys and the liberal democrats claim personal ambition is obstructing good government.'
business,'eu  too slow  on economic reforms most eu countries have failed to put in place policies aimed at making europe the world s most competitive economy by the end of the decade  a report says.  the study  undertaken by the european commission  sought to assess how far the eu has moved towards meeting its economic targets. in 2000  eu leaders at a summit in lisbon pledged the european economy would outstrip that of the us by 2010. their economic targets became known as the lisbon agenda. but the commission report says that  in most eu countries  the pace of economic reform has been too slow  and fulfilling the lisbon ambitions will be difficult - if not impossible.  only the uk  finland  belgium  denmark  ireland and the netherlands have actually followed up policy recommendations. among the biggest laggards  according to the report  are greece and italy. the lisbon agenda set out to increase the number of people employed in europe by encouraging more older people and women to stay in the workforce. it also set out to raise the amount the private sector spends on research and development  while bringing about greater discipline over public spending and debt levels. combined with high environmental standards and efforts to level the playing field for businesses throughout the eu  the plan was for europe to become the world s most dynamic economy by 2010. next week  the commission will present revised proposals to meet the lisbon goals. many people expect the 2010 target to be quietly dropped.'
sport,'collins named uk athletics chief uk athletics has ended its search for a new performance director by appointing psychologist dave collins.  collins  who worked with the british teams at the 2000 and 2004 olympics  takes over from max jones. six candidates were interviewed for the job  including denise lewis  coach charles van commenee and former british triple jumper keith connor.  we ve searched long and hard to ensure we have found the right person   said uka chief executive david moorcroft.  we have thoroughly tested the candidates. i believe david will make a great leader and i have great faith in what he will achieve.  collins said:  it s a great challenge. over the next few months i will spend time listening to those who already make a significant contribution to athletics and other elite sports in the uk.  collins  who has worked with javelin thrower steve backley in the past  started his career as a royal marine before becoming a pe teacher. he is currently professor of physical education and sport performance at edinburgh university  where he helps competitors across many sports  including rugby  athletics  judo and football.  he has specialised in helping competitors fulfil their potential through psychology and has worked with the great britain women s curling team  who won gold at the 2002 winter olympics. mark lewis-francis sought collins  advice in athens when he was looking for inspiration before he ran the final leg of britain s surprise triumph in the 4x100m relay. collins has played rugby at regional level  was captain of the great britain american football team  and competed at national level in judo and karate. he arrives with british athletics at a crossroads. despite kelly holmes  golden double and the success of the sprint relay squad  the gb team failed to live up to expectations in athens. many older competitors have retired or are coming to the end of their careers  and britain failed to win a single medal at the world junior championships in italy this year. collins will not have day-to-day coaching contact with the athletes  but will be expected to make changes to the system and coaching set-up in order to secure medals at the beijing olympics in 2008. the appointment of a new performance director was one of the main recommendations in sir andrew foster s review of the sport  which was published in may. it was commissioned by uk sport and sport england  which wanted uk athletics to justify funding of more than £40m from the government following the failure to hang on to the 2005 world championships  which are now being held in helsinki. van commenee dropped out of the selection process to take on the same role with the dutch olympic committee  while connor s application was rejected after an arduous interview process. foster  however  declared himself satisfied with how the appointment was made.  the appointment of david collins  with his strong mix of leadership skills and managerial experience  is testament to the professional and detailed recruitment process   he said.'
tech,'gadget market  to grow in 2005  the explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005  delegates at the world s largest gadget show  in las vegas  have been told.  the number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11\%  while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important.  everything is going digital   kirsten pfeifer from the consumer electronics association  told the bbc news website. the consumer electronics show (ces) featured the pick of 2005 s products.  consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like hdtvs [high-definition tvs]  digital radio  and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005.  all the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry.  despite showing diversity  some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much  wow factor  as in previous years.  the portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of ces  which was the  time and place shifting  of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere  at any time. at the start of last year s ces  the cea predicted there would be an average growth of 4\% in 2004. that figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players  personal video recorders and digital cameras. it was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice  with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. part of this has been the rise in spending power of the  generation x-ers  who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. more than 57\% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers  according to cea research. hybrid devices  which combine a number of multimedia functions  were also in evidence on the show floor.  a lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it   said stephen baker  a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm npd group.  some of these functions cost next to nothing to add.   as well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable mp3 players to giant high-definition tvs  several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders  such as microsoft chief bill gates. despite several embarrassing technical glitches during mr gate s pre-show speech  he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the us market. he unveiled new ways of letting people take tv shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. he disappointed some  however  by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the xbox games console. another disappointment was the lack of exposure sony s new portable games device  the psp  had at the show. sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in march for the us and europe. it went on sale in japan before christmas. there were only two psps embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. a sony representative told the bbc news website this was because sony did not consider it to be part of their  consumer technology  offering.  elsewhere at the show  there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens  including samsung s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005  with new formats for dvds coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional dvds. with so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage  like seagate s 5gb pocket sized external hard drive  which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. more than 120 000 trade professionals attended ces in las vegas  which officially ran from 6 to 9 january.'
entertainment,'hundreds vie for best film oscar a total of 267 films are eligible for the best film oscar but only five will be chosen to go forward as nominees.  the academy of motion picture  arts and sciences has sent out the first ballot papers with the full list of films vying for recognition. among those expected to receive nominations are the aviator  million dollar baby and sideways. academy members will now vote for their favourites before the final nominees are announced on 25 january.  to be eligible for nomination a film must have been shown in a commercial theatre for seven consecutive days before the deadline of 31 december. director martin scorsese s the aviator  starring leonardo dicaprio went on general release on christmas day in the us  ensuring it just made the deadline. studios have already begun lobbying voters  taking out full page adverts in trade publications such as variety urging them to remember particular films when it comes to choosing what to back. other movies tipped for possible success include closer  starring jude law and julia roberts  finding neverland  with johnny depp as author jm barry and kinsey starring liam neeson as the famed sex scientist alfred kinsey. meanwhile  design engineer takuo miyagishima will be awarded an oscar at the scientific and technical awards dinner on 12 february 2005. miyagishima is the 18th recipient of the sawyer award  which is  presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.  the main oscar ceremony will be held in los angeles on 27 february.'
business,'weak data buffets french economy a batch of downbeat government data has cast doubt over the french economy s future prospects.  official figures showed on friday that unemployment was unchanged at 9.9\% last month  while consumer confidence fell unexpectedly in october. at the same time  finance minister nicolas sarkozy warned that high oil prices posed a threat to french growth.  [oil prices] will weigh on consumer spending in the short term  and potentially on confidence   he said. world oil prices have risen by more than 60\% since the start of the year as production struggles to keep pace with soaring demand.  analysts said french companies  keen to protect their profit margins at a time of rising energy costs  were reluctant to take on extra staff.  [the unemployment figures] show the main problem of the french economy: we have growth but without an improvement in employment   said marc touati  an economist at natexis banques populaires.  politicians must have the will and guts to solve structural unemployment with thorough reforms  otherwise in five or ten years  it will be too late.  obligatory employer contributions to worker welfare programmes mean that it costs more to hire staff in france than in many other european economies. many economists have urged the government to stimulate employment by reducing non-wage payroll costs  and by scrapping restrictions on working hours. the french statistics agency  insee  expects the economy to grow by about 2.4\% this year  buoyed by strong consumer spending and business investment. that is above the projected eurozone average of just above 2\%.'
politics,'tories opposing 24-hour drinking the tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control  despite backing a law change last year.  spokesman david davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti-social behaviour. notts police chief steve green said innocent people would suffer. but culture secretary tessa jowell said a delay would be  disastrous  and she accused the tories of opportunism. the government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking  she added. earlier chief constable green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises.  if you look at the market square in nottingham  if a fight takes place which licensed premises do you go and lay the responsibilty at the door of   he asked on bbc radio 4 s world at one programme.  he warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night. earlier this year the royal college of physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an  epidemic  of binge drinking. minister richard caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. it is hoped that allowing pubs and clubs to stay open longer will stagger closing times and end the current situation where drinkers spill on to the streets all at once. earlier tony blair defended the plans against criticism from one of his own backbenchers.   my view of this is very clear: we should have the same flexibility that other countries have and then we should come down really hard on those who abuse that freedom and don t show the responsibility   he told mps.  the law-abiding majority who want the ability  after going to the cinema or theatre say  to have a drink at the time they want should not be inconvenienced  we shouldn t have to have restrictions that no other city in europe has  just in order to do something for that tiny minority who abuse alcohol  who go out and fight and cause disturbances.  to take away that ability for all the population - even the vast majority who are law abiding - is not  in my view  sensible.  this week a judge claimed easy access to drink was breeding  urban savages  and turning town centres into no go areas. judge charles harris qc made his remarks as he sentenced three men for assaults carried out while drunk and high on drugs after a night out.'
tech,'seamen sail into biometric future the luxury cruise liner crystal harmony  currently in the gulf of mexico  is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology.  as holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes  their ship s crew is testing prototype versions of the world s first internationally issued biometric id cards  the seafarer s equivalent of a passport. along with the owner s picture  name and personal details  the new seafarers  identity document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder s fingerprints. the cards are due to be issued in february next year  in line with the revised un convention on seafarers  identity documents of june 2003. tests currently under way in the caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers  produced by different companies in different countries  are working to interoperable standards. results of the current tests  which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities  will be published by the international labour organisation (ilo) by the end of november. crystal cruises  which operates the crystal harmony  is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology.  authenti-corp  the us technology consultancy  has been working with the ilo on its technical specifications for the cards.   if you re issued a seafarer s id in your country  you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in  say  my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed   authenti-corp s ceo  cynthia musselman  told the bbc s go digital programme. she said french  jordanian and nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new id cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. it aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. the convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor s wellbeing and  therefore  it says  to safer shipping and cleaner oceans.  by increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection  the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world   said ms musselman.  it should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in  and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are  in fact  seafarers.'
politics,'brown ally rejects budget spree chancellor gordon brown s closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a budget giveaway on 16 march.  ed balls  ex-chief economic adviser to the treasury  said there would be no spending spree before polling day. but mr balls  a prospective labour mp  said he was confident the chancellor would meet his fiscal rules. he was speaking as sir digby jones  cbi director general  warned mr brown not to be tempted to use any extra cash on pre-election bribes.  mr balls  who stepped down from his treasury post to stand as a labour candidate in the election  had suggested that mr brown would meet his golden economic rule -  with a margin to spare . he said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules.  he also stressed rise in interest rates ahead of an expected may election would not affect the labour party s chances of winning. expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed house prices are still rising. consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in january.  if the mpc (the bank of england s monetary policy committee) were to judge that a rate rise was justified before the election because of the strength of the economy - and i m not predicting that they will - i do not believe that this will be a big election issue in britain for labour   he told a parliamentary lunch.  this is a big change in our political culture.   during an interview with bbc radio 4 s today programme  mr balls said he was sure mr brown s budget would not put at risk the stability of the economy.  i don t think we ll see a pre-election spending spree - we certainly did not see that before 2001   he said.  his assurances came after sir digby jones said stability was all important and any extra cash should be spent on improving workers  skills. his message to the chancellor was:  please don t give it away in any form of electioneering.  sir digby added:  i don t think he will. i have to say he has been a prudent chancellor right the way through. stability is the key word - british business needs boring stability more than anything.  we would say to him  don t increase your public spending  don t give it away. but if you are going to anywhere  just add something to the competitiveness of britain  put it into skilling our people .  that would be a good way to spend any excess.   mr balls refused to say whether mr brown would remain as chancellor after the election  amid speculation he will be offered the job of foreign secretary.  i think that gordon brown wants to be part of the successful labour government which delivers in the third term for the priorities of the people and sees off a conservative party that will take britain backwards   mr balls told today. prime minister tony blair has yet to name the date of the election  but most pundits are betting on 5 may.'
business,'car giant hit by mercedes slump a slump in profitability at luxury car maker mercedes has prompted a big drop in profits at parent daimlerchrysler.  the german-us carmaker saw fourth quarter operating profits fall to 785m euros ($1bn) from 2.4bn euros in 2003. mercedes-benz s woes - its profits slid to just 20m euros - obscured a strong performance from the chrysler group whose returns met market expectations. mercedes faces fierce competition in the luxury car sector from bmw and but hopes to revive its fortunes by 2006.  mercedes  profits over the period compared unfavourably with 2003 s 784m euro figure and were well below analyst expectations of 374m euros. for the year as a whole  its operating profits fell 46\% to 1.6bn euros. sales of mercedes  brands fell 2\% as demand cooled  while revenues were affected by the weakness of the us dollar.  the carmaker blamed the fall in profits on high launch costs for new models and losses from its mercedes smart mini-car range. mercedes is hoping to increase productivity by 3bn euros  having negotiated 500m euros in annual savings with german workers last year. the firm said it was determined to retain mercedes  position as the world s most successful luxury brand. however  daimlerchrysler s shares fell 1.5\% on the news.  while all these divisions are doing well the big worries continue to surround mercedes-benz   michael rabb  an analyst with bank sal oppenheim  told reuters.  in contrast  chrysler enjoyed a 5\% annual increase in unit sales while revenues - calculated in us dollars - rose 10\%. the us division - whose marques include dodge and jeep - transformed a full year operating loss of 506m euros in 2003 into a 1.4bn euros profit last year.  overall  daimlerchrysler saw worldwide vehicle sales rise 8\% to 4.7 million in 2004 while total revenues added 4\% to 142bn euros. chrysler s strong performance helped the world s fifth largest carmaker boost net income by 400m euros to 2.5bn euros.   the year 2004 shows that our strategy works well - even in such a challenging competitive environment   said jurgen schrempp  daimlerchrysler s chairman. daimlerchrysler took a 475m euro hit in costs stemming from a defects scandal at its joint venture  japanese subsidiary fuso. daimlerchrysler last week agreed a compensation package with partner mitsubishi motors which will see it buy out its stake in fuso. looking forward  daimerchrysler s profits are expected to be slightly higher in 2005. however  it is expecting  significant improvements  in profitability in 2006 as a result of a major investment in the mercedes product range.'
business,'executive trio leave aer lingus three senior executives of ireland s state-owned airline  aer lingus  are set to leave early on 28 january after accusations of a conflict of interest.  the trio are chief executive willie walsh  chief financial officer brian dunne and chief operations officer seamus kearney. the three have refused to confirm reports they plan to launch a private airline in competition with aer lingus. they announced in november they would quit in may  but did not give a reason. that decision had followed an announcement by irish prime minister bertie ahern - who is still considering the future of the airline - which ruled out a proposed management buy-out of aer lingus. mr walsh denied they had been forced out early because of the reports claiming they were set to launch a competitor airline.   what i do after i leave aer lingus is still too early to say   mr walsh told ap news agency on wednesday.  i have opportunities open to me. brian and seamus are in the equally fortunate position.  he said he had received more than 40 business proposals  mostly aviation-related  since the trio announced their resignations two months ago. mr walsh said there was no conflict of interest  and  if he was to launch a rival airline or join an existing competitor   this thing happens in every business .  there s absolutely no question of a conflict of interest. i ve been completely focused on my responsibilities at aer lingus   he told ap.  this week opposition politicians had called on the irish government to make an urgent decision on the future of the airline. on wednesday irish transport minister martin cullen said in a statement:  a conflict of interest cannot  should not and will not be allowed to arise between their current roles at aer lingus and their future career intentions.  last friday the minister had announced he was to advertise for three senior executives for aer lingus. mr walsh  who took charge in 2000  and his team have earned praise for turning aer lingus around  by cutting air fares and staff  and re-positioning it as a low-fare airline to rival ryanair. the company is 85\% owned by the government and 15\% by its staff.'
business,'electronics firms eye plasma deal consumer electronics giants hitachi and matshushita electric are joining forces to share and develop technology for flat screen televisions.  the tie-up comes as the world s top producers are having to contend with falling prices and intense competition. the two japanese companies will collaborate in research & development  production  marketing and licensing. they said the agreement would enable the two companies to expand the plasma display tv market globally.  plasma display panels are used for large  thin tvs which are replacing old-style televisions. the display market for high-definition televisions is split between models using plasma display panels and others - manufactured by the likes of sony and samsung - using liquid-crystal displays (lcds). the deal will enable hitachi and matsushita  which makes panasonic brand products  to develop new technology and improve their competitiveness. hitachi recently announced a deal to buy plasma display technology from rival fujitsu in an effort to strengthen its presence in the market.  separately  fujitsu announced on monday that it is quitting the lcd panel market by transferring its operations in the area to japanese manufacturer sharp. sharp will inherit staff  manufacturing facilities and intellectual property from fujitsu. the plasma panel market has seen rapid consolidation in recent months as the price of consumer electronic goods and components has fallen. samsung electronics and sony are among other companies working together to reduce costs and speed up new product development.'
business,'saudi ministry to employ women women will be employed in saudi arabia s foreign ministry for the first time this year  foreign minister prince saud al-faisal has been reported as saying.  the move comes as the conservative country inches open the door to working women. last year  crown prince abdullah  the de-facto ruler  told government departments to put plans in place for employing women. but progress has been slow  reports from the country say.  earlier this week  the local arab news said labour minister ghazi al-gosaibi had  caused uproar  when he said his ministry was having difficulty hiring women because they demanded segregated offices. the newspaper said many saudi women found his explanation  a pitiful excuse for not employing women . women now make up more than half of all graduates from saudi universities but only 5\% of the workforce.  our educational reforms have created a new generation of highly-educated and professionally trained saudi women who are acquiring their rightful position in saudi society   arab news quoted prince saud as saying.  i am proud to mention here that this year we shall have women working in the ministry of foreign affairs for the first time.'
entertainment,'us show sued for rat-eating stunt a us tv network is being sued for $2.5m (£1.3m) by a viewer who says he was disgusted by watching contestants eat dead rats in a stunt show.  austin aitken is taking action against nbc over its programme fear factor. he said watching the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed. the legal assistant said nbc was  sending the wrong message to viewers that cash can make or have people do just about anything beyond reasoning . the hand-written  four-page lawsuit said:  to have the individuals on the show eat and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer s point of view made me throw-up as well as another in the house at the same time.  mr aitken  who lives in cleveland  said that after becoming light-headed  he ran towards the bedroom and knocked his head in a doorway. a spokesman for nbc said it had no comment on the lawsuit  but confirmed the stunt show did feature a rat-eating scene in new york s times square on 8 november. past shows have featured viewers eating spiders and live worms. the programme has been screened in the uk on sky one.'
politics,'custody death rate  shocks  mps deaths in custody have reached  shocking  levels  a committee of mps and peers has warned.  the joint committee on human rights found those committing suicide were mainly the most vulnerable  with mental health  drugs or alcohol problems. members urged the government to set up a task force to tackle deaths in prisons  police cells  detention centres and special hospitals. there was one prison suicide every four days between 1999 and 2003  mps said. the report  which followed a year-long inquiry by the committee  found the high death rate  amounts to a serious failure to protect the right to life of a highly vulnerable group .  many of those who ended up taking their own lives had  presented themselves  to the authorities with these problems before they even offended  the report said. it questioned whether prison was the most appropriate place for them to be kept and whether earlier intervention would have meant custody could have been avoided.  increased resources and a reduction in the use of imprisonment was needed to address the issue in the longer term  the report said. committee chairman labour mp jean corston said:  each and every death in custody is a death too many  regardless of the circumstances.   yet throughout our inquiry we have seen time and time again that extremely vulnerable people are entering custody with a history of mental illness  drug and alcohol problems and potential for taking their own lives.   these highly vulnerable people are being held within a structure glaringly ill-suited to meet even their basic needs.  crime levels are falling but we are holding more people in custody than ever before. the misplaced over-reliance on the prison system for some of the most vulnerable people in the country is at the heart of the problems that we encountered.  until we change our whole approach to imprisoning vulnerable people we cannot begin to meet our positive obligations under article 2 of the european convention on human rights and meet our duty of care to them.   the committee also highlighted  deeply worrying  cases of children and young people taking their own lives. between 1990 and 2004  25 children have taken their own lives in prison and two have died in secure training centres. it picked out the case of joseph scholes  who hanged himself from the bars of his cell in stoke heath young offender institution in march 2002  and urged the home secretary to hold a public inquiry. it revealed that two weeks before his court appearance for a series of robberies  the 16-year-old was depressed  exhibiting suicidal tendencies and slashed his face with a knife about 30 times. even though the trial judge had been alerted to his experience of sexual abuse and mental illness  he was sentenced to a two-year detention and training order. nine days into his sentence  joseph hung himself from the bars of his cell window with a sheet.'
politics,'kilroy launches  veritas  party ex-bbc chat show host and east midlands mep robert kilroy-silk said he wanted to  change the face of british politics  as he launched his new party. mr kilroy-silk  who recently quit the uk independence party  said  our country  was being  stolen from us  by mass immigration. he told a london news conference that veritas - latin for  truth  - would avoid the old parties   lies and spin . ukip leader roger knapman says he is glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk.  mr kilroy-silk promised a  firm but fair  policy on immigration and said they hoped to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election. he said veritas would also announce detailed policies on crime  tax  pensions  health and defence over the next few weeks. labour campaign spokesman fraser kemp said veritas was joining  an already crowded field on the right of british politics . on thursday mr kilroy-silk is due to announce which constituency he will run in at the next general election - that will come amid speculation he has his sights set on defence secretary geoff hoon s ashfield seat. he was joined in the new venture by one of ukip s two london assembly members  damien hockney who is now veritas  deputy leader. ukip s chairman petrina holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left.  mr kilroy-silk quit ukip last week after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. he said he was ashamed to be a member of a ukip whose leadership had  gone awol  after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last june s european elections.  while ukip has turned its back on the british people  i shall not   he said.  i will be standing at the next general election. i shall be leading a vigorous campaign for the causes i believe in.  and  unlike the old parties  we shall be honest  open and straight.   mr hockney also left ukip saying mr kilroy-silk would  deliver better  as the leader of a eurosceptic party. a spokesman for ukip called on mr hockney to quit the london assembly. the party asserts that mr hockney  has a moral obligation  if not a legal one  to stand down. its leader  roger knapman  has said he is glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk.  he has remarkable ability to influence people but  sadly  after the [european] election it became clear that he was more interested in the robert kilroy-silk party than the uk independence party so it was nice knowing him  now  goodbye    he said. ukip officials also argue mr kilroy-silk has not been  straightforward  in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.  veritas  it s the bnp in an expensive suit!  it s all well and good robert kilroy-silk claiming  that  veritas  is a party that doesn t believe in  lies and spin   but the truth of the matter is  its completely useless  due to proportional representation  there is no chance that  veritas  will have any chance in claiming power  and change the two-horse race trend. in my opinion this is just a publicity stunt which has just been used as a smoke-screen for his anti-islamism slurs which got him sacked from the television.  i think that his views regarding immigration are shared by many. it really is time that the uk government ceased to be a paper tiger on this issue. in addition as an ashfield constituent i would be more than interested in kilroy -silk opposing geoff hoon!!  good to see the parties of the right splintering in the way the parties of the left have always done. let s hope kilroy-silk  ukip and the euro-sceptic wing of the tory party all fade further into obscurity so we can have some truth in the debate about europe. we benefit enormously from our membership of the eu  we need to be at the heart of europe  leading it and driving it to where we as a country want to go  not running away from it.  all mouth and trousers. a clown. trouble is  any votes he collects may just end up helping new labour into a third term.  whatever kilroy-silk and ukip do  none of their anti-european policies have any relevance outside middle england. this new party might gain support from right-wing england  but will have little impact in wales or scotland.  hopefully this all this fighting within euro-sceptic parties will allow them to slip out of the way and get people voting for real political parties which address more than one issue. england needs europe to survive and as soon as people realise this the better  we can t rely on the usa forever!  at last an impetus for increasing the likely 40\% turn out for the election. the electorate is disillusioned with british politics. kilroy has one agenda - the uk - and i ll be voting for him.  both ukip and rk-s are representatives of small-mindedness and a lack of vision for the whole of humankind. the interests of humanity and the world lie so much beyond the scope of these people s bickering that who  in the overall scheme of things  really cares about their petty tiff   many people believe you kilroy. you may even believe yourself but switching horses midstream and then bad mouthing the steed that got you halfway seriously diminishes your credibility.  the very idea of political parties born out of such negative feelings as euroscepticism or british supremacy is nauseating. one can only hope the public recognise these extremists for what they are and shun them at the polls.  i ve always thought that kilroy-silk was a self-publicising  egotist and this news does absolutely nothing to alter my opinion.  brilliant  about time this country had a plausible party!  having seen the recent bbc 3 documentary and witnessed the thoroughly disgraceful chauvinistic behaviour of a number of senior ukip figures i can well understand why kilroy-silk feels embarrassed to be associated with such people. hopefully the ukip members who are interested in the political debate will support his action.  fantastic news. pro-europeans now have far less to worry about from the right. the conservatives are as confused as they have been since the mid-1990s  and the extreme anti-europeans are fracturing themselves into splinter groups that split any votes they might get in local  european and general elections. robert kilroy-silk s ego and vanity are his own (and his supporters ) worst enemy.  as a euro-enthusiast i could not be more delighted by kilroy-silk s behaviour. he took a party that was just building up a head of steam  and having exposed it to ridicule by attempting a coup-d etat  he is now setting about the serious business of dividing it in two. the closer to straight-down-the-middle the better  as far as i am concerned  but in any eventuality  the two sceptic parties will exhaust their energies fighting each other.  if every politician with ambitions to lead their party resorted to forming their own for that purpose  we d have ballot papers a mile long! you ve got to hand it to kilroy-silk for his sheer arrogance and supreme self-belief.  whilst not being a great fan of kilroy i do agree with his comments about the ukip leadership  and like him i am also leaving ukip. i believe countless opportunities have been lost to discredit the eu and to show our people what belonging to the eu really means. the eu s comments last week about michael howard s plans to reform immigration show how little we govern our own country when they can turn round and say immigration is a matter for the eu and not individual member states. the sooner we leave this corrupt super-state the better  does anyone else think that it is ironic that euro-sceptic kilroy-silk has used a latin name for his new party  rather than a  good old british  name  is this indicative of the man - contradictory  vain and pompous   i think mr kilroy-silk has got a very good point. british politics has become too pc and as a result has no straight talking honest strong politicians. they are all interested in their own careers and not the people who put them in power. as a result i feel our democracy is being abused and i want it stopped. if mr kilroy-silk lives up to half his promises he will get my vote.  honestly  who really cares  man with tan leaves party with no plan  to set up party with no idea.  as one of kilroy-silk s east midlands constituents i hope those who voted for him are proud to have been taken in by such charming vacuity. i feel insulted by having him represent me in the european parliament.  ukip tried hard to accommodate robert kilroy silk  but he made it clear that only control of it would satisfy him. someone so keen on complete control was bound to fall foul of ukip s democratic nature.  kilroy is an able communicator and a capable politician  in exactly the way those who lead ukip are not. he tried to make it work  but they didn t seem to want to grow up. he was left in the position of having to defend their gaffes to the media. this new party seems a logical next step for kilroy. good luck to the man  i say.  oh please! this is an amusing irrelevance. there is absolutely no chance of either of these parties communicating a sensible and constructive  eurosceptic  argument. they will play a key part in winning the country round to the idea of a reformed  more democratic  more dynamic europe union. future generations will thank him for his ridiculousness.  the refreshing thing about robert is that he is open  honest and straight. what other politician can claim this. i have a suspicion that he talks for a larger part of the electorate that his critics would like. i shall be voting for him.  the electorate of the east midlands voted not for kilroy-silk but for the ukip. kilroy-silk was made an mep because of his position on the ukip s party list. he has no mandate to represent the area and should resign from the european parliament.  i wouldn t write off kilroy-silk. while he s a clown and a one man band at the moment  he s a populist and that s always dangerous.the man clearly has an enormous ego and looking at our current political masters  that seems to be one of the factors in success.  good luck to kilroy though i think he is doing more harm than good for both his new party and ukip because their vote base is not strong enough for both parties to be successful and at the moment ukip have the upper hand while veritas are starting from square one and fighting a somewhat uphill battle.  the man i once found cringe worthy on day time tv  could well turn out to be my country s knight in shining armour. he expresses views which are now more than common amongst society today - but people are almost too scared to express them. kilroy silk has secured my vote  and many more like me. what s more  i look forward to the day when he claims victory  wrecks the eu  and rescues my great nation... without a hair out of place and his tan as perfect as ever!  great stuff. the longer the uk dithers over europe  the richer we in ireland become  as the only english-speaking country fully committed to europe. oh and send us over those hard-working immigrants - our economy needs them.  this is just what the europhiles pray for. as the main eurosceptic party  ukip should try to resolve its differences with kilroy to show a united front and give the uk public a serious political voice against europe. having multiple parties with the same view point just splits the vote further.  thank goodness that kilroy-silk has gone - now ukip at least has a chance in the election!  it is very sad to see the cause of britain regaining its proper relationship with europe damaged by this split within ukip. robert kilroy-silk could have a lot to offer. instead we have a split party and a damaged cause. under the present electoral system  people must work together  and small parties have no hope of representation. last summer  ukip achieved a major advance  partly and only partly due to kilroy-silk. it is a great shame this has been dissipated in in-fighting.  ukip has a wide platform of policies  not just withdrawal from the eu. this kilroy-silk conveniently ignores in the comments surrounding the launch of his own party. neither the english democrats nor the new party were interested in letting him join them and take over their leadership speaks volumes. veritas is the beginning of the end for kilroy-silk.  if he believes in truth and democracy then he and the two assembly members should resign and force a by-elections to stand on their own platform rather than this backdoor approach to politics of being elected for one party then defecting to another.  so ukip was good enough for him to lead  not good enough for him to follow!  interesting that a party committed to plain speaking should have a latin name!  every opinion poll points to an overwhelming anti-europe feeling in this country. kilroy-silk could be on the verge of something huge if he can broaden his appeal beyond this one issue. he is an extremely able communicator with years of political experience. we wants quality schools  top hospitals  clean and efficient public transport  punishments that fit the crime  limited asylum  a purge on bureaucracy and less taxes. it needs courage and honesty  two qualities sadly lacking in our politicians. kilroy-silk may just have those very qualities. recruit the right colleagues  robert  and your time may have come!  well if you cannot get enough limelight being an ordinary mp then go out and start up your own party. it s all flash and no real policy here  let s hope this is the start of both ukip and kilroy-silk slipping into obscurity.  veritas  the name will doom it. but perhaps i am wrong for surely all modern schoolchildren will understand it since they do still learn latin in the classroom do they not  the whole essence of what rks represents is euroscepticism  so explain to me how the too-twee label of veritas symbolises that'
business,'jobs growth still slow in the us the us created fewer jobs than expected in january  but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years.  according to labor department figures  us firms added only 146 000 jobs in january. the gain in non-farm payrolls was below market expectations of 190 000 new jobs. nevertheless it was enough to push down the unemployment rate to 5.2\%  its lowest level since september 2001. the job gains mean that president bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the us economy in his first term in office. he presided over a net fall in jobs up to last november s presidential election - the first president to do so since herbert hoover. as a result  job creation became a key issue in last year s election. however  when adding december and january s figures  the administration s first term jobs record ended in positive territory.  the labor department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in december 2004  from 157 000 to 133 000.  analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions.  it suggests that employment is continuing to expand at a moderate pace   said rick egelton  deputy chief economist at bmo financial group.  we are not getting the boost to employment that we would have got given the low value of the dollar and the still relatively low interest rate environment.   the economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth   said ken mayland  president of clearview economics.  that means there are a limited number of new opportunities for workers.'
sport,'call for kenteris to be cleared kostas kenteris  lawyer has called for the doping charges against the greek sprinter to be dropped.  gregory ioannidis has submitted new evidence to a greek athletics tribunal which he claims proves the former olympic champion has no case to answer. kenteris and compatriot katerina thanou were given provisional suspensions in december for failing to take drugs tests before the athens olympics. the greek tribunal is expected to give its verdict early next week. kenteris and thanou withdrew from the athens olympics last august after missing drugs tests on the eve of the opening ceremony. they were also alleged to have avoided tests in tel aviv and chicago before the games.  but ioannidis said:  everything overwhelmingly shows that the charges should be dropped.  ioannidis also said he has presented evidence that will throw a different light on the events leading up to the pair s sensational withdrawal from the athens games. the lawyer added that he has proof the authorities  knew  kenteris was in germany at the time he was alleged to have missed a test in chicago. nick davies  spokesman for athletics  ruling body the iaaf  which handed out the provisional bans  said:  we can t comment because we were not present at the hearing and don t know what was said behind closed doors.  we expect a verdict from the greek athletics federation before the end of february and will obviously be making a statement then.  kenteris won 200m gold at the 2000 sydney olympics  while thanou won silver in the 100m.'
politics,'uk rebate  unjustified  - chirac french president jacques chirac has called the uk s £3bn rebate from the european union  unjustified .  speaking after a summit meeting he said unless it was put up for discussion the eu would never be able to reach agreement on its medium term finances. earlier foreign secretary jack straw said the uk was prepared to veto any bid to reduce the rebate secured by margaret thatcher in 1984. he said it remained justified because less eu farm money came to the uk.  mr chirac told reporters in brussels:  one can only have a reasonable budgetary balance if we put back on the table the british cheque. it can no longer be justified. it was from the past.  but a uk government official responded:  even with the rebate  the uk pays two and a half times more than france contributes to the eu budget. without it we would pay 14 times as much as france.  there can be no deal on future financing which does not protect the rebate.   the 25-member eu is gearing up for tough negotiations on its budget plans for the period 2007-2013  with the bloc s luxembourg presidency hoping to strike a deal at a june summit. earlier conservative graham brady said the rebate was a  crucial test  of how firmly ministers were prepared to stand up for britain. eu commission president jose manuel barroso has indicated he wants the rebate to come to an end. mr straw said that as well as the veto over the rebate the uk wanted to keep a tight rein on national contributions.  the uk  france  germany  austria  the netherlands and sweden want the eu budget to be capped at 1\% of member states  combined national incomes - the european commission has urged an increase to 1.26\%. mr straw has said the eu commission s proposal would mean a 35\% hike in the budget. shadow europe minister mr brady said:  i believe it is essential that britain keeps the rebate and i think it s a crucial test of how firmly the british government is prepared to stand up for britain internationally in europe.   the uk is already one of the biggest net contributors to the eu .  the foreign secretary meanwhile said the  justice  of the rebate remained.  we have one of the lowest net receipts of any eu country because of the relatively small size of our agriculture sector and its efficiency.  that continues to be the case.   uk independence party leader roger knapman said the rebate was  set in stone  and there was no reason to negotiate about it.  it is extraordinary to do it at this time  just as we are becoming the biggest contributor to the eu. if we lose our rebate as well  the british taxpayer is going to be bled at such a rate that i think everyone will go off the european project.  eu leaders are holding talks in brussels on how to re-energise the sluggish european economy. uk prime minister tony blair is meeting his eu counterparts to finalise a package of measures aimed at stimulating growth and boosting employment ahead of a series of referendums on the european constitution. the plans could introduce a free market into everything from computer services to construction. critics - including germany and france - believe liberalisation could result in companies shifting staff to cheaper bases in eastern europe  undercutting large eu economies and undermining social protections. there are also concerns about the number of workers from eastern european countries who will head west  exacerbating the already high unemployment levels in germany.  mr straw insisted there was nothing to fear from the services directorate.  european countries overall have benefited hugely from the free market in goods   he said.  what we are now talking about is developing that market into an internal market in services.  britain s low unemployment meant there was less  neurosis  about people coming from eastern european countries.  in countries like germany and france  where frankly because of a tighter social market they have much higher levels of unemployment  there is increasing anxiety about other people coming in   he said.'
sport,'zambia confident and cautious zambia s technical director  kalusha bwalya is confident and cautious ahead of the cosafa cup final against angola on saturday in lusaka.  bwalya said:  nothing short of victory will do.  however bwalya warned his side not to be too complacent.  i don t want my team to be too comfortable or too sure of victory as it is going to be a difficult game.  for me the main aim of the game is to enjoy and to win.  zambia have shown their determination to win this final by recalling nine of their foreign-based players. however the 41 year-old bwalya  who became the oldest player to appear in the competition when he played and scored against mauritius  is uncertain whether he will take to the field or not. the chipolopolo fans however are not being so cautious with a  victory  concert already scheduled for after the match featuring some of the country s top musicians. both sides are hoping to win the competition for a record third time  and so keep the trophy for good. the chipolopolo won the first two editions of the regional tournament for southern african nations in 1997 and 1998. they were prevented from a third straight win by angola who knocked out the zambians at the semi-final stage in 1999. that victory for angola also marked a first defeat in 14 years for zambia at lusaka s independence stadium  where saturday s game is being played. angola named just four overseas-based players in their preliminary squad. the palancas negras have been unable to secure the release of many of their portugal-based players.'
business,'iranian mps threaten mobile deal turkey s biggest private mobile firm could bail out of a $3bn ($1.6bn) deal to build a network in iran after mps there slashed its stake in the project.  conservatives in parliament say turkcell s stake in irancell  the new network  should be cut from 70\% to 49\%. they have already given themselves a veto over all foreign investment deals  following allegations about turkish firms  involvement in israel. turkcell now says it may give up on the deal altogether.  iran currently has only one heavily congested mobile network  with long waiting lists for new subscribers. turkcell signed a contract for the new network in september. the new operator planned to offer subscriptions for about $180  well below the existing firm s $500 price tag. but a parliamentary commission has now ruled that turkcell s 70\% controlling stake is too high. they say that turkcell is a security risk because of alleged business ties with israel. parliament as a whole - dominated by religious conservatives - will vote on the ruling on tuesday.  turkcell said the ruling would  make more difficult... turkcell s financial consolidation of irancell  because its stake would be reduced to less than 50\%.  if management control and financial consolidation of irancell cannot be achieved... the realisation of the project will become risky   it warned in a statement. the firm has refused to comment on whether it has business dealings in israel  although like almost all gsm operators worldwide it has an interconnection deal with israeli networks so that its customers can use their phones there. the two countries strengthened ties in both defence and economic issues in 2004. israeli industry minister ehud olmert was reported in june to have attended a meeting between ruhi dogusoy  turkcell s chief operating officer  and executives from israeli telecoms firms. telecoms is one of two areas specifically targeted by the new veto law on foreign investments  passed earlier in september. the other is airports  a source of controversy after the army closed tehran s new imam khomeini international airport on its opening day in may 2004. again  the allegation was that the part-turkish tav consortium which built and ran it had links with israel.'
tech,'games  deserve a place in class  computer games could enhance learning and have a legitimate place in the classroom  say researchers.  academics from the institute of education at london university found that  games literacy  was a key skill for youngsters. as well as being used in different areas of the curriculum  games are a legitimate area of study in their own right  researchers say. pupils should also be able to create their own games  they say.   like all games  computer and video games entertain while promoting social development  and playing and talking about games is an important part of young people s lives   said project manager caroline pelletier.   games literacy is a way of investigating how games are means of expression and representation  just like writing or drawing   she said. the researchers conducted two studies into the impact of games on education  the first looking at how they can be used in different curriculum subjects to enhance learning. researchers found that girls were often excluded from the male-dominated world of game playing.  without first-hand experience of how much fun a game can be  they have little motivation to play and remain disengaged from an engrossing and sociable activity   said research fellow diane carr.  the second project looked at how games can be integrated into media education and concluded that writing games should be a core part of studying them. sixth-form teacher barney oram already teaches computer games alongside the more traditional study of film  tv and popular music at the a-level course he runs at long road sixth form college in cambridge.  for parents  the idea that computer games could be brought into the classroom environment  could cause controversy. dr andrew burn  associate director of the institute of education s centre for the study of children  youth and media moved to reassure anxious parents.  games are a legitimate cultural form that deserve critical analysis in schools just as film  television and literature do   he said.  but we also want to argue that full understanding only comes when children have the tools to create their own games.  the games industry welcomed the report  saying it showed how games had a positive impact on children.  at a time of hysterical and inaccurate reporting it is heartening to see the cultural  social and educational value of computer and video games being assessed intelligently   said roger bennett  director general of the entertainment and leisure software publishers association.  this report is further evidence  if it were needed  about the excellence and imagination that thrives in gaming. they have much to offer to the education of our children and they have much to offer as a career.  the three-year research project  which is being presented at a seminar on tuesday in london  was partly funded by the department of trade and industry.'
politics,'cardinal criticises iraq war cost billions of pounds spent on conflict in iraq and in the middle east should have been used to reduce poverty  cardinal cormac murphy-o connor has said.  the head of the catholic church in england and wales made the comments on bbc radio 4 and will re-iterate his stance in his christmas midnight mass. the cardinal used a christmas message to denounce the war in iraq as a  terrible  waste of money. he and the archbishop of canterbury have both spoken out about the war.  speaking on bbc radio 4 s thought for the day slot  he criticised the fact that  billions  have been spent on war  instead of being used to bring people  out of dire poverty and malnourishment and disease . the cardinal said 2005 should be the year for campaigning to  make history poverty . he added:  if the governments of the rich countries were as ready to devote to peace the resources they are willing to commit to war  that would be to see with new eyes and speak with a new voice and perhaps then others would listen to us with new ears.  the cardinal will touch on this theme again on friday night when he will tell the congregation of 2 000 at westminster cathedral that peace is  worth  always  striving for .   how is it that peace has not arrived    the cardinal will ask.  how is it that there is war in iraq  violence in the holy land  and the horror of pain and death amongst the poor and deprived who suffer from injustice and thus do not find peace    how can one wish a happy christmas for our fellow christians in iraq or in the holy land or those who suffer in africa unless you and i  in whatever way is open to us  say and do what makes for peace   both the cardinal and archbishop of canterbury dr rowan williams appealed for the weapons inspectors to be given more time in iraq before the war started. dr williams has since criticised the government over its case for war  saying the failure to find weapons of mass destruction had damaged faith in the political system.  on friday  the cardinal will ask the congregation to search for peace.  it is possible  it is real  it is worth  always  striving for  because of the promise of our saviour   he will say.  i also wish you peace in your homes because peace in your home is the beginning of peace in the homes of the community.   a spokesman said downing street had no comment to make. but prime minister tony blair has said he will put africa at the top of the agenda when britain chairs the g8 summit next year.'
sport,'off-colour gardener storms to win britain s jason gardener shook off an upset stomach to win the 60m at sunday s leipzig international meeting.  gardener clocked 6.56 seconds to equal the meeting record and finished well ahead of germany s marc blume  who crossed the line in 6.67 secs. the world indoor champion said:  i got to the airport and my stomach was upset and i was vomiting. i almost went home.  i felt a little better sunday morning but decided i d only run in the main race. then everything went perfectly.  gardener  part of the great britain 4x100m quartet that won gold at the athens olympics  will now turn his attention to next weekend s norwich union european indoor trials in sheffield.   given i am still off-colour i know there is plenty more in the tank and i expect to get faster in the next few weeks   he said.  it s just a case of chipping away as i have done in previous years and the results will come.  scotland s ian mackie was also in action in leipzig. he stepped down from his favoured 400m to 200m to finish third in 21.72 secs. germany s alexander kosenkow won the race in 21.07 secs with dutchman patrick van balkom second in 21.58 secs. there were plenty of other senior british athletes showing their indoor form over the weekend. promising 60m hurdler  clocked a new uk record of 7.98 seconds at a meeting in norway. the 24-year-old reached the mark in her heat but had to settle for joint first place with former aaa champion diane allahgreen in the final.    who broke onto the international scene at the olympic games last season  set an indoor personal best of 16.50m in the triple jump at a meeting in ghent. that leap - 37cm short of brazilian winner jadel gregorio s effort - was good enough to qualify for the european indoor championships. at the same meeting   finished third in 7.27 seconds in a high-class women s 60m. the event was won by european medal favourite christine arron of france while belgium rival kim gevaert was second. britain s joice maduaka finished fifth in 7.35. olympic bronze heptathlon medallist  made a low-key return to action at an indoor meeting in birmingham. the 28-year-old cleared 1.76m to win the high jump and threw 13.86m in the women s shot put.'
sport,'robertson out to retain euro lure hearts manager john robertson hopes a place in the knock-out stages of the uefa cup could help keep some of his out-of-contract players at the club.   it could help. if we get through and have another european tie it may encourage players to stay at least until the end of the season   he said.  if we manage to get through it shows how well the club s progressing.  they have to think whether they are going to get other clubs like that should they decide to move on.  a win for robertson s side against ferencvaros would put them through to the last 32 if basle fail to beat feyenoord.  it s very much the player s prerogative but the fact that we ve been playing european football for the last three or four years is obviously an incentive   added robertson.  but we want players who want to play for the football club  who are committed and a run in europe always helps a little bit.  with the game being played at murrayfield instead of tynecastle because of uefa regulations  robertson sees both positive and negative aspects to the change of venue.   the pitch is not in the greatest condition. the heineken cup game was there at the weekend and the pitch is a bit threadbare   he said.  it s not ideal but it s the same for both teams so we just have to go out and there and perform. that s the most important thing.  but he added:  if tynecastle could have hosted 30 000 it would have been fantastic but that s one of the benefits of murrayfield - it allows us to bring even more of our supporters into it.  there will be a good atmosphere and the hearts fans have an important role to play.  we need their encouragement  we need them to get right behind the side and make it as good an atmosphere as possible.  hopefully the players will respond to that and i know they will because it s a fantastic european night for the club.'
politics,'last chance  warning for voters people in england  scotland and wales must have registered by 1700 gmt to be able to vote in the general election if it is held  as expected  on 5 may.  those who filled in forms last autumn should already be on the register - but those who have moved house or were on holiday may have been left off. there will also be elections for local councils and mayors in parts of england on 5 may. the deadline for voters to register in northern ireland expired on thursday.  completed registration forms can be handed into local authorities throughout the day on friday  and some will accept them by fax. as well as for english county councils  polls for unitary authorities at bristol  isle of wight and stockton-on-tees and mayors at doncaster  hartlepool  north tyneside and stoke-on-trent are also scheduled for 5 may. last week preston city council reported that more than 14 000 of its voters were not registered. its electoral roll fell by 17.5\% in a year - the biggest dip in the uk. an electoral commission spokeswoman said:  political decisions are made on your behalf every day but only by using your right to vote at an election can you really have a say on the issues you care about.  if you want your voice to be heard on 5 may you will need to have registered by friday 11 march.  council tax payers are not eligible to vote without registration  officials have stressed.'
entertainment,'women in film  are earning less  women in the uk film industry earn less than their male counterparts despite being better qualified  according to a study released on wednesday.  only 16\% of women earn more than £50 000  compared with 30\% of men. women make up a third of the workforce. the research was carried out jointly by the uk film council and industry training body skillset. it also found that women in the industry were less likely than men to be married or have dependant children.  the study  which claims to be the most in-depth so far conducted  found 60\% of women in the film industry hold degrees  compared with 39\% of men. whilst 17\% of men in the industry had no qualifications  this was true for only five per cent of women. in the lower salary bracket  35\% of women earn less than £20 000 a year  compared to only 18\% of men. the research found very few women worked in the camera  sound  electrical and construction departments  but they made up a majority of those working in make-up and hairdressing.  uk film council chief executive john woodward said:  whilst the uk has benefited hugely from its highly-qualified film production workforce there are still many barriers facing people who want to get in and stay in the industry.   developing the film production workforce must be underpinned with a commitment to diversity as well as training.  the workforce is largely focused around london  with 78\% in the industry based in the capital and the south east of england. the industry depends heavily on word of mouth  with 81\% being recruited in that way. in total  only five percent of the workforce is made up of ethnic minorities  although in london the figure rises to 24\%. the necessity of completing unpaid work experience to get into the workforce has also shot up  from 5\% before the 1980s  to 45\% after 2000.'
business,'india unveils anti-poverty budget india is to boost spending on primary schools and health in a budget flagged as a boost for the ordinary citizen.  india s defence budget has also been raised 7.8\% to 830bn rupees ($19bn). the priority for finance minister palaniappan chidambaram is to fight poverty and keep the government s communist allies onside. but his options are limited by a new law which makes him cut the budget deficit  which he said would be 4.5\% of gdp in the year to march 2005. the country s overall deficit is thought to be more than 10\%  if the spending of india s 35 states and territories is included. under the fiscal responsibility law  mr chidambaram has to trim the deficit by 0.3 percentage points each year  a target he says he has now met for the current year.  but the heavy spending on poverty reduction means the 2005-6 target for the deficit will be 4.3\%  mr chidambaram said - falling short of the new law s requirement.  i was left with no option but to press the pause button vis a vis the act   he said. the following year  though  would have to be back on track  he warned.   i may add that we are perilously close to the limits of fiscal prudence and there is no more room for spending beyond our means   he said. the coming year s reduction has meant bringing more of the businesses in india s burgeoning services sector into the tax system and restructuring the personal tax system  although there are numerous corporate tax and duty reductions built into the budget.  presenting his budget in the lower house of parliament  mr chidambaram said the indian economy was performing strongly and that inflation has been reined in. he said india s economy grew 6.9\% in 2004. in his budget mr chidambaram has:  - increased spending on primary education to 71.56bn rupees ($1.6bn)   - increased spending on health to 102.8bn rupees ($2.35bn)   - announced that 80bn rupees ($1.8bn) will be spent on building rural infrastructure   - pledged 102.16bn rupees ($2.3bn) for tsunami victims   - increased flow of funds to agriculture by 30\%   - announced a package for the sugar industry  in addition  up to 100bn rupees ($2.3bn) to be spent on infrastructure will be sourced by borrowing against the country s foreign exchange reserves  keeping budgeted spending under control.  given the resilience of the indian economy... it is possible to launch a direct assault on poverty   mr chidambaram said.  the whole purpose of democratic government is to eliminate poverty.  the new indian government  led by the congress party  was voted into power last may after it pledged to introduce economic reforms with a  human face .  the finance minister says he is committed to continue reforming india s tax system while expanding the tax base. as part of his reforms he has announced:  - duty cuts on capital goods and raw materials   - expanded service tax net   - raised the income-tax threshold to 100 000 rupees ($2 300)   - reduced income tax for those earning less than 250 000 rupees ($5 700) to 20\%   - reduced corporate tax rates to 30\%  an annual economic survey released on friday said india needed to ease limit restriction on foreign investment  reform labour laws and cut duties apart from widening the tax base for long-term economic growth. but mr chidambaram is under pressure from the communist parties to focus on increasing social spending. the communists are also hostile to measures seeking to increase foreign investment and allow companies to hire and fire employees at will. in recent months  they have expressed their displeasure at the government s economic reform plans including increasing foreign direct investment in telecommunication and aviation. in his last budget  mr chidambaram had pledged billions of dollars for improving education and health services for the poor as well as special assistance for farmers.'
politics,'lib dems unveil election slogan the liberal democrats will present themselves as  the real alternative  in the forthcoming general election campaign  charles kennedy has said.  unveiling the slogan at the party s spring conference  he said there was no  glass ceiling  to its ambitions. he told delegates that labour had abused the public s trust and that the tories had failed to oppose them. in response  the conservatives insisted that theirs was the party that understood the  forgotten majority .  speaking in harrogate mr kennedy said:  people want a credible  principled political party which offers a different vision of what britain can be.   only the liberal democrats stood against the iraq war  he said  and they had also provided strong opposition to the government s plans on id cards  anti-terror measures and taxation. he said:  if you voted conservative in 2001 ... what good did it do you  your vote was wasted.  what people needed was ... a party which was listening to their concerns; a party which was prepared to stand up and say so; a party which said no to the prime minister.  responding to the claims tory party co-chairman liam fox said:  like labour  the lib dems are soft on crime  support higher taxes  oppose controlled immigration and support giving europe more control over our lives.   mr kennedy also outlined his party s plan to impose a 50\% income tax rate on earnings over £100 000 a year. the money would be used to help pay for key policies such as abolishing university tuition fees  scrapping council tax in favour of local income tax  and providing free care for the elderly  he said. labour and the tories claim the sums do not add up  and that working families would be hardest hit. mr kennedy said:  britain is the fourth-largest economy in the world. we have world class businesses and a world class workforce.   so why are two million of our pensioners living below the poverty line   all the parties are campaigning hard for an expected election in may  although prime minister tony blair has not confirmed any timing. earlier  mr kennedy told radio 4 s today programme there was no possibility of forming a coalition with labour in the event of a hung parliament.  we go into the election as an independent party and we come out as an independent party   he said. mr kennedy has been under fire in recent days for missing monday s commons vote on the government s controversial anti-terrorism laws  along with 16 other lib dem mps. on saturday  the lib dem chief executive said it was  just a cock-up  that mr kennedy and his colleagues missed the vote  which the government won by a majority of only 14.  nobody had any idea that was going to happen   lord rennard told reporters at the party conference. he said he was certain mps would get another chance to vote against the plans.'
sport,'barcelona title hopes hit by loss barcelona s pursuit of the spanish title took a blow on sunday as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to atletico madrid.  fernando torres gave athletico an ideal start with a goal in the first minute. ronaldino wasted a second-half chance to equalise for barca when he put a penalty wide  but torres made no such mistake with a last-minute spot-kick. the defeat  coupled with real madrid s 4-0 win over espanyol on saturday  reduces barca s lead to four points. former everton midfielder thomas gravesen scored his first goal for real in the comfortable victory at the bernabeu. zinedine zidane had opened the scoring before raul bagged a brace. gravesen  who replaced zidane  completed the scoring in the 84th minute with a low shot. david beckham  watched by sven-goran eriksson  came off in the 67th minute with a shoulder injury but should be fit for england s game against holland. england team-mate michael owen came on for raul after 76 minutes with the game already won. real have now won six consecutive primera liga games since coach wanderley luxemburgo took charge.'
entertainment,'spark heads world booker list dame muriel spark is among three british authors who have made the shortlist for the inaugural international booker prize.  doris lessing and ian mcewan have also been nominated. mcewan and margaret atwood are the only nominees to have previously won the main booker prize. the new £60 000 award is open to writers of all nationalities who write in english or are widely translated. the prize commends an author for their body of work instead of one book.  gabriel garcia marquez  saul bellow  milan kundera and john updike also feature on the 18-strong list of world literary figures.  but other past winners of the regular booker prize  such as salman rushdie  jm coetzee and kazuo ishiguro have failed to make the shortlist. the prize  which will be awarded in london in june  will be given once every two years. it will reward an author - who must be living - for  continued creativity  development and overall contribution to fiction on the world stage . an author can only win once. the international award was started in response to criticisms that the booker prize is only open to british and commonwealth authors.    margaret atwood (canada) saul bellow (canada) gabriel garcia marquez (colombia) gunter grass (germany) ismail kadare (albania) milan kundera (czech republic) stanislaw lem (poland) doris lessing (uk) ian mcewan (uk) naguib mahfouz (egypt) tomas eloy martinez (argentina) kenzaburo oe (japan) cynthia ozick (us) philip roth (us) muriel spark (uk) antonio tabucchi (italy) john updike (us) abraham b yehoshua (israel)'
business,'s korean consumers spending again south korea looks set to sustain its revival thanks to renewed private consumption  its central bank says.  the country s economy has suffered from an overhang of personal debt after its consumers  credit card spending spree. card use fell sharply last year  but is now picking up again with a rise in spending of 14.8\% year-on-year.  the economy is now heading upward rather than downward   said central bank governor park seung.  the worst seems to have passed.  mr park s statement came as the bank decided to keep interest rates at an all-time low of 3.25\%. it had cut rates in november to help revive the economy  but rising inflation - reaching 0.7\% month-on-month in january - has stopped it from cutting further. economic growth in 2004 was about 4.7\%  with the central bank predicting 4\% growth this year. other indicators are also suggesting that the country is inching back towards economic health. exports - traditionally the driver for expansion in asian economies - grew slower in january than at any time in 17 months. but domestic demand seems to be taking up the slack. consumer confidence has bounced back from a four-year low in january  and retail sales were up 2.1\% in december. credit card debt is falling  with only one in 13 of the 48 million cards now in default - down from one in eight at the end of 2003. one of its biggest card issuers  lg card  was rescued from collapse in december  having almost imploded under the weight of its customers  bad debts. the government last year tightened the rules for card lending to keep the card glut under control.'
business,'brazil plays down varig rescue the brazilian government has played down claims that it could step in to save the country s biggest airline.  brazil s airport authority chief carlos wilson had claimed the government was on the brink of stepping in to save varig  brazil s flagship airline. however  the country s vice president jose alencar has said the government still is looking for a solution. varig is struggling under a huge debt burden of an estimated debt of 6.5 billion reais ($2.3bn or £1.2bn). asked whether a rescue was on the cards following a meeting of the country s congress to discuss the airline s crisis  mr alencar replied:  no  i don t think so. we will see.   earlier  mr wilson had said that president luiz inacio lula da silva has decided to step in and a decree of some kind of intervention could be signed this week.  in practice  it will be an intervention  although this is not the technical name used   he said. an intervention means that the government would take administrative control of the company and its finances. for that to happen varig s main shareholder  the non-profit ruben berta foundation which represents the airline s employees  would have to be removed  mr wilson said. however  no jobs would be lost and the airline would keep on flying  he added. varig  which operates in 18 countries apart from brazil  has been driven to the brink of collapse because of the country s economic downturn.  the depreciation of brazil s currency has had a direct impact on the airline s dollar debt as well as some of its costs. business has improved recently with demand for air travel increasing and a recovery in the brazilian economy. the airline could also win a sizeable windfall from a compensation claim against the government. on tuesday the courts awarded varig 2bn reais ($725m)  after ruling in favour of its compensation claim against the government for freezing tariffs from 1985 to 1992. but the government can appeal the decision.'
business,'japanese mogul arrested for fraud one of japan s best-known businessmen was arrested on thursday on charges of falsifying shareholder information and selling shares based on the false data.  yoshiaki tsutsumi was once ranked as the world s richest man and ran a business spanning hotels  railways  construction and a baseball team. his is the latest in a series of arrests of top executives in japan over business scandals. he was taken away in a van outside one of his prince hotels in tokyo.  there was a time when mr tsutsumi seemed untouchable. inheriting a large property business from his father in the 1960s  he became one of japan s most powerful industrialists  with close connections to many of the country s leading politicians. he used his wealth and influence to bring the winter olympic games to nagano in 1998. but last year  he was forced to resign from all the posts he held in his business empire  after being accused of falsifying the share-ownership structure of seibu railways  one of his companies. under japanese stock market rules  no listed company can be more than 80\% owned by its 10 largest shareholders. now mr tsutsumi faces criminal charges and the possibility of a prison sentence because he made it look as if the 10 biggest shareholders owned less than this amount. seibu railways has been delisted from the stock exchange  its share value has plunged and it is the target of a takeover bid.  mr tsutsumi s fall from grace follows the arrests of several other top executives in japan as the authorities try to curb the murky business practices which were once widespread in japanese companies. his determination to stay at the top at all costs may have had its roots in his childhood. the illegitimate third son of a rich father  who made his money buying up property as japan rebuilt after world war ii  he has described the demands his father made.  i felt enormous pressure when i dined with him and it was nothing but pain   tsutsumi told a weekly magazine in 1987.  he scolded me for pouring too much soy sauce or told me fruit was not for children. he didn t let me use the silk futon  saying it s a luxury.  there have been corporate governance issues at some other japanese companies too. last year  twelve managers from mitsubishi motors were charged with covering up safety defects in their vehicles and three executives from japan s troubled ufj bank were charged with concealing the extent of the bank s bad loans.'
entertainment,'oscars race enters final furlong the race for the oscars entered its final stages as the deadline for voters to choose their winners passed.  the 5 808 academy voters had until tuesday afternoon to return their ballots - any late submissions will not be included in the count. the next five days will be spent counting the voting forms and preparing the winners  envelopes. best actor nominee leonardo dicaprio is to present a statuette for the first time at the la ceremony on sunday.  the 30-year-old actor  who is nominated for playing howard hughes in the aviator  will join other hopefuls such as co-star cate blanchett  natalie portman and kate winslet as oscar presenters. the only people who will know the oscar winners before they are revealed at the ceremony will be the auditors who are in charge of looking after the ballot count.  after collating the results  they are responsible for sealing the results in the famous golden envelopes which will be revealed by a host of celebrity presenters at the ceremony. former academy award winners gwyneth paltrow  dustin hoffman and halle berry will also present prizes. the event at the kodak theatre will be attended by 3 300 people  including some of the best-known names in film  and organisers say they expect it will be watched on television by one billion people around the world. one current concern is the torrential rain which has lashed los angeles for the past week  flooding suburbs and causing mudslides. it is hoped the forecast for sunday  for cool weather but no rain  will prove accurate.  the last time it rained on oscars night was in the mid-to-late 1980s   said oscars communications director john pavlik.  we have had rain up until the day before the show many times  but for some reason the oscar gods always shine on sunday and we hope they will do so again this year   he added.'
business,'dollar gains on greenspan speech the dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the federal reserve head said the us trade deficit is set to stabilise.  and alan greenspan highlighted the us government s willingness to curb spending and rising household savings as factors which may help to reduce it. in late trading in new york  the dollar reached $1.2871 against the euro  from $1.2974 on thursday. market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months. on friday  federal reserve chairman mr greenspan s speech in london ahead of the meeting of g7 finance ministers sent the dollar higher after it had earlier tumbled on the back of worse-than-expected us jobs data.  i think the chairman s taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he s taken for some time   said robert sinche  head of currency strategy at bank of america in new york.  he s taking a longer-term view  laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next.   worries about the deficit concerns about china do  however  remain. china s currency remains pegged to the dollar and the us currency s sharp falls in recent months have therefore made chinese export prices highly competitive. but calls for a shift in beijing s policy have fallen on deaf ears  despite recent comments in a major chinese newspaper that the  time is ripe  for a loosening of the peg. the g7 meeting is thought unlikely to produce any meaningful movement in chinese policy. in the meantime  the us federal reserve s decision on 2 february to boost interest rates by a quarter of a point - the sixth such move in as many months - has opened up a differential with european rates. the half-point window  some believe  could be enough to keep us assets looking more attractive  and could help prop up the dollar. the recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits  as well as the us s yawning current account gap  both of which need to be funded by the buying of us bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments. the white house will announce its budget on monday  and many commentators believe the deficit will remain at close to half a trillion dollars.'
entertainment,'children vote shrek 2 best film young uk film fans voted animated hollywood hit shrek 2 best film at the children s bafta awards on sunday.  more than 6 000 children voted in the only category chosen by fans. harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  runner-up in the poll  was the choice of the bafta experts who named it best feature film. bbc one saturday morning show dick and dom in da bungalow won two awards - best entertainment and best presenters for richard mccourt and dominic wood.  former playschool presenter floella benjamin was awarded the special award for outstanding creative contribution to children s film and television. she first appeared on playschool 25 years ago and was made an obe in 2001 for services to broadcasting. south american-themed cartoon joko! jakamoko! toto! won the honour for pre-school animation and its writer tony collingwood for original writer. debbie isitt won the award for best adapted writer for her work with jacqueline wilson s the illustrated mum  which won the award for best schools drama.  schools  factual (primary) - thinking skills: think about it - hiding places  schools  factual (secondary) - in search of the tartan turban  pre-school live action - balamory  animation - brush head  drama - featherboy  factual - serious desert interactive bafta - king arthur international category - 8 simple rules for dating my teenage daughter'
politics,'kennedy looks to election gains they may not know quite how to describe their position in british politics - the real opposition  the valid opposition  the effective opposition or the authentic opposition.  but the liberal democrats are entering the expected 2005 election campaign determined to prove it is they  not the tories  who are now the real threat to labour. as tory leader michael howard kicked off his election campaign  the lib dem leader charles kennedy dismissed the conservatives as a  fading  force. and he insisted there was  no limit  to his party s ambitions in the coming poll. and he can produce some pretty impressive recent election results to back up his optimism for an election which he believes might just see his party doing big things. sensible third party leaders are usually cautious about making any predictions about how they will do come the big test.  and mr kennedy was not falling into that trap when he fired up his campaign from the party s westminster hq. he would make no predictions other than that he expected the lib dems to increase both their votes and their commons seats at the election.  the gap between labour and the tories was now so narrow - as proved  he claimed  by the defection to labour of robert jackson - that only his party offered a genuine alternative. on the war on iraq  identity cards  student fees and the council tax  there was nothing to chose between the two big parties whereas the liberal democrats offered costed  sensible alternatives. he was also happy to break the two party consensus on taxation by promising to increase income tax on those earning more than £100 000 a year to pay for the scrapping of student fees  the introduction of free personal care for the elderly and replacing the council tax with a local income tax. he was also happy to offer a pledge that he would be doing no deals to  prop up  either of the other big parties after the election.  there was a time when such optimistic sounds coming from the third party could be dismissed as self-delusion. that is no longer the case with the liberal democrats. the other parties will still insist that the lib dems are no hopers whose greatest effect on the poll will be to boost the hopes of their opponents by denying them otherwise winnable seats.  labour  in particular  fears that disillusioned supporters may switch to the lib dems allowing the tories to win some seats. but mr kennedy is clearly hoping for a more significant outcome than that. he will not talk about the big breakthrough  although there are those who believe this could well be the election that sees his party crossing some sort of symbolic threshold. they would argue that  by the time of the election after next  the liberal democrats may genuinely have replaced the tories as the party challenging labour for power. the lib dems will hope to have made advances because of their consistent stand against the war on iraq. but mr kennedy believes his new manifesto will also offer sensible  costed and achievable policies on things like the council tax  crime and asylum that will underpin his claim that his party really is the only opposition worth the name.'
sport,'robben sidelined with broken foot chelsea winger arjen robben has broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and will be out for at least six weeks.  robben had an mri scan on the injury  sustained during the premiership win at blackburn  on monday.  six weeks is the average time to heal this injury and then i need a few more weeks to be completely fit again   he told dutch newspaper algemeen dagblad.  i had a feeling it was serious but because of the swelling it was impossible to make a final diagnosis.  the 21-year-old missed the first three months of the season with a similar injury after a challenge with roma s olivier dacourt. and he added:  it felt different then last summer when i had the same injury on my other foot.  then i could walk already after three days but i stayed sidelined for a long period. i hope that it will now take me six to eight weeks.  chelsea physio mike banks was hopeful that robben could return at some point in march.  the fractures are tiny and he could be playing next month   banks told the club s website.  one is a chip on the side of his foot  the other is a small break on the third metatarsal.  but this is not the traditional metatarsal that has become so famous since the last world cup and which has kept scott parker out for two months.   david beckham suffered a broken metatarsal in the build up to the 2002 world cup in korea and japan. robben  who has been a key part of the blues  push for four trophies  claims he knew instantly something was wrong when he was felled by blackburn midfielder aaron mokoena.  i felt my leg go   he said.  i felt it straight away after mokoena hit me with a wild kick on my left foot.'
sport,'hodges announces rugby retirement scarlets and usa eagles forward dave hodges has ended his playing career to pursue a coaching role in the states.  the 36-year-old  who has 54 caps  was llanelli s player of the season in 2001/2  but has battled injury for the last two of his seven years at stradey. he tore a pectoral muscle against the ospreys on boxing day  an injury that would have kept him out for the season.  realising i would be unable to play this season  the club and i agreed to end my contract early   said hodges.   it allows me to move back to the us and pursue opportunities there and allows the scarlets to look to the next generation.  the scarlets have begun to rebuild their squad for next season after a disappointing heineken cup campaign  with plenty more signings and departures expected in the coming weeks.  scarlets chief executive stuart gallacher confirmed that 17 of the current squad would be out of contract in the summer.  we have a deliberate policy whereby around half the squad are coming out of contract and they know they won t all be re-signed  it s a chance to invigorate the squad   he said.  i m positive about the future of the scarlets both on and off the field.  gallacher was keen to pay tribute to the role back-five forward hodges has played at stradey park  though.  david has been a highly influential member of our squad for seven years   said gallacher.  he is a real professional and we thank him for the part he has played in our success.  i am sure he has an enormous contribution to make to the development of rugby in the us and we wish him and his family well.  hodges described his years at stradey as  the best time of my life.'
tech,'hotspot users gain free net calls people using wireless net hotspots will soon be able to make free phone calls as well as surf the net.  wireless provider broadreach and net telephony firm skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the uk this week. users will need a skype account - downloadable for free - and they will then be able to make net calls via wi-fi without paying for net access. skype allows people to make free pc-based calls to other skype users.  users of the system can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. the system is gaining in popularity and now has 28 million users around the world. its paid service - dubbed skype out - has so far attracted 940 000 users. it plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing  voice mail and skype in  a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. london-based software developer connectotel has unveiled software that will expand the sms functions of skype  allowing users to send text messages to mobile phones from the service. broadreach networks has around two million users and hotspots in places such as virgin megastores  the travelodge chain of hotels and all london s major rail terminals. the company is due to launch wi-fi on virgin trains later in the year.  skype s success at spreading the world about internet telephony is well-known and we are delighted to be offering free access to skype users in our hotspots   commented broadreach chief executive magnus mcewen-king.'
sport,'ruddock backs yapp s credentials wales coach mike ruddock says john yapp has what it takes as an international.  the 21-year-old blues prop is the only uncapped player in wales  six nations squad  gaining a chance in the absence of ospreys loose-head duncan jones.  john is a young man with a big future. he has been playing with the blues for two years and has racked up mileage on his playing clock   said ruddock.  he has international size  is a big  physical lad and a good ball-carrier with a high tackle-count.  ruddock s assessment was backed up by yapp s coach at the blues  former wales and lions prop dai young.   john s been on an upward curve all season and is going from strength to strength   young told bbc sport wales.  his ball carrying gives us good go-forward  he impresses in defence and his work-rate is excellent.  he s working hard on his scrummaging technique  which he is keen to improve to become a destroyer on the loose-head.  to be fair to him he s not quite there with the scrummaging yet  but nobody can fault his effort  commitment and attitude.  john s a very strong man and is eager for the challenge  if he s pitched in he won t let anyone down.  he s developing quickly  but i hope he isn t pushed too quickly in a way that would hurt his development.   ruddock hopes that the selection of yapp and dragons lock ian gough - out of the international reckoning since falling out with former coach steve hansen - will send a message to other players in wales.  john and ian have been rewarded for impressing during the heineken cup competition   said ruddock.  both of them have played well  and we want to send a message out that consistently playing well gets you in the squad.  we believe this is an exciting squad representing traditional values of welsh rugby  and based on the performances in the november internationals.  we have strength and experience up front  and well-recognised talent  pace and skill behind.  the management team just want to get hold of the players and get out on the training pitch at the moment.  they are all due in on sunday  and that s when the hard work starts.'
entertainment,'brits return keane to number one brits success has helped return keane s award-winning album hopes and fears back to the top of the uk album chart.  the debut album  which took the best british album title at the brits on tuesday  moved up seven places from number eight to number one. also capitalising on brits success were the scissor sisters whose eponymous album moved three places to number two. u2 s latest single sometimes you can t make it on your own took the top spot in the singles chart  ahead of elvis. the track  from their current album how to dismantle an atomic bomb  pushed eminem s like toy soldiers from number one to number three.  elvis  wooden heart  which entered the chart at number two  is the sixth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of presley s birth. there are currently six re-released elvis  tracks occupying spots in the top 40 singles chart including are you lonesome tonight at number 20  it s now or never at number 27 and jailhouse rock at number 37. soldier  by destiny s child  ti and lil wayne  debuted at number four  while almost here  the duet from former westlife star brian mcfadden and delta goodrem  fell from number three to number five. there was more follow up to brits success for franz ferdinand won best rock act and best british group last week. their self-titled album moved from 13 to number four. last week s number one album tourist  by athlete  fell to number three.'
entertainment,'howl helps boost japan s cinemas japan s box office received a 3.8\% boost last year  with ticket sales worth 211bn yen (£1.08bn).  the surge was led by animated movie howl s moving castle  which took 20bn yen (£102m) to become the biggest film in japan in 2004. it is expected to match the 30.7bn yen (£157m) record of hayao miyazaki s previous film spirited away. japan motion picture producers figures showed that 170 million cinema admissions were made in japan in 2004. the last samurai  starring tom cruise  was the biggest foreign movie hit in japan last year  taking 13.8bn yen (£70.7m).  it was followed by harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  finding nemo and the lord of the rings: the return of the king. the second highest-grossing japanese film was romantic drama crying out love in the centre of the world  followed by be with you and pocket monsters advanced generation. japanese films accounted for 37.5\% of japan s box office total last year  with foreign films taking the remaining 62.5\%. this represented a 4.5\% gain for the proportion of japanese films in 2004 compared to 2003. the number of japanese films released rose to 310 in 2004 from 287 the previous year. sales of movies on dvd and video amounted to 497bn yen (£2.54bn) for the year.'
entertainment,'my memories of marley...  to mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of reggae star bob marley  rob partridge - marley s former head of press at island records - remembers the man behind the legend.  partridge worked with marley from 1977 until the jamaican musician s death in 1981.  :  i joined island records in 1977 and the first week i was there i worked on his show at the rainbow theatre. it was one of the last dates he did in london.   : the album exodus came out in 1977 and that provided five hits and confirmed his global superstar status.  by 1979 he was the biggest touring attraction in the world. i remember going to see dates in milan and turin and they were enormous concerts.   : bob was one of the most mesmeric people i ve ever had the privilege to work with.  he must have had an iron will to succeed. bob was a very driven individual. you realised from the start there was a manifest destiny within him that he believed in. he didn t suffer fools gladly. at the risk of stating the obvious  he was an extraordinary song writer and his stage act was perhaps the greatest i ve ever seen. i saw him many times.   :  i recall in 1978 he came to the uk for top of the pops and a daily mirror journalist did a half-hour interview. it was interrupted to do a rehearsal. he came back into the dressing room to resume the interview but saw a world cup match on tv.   he sat down in front of the tv and after 10 minutes it was obvious he wasn t going to move. that was the end of it. the mirror had a very truncated interview.  the last time i saw him was in london in 1980. i arranged for him to play four days of football indoors in fulham.  bob was a good player. we are talking about jamaican-style football. he was an attacking midfield player. his team assembled wherever his gigs were. we played in brazil against some world cup-winning players.   : it was always a struggle for him to connect with black america. reggae did not correspond with disco in the 70s. but bob in the 1990s became one of the great icons in america and the third world.  in 1991  ten years after his death  he sold more records than at any time during his life.  we saw black america taking bob into their hearts for the first time.   :  bob  in worldwide terms  is the greatest music star there has ever been. if you went to africa he would be recognised everywhere  in places john lennon or elvis wouldn t be.  no disrespect to the other artists but a case can be made for him as the greatest  the best and the most influential artist in popular music.   : well 1981 was to be the year he toured africa with stevie wonder. he had only performed in zimbabwe and guinea before.  of course the 1981 tour never happened  but the whole of africa would have embraced him. we can t speculate but he was at the height of his powers and just 36 years old. i had no sense his career was going to go downhill.   :  bob was endlessly optimistic about the way africa would turn out. he realised that nothing was perfect but he had total belief in the power of mankind.  i m sure if he were alive today he would believe africa would firstly become politically free and secondly be able to defeat the aids epidemic.   :  the final tune of his final album was redemption song - one of the most incredible classics of all time.'
politics,'straw attacked on china arms moves to lift the european union s ban on arms exports to china have been condemned by human rights groups and the conservatives.  the 15 year embargo was imposed in the aftermath of china s crackdown on protesters in tiananmen square in 1989. uk foreign secretary jack straw  who will hold talks in beijing on thursday  said an eu arms code was more effective than the current ban. but human rights watch says the eu is putting commerce above abuse concerns.  in december  the eu pledged to work towards lifting the ban but said it was not ready to do so yet. germany and france have repeatedly called for the embargo to be lifted. britain has been more cautious but mr straw last week said he also wanted it to end  despite us objections.  he expects it to be lifted over the next six months  a prediction which has alarmed critics. brad adams  from human rights watch  said:  this is a huge political signal from europe that they are willing to forget about tiananmen square.  there are still thousands of people who are unaccounted for.   mr straw said it was wrong to put china under the same embargo as countries such as zimbabwe and burma. the scope of the embargo was very narrow and did not have any force of law behind it  he told bbc radio 4 s world at one. in the uk  more export licences were refused under the existing european union arms code than under the embargo  he said. and only two of the licences denied under the embargo would have been granted under the code.  the code of conduct is much more effective  it s a more powerful tool of and we intend to strengthen it as a pre-condition of lifting the embargo with china   he said.  mr straw denied the decision would suggest to china that tiananmen square had been forgotten. the level of human rights was a key criteria under the eu arms exports code  he said. human rights groups say the code of conduct is not legally binding - but mr straw said it would be given legal force by the laws of many eu countries. conservative shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said the move would be  profoundly wrong . the decision could undermine nato as it severely damaged relations with the us  which is opposed to ending the ban.  mr ancram argued:  what the british government is doing is giving in to french and german pressure  especially the french  who see vast contracts available to them if the embargo is lifted...  it gives the wrong signals to china  who are simply not prepared to accept that what happened at tiananmen square was wrong.  mr straw s china trip is part of regular high-level meetings with beijing ministers. he will meet chinese counterpart minister li zhaoxing to discuss developing relations between their two countries  hong kong and china s part in the talks on north korea.'
business,'india s deccan seals $1.8bn deal air deccan has ordered 30 airbus a320 planes in a $1.8bn (£931m) deal as india s first low-cost airline expands in the fast-growing domestic market.  air deccan was set up last year and wants to lure travellers away from the railway network and pricier rivals. the potential of the indian market has attracted attention at home and abroad. beer magnate vijay mallya recently set up kingfisher airlines  while uk entrepreneur richard branson has said he is keen to start a local operation.  the country has a population of more than a billion people and many observers feel that it is underserved by airlines. recently however  the booming economy has boosted personal spending power and helped swell the middle classes and the corporate sector. india s government has given its backing to cheaper and more accessible air travel.  the days of flying being a symbol of only maharajas or the rich are over   the minister for civil aviation praful patel said earlier. infrastructure is being built to handle the expected increase in demand and on tuesday  agence france presse reported that a group led by germany s siemens won the contract to build a private airport near bangalore. india s airports authority and the state government will own 13\% each of the finished transport hub. for its part  air deccan  set up by army officer and silk farmer gorur gopinath  plans to increase its fleet to 60 aircraft within five years. to help finance the expansion the company may sell a 25\% stake to an investor for about $50m. when it was set up the firm offered tickets that were 50\% cheaper than other indian airlines. it said it was basing its business model on european firms such as ireland s ryanair.'
business,'deutsche boerse set to  woo  lse bosses of deutsche boerse and the london stock exchange are to meet amid talk that a takeover bid for the lse will be raised to £1.5bn ($2.9bn).  last month  the german exchange tabled a 530 pence-per-share offer for lse  valuing it at £1.3bn. paris-based euronext  owner of liffe in london  has also said it is interested in bidding for lse. euronext is due to hold talks with lse this week and it is reported to be ready to raise £1.4bn to fund a bid. euronext chief jean-francois theodore is scheduled to meet his lse counterpart clara furse on friday. deutsche boerse chief werner seifert is meeting ms furse on thursday  in the third meeting between the two exchanges since the bid approach in december.  the lse rejected deutsche boerse s proposed £1.3bn offer in december  saying it undervalued the business.  but it agreed to leave the door open for talks to find out whether a  significantly-improved proposal  would be in the interests of lse s shareholders and customers. in the meantime  euronext  which combines the paris  amsterdam and lisbon stock exchanges  also began talks with the lse. in a statement on thursday  euronext said any offer was likely to be solely in cash  but added that:  there can be no assurances at this stage that any offer will be made.  a deal with either bidder would create the biggest stock market operator in europe and the second biggest in the world after the new york stock exchange.  according to the ft  in its latest meeting deutsche boerse will adopt a charm offensive to woo the london exchange. the newspaper said the german suitor will offer to manage a combined cash and equities market out of london and let ms furse take the helm. other reports this week said the deutsche boerse might even consider selling its luxembourg-based clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions. its ownership of clearstream was seen as the main stumbling block to a london-frankfurt merger. lse shareholders feared a deutsche boerse takeover would force them to use clearstream  making it difficult for them to negotiate for lower transaction fees.'
business,'mg rover china tie-up  delayed  mg rover s proposed tie-up with china s top carmaker has been delayed due to concerns by chinese regulators  according to the financial times.  the paper said chinese officials had been irritated by rover s disclosure of its talks with shanghai automotive industry corp in october. the proposed deal was seen as crucial to safeguarding the future of rover s longbridge plant in the west midlands. however  there are growing fears that the deal could result in job losses. the observer reported on sunday that nearly half the workforce at longbridge could be under threat if the deal goes ahead.  shanghai automotive s proposed £1bn investment in rover is awaiting approval by its owner  the shanghai city government and by the national development and reform commission  which oversees foreign investment by chinese firms. according to the ft  the regulator has been annoyed by rover s decision to talk publicly about the deal and the intense speculation which has ensued about what it will mean for rover s future. as a result  hopes that approval of the deal may be fast-tracked have disappeared  the paper said. there has been continued speculation about the viability of rover s longbridge plant because of falling sales and unfashionable models.  according to the observer  3 000 jobs - out of a total workforce of 6 500 - could be lost if the deal goes ahead. the paper said that chinese officials believe cutbacks will be required to keep the mg rover s costs in line with revenues. it also said that the production of new models through the joint venture would take at least eighteen months. neither rover nor shanghai automotive commented on the reports.'
sport,'collins calls for chambers return world 100m champion kim collins says suspended sprinter dwain chambers should be allowed to compete in the olympics again.  chambers was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid thg and his suspension runs out in november this year. but collins says the british olympic association should reverse the decision to ban him from the olympics for life.  it was too harsh   collins told radio five live.  they should reconsider.  chambers has been in america learning american football but has not ruled out a return to the track. collins added:  he is a great guy and i have never had any problems with him. we are friends.  i would like to see dwain come back and compete again. he is a good person.  even though he made a mistake he understands what he did and should be given a chance once more.'
politics,'woolf murder sentence rethink plans to give murderers lighter sentences if they plead guilty have been watered down.  there was an outcry three months ago when the sentencing guidelines council - led by lord woolf - published its proposals for england and wales. it had suggested judges should reduce sentences by a third for murderers who confessed at the earliest opportunity. but that has now been changed to one-sixth  with no reduction for those killers given a  whole life tariff . at the time lord woolf  the lord chief justice  had said the one third reduction would only be in extraordinary circumstances - for example  if people gave themselves up before their crime had even been detected. the guidelines were to recognise the need to spare victims and witnesses the trauma of going to court where possible  by allowing lighter sentences for guilty pleas and co-operation  he said.  but director of the victims of crime trust  norman brennan  accused lord woolf of having an  arrogant contempt for victims of crime and the law-abiding public . the national association of probation officers said the move would be  political suicide . in revised proposals from the sentencing guidelines council (sgc)  the section on murder said possible reductions would have to be  weighed carefully  by a judge so they did not lead to  an inappropriately short sentence . where it was appropriate to reduce the minimum term having regard to a plea of guilty  the maximum reduction would be one sixth  and should never exceed five years  it said.  in a statement issued on wednesday lord woolf said:  i have no doubt that being able to call on the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all those that serve on the sgc has vastly improved the final guidelines.  i am confident  as a result  that judges will be better placed to deliver sentences which are effective both as punishments and deterrents to offending and reoffending.  director of public prosecutions  ken macdonald qc  who sits on the sgc  said the principle of discounting sentences to offenders for early guilty pleas is set down by parliament.  what the new guideline on reduced sentences for guilty pleas does is increase the chances of convicting the guilty by bringing clarity to this process.  it represents a tougher regime than existed previously  because the discount is automatically reduced if a guilty plea is not made at the first available opportunity   he said.'
politics,'end bush  denial  blair tells eu tony blair is urging european leaders to wake up from their  state of denial  over president bush s re-election.   america has spoken. the rest of the world should listen   the prime minister said in an interview with the times newspaper  published on friday. mr blair is at a summit in brussels  where iraq and european justice and immigration plans are on the agenda. french president jacques chirac reacted to his warning by saying europe instead needed to reinforce its own unity. mr blair has probably been closer to president bush than any other european leader.  he said some people were in  a sort of state of denial  about the us election result but predicted a more  receptive mood  would emerge soon. america needed to listen to the world too  he said.  the fact is that president bush is there for four years. he is there because the american people have chosen him   he argued. he also made clear he intended to take seriously what he perceives as his role in bringing the two continents together.  britain was  uniquely placed  to make out the common ground because of its strong alliance with the us  he suggested. he admitted he had gone to bed at 2230gmt  well before the american polls closed  thinking mr kerry might have won. he woke up at 0530gmt to discover mr bush had won but declined to say if he was pleased with the eventual result. his words about president bush met a cool reception from jacques chirac. the french president told reporters:  europe today has more than ever the need  the necessity  to reinforce itself and its dynamism and unity.  that is the goal of the constitution in a world that is more multi-polar than ever.   mr chirac will miss an address to the summit from iraqi interim leader iyad allawi  who this week criticised nations which took a  spectator  role to iraq s reconstruction. mr chirac denied there was any snub - he is going to a memorial service for the united arab emirates  late leader and says he would be happy to meet mr allawi. he also signed a communiqué stressing the eu s commitment to securing a stable and unified iraq. the eu also confirmed a new $21m aid package. the communiqué congratulated president bush on his victory and stressed the importance of good transatlantic relations. the summit is also expected to agree changes to streamline european asylum and immigration decisions. mr blair recently said the uk would only participate in eu-wide measures where it was in uk interests but the tories say he is surrendering a key veto. the meeting will also assess progress on the economic reform plans agreed in lisbon in 2000 to make europe more competitive.'
politics,'baron kinnock makes lords debut former labour leader neil kinnock has officially been made a life peer during a ceremony in the house of lords.  he will be known baron kinnock of bedwellty - after his former constituency. lord kinnock - who led labour from 1983 until 1992 - was until recently one of britain s eu commissioners. a former critic of the house of lords  he has said he will use the upper house to advocate its reform and to talk on issues like higher education.  i accepted the kind invitation to enter the house of lords as a working peer for practical political reasons   he said when his peerage was first announced.  it is a good base for campaigning on national issues like education  sustainable transport  industrial change and the ageing society and global concerns  particularly poverty and oppression.  during his induction into the upper house  lord kinnock was accompanied by lords leader baroness amos and baroness royall of blaisdon  a former aide to the ex-labour leader. it has been a long journey for the new lord kinnock from his earliest days as a rebellious youngster in the south wales valleys. born in 1942 in tredegar to a miner father and nurse mother  he attended lewis boys  school in nearby pengam  known then as the  eton of the valleys . from there he went to cardiff university  where he met his future wife glenys  now a labour mep.  after a brief career as a tutor for the workers  educational association  he became an mp at the age of just 28 for his home seat of bedwellty (later islwyn). he gained a reputation as a left-wing firebrand  voting against his own labour government s spending cuts proposals in 1975  and later rejecting a junior post in james callaghan s administration. but he joined the shadow cabinet in 1980  and after labour s heavy defeat in the 1983 he was elected leader. he took on the far-left militant tendency and began the long process of returning his party to the centre ground. he was not expected to win the 1987 election  when margaret thatcher was still riding high  but was bitterly disappointed to lose the next one in 1992 to john major  and stepped down. he remained an mp until 1995  when he resigned to become european commission for transport. four years later he became vice-president of the european commission  with responsibility for internal reform. as he assumes the title of lord kinnock  he has also become chairman of the british council  which promotes the uk s reputation for arts  science and education.'
entertainment,'incredibles win animation awards the incredibles movie has beaten shrek 2 to the main prizes at hollywood s animation awards  the annies.  the superhero film was named best animated feature while brad bird won best director  writer and voice actor for his role as designer edna mode. the incredibles won a total of 10 awards - but shrek 2  which had seven nominations  went home empty-handed. the two movies will compete with shark tale in the best animated film category of the oscars at the end of february.  the incredibles  awards came despite shrek 2 s greater box office success. shrek 2 took $881m (£468m) around the world  compared with $576m (£306m) for the incredibles. spongebob squarepants was named best animated tv show while tv comedy king of the hill picked up two prizes including one for actress brittany murphy s voice work. tom kenny  who provides the voice for spongebob squarepants  hosted sunday s ceremony at the alex theater  los angeles. the awards are handed out by the international animated film society. finding nemo won nine annies last year.'
politics,'talks held on gibraltar s future two days of talks on the future of gibraltar begin at jack straw s country residence later on wednesday.  officials at the two-day summit at the foreign secretary s official kent house  chevening  will plan a new forum on the rock s future. in october  mr straw and his spanish counterpart miguel moratinos agreed to establish a body that would give gibraltarians a voice in their future. most gibraltarians said in a referendum they wanted to remain british.  gibraltar s chief minister peter caruana will represent the british citizens living on the rock  while britain s europe director dominick chilcott will represent the uk. madrid is being represented by spain s director general for europe  jose maria pons. the initiative follows spain s socialist government s decision to put its long-standing sovereignty ambitions on hold. gibraltarians rejected plans for the rock s sovereignty to be shared between britain and spain in a referendum organised by gibraltar government.'
business,'bat spit drug firm goes to market a german firm whose main product is derived from the saliva of the vampire bat is looking to raise more than 70m euros ($91m; £49m) on the stock market.  the firm  paion  said that it hoped to sell 5 million shares - a third of the firm - for 11-14 euros a share. its main drug  desmoteplase  is based on a protein in the bat s saliva. the protein stops blood from clotting - which helps the bat to drink from its victims  but could also be used to help stroke sufferers. the company s shares go on sale later this week  and are scheduled to start trading on the frankfurt stock exchange on 10 february. if the final price is at the top of the range  the company could be valued at as much as 200m euros. the money raised will be spent largely on developing the company s other drugs  since desmoteplase has already been licensed to one manufacturer  forest laboratories.'
business,'us economy shows solid gdp growth the us economy has grown more than expected  expanding at an annual rate of 3.8\% in the last quarter of 2004.  the gross domestic product figure was ahead of the 3.1\% the government estimated a month ago. the rise reflects stronger spending by businesses on capital equipment and a smaller-than-expected trade deficit. gdp is a measure of a country s economic health  reflecting the value of the goods and services it produces.  the new gdp figure  announced by the commerce department on friday  also topped the 3.5\% growth rate that economists had forecast ahead of friday s announcement. growth was at an annual rate of 4\% in the third quarter of 2004 and for the year it came in at 4.4\%  the best figure in five years. however  the positive economic climate may lead to a rise in interest rates  with many expecting us rates to rise on 22 march. in the january-to-march quarter  the economy is expected to grow at an annual rate of about 4\%  economists forecast. in the final quarter of 2004  businesses increased spending on capital equipment and software by 18\%  up from 17.5\% in the third quarter. consumer spending grew 4.2\% in the final quarter  down from the third quarter s 5.1\%.'
politics,'eu referendum question unveiled the question to be asked in the referendum on the eu constitution has been unveiled by the government.  it will be:  should the united kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the european union   the constitution will be incorporated into uk law if there is a yes vote in the referendum  expected in 2006. critics say the constitution is a further step towards a federal europe  but advocates say it ensures effective operation of the enlarged 25-state eu.  if we reject this treaty  britain will be isolated and weak in europe   said foreign secretary jack straw  who along with the rest of the cabinet  will back a  yes  vote.  patriots by definition wanted the uk to be prosperous at home and strong and influential abroad  mr straw said.  our role as a leading member of the eu is a crucial part of securing that.   conservative shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said the referendum question  seems straightforward . but he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the eu referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution  when they should be treated as  two separate issues . despite this  underhand trick   the referendum bill stood  no chance of becoming law before the election   he added.  this is tony blair s cheap gesture to the pro-constitution lobby while he runs scared of a debate on europe he knows he cannot win.  neil o brien  director of anti-constitution group vote no  said:  the reality is that the government doesn t want to discuss the eu constitution ahead of the election because they know it is extremely unpopular with voters and with business.   the uk independence party said:  if the government believes that a no vote would mean that we should leave the european union  they should just ask us if we want to leave the eu. then we can be out of it and better off much sooner.   liberal democrat leader charles kennedy  who backs the constitution  said he expected the referendum would come in the first half of next year. he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  the sooner we get on with this  the better.  he said the question sounded  very neutral  and  balanced   adding it would enable the argument  to be enjoined fairly and squarely on both sides . green mep caroline lucas welcomed tony blair s  courage in keeping his word  on holding a referendum. but she added:  this treaty is a flawed document that will make the eu less accountable  less sustainable  and less just.   mr blair signed the constitution at a ceremony in rome in november  but had already made it clear the issue would be put to voters in a referendum. that promise came after sustained pressure from opposition parties. jack straw  who argues the constitution reflected a  british vision for europe  and gives  national governments a stronger grip   has said the referendum could be held in spring 2006. but in an interview with the financial times  mr blair refused to be pinned down to that date  saying britain would hold a poll  some time in 2006 but when  i don t know . the paper said the prime minister  claimed ignorance  of when other countries were planning to hold their referendums.'
entertainment,'russian film wins bbc world prize russian drama the return (vozvrashchenie) has been named winner of the bbc four world cinema award.  the film tells the story of two adolescent boys who are subjected to a harsh regime when their strict father returns after a 10-year absence. directed by andrey zvyagintsev  the return previously won the 2003 golden lion award at the venice film festival. the prize was presented at an awards ceremony held in london on thursday and hosted by jonathan ross. the winner was chosen by a panel which included x files actress gillian anderson  critic roger clarke and touching the void director kevin mcdonald.  ross  who is the presenter of bbc one s film 2005  was also involved in the deliberations. a shortlist of six films from around the world had been drawn up from which the panel chose. other nominees included the motorcycle diaries  zatoichi and hero. a viewer poll saw director zhang yimou s martial arts epic hero emerge as the favourite with 32\% of votes cast. tragedy struck the production of the return when one of the young stars  15-year-old vladimir girin  drowned in a lake. the winner of the world cinema award last year was the french animated feature belleville rendezvous'
business,'india s rupee hits five-year high india s rupee has hit a five-year high after standard & poor s (s&p) raised the country s foreign currency rating.  the rupee climbed to 43.305 per us dollar on thursday  up from a close of 43.41. the currency has gained almost 1\% in the past three sessions. s&p  which rates borrowers  creditworthiness  lifted india s rating by one notch to  bb+ . with indian assets now seen as less of a gamble  more cash is expected to flow into its markets  buoying the rupee.   the upgrade is positive and basically people will use it as an excuse to come back to india   said bhanu baweja  a strategist at ubs.  money has moved out from india in the first two or three weeks of january into other markets like korea and thailand and this upgrade should lead to a reversal.  india s foreign currency rating is now one notch below investment grade  which starts at  bbb- . the increase has put it on the same level as romania  egypt and el salvador  and one level below russia.'
entertainment,'public show for reynolds portrait sir joshua reynolds  portrait of omai will get a public airing following fears it would stay hidden because of an export wrangle.  the tate gallery unsuccessfully tried to buy the picture from its anonymous owner after a ban was issued preventing the painting from leaving the uk. the 18th century painting has remained in storage but the owner has agreed to allow it to be part of an exhibition. the exhibition of reynolds  work will be shown at tate britain from may. joshua reynolds: the creation of celebrity will feature prints  caricatures  and sculpture by the 18th century artist  who painted some of the most famous personalities of his day. portrait of omai fetched the second highest amount for a british painting when it was sold at auction for £10.3m in 2001. it was bought by a london dealer who sold it on to a collector. the unnamed collector wanted to take it out of the country  but was barred from doing so by the government because of its historical significance.  in march 2004  the tate managed to raise £12.5m funding to buy the portrait but the owner refused to sell and it has been held in storage since. the portrait is of a young man who was dubbed  the noble savage  when he arrived in london from polynesia. he became a darling of london society and was invited to all the best parties by people who were fascinated by such an exotic character. sir joshua painted him after his arrival in 1774  and it became the artist s most famous work after it was first exhibited at the royal academy in 1776.'
politics,'labour in constituency race row labour s choice of a white candidate for one of the uk s most multi-racial seats proves the need for all-black short lists  says a race group.  local councillor lyn brown was selected for west ham  east london  in a contest between two white and five ethnic minority women. an operation black vote spokesman said they now wanted to meet labour party chairman ian mccartney for discussions. mr mccartney recently announced party consultation on all-black shortlists. however  labour has so far unable been unable to comment on the implications of the west ham result.  ashok vishwanathan of operation black vote  which aims to increase ethnic minorities  participation in the political process and their representation  said the result again showed all-women shortlists were not effective in getting minority women selected.  i think all-black shortlists are the only way to cut to the chase and address the lack of minority candidates   mr vishwanathan said.  last month the chairman of the commission for racial equality (cre) also called for ethnic minority shortlists in certain circumstances. a cre spokesman said the organisation had nothing to add on the shortlist issue specifically but would be working with all the political parties to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in parliament.  we will be raising it with each of the party leaders on a formal basis and helping them find the most appropriate way forward   the spokesman said. ethnic minorities make up 8\% of the united kingdom population but only 2\% of mps - 13 out of 659 - are from a visible minority group. twelve of them represent labour  and one is a liberal democrat. if ethnic minorities were represented in the house of commons in proportion to their numbers in the population  there would be 42 ethnic minority mps.'
entertainment,'fightstar take to the stage charlie simpson took his new band fightstar to the stage on friday night  just hours after officially announcing his departure from pop band busted.  he was greeted by a sell-out crowd at the university of warwick. confirmation of busted s long-rumoured split had come earlier in the day  when simpson held a press conference in london with bandmates matt willis and james bourne. all three band members stressed that the break up was amicable  although bourne admitted he was  devastated  to hear of simpson s departure.  this has been a really difficult decision   19-year-old simpson revealed   i hope the fans will understand.   while simpson declared he would look back with pride on busted s enormous success  his focus turned immediately to fightstar  with friday s press conference coinciding with the start of the band s 13-date tour of the uk. fuelled by this news  all 1 400 tickets to see charlie s first post-busted live appearance - at the university of warwick s student union - sold out rapidly. mike eccleshall  the venue s promotions coordinator  said:  tickets had been selling strongly over the past few days  but sales went mad after the news broke. we had completely sold out by 4pm.   with queues outside the venue long and expectations high  the pressure was on fightstar to impress. although many dedicated fans travelled to the gig from around the country  they faced a tough crowd made up chiefly of students  the average age of the audience far exceeding that of any busted concert. gone were the screaming girls to which simpson had become accustomed. support act brigade  fronted by simpson s brother  played a short set first and were met with general approval. when fightstar eventually took to the stage around 11pm  however  a riotous cheer easily drowned out any hecklers lurking in the crowd.  unfortunately  the band were initially hindered by technical teething problems as simpson s guitar amplifier failed to work. as sound technicians rushed to fix it  other band members did their best to improvise. when they eventually got under way  fightstar s blend of emotionally charged rock was warmly received. far heavier and less commercial than busted s chart-topping pop-punk  the band will undoubtedly appeal to a more mature fan-base. warwick student helen clutterbuck admitted:  i came to check out fightstar because of all the controversy.  i ve never heard them before  but i m pretty impressed.  less impressed were fellow students ryan crabbe and gordon rennie  who observed   with fightstar  charlie has clearly progressed from busted s sound  but they re still not very inspiring.  fightstar played for around 45 minutes  showcasing material from their forthcoming ep called they liked you better when you were dead  due for release in february.'
politics,'howard denies split over id cards michael howard has denied his shadow cabinet was split over its decision to back controversial labour plans to introduce id cards.  the tory leader said his front bench team had reached a  collective view  after holding a  good discussion   but admitted it was  not an easy issue . he had decided to support the plans as the police said they would help fight terror  crime and illegal immigration. the lib dems have pledged to oppose the bill when it is debated next monday.  tory sources say senior party figures had argued vociferously against the id card scheme. among those reported to have serious reservations over the strategy were senior shadow cabinet members david davis  oliver letwin and tim yeo. but mr howard denied mr yeo  his transport and environment spokesman  said the plans  stink . he also said he was confident shadow home secretary mr davis would  set out the position very clearly  when he stands up to debate the matter next week. mr howard said the police had said id cards could  help them foil a terror bomb plot in which people could lose their lives . he added:  when the police say that you have to take them seriously .  he acknowledged there were  good libertarian arguments  against the cards  but said the shadow cabinet had weighed up all the  conflicting interests  before reaching its decision.  i don t pretend that it is an easy decision but at the end of the day a decision has to be taken.  he also denied he was afraid of looking  soft  on the issue  compared to labour. the conservatives announced their support for the government plans on monday evening.  sources within the party told the bbc mr howard had always been in favour of id cards  and tried to introduce them when he was home secretary. but the tories insisted they would hold ministers to account over the precise purpose of the scheme.  they said they would also press labour over whether objectives could be met and whether the home office would be able to deliver them. and they pledged to assess the cost effectiveness of id cards and whether people s privacy would be properly protected.  it is important to remember that this bill will take a decade to come into full effect   a spokesman said. lib dem home affairs spokesman mark oaten has branded the id scheme a waste of money and  deeply flawed . he said:  this has all the signs of michael howard overruling colleagues  concerns over id cards.   the chairman of the bar council  guy mansfield qc warned there was a real risk that people on the  margins of society  would be driven into the hands of extremists.  what is going to happen to young asian men when there has been a bomb gone off somewhere  they are going to be stopped. if they haven t [id cards] they are going to be detained.  tory ex-minister douglas hogg said he opposed the plans for id cards branding them a  regressive  step which would intrude into the lives of ordinary citizens without any counterbalancing benefits. he predicted ultimately carrying the cards would become compulsory and that would lead to large numbers of britain s ethnic minorities being stopped by police.'
politics,'scots smoking ban details set out smoke-free areas will save lives and improve scotland s health  first minister jack mcconnell has insisted.  he told the scottish parliament on wednesday that a  comprehensive ban  on smoking in public places would be introduced by the spring of 2006. mr mcconnell said the country s health rates were  lamentable  not least because of smoking. he said fines of up to £2 500 would be levied on employers and licences would be removed for non-compliance. earlier  the scottish executive considered a range of options but agreed unanimously to introduce an all-out ban on smoking in public places. in a statement to parliament  mr mcconnell said that the licensed trade would be asked to join an expert committee prior to the ban coming into force.  the health arguments far outweighed lingering public disquiet about a complete ban and claims by the licensed trade that jobs would be lost  he told msps. he said there would be an international marketing campaign whereby  tourists can enjoy smoke free environment and the sick man of europe image becomes a thing of the past .  there are still national habits which hold us back - the time has come for this parliament to accelerate improvements in health   he declared.  health rates are lamentable because of a lack of exercise  drugs abuse  excessive drinking and over-eating.  they all make us one of the most unhealthy countries in europe  and too many smoke.  it is clear that scotland must not be held back by poor public health - the single biggest contribution devolved government can make is to reduce the toll of preventable death caused by smoking.  the legislation will be introduced as part of the health service (miscellaneous provisions) bill  which will be considered by parliament before christmas. main points of the plan:    - a comprehensive ban on smoking in all enclosed public places in scotland   - the legislation will be enforced by environmental health and local licensing officers   - licensees or employers who fail to enforce the law will face fines up to a maximum of £2 500   - licensees who persistently refuse to comply with the law will face the ultimate sanction of losing their liquor licence   - a system of issuing fixed penalty notices for those individuals who break the law will be examined   - individuals who persistently break the law will face a maximum fine of £1 000.     mr mcconnell claimed there was evidence that smoking bans had helped smokers to either give up quicker or smoke less. he said there had been falling cigarette sales of 13\% in new york and 16\% in ireland. mr mcconnell added that there had been a near nine per cent rise in tax revenues from new york bars and restaurants and  in ireland  only a one point three per cent volume sales fall  where they were declining before the ban. the afternoon announcement  following a cabinet meeting on wednesday morning  won broad support from opposition parties.  the scottish national party s holyrood leader  nicola sturgeon  welcomed the move but added that the public should be consulted as the clock ticked towards the ban date. she said:  the time has come for a ban on smoking in public places.  there is evidence a ban can cut deaths from passive smoking and makes it easier for the 70\% of smokers who desperately want to give up the habit.  but we must also recognise that some people have concerns and reservations - there are people who are yet to be persuaded.  the scottish conservative party leader  david mcletchie  questioned what would be exempted from the ban. he was keen to know if inmates in scottish prisons would continue to be allowed to smoke. mr mcletchie asked:  would it not be ironic and perhaps entirely typical of the first minister s brave new scotland that the criminals can be smokers but the smokers will become criminals   the scottish green party s health spokeswoman  eleanor scott  said she was pleased scotland would be following the  success stories of new york and ireland . she believed the majority of people in scotland wanted to go out without having to breathe in harmful tobacco smoke.'
sport,'tulu to appear at caledonian run two-time olympic 10 000 metres champion derartu tulu has confirmed she will take part in the bupa great caledonian run in edinburgh on 8 may.  the 32-year-old ethiopian is the first star name to enter the event. tulu has won the boston  london and tokyo marathons  as well as the world 10 000m title in 2001.  we are delighted to have secured the services of one the most decorated competitors the sport has ever seen   said race director matthew turnbull.  her record speaks for herself and there are few other women distance runners who would dare compare their pedigree with tulu s   he added.  she might be 33 next month  but that didn t stop her winning the olympic 10 000m bronze medal last summer. she s an ultra-consistent championships racer.'
tech,'cheaper chip for mobiles a mobile phone chip which combines a modem and a computer processor on one bit of silicon instead of two could make phones cheaper and more powerful.  the specially-designed chip  developed by texas instruments  could drive down the cost of making mobiles capable of 3d gaming and 30-frame-a-second video. currently  rich multimedia features tend to be on more expensive handsets. the technology  omap-vox  is being tested by firms in europe and asia and could appear by the end of the year. texas  which makes computer chips for more than half the world s mobile phones  said it was keen to make multimedia functions like video and gaming more affordable.  we re going to drive them down into meat-and-potatoes phones that have the largest market share   said doug rasor  a marketing vice president at texas. the chip also uses much less power than conventional chips  said texas  which means less strain on mobile battery life.  more than 50 million people own a mobile in the uk  but mobile operators are keen to encourage people to move onto more sophisticated handsets that can do more. texas is keen to cash in on the third generation (3g) of mobile technology  which offers high-speed networks for video streaming and other multimedia functions. but it faces stiff competition from the likes of intel which is also looking to provide better chips for high-end mobiles.  competition to get people using 3g mobiles will grow in the next year as almost all of the uk s operators have now launched third generation networks. a recent survey by sony ericsson predicted that the number of 3g handsets sold in 2005 would double from 2004 to account for 10\% of all phones sold. many consumers are still to be convinced though. a further recent survey said that only 4\% of mobile owners were thinking of upgrading to 3g phones. many said they were confused about the different ways to pay for phones and the vast array of features most have onboard.  but there will be continued demand for better chips as the industry continues to develop new standards and future networks. earlier in january  ntt docomo and vodafone joined forces to develop the next generation of high-speed networks  known as  super 3g   intended to be 10 times faster than 3g services. the first stage of development is to be completed by 2007  but no date has been set for a commercial launch the newly-designed omap-vox chip set was announced ahead of the start of a major mobile industry conference  3gsm  which takes place in cannes  france this week.'
sport,'wilkinson return  unlikely  jonny wilkinson looks set to miss the whole of the 2005 rbs six nations.  england s world cup-winning fly-half said last week he was hoping to recover from his latest injury in time to play some role in the championship. but rob andrew  coach of wilkinson s club side newcastle  said that with only two games left to play wilkinson was unlikely to be fit in time.  it would be irresponsible to put him straight into a test match   andrew told the times. wilkinson is recovering from a knee injury which followed long-term neck and arm injuries. he has not played for england since the world cup final in november 2003  since when the stuttering world champions have lost nine of their 14 matches. wilkinson is aiming to make his third start to the season in the zurich premiership match against harlequins on 13 march.  that game is the day after england play italy in the six nations and six days before their final match of the championship against scotland.  we are hoping jonny will be ready in a fortnight  but it is touch and go   said andrew.  his recovery is going very well and the key now is how he is reintroduced to playing and with it goal-kicking.  he will probably have to come off the bench to start and it would be ridiculous and irresponsible to put him straight back into a test match.  we can t afford to get it wrong with a knee injury. we are in touch with england and they are relaxed about it.  despite not playing for england  wilkinson is still hoping to make the lions tour to new zealand this summer. lions coach sir clive woodward has not set a deadline for when wilkinson has to start playing again in order to be considered for selection.'
business,'deutsche telekom sees mobile gain german telecoms firm deutsche telekom saw strong fourth quarter profits on the back of upbeat us mobile earnings and better-than-expected asset sales.  net profit came in at 1.4bn euros (£960m; $1.85bn)  a dramatic change from the loss of 364m euros in 2003. sales rose 2.8\% to 14.96bn euros. sales of stakes in firms including russia s oao mobile telesystems raised 1.17bn euros. this was more than expected and helped to bring debt down to 35.8bn euros.  a year ago  debt was more than 11bn euros higher. t-mobile usa  the company s american mobile business  made a strong contribution to profits.  it s a seminal achievement that they cut debt so low. that gives them some head room to invest in growth now   said hannes wittig  telecoms analyst at dresdner kleinwort wasserstein. the company also said it would resume paying a dividend  after two years in which it focused on cutting debt.'
entertainment,'us  afflicted  with awards fatigue the film world and media may be wild about the oscars but cinema-goers and the tv-viewing public are sick of watching award ceremonies  according to some la film critics.  bob strauss  from the la daily news  thinks there are just too many televised gatherings of stars showering praise on each other. he came up with a colourful but unprintable description for these glitzy events  which roughly translates a  celebrity love-in . this echoed the views of oscars host and comedian chris rock  who whipped up a media storm for saying he rarely watched them  calling award shows  idiotic .  as chris rock accurately said  they re about celebrity and fashion   mr strauss said. the recent grammy music awards proved to be a ratings loser  and it seems oscars organisers are determined not to go the same way.  recently announced changes to the ceremony include lining up all five nominees on stage before announcing the winner.  unsurprisingly  this prompted press speculation that the changes were aimed at boosting flagging advertising revenue. but entertainment weekly s dave karger maintained the oscars only generated excitement outside the industry when a blockbuster  such as titanic or lord of the rings  was nominated. the near constant flow of us film awards  representing directors  actors and producers  guilds  also means  few surprises  are left by the time the oscar ceremony is upon us  he said. a quick scan of the los angeles times and los angeles daily news bears this out - speculation about who will win seems to have ground to a halt.  on thursday  the times simply printed a picture of the plastic tents going up outside the kodak theatre to protect the red carpet from rain. variety and the hollywood reporter have also kept their focus firmly on industry-related news  while in the uk bets have closed on the best actor category  with ray star jamie foxx a dead cert to win.  screen international s us editor mike goodridge thinks 2004 s films have simply not grabbed the public s imagination.  film-makers haven t produced films that people adore this year   he said.  they adored saving private ryan for example - people loved it and it made a ton of money.  2004 s films could be a reaction to 9/11 - there was a realisation in america that things might not be so rosy after all.  audiences don t necessarily want to see darker films such as million dollar baby  aviator and finding neverland  which end with casualty.  as to whether rock could pep up the awards  the critics were not hopeful.  mr strauss doubted whether rock would make an impact  but added:  i m all for lower ratings though - there are far more important things going on than the oscars.  mr karger said the comic might boost younger viewers  but mike goodridge thought rock s humour could prompt america s conservative states to switch off. so despite all this  did the critics have any views on who would win    clint eastwood s million dollar baby affected people emotionally  which is why it will beat aviator  which was about technical artistry not feelings   mr karger said.  eastwood has it in the bag   added mr strauss.  oscar voters often vote with their hearts not their heads.  and mr goodridge said best film and director were between martin scorsese s aviator and million dollar baby. mr karger  whose favourite film of the year was mike leigh s abortion drama vera drake  stayed upbeat about the awards despite his other comments.  i hope this is the year for small films to triumph   he said.  after all  it s still one of the biggest tv events of the year.'
politics,'blair sees greater bush consensus george w bush will display a more consensual approach to world politics as he begins his second term as us president  tony blair has said.  the prime minister said mr bush had learned military force was not the only way to fight terrorism. he understood that  the best prospect of peaceful co-existence lies in the spread of democracy and human rights   mr blair told the guardian newspaper. mr bush was sworn in at a ceremony in washington dc on thursday.  echoing the new us secretary of state condoleezza rice  the prime minister said there has been a clear evolution of us policy since the war in afghanistan in 2001. mr blair had personally seen the change over time in conversations with mr bush. the president understood that while military and security measures were important  there also needed to be a multilateral approach to solving the world s problems.  turning to critics  fears that the us was poised for further military action  mr blair refused to give succour to suggestions it was preparing for strikes against iran. the prime minister conceded that the us had  what appears to be a harder position  towards the state than europe. but the prime minister pointed out that until now the us had allowed britain  france and germany to take the lead in trying to halt the iranian nuclear programme. following claims that us forces had worked inside iran to identify potential targets  mr blair was asked if the sas had also been in the country.  we never answer questions about special forces  but do not take that as indicating an affirmative   said mr blair.  mr blair said he believed the president was keen to work with other countries while trying to spread democracy and human rights.  it is significant  in my view  that he is coming to europe as his first foreign visit   said mr blair. following his inauguration  mr bush is due in europe at the end of january.'
politics,'ukip candidate suspended in probe eurosceptic party ukip have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed.  john houston  54  was due to stand in the east kilbride seat in lanarkshire at the next election. but he was suspended after his reported views  including the return of the british empire  were sent to two scottish newspapers. ukip spokesman mark croucher said those who selected mr houston knew nothing of his views. the episode comes at a difficult time for ukip  soon after the high-profile departure of mep robert kilroy-silk. mr houston is alleged to have said that the organs of the criminally insane should be  made available to law-abiding members of the community  and proposed the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade. the document reportedly said:  we re looking for the resurrection of the british empire.  the problems for the human race - environmental and others - can only be dealt with on a global scale  and that calls for a radical alliance of the english-speaking nations  which they are uniquely able to do.  mr croucher said the main issue would be that mr houston s reported views had been presented as ukip policy  which they were not. he said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party s manifesto  but would not have been matched to mr houston when he was standing to become a candidate. he told bbc news:  he appears to have said these things. we have suspended him as a member and as a candidate.  by all accounts none of this was mentioned at his selection meeting.  it is simply a distraction from the task in hand  the eu constitution  not individual idiocies.  mr houston was quoted in the herald newspaper saying:  i feel ukip have over-reacted and overshot the runway.   peter nielson  who is ukip scotland chairman  said he had suspended mr houston on friday night.  he will remain suspended while the matter is being investigated and then we will decide if and what further action will be taken.  he said that any evidence would be looked into and mr houston may be interviewed by the party. he added:  i can t comment too much at the moment  i have one version from him but i haven t seen the papers yet.'
entertainment,'glasgow hosts tsunami benefit gig the top names in scottish music are taking part in a benefit concert in aid of the victims of the asian tsunami.  all 10 000 tickets for saturday s concert  featuring franz ferdinand  belle and sebastian and travis  at glasgow s secc sold out in 36 hours. mull historical society  deacon blue  idlewild  texas  mogwai and teenage fanclub are among the other acts performing at the concert. organisers hope to raise at least £250 000 from the show.  it follows a cardiff gig starring eric clapton  keane and jools holland  which raised more than £1.25m. and it is taking place on the same night as a tsunami benefit show in bristol  which will see massive attack and portishead share a stage for the first time. colin macintyre  of mull historical society  was playing another gig on the same day but said he was determined to make the glasgow benefit. he said:  i think we were all affected by seeing the reports coming from the far east.  we all know somebody who was there  but more than that it was that we had never seen a wave of destruction  a natural disaster  like this in my generation.  i m lucky as an artist to be able to perform at something like this.'
tech,'bt program to beat dialler scams bt is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams  which can cost dial-up net users thousands.  from may  dial-up net users will be able to download free software to stop computers using numbers not on a user s  pre-approved list . inadvertently downloaded by surfers  rogue diallers are programs which hijack modems and dial up a premium rate number when users log on. thousands of uk dial-up users are believed to have been hit by the scam. some people have faced phone bills of up to £2 000. bt s modem protection program will check numbers that are dialled by a computer and will block them if they have not been pre-approved  such as national and net service provider numbers. icstis  the uk s premium rate services watchdog  said it had been looking for companies to take the lead in initiatives.  the initiatives are very welcome   a spokesperson from icstis told the bbc news website.  we are very pleased to see they are putting into place new measures to protect consumers.   the second initiative bt announced is an early warning system which will alert bt customers if there is unusual activity on their phone bills. if a bill rises substantially above its usual daily average  or if a call is made to a suspect number  a text or voice alert will be sent to the user s landline phone. as part of the clamp-down on rogue diallers  companies must now satisfy stringent conditions  including clear terms and conditions  information about how to delete diallers and responsibility for customer refunds. any firm running a dialler without permission can now be closed down by icstis. the watchdog brought in the action last october following a decision to license all companies which wanted to operate legitimate premium rate dialler services.  there are legitimate companies who offer services such as adult content  sports results and music downloads by charging a premium rate rather than by credit card bt said it had ploughed an enormous amount of effort into protecting people from the problem. it has already barred more than 1 000 premium rate numbers and has tried to raise public awareness about the scams.  we now want to ensure there are even stronger safeguards for our customers  who we would urge to make use of these new options to protect themselves   said gavin patterson  group managing director for consumer the arm of bt. both schemes have been undergoing trials in ireland  and will be made available to 20 million bt customers from may.'
tech,'how to smash a home computer an executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.  although computer malfunctions remain the most common cause of file loss  data recovery experts say human behaviour still is to blame in many cases. they say that no matter how effective technology is at rescuing files  users should take more time to back-up and protect important files. the list of the top 10 global data disasters was compiled by recovery company ontrack.  careless - and preventable - mistakes that result in data loss range from reckless file maintenance practices to episodes of pure rage towards a computer. this last category includes the case of a man who became so mad with his malfunctioning laptop that he threw it in the lavatory and flushed a couple of times.  data can disappear as a result of natural disaster  system fault or computer virus  but human error  including  computer rage   seems to be a growing problem   said adrian palmer  managing director of ontrack data recovery.   nevertheless  victims soon calm down when they realise the damage they ve done and come to us with pleas for help to retrieve their valuable information.  a far more common situation is when a computer virus strikes and leads to precious files being corrupted or deleted entirely. mr palmer recalled the case of a couple who had hundreds of pictures of their baby s first three months on their computer  but managed to reformat the hard drive and erase all the precious memories.  data can be recovered from computers  servers and even memory cards used in digital devices in most cases   said mr palmer.  however  individuals and companies can avoid the hassle and stress this can cause by backing up data on a regular basis.'
entertainment,'famed music director viotti dies conductor marcello viotti  director of venice s famous la fenice theatre  has died in germany at 50.  viotti  director of la fenice since 2002  conducted at renowned opera houses worldwide including milan s la scala and the vienna state opera. his time at la fenice coincided with its reopening in 2003 after it was destroyed by fire in 1996. he fell into a coma after suffering a stroke during rehearsals for jules massenet s manon last week.  he conducted some of the best orchestras in the world including the berlin philharmonic and the english chamber orchestra. viotti was born in switzerland and studied the piano  cello and singing at the lausanne conservatory. his career breakthrough came in 1982 when he won first prize at the gino marinuzzi conducting competition in italy. viotti established himself as chief conductor of the turin opera and went on to become chief conductor of munich s radio orchestra. at la fenice viotti was widely acclaimed for his production of the french composer massenet s thais and some of his other productions included giuseppe verdi s la traviata and richard strauss s ariadne auf naxos.  the last opera he directed at la fenice was massenet s le roi de lahore. viotti s debut at the new york s metropolitan opera came in 2000 with giacomo puccini s madame butterfly  followed by la boheme  la traviata and fromental halevy s la juive. giampaolo vianello  superintendent of the fenice theatre foundation  said:  i am filled with extreme sadness because  other than a great artist  he is missed as a friend - a main character in the latest joyous times  during the rebirth of our theatre.  viotti s last public performance was on 5 february when he conducted vincenzo bellini s norma at the vienna state opera.'
entertainment,'no ads for passion oscar campaign producer mel gibson will not be using paid advertisements to promote the passion of the christ to voters in next year s academy awards.  gibson and his icon productions partner bruce davey said they would not be campaigning in print  radio or tv for success at the oscars in february.  this film should be judged on its artistic merit  not who spends more money on advertising   davey said. but dvds will be sent to oscar voters  who will be invited to screenings. icon spent very little on advertising the film  which deals with the last hours of jesus christ s life  when it was released earlier this year - instead  it made the film available for special screenings at churches. it went on to gross over $600m (£322m) in ticket sales worldwide. over recent years  marketing films to the members of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences has become a multi-million dollar industry. last year  the academy formed a committee to tighten the rules after the campaigns spilled over into personal attacks between studios. academy president frank pierson praised gibson s move for working to restore the oscars as a  celebration and appreciation of excellence   and resisting the  crass commercialisation that was threatening the integrity of the award .'
sport,'man utd stroll to cup win wayne rooney made a winning return to everton as manchester united cruised into the fa cup quarter-finals.  rooney received a hostile reception  but goals in each half from quinton fortune and cristiano ronaldo silenced the jeers at goodison park. fortune headed home after 23 minutes before ronaldo scored when nigel martyn parried paul scholes  free-kick. marcus bent missed everton s best chance when roy carroll  who was later struck by a missile  saved at his feet.  rooney s return was always going to be a potential flashpoint  and he was involved in an angry exchange with a spectator even before kick-off. and rooney s every touch was met with a deafening chorus of jeers from the crowd that once idolised the 19-year-old. everton started brightly and fortune needed to be alert to scramble away a header from bent near the goal-line. but that was the cue for united to take complete control with a supreme passing display on a goodison park pitch that was cutting up. fortune gave united the lead after 23 minutes  rising to meet ronaldo s cross from eight yards after the portuguese youngster had been allowed too much time and space by the hapless gary naysmith. united dominated without creating too many clear-cut chances  and they almost paid the price for not making the most of their domination two minutes before half-time. mikel arteta played a superb ball into the area but bent  played onside by gabriel heintze  hesitated and carroll plunged at his fee to save. united almost doubled their lead after 48 minutes when ronaldo s low drive from 25 yards took a deflection off tony hibbert  but martyn dived to save brilliantly. and martyn came to everton s rescue three minutes later when rooney s big moment almost arrived as he raced clean through  but once again the veteran keeper was in outstanding form. but there was nothing martyn could do when united doubled their lead after 57 minutes as they doubled their advantage. scholes  free-kick took a deflection  and martyn could only parry the ball out for ronaldo  who reacted first to score easily. everton s problems worsened when james mcfadden limped off with an injury. and there may be further trouble ahead for everton after goalkeeper carroll required treatment after he was struck on the head by a missile thrown from behind the goal. rooney s desperate search for a goal on his return to everton was halted again by martyn in injury-time when he outpaced stubbs  but once again martyn denied the england striker.  - manchester united coach sir alex ferguson:  it was a fantastic performance by us. in fairness i think everton have missed a couple of players and got some young players out.  the boy ronaldo is a fantastic player. he s persistent and never gives in.  i don t know how many fouls he had he gets up and wants the ball again  he s truly a fabulous player.  everton: martyn  hibbert  yobo  stubbs  naysmith  osman  carsley  arteta  kilbane  mcfadden  bent. subs: wright  pistone  weir  plessis  vaughan. manchester united: carroll  gary neville  brown  ferdinand  heinze  ronaldo  phil neville  keane  scholes  fortune  rooney. subs: howard  giggs  smith  miller  spector. referee: r styles (hampshire)'
entertainment,'original exorcist to be screened the original version of horror prequel exorcist: the beginning  dropped by producers over claims it was not scary enough  is to have its world premiere.  the film  directed by paul schrader  will be screened on 18 march at the international festival of fantastic film in brussels. the psychological drama stars stellan skarsgard and foreruns the 1973 film. schrader was replaced by director renny harlin who made a new version of the film which debuted in 2004. the prequel project was originally announced in 2001  with actor liam neeson in the lead role and john frankenheimer as director. however frankenheimer pulled out in 2002  a month before he died.  skarsgard then replaced neeson in the role of father merrin  made famous by max von sydow in the 1973 film. principal footage was shot in morocco and rome at a reported cost of $32m. however  in august 2003 it emerged that producers morgan creek were shelving schrader s version of the film  having complained it was not scary enough. as well as replacing schrader with harlin - the director behind die hard 2 and cliffhanger - the producers also changed most of the cast  but swedish star skarsgard stayed in the merrin role. harlin s film  released in the uk in october 2004  received lukewarm reviews but went on to make over $76m (£40.7m) worldwide. the festival screening will be the first time that schrader s film has been seen in public. reports that it will be released either in cinemas or on dvd have yet to be confirmed. other films at the festival in the belgium capital  which runs from 11-26 march  include the us horror hit boogeyman and the forthcoming sequel ring 2  as well as a selection of films adapted from the works of jules verne.'
entertainment,'god cut from dark materials film the director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of philip pullman s his dark materials is to remove references to god and the church in the movie.  chris weitz  director of about a boy  said the changes were being made after film studio new line expressed concern. the books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow god.  they have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti-religiosity   weitz told a his dark materials fans  website. pullman s trilogy has been attacked by some christian teachers and by the catholic press as blasphemy. weitz  who admitted he would not be many people s first choice to direct the films  said he regarded the film adaptation as  the most important work of my life .   in part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life   he told bridgetothestars.net. the award-winning trilogy - northern lights  the subtle knife and the amber spyglass - tell the story of oxford school child lyra belacqua. she is drawn into an epic struggle against the church  which has been carrying out experiments on children in an attempt to remove original sin.  as the books progress the struggle turns into a battle to overthrow the authority  a figure who is god-like in the books. weitz  who directed american pie and about a boy  said new line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project  unviable financially . he said:  all my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as i can.  but there may be some modification of terms.   weitz said he had visited pullman  who had told him that the authority could  represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual  whether it be religious  political  totalitarian  fundamentalist  communist  what have you . he added:  i have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece  but they may appear in more subtle guises.  there are a number of christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of god  but pullman has denied his books are anti-religious. his agent told the times newspaper that pullman was happy with the adaptation so far.  of course new line want to make money  but mr weitz is a wonderful director and philip is very supportive.  you have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of bush s america'
sport,'unclear future for striker baros liverpool forward milan baros is uncertain whether he remains part of boss rafa benitez s plans after being dropped for the carling cup final.  baros  who is liverpool s leading scorer this season  denied reports of a row with benitez but claims he is mystified at being left on the bench. he told czech newspaper daily sport:  i don t know why i didn t play on sunday. i didn t argue with anybody.  i was disappointed but i am not thinking of leaving right now.  the czech international came on as a substitute after 74 minutes but could not prevent his side losing 3-2 to chelsea after extra-time.  baros denied suggestions he wanted to leave the millennium stadium before the match upon learning of his omission from the starting line-up. but his admission that he  guessed something like this was going to happen on saturday   will do little to quell claims of a falling-out with benitez. and although baros insisted thoughts of quitting anfield are  not in my mind right now   he admitted  everything is possible .'
business,'indian oil firm eyes yukos assets india s biggest oil exploration firm  oil & natural gas corp (ongc)  says it is in talks to buy the former assets of troubled russian crude producer yukos.   we are in touch with the concerned russian entities about the yukos assets and other opportunities in russia   said ongc chairman subir raha. local press had reported that ongc was looking to buy 15\% of yukos  former key oil production unit for $2bn (£1bn). yukos is being broken up by russian authorities to pay a massive tax bill.  it was forced to sell its key production unit yuganskneftegas (yugansk) last month after being hit with a bill of $27bn in unpaid taxes and fines.  state-owned rosneft now owns yugansk and russia has said it will turn the oil producer into a stand-alone firm. indian oil minister mani shankar aiyar discussed ongc s plans during a trip to moscow last year  and the topic came up again during russian president vladimir putin s recent visit to new delhi.  it would make great sense for us to build on that   said mr aiyar. india s oil production has stagnated over recent years  and it is having to look abroad to secure future supplies. india imports about 70\% of its total oil consumption. at the same time  india s economy is booming and the country s thirst for oil is so strong that it has helped pushed up the price of crude worldwide.  india produces about 793 000 barrels of oil per day (bpd)  little changed since the start of the 1990s  according to oil industry analysts douglas-westwood. consumption  meanwhile  has jumped to 2.4 million bpd  compared with 474 000 bpd in 1973.   for countries to develop  they have to have access to energy   said john westwood  managing director of oil industry analysts douglas-westwood. india is a  dramatically growing economy that must have access to oil . by buying into yugansk  ongc would be able to reduce its dependence on gulf states for oil imports  mr westwood explained  especially as the chances of finding and exploiting resources within india are slim.  we forecast that indian production will go into significant decline   mr westwood said.  by 2020  production may only be at half of today s levels.  ongc  which is majority-owned by the indian state  already has bought petroleum assets in countries including vietnam  sudan and russia. the company is a partner with rosneft in the sakhalin-1 oil field off russia s siberian coast.  ongc is  however  not the only firm interested in yugansk.  chinese crude company china national petroleum has also been mentioned as a possible investor  while on thursday  italy refused to rule out an interest. ongc s interest is the latest twist in a saga that has seen one of the world s biggest oil producers brought to its knees. the dispute is partly driven by president putin s clampdown on the political ambitions of ex-yukos boss mikhail khodorkovsky  who is currently in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion. yukos has been battling the russian authorities for more than a year and has filed for bankruptcy protection in the us. analysts have questioned how long it can continue to survive without yugansk. on thursday  a us court said it will hear arguments for yukos  bankruptcy claim to be thrown out on 16 february. should that happen  yukos will have little chance of clawing back its assets  analysts said.'
tech,'blind student  hears in colour  a blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps.  victor wong  a graduate student from hong kong studying at cornell university in new york state  had to read coloured maps of the upper atmosphere as part of his research. to study  space weather  mr wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models. a number of solutions were tried  including having a colleague describe the maps and attempting to print them in braille. mr wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music  and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work.   the images have three dimensions and i had to find a way of reading them myself   mr wong told the bbc news website.  for the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - i felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images.  he tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. in order to have an exact reference to the screen  a pen and tablet device is used. the software then assigns one of 88 piano notes to individually coloured pixels - ranging from blue at the lower end of this scale to red at the upper end. mr wong says the application is still very much in its infancy and is only useful for reading images that have been created digitally.  if i took a random picture and scanned it and then used my software to recognise it  it wouldn t work that well.   mr wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a  colour memory  makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision.  as the notes increase in pitch i know the colour s getting redder and redder  and in my mind s eye a patch of red appears.  the colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially  and mr wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable. but he hopes that one day it can be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.'
business,'gold falls on imf sale concerns the price of gold has fallen after the international monetary fund (imf) said it will look at ways of using its gold reserves to provide debt relief.  by revaluing its holdings  the imf may be able to sell billions of dollars of gold and use the cash to cancel debts owed by the world s poorest nations. the plan was put forward by g7 finance ministers over the weekend. the price of gold fell to $413.50 an ounce in asia  before rebounding slightly in early european trading.  imf boss rodrigo rato was asked by g7 ministers to carry out a study into the feasibility of revaluing and selling gold reserves.  he is expected to present his conclusions at an imf meeting in washington during april.  whatever happens the market is going to be disconcerted and on the back foot until the april imf meetings   said john reade  an analyst at ubs. the imf values its gold reserves at between $40 and $50 an ounce  a price that was fixed in the 1970s and is about a tenth of the metal s current market value. the imf has 3 217 tonnes of gold  or about 113.5m ounces. bringing the book price of the gold in line with market value would boost the imf s balance sheet  giving it more money to distribute.  this idea has been put forward before  but there now seems to be a more committed political drive to address the issue of global poverty.  this is the first time there has been a mention of the use of gold in a g7 communiqué for achieving debt relief   said uk chancellor of the exchequer gordon brown. at their meeting in london  g7 finance ministers backed plans to write off up to 100\% of the debts owed by some of the world s poorest countries. mr brown said the meeting would be remembered as  the 100\% debt relief summit . while debt relief seems to have jumped to the top of the global agenda  not everyone is convinced that selling imf gold is the best way forward. the us  which can veto any plan to sell imf gold should it so choose  said it is looking at other ways of solving the problem.  the us is not convinced that s the necessary way to do it   said treasury under secretary john taylor. canada  a key gold producer  also expressed reservations.'
entertainment,'beastie boys win sampling battle us rappers beastie boys have won their long-running battle over the use of a sample in their song pass the mic.  the punk-rappers used three notes of music from flautist james newton s choir in their track from 1992. although the group had paid a licence fee for the sample  mr newton said his copyright had been infringed. but the us court of appeal upheld its original decision that the group did not have to pay an additional fee to license the underlying composition. the beastie boys - michael diamond  adam horowitz  and adam yauch - are considered to be one of early pioneers of sampling music.  sampling  now a standard practice among musicians  involves taking a segment of one track and using it in a different song. a three-judge panel of the court held in 2003 that the band had abided by copyright protections by paying a licence fee for a sample of mr newton s recording. that finding upheld a lower-court dismissal of the case in favour of the beastie boys.  we hold that beastie boys  use of a brief segment of that composition  consisting of three notes separated by a half-step over a background c note  is not sufficient to sustain a claim for infringement of newton s copyright   chief judge mary schroeder wrote in her opinion. mr newton is a critically acclaimed jazz and classical flutist  composer  performer  and university professor. mr newton and the beastie boys were not available for comment.'
tech,'mobiles double up as bus tickets mobiles could soon double up as travel cards  with nokia planning to try out a wireless ticket system on german buses.  early next year travellers in the city of hanau  near frankfurt  will be able to pay for tickets by passing their phone over a smart-card reader already installed on the buses. passengers will need to own a nokia 3220 handset which will have a special shell attached to it. the system would reduce queues and make travelling easier  said nokia.  transport systems around the world are seeing the advantage of using ticketless smartcards. using a mobile phone is the next step  said gerhard romen  head of market development at nokia.  the ticketless trial will start early in 2005 and people will also be able to access transport information and timetables via their phones. nokia has worked with electronics giant philips to develop a shell for the mobile phone that will be compatible with hanau s existing ticketing system. the system opens up possibilities for mobile devices to be interact with everyday environments  said mr romen.  it could be used in shops to get product information  at bus-stops to get information about the next bus or  for example  by being passed over an advert of a rock star to find out details of concerts or get ringtones   he told the bbc news website. he is confident that the trial being run in germany could be extended to transport systems in other countries.  the technology offers access to a lot of services and makes it easy to get the information you want   he said.'
politics,'thousands join strike in wales thousands of civil servants were on strike across wales on friday in protest at planned job cuts.  a range of services in wales were affected as civil servants in wales joined the uk-wide strike. the strike  called by the public and commercial services union  was the biggest by civil servants in a decade. the action follows chancellor gordon brown s announcement in july that 104 000 jobs would be cut  with around 6 000 of those expected in wales. the worst-affected area in wales will be the department of work and pensions where 2 000 jobs are threatened. across wales  pickets were held by striking civil servants with protests in towns and cities including cardiff  bangor  aberystwyth and wrexham. gordon brown issued a defiant statement about the strike  saying the action would not affect the government s  determination  to make savings in order to increase investment in healthcare  education  transport and the fight against crime.  our decisions mean more police  more teachers  more doctors and more nurses   he said.  we will provide help with information  relocation and retraining to help staff move into frontline work within the public sector  but we will not be diverted from these necessary changes so that we can make this essential investment.  the uk-wide action hit jobcentres  benefit agencies  pensions offices and driving test centres. the strike also affected the welsh assembly building in cardiff bay  where only pass-holders were allowed in.  pickets were in place across wales  with protests around the country. pcs union spokesman jeff evans said:  in wales the civil service is major employer  there are more civil servants employed in wales proportionately than in any other part of the country.  our protest is about defending jobs and also local services across the country.  parts of objective one areas and welsh-speaking areas will be particularly affected by these cuts.  the chancellor has said that the cuts will allow funding for more teachers and police. piers freelove is senior benefit officer on the picket line at companies house  in cardiff. he said:  the majority of people have decided not to come in because of the threat to their jobs.  i joined the civil service to provide services as well as get a decent pension  as we thought  and pay  and it s those services that are being threatened as well as our jobs.  people like pensioners need a face-to-face service not an impersonal service on the phone which is what they want to impose.  pcsu deputy general secretary hugh lanning  who was on the same picket line  said:  we re asking for them to negotiate not just to make announcements.  there s a sensible way to do things and at the moment they re not even talking about how to go about it sensibly.   the ballot was for one day s action. no further action is anticipated without a further ballot of staff.  the welsh assembly government said:  this is a strike about national civil service issues. it is not about specific issues local to wales or the assembly.'
entertainment,'springer criticises opera musical talk show host jerry springer  whose programme inspired the controversial opera shown by the bbc  has said he would not have written it himself.  the bbc received 47 000 complaints before the musical was broadcast  and protesters demonstrated outside bbc buildings across the uk. springer helped launch the west end show and attended the opening night.  i wouldn t have written it. i don t believe in making fun of other religions   he said.  the tv host said he understood how people could have thought the musical had gone too far.  you know  on our tv show if people use inappropriate language we bleep it out  if there s nudity we cover it up  so that viewers at home don t get to see any of this   he said.  asked whether he thought the bbc should have screened the controversial musical he said:  i don t know if they should have had it on television but  good lord  if you don t like what s on television  that s why god gave us remote controls.  my show is about dysfunctional people and i defy anyone to watch the show and suggest to me the people on it aren t to some degree dysfunctional.    if i did a show about the war in iraq  it wouldn t make me a warmonger  i would just be doing my job to report on the war.  in the case of my show  it s my job to report on the dysfunctions that take place in society.  the british-born presenter is in london to speak at a fundraising dinner for the united jewish israel appeal. the dinner  on tuesday  is expected to be attended by more than 800 guests.'
tech,'windows worm travels with tetris users are being warned about a windows virus that poses as the hugely popular tetris game.  the cellery worm installs a playable version of the classic falling blocks game on pcs that it has infected. while users play the game  the worm spends its time using the machine to search for new victims to infect on nearby networks. the risk of infection by cellery is thought to be very low as few copies of the worm have been found in the wild.  the cellery worm does not spread via e-mail like many other viruses. instead it browses computer networks for pcs that have not shut off all the insecure ways they connect to other machines. when it infects a machine  cellery installs a version of tetris that users can play. as the game starts up the worm also starts a music file to accompany it. at the same time the virus starts scouring networks for other vulnerable machines. the virus does no damage to machines but heavily infected networks could slow down as scanning traffic builds. productivity may suffer too if users spend time playing tetris. pcs running windows 95  98  me  nt  2000  and xp could be vulnerable to the worm.  if your company has a culture of allowing games to be played in the office  your staff may believe this is simply a new game that has been installed - rather than something that should cause concern   said graham cluley  spokesman for anti-virus firm sophos. so far the number of people infected by cellery is thought to be very small and the risks of further infection is very low. sophos urged users and companies to update their anti-virus software to keep themselves protected.'
sport,'thompson says gerrard should stay liverpool legend phil thompson has pleaded with steve gerrard to reject any overtures from chelsea.  the ex-reds assistant boss also warned that any honours won at chelsea would be cheapened by the bid to buy success. he told bbc radio five live:  liverpool would think about any bid made but it will all be down to steve in the end.  but it wouldn t have that same sweet feeling at chelsea  where it s all money-orientated and about simply buying the best.  thompson reacted sharply to some liverpool supporters  who criticised gerrard s performance in the carling cup final against chelsea. a number of fans questioned gerrard s commitment and sarcastically branded his own goal in liverpool s 3-2 defeat as his first goal for chelsea.  thompson added:  i heard those comments from so-called supporters and they were diabolical  absolutely outrageous.  stevie carried the club last year and this year. he s always put liverpool first.  thompson  who savoured seven title-winning seasons and two european cup triumphs during his anfield playing career  is confident that the lure of champions league football will keep gerrard at anfield.  i hope champions league football will beckon for liverpool - either as winners or as finishing fourth in the premiership - and he will commit himself.  there has been a lot of soul-searching the way things have gone lately.  i hope he s hardening to the fact he will have big decisions to make but i hope it is to the benefit of steven gerrard and i hope it is worthwhile for liverpool.'
business,'daimlerchrysler s 2004 sales rise us-german carmaker daimlerchrysler has sold 2.1\% more cars in 2004 than in the previous year  as solid chrysler sales offset a weak showing for mercedes.  sales totalled 3.9 million units worldwide during 2004  the company said at the detroit motor show. a switch to new models hit luxury marque mercedes-benz  with sales down 3.1\% at 1.06 million. chrysler avoided the fate of us rivals ford and general motors  both of whom lost ground to japanese firms. its sales rose 3.5\% to 2.7 million units.  similarly on the up was the smart brand of compact cars  with the division s sales jumping by 21.1\% during 2004 to 136 000. the future of the brand - which is controlled by the mercedes group within daimlerchrysler - remains in question  however. smart has consistently lost money since it started trading in 1998  and new model launches are now  on hold   said mercedes chief executive eckhard cordes. in europe  the smart will now go on sale through regular mercedes dealerships as well as its own dealer network  mr cordes said.'
business,'brussels raps mobile call charges the european commission has written to the mobile phone operators vodafone and t-mobile to challenge  the high rates  they charge for international roaming.  in letters sent to the two companies  the commission alleged the firms were abusing their dominant market position in the german mobile phone market. it is the second time vodafone has come under the commission s scrutiny. the uk operator is already appealing against allegations that its uk roaming rates are  unfair and excessive . vodafone s response to the commission s letter was defiant.  we believe the roaming market is competitive and we expect to resist the charges   said a vodafone spokesman.  however we will need time to examine the statement of objections in detail before we formally respond.   the commission s investigation into vodafone and deutsche telekom s t-mobile centres on the tariffs the two companies charge foreign mobile operators to access their networks when subscribers of those foreign operators use their mobile phones in germany.  the commission believes these wholesale prices are too high and that the excess is passed on to consumers.  the commission aims to ensure that european consumers are not overcharged when they use their mobile phones on their travels around the european union   the commission said in a statement. vodafone and o2  britain s other big mobile phone operator  were sent similar statements of objections by the commission in july last year. vodafone sent the commission a response to those allegations in december last year and is now waiting for a reply. the vodafone spokesman said a similar process would be set in motion with these latest statement of objections about its operations in germany.  the companies will have three months to respond to the commission s allegations and the process  may go on for some time yet   the spokesman said. the commission could charge the companies up to 10\% of their annual turnover  though in practice that sort of figure is rarely demanded. the commission s latest move comes just a few months after national telecoms regulators across europe launched a joint investigation which could lead to people being charged less for using their mobile phone when travelling abroad. the investigation involves regulators assessing whether there is effective competition in the roaming market.'
entertainment,'bennett play takes theatre prizes the history boys by alan bennett has been named best new play in the critics  circle theatre awards.  set in a grammar school  the play also earned a best actor prize for star richard griffiths as teacher hector. the producers was named best musical  victoria hamilton was best actress for suddenly last summer and festen s rufus norris was named best director. the history boys also won the best new comedy title at the theatregoers  choice awards.  partly based upon alan bennett s experience as a teacher  the history boys has been at london s national theatre since last may. the critics  circle named rebecca lenkiewicz its most promising playwright for the night season  and eddie redmayne most promising newcomer for the goat or  who is sylvia   paul rhys was its best shakespearean performer for measure for measure at the national theatre and christopher oram won the design award for suddenly last summer. both the critics  circle and whatsonstage.com theatregoers  choice award winners were announced on tuesday. chosen by more than 11 000 theatre fans  the theatregoers  choice awards named us actor christian slater best actor for one flew over the cuckoo s nest. diana rigg was best actress for suddenly last summer  dame judi dench was best supporting actress for the rsc s all s well that ends well and the history boys  samuel barnett was best supporting actor.'
business,'malaysia lifts islamic bank limit malaysia s central bank is to relax restrictions on foreign ownership to encourage islamic banking.  banks in malaysia will now be able to sell up to 49\% of their islamic banking units  while the limit on other kinds of bank remains at 30\%. rhb  malaysia s third-biggest lender  is already scouting for a foreign partner for its new islamic banking unit  the firm told reuters. the moves put malaysia ahead of a 2007 deadline to open up the sector. the country s deal to join the world trade organisation set that year as a deadline for liberalisation of islamic banking. also on tuesday  the central bank released growth figures showing malaysia s economy expanded 7.1\% in 2004. but growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter to 5.6\%  and the central bank said it expected 6\% expansion in 2005.  malaysia changed the law to allow islamic banking in 1983. it has granted licences to three middle eastern groups  which - along with local players - mean there are eight fully-operational islamic banking groups in the country. islamic banks offer services which permit modern banking principles while sticking to islamic law s ban on the payment of interest. most of the malays which make up half the country s population are muslims.'
business,'air china in $1bn london listing china s national airline is to make its overseas stock market debut with a dual listing in london and hong kong  the london stock exchange (lse) has said.  air china plans to raise $1bn (£514m) from the flotation. share trading will begin on 15 december  the lse said. for china s aviation authorities  the listing is part of the modernisation of its airline sector to cope with soaring demand for air travel. no further details of the share price or number of shares were given.  the lse has been working hard to woo chinese companies to choose london  rather than new york for their listings. it opened an asia-pacific office in hong kong last month.  we are delighted that air china has chosen london for its listing outside china   said lse chief executive clara furse.  the london stock exchange offers ambitious chinese companies access to the world s most international equity market combined with high regulatory and corporate governance standards   she said. a spokesman for the lse said:  we ve been engaged with them (air china) for about 18 months  two years now.  as part of its pitch to bring listings to london  the lse is thought to be highlighting the extra costs and red-tape imposed by new us laws passed since the enron scandal  whilst stressing london s strong regulatory environment.  germany s chancellor gerhard schroeder began a three-day visit to beijing on monday by signing a deal worth 1bn euros ($1.3bn; £690m) for airbus to sell 23 new planes to air china  the deutsche welle radio station reported. china s booming economy has created huge demand for air travel among middle-class chinese  turning the country into a sales battleground between rival plane makers airbus and boeing. air china s long-awaited flotation is part of a strategy to modernise a dozen state-owned carriers  which have been reorganised into three groups under air china  china southern and china eastern. merrill lynch are sole bookrunners for air china s flotation  which will take the form of a share placing with institutional investors in london  though retail investors may be able to buy air china shares in hong kong. air china s primary listing will be in hong kong  with a secondary listing in london. the shares will be denominated in hong kong dollars. however  investors may be wary of chinese stocks. the collapse last week of china aviation oil  the singapore-listed arm of a chinese jet fuel trader  has cast the spotlight on corporate governance shortcomings at chinese firms.'
tech,'game firm holds  cast  auditions video game firm bioware is to hold open auditions for people to become cast members for future games.  the company  which makes role playing games such as knights of the old republic and neverwinter nights  is seeking people aged 18 to 99. the canada-based company says it was looking for  a wide variety of people to use as face models for characters . everyone chosen to appear in a video game will receive a performer s fee for the use of their image. the company is inviting people to come along to a shopping mall in west edmonton  alberta  on friday and saturday  bringing along a piece of photo identification.   there are hundreds and hundreds of characters in a typical bioware game   said shauna perry  bioware s audio and external resources producer.  those people live in any city and village and so we need ordinary people  people with interesting faces.  she added:  not everyone is a model in the world so we don t want just models in our games.  people chosen to appear in a game will have their head scanned in three dimensions. hundreds of photos of the person s head are taken so that a model of the head can be generated in 3d.  the 3d model will look exactly like the person - it s really quite incredible how detailed they are   said ms perry. she said chosen participants will have no control over how the image is used in a computer game.  we cannot give people any control over how the images are used.  but their face could be used in multiple games - so they could be the hero in one  the villain in another and just a merchant in a third.'
business,'us interest rate rise expected us interest rates are expected to rise for the fifth time since june following the us federal reserve s latest rate-setting meeting later on tuesday.  borrowing costs are tipped to rise by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25\%. the move comes as a recovery in the us economy  the world s biggest  shows signs of robustness and sustainability. the dollar s record-breaking decline  meanwhile  has spooked markets and along with high oil prices has raised concerns about the pace of inflation.  we are seeing evidence that inflation is moving higher   said ken kim  an analyst at stone & mccarthy research.  it s not a risk  it s actually happening.  mr kim added that borrowing costs could rise further.  the fed has said that it will move in a  measured  way to combat price growth and lift interest rates from their 40-year lows that were prompted by sluggish us and global growth.  with the economic picture now looking more rosy  the fed has implemented quarter percentage point rises in june  august  september and november. although the us economy grew at an annual rate of 3.9\% in the three months to september  analysts warn that fed has to be careful not to move too aggressively and take the wind out of the recovery s sails. earlier this month figures showed that job creation is still weak  while consumer confidence is subdued.  i think the fed feels it has a fair amount of flexibility   said david berson  chief economist at fannie mae.  while inflation has moved up  it hasn t moved up a lot.   if economic growth should subside... the fed would feel it has the flexibility to pause in its tightening.  but if economic growth picked up and caused core inflation to rise a little more quickly  i think the fed would be prepared to tighten more quickly as well.'
sport,'williams says he will never quit defiant matt williams says he will not quit as scotland coach even if his side slump to a new low with defeat by italy at murrayfield.  that would leave the scots as favourites to win the wooden spoon for the second year running.  i have never quit anything in my life  apart from maybe painting the kitchen   he told bbc sport.  the support we have been given from murrayfield in my whole time here has been 100\%.  williams has yet to experience an rbs six nations victory after seven attempts and scotland have lost 12 of their 14 games under his leadership. but he rejected the comparison made in some media sources with berti vogts  recently sacked as scotland football manager after a poor run of results.   how can a german football coach and an australian rugby coach have anything in common   he asked.  it is a bizarre analogy. it is so absurd that it borders on the humorous.  williams insists that he is revelling in the pressure  despite the possibility of a second six nations series without a victory.  that is not beyond the realms of possibility   he admitted.  there s nothing much between the teams  so we could win the next three games or lose them.  but i actually really enjoy seeing how you cope with such pressure as a coach.  it helps the team grow and helps you grow as a coach.  we could have won in paris but for the last five minutes and now we have two defeats  but we were confident for those two first games and we are confident we can beat italy too.'
sport,'republic to face china and italy the republic of ireland have arranged friendlies against china and italy which will take place at lansdowne road in march and august.  brian kerr s side will face the 54th ranked chinese on 29 march - just three days after the world cup qualifier against israel in tel aviv. italy will visit on 17 august in what will be a warm-up game ahead of the autumn world cup qualifiers. in their last meeting  the irish beat italy in the 1994 world cup finals. however  that is the republic s only victory in eight attempts against the italians who have won all the other seven games. the 29 march game will be the second time the republic have played china - the previous encounter back in june 1984 with the irish winning 1-0 in sapporo  japan. brian kerr said:  china have made great progress over the last few years and will provide difficult opposition.  we all witnessed the performances of the asian teams in the last world cup  and china play a similar type of football.  as for italy  they make a welcome return to dublin and will be a massive attraction because they are one of the great traditional powers in the world.  the game will be ideal preparation for the three important world cup qualifiers in the autumn.  ireland round off their world cup campaign with games against france on 7 september  cyprus on 8 october and switzerland on 12 october.'
tech,'games help you  learn and play   god games  in which players must control virtual people and societies could be educational  says research.  a us researcher has suggested that games such as the sims could be a good way to teach languages. ravi purushotma believes that the world of the sims can do a better job of teaching vocabulary and grammar than traditional methods. the inherent fun of game playing could help to make learning languages much less of a chore  said mr purushotma.  there must be few parents or teachers that do not worry that the lure of a video game on a computer or console is hard to resist by children that really should be doing their homework. but instead of fearing computer games  ravi purushotma believes that educationalists  particularly language teachers should embrace games.  one goal would be to break what i believe to be the false assumption that learning and play are inherently oppositional   he said. he believes that the  phenomenal ability  of games such as the sims and others to capture the interest of adolescent audiences is ripe for exploitation. the hard part of learning any language  said mr purushotma  were the basic parts of learning what different words refer to and how they are used to build up sentences. boring lessons drumming vocabulary into pupils couched in terms they do not understand has made many languages far harder to learn than they should be.  the way we often teach foreign languages right now is somewhat akin to learning to ride a bike by formally studying gravity   he said.  by contrast  said mr purushotma  learning via something like the sims may mean students do not feel like they are studying at all. this was because the sims does not rely solely on words to get information across to players. instead the actions of its computer controlled people and how they interact with their world often makes clear what is going on. the incidental information about what a sim was doing could reinforce what a player or student was supposed to be learning  said mr purushotma. by contrast many language lessons try to impart information about a tongue with little context. for instance  he said  in a version of the sims adapted to teach german  if a player misunderstood what was meant by the word  energie  the actions of a tired sim  stumbling then falling asleep  would illustrate the meaning. if necessary detailed textual information could be called upon to aid players  or students  understanding.  one of the drawbacks of the sims  said mr purushotma  was the lack of spoken language to help people brush up on pronunciation. however  online versions of the sims  in which people have to move in  meet the neighbours and get to know the local town  could be adapted to help this. although not wishing to claim that he is the first to suggest using a game can help people learn  mr purushotma believes that educationalists have missed the potential they have to help.  getting a simulated person to perform everyday activities in a make-believe world and having them described in a foreign language could be a powerful learning aid  he believes. before now  he said  educational software titles suffer by comparison with the slick graphics and rich worlds found in games. but  he said  using pre-prepared game worlds such as the sims has never been easier because tools have been made by its creators and fans that make it easy to modify almost any part of the game. this could make it easy for teachers to adapt parts of the game for their own lessons.  i m hoping now to re-create a well-polished german learning mod for the sequel by this summer   he told the bbc news website.  i m encouraged to hear that others are thinking of experimenting with japanese and spanish.  earlier work with a colleague on using civilisation iii to teach students about history showed that it could be a powerful way to get them to realise that solving a society s problems can not always come from making a single change. a report on the experiment said:  students began asking historical and geographical questions in the context of game play  using geography and history as tools for their game  and drawing inferences about social phenomena based on their play.  mr purushotma s ideas were aired in an article for the journal language learning and technology.'
entertainment,'uk tv channel rapped for csi ad tv channel five has been criticised for sending  offensive  and  threatening  advertising material to viewers for a new show about murder scene scientists.  five mailed thousands of fake dossiers including photos of murder victims and an e-mail suggesting the recipient was being stalked by a serial killer. following complaints  the advertising standards authority contacted five to cease promotion of crime show csi:ny. five admitted it had sent out 55 000 promotion packs but had now stopped. the promotion material was sent in brown envelope of the type used by investigators in the series  a spin-off from the highly successful csi: crime scene investigation series  which also runs on five. the pack also features pictures of forensic evidence from a crime scene and a wanted poster  which did have a csi:ny logo printed in large at the bottom.  five said it had received 100 complaints but that it had been surprised at the reaction because it was  obvious this material is promoting a drama . a five spokesman said:  in light of the efforts we have made to make the nature of the contents so transparent we are surprised a very small minority of recipients have mistaken it as anything else.  everyone who was sent this promotion has expressed an interest in receiving details about this particular genre of programming on various websites.  we have also received emails and calls from recipients praising the originality and imagination of the campaign.'
tech,'latest opera browser gets vocal net browser opera 8.0  due for official release at the end of next month  will be  the most accessible browser on the market   according to its authors.  the latest version of the net browser can be controlled by voice command and will read pages aloud. the voice features  based on ibm technology  are currently only available in the windows version. opera can also magnify text by up to 10 times and users can create  style sheets   its developers say. this will enable them to view pages with colours and fonts that they prefer. but the browser does not yet work well with screen reader software often used by blind people  so its accessibility features are more likely to appeal to those with some residual vision.  our mission was always to provide the best internet experience for everyone   said opera spokeswoman  berit hanson.  so we would obviously not want to exclude disabled computer users.   another feature likely to appeal to people with low vision is the ability to make pages fit to the screen width  which eliminates the need for horizontal scrolling.  the company points out that this will also appeal to anyone using opera with a handheld device. the company says that features like voice activation are not solely aimed at visually impaired people.  our idea was to take a first step in making human-computer interaction more natural   said ms hanson.  people are not always in a situation where they can access a keyboard  so this makes the web a more hands-free experience.  unlike commercially available voice recognition software  opera does not have to be  trained  to recognise an individual voice. around 50 voice commands are available and users will have to wear a headset which incorporates a microphone. the voice recognition function is currently only available in english. opera is free to download but a paid-for version comes without an ad banner in the top right hand corner and with extra support. opera began life as a research project - a spin-off from norwegian telecoms company telenor. its browser is used by an estimated 10 million people on a variety of operating systems and a number of different platforms.'
business,'split-caps pay £194m compensation investors who lost money following the split-capital investment trust scandal are to receive £194m compensation  the uk s financial watchdog has announced.  eighteen investment firms involved in the sale of the investments agreed the compensation package with the financial services authority (fsa). splits were marketed as a low-risk way to benefit from rising share prices. but when the stock market collapsed in 2000  the products left thousands of investors out of pocket. an estimated 50 000 people took out split-capital funds  some investing their life savings in the schemes. the paying of compensation will be overseen by an independent company  the fsa said.  further details of how investors will be able to claim their share of the compensation package will be announced in the new year.  this should save investors from having to take their case to the financial ombudsman service  something  no doubt  that will be very welcome   rob mcivor  fsa spokesman  told bbc news. agreeing to pay compensation did not mean that the eighteen firms involved were admitting any guilt  the fsa added. any investor accepting the compensation will have to waive the right to take their case to the financial ombudsman service.  the fsa has been investigating whether investors were misled about the risks posed by split-capital investment trusts. the fsa s 60 strong investigation team looked into whether fund managers colluded in a so-called  magic circle   in the hope of propping up one another s share prices.  firms involved were presented with 780 files of evidence detailing 27 000 taped conversations and over 70 interviews. in may  the fsa was widely reported as having asked firms to pay up to £350m in compensation. mr mcivor told the bbc that the final settlement figure was smaller because two unnamed firms had pulled out of the compensation negotiations. investors in these two firms may now have to take any compensation claim to the financial ombudsman service or the courts.'
politics,'abortion not a poll issue - blair tony blair does not believe abortion should be an election issue  arguing it is a matter for individual conscience.  the prime minister s spokesman set out mr blair s view after the top catholic in england and wales backed michael howard s stance on abortions. the tory leader supports a reduction in the legal limit from 24 weeks to 20 and has said current rules are  tantamount to abortion on demand . the prime minister has made it clear he has no plans to the change the law.  mr blair s spokesman said:  the catholic church has a well-known position on this issue and it was one of many issues the cardinal mentioned and therefore it should be seen in that context.  his words came as cardinal cormac murphy o connor  the archbishop of westminster  backed mr howard s stance and distanced himself from labour. in a statement  he said abortion was a  very key issue   saying:  the policy supported by mr howard is one that we would commend  on the way to a full abandonment of abortion.   cardinal o connor claimed labour had  developed  the notion that it was the natural party of catholics  but he said:  we are not going to suggest people support one particular party.  the family planning association says a reduction would particularly affect young women who often seek help later. more than 180 000 women in england and wales had terminations last year  of which fewer than 1\% were carried out between 22 and 24 weeks.  in the cosmopolitan interview mr howard said:  i believe abortion should be available to everyone  but the law should be changed.  in the past i voted for a restriction to 22 weeks and i would be prepared to go down to 20.  all three main parties say the issue is one for each mp s conscience  rather than one where there is a party-wide policy. mr howard stressed his views were his personal views. shadow home secretary david davis said he understood mr howard had been signalling that a conservative government would allow a commons vote on the issue. mr blair and liberal democrat leader charles kennedy also gave their views during interviews  conducted as part of the magazine s  high heeled vote  campaign.  mr blair  who last year denied he planned to join his wife and four children in the catholic faith despite regularly taking communion  said abortion was a  difficult issue .  however much i dislike the idea of abortion  you should not criminalise a woman who  in very difficult circumstances  makes that choice.  obviously there is a time beyond which you can t have an abortion  and we have no plans to change that although the debate will continue.  mr kennedy said he had previously voted for a 22-week limit but medical advances mean  i don t know what i would do now . the roman catholic archbishop of cardiff  the most reverend peter smith  told bbc radio 4 s today programme that the church merely wanted people to  reflect on issues in light of the gospel  before voting. anne weyman  chief executive of the family planning association  asked:  what is the benefit to women  or to the potential child  of forcing a woman to have a baby   anti-abortion group the pro-life alliance  congratulated  mr howard on his new stance  but said it did not go far enough.'
tech,'apple sues to stop product leaks computer firm apple has issued a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products.  the lawsuit  against an unidentified individual  comes just weeks before the macworld conference in san francisco  used to showcase new products. the complaint said an  unidentified individual... has recently misappropriated and disseminated confidential information . the lawsuit was filed with the santa clara california superior court. apple is famously secretive about its future product launches while apple users are equally famous for speculating about new technology from the company. fans have speculated in recent weeks about the possibility of a new type of ipod being announced at the macworld conference.  apple said in the seven-page complaint  filed on 13 december  that it did not know the  true names or capacities  whether individual  associate  corporate or otherwise   of the defendants. the company said it would amend the complaint once they had discovered the names of those who had allegedly leaked information. it is not the first time apple has sued people who have posted information about future products on the internet. in december 2002  apple sued a former contractor who allegedly posted online drawings  images and engineering details of the company s powermac g4 computer. in a statement  apple said of the current lawsuit:  apple has filed a civil complaint against unnamed individuals who we believe stole our trade secrets and posted detailed information about an unannounced apple product on the internet.'
tech,'the pirates with no profit motive two men who were part of a huge network of internet software pirates  known as drink or die  have been convicted at the old bailey. bbc news investigates how the network worked and what motivated those involved.  they called themselves drink or die (dod). they were a network of computer buffs who derived pleasure from cracking codes protecting copyrighted software such as windows 95. they would then share it with each other. there is no suggestion any of them profited financially. but the authorities in both britain and the united states considered it software piracy and took a dim view of networks such as dod  one of a number of so-called warez organisations operating on the internet. in october 2000 the us customs service began an investigation into dod and other networks  such as razor 1911  risciso  myth and popz.  fourteen months later us customs co-ordinated a series of raids across the globe as part of operation buccaneer. seventy search warrants were executed in the us  britain  australia  norway  sweden and finland. at least 60 people were arrested worldwide - 45 of them in the us. among the leaders of the network were americans john sankus - known by his internet nickname eriflleh (hellfire spelt backwards) - richard berry  kent kartadinata and christopher tresco  who used a server based at the prestigious massachusetts institute of technology (mit).  the longest jail sentence - 46 months - was handed down to sankus  a 28-year-old from philadelphia. us attorney paul mcnulty said at the time:  john sankus and his techno-gang operated in the faceless world of the internet and thought they would never be caught.  they were wrong. these sentences  and those to follow  should send a message to others entertaining similar beliefs of invincibility.  but one man still in legal limbo is british-born australian hew raymond griffiths  who is still fighting against extradition to the us.  us customs claimed mr griffiths was one of dod s leaders but his lawyer  antony townsden  told the bbc news website it was a laughable suggestion and added:  he was living on welfare and had such an old computer that he couldn t even download software.  the allegation that he was the group s co-leader is illusory. he had the least technical skills of anyone  he couldn t crack any codes and he has only been called a leader because he was a loudmouth who wrote a lot on their messageboard.  mr townsden said if he had committed any crimes he should be prosecuted in australia  not the us. he claimed the australian government s decision to accept the extradition request was typical of their current  acquiescent  attitude to the us.  mr griffiths is expecting to hear this week the outcome of his appeal against the decision to extradite him. those involved would give themselves internet aliases which would act in the same way as tags used by graffiti artists. they could then brag about their code-cracking abilities without giving away their real identities. alex bell  whose trial at the old bailey ended on friday  was known as mr 2940 - after a computer device - while his co-defendant steven dowd s nickname  curiously  was tim.  a spokesman for us immigration  customs and enforcement  dean boyd  said dod did not appear to be motivated by money. their motivation was the kudos which surrounded being able to crack sophisticated software. he told the bbc news website:  primarily they were just interested in how fast they could crack the code. it was all about underground notoriety.  but mr boyd pointed out that once the software had been distributed on the internet it fell into the hands of organised criminals who were able to mass produce pirated software at zero cost.   it cost us industries a lot of money  billions of dollars   he said. mr boyd said:  it was truly global in scope. we raided a number of universities  including duke (in north carolina) and mit  and found that several of the people involved were employed by major computer corporations.  they would go home from work in the evenings and get involved in this warez culture.  warez groups  which began to surface in the early 1990s  operate according to a strict code of honour.  for example if one group cracked the software first its rivals would respect that achievement and not seek to claim it themselves. mr boyd said the destruction of dod was a great coup but he added:  i m not going to sit here and say we have sorted the problem. there are still hackers and people who do this for fun.  internet piracy of computer software remains a gigantic problem.  a spokesman for the business software alliance said:  dod members claim they did not profit at all. but they did profit by getting access to very expensive servers.  he said dod and other warez groups were fostering a  culture of piracy  on the internet. he said 29\% of computer software in britain was believed to have been pirated and this cost £1bn in revenue for software companies  their suppliers and distributors.  it may seem like a victimless crime but it touches more people than you might care to believe.'
sport,'serena becomes world number two serena williams has moved up five places to second in the world rankings after her australian open win.  williams won her first grand slam title since 2003 with victory over lindsay davenport  the world number one. men s champion marat safin remains fourth in the atp rankings while beaten finalist lleyton hewitt replaces andy roddick as world number two. roger federer retains top spot  but safin has overtaken hewitt to become the new leader of the champions race. alicia molik  who lost a three-set thriller against davenport in the quarter-finals  is in the women s top 10 for the first time in her career. her rise means australia have a player in the top 10 of the men s and women s rankings for the first time in 21 years. and britain s elena baltacha  who qualified and then reached the third round  has risen to 120 in the world - a leap of 65 places and her highest ranking yet.'
sport,'kerr frustrated at victory margin republic of ireland manager brian kerr admitted he was frustrated his side did not score more than one goal in their friendly win over croatia.  robbie keane took his republic record to 24 with a first-half goal which proved enough for victory.  we had more good chances. it is just a shame we did not take them against such a technically gifted team   said kerr.  but  given the conditions and the standard of the croatian team  we should be very happy with the win.  the republic side kept a clean sheet for the eighth time in 11 matches and are unbeaten in 14 home games since kerr succeeded mick mccarthy. kerr applauded the decisive move which earned the victory.  it was a brilliant goal  fantastic skill by damien duff. robbie might have scuffed it a little but it was a good goal.  matchwinner keane was another full of praise for duff s role in the goal.  it was great play from damien   said the tottenham striker.   i always try to be sniffing around because you know nine times out of 10 duffer is going to get it in the box.  playing three up was something different. brian kerr wanted to try it out and it was good to see young stephen elliott getting a run-out.  the conditions were difficult but he did well and is definitely one for the future. it is nice to see young players coming through.  man-of-the-match duff explained what went wrong when he fluffed a chance to make it 2-0 midway through the second half. he opted to bring steve finnan s cross down and shoot against the bar when a close-range header looked the best option.  i would have headed that every time but i completely lost it in the lights   said the chelsea star.  i was desperate to get on the scoresheet myself but the result is the important thing.  we have had a good year and are going nicely in the qualifiers. hopefully that can continue in 2005.'
business,'uk homes hit £3.3 trillion total the value of the uk s housing stock reached the £3.3 trillion mark in 2004 - triple the value 10 years earlier  a report indicates.  research from halifax  the country s biggest mortgage lender  suggests the value of private housing stock is continuing to rise steadily. all regions saw at least a doubling in their assets during the past decade. but northern ireland led the way with a 262\% rise  while scotland saw the smallest increase of just 112\%.  the core retail price index rose by just 28\% in the same period  underlining how effective an investment in housing has been for most people during the past decade. more than a third of the uk s private housing assets - representing more than a trillion pounds in value - are concentrated in london and the south east  the halifax s figures indicate. tim crawford  group economist at halifax  said:  the value of the private housing stock continues to grow and the family home remains  by a large margin  the most valuable asset of the majority of households in the uk.  halifax s own monthly figures on house sales - issued on thursday - suggest the average price of a british property now stands at £163 748 after a 0.8\% rise in january. housing experts are split on prospects for the market  with some saying price growth will slow but not fall  while others predict a sharp drop in values.'
tech,'games maker fights for survival one of britain s largest independent game makers  argonaut games  has been put up for sale.  the london-based company behind the harry potter games has sacked about 100 employees due to a severe cash crisis. the administrators told bbc news online that selling argonaut was the only way to save it as it had run out of cash. argonaut warned that it was low on cash 10 days ago when its shares were suspended from trading on the london stock exchange.  argonaut has been making games for some 18 years and is one the largest independent games developers in the uk.  along with its headquarters in north london  it operates studios in cambridge and sheffield. argonaut was behind the harry potter games which provided a healthy flow of cash into the company. but  like all software developers  argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. signs that it was in trouble emerged in august  when it warned it was heading for losses of £6m in the financial year due to delays in signing new contracts for games. those new deals were further delayed  leading argonaut to warn in mid-october that it was running out of cash and suspend trading of its shares on the london stock exchange. as part of cost-cutting measures  some 100 employees were fired.  when the news about the £6m loss came out  we knew there were going to be redundancies   said jason parkinson  one of the game developers sacked by argonaut.  a lot of people suspected that argonaut had been in trouble for some time   he told bbc news online. mr parkinson said staff were told the job losses were necessary to save argonaut from going under. at the start of the year  the company employed 268 people. after the latest round of cuts there are 80 staff at argonaut headquarters in edgware in north london  with 17 at its morpheme offices in kentish town  london  and 22 at the just add monsters base in cambridge.  argonaut called in administrators david rubin & partners on friday to find a way to rescue the company from collapse. it spent the weekend going over the company s finances and concluded that the only way to save the business was to put it up for sale. the administrator told bbc news online that the costs of restructuing would be too high  partly because of the overheads from the company s four premises across the uk. it said it was hopeful that it could save some 110 jobs by selling the business  saying it had had expressions of interest from several quarters and were looking for a quick sale. the administrator said it would ensure that staff made redundant would receive any wages  redundancy or holiday pay due to them  hopefully by christmas.'
entertainment,'casino royale is next bond movie casino royale  author ian fleming s first james bond book  is to be the next bond film  with goldeneye director martin campbell behind the camera.  it will be the 21st james bond film to hit the big screen  and speculation has been rife over who will play the lead. casino royale was turned into a spoof spy movie by john huston in 1967  with david niven in the lead role. pierce brosnan led the past four bond films but said producers axed him after offering him the chance to return. among the favourites to take over the coveted role are scottish actor dougray scott  oscar nominee clive owen and australian star hugh jackman. producers say no decision has yet been made on who will become the seventh actor  including niven  to play bond on film. kill bill director quentin tarantino had talked of wanting to take on the casino royale project  and said he had spoken to brosnan about it.  shooting on casino royale is expected to begin once campbell has finished work on the legend of zorro  a sequel to the mask of zorro  starring catherine zeta jones and antonio banderas. producers barbara broccoli and michael g wilson expect the film to be released in 2006.  the script will once again be developed by neal purvis and robert wade who have both worked on two previous bond movies. fleming s book saw the introduction of bond pitted against a russian spy in a game of baccarat. simultaneously  a woman arrives on the scene to take his eye off the game. the novel is one of fleming s most violent and sadistic stories  with 007 suffering a savage beating from his nemesis le chiffre. in addition to the 1967 film  it was also adapted for television in 1954 with actor barry nelson as an americanised  jimmy  bond. mgm vice chairman chris mcgurk said:  martin (campbell) is an incredibly exciting film-maker. goldeneye was a wonderful movie and helped reinvigorate the bond franchise. we re thrilled to have him back to direct the newest bond.  new zealand-born campbell moved to the uk in 1966 and directed tv series such as the professionals  minder and bergerac. his film credits include edge of darkness  vertical limit and beyond borders  which starred angelina jolie and clive owen.'
business,'strong dollar  call halts slide the us dollar s slide against the euro and yen has halted after us treasury secretary john snow said a strong dollar was  in america s interest .  but analysts said any gains are likely to be short-lived as problems with the us economy were still significant. they also pointed out that positive comments apart  president george w bush s administration had done little to stop the dollar s slide. a weak dollar helps boost exports and narrow the current account deficit. the dollar was trading at $1.2944 against the euro at 2100gmt  still close to the $1.3006 record level set on 10 november. against the japanese yen  it was trading at 105.28 yen  after hitting a seven-month low of 105.17 earlier in the day.  policy makers in europe have called the dollar s slide  brutal  and have blamed the strength of the euro for dampening economic growth. however  it is unclear whether ministers would issue a declaration aimed at curbing the euro s rise at a monthly meeting of eurozone ministers late on monday. higher growth in europe is regarded by us officials as a way the huge us current account deficit - that has been weighing on the dollar - could be reduced. mr snow who is currently in dublin at the start of a four-nation eu visit  has applauded ireland s introduction of lower taxes and deregulation which have helped boost growth.  the eurozone is growing below its potential. when a major part of the global economy is below potential there are negative consequences... for the citizens of those economies... and for their trading partners   he said. mr snow s comments may have helped shore up the dollar on monday  but he was careful to qualify his statement.   our basic policy  of course  is to let open  competitive markets set the values   he explained.  markets are driven by fundamentals and towards fundamentals.  us officials have also said that other economies need to grow  so the us is not the main global growth engine. economists say that the fundamentals  or key indicators  of the us economy are looking far from rosy. domestic consumer demand is cooling  and heavy spending by president bush has pushed the budget deficit to a record $427bn (£230bn). the current account deficit  meanwhile  hit a record $166bn in the second quarter of 2004. for many analysts  a weaker dollar is here to stay.  no end is in sight   said carsten fritsch  a strategist at commerzbank .  it is only a matter of time until the euro reaches $1.30.  some analysts maintain the us is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in europe  thus boosting its economy.'
politics,'blair looks to election campaign tony blair s big speech will be looked back on as the performance that kicked off the election campaign.  that poll may still be about 16 weeks away  but there can be little doubt left that the campaign is now in full swing. the prime minister used his speech to a selected audience in the south east to set out his broad brush election manifesto. there was a detailed account of the government s past record  with a major emphasis on the economy and public services. there was an attempt to draw the line under the gossip surrounding his rift with chancellor gordon brown. and there was an insistence on the importance of the party continuing to operate as unremittingly  new  labour - although that may continue to irritate his chancellor.  there was little in terms of concrete proposals or what might form manifesto pledges  although the prime minister talked about a  new labour manifesto that will be aimed at all sections of society . his was more a speech designed to remind people  and some in his own party  precisely what new labour stood for  and to leave them in no doubt there would not be any shrinking away from that approach. and  for some  that means showing that new labour actually does stand for something - that it is  as he said  more than  an electoral device .  to that end he set out a broad programme aimed to appeal to both middle england voters who switched to the party in 1997 and stuck with it  possibly through some gritted teeth  in 2001  and to more traditional lower income old labour supporters. in a key section  he declared:  in our third term we can achieve an unprecedented widening of opportunity and prosperity.  for the first time ever a whole generation growing up with unbroken economic stability. every family - not just the fortunate few - knowing their children will have an inheritance at adulthood.  every pupil in every secondary school guaranteed a place in university or a quality apprenticeship. every adult - including those who missed out at school - able to get the skills then need to advance.  home ownership extended to its highest ever level and to families who have never before been able to afford it.  the highest ever level of employment with everyone in work guaranteed a decent wage and decent conditions .  under what is to be the general election slogan  britain is working   the prime minister time and again insisted the future direction would be unremittingly new labour. that might get under the skin of mr brown  but he also heaped praise on him as the most successful post-war chancellor britain has had. probably the greatest ideological divide between the two men  in so far as there is one  is about the degree of private finance allowed into the public services.  an unremittingly  new  labour manifesto  as the prime minister is happy to make plain  will stress the importance of that - the belief patients and parents  for example  want a choice of good services before they start worrying about who has provided them. the chancellor is said to be far more sceptical about private finance  although there is no suggestion he opposes it in principle. with an election looming the next big speech from gordon brown will be closely examined for any signs of divisions and  in particular  the use of that little three letter word. but for now  all eyes have been focused on the next general election. and for many in westminster  mr blair s performance has only succeeded in hardening the belief that will be on 5 may.'
business,'fao warns on impact of subsidies billions of farmers  livelihoods are at risk from falling commodity prices and protectionism  the un s food & agriculture organisation has warned.  trade barriers and subsidies  severely  distort the market  the fao report on the  state of agricultural commodity markets 2004  said. as a result  the 2.5 billion people in the developing world who rely on farming face food insecurity. the most endangered are those who live in the least-developed countries. the fao report said that support for farmers in industrialised nations was equivalent to 30 times the amount provided as aid for agricultural development in poor countries.  the fao has urged the world trade organisation to swiftly conclude negotiations to liberalise trade  easing developing countries  access to the world market. it also criticised the high tariffs imposed by both developed and developing nations. it recommends that developing countries reduce their own tariffs to encourage trade and take advantage of market liberalisation.  according to the organisation  subsidies and high tariffs have a strong impact on the trade of products such as cotton and rice. global exports of these products are mainly in the hands of the european union and the us  who - thanks to subsidies - sell them at very low prices. in fact  almost 30 wealthy nations spend more than $300bn (£158.8bn; 230.9bn euros) in agricultural subsidies. the market situation has divided developing nations in two groups  the fao said. the first group have a reasonably diverse range of agricultural products while in the second group  agriculture lies largely in the hands of small-scale producers. for 43 developing countries  more than 20\% of their export incomes come from the sale of just one product. these countries are mainly situated in sub-saharan africa  latin america and the caribbean.'
entertainment,'halloween writer debra hill dies screenwriter and producer debra hill  best known for her work on the 70s horror classic halloween  has died in los angeles aged 54.  hill  who had been suffering from cancer  co-wrote the 1978 film  which starred jamie lee curtis as a babysitter terrorised by a psychopath. directed by john carpenter  it made over $60m (£31.3m) worldwide - a record for independent film at that time. hill also worked with carpenter on escape from new york and the fog. born in new jersey  hill began her career as a production assistant and worked her way through the ranks  becoming an assistant director and second-unit director before she began collaborating with carpenter.  she was regarded by many as a pioneering woman in film  taking on jobs in the 70s that were more commonly taken by men.  back when i started in 1974  there were very few women in the industry   she said in 2003.  i was assumed to be the make-up and hair person  or the script person. i was never assumed to be the writer or producer.   i took a look around and realised there weren t that many women  so i had to carve a niche for myself.  carpenter said that working with hill was  one of the greatest experiences of my life .  the ground that she trailblazed in the beginning can now be followed by anyone. she was incredibly capable and talented   he said. carpenter and hill collaborated on a number of halloween sequels  including halloween ii  halloween: resurrection and halloween: the curse of michael myers.  later in her career  hill formed a production company with her friend lynda obst  making a string of hit films including oscar nominee the fisher king and teen comedy adventures in babysitting. other films included the stephen king adaptation the dead zone in 1983 and 1985 s clue  a comedy based on the board game cluedo. in the 90s she pursued work in tv  although she was reunited with carpenter in 1996 for escape from la  the sequel to escape from new york. at the time of her death she was working on a film about the last two men pulled from the rubble of the twin towers following the 11 september terror attacks in 2001. she was also co-producing the remake of the fog  which is due for release early next year.'
tech,'global blogger action day called the global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned iranian bloggers.  the month-old committee to protect bloggers  is asking those with blogs to dedicate their sites on 22 february to the  free mojtaba and arash day . arash sigarchi and mojtaba saminejad are both in prison in iran. blogs are free sites through which people publish thoughts and opinions. iranian authorities have been clamping down on prominent sites for some time.  i hope this day will focus people   curt hopkins  director of the committee  told the bbc news website.  the group has a list of actions which it says bloggers can take  including writing to local iranian embassies. the committee has deemed tuesday  free mojtaba and arash day  as part of its first campaign. it is calling on the blogsphere - the name for the worldwide community of bloggers - to do what it can to help raise awareness of the plight of mojtaba and arash as well as other  cyber-dissidents .  if you have a blog  the least you could do is put nothing on that blog except  free mojtaba and arash day    said mr hopkins.  that would mean you could see that phrase 7.1 million times. that alone will shine some light on the situation.  if you don t have one  find one dedicated to that - it takes about 30 seconds.  technorati  a blog search engine  tracks about six million blogs and says that more than 12 000 are added daily. a blog is created every 5.8 seconds  according to a us research think-tank.  the committee to protect bloggers was started by us blogger curt hopkins and counts fired flight attendant blogger ellen simonetti as a deputy director. she has since started the international bloggers  bill of rights  a global petition to protect bloggers at work. although not the only website committed to human rights issues by any means  it aims to be the hub or organisation  information and support for bloggers in particular and their rights to freedom of speech.  the committee  although only a month old  aims to be the focal point for blogger action on similar issues in the future  and will operate as a non-for-profit organisation.  blogging is in this weird no man s land. people think of it as being one thing or another depending on their point of view   said mr hopkins.  some think of themselves as pundits  kind of like journalists  and some like me have a private blog which is just a publishing platform.  but they do not have a constituency and are out there in the cold.   it is not just human rights issues in countries which have a track record of restricting what is published in the media that is of concern to bloggers. the question of bloggers and what rights they have to say what they want on their sites is a thorny one and has received much press attention recently. high profile cases in which employees have been sacked for what they have said on their personal  and often anonymous blogs  have highlighted the muddy situation that the blogsphere is currently in.   this is a big messy argument   explained mr hopkins. he added:  it is just such a new way of doing business  there will be clamp downs.  but the way these issues get tested is through the courts which  said mr hopkins   is part of the whole messy conversation.   if you haven t already got bloggers in your company  you will have them tomorrow - and if you don t have a blogger policy now you had better start looking at having one. mr hopkins said that the blogsphere - which is doubling every five months - was powerful because it takes so little time and expertise to create a blog.  everyone does this - mums  radicals  conservatives   he said. many companies offer easy-to-use services to create a blog and publish it in minutes to a global community.  that is the essential difference. what i call  templating software  gives every single person on earth the chance to have one.  you don t even have to have your own computer.'
tech,'microsoft makes anti-piracy move microsoft says it is clamping down on people running pirated versions of its windows operating system by restricting their access to security features.  the windows genuine advantage scheme means people will have to prove their software is genuine from mid-2005. it will still allow those with unauthorised copies to get some crucial security fixes via automatic updates  but their options would be  limited . microsoft releases regular security updates to its software to protect pcs. either pcs detect updates automatically or users manually download fixes through microsoft s site. those running pirated windows programs would not have access to other downloads and  add-ons  that the software giant offers.  people who try to manually download security patches will have to let microsoft run an automated checking procedure on their computer or give an identification number.  microsoft s regular patches which it releases for newly-found security flaws are important because they stop worms  viruses and other threats penetrating pcs. some security experts are concerned that restricting access to such patches could mean a rise in such attacks and threats  with more pcs left unprotected. but graham cluley  senior consultant at security firm sophos  told the bbc news website that it was a positive decision.  it sounds like their decision to allow critical security patches to remain available to both legitimate and illegitimate users of windows is good news for everyone who uses the net   he said. windows genuine advantage was first introduced as a pilot scheme in september 2004 for english-language versions of windows.  microsoft s windows operating system is heavily exploited by virus writers because it is so widespread and they are constantly seeking out new security loopholes to take advantage of. the company is trying to tackle security threats whilst cracking down on pirated software at the same time. software piracy has cost the company billions  it says. the company announced earlier in january that it was releasing security tools to clean up pcs harbouring viruses and spyware  which 90\% of pcs are infected with. the virus-fighting program  updated monthly  is a precursor to microsoft s dedicated anti-virus software. last year it introduced the windows xp counterfeit project  a uk-based pilot scheme  which ran from november to december. the scheme meant that anyone with pre-installed copies of the operating system in pcs bought before november could replace counterfeit versions of windows xp with legal ones for free. it is also increasing efforts to squash software piracy in china  norway and the czech republic  where pirated software is a huge problem  by offering discounts on legitimate software to users of pirated copies windows.  china in particular is a problem  with piracy estimated at 92\%   said mr cluley.'
politics,'uk will stand firm on eu rebate  britain s £3bn eu rebate is not up for renegotiation at next week s european council summit  jack straw said.  the foreign secretary told mps the rebate  secured by margaret thatcher in 1984  was  entirely justified . new european commission president jose manuel barroso has suggested the cash could be shared out among net contributors to the eu budget. mr straw acknowledged some countries in the newly enlarged 25 nation eu still had to  see the light  on the rebate.  but the foreign secretary told the commons foreign affairs committee:  our position is very clear: it is entirely justified and it is not for negotiation.  he added that he did not think there would be a political price to pay for the uk s stance - britain contributed more and received less than other eu states. the two-day european council summit in brussels begins on 16 december and is widely expected to mark the beginning of a lengthy negotiating period over the eu s budget for 2007-13. the wrangling could stretch into 2005  even 2006.  the uk  france  germany  austria  the netherlands and sweden want the eu budget to be capped at 1\% of member states  combined national incomes - the commission wants it to be 1.26\%. mr straw said the eu commission s proposal would mean a 35\% hike in the budget.  i don t know of any national government thinking of increasing its budget by that amount   he added. the foreign secretary said he hoped the talks next week could produce a date in 2005 for the beginning of negotiations with turkey about possible eu membership although that there would be no prospect of a date for joining for some time.'
business,'asia shares defy post-quake gloom indonesian  indian and hong kong stock markets reached record highs.  investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas were so under-developed that the tragedy would have little impact on asia s listed firms.  obviously with a lot of loss of life  a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess  bury the people and find the missing   said abn amro s eddie wong.  [but] it s not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense.   india s bombay stock exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on wednesday. expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the indonesian stock exchange in jakarta to a record high on wednesday. in hong kong  the hang seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of south east asia. in sri lanka  some economists have said that as much as 1\% of annual growth may be lost. sri lanka s stock market has fallen about 5\% since the weekend  but it is still 40\% higher than at the start of 2004.  thailand may lose 30bn baht (£398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months  according to tourism minister sontaya kunplome.  in the affected provinces  he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work.  it will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level   said naris chaiyasoot  director general at the ministry s fiscal policy office. in the maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth  according to a government spokesman.  our nation is in peril here   said ahmed shaheed  the chief government spokesman. he estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. the maldives has gross domestic product of $660m.  it won t be surprising if the cost exceeds our gdp   he said.  in the last few years  we made great progress in our standard of living - the united nations recognised this. now we see this can disappear in a few days  a few minutes.  shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged  and a similar number have suffered significant damage.  however  many experts  including the world bank  have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact. in part  this is because of its scale  and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities.  calculators will have to wait   said an imf official in a briefing on wednesday.  the financial and world community will be turning toward reconstruction efforts and at that point people will begin to have a sense of the financial impact.'
business,'standard life cuts policy bonuses standard life  europe s largest mutual life insurer  has cut bonuses for with-profit policyholders.  annual bonus rates on its with-profits life policies were cut from 2.5\% to 2\%  while bonuses on pension policies were reduced from 3.25\% to 2.5\%. it is the sixth time in three years standard life has made cuts to bonus rates  despite an 8.7\% rise in the value of the with-profits fund in 2004. the insurer blamed the cuts on poor share returns and low interest rates.  with-profits policies are designed to smooth out the peaks and troughs of stock market volatility. profits made in good years are kept in reserve to pay investors an annual bonus even when the stock market performs badly. slumping share prices throughout 2001 and 2002 forced most firms to trim bonus rates on their policies. standard life came in for criticism for sticking with stock market investments during 2001 and 2002. the insurer argued that shares outperformed other investments over the long term and that policyholders would feel the benefit when the stock market recovered. recently  norwich union and axa sun life both cut their with-profit bonus rates.  john gill  managing director of the insurer s life and pensions division  said that a strong stock market recovery in the past two years had only  partly compensated for losses during 2001 and 2002 . in addition  low interest rates meant that  long-term investment returns are well below historic levels   mr gill added. however  mr gill maintained that with-profits continued to perform well over the long term.  our payouts continue to stand up well against other types of long-term investments over similar periods   he said. standard life has an estimated 2.4 million with-profits policyholders. last year  the company announced that it was looking to float on the stock market in 2006.'
sport,'wilkinson to lead england fly-half jonny wilkinson has been named as england s new rugby union captain for the three november tests.  the 25-year-old newcastle star takes over from lawrence dallaglio  who retired from internationals in august. england s acting head coach andy robinson said:  he is a natural leader  holds the respect of the squad and is a formidable talent on the pitch.  and he consistently demonstrates the energy and commitment i feel is essential to be captain of england.  robinson added:  there are several players in the squad i would feel comfortable in calling upon to be england captain but for me jonny is in every way the right player to take on this challenge.  captaincy offers a challenging environment for any player  especially following in the footsteps of lawrence dallaglio and before him the world cup captain  martin johnson.   but i am confident jonny has what it takes to do an outstanding job as we look ahead towards the next rugby world cup in france and i look forward to working with him.  wilkinson  who has scored 817 points in 52 internationals  kicked the winning drop-goal in the final seconds of extra-time in england s 2003 rugby world cup triumph against australia. but he then missed the entire 2004 six nations campaign while recuperating from shoulder surgery  before making his comeback for newcastle in the zurich premiership in august.  it s the ambition of so many players to one day be captain of england and today i have realised a dream   he said.  i m honoured andy wants me to be his captain  and to follow lawrence and martin means a lot to me as they are inspirational men who have given so much to england rugby over many years.   getting my first england cap against ireland six years ago was something i ll never forget because to play for your country is very special. taking on the captaincy is another important step in my career and i do so with immense pride.  wilkinson made his international debut in the 1998 six nations championship against ireland when he came off the bench to replace paul grayson.  he has been a regular in the england starting line-up ever since  played in all three lions tests in 2001 and all but one of england s games in the 2003 world cup. he becomes the 117th captain of england since fred stokes held the position in 1871. england s first autumn test is against canada on 13 november  followed by the visit of tri-nations champions south africa a week later and then a world cup re-match with australia.'
politics,'ministers deny care sums  wrong  ministers have insisted they are committed to free personal care for the elderly despite research suggesting the cost of the policy was under-estimated.  a report by the fraser of allander institute says the decision to push ahead with the flagship policy was based on flawed research. deputy health minister rhona brankin has pledged to study the research. snp holyrood leader nicola sturgeon said the public needed reassurance that the care programme was secure.  the rise in costs stems from a series of mistakes in the research used by the  care development group  of scottish executive experts who prepared the original costings  according to findings published in the quarterly economic commentary of strathclyde university s fraser of allander institute.  dubious  assumptions about improving health expectancy could drive the cost of the policy up by another £130m by 2022  the report warned.  it was carried out by husband and wife economist team jim and margaret cuthbert. but ms brankin told bbc radio scotland:  we don t think we got our sums wrong.  obviously we will examine the findings of this new report  along with figures from our own research that we have already commissioned.  we will look in great detail at any contribution to this  because we need to be sure we can provide free personal care and nursing care for our older people into the future.  and we are absolutely committed to doing that.   but the scottish national party called on ministers to reassure people that enough funding is in place to support the free personal care policy. ms sturgeon said that while she had no reason to doubt the executive s support for the policy  there were questions which needed to be answered and  if necessary  sums redone. she said:  serious concerns have been raised and there are questions which need to be answered by the scottish executive.  we need to know that the money is there  not just for this year or next year  but into the future so that older people  and those who are looking forward to older age  can rest assured that their personal care needs will be met.'
politics,'howard rejects bnp s claim tory leader michael howard has dismissed claims that his immigration policy was  moving onto the turf  of the british national party (bnp).  bnp leader nick griffin told the independent he expected some bnp voters to switch to the tories over the issue. but mr howard said he rejected the idea that the tories and bnp appealed to the same voting instincts. asked if he would welcome bnp voters he told the bbc:  i don t want anybody to vote for these extremist parties . he added  on bbc radio 4 s today programme:  if you want good community relations in this country...then you have to have firm  fair immigration controls.   the tories have promised an upper limit on the number of people allowed into britain with the slogan:  it s not racist to impose limits on immigration . all parties are stepping up campaiging in the run-up to the general election  widely expected to be called for 5 may. labour has unveiled its own  points system  for ensuring migrants who want to work in the uk have skills that are required  but have rejected immigration quotas. the liberal democrats have warned both parties against  pandering to prejudice .  mr griffin told the independent the tories  plans were  a definite move onto our turf . he said:  i quite freely accept that on a nationwide basis  the tories will con enough people to make a significant hole in our vote.  asked whether he was comfortable with the perception that the conservatives and the bnp appeal to the same voting instincts  mr howard told the bbc:  i reject that entirely . he said he found bnp s policies  abhorrent  but he said the uk had to take a different approach to immigration  which he said was out of control.  the government doesn t want to limit it in any way  we do  there s a legitimate difference between us there which we can discuss in a calm  rational and reasonable way   he said. he again rejected newspaper speculation that his own father entered britain illegally.'
sport,'wood - ireland can win grand slam former captain keith wood believes ireland can win only their second grand slam - and first since 1948 - in this year s rbs six nations championship.  after claiming their first triple crown for 19 years last season  wood tips his former team-mates to go one better.  things have been building up over the past few years and i think this is the year for ireland   he told bbc sport.  there is a great chance to win a grand slam. a lot of things are in our favour with england and france at home.  ireland have finished runners-up three times  including last year  since the old five nations became six in 2000  and not finished outside the top three in the past five years.  despite being without flanker keith gleeson  coach eddie o sullivan has not had to contend with the sort of casualty lists that have hit england and scotland in particular prior to the tournament.  for ireland to win it we need to stay relatively injury free  and fortunately we are one of the few teams that have done that so far   wood added.  it is going to be tough and we need to take all the luck and opportunities that come our way.  ireland s last game of the tournament is against wales in cardiff - a fixture they have not lost since 1983.  but despite their traditional hospitality when the irish are visiting  wood believes wales might end their four-match losing run against england in cardiff.  so many of the major england players have either retired in the last year or are injured that i think it will be very hard for them down in cardiff   wood added.  wales have had four brilliant games in the last year or so and lost all four  so the time is right for them now to beat one of the major teams.'
sport,'celtic unhappy over bulgaria date martin o neill hopes to block stilian petrov s call-up by bulgaria during celtic s busy festive programme.  the celtic manager does not view the friendly against valenciana - a region of spain - on 28 december as important.  i can t say i was overly pleased at the fixture being played just after christmas   said o neill.  we will have to speak with the bulgarian fa. it s their prerogative for them to arrange a fixture and our prerogative how we handle it.  bulgaria s game comes between celtic s boxing day meeting with hearts and their 2 january fixture against livingston. o neill believes the extra game will not help a midfielder whose season has already been affected by injury.  they have organised a game at a rather awkward time   he added.  when we were out playing barcelona  i spoke with the bulgarian manager  hristo stoichkov  and he mentioned this game to me.  we pay his wages  we are the ones that if an awkward fixture is going to be played at some stage or another it should be to our benefit  rather than anyone else.  i have said this before  but bulgaria are the one nation who seem to organise a lot of friendly games.'
sport,'ajax refuse to rule out jol move ajax have refused to reveal whether tottenham s boss martin jol is on the dutch champions  shortlist to become the amsterdam club s new coach.  jol  who has coached in his native holland  has guided spurs to the premiership s top eight. an ajax spokesman told bbc sport:  the coach must fit our profile - a coach who understands the dutch league and offensive and distinctive football.  we need to find a solution soon  so someone is in place for next season.  ronald koeman quit as ajax boss last week after their exit from the uefa cup. jol has been linked with the vacant post at ajax  with reports saying he has fallen out with spurs  sporting director frank arnesen. but in a statement on spurs  website  jol said:  i m happy here  i m not in discussion with anyone else  i don t want to go elsewhere.  ajax have enlisted the help of dutch legend johann cruyff  currently a consultant at barcelona  to help find a new head coach. cruyff has admitted he has been impressed by the way former rfc waalwijk coach jol has turned round spurs  fortunes since taking over from jacques santini. tonny bruins slot and ruud krol are currently in charge of ajax  who are third in the dutch league.'
sport,'wales win in rome wales secured their first away win in the rbs six nations for nearly four years with a six-try victory in rome.  tries from jonathan thomas  tom shanklin and martyn williams gave the visitors a 19-5 half-time advantage. luciano orquera did reply with one for italy but second-half efforts from brent cockbain  shane williams and robert sidoli sealed victory. fly-half stephen jones added four conversions as wales maintained their superb start to this year s tournament. starting full of confidence after their victory over england  the visitors scored the opening try after just four minutes. diminutive wing shane williams fielded a kick ahead and danced past the onrushing andrea masi and aaron persico into the italian half. his pass to tom shanklin appeared forward but when the centre was held up short  the ball was switched left and michael owen s long cut-out pass gave the lurking thomas an easy run-in.  stephen jones  who retained the kicking duties despite gavin henson s heroics against england  slotted an excellent conversion from wide out. wales twice threatened further scores but failed to find the crucial pass  and italy hit back out of the blue in the 11th minute.  henson  sporting gold boots rather than the silver variety that did for england  beat two players with ease out on the left touchline. but his attempted chip ahead was charged down by orquera  who snaffled the loose ball and hared away from halfway to score in the right corner. with the welsh line-out stuttering and italy twice turning the visitors  scrum  the home side s forward power brought them back into it. but a clever high kick from henson almost brought a try for hal luscombe when roland de marigny and ludovico nitoglia made a hash of claiming it as the ball bounced into touch.  wales regained control with a second try in the 21st minute  henson lobbing up a high kick to the left corner where shanklin jumped higher than nitoglia to dot down his 15th test try. jones was unable to convert and de marigny then hit the upright with a penalty attempt for italy. henson was also narrowly short with a long-range effort at goal  but wales ended the half with a vital third score to give themselves some breathing space.  henson sent luscombe streaking away and when he off-loaded to martyn williams  the flanker showed his nous to ground the ball against the padding of the post  jones adding the conversion. italy  who lost flanker mauro bergamasco with a head knock before half-time  built up a head of steam on the resumption. de marigny landed a penalty to make it 19-8 and a nitoglia break through the middle threatened a try only for the move to break down with a knock-on. but wales put the outcome beyond doubt with two superb tries in four minutes before the hour. their fourth after 53 minutes was sparked by another mazy run from shane williams  who beat several players with ease  and finished with a powerful angled run from lock cockbain. before italy could recover from that blow  a strong surge from gareth thomas and great off-loads from martyn williams and replacement kevin morgan saw shane williams scamper over.  with jones converting both for a 33-8 lead  wales had the luxury of sending on five more replacements for the final quarter. the icing on the cake came with a sixth try after more superb support work  shane williams and ceri sweeney combining to send sidoli over in the left corner. the only downside for wales was a hamstring injury suffered by luscombe. but after back-to-back wins at the start of the tournament for the first time in 11 years  they will travel to paris in a fortnight looking like genuine contenders.  r de marigny; mirco bergamasco  w pozzebon  a masi  l nitoglia; l orquera  a troncon; a lo cicero  f ongaro  m castrogiovanni  s dellape  m bortolami (capt)  a persico  mauro bergamasco  s parisse.  g intoppa  s perugini  ca del fava  d dal maso  p griffen  m barbini  kp robertson.  g thomas (capt); h luscombe  t shanklin  g henson  s williams; s jones  d peel; g jenkins  m davies  a jones; b cockbain  r sidoli; j thomas  m williams  m owen.  r mcbryde  j yapp  i gough  r sowden-taylor  g cooper  c sweeney  k morgan.  andrew cole (australia).'
sport,'newcastle 27-27 gloucester newcastle centre mathew tait answered his critics as he scored one try and made another  but he could not stop gloucester grabbing a draw.  the falcons were 22-6 down at the break before tait  recently axed by england after just one six nations outing  inspired his side to a 27-22 lead. a last-gasp touchdown from luke narraway pulled the visitors level. but gloucester missed out on victory when henry paul fluffed the conversion and seti kiole was denied a late try. newcastle had a couple of chances at the start of the second half with line-outs in the corner. but they failed to make them count until joe shaw found dave walder  who released mark mayerholfer in his own 22.  the former all black broke clear and popped the ball up for tait on halfway. he chipped ahead for michael stephenson to scorch through for the try  which walder converted to give newcastle a lifeline. they grabbed it with both hands  mayerhofler breaking through and tait making a brilliant early run to cut inside and race 30m to score. walder converted to make it 22-20 before he was just wide with a 40m penalty in the 70th minute.  mayerhofler then scythed through the middle for a try after hall charlton popped the ball up  and walder s conversion took newcastle 27-22 ahead. with three minutes of normal time left  narraway was driven over for a try in the corner which levelled the scores at 27-27. henry missed the conversion but gloucester nearly won it when kiole broke through only to be hauled down by charlton and tom may.  walder; may  tait  mayerhofler  stephenson; wilkinson  grindal; isaacson  long  ward; gross  hamilton; mccarthy  harris  dowson.  replacements: peel  wilson  thompson  parling  sititi  charlton  shaw.  goodridge; garvey  simpson-daniel  fanolua  kiole; paul  gomarsall; wood  curnier  powell; eustace  brown; forrester  buxton  balding.  replacements: elloway  sigley  cornwell  narraway  page  davies  mauger.'
politics,'tories attack eu asylum moves david blunkett has been accused of using the  politics of confusion  to disguise new eu immigration measures.  tory spokesman david davis told mps the uk was losing its power of veto over who was allowed to come to britain. the eu has opted to adopt qualified majority voting in this area - previously measures needed unanimous agreement from all member states. mr blunkett told mps the uk would still be able to reject proposals on immigration it did not agree with.  he argued closer co-operation with europe over asylum and immigration was crucial to controlling the flow of people into the uk.  if we don t like what other eu countries do on immigration and nationality we have the right to opt-in or out to suit the british people   he said. the home secretary was responding to an emergency question from his tory opposite number mr davis.  the government is employing the politics of confusion - i think  deliberately   argued mr davis.  by confusing the country it hopes no one will notice the disappearance of the asylum and immigration veto.  on monday tony blair insisted closer co-operation did not mean losing control of british borders. he said an enlarged 25-member eu needs a streamlined decision making process. mr davis said once britain had opted into policies then it could not opt out - leaving the uk open to unfavourable interpretations of what those policies actually meant.  he accused the government of being  pathetic  when it came to its efforts over immigration and asylum and of  surrendering  on the issue. and he asked why the government was agreeing to the measure on asylum and immigration now when the whole issue was part of the eu constitution  which voters in the uk had been promised a referendum over. mr blair told his monthly news conference britain had the  best of both worlds  and would keep the veto.  there is no question of britain giving up our veto on our border controls   he said.  with the treaty of amsterdam seven years ago  we secured the absolute right to opt in to any of the asylum and immigration provisions that we wanted to in europe.  mr blunkett met his eu counterparts in luxembourg on monday to consider proposals aimed at streamlining decision making on the issue.  the 25 member-states are expected to scrap the requirement for unanimous agreement on immigration policy  in favour of the qualified majority voting (qmv) system. under this scheme larger states such as britain are expected to have more power than the smaller eu states. britain is expected to retain an  opt-in  right which will allow it to ignore any measures it disagrees with. liberal democrat spokesman mark oaten called the change pragmatic and argued it gave a better chance of producing a european asylum solution.  if we don t work together it means some countries can ignore their responsibilities at the expense of their neighbours   said mr oaten.  the liberal democrats have long argued that britain should be a safe haven for asylum seekers but it s right that we don t do this in isolation.'
business,'healthsouth ex-boss goes on trial the former head of us medical services firm healthsouth overstated earnings and assets to boost the company s share price  it was claimed in court.  richard scrushy  52  is accused of  directing  a $2.7bn (£1.4bn) accounting fraud at the company he co-founded in alabama in 1984. prosecutors said he was motivated by wealth - spending about $200m between 1996 and 2002 while earning much less. defence lawyers said mr scrushy had been deceived by other executives. several former healthsouth employees have already pleaded guilty to fraud and are expected to give evidence against mr scrushy.   we will present evidence that richard scrushy knew about the conspiracy  that he participated in the conspiracy and that he profited   prosecutor alice martin told the court. mr scrushy is the first chief executive to be tried for breaching the sarbanes oxley act - a law introduced in the wake of the enron and worldcom frauds which obliges corporate bosses to vouch for the accuracy of their companies  results. among the charges he faces are conspiracy to commit fraud  filing false statements and money laundering. after federal agents raided healthsouth s offices in march 2003  the company said none of its past financial statements could be relied on. the firm has since reorganised its board and management team and currently operates about 1 400 health clinics.'
business,'qwest may spark mci bidding war us phone company qwest has said it will table a new offer for mci after losing out to larger rival verizon  setting the scene for a possible bidding war.  mci accepted a $6.75bn (£3.6bn) buyout from telecoms giant verizon on monday  rejecting a higher offer from qwest. qwest chairman richard notebaert sent a letter to mci s board on thursday saying that it plans to submit a new offer after examining verizon s bid. formerly known as worldcom  mci is a long-distance and corporate phone firm. snapping up mci would give the buyer access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. shares of mci were up more than 4\% in electronic trading after the close of new york markets.  qwest said on wednesday that mci had rejected a deal worth $8bn.  we would like to advise you that once we have completed our review of the verizon merger agreement  we do intend to submit a modified offer to acquire mci   the letter from qwest said. verizon s offer is made up of cash  shares and dividends  and a number of investors have said that it undervalues mci. verizon plans to swap 0.41 of its shares and $1.50 in cash for each mci share  as well as offering special dividends of $4.50 a share. both company boards have backed the deal  but regulators will still need to give their approval. as well as trying to lure investors with the promise of better returns  qwest also reckons that its offer will face less regulatory scrutiny than verizon s.  the takeover would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since october as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. earlier this month  sbc communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer at&t for about $16bn. there may be concerns other than cash  however  especially as mci only emerged from bankruptcy protection last april. verizon is far bigger than qwest  has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. also  mci  while trading under the name worldcom  became the biggest corporate bankruptcy in us history after admitting that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. former worldcom boss bernie ebbers is currently standing trial  accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. qwest  meanwhile  had to pay the securities and exchange commission $250m in october to settle charges that it massaged earnings to keep wall street happy.'
sport,'captains lining up for aid match ireland s brian o driscoll is one of four six nations captains included in the northern hemisphere squad for the irb rugby aid match on 5 march.  france s fabien pelous  gordon bullock of scotland and italy s marco bortolami are also in the northern party. sir clive woodward will coach the northern team against rod macqueen s southern hemisphere team in a tsumani fund-raising match at twickenham.  i m looking forward to working with such outstanding players   he said. it will be a chance for woodward to assess some of his options before unveiling his british and irish lions touring party  who will visit new zealand in the summer.  the game promises to be a great spectacle   he said.  both teams are fielding top-quality sides and i really hope that the rugby public and community get behind this game to raise as much money as possible for such a deserving cause.   l dallaglio (england)  b cohen (england)  a rougerie (france)  d traille (france)  f pelous (france)  r ibanez (france)  p de villiers (france)  b o driscoll (ireland  capt)  p o connell (ireland)  d humphreys (ireland)  c paterson (scotland)  c cusiter (scotland)  g bullock (scotland)  s taylor (scotland)  a lo cicero (italy)  m bortolami (italy)  s parisse (italy)  d peel (wales)  c sweeney (wales)  j thomas (wales)  r williams (wales)  j yapp (wales).  c latham (australia); r caucaunibuca (fiji)  j fourie (s africa) t umaga (new zealand)  s bobo (fiji); a mehrtens (new zealand) g gregan (australia  capt); t kefu (australia)  p waugh (australia)  s burger (s africa); i rawaqa (fiji)  v matfield (s africa); k visagie (s africa)  j smit (s africa)  c hoeft (new zealand). reserves: b reihana (new zealand)  b lima (samoa)  e taukafa (tonga)  o palepoi (samoa)  s sititi (samoa)  m rauluni (fiji)  a n other.'
business,'vw considers opening indian plant volkswagen is considering building a car factory in india  but said it had yet to make a final decision.  the german giant said it was studying the possibility of opening an assembly plant in the country  but that it remained only a  potential  idea. its comments came after the industry minister of india s andhra pradesh state said a team of vw officials were due to visit to discuss the plans. b. satyanarayana said he expected vw to co-sign a memorandum of agreement. several foreign carmakers  including hyundai  toyota  suzuki and ford  already have indian production facilities to meet demand for automobiles in asia s fourth-largest economy. vw s proposed plant would be set up in the port city of visakhapatnam on india s eastern coast. an andhra pradesh official added that vw had already approved a factory site measuring 250 acres.'
sport,'hewitt fights back to reach final lleyton hewitt kept his dream of an australian open title alive with a four-set win over andy roddick in friday s second semi-final.  the home favourite will face marat safin in sunday s final after coming through 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 6-1. hewitt fought back from a set down and trailed in both tie-breaks but would not be denied  thrilling the melbourne crowd with a typically battling effort. he is aiming to be the first australian winner since mark edmondson in 1976. hewitt is the first australian to make the final since pat cash lost to mats wilander in 1988  but faces a huge challenge against safin - the conqueror of roger federer. after needing five sets in his last two matches there was reason to think hewitt might struggle for fitness. he certainly made a sluggish start  dropping his opening service game  and roddick dominated with his huge serve as he took the first set.  after 12 tense games in the second  the key moment came when hewitt raised his game in the tie-break to overturn an early mini-break. that energised the crowd but roddick was not finished and raced 4-1 clear in the crucial third before hewitt pegged him back and forced another tie-break. again roddick broke first and again hewitt fought back  taking the lead with a superb backhand pass.  the australian was not to be denied and a disheartened roddick made little impact in the fourth set as hewitt raced to victory  sending the melbourne crowd wild and ensuring the final will be a huge occasion.  it s awesome   said hewitt.  i started preparing for this tournament nine months ago.  i ve done a lot of hard yards to get here.  i ve always said i d do anything to get in the first night final at the australian open. now i ve got my chance.  roddick was furious with himself for failing to take advantage of leads in both tie-breaks.  i m usually pretty money in those   said roddick.  either one of those would have given me a distinct advantage.  i m mad  i felt i was in there with a shot. he put himself in position to win big points. i donated a little more than i would have wanted.  and the american played down the influence of one spectator who appeared to contribute to a double fault by shouting during rodick s service action.  it just took one jackass to shout out   said roddick  adding that the crowd overall was  very respectful .'
entertainment,'us actor  found with gun residue  actor robert blake had gunshot residue on his hands and clothes the night his wife was shot dead  a court has heard.  but it may not have come from the shot that killed bonny lee bakley in 2001  mr blake s murder trial was told by criminalist steven dowell. mr dowell told a los angeles court the residue may have come from mr blake s revolver  his gun collection  his presence at the crime scene or police. the 71-year-old former star of us tv drama baretta has denied murder. mr blake said he found ms bakley  44  dead in a car after they left a restaurant.  he said he briefly returned to the restaurant to collect a gun he had left behind and discovered her body when he returned. the gun he collected was not the murder weapon. it could also have been picked up if he touched or leant on the car when he found the body  or from a police box in which his clothes were later stored. the box had come from an area where officers went after being on the firing range. but mr dowell also said the residue would have been present if mr blake fired a gun that night. witnesses have already told the trial mr blake  stood out as being quite nervous and agitated  at the restaurant before the murder. the actor  who won an emmy for playing a maverick detective in the 1970s tv cop drama baretta  could face life in prison if convicted.'
entertainment,'hollywood ready for oscars night hollywood is preparing for the biggest night in the film world s calendar  the 77th academy awards  on sunday.  a host of stars are expected to grace the red carpet outside los angeles  kodak theatre  including johnny depp  cate blanchett and leonardo dicaprio. british actors in attendance include nominees clive owen  imelda staunton  kate winslet and director mike leigh. the aviator leads the shortlist  but critics believe the night may belong to clint eastwood s million dollar baby. a recent poll of us pundits found eastwood s boxing drama had become the new favourite to win best film over the howard hughes biopic.  if the 74-year-old does win  he will become the oldest person ever to be named best director at the ceremony. uk critics still favour the aviator for best film  but believe the best director title will generate a close fought battle between eastwood and martin scorsese.  scorsese has never won the best director prize  despite four previous nominations for films including raging bull  goodfellas and gangs of new york. eastwood has won best director once before  for unforgiven in 1993. most experts predict the twice-nominated jamie foxx will win best actor for his portrayal of singer ray charles  while vera drake star imelda staunton looks likely to lose out in the best actress field to hilary swank in million dollar baby. the uk s highest hopes remain with clive owen  who has scooped both the golden globe and the bafta for his supporting role in closer. actor and comedian chris rock will host the event  which will be broadcast with a seven-second time delay to allow censors to cut out any unsuitable content.   we have the bleep machine ready  but bleeps will be used as needed   producer gil cates told reporters. however  he added that he strongly disapproved of the growing tendency to censor live broadcasts on us tv.  he also played down fears that rock  who is known for using strong language in his stand-up routines  might cause controversy on the night. the 40-year-old comic has already promised not to swear live on air during the show.  chris has a sense of humour and everything he says is really said humorously   cates said.  you need a movie star and someone who is a stand-up comic so they can deal with the vicissitudes of the show.  security will also be tight  with police employing a system to detect sarin nerve gas.  we are pulling out all the stops   said john miller  chief of counterterrorism at the los angeles police department. the show is  a symbol of american culture and has the potential to be a high-visibility target   he added. meanwhile  organisers have erected a canopy over the red carpet following an outbreak of torrential rain in los angeles over the past week. cates said the covers would be removed if the threat of wet weather receded. details have also emerged of the contents of this year s gift bags  which are given to nominees and presenters on the night. this year s bags will include a gift certificate for a luxury beach resort  a pair of mink eyelashes and a kitchen set with a year s supply of tea and coffee. the event will be televised by the abc network from 1700 local time (0100 gmt)  and on sky movies in the uk from 0130 gmt.'
business,'wal-mart to pay $14m in gun suit the world s largest retailer  wal-mart  has agreed to pay a total of $14.5m (£7.74m) to settle a lawsuit over gun sales violations in california.  the lawsuit alleged wal-mart committed thousands of gun sales violations in california between 2000 and 2003. the total payment includes $5m in fines and more than $4m to fund state compliance checks with gun laws and prevent ammunition sales to minors. wal-mart agreed to suspend firearms sales in its california stores in 2003   the alleged violations included the sale of guns to 23 people who were not allowed to possess them  and delivering 36 guns to customers who acquired them for people not allowed to own firearms. although wal-mart has suspended firearms sales in the state  california attorney general bill lockyer said he wanted to be sure the giant supermarket chain would follow state rules in future.  wal-mart s failure to comply with gun safety laws put the lives of all californians at risk by placing guns in the hands of criminals and other prohibited persons   said mr lockyer.  although wal-mart has suspended gun sales in california  this settlement will ensure that it follows state law if it renews sales and will also provide valuable public education about the importance of gun safety.  the world s largest retailer has not yet decided whether to resume firearms sales in california  company spokesman gus whitcomb said.'
tech,'loyalty cards idea for tv addicts viewers could soon be rewarded for watching tv as loyalty cards come to a screen near you.  any household hooked up to sky could soon be using smartcards in conjunction with their set-top boxes. broadcasters such as sky and itv could offer viewers loyalty points in return for watching a particular channel or programme. sky will activate a spare slot on set-top boxes in january  marketing magazine new media age reported.  sky set-top boxes have two slots. one is for the viewer s decryption card  while the other has been dormant until now.  loyalty cards have become a common addition to most wallets  as high street brands rush to keep customers with a series of incentives offered by store cards. now similar schemes look set to enter the highly competitive world of multi-channel tv. viewers who stay loyal to a particular tv channel could be rewarded by free tv content or freebies from retail partners. broadcasters aiming content at children could offer smartcards which gives membership to exclusive content and clubs.  parents could pre-pay for some content  as a kind of tv pocket money card   said nigel whalley  managing director of media consultancy decipher.  viewers could even be rewarded for watching ad breaks  with ideas such as ad bingo being touted by firms keen to make money out of the new market  said mr whalley. credit cards that have been chipped could be used in set-top boxes to pay for movies  gambling and gaming.  the idea of an intelligent card in boxes offers a lot of possibilities. it will be down to the ingenuity of the content players   said mr whalley. for the bbc  revenue-generating activity will be of little interest but the new development may prompt changes to freeview set-top boxes  said mr whalley. currently most freeview boxes do not have a slot which would allow viewers to use a smartcard. some 7.4 million households have sky boxes and sky is hoping to increase this to 10 million by 2010. loyalty cards could play a role in this  particularly in reducing the number of people who cancel their sky subscriptions  said ian fogg  an analyst with jupiter research.'
sport,'tindall wants second opinion england centre mike tindall is to seek a second opinion before having surgery on a foot injury that could force him to miss the entire six nations.  the bath player was already out of the opener against wales on 5 february because of a hand problem.  mike had a specialist review on a fracture in his right mid foot   said england doctor simon kemp.  before a final decision is made on surgery... medical teams have decided he should see a second specialist.   england coach andy robinson is already without centre will greenwood and flanker richard hill while fly-half jonny wilkinson is certain to miss at least the first two games. robinson is expected to announce his new-look england line-up on monday for the match at the millennium stadium. and newcastle s 18-year-old centre mathew tait is set to stand in for tindall alongside club team-mate jamie noon.  meanwhile  tindall is targeting a return to action before the end of the regular zurich premiership season on 30 april. he will also aim to be back to full fitness before the lions tour to new zealand this summer.'
tech,'kenyan school turns to handhelds at the mbita point primary school in western kenya students click away at a handheld computer with a stylus.  they are doing exercises in their school textbooks which have been digitised. it is a pilot project run by eduvision  which is looking at ways to use low cost computer systems to get up-to-date information to students who are currently stuck with ancient textbooks. matthew herren from eduvision told the bbc programme go digital how the non-governmental organisation uses a combination of satellite radio and handheld computers called e-slates.  the e-slates connect via a wireless connection to a base station in the school. this in turn is connected to a satellite radio receiver. the data is transmitted alongside audio signals.  the base station processes the information from the satellite transmission and turns it into a form that can be read by the handheld e-slates.  it downloads from the satellite and every day processes the stream  sorts through content for the material destined for the users connected to it. it also stores this on its hard disc.   the system is cheaper than installing and maintaining an internet connection and conventional computer network. but mr herren says there are both pros and cons to the project.  it s very simple to set up  just a satellite antenna on the roof of the school  but it s also a one-way connection  so getting feedback or specific requests from end users is difficult.   the project is still at the pilot stage and eduvision staff are on the ground to attend to teething problems with the linux-based system.  the content is divided into visual information  textual information and questions. users can scroll through these sections independently of each other.  eduvision is planning to include audio and video files as the system develops and add more content. mr herren says this would vastly increase the opportunities available to the students. he is currently in negotiations to take advantage of a project being organised by search site google to digitise some of the world s largest university libraries.  all books in the public domain  something like 15 million  could be put on the base stations as we manufacture them. then every rural school in africa would have access to the same libraries as the students in oxford and harvard  currently the project is operating in an area where there is mains electricity. but mr herren says eduvision already has plans to extend it to more remote regions.  we plan to put a solar panel at the school with the base station  have the e-slates charge during the day when the children are in school  then they can take them home at night and continue working.  maciej sundra  who designed the user interface for the e-slates  says the project s ultimate goal is levelling access to knowledge around the world.  why in this age when most people do most research using the internet are students still using textbooks  the fact that we are doing this in a rural developing country is very exciting - as they need it most.'
politics,'lib dems stress budget trust gap public trust in the handling of the economy can only be restored if gordon brown opens up his books for unbiased inspection  say the lib dems.  city experts say there is a £10bn  black hole  in the public finances  a claim denied by the chancellor. lib dem spokesman vince cable said the public did not know who to believe and the national audit office should judge. responding to the pre-budget report  mr cable also attacked labour s  unfair  and over-complicated taxes.  in his report  mr brown insisted he was on course to meet his  golden rule  of borrowing only to invest  rather than for day-to-day spending  over the course of the economic cycle. mr cable said people did not know whether to believe the chancellor or the consensus among experts which said the rule would be broken.  there is an issue of credibility and trust   he said.  we cannot have a continuation of a situation where the chancellor sets his own tests and then marks them.  what we need is the equivalent of a thorough ofsted inspection of the government s accounts.  he asked what the government had to hide.  mr cable also accused the chancellor of ducking tough choices. he argued:  there are serious challenges ahead from the falling dollar and from the rapid downturn in the uk housing market and rising personal debt. but they have not been confronted.  mr brown confirmed he was setting aside another £520m for the conflicts in iraq and afghanistan. mr cable compared that new cost with the £500m needed for britain s role in the entire first gulf war - when 80\% of the bill had been met through help from european and arab nations. he suggested keeping british troops in iraq could cost another £1bn with the government also planning to spend at least £3bn for identity cards. the current economic climate meant britain could not afford the  reckless  george bush-style tax cutting spree  planned by the tories  he said. instead  what was needed was simple and fair taxation rather than the  complete mess  produced by mr brown s endless tinkering.  mr cable said 40\% of all pensioners were now paying marginal tax rates of 50\%. and one-and-a-half million hard working families were paying 60\% marginal tax rates. with that record  he asked why ministers attacked lib dem plans for a new 50\% tax rate for the  very rich  - those earning more than £100 000 a year. mr brown earmarked £1bn to help keep down council tax rises next year. but the lib dem spokesman questioned whether that money was being found from cuts to education and health. he urged the government to scrap the  grossly unfair  tax completely. the lib dems want it replaced with a local income tax. in response  mr brown stressed the iraq money came from a reserve funds. it was because he had rejected previous lib dem proposals  such as scrapping the new deal  that britain s economy was successful  claimed mr brown.'
tech,'ultra fast wi-fi nears completion ultra high speed wi-fi connections moved closer to reality on thursday when intel said it would list standards for the technology later this year.  intel is developing ultra-wideband technology (uwb) which would allow fast data transfer but with low power needs. uwb is tipped to be used for wireless transfer of video in the home or office and for use in wireless usb devices which need low power consumption. a rival uwb standard is being developed by motorola and chip firm freescale. at the mobile phone conference 3gsm in cannes last month samsung demonstrated a phone using uwb technology from freescale.  at a press conference on thursday intel announced that two uwb groups  wimedia alliance and multi-band ofdm alliance had merged to support the technology. uwb makes it possible to stream huge amounts of data through the air over short distances. one of the more likely uses of uwb is to make it possible to send dvd quality video images wirelessly to tv screens or to let people beam music to media players around their home.  the technology has the potential to transmit hundreds of megabits of data per second.  consumer electronics companies want uwb to replace cables and simplify set-up   jeff ravencraft  technology strategist at intel and chairman of the wireless usb promoter group  told technology site zdnet.  thirty percent of consumer electronics returns are because the consumer couldn t set up the equipment.  the first products using uwb technology from intel are due to hit the market later this year. initially they will be products using wireless usb 2.0 connections. uwb could also be used to create so-called personal area networks that let a person s gadgets quickly and easily swap data amongst themselves. the technology works over a range up to 10 metres and uses billions of short radio pulses every second to carry data. intel says the benefit of uwb is that it does not interfere with other wi-fi technologies already in use such as wi-fi  wimax and mobile phone networks.'
entertainment,'tarantino to direct csi episode film director quentin tarantino is to direct an episode of us television series csi: crime scene investigation.  the oscar-winning pulp fiction director has also written an original story for the season finale episode. csi s co-producer  carol mendelsohn  said the episode would have  more bugs and blood  than usual. it is not tarantino s first venture into tv. in 1995 he directed an episode of the medical drama er and has also appeared in alias.  ms mendelsohn said the production team had been trying for a while to get tarantino to direct an episode of csi  and added that he was a fan of the forensic drama. she said he finally agreed a few weeks ago while csi was doing some location shooting in las vegas and the show s stars persuaded him.  he knows everything there is to know about csi  and he is into the whole mythology of csi   mendelsohn said.  quentin came in a couple of weeks ago. we had a story meeting with the writers.  he had a great idea  and it was so much fun to have him in the room... we are positively giddy.  filming is due to start in early april and the tarantino-directed episode will be broadcast in the us on 19 may.'
entertainment,'tv show unites angolan families angolan families who are attempting to track each other down  after being separated by nearly 30 years of war  are succeeding thanks to a hugely popular tv show.  meeting point has become one of tv angola s most watched programmes  and has reunited hundreds of families. it runs daily  not only on the television but also on the radio. every friday  hundreds of people gather in luanda s independence square to record a message in front of the tv cameras  in the hope that a lost relative will see it. many relatives have been reunited on air.  at the beginning there was an absolute explosion - huge  huge crowds   sergio gera  the programme s chief co-ordinator  told bbc world service s assignment programme.  now things are a little calmer  there are slightly less people - but  after two and a half years of broadcasting  there are still a lot of people going.   the media in the southern african country  twice the size of france  has been gripped by the quest of so many people to find their relatives. hundreds of thousands of people died in angola s 30-year civil war  which finally ended in 2002  and tens of thousands of people are still missing. many have not heard anything for 10 or more years - in all  90\% of angolan families have lost someone.  the idea of recording in independence square was modelled on a square in the argentine capital buenos aries  where mothers go to talk about the dead and the missing  and to exchange news. one woman  victoria lapete  found her sister - the only remaining member of her family - in independence square live on meeting point. she had not seen her sibling for 28 years.  when we saw each other  we threw ourselves into each other s arms   she told assignment.  we started to cry. i felt very  very happy  because i d spent so long without any family. suddenly i had a sister again.  however  angola is one of the poorest countries in africa  and the number of people with access to either a television or radio is comparatively few. this means that elsewhere in the country  the task of reuniting families lies primarily with the international committee of the red cross (icrc). in the city of wambo  the icrc runs the gazetta - a 200-page  tabloid-size book which contains 13 000 names of missing or displaced.  their task is made much harder by the huge number of landmines dotted around the country.  it s very difficult - there are many displaced   stated joaquim sahundi  head of tracing in wambo.   as they try to go back [home]  others are trying to relocate their relatives. many people are getting injured because of that - in the villages  in the bush  there has been no clearance of mines.  when people are crossing these areas  they step on mines.  the icrc also uses the media where it can  running four daily broadcasts of their lists of the missing on radio angola. meanwhile  there remain massive challenges to angolan families even once they are reunited.  the programme of family reunification is extremely important  but for these families to remain reunified  there has to be social integration  job access  education  healthcare   said rafael marques of the pro-democracy george soros foundation for southern africa.  essentially the government is waiting for the international community to pay for the reconstruction - that s why it has been persistently calling for a donor s conference. that is just a way of detaching itself from its political responsibilities.'
politics,'kennedy begins pre-election tour liberal democrat leader charles kennedy has begun a week-long tour to persuade voters they are the  real opposition .  mr kennedy is visiting constituencies in somerset and hampshire on monday - rural seats where his party is hoping to make gains from the conservatives. later he will visit places  such as liverpool  where labour is targeted. labour say a lib dem vote could  let the tories in   while the tories say the lib dems would mean  higher taxes  soft crime laws  more power to europe . mr kennedy s tour comes as he  labour leader tony blair and conservative leader michael howard all step up campaigning ahead of the next general election  widely expected to be held on 5 may. on tuesday mr kennedy will visit leicester south  where lib dem mp parmjit singh gill overturned a big labour majority to win the seat in last year s by-election.  stops in shrewsbury  north dorset  liverpool  manchester  basingstoke and west london are planned for later in the week. the liberal democrats say in the northern cities  the race is between them and labour  while in southern seats - particularly the south west - it is between them and the tories. speaking to the bbc s westminster hour on sunday  mr kennedy said the upcoming general election - widely tipped for 5 may - would be much more unpredictable than any others in  recent experience . asked whether it was realistic to assume the liberal democrats could win the general election  he said:  there s no limit to the ambitions we have as a party.  but we have got to be responsible  we have got to be credible  we have got to demonstrate to people that we are up to that task.   mr kennedy said the british public felt let down by labour on issues from iraq to top-up fees and the conservatives were not  asking the critical questions . and he said people were  highly sceptical  about labour and conservative promises on tax. but he brushed off labour suggestions a vote for his party would mean letting the tories in  by the back door .  if you look at the four previous parliamentary by-elections  the liberal democrats have demonstrated that  not only can we leapfrog the conservatives where we start in a third place position  but we can go on to defeat the government.  that s going to be the story  i think  of this coming general election.'
business,'dollar drops on reserves concerns the us dollar has dropped against major currencies on concerns that central banks may cut the amount of dollars they hold in their foreign reserves.  comments by south korea s central bank at the end of last week have sparked the recent round of dollar declines. south korea  which has about $200bn in foreign reserves  said it plans instead to boost holdings of currencies such as the australian and canadian dollar. analysts reckon that other nations may follow suit and now ditch the dollar. at 1300 gmt  the euro was up 0.9\% on the day at 1.3187 euros per us dollar. the british pound had added 0.5\% to break through the $1.90 level  while the dollar had fallen by 1.3\% against the japanese yen to trade at 104.16 yen.  at the start of the year  the us currency  which had lost 7\% against the euro in the final three months of 2004 and had fallen to record lows  staged something of a recovery.  analysts  however  pointed to the dollar s inability recently to extend that rally despite positive economic and corporate data  and highlighted the fact that many of the us s economic problems had not disappeared. the focus once again has been on the country s massive trade and budget deficits  with predictions of more dollar weakness to come.  the comments from korea came at a time when sentiment towards the dollar was already softening   said ian gunner  a trader at mellon financial. on tuesday  traders in asia said that both south korea and taiwan had withdrawn their bids to buy dollars at the start of the session. mansoor mohi-uddin  chief currency strategist at ubs  said that there was a sentiment in the market that  central banks from asia and the middle east are buying euros . a report last month already showed that the dollar was losing its allure as a currency that offered rock-steady returns and stability. compiled by central banking publications and sponsored by the uk s royal bank of scotland  the survey found 39 nations out of 65 questioned were increasing their euro holdings  with 29 cutting back on the us dollar.'
business,'millions  to lose textile jobs  millions of the world s poorest textile trade workers will lose their jobs under new trade rules to be introduced in the new year  a charity has warned.  the world trade organisation (wto) is to end its multi-fibre agreement (mfa) on midnight of 31 december. christian aid condemned the move  saying it would see almost a million jobs in bangladesh alone being axed. however  supporters of the change claim it will mean increased efficiency and lower costs for western consumers.  it will also see more jobs created in india and china  advocates argue. the wto said that many developing countries support the end of quotas and stressed that funding was available to countries such as bangladesh to help them make the transition to a fully liberalised market.  there will be a period of adjustment required   said wto spokesman keith rockwell.  some countries will do better than others but there is no one who is suggesting that no developing country will do well out of this.  some countries where it may appear that orders will dry up have seen orders surging and there are many companies who will continue with existing trading relationships.   christian aid has called on british firms not to simply  cut and run  but look after their workers  in a new report called rags to riches to rags.  it added that with few employment alternatives available many sacked garment workers could end up in far worse jobs - with some of the mainly female workers forced into the sex trade. the wto itself has warned that as many as 27 million jobs could be lost as a result of liberalisation in the textile industry. some of the world s fastest developing countries which rely on textile exports to build growth - for example in bangladesh textiles account for almost 85\% of the country s exports and the industry employs around 1.5 million people. the mfa pact has helped developing countries get a bigger share of the world market.  the losers in this new trade landscape will be some of the most vulnerable workers in countries such as bangladesh  cambodia  sri lanka and nepal   andrew pendleton  christian aid s head of trade policy  said.  they will be hard-pressed to cope when garment industries there lose their protection.  we are deeply concerned that the new year will spell misery for huge numbers of garment workers.  the wto said there was no consenus among its members to retain the quotas and emphasised that funding was available to countries such as bangladesh to help them adjust to the liberalised market.  it added that the impact of the changes for workers most affected by the shake-up had not been considered  adding such seismic changes to policy should  put the interests of poor people first - rather than simply aiming to liberalise markets at any cost . while the current mfa was not perfect  its did allow third world countries like bangladesh to get onto the first rung of industrial development  christian aid said.  international trade must not be governed by a  race to the bottom  that pitches one set of poor people against another   mr pendleton added.'
entertainment,'willis sues over movie  injury  actor bruce willis is suing revolution studios over an injury he said he suffered while making tears of the sun.  willis is seeking medical expenses after he said he was hit in the head by a firework during the filming of the 2002 movie  produced by the firm. the lawsuit said the star has endured mental and physical injuries as a result of the alleged incident.  we are not able to comment on pending litigation   revolution studios spokesman sean dudas said.  in tears of the sun willis plays a us military commander who disobeys orders to try and help save a doctor and patients trapped in the nigerian jungle. directed by antoine fuqua  the film was poorly received by critics and did not perform strongly at the box office. according to the lawsuit  the injury was suffered during the firing of explosions as part of a special effect. the explosions  known as squibs  were intended to  simulate the appearance of bullets striking the ground . the lawsuit said willis has endured  extreme mental  physical and emotional pain and suffering.  there were no specific details on the injuries. while willis does not seek specific monetary damages  the lawsuit noted that the star  was required to and did employ physicians and other medical personnel . it stated he will incur additional future medical expenses. the lawsuit said revolution studios and special effects foreman joe pancake  had a duty to willis to ensure that the squibs were inspected  set up  placed and detonated in a safe manner  and to employ technicians who were trained and competent in their use .'
sport,'bortolami predicts dour contest italy skipper marco bortolami believes saturday s six nations contest against scotland will be a scrappy encounter.  with both sides looking for their first win of the championship  the third-round game at murrayfield has been billed as a wooden-spoon decider. and bortolami feels the edinburgh contest could end up being a bruising battle of the packs.  it will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first win   said the lock forward. italy have only recorded three wins since they joined the six nations in 2000  but two of those have come against scotland. this year  italy opened up with a stubborn display against ireland but ended up losing 28-17.  however  they were thoroughly outplayed by an impressive welsh side in rome last time out. now the italians travel to edinburgh hoping to claim their first away win in the six nations.  scotland played extremely well against france in paris but not so well when ireland came to edinburgh   said bortolami.  we are still very disappointed with our last game against wales in rome and we are thoroughly determined to right the wrongs.  as a nation  our quest is to be respected as a team worthy of a place in this tournament and we can only do this by winning games.'
entertainment,'stars shine on bafta red carpet hollywood stars brought a touch of glamour to london on saturday for the biggest night in the british film calendar.  cate blanchett  leonardo dicaprio and richard gere were just some of the actors who attended the 2005 bafta film awards. they emerged from limos at leicester square to an uncertain british climate that threatened rain one moment and promised late winter sunshine the next. but the gods were certainly shining on the thousands of film fans who lined the red carpet to meet their idols. screaming built up into a crescendo as more and more big name stars appeared. the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the aviator star leonardo dicaprio  who paused in the chilly february air to sign autographs for the throngs. he said the ear-piercing welcome was  unlike anything i ve ever encountered. it s very intense and very loud.   best actress winner imelda staunton  who wore a green chiffon dress that sparkled with sequins and beads  told the bbc news website that vera drake was the highlight of her career. her role as a backstreet abortionist in the gritty low-budget film has already led to a clutch of awards and an oscar nomination. she said:  never in a million years did i think this was going to happen.  being here and just being nominated is great  but i hope it means more people will go and see the film as well.  rooting for staunton in the best actress category was cate blanchett  herself nominated for her supporting role as hollywood icon katherine hepburn in the aviator.  shivering in a floor-length shimmering armani dress  the australian-born actress stopped to sign autographs and joked:  it s tight but i love it.  glamour was also brought to the evening by actress sienna miller  supermodel claudia schiffer - who was supporting her director husband matthew vaughn - troy actress diane kruger and star of the tv programme the oc  micha barton. wearing a caramel-coloured floaty frock by the designer alexander mcqueen  miller told reporters the red carpet experience was  intense  nerve-wracking and cold . the younger stars of british film were also represented in the shape of emma watson  who plays hermione in the harry potter films. the 14-year-old said she was hoping to meet dicaprio and keanu reeves but joked that  they are probably a little too old for me .  actor christian slater  who is currently starring in one flew over the cuckoo s nest in london s west end  was greeted by cries of  christian  christian  by the ever vocal crowd. keanu reeves  who presented the best actress award  said being on the red carpet was an  exciting  part of his job.  it is always surreal and when it is nice  it is nice   he said. martin scorsese  whose movie the aviator went on to win best film  said being honoured in the uk meant a lot to him. he said:  i am a great admirer of british cinema since the 1930s and 40s  up until now.   they give me a new energy when i see the best coming out of england and every two or three years is a whole new cycle of tough and young film-makers  and even the older ones are making good films.  to recognise me in this way is a great honour.  british actor clive owen  who has won a golden globe and a bafta for his supporting role in closer  said it  meant a lot  to be at the ceremony. he said:  just to be here really  at the baftas. the bottom line is it is a celebration of british films.'
tech,'gates opens biggest gadget fair bill gates has opened the consumer electronics show (ces) in las vegas  saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia content around the home and on the move.  mr gates made no announcement about the next generation xbox games console  which many gadget lovers had been hoping for. about 120 000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet and runs from 6 to 9 january. the latest trends in digital imaging  storage technologies  thinner flat screen and high-definition tvs  wireless and portable technologies  gaming  and broadband technologies will all be on show over the three days.  mr gates said that a lot of work had been done in the last year to sort out usability and compatibility issues between devices to make it easier to share content.   we predicted at the beginning of the decade that the digital approach would be taken for granted - but there was a lot of work to do.  what is fun is to come to the show and see what has been done. it is going even faster than we expected and we are excited about it.  he highlighted technology trends over the last year that had driven the need to make technology and transferring content across difference devices  seamless .  gaming is becoming more of a social thing and all of the social genres will use this rich communications.  and if we look at what has been going on with e-mail  instant messaging  blogging  entertainment - if we can make this seamless  we can create something quite phenomenal.   mr gates said the pc  like microsoft s media centre  had a central role to play in how people would be making the most out of audio  video and images but it would not be the only device.  it is the way all these devices work together which will make the difference   he said. he also cited the success of the microsoft xbox video game halo 2  released in november  which pushed xbox console sales past playstation in the last two months of 2004 for the first time in 2004. the game  which makes use of the xbox live online games service  has sold 6.23 million copies since its release.  people are online and playing together and that really points to the future   he said. several partnerships with device and hardware manufacturers were highlighted during mr gates  speech  but there were few major groundbreaking new technology announcements. although most of these affected largely us consumers  the technologies highlighted the kind of trends to come. these included what mr gates called an  ecosystem of technologies   like sbc s iptv  a high-definition tv and digital video recorder that worked via broadband to give high-quality and fast tv. there were also other deals announced which meant that people could watch and control content over portable devices and mobile phones.  ces features several more key speeches from major technology players  such as intel and hewlett packard  as well as parallel conference sessions on gaming  storage  broadband and the future of digital music. about 50 000 new products will be unleashed at the tech-fest  which is the largest yet. consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004  according to figures released by ces organisers the cea on tuesday. the gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the us in 2004. that trend is predicted to continue with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11\% again in 2005.'
business,'bt offers equal access to rivals bt has moved to pre-empt a possible break-up of its business by offering to cut wholesale broadband prices and open its network to rivals.  the move comes after telecom regulator ofcom said in november that the firm must offer competitors  real equality of access to its phone lines . at the time  ofcom offered bt the choice of change or splitting into two. ofcom is carrying out a strategic review aimed at promoting greater competition in the uk telecom sector. bt s competitors have frequently accused it of misusing its status as the former telecoms monopoly and controller of access to many customers to favour its own retail arm.  this latest submission was delivered to the watchdog ahead of a deadline for the second phase of its review.   central to the proposals are plans by bt to offer operators lower wholesale prices  faster broadband services and transparent  highly-regulated access to bt s local network   the former monopoly said in a statement.  the united kingdom has the opportunity to create the most exciting and innovative telecoms market in the world   bt chief executive ben verwaayen said.  bt has a critical role to play  and today we are making a set of far-reaching proposals towards that framework   he said. bt wants lighter regulation in exchange for the changes  as well as the removal of the break-up threat.  the group is to set up a new access services division - with a separate board which would include independent members - to ensure equal access for rivals to the  local loop   the copper wires that run between telephone exchanges and households. the company also unveiled plans to cut the wholesale prices of its most popular broadband product by about 8\% from april in areas of high customer demand.  it added that it plans to invest £10bn in the next five years to create a  21st century network . to meet the growing demand for greater bandwidth  bt said it would begin trials in april with a view to launching higher-speed services nationally from the autumn.  telecom analysts ovum welcomed the move  saying bt had  given a lot of ground .   the big question now is whether the industry  and particularly ofcom feels bt s proposals go far enough ...now the real negotiation begins   director of telecoms research tony lavender said. internet service provider (isp) plus.net also backed the proposals saying  we will be entirely happy if ofcom accepts them .  bt has been challenged to play fair and its plans will introduce a level playing field. the scenario now is how well people execute their business plans as a service provider   chief executive lee strafford said. chris panayis  managing director of isp freedom2surf said that it would make the situation clearer for business.  i think it s the first productive thing we ve had from bt   he said.  aol backed the price cuts but said regulation was still needed to ensure a level playing field.  this is a reminder to ofcom that as long as bt can change the dynamics of the whole broadband market at will  the process of opening up the uk s local telephone network to infrastructure investment and competition remains fragile   a spokesman said.  ofcom needs to return to regulation of the wholesale broadband service [ipstream] and provide more robust rules for local loop unbundling if consumers are to see the benefits of increased competition and infrastructure investment.  more than 100 telecom firms  consumer groups and other interested parties are expected to make submissions to the regulator during this consultation phase. ofcom is expected to spend the next few weeks examining the proposals before making an announcement within the next few months.'
sport,'cudicini misses carling cup final chelsea goalkeeper carlo cudicini will miss sunday s carling cup final after the club dropped their appeal against his red card against newcastle.  the italian was sent off for bringing down shola ameobi in the final minute of sunday s match. blues boss jose mourinho had promised to pick cudicini for the final instead of first-choice keeper petr cech. the 31-year-old will now serve a one-match suspension commencing with immediate effect.  cudicini kept a club record 24 clean sheets last season for chelsea  but petr cech has established himself as first choice for mourinho since moving to stamford bridge in summer 2004. the 22-year-old czech republic international has set a new premiership record of 961 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal  a mark which is still running. but mourinho has used cudicini regularly in the carling cup  and the italian has only let in one goal in his four appearances during chelsea s run to the final.'
politics,'eu china arms ban  to be lifted  the eu embargo on arms exports to china is likely to be lifted in the next six months despite us objections  uk foreign secretary jack straw has said.  the 15-year-old ban was imposed in the aftermath of china s crackdown on protesters in tiananmen square. mr straw told a commons select committee human rights concerns over china remained. but he said it was wrong to put china under the same embargo as countries such as zimbabwe and burma.  in december  the eu pledged to work towards lifting the ban but said it was not ready to do so yet. the eu s move was welcomed at the time by beijing  which described the embargo as a  product of the cold war . german chancellor gerhard schroeder and french president jacques chirac have repeatedly called for the embargo to be lifted. britain has been more cautious on the issue  but on wednesday mr straw said he also wanted it to end.  i have long understood china s argument  that to lump them in with  say  burma and zimbabwe is not appropriate and i don t think it is   he told the joint committee on strategic export controls. he said  it is more likely than not  that the ban would be lifted before britain takes over the presidency of the eu from luxembourg in july. but he said an eu code of conduct would prevent an increase in the number of arms being exported to the country.  if it is lifted we will end up with as effective arms controls in relation to china as we have now.   mr straw said the us government was suspicious of  the motives of some other countries within the eu  in wanting the ban lifted. but he said many of washington s objections were based on a  lack of information and understanding  of how export control guidelines worked in eu countries. and  intense discussions  were taking place with us officials to convince them it was the right thing to do. washington is thought to fear it would lead to a buying spree for arms that could be used by china to threaten its diplomatic rival taiwan. us officials say they are not satisfied the mechanisms in the eu code of conduct are robust enough to prevent abuses. us undersecretary of state john bolton is meeting british officials this week to press the case for keeping the embargo.'
business,'bush to outline  toughest  budget president bush is to send his toughest budget proposals to date to the us congress  seeking large cuts in domestic spending to lower the deficit.  about 150 federal programs could be cut or axed altogether as part of a $2.5 trillion (£1.3 trillion) package aimed at curbing the giant us budget deficit. defence spending will rise  however  while the proposals exclude the cost of continuing military operations in iraq. vice-president dick cheney said the budget was the  tightest  so far.  at the heart of the administration s fifth budget  presented to congress on monday  is an austere package of domestic measures. these would see discretionary spending rise below the projected level of inflation.  such belt-tightening is designed to tackle the massive budget deficit increases of president bush s first term. mr cheney admitted that the budget was the toughest of the bush presidency but argued it was  fair and responsible .  it is not something we have done with a meat axe  nor are we suddenly turning our back on the most needy people in our society   he said. the wars in iraq and afghanistan  increased expenditure on national security after 9/11 and the 2001 recession wiped out the budget surplus inherited by president bush in 2001 and turned it into a record deficit. the shortfall is projected to rise to $427bn in 2005.  education  environmental protection and transport initiatives are set to be scaled back as a first step towards reducing the deficit to $230bn by 2009.  most controversially  the government is seeking to cut the medicaid budget  which provides health care to the nation s poorest  by $45bn and to reduce farm subsidies by $587m. spending on defence and homeland security is set to increase  although not by as much as originally planned. president bush s proposals would see the pentagon s budget rise by $19bn to $419.3bn while homeland security would get an extra $2bn.  the budget does not include the cost of running military operations in iraq and afghanistan  for which the administration in expected to seek an extra $80bn from congress later this year.  also not featuring in the proposals is the cost of funding the administration s radical proposed overhaul of social security provision. some expects believe this could require borrowing of up to $4.5bn trillion over a twenty year period. despite the republicans holding a majority in both houses of congress  the proposals will be fiercely contested over the next few months.  john mccain  a republican senator  said he was pleased the administration was prepared to tackle the deficit.  with the deficits that we are now running  i am glad the president is coming over with a very austere budget   he said. however  democratic senator kent conrad said the proposals exposed the country to huge financial commitments beyond 2009.  the cost of everything he [president bush] advocates explodes   he said.'
tech,'anti-spam screensaver scrapped a contentious campaign to bump up the bandwidth bills of spammers by flooding their sites with data has been dropped.  lycos europe s make love  not spam campaign began in late november but its tactics proved controversial. lycos has shut down the campaign saying it had been started to stimulate debate about anti-spam measures and had now achieved this aim. the anti-spammer screensaver came under fire for encouraging vigilante activity and skirting the edge of the law.  through the make love  not spam website  users could download a screensaver that would endlessly request data from the net sites mentioned in many junk mail messages. more than 100 000 people are thought to have downloaded the screensaver that lycos europe offered.  the company wanted to keep the spam sites running at near total capacity to make it much less financially attractive to spammers to operate the sites. but the campaign was controversial from the moment it kicked off and many net veterans criticised it for using spamming-type tactics against the senders of junk mail. some net service firms began blocking access to the lycos europe site in protest at the action. monitoring firm netcraft found that the anti-spam campaign was proving a little too successful. according to response-time figures gathered by netcraft  some of the sites that the screensaver targeted were being knocked offline by the constant data requests. in a statement from lycos europe announcing the scrapping of the scheme  the company denied that this was its fault.  there is nothing to suggest that make love  not spam has brought down any of the sites that it has targeted   it said.  at the time that netcraft measured the sites it claims may have been brought down  they were not in fact part of the make love  not spam attack cycle   it added. the statement issued by lycos also said that the centralised database it used ensured that traffic to the target sites left them with 5\% spare capacity.  the idea was simply to slow spammers  sites and this was achieved by the campaign   the company said. many security organisations said users should not participate in the lycos europe campaign. the closure comes only days after the campaign was suspended following the outbreak of criticism.'
tech,'spam e-mails tempt net shoppers computer users across the world continue to ignore security warnings about spam e-mails and are being lured into buying goods  a report suggests.  more than a quarter have bought software through spam e-mails and 24\% have bought clothes or jewellery. as well as profiting from selling goods or services and driving advertising traffic  organised crime rings can use spam to glean personal information. the business software alliance (bsa) warned that people should  stay alert .  many online consumers don t consider the true motives of spammers   said mike newton  a spokesperson for the bsa which commissioned the survey.   by selling software that appears to be legitimate in genuine looking packaging or through sophisticated websites  spammers are hiding spyware without consumers  knowledge.  once the software is installed on pcs and networks  information that is given over the internet can be obtained and abused.   the results also showed that the proportion of people reading - or admitting to reading - and taking advantage of adult entertainment spam e-mails is low  at one in 10. the research  which covered 6 000 people in six countries and their attitudes towards junk e-mails  revealed that brazilians were the most likely to read spam. a third of them read unsolicited junk e-mail and 66\% buy goods or services after receiving spam.  the french were the second most likely to buy something (48\%)  with 44\% of britons taking advantage of products and services. this was despite 38\% of people in all countries being worried about their net security because of the amount of spam they get. more than a third of respondents said they were concerned that spam e-mails contained viruses or programs that attempted to collect personal information.  both industry and the media have helped to raise awareness of the issues that surround illegitimate e-mail  helping to reduce the potential financial damage and nuisance from phishing attacks and spoof websites   said william plante  director of corporate security and fraud protection at security firm symantec.  at the same time  consumers need to continue exercising caution and protect themselves from harm with a mixture of spam filters  spyware detection software and sound judgement.'
tech,'yahoo moves into desktop search internet giant yahoo has launched software to allow people to search e-mail and other files on their pcs.  the firm is following in the footsteps of microsoft  google and ask jeeves  which have offered similar services. search has become a lucrative and hotly-contested area of expansion for net firms  looking to extend loyalty beyond the web. with hard drives providing bigger storage  users could need more help to locate important files  such as photos.  the desktop search technology has been licensed from a us-based firm x1 technologies. it is designed to work alongside microsoft s outlook and outlook express e-mail programs. searching e-mail effectively is becoming increasingly important  especially as the amount of spam increases. according to research from message analysts the radicati group  up to 45\% of businesses  critical information is stored in e-mail and attachments. yahoo s software can also work separately on the desktop  searching for music  photos and other files. users can search under a variety of criteria  including file name  size  date and time. it doesn t yet incorporate web searching  although yahoo has promised that future versions will allow users to search both web-based and desktop data.  we are all getting more and more files on our desktop but the real commercial opportunity lies with linking this through to web content   said julian smith  an analyst with research firm jupiter.  it is all about extending the idea of search and getting a closer relationship with consumers by organising not just how they search on the internet but the files on your computer as well   he said. search engines are often the first port of call for users when they go onto the web. the new foray into desktop search has rung alarm bells for human rights groups  concerned about the implications to privacy. and not everyone is impressed with the functionality of such services. alexander linden  vice president of emerging technologies at analyst firm gartner downloaded the google product but has since removed it.  it was just not very interesting   he said. he believes the rush to enter the desktop business is just a way of keeping up with rivals.  desktop search is just one of many features people would like but i m suspicious of its usefulness   he said. more useful would be tools that can combine internet  intranet and desktop search alongside improvements to key word searching  he said.'
business,'bank set to leave rates on hold uk interest rates are set to remain on hold at 4.75\% following the latest meeting of the bank of england.  the bank s rate-setting committee has put up rates five times in the past year but rates have been on hold since september amid signs of a slowdown. economic growth slowed in the previous quarter  as manufacturing output fell  while consumer confidence has slipped. there is also growing evidence that the previously booming uk housing market is now cooling.  house prices fell 0.4\% in october  according to the nationwide  their biggest monthly fall since february 2001. last month  bank of england governor mervyn king said that the economy had hit a  softer patch  after rapid economic growth in the first half of 2004. richard jeffrey  chief economist at bridgewell securities  said it was very unlikely that the bank of england would put rates up again this time around.  there have been sufficient signs in the economy of a slowdown to stay the bank of england s hand   he told bbc radio 4 s today programme. however  mr jeffrey said he believed the slowdown in economic activity was temporary and it was dangerous to assume that rates had peaked.  i still think interest rates are going up   he said.  we are not out of the woods.'
tech,'new browser wins over net surfers the proportion of surfers using microsoft s internet explorer (ie) has dropped to below 90\%  say web analysts.  net traffic monitor  onestat.com  has reported that the open-source browser firefox 1.0  released on 9 november  seems to be drawing users away from ie. while ie s market share has dropped 5\% since may to 88.9\%  mozilla browsers - including firefox - have grown by 5\%. firefox is made by the mozilla foundation which was set up by former browser maker netscape in 1998. although there have been other preview versions of firefox  version 1.0 was the first complete official program.  it seems that people are switching from microsoft s internet explorer to mozilla s new firefox browser   said niels brinkman  co-founder of amsterdam-based onestat.com.  mozilla browsers - including firefox 1.0 - now have 7.4\% of the market share  the figures suggest. mozilla said that more than five million have downloaded the free software since its official release. supporters of the open-source software in the us managed to raise $250 000 (£133 000) to advertise the release of firefox 1.0 in the new york times  and support the mozilla foundation. there was a flurry of downloads on its first day of release.  the figures echo similar research from net analyst websidestory which suggested that ie had 92.9\% of users in october compared to 95.5\% in june. microsoft ie has dominated the browser market for some time after taking the crown from netscape  and its share of users has always stayed at around the 95\% mark. firefox is attractive to many because it is open-source. that means people are free to adapt the software s core code to create other innovative features  like add-ons or extensions to the program. fewer security holes have also been discovered so far in firefox than in ie. paul randle  microsoft windows client product manager  responded to the figures:  we certainly respect that some customers will choose alternative browsers and that choosing a browser is about more than a handful of features.  microsoft continues to make significant investments in ie  including service pack 2 with advanced security technologies  and continues to encourage a vibrant ecosystem of third party add-ons for internet explorer.  firefox wants to capture 10\% of the market by the end of 2005. other browser software  like opera and apple s safari  are also challenging microsoft s grip on the browser market. opera is set to release its version 7.60 by the end of the year. onestat.com compiled the statistical measurements from two million net users in 100 countries.'
sport,'juninho demand for o neill talks juninho s agent has confirmed that the player is hoping for talks with martin o neill as the brazilian midfielder comes closer to departing celtic.  brian hassell says no official approach has been received from manchester city but that the english club had been earmarked as a possible destination. but it was being stressed to bbc sport that juninho would prefer to remain with the scottish champions. juninho wants assurances that he will return to o neill s first-team plans. he has become frustrated with his lack of first-team action since his move from middlesbrough in the summer. hassel says juninho  who has just bought a new home  would  desperately like to stay at celtic  but will seek a move if it is made clear that he is not wanted.  the agent also stressed that nothing should be read into the 30-year-old s father being in scotland and talk of a move back to botafogo in brazil. juninho s father was simply in the country to see his son and grandchildren.  i know there is interest from a brazilian club  but i know juninho doesn t want to go there   said hassel.  he wants to stay in britain. in fact  he wants to stay at celtic.  hassall made it clear that a move to manchester city  who are badly in need of a midfield play-maker  was more of a possibility than botafogo  or mexican outfit red sharks veracruz  who also expressed an interest.  it was a thought at one stage   he said.  if you are not going to get a game under one manager  you look for another whose style of play suits you.  he is a fan of kevin keegan s style of play. it would not be a bad move for him.  juninho had earlier told the daily record:  the manager has had a lot of chances to put me in his team but it hasn t happened.  if that is the case then this is the opportunity for me to go. that would be good for the club and good for me.  if i have no part in his plans  there is no point in remaining here waiting for a chance that never comes.  the attacking midfielder also claims he has not had the backing of boss martin o neill since his move to celtic park.  i can t understand why i am in this situation   he continued.  when a manager brings a new player to the club  he gives that player support.'
politics,'butler launches attack on blair former civil service chief lord butler has criticised the way tony blair s government operates  accusing it of being obsessed with headlines.  he also attacked the way the iraq war was  sold  to the public  with important warnings on the strength of the intelligence left out. tory leader michael howard said lord butler had given the  most damaging testimony  he could remember. but downing street said mr blair should be judged by results not his style.  lord butler said mr blair bypassed the cabinet and relied instead on small  informal groups of advisers to help him make decisions. the prime minister s official spokesman said the cabinet was still used to achieve a consensus on important issues. but he added:  you cannot  in a modern government  take every decision in cabinet. it s just not possible.   lord butler said the government had too much freedom to  bring in bad bills  and  to do whatever it likes  and it relied too much on the advice of political appointees. the former cabinet secretary said in an interview with the spectator magazine:  i would be critical of the present government in that there is too much emphasis on selling  there is too much central control and there is too little of what i would describe as reasoned deliberation which brings in all the arguments.  mr howard described lord butler s intervention as  very important .  this is from someone who was an insider at the very heart of the blair government.  it is certainly the most damaging testimony i can ever remember from someone in such an eminent position.   lord butler s report earlier this year into iraq intelligence said the government s september 2002 weapons dossier did not make clear intelligence about claims that saddam hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons was  very thin . the reason for this is that it would have weakened ministers  case for war  lord butler said in his spectator interview  which was conducted by the magazine s editor  conservative mp boris johnson. he said:  when civil servants give material to ministers  they say these are the conclusions we ve drawn  but we ve got to tell you the evidence we ve got is pretty thin.  similarly  if you are giving something to the united nations and the country you should warn them.   asked why he thought the warnings were not there lord butler said:  one has got to remember what the purpose of the dossier was. the purpose of the dossier was to persuade the british why the government thought iraq was a very serious threat.   when asked whether he thought the country was well-governed on the whole  he replied:  well. i think we are a country where we suffer very badly from parliament not having sufficient control over the executive  and that is a very grave flaw.  we should be breaking away from the party whip. the executive is much too free to bring in a huge number of extremely bad bills  a huge amount of regulation and to do whatever it likes - and whatever it likes is what will get the best headlines tomorrow.  all that is part of what is bad government in this country.  lord butler s assessment was backed by his predecessor as cabinet secretary  lord armstrong. lord armstrong told bbc two s newsnight:  i agree ... there doesn t appear to be the sort of informed collective political judgement brought to bear on decision-making that those affected by decisions are entitled to expect.  liberal democrat deputy leader menzies campbell said he thought lord butler s comments were  well justified  and mr blair s style of leadership was  corrosive of the whole system of government . but labour former minister jack cunningham accused lord butler of basing his comments on the first eight months of the incoming labour administration  when he was cabinet secretary. mr cunningham told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  taken together  robin butler s comments are partial  inaccurate and cannot be taken as anything other than politically biased against the labour government.'
entertainment,'dvd review: i  robot only one man recognises that robots are a threat to humanity - but that s fine because it only takes one man to save the day in the thriller i  robot.  will smith co-stars alongside more cgi robots than you can count and as a thrill-a-minute kind of action film  it s perfectly adequate. you ll have forgotten it all tomorrow but you ll have a fun night with the film and all the extras. there is a one-disc version that has commentaries and a making of but the two-disc adds more. unusually for this kind of film  the extras don t solely concentrate on the special effects. they re covered but there s also a general production diary and a post-production feature.  remember the national lottery s draw machines arthur and guinevere  they were more accurate than this glossy hollywood version of the tale.  but as long as you re not expecting a documentary  live with it: king arthur is a fun  exciting  totally shallow experience and looks excellent. clive owen is the brooding king  keira knightly rises above her costume and ray winstone gives it all some grit. it s at its best in its battle scenes which are well done and are also the best part of the making of extra.  less flashy than a david attenborough show and less detailed than a simon schama one  the bbc series british isles nevertheless turned out to be quite engrossing. admit it  the fact that this is one of the shows alan titchmarsh left ground force to present did mean that you expected something equally frothy. but titchmarsh turns out to know his subject and the sight of our present-day landscape being peeled back to reveal the past was fascinating. he s now written an accompanying book  too.'
sport,'lions blow to world cup winners british and irish lions coach clive woodward says he is unlikely to select any players not involved in next year s rbs six nations championship.  world cup winners lawrence dallaglio  neil back and martin johnson had all been thought to be in the frame for next summer s tour to new zealand.  i don t think you can ever say never   said woodward.  but i would have to have a compulsive reason to pick any player who is not available to international rugby.  dallaglio  back and johnson have all retired from international rugby over the last 12 months but continue to star for their club sides. but woodward added:  the key thing that i want to stress is that i intend to use the six nations and the players who are available to international rugby as the key benchmark.  my job  along with all the other senior representatives  is to make sure that we pick the strongest possible team.  if you are not playing international rugby then it s still a step up to test rugby. it s definitely a disadvantage.   i think it s absolutely critical and with the history of the lions we have got to take players playing for the four countries.  woodward also revealed that the race for the captaincy was still wide open.  it is an open book   he said.  there are some outstanding candidates from all four countries.  and following the all blacks  impressive displays in europe in recent weeks  including a 45-6 humiliation of france  woodward believes the three-test series in new zealand will provide the ultimate rugby challenge.  their performance in particular against france was simply awesome   said the lions coach.  certain things have been suggested about the potency of their front five  but they re a very powerful unit.  with his customary thoroughness  woodward revealed he had taken soundings from australia coach eddie jones and jake white of south africa following their tour matches in britain and ireland.  as a result  woodward stressed his lions group might not be dominated by players from england and ireland and held out hope for the struggling scots.  scotland s recent results have not been that impressive but there have been some excellent individual performances.  eddie in particular told me how tough they had made it for australia and i will take on board their opinions.  and scotland forward simon taylor looks certain to get the call  provided he recovers from knee and tendon problems.  i took lessons from 2001 in that they did make a mistake in taking lawrence dallaglio when he wasn t fit and went on the trip.  every player has to be looked at on their own merits and simon taylor is an outstanding player and i have no doubts that if he gets back to full fitness he will be on the trip.  i am told he should be back playing by march and he has plenty of time to prove his fitness for the lions - and there are other players like richard hill in the same boat.'
sport,'giggs handed wales leading role ryan giggs will captain wales as he wins his 50th cap in wednesday s friendly against hungary in cardiff.  john toshack  in his first game as coach after succeeding mark hughes  admits he is surprised that giggs has only just reached the landmark.  with the games he s played for united  proportionately it doesn t seem that many for wales   toshack said.  but he s one of the greatest of all welsh internationals and on his 50th cap it s appropriate he s captain.  giggs admits he had briefly considered retirement from the international game  but is now targetting playing for wales in the 2008 european championships. the manchester united wing revealed how club manager sir alex ferguson talked him into extending his wales career.  i briefly discussed my international future with sir alex  but he urged me to carry on   giggs said.  he feels  like myself  that i have no weight problems and keep myself fit  so in three or four years  time i will be able to play in the european finals if we get there.  the manager has always wanted me to play for my club and country and he was keen for me to continue because i am fit enough.   giggs admits he was wavering and considering joining the likes of former wales skipper gary speed and united team-mate paul scholes in committing the remaining years of his career to club football. but giggs is now focussed on making the toshack era even more successful than the time hughes spent at the helm. the manchester united winger won his first cap as a 17-year-old in 1991  an away loss to germany  and now faces his landmark appearance at the age of 31. with giggs leading wales out against hungary  there is every chance that he will become the permanent successor to speed. however  toshack refused to reveal whether he sees giggs as a long-term option.  for this particular game i think it is appropriate that ryan giggs will be captain  it s his 50th cap and he s known for some time about that   toshack said. on wednesday night toshack takes charge of his first match since replacing hughes  and giggs said:  it s my 50th cap and i am looking forward to it  and i hope to play a lot more times from here on in.  it s important to be here  all the players feel the same. it s a new start and all the top players certainly see it as important.  i see myself leading by example  it is something i have taken on for wales as well as united these past few seasons.  the way john is looking at things  he is aiming to build his side around the experienced lads right up to the next tournament  the euro 2006 event.  i have told john i will be around for the next european tournament  by then i will be 35 so hopefully i will still be okay.  a lot can happen  but i m hoping to be around.  giggs  own personal future at old trafford is still up in the air as he has yet to reach agreement on a new contract  with manchester united offering one extra year and giggs seeking two.  i have put the contract thing to the back of my mind at the moment   said giggs.  it is an important period for the club and i am just concentrated on that.  i ve heard the suggestions  hopefully there is a two-year deal about to be offered because that is what i am looking for  to get it sorted out.  i m enjoying my football  the way united have been playing and my own form  you have to enjoy it.  we have massive games coming up: manchester city this week  then the everton cup tie  followed by ac milan in the champions league  and my first wales game under john toshack  so it s an important time.'
sport,'legendary dutch boss michels dies legendary dutch coach rinus michels  the man credited with developing  total football   has died aged 77.  referred to in the netherlands as  the general   michels led the dutch at the 1974 world cup - when they reached the final only to lose 2-1 to germany. however  he guided his side to the 1988 european championship title with a 2-0 win over the soviet union in the final. michels played for ajax and coached the side to four national titles between 1965-71 and a european cup in 1971. his 1970s dutch team was built around johan cruyff and johan neeskens and introduced the concept of  total football  to the world. the strategy was to foster team coherence and individual imagination - with all players possessing the skills to play in any part of the pitch. cruyff was the on-field organiser of a team whose players rotated in and out of defence at will and was encouraged to play creative attacking football. michels had recently undergone heart surgery and dutch football federation (knvb) spokesman frank huizinga said:  he was one of the best coaches we had in history.  the no-nonsense coach also enjoyed spells at barcelona  who he took to a spanish title in 1974  fc cologne and bayer leverkusen. michels  named coach of the century by world football s governing body fifa in 1999  also won five caps for the netherlands as a bruising centre forward. dutch sports minister clemence ross-van dorp said:  he was the man who  together with cruyff  made dutch football big.'
tech,'apple attacked over sources row civil liberties group the electronic frontier foundation (eff) has joined a legal fight between three us online journalists and apple.  apple wants the reporters to reveal 20 sources used for stories which leaked information about forthcoming products  including the mac mini. the eff  representing the reporters  has asked california s superior court to stop apple pursuing the sources. it argues that the journalists are protected by the american constitution. the eff says the case threatens the basic freedoms of the press.  apple is particularly keen to find the source for information about an unreleased product code-named asteroid and has asked the journalists  e-mail providers to hand over communications relevant to that.  rather than confronting the issue of reporter s privilege head-on  apple is going to the journalist s isps for his e-mails   said eff lawyer kurt opsahl.  this undermines a fundamental first amendment right that protects all reporters.  if the court lets apple get away with this  and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters  potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news  analysis and commentary   he said. the case began in december 2004 when apple asked a local californian court to get the journalists to reveal their sources for articles published on websites appleinsider.com and powerpage.org.  apple also sent requested information from the nfox.com  the internet service provider of powerpage s publisher jason o-grady. as well as looking at how far corporations can go in preventing information from being published  the case will also examine whether online journalists have the same privileges and protections as those writing for newspapers and magazines. the eff has gained some powerful allies in its legal battle with apple  including professor tom goldstein  former dean of the journalism school at the university of california and dan gillmor  a well-known silicon valley journalist. apple was not immediately available for comment.'
sport,'hearts 2-1 livingston hearts wrapped up their scottish cup quarter-final tie against livingston with two goals in the first 10 minutes.  lee miller scored inside the opening 60 seconds  heading over colin meldrum and into the net from a jamie mcallister free kick. mcallister himself scored the second when he met saul mikoliunas  cross at the back post to put the game beyond the visitors. craig easton headed in a controversial goal after an hour but hearts held on. the opening goal came after gus bahoken had clumsily fouled miller 35 yards from goal. mcallister floated the free kick into the livi box and miller outjumped the static visiting defence to loop his header from 10 yards over meldrum. with just 10 minutes on the clock  the home side doubled their lead. mikoliunas sprinted down the right  crossed to the back post where mcallister raced in to head past meldrum. moments later miller came close to grabbing his second with a first-time drive from 16 yards  which skimmed the bar.  then mcallister picked up a pass from stephen simmons and drove an angled shot from 20 yards narrowly past meldrum s far post. the impressive mikoliunas twice went close before half time - a low drive was comfortably gathered by meldrum and then he curled a left-footed shot past the keeper s right-hand post. livi manager richard gough made three changes at the interval  bringing on defender goran stanic  midfielder gabor vincze  and striker ferenc horvath for bahoken  derek lilley and mark wilson. but  in the opening stages of the second period  little changed. however  the west lothian side gave themselves a lifeline with a controversial goal. eric deloumeaux sent jason dair away on the right and he tried to give the ball to mcpake  who looked to be in an offside position. the livi striker ignored the pass  however  and dair ran on to it and played easton in at the back post and he headed home from close range. the home side called for offside against mcpake but referee alan freeland ignored their claims and pointed to the centre-circle. livi went all out for the equaliser. in the 87th minute  burton o brien was hauled back at the edge of the box by neil macfarlane  but dair sent his shot just inches wide.  gordon  webster  miller  hartley  neilson  mcallister  simmons (macfarlane 64)  berra  burchill (wyness 82)  mikoliunas (cesnauskis 77)  wallace.  moilanen  kizys.  berra  webster.  miller 1  mcallister 10.  meldrum  mcnamee  bahoken (stanic 45)  deloumeaux  strong  dair  easton  mark wilson (vincze 45)  lilley (horvath 45)  o brien  mcpake.  mckenzie  hand.  : vincze  horvath.  easton 60.  9 796  a freeland'
entertainment,'streets have  album of the year  the streets  aka british rapper and songwriter  mike skinner have topped a poll to find the year s best album.  a grand don t come for free beat keane s hope and fears in second place with franz ferdinand s self-titled album third  in the q magazine poll. skinner uses blunt beats under streetwise lyrics about such things as falling in love and drink and drugs. q magazine said:  a grand don t come for free captured the country s mood in a way no one could have predicted.  a grand don t come for free is the second album from the streets. it followed original pirate material. q magazine also had praise for the runners-up in the poll. keane s hopes and fears  was described as a  revelatory debut  which showed  they had songwriting flair to spare . it also said franz ferdinand s album sounded  natural  unforced (and) under-produced . rock band u2 s latest album how to dismantle an atomic bomb came fourth while razorlight s up all night was in fifth place. others notables on the list included dizzee rascal in at number 12 and the zutons at 20. estelle came in at 39  joss stone was 40th and jamelia took the 44th place.'
sport,'worcester v sale (fri) sixways  friday  25 february  2000 gmt  they make just one change  with tim collier replacing phil murphy in the second row. in contrast  sale are missing 14 players due to a combination of international call-ups and injuries. john payne and chris rhys jones come into the centres while scrum-half richard wigglesworth looks set to play on the wing.  delport; pieters  rasmussen  lombard  o leary; brown  powell; windo  van niekerk  horsman; collier  gillies; hickey  sanderson  macleod- henderson.  replacements: fortey  murphy  daly  vaili  cole  hayes  trueman.  hanley; mayor  payne  rhys jones  wigglesworth; hercus  redpath (capt); turner  roddam  stewart; day  schofield; caillet  carter  chabal.  replacements (from): bozzi  coutts  anglesea  lund  martens  riley  duffy  c jones.'
sport,'arsenal through on penalties arsenal win 4-2 on penalties  the spanish goalkeeper saved from alan quinn and jon harley as arsenal sealed a quarter-final trip to bolton with a 4-2 victory on penalties. lauren  patrick vieira  freddie ljungberg and ashley cole scored for arsenal  while andy gray and phil jagielka were on target for the blades. michael tonge and harley wasted chances for the underdogs  but paddy kenny was inspired to keep arsenal at bay. arsenal  stripped of attacking talent such as thierry henry and dennis bergkamp  partnered 17-year-old italian striker arturo lupoli with ljungberg up front. it was a revamped arsenal line-up  and they were almost a goal behind within seconds as tonge wasted a glorious chance. gray ran free down the right flank  and his cross left tonge with the simplest of chances  but he blazed over the top from six yards.  arsenal were barely seen as an attacking force in the opening 45 minutes  although ljungberg turned a half-chance wide after good work by cesc fabregas. arsene wenger introduced quincy owusu-abeyie for the ineffective lupoli at half-time  and the pacy dutch youngster had an immediate impact. he ran clear after good work by mathieu flamini  but his finish was tame and kenny saved easily. owusu-abeyie then fired in a testing cross  which was met by fabregas  and it needed a desperate clearance by kenny s legs to save the blades. arsenal were now totally dominant  and were desperately unlucky not to take the lead after 62 minutes when fabregas crashed a rising drive against the bar from 20 yards. it then took a brilliant tackle by jagielka to deny ljungberg as he was poised to strike. arsenal continued to press  and once again kenny was called into action with eight minutes left  diving low to clutch another close-range effort from fabregas. neil warnock s side almost snatched victory in the dying seconds when derek geary s cross found harley at the far post  but his diving header was brilliantly turned over by almunia. owusu-abeyie s pace was causing all sorts of problems for the blades  and as extra-time began  another surging run into the penalty area almost set up a chance for ljungberg. pascal cygan missed arsenal s best chance after 106 minutes  blazing across the face of goal when he was unmarked at the far post. arsenal sent on jeremie aliadiere with seven minutes of extra-time left  and he almost broke the deadlock with his first touch. kolo toure s misplaced free-kick landed at his feet  but kenny once again blocked from a tight angle. arsenal laid siege to sheffield united s goal in the dying minutes  but they somehow held on to force penalties. almunia was then arsenal s hero as another brave blades cup campaign came to a losing end.  kenny  geary  morgan  bromby  harley  liddell  montgomery  jagielka  thirlwell  tonge (quinn 97)  gray.  subs not used: francis  kabba  shaw  haystead.  morgan.  almunia  lauren  cygan  senderos  cole  fabregas (toure 90)  vieira  flamini (aliadiere 113)  clichy  lupoli (owusu-abeyie 45)  ljungberg.  subs not used: eboue  taylor.  clichy  lauren  senderos.  27 595  p dowd (staffordshire).'
sport,'o leary agrees new villa contract aston villa boss david o leary signed a three-and-a-half year contract extension on thursday  securing his future at the club until summer 2008.  o leary s future was in question  but villa chairman doug ellis said he was happy to secure the deal.  david s record since his arrival in 2003 is excellent and he shares the board s amibitions in taking this club forward   he told villa s website.  for this reason it was important we got this right.  o leary put pen to paper after deals were sorted for his right-hand men roy aitken and steve mcgregor.  it was important to me roy and steve  an integral part of my team  should stay for the same time   o leary said on thursday ahead of signing his new deal.  someone has to try and put aston villa back where they should belong and i m up for the challenge. earlier in december  there were rumours o leary would quit if he is not offered a new deal before the end of the season.  but he denied that  saying he was happy to take on the challenge of improving villa s fortunes in the long term.  i want to make sure by the end of the five years i would have been in charge that villa are achieving top six finishes in the premiership on a regular basis   said o leary  who took over at villa park in may 2003.  but to achieve that  and take the next step forward  we do need to bring in quality players.  i would like a couple next month if at all possible to set us on the way.  meanwhile  o leary has rapped skipper olof mellberg for his comments before sunday s derby with birmingham.  mellberg spoke of his dislike of villa s rivals ahead of the match  which steve bruce s side won 2-1.  i ve had more than a quiet word with olof. it s been said within the whole group  not as a one-to-one   he told villa s website.  you shouldn t leave yourself open to be shot down. you shouldn t give people the chance to take cheap shots at you and he set himself up for that.'
entertainment,'little britain two top comic list little britain stars matt lucas and david walliams have been named the most powerful people in tv comedy  in a poll by listings magazine radio times.  the duo kept phoenix nights creator peter kay at number two and the office star ricky gervais in third place. a radio times panel compiled the list  taking the comedians  critical acclaim and financial success into account. newcomers to the annual list included nighty night star julia davis at seven and black books  tamsin greig at 19.  lucas and walliams won numerous awards for little britain in 2004  including national television  royal television society and british comedy awards. more than 1.8 million people watched the first episode of the latest series of little britain on bbc three in october  giving the digital channel its highest rating ever.  they topped the radio times list after rising from 10th position last year. other big risers over the past year included presenting duo ant and dec at five  up from 13 in 2004  stephen fry rising nine places to 15 and bbc three controller stuart murphy  who moves to number 18 from 32 last year. last year s winner  chat show host graham norton  fell to number 16 following relatively few television appearances in 2004. production companies also featured in the top 50  including steve coogan s baby cow  which created nighty night among others  hat trick - behind the kumars at number 42 - and the vicar of dibley production company tiger aspect.'
politics,'conservative mp defects to labour a conservative mp and former minister has defected to labour.  robert jackson  58  mp for wantage in oxfordshire  said he was disillusioned with the party s leadership and its  dangerous  views on europe. prime minister tony blair declared himself  delighted   saying mr jackson would be warmly welcomed by labour mps. mr jackson  who has clashed with his leaders over tuition fees and europe in the past  served as higher education minister between 1987 and 1990. in a letter to his constituency chairman he wrote:  it is in the country s best interest that tony blair rather than michael howard should form the next government.  while saying he admired mr blair s  courageous  leadership of the country  he bitterly criticised the conservatives stance on europe.  the conservative party s hostility to europe has now hardened to the point at which it advocates the unilateral denunciation of britain s treaty obligations   he wrote.  mr blair said mr jackson was a  decent  fair-minded and dedicated public servant... who will be warmly welcome by labour mps and members .  as he rightly says  [the conservatives] have learned nothing from their two election defeats and are  if anything  drifting further rightwards   he added. a spokesman for michael howard said mr jackson s views on policy issues were  very different  from those of the party leadership.  he believes students should pay tuition fees  that tony blair should not be criticised over his handling of the iraq war and that more powers should be given to europe   the spokesman said. he added that it was not surprising mr jackson had chosen to leave the conservatives. mr jackson is due to stand down at the next election. he is the third conservative mp to defect to labour since 1997.'
sport,'souness backs smith for scotland graeme souness believes walter smith would be the perfect choice to succeed berti vogts as scotland manager.  souness s former assistant at rangers is hot favourite to take over from vogts  who resigned on monday.  walter is most definitely the ideal candidate for that job. he d be perfect for it   souness told bbc sport. the scottish football association has appointed tommy burns as provisional caretaker-boss for the friendly against sweden on 17 november.  he fits the bill because of his knowledge and understanding of the scotland team and football. he is experienced and has been successful.  souness added:  walter is a real football person  as i know from working with him at ibrox.  on top of all that he is a proper human being who would command the instant respect of the players and everyone involved in scottish football.  souness joined sir alex ferguson in backing smith s claims. the scottish football association is about to embark on the search for vogts successor after appointing tommy burns in a caretaker capacity. ferguson said:  he (smith) would be the outstanding candidate as far as i m concerned.  you need somebody who knows what they re doing and walter would bring a wealth of experience to the job.  the man utd boss continued:  i don t know what credentials are needed to do the job but it s a job that needs a lot of experience.  he was my assistant with scotland and here at manchester united and he has also managed glasgow rangers.  he would need to change the whole shape of scottish football and radical changes are needed.  smith was assistant to ferguson at the world cup in mexico in 1986. the former everton and rangers boss has been out of the game since a spell as manchester united assistant last term. bbc sport understands that smith would be willing to discuss taking over if he was approached by the scottish fa.  if he is tempted to take over  it seems almost certain smith s long-time right-hand man archie knox would also play a part in the national team set-up. smith already has the backing of many pundits and fans  including former scotland manager craig brown. brown said:  walter is an outstanding candidate without doubt.  he would be admirable choice. i spoke to him on sunday and i got the impression he would take it. he was asking me about it and i was positive.  other candidates for the job include former scotland midfielders gordon strachan and gary mcallister and vogts  assistant tommy burns.'
politics,'blair sets date for africa report the commission for africa s report will be released on 11 march - comic relief day  tony blair has said.  july s g8 summit in gleneagles in perthshire - chaired by the prime minister - will use the report as the basis for talks on africa. the announcement followed the final meeting of the commission - which includes singer bob geldof - in london. as well as more aid  fairer trade and less debt  the commission is likely to demand action on corruption in africa. mr blair told a news conference:  it will be a report that s brutally frank about the reality  but i hope idealistic about what can be done if the will is there.  it s an ambitious project we have set ourselves and you will have to judge on its outcome when we publish it.   mr blair has vowed to put africa at the top of his agenda during his time at the helm of the g8. he acknowledged he would have a  a job of persuading to do  on other nations to get the necessary commitment to debt relief. bob geldof  in characteristically blunt style  promised that the commission would not just be a talking shop but would deliver radical new thinking to change direction for africa. the former rock star s presence on the commission has been interpreted as a sign that it will be uncompromising in its demands. the people involved include two african government leaders and a range of other african politicians  as well as experts from some other developed countries.'
sport,'desailly backs blues revenge trip marcel desailly insists there is no chance of history repeating itself when chelsea take on barcelona on wednesday.  the french star was part of the chelsea side crushed 5-1 at the nou camp in the champions league quarter-final second leg in 2000.  things will be totally different this time   he told bbc sport.  now everyone knows about chelsea and is a little bit afraid of them. they are one of the major clubs in europe and the pressure will be on barcelona.  chelsea have not played barcelona since that quarter-final tie five years ago. the blues had looked destined to progress after winning the first leg at stamford bridge 3-1  courtesy of two goals from tore andre flo and one by gianfranco zola. but they collapsed in the second leg  going down to strikes from rivaldo (2)  luis figo  dani and patrick kluivert.  former chelsea captain desailly  who is now playing for al-gharafa in qatar  says there is no comparison between that side and the current blues team  who are top of the premiership.  mentally they are much stronger  even though a lot of their players are young   the 36-year-old said.  we made some mistakes at the nou camp in 2000 - a lot of them were individual mistakes.  it would not happen now. this team has a new motivation and a different mentality.  world cup winner desailly saw huge changes during his time at stamford bridge. he was signed for £4.6m from ac milan in 1998 by ruud gullit and went on to play under gianluca vialli and claudio ranieri. but the biggest change occurred when billionaire roman abramovich bought the club in 2003. desailly says the russian s arrival helped to instil a winning mentality at the club as well as a demand for success.  the whole of chelsea is different now - the chairman  the manager and all the players   he said.   everything is new and there is a huge determination to win.  since that game in 2000  chelsea have gained more experience in europe and were very close to reaching the champions league final last season.  desailly is one of the most decorated players in the history of football. he won the 1998 world cup and 2000 european championship with france  the champions league in 1993 with marseilles and 1994 with ac milan  two serie a titles and the fa cup in 2000 with chelsea. he is now winding down his career in qatar  alongside the likes of frank lebeouf  josep guardiola  titi camara  gabriel batistuta and christophe dugarry. so he is full of admiration for two of his colleagues from the great milan side of the mid-90s who are likely to line up against manchester united on wednesday - paolo maldini and alessandro costacurta.  i m happy that they have managed to play so long at a high level   he said.  i made a vow to costacurta that as long as he plays  i will continue to play.  and it s amazing that paolo has managed to play at such a high level for such a long time.'
entertainment,'bollywood draws global stars british actress antonia bernath is making her debut in kisna - the warrior poet  marking a growing trend for non-indian stars to appear in bollywood films.  directed by bollywood veteran subhash ghai  the film is set in the british raj and bernath plays an army general s daughter who falls in love with a rural boy  kisna.  i liked the fluid nature of film-making. we improvised quite a lot   says bernath.  at times it felt very chaotic but mr ghai was quite clear about what he wanted.  picked from more than 200 girls in an audition in london  bernath cut short her education at bristol s old vic theatre school to take up the opportunity. it is not often that somebody gets to play the lead role straight out of a drama school. she spent three weeks learning hindi and taking dance lessons.  initially  i was a bit sceptical about how people would respond to me   bernath says.  but i found the hindi film industry very warm and encouraging. i even had a few offers before the work on kisna was completed.   films are one of india s biggest exports and those like lagaan and monsoon wedding have broken the traditional boundaries of colour and culture. spurred by this  bollywood producers are trying to go global in all aspects of film-making  be it technical or artistic.  from young heart-throbs like nick moran of lock  stock and two smoking barrels to model sophie dahl  many non-indian stars want to make the most of this opportunity.  bollywood has truly gone global   says taran adarsh  editor of indian film journal trade guide.  directors are now attempting to woo non-asian audience to increase their share in the overseas film market.  kisna has been shot simultaneously in hindi and english  with the english print shortened by an hour to accommodate the western audience. the film even has a song composed in english by ar rahman  the director of the popular west end musical  bombay dreams.  identification is a popular cinematic device. use of european or american actors can be viewed as a step in that direction   says adarsh.  the cast of kisna also includes british actors michael maloney  caroline langrishe and polly adams.  another actress  annabelle wallace  plays the lead role in a bilingual romantic comedy dil jo bhi kahey (whatever the heart says)  which also stars indian screen legend amitabh bachchan. actor and producer aamir khan s forthcoming venture the rising is set against the backdrop of the indian mutiny of 1857  with british actor toby stephens in a key role. but it isn t only the western actors looking eastwards. bollywood sweetheart aishwarya rai  recently seen in bride and prejudice alongside new zealand actor martin henderson  is building her international career. and  many other bollywood stars have their eyes set on hollywood.  hollywood or bollywood  it s the box office that determines whether something is a passing phase or a trend   says adarsh.  kisna - the warrior poet opens in the uk on 21 january.'
entertainment,'the sound of music is coming home the original stage production of the sound of music is to be performed for the first time in the austrian capital  40 years after the film was released.  the first full-scale theatrical production of the musical will make its debut in vienna on saturday. julie andrews starred in the 1965 film version of the rogers and hammerstein classic set in the alpine country. but despite being one of the most successful musicals of all time  it is barely known inside austria.  the film was never shown in any cinema in austria and was not broadcast on television until the early 1990s. the musical is based on the true story of the von trapp family who formed a singing troupe and escaped from nazi-occupied austria in 1938.  sensitivities about nazism during wartime austria and issues towards the von trapp family themselves could explain austria s reluctance to embrace the musical. another source of irritation for austrians is the song edelweiss  which is considered an traditional folk song by many filmgoers. the song was actually an invention by rodgers and hammerstein. many also consider the film to portray a kitsch image of austria  including yodelling  goat-herds and lederhosen. the production is being staged at a viennese opera house  the volksoper  beginning on saturday. maria  the novice nun who falls in love with baron von trapp  will be played by austro-australian actress and singer sandra pires.'
politics,'blunkett row should end - blair prime minister tony blair said it was time to draw a line under the controversy surrounding david blunkett.  the tories and the lib dems have called for a second inquiry into the fast-tracking of a visa application for mr blunkett s ex-lover s nanny. sir alan budd found a  chain of events  linked mr blunkett to leoncia casalme s indefinite leave to remain application. at the end of his middle east trip  mr blair said he still admired mr blunkett and thought his integrity was intact.  on tuesday sir alan said the application for leave to remain in the uk made by kimberly quinn s nanny was processed in 52 days  120 days faster than the average. but he could not find evidence to show whether mr blunkett s intervention was intended to give special help for his then lover s nanny - or if he was raising the case as an example of poor departmental performance. in his first comments since sir alan s announcement  mr blair told bbc news he had not yet read the report in detail. but told bbc news:  as far as i m concerned  we have drawn a line under that.   asked if mr blunkett could return to frontline politics at some point  he replied:  i have made my admiration for david very clear and it remains.  he s been a tremendous colleague  he s done a great job for us  first as home secretary then as education secretary. the future is something we will have to approach in the future.  the prime minister shrugged off claims from conservative leader michael howard that he led a  grubby government . he said mr blunkett s integrity remained intact:  he was the person first of all who asked for this inquiry to be set up. he accepted that what he originally thought had happened had not happened  he said.  but i think sir alan budd also accepted there wasn t some conspiracy or cover-up and i just think a line should be drawn under now and we should move on.   earlier  mr howard said:  there does need to be another inquiry  a judge-led inquiry. there were so many questions that weren t answered.  there was  deceit at the heart of government  which was not limited to the visa affair  he argued. lib dem home affairs spokesman mark oaten also said there was  a strong case for a judge-led judicial review .  he said:  next time it happens it may not be about a nanny and their visa. it may be about something even more important than that.  mr blunkett quit as home secretary last week after being told in advance of sir alan s findings. in a statement  the ex-home secretary said he accepted the inquiry s findings. he said he had told the truth throughout and had raised the nanny case as an example of unacceptable backlogs in the system.'
tech,'slow start to speedy net services faster broadband in the uk is becoming a reality as more internet providers offer super-fast services.  some lucky britons can already take advantage of uk online s 8 megabits per second service  which was launched in november 2004. bt retail has announced that it will trial the same speed service  with a national rollout by year end. other service providers are expected to follow suit and a glut of new voice and video services will follow.   if the bandwidth is there then isps will buy it   said jill finger  a research director at analyst firm idc. others will be watching bt retail s trials  which is initially for employees and later in the summer for customers  with interest. for bt retail  she said  the super-fast service could be a way of differentiating it from other players.  it has been losing market share and this could be one way of gaining some of that back   said ms finger. wanadoo is set to trial an 8mbps service in the summer and also plans to roll out unbundled services - which means it takes over the network from bt - which will provide speeds of up to 15mbps. there is no timetable for this at the moment. cable firms ntl and telewest are also bound to increase bandwidth at some time in the future and  according to an ntl spokesman  are in a better position than bt in the long term.  bt s network is limited compared to that of cable. with all the other services coming on stream such as video on demand  the question is will 8mbps be enough   he asked.'
entertainment,'no uk premiere for rings musical the producers behind the lord of the rings musical have abandoned plans to premiere the show in london because no suitable theatre was available.  the £11.5m show will make its debut in toronto in march 2006  after it was found that all three west end theatres with sufficient capacity were booked. the musical is not expected in london before december 2006. producer kevin wallace said it would be  worth waiting for .  it will be like nothing they have ever seen before.   i know there will be a lot of disappointed british tolkien fans who hoped to see the show in london  but we couldn t get a london theatre in time   added the british producer. the world premiere of the stage musical  co-produced by canadian theatrical impresarios david and ed mirvish  will take place at toronto s princess of wales theatre next year.   toronto really wanted this premiere. the tolkien books and films are hugely popular in canada   said mr wallace  shortly after signing the deal in canada.  we hope the anticipation and excitement over here will create an even bigger buzz by the time we open in london.  auditions begin in canada on thursday  but up to five british actors may join the cast  under a deal struck with canadian actors  equity. the music for the show is being written by bollywood composer ar rahman  who was behind andrew lloyd webber s west end musical bollywood dreams  and in conjuction with the finnish group varttina.   there will be no singing and dancing hobbits. the music will be in a very traditional mould and draw on ethnic traditions   assured mr wallace. the musical s british director is matthew warchus  best known for staging the worldwide stage hit art.  the production will be a hybrid of text  physical theatre  music and spectacle never previously seen on this scale   he said.  only in the theatre are we actually plunged into the events as they happen. the environment surrounds us and we are in middle earth.  new zealander peter jackson took 10 years to bring jrr tolkien s fantasy trilogy to the big screen  winning academy awards for best film and best director for the final film the return of the king in 2004.'
business,'india widens access to telecoms india has raised the limit for foreign direct investment in telecoms companies from 49\% to 74\%.  communications minister dayanidhi maran said that there is a need to fund the fast-growing mobile market. the government hopes to increase the number of mobile users from 95 million to between 200 and 250 million by 2007.  we need at least $20bn (£10.6bn) in investment and part of this has to come as foreign direct investment   said mr maran. the decision to raise the limit for foreign investors faced considerable opposition from the communist parties  which give crucial support to the coalition headed by prime minister manmohan singh. potential foreign investors will however need government approval before they increase their stake beyond 49\%  mr maran said. key positions  such as those of chief executive  chief technology officer and chief financial officer are to be held by indians  he added.  analysts and investors have welcomed the government decision.  it is a positive development for carriers and the investment community  looking to take a longer-term view of the huge growth in the indian telecoms market   said gartner s principal analyst kobita desai.  the fdi relaxation coupled with rapid local market growth could really ignite interest in the indian telecommunication industry   added ernst and young s sanjay mehta. investment bank morgan stanley has forecast that india s mobile market is likely to grow by about 40\% a year until 2007. the indian mobile market is currently dominated by four companies  bharti televentures which has allied itself with singapore telecom  essar which is linked with hong kong-based hutchison whampoa  the sterling group and the tata group.'
tech,'cyber criminals step up the pace so-called phishing attacks that try to trick people into handing over confidential details have boomed in 2004  say security experts.  the number of phishing e-mail messages stopped by security firm messagelabs has risen more than tenfold in less than 12 months. in 2004 it detected more than 18 million phishing e-mail messages. other statistics show that in 2004 73\% of all e-mail was spam and one in 16 messages were infected with a virus.  in its end-of-year report  messagelabs said that phishing had become the top security threat and most popular form of attack among cyber criminals. in september 2003  messagelabs caught only 273 phishing e-mails that tried to make people visit fake versions of the websites run by real banks and financial organisations. but by september 2004 it was stopping more than two million phishing related e-mail messages per month. worryingly  said the firm  phishing gangs were using increasingly sophisticated techniques to harvest useful information such as login details or personal data.  older attacks relied on users not spotting the fact that the site they were visiting was fake  but more recent phishing e-mails simply try to steal details as soon as a message is opened. other phishing scams try to recruit innocent people into acting as middlemen for laundering money or goods bought with stolen credit cards.  e-mail security attacks remain unabated in their persistence and ferocity   said mark sunner  chief technology officer at messagelabs.  in just 12 months phishing has firmly established itself as a threat to any organisation or individual conducting business online   he said. mr sunner said messagelabs was starting to see some phishing attacks become very focused on one company or organisation.  already particular businesses are threatened and blackmailed  indicating a shift from the random  scattergun approach  to customised attacks designed to take advantage of the perceived weaknesses of some businesses   he said. although phishing attacks grew substantially throughout 2004  viruses and spam remain popular with cyber-criminals and vandals. one of the biggest outbreaks took place in january when the mydoom virus started circulating. to date the company has caught more than 60 million copies of the virus. also up this year was the amount of spam in circulation. in 2003 only 40\% of messages were spam. but by the end of 2004  almost three-quarters of messages were junk.'
politics,'candidate resigns over bnp link a prospective candidate for the uk independence party (ukip) has resigned after admitting a  brief attachment  to the british national party(bnp).  nicholas betts-green  who had been selected to fight the suffolk coastal seat  quit after reports in a newspaper that he attended a bnp meeting. the former teacher confirmed he had attended the meeting but said that was the only contact he had with the group. mr betts-green resigned after being questioned by the party s leadership. a ukip spokesman said mr betts-green s resignation followed disclosures in the east anglian daily times last month about his attendance at a bnp meeting.  he did once attend a bnp meeting. he did not like what he saw and heard and will take no further part of it   the spokesman added. a meeting of suffolk coastal ukip members is due to be held next week to discuss a replacement. mr betts-green  of woodbridge  suffolk  has also resigned as ukip s branch chairman.'
tech,'sun offers processing by the hour sun microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour.  sun grid costs users $1 (53p) for an hour s worth of processing and storage power on systems maintained by sun. so-called grid computing is the latest buzz phrase in a company which believes that computing capacity is as important a commodity as hardware and software. sun likened grid computing to the development of electricity.  the system could mature in the same way utilities such as electricity and water have developed  said sun s chief operating officer jonathan schwartz.  why build your own grid when you can use ours for a buck an hour   he asked in a webcast launching sun s quarterly network computing event in california. the company will have to persuade data centre managers to adopt a new model but it said it already had interest from customers in the oil  gas and financial services industries.  some of them want to book computing capacity of more than 5 000 processors each  sun said. mr schwartz ran a demonstration of the service  showing how data could be processed in a protein folding experiment. hundreds of servers were used simultaneously  working on the problem for a few seconds each.  although it only took a few seconds  the experiment cost $12 (£6.30) because it had used up 12 hours  worth of computing power. the sun grid relies on solaris  the operating system owned by sun. initially it will house the grid in existing premises and will use idle servers to test software before shipping it to customers. it has not said how much the system will cost to develop but it already has a rival in ibm  which argues that its capacity on-demand service is cheaper than that offered by sun.'
business,'mixed christmas for us retailers us retailers posted mixed results for december - with luxury retailers faring well while many others were forced to slash prices to lift sales.  upscale department store nordstrom said same store sales were 9.3\% higher than during the same period last year. trendy youth labels also sold well  with sales jumping 28\% at young women s clothing retailer bebe stores and 32.2\% at american eagle outfitters. but wal-mart only saw its sales rise after it cut prices. the company saw a 3\% rise in december sales  less than the 4.3\% rise seen a year earlier.  customers at the world s biggest retailer are generally seen to be the most vulnerable to america s economic woes.  commentators claim many have cut back on spending amid uncertainty over job security  while low and middle-income americans have reined in spending in the face of higher gasoline prices. analysts said wal-mart faced a  stand-off  with shoppers  stepping up its discounts as the festive season wore on  as consumers waited longer to get the best bargains. however  experts added that if prices had not been cut across the sector  christmas sales - which account for nearly 23\% of annual retail sales - would have been far worse.  so far  we are faring better than expected  but the results are still split   ken perkins  an analyst at research firm retailmetrics llc  told associated press.  stores that have been struggling over the last couple of months appear to be continuing that trend. and for stores that have been doing well over the last several months  december was a good month.  overall  december sales are forecast to rise by 4.5\% to $220bn - less than the 5.1\% increase seen a year earlier.  one discount retailer to fare well in december was costco wholesale  which continued a recent run of upbeat results with a better-than-expected 8\% jump in same store sales. however  the losers were many and varied. home furnishings store pier 1 imports saw its same store sales sink by a larger-than-forecast 8.8\% as it battled fierce competition. leading electronics chain best buy  meanwhile  missed its sales target of a 3-5\% rise in sales  turning in a 2.5\% increase over the christmas period. accessory vendor claire s stores also suffered as an expected last minute shopping rush never materialised  leaving its same store sales 5\% higher  compared to a 6\% rise last year. jeweller zale also felt little christmas cheer with december sales down 0.7\% on the same month last year.  this was not a good period for retailers or shoppers. we saw a dearth of exciting  new items   kurt barnard  president of industry forecaster retail consulting group  said. however  one beneficiary of the desertion of the high street is expected to be online stores. according to a survey by goldman sachs & co  harris interactive and neilsen/net ratings sales surged 25\% over the holiday season to $23.2bn.'
sport,'mcilroy aiming for madrid title northern ireland man james mcilroy is confident he can win his first major title at this weekend s spar european indoor championships in madrid.  the 28-year-old has been in great form in recent weeks and will go in as one of the 800 metres favourites.  i believe after my wins abroad and in our trial race in sheffield  i can run my race from the front  back or middle   said mcilroy. new coach tony lester has helped get mcilroy s career back on track. the 28-year-old 800 metres runner has not always matched his promise with performances but believes his decision to change coaches and move base will bring the rewards. mcilroy now lives in windsor and feels his career has been transformed by the no-nonsense leadership style of former army sergeant lester. lester is better known for his work with 400m runners roger black and mark richardson in the past but under his guidance mcilroy has secured five wins this indoor season.  mcilroy now claims he is in his best shape since finishing fourth for ireland at the outdoor european championships in 1998.  that was my last decent year   said mcilroy  who temporarily retired last august before returning to the sport under lester s shrewd guidance.  before  every race was like trying to climb mount everest and i now know you can t do it on your own.  trying to succeed saw me sometimes standing half-dead and terrified on the starting line  which became a bit too much.  mcilroy  who was compared to the likes of sebastian coe  steve cram and steve ovett in his younger days  is now competing without the benefit of national lottery funding. that situation could change if he maintains his current form and repeats the world-class times he produced in the 800m and 1000m at major races in erfurt and stuttgart earlier this season. russian dmitriy bogdanov won at the same madrid venue last week and then claimed the european championship race would be between himself  dutchman arnoud okken and antonio reina of spain but mcilroy is unfazed.  he admitted:  he looked quite good in his win and fair enough everyone has the right to their own opinion.  i never write myself off and let s face it  i haven t or looked like being beaten this season.  and mcilroy  whose time of one minute 46.68seconds in erfurt elevated him to sixth place on the uk all-time list  is also already looking beyond madrid. he said:  i ve been much more focused this year about my career and having such a good team around me has been very important.  ultimately of course  this weekend is a means to an end and that is getting prepared for the summer s world championships.  that ambition has meant that i ve had only two nights out since last august. the rest of my time has seen me just concentrating on rebuilding my career.'
sport,'dunne keen to commit to man city richard dunne is ready to commit his long-term future to manchester city after turning his career around.  he was once threatened with the sack by city boss kevin keegan but has since responded with impressive performances  prompting interest from other clubs. early talks have taken place and the defender said:  hopefully something will be sorted out as soon as possible.  i definitely want to stay at city because i have really improved as a player here.  newcastle boss graeme souness is said to have been impressed enough by dunne s turnaround in form to be ready to make a bid for the big stopper in the january transfer window. but the 25-year-old dubliner underlined his intention to stay at eastlands. he added:  it s nice to be linked with top clubs but the important thing is this one and what we do.  i really enjoy it at city and i want to keep that going.  keegan is expected to be told there will be no funds to bring in fresh faces in january. dunne s professionalism was famously questioned by keegan  who ordered the defender home after he allegedly turned up for training in a dishevelled state.  but dunne is keen to put that period of his life behind him and said:  i ve grown up a lot and the manager sees me as one of the most experienced players in the squad.  i ve played more games than any other outfield players this season so i can t be regarded as being a kid any more.  i have to use that as added pressure to perform and apart from the games at newcastle and middlesbrough  defensively we ve done quite well.  keegan is set for another boost when goalkeeper nicky weaver makes his long-awaited return in a reserve game at blackburn on tuesday. former england under-21 keeper weaver has missed nearly three full seasons with a succession of knee injuries  which eventually needed pioneering transplant surgery earlier this year.'
business,'german business confidence slides german business confidence fell in february knocking hopes of a speedy recovery in europe s largest economy.  munich-based research institute ifo said that its confidence index fell to 95.5 in february from 97.5 in january  its first decline in three months. the study found that the outlook in both the manufacturing and retail sectors had worsened. observers had been hoping that a more confident business sector would signal that economic activity was picking up.   we re surprised that the ifo index has taken such a knock   said dz bank economist bernd weidensteiner.  the main reason is probably that the domestic economy is still weak  particularly in the retail trade.  economy and labour minister wolfgang clement called the dip in february s ifo confidence figure  a very mild decline . he said that despite the retreat  the index remained at a relatively high level and that he expected  a modest economic upswing  to continue.  germany s economy grew 1.6\% last year after shrinking in 2003. however  the economy contracted by 0.2\% during the last three months of 2004  mainly due to the reluctance of consumers to spend. latest indications are that growth is still proving elusive and ifo president hans-werner sinn said any improvement in german domestic demand was sluggish. exports had kept things going during the first half of 2004  but demand for exports was then hit as the value of the euro hit record levels making german products less competitive overseas. on top of that  the unemployment rate has been stuck at close to 10\% and manufacturing firms  including daimlerchrysler  siemens and volkswagen  have been negotiating with unions over cost cutting measures. analysts said that the ifo figures and germany s continuing problems may delay an interest rate rise by the european central bank. eurozone interest rates are at 2\%  but comments from senior officials have recently focused on the threat of inflation  prompting fears that interest rates may rise.'
sport,'safin cool on wimbledon newly-crowned australian open champion marat safin has ruled out any chance of winning wimbledon in the future.  after losing in round one last year  safin said he had  given up  on wimbledon and winning his second grand slam title has not changed his mind.  i ll play  but with no expectations. i feel like i can t waste my time  my energy on that surface   he said.  some people  they cannot play on clay. some people  they cannot play on a hard court. me  i can t play on grass.  however  safin is hopeful that winning the australian open will give him the belief he needs to win more grand slam titles.  it s a relief for me. two grand slams  it s already something. but with this one i worked really hard for it   he said.  basically  i would love to win a couple more. i think i have a chance if i continue this way.   if (coach) peter lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer  i think i can make it.  the 25-year-old shocked pete sampras in the 2000 us open final to win his first major title but then lost in two australian open finals. safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another grand slam.  i didn t expect that (to win the 2000 us open) - it was against sampras  i wasn t the favourite so i had no pressure whatsoever   he said.  after the first final that i didn t win against thomas johansson (in 2002)  i couldn t see myself winning the grand slams anymore.  i was once in the semi-finals of the french open  but i didn t believe i can win it.  i just couldn t handle the pressure. you need to believe in yourself  and i didn t.   and after losing the first set 6-1 to lleyton hewitt in sunday s final  safin said he began to doubt himself again.  i am 25. i m playing against hewitt. at least you have to have the opportunity to win it  at least have a chance   he said.  it s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1  then you start to think:  this is not my day. the way i m playing is ridiculous.   but then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there.  and i found it. i was like really much i was much happier than in 2000  that s for sure  because i get over it.'
business,'ryanair in $4bn boeing plane deal budget airline ryanair has placed an order for 70 boeing 737-800 planes  in a deal valued at $4bn (£2.1bn) which should lead to 2 500 new ryanair jobs.  it also has an option for a further 70 aircraft  a move which brings the ryanair/boeing order book up to 225 firm orders and options on 193 more. ryanair said the new planes would help it to cut operating costs further. the carrier reported a drop in quarterly profit earlier this year after it was hit by higher fuel costs. however  when it reported the results  the airline was upbeat about prospects for 2005  despite tough competition in the budget airline market.  ryanair chairman david bonderman said that the 737-800 had  significantly reduced our unit operating costs and allowed us to reduce air fares each year for the last five years .   with this new order and new pricing in place  ryanair expects that unit operating costs (excluding fuel) will continue to fall each year for the next five years   he added. at the end of this year  ryanair will have taken delivery of about 100 new planes  while the 70 new orders are due for delivery between 2008 and 2012. the airline said that when all these planes have been delivered  it will be able to carry more than 70 million passengers a year  making it europe s largest airline. about 2 500 new jobs should be created in the next seven years  it added. the order can be seen as good news for boeing  which in recent years has been overtaken by european plane maker airbus as the world s biggest-selling plane maker.'
tech,'camera phones are  must-haves  four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in europe by the end of 2004 than last year  says a report from analysts gartner.  globally  the number sold will reach 159 million  an increase of 104\%. the report predicts that nearly 70\% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly  must-have  buy. in europe  cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. but in japan and asia pacific  where camera phone technology is much more advanced  mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. japan still dominates mobile phone technology  and the uptake there is huge. by 2008  according to gartner  95\% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them.  camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them  as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via mms (multimedia messaging services). this has changed in the last 18 months. handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways  they have introduced more design features  like rotating screens and viewfinders  removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages.  mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. these have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites  or mobile blogs - moblogs. but the report suggests that until image quality increases more  people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. the gartner report suggests that by mid-2005  it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality  and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. but a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. some handsets already feature limited zoom capability  and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions  like nightclubs. other developments include wide-angle modes  basic editing features  and better sensors and processors for recording film clips.  images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. an exhibition next month in aid of the charity mencap  will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists.  the exhibition  fonetography  will feature images taken by photographers david bailey  rankin and nan goldin  and artists sir peter blake  tracey emin and jack vettriano. but some uses for them have worried many organisations. intel  samsung  the uk s foreign office and lawrence livermore national laboratories in the us  have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. many schools  fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. italy s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. but camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers  profits. according to recent figures  sony ericsson s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. over 60\% of mobiles sold during the three months through to september featured integrated cameras  it said.'
tech,'us woman sues over ink cartridges a us woman is suing hewlett packard (hp)  saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.  the unnamed woman from georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. the lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the us who has purchased an hp inkjet printer since february 2001. hp  the world s biggest printer firm  declined to comment on the lawsuit. hp ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change.  but the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty.  the smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer   the suit said. the lawsuit is asking for restitution  damages and other compensation. the cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in europe for the last 18 months. the price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1 700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge  a study by computeractive magazine revealed last year. the inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the uk s office of fair trading (oft)  which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers.'
tech,'ink helps drive democracy in asia the kyrgyz republic  a small  mountainous state of the former soviet republic  is using invisible ink and ultraviolet readers in the country s elections as part of a drive to prevent multiple voting.  this new technology is causing both worries and guarded optimism among different sectors of the population. in an effort to live up to its reputation in the 1990s as  an island of democracy   the kyrgyz president  askar akaev  pushed through the law requiring the use of ink during the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. the us government agreed to fund all expenses associated with this decision.  the kyrgyz republic is seen by many experts as backsliding from the high point it reached in the mid-1990s with a hastily pushed through referendum in 2003  reducing the legislative branch to one chamber with 75 deputies. the use of ink is only one part of a general effort to show commitment towards more open elections - the german embassy  the soros foundation and the kyrgyz government have all contributed to purchase transparent ballot boxes.  the actual technology behind the ink is not that complicated. the ink is sprayed on a person s left thumb. it dries and is not visible under normal light.  however  the presence of ultraviolet light (of the kind used to verify money) causes the ink to glow with a neon yellow light. at the entrance to each polling station  one election official will scan voter s fingers with uv lamp before allowing them to enter  and every voter will have his/her left thumb sprayed with ink before receiving the ballot. if the ink shows under the uv light the voter will not be allowed to enter the polling station. likewise  any voter who refuses to be inked will not receive the ballot. these elections are assuming even greater significance because of two large factors - the upcoming parliamentary elections are a prelude to a potentially regime changing presidential election in the autumn as well as the echo of recent elections in other former soviet republics  notably ukraine and georgia. the use of ink has been controversial - especially among groups perceived to be pro-government.  widely circulated articles compared the use of ink to the rural practice of marking sheep - a still common metaphor in this primarily agricultural society.  the author of one such article began a petition drive against the use of the ink. the greatest part of the opposition to ink has often been sheer ignorance. local newspapers have carried stories that the ink is harmful  radioactive or even that the ultraviolet readers may cause health problems. others  such as the aggressively middle of the road  coalition of non-governmental organizations  have lauded the move as an important step forward. this type of ink has been used in many elections in the world  in countries as varied as serbia  south africa  indonesia and turkey. the other common type of ink in elections is indelible visible ink - but as the elections in afghanistan showed  improper use of this type of ink can cause additional problems. the use of  invisible  ink is not without its own problems. in most elections  numerous rumors have spread about it.  in serbia  for example  both christian and islamic leaders assured their populations that its use was not contrary to religion. other rumours are associated with how to remove the ink - various soft drinks  solvents and cleaning products are put forward. however  in reality  the ink is very effective at getting under the cuticle of the thumb and difficult to wash off. the ink stays on the finger for at least 72 hours and for up to a week. the use of ink and readers by itself is not a panacea for election ills. the passage of the inking law is  nevertheless  a clear step forward towards free and fair elections.  the country s widely watched parliamentary elections are scheduled for 27 february.  david mikosz works for the ifes  an international  non-profit organisation that supports the building of democratic societies.'
politics,'blunkett sorry over murder plan david blunkett has apologised to mps after the home office announced  prematurely  via press release a review of murder laws.  the home secretary confirmed the review was to get under way in the wake of a law commission report which branded the current murder law as  a mess . he said the review would look at partial defences to murder  including provocation and at mandatory sentences. the home office has already said the review will begin next year.  on wednesday  a home office spokeswoman said the terms of reference for the review had not been established but it was likely to include only england and wales. news of the review was released because it was thought mr blunkett would make the official announcement in a commons debate on wednesday. but the announcement never came  with the home secretary saying the debate had never reached that stage. amid opposition anger  mr blunkett had to answer an emergency question in parliament on thursday. he said he had taken steps to ensure the incident was not repeated. shadow home secretary david davis welcomed his  gracious apology  and the review itself. but he argued the minister should have volunteered a formal statement instead of having to be  dragged  to face mps.  in its report  the law commission said it had found wide support among criminal justice professionals for an end to the mandatory life sentence for murder. the panel suggested different kinds of murders could be  graded  to recognise the seriousness of the offence.  but the home office said mandatory life sentences would not be abolished and argued courts already had flexibility. the commission  an independent body including two judges  a senior barrister and sentencing experts  had been asked to consider reforms to the defence of provocation in murder cases. but it said its proposals were unlikely to work without a far wider review of the law. results of a consultation exercise showed 64 respondents out of 146 - among them 21 judges - believed a mandatory life sentence for every murder was  indefensible and should cease .  a key question was whether one category should continue to cover all types of murder from mercy killings to serial or contract killings. the commission found support for the idea of grading murders so that the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence. but speaking after the report was published  home office minister baroness scotland said:  murder is the most serious of crimes and we have no intention of abolishing the mandatory life sentence.  where an offender is convicted of murder  the court must pass a life sentence.  the commission also recommended tightening the law so that the provocation defence cannot be used in cases where someone has killed for revenge  such as a jealous husband who murders an unfaithful wife.'
sport,'robinson out of six nations england captain jason robinson will miss the rest of the six nations because of injury.  robinson  stand-in captain in the absence of jonny wilkinson  had been due to lead england in their final two games against italy and scotland. but the sale full-back pulled out of the squad on wednesday because of a torn ligament in his right thumb. the 30-year-old will undergo an operation on friday but england have yet to name a replacement skipper.  robinson said:  this is very disappointing for me as this means i miss england s last two games in the six nations at twickenham and two games for my club  sale sharks.  but i m looking to be back playing very early in april.   robinson picked up the injury in the 19-13 defeat to ireland at lansdowne road on saturday. and coach andy robinson said:  i am hugely disappointed for jason.  as england captain he has been an immense figure during the autumn internationals and the six nations  leading by example at all times. i look forward to having him back in the england squad.  the announcement is the latest setback for robinson s injury-depleted squad.  among the key figures already missing are jonny wilkinson  mike tindall  will greenwood  julian white and phil vickery - a list which leaves robinson short on candidates for the now vacant captaincy role. former england skipper jeremy guscott told bbc radio five live his choice would be matt dawson  even though he is does not hold a regular starting place.   the obvious choice is dawson  said guscott.  especially given that harry ellis did not have his best game at scrum-half on saturday.  dawson has the credentials and the experience  even though his winning record at captain is not great.  the other option in martin corry  who is the standout forward at the moment.  unfortunately england cannot rely on leaders on the field at the moment.  england will announce their squad for the 12 march game against italy on saturday.'
business,'wembley firm won t make a profit shares in multiplex group  which is building the new wembley stadium  fell as much as 19\% after it said it would not make any money on the project.  the australian firm said it would only break even on the 1.2bn australian dollars (£458m; $874m) rebuild  after a rise in costs on the work. any profits would depend on the outcome of legal cases resulting from a change in steel contractor  it added. it cut a$68m from profit targets for wembley and another uk project.  investors were shaken by the news and the firm s shares fell to a four month low of a$4.50  before recovering to close 16\% down at a$4.67. the decline came despite multiplex reporting an 11\% rise in pre-tax profits to a$67.7m for 2004 and reaffirming its 2005 profit forecasts. increased costs at wembley and a separate development in london s docklands saw multiplex s construction division report profits of a$35.1m.  the firm said the result was below expectations but stressed that the majority of its uk projects - which also include the white city redevelopment scheme in west london - were performing strongly.  to recoup any profit from wembley  where the firm changed its steel contractor due to a legal dispute  multiplex will have to win legal claims against subcontractors. these claims could take up to two years to resolve.  multiplex believes its claim are sound and ultimately will exceed the level needed to support the break even position   it said.  it is expected that profits will be possible in future periods as the claims are finalised.  wembley stadium is to due to be completed in january and will officially open for the 2006 fa cup final. analysts expressed concern at the unexpected paring back in profit.  such a big writeback on the wembley project in such a short period has impacted on management credibility   simon wheatley  from goldman sachs  told reuters.'
business,'us budget deficit to reach $368bn the us budget deficit is set to hit a worse-than-expected $368bn (£197bn) this year  officials said on tuesday.  the cost of military operations still needs to be factored in  with analysts saying the deficit could end up a further $100bn in the red. past congressional budget office (cbo) forecasts said there would be a $348bn shortfall in the 2005 fiscal year. in recent months  the dollar has weakened amid market jitters about the size of the budget and trade deficits. in november  the gap between us exports and imports widened to more than $60bn  a record figure. the cbo says it envisages a further  orderly  decline in the greenback over the next two years as the twin deficit drives dollar investors away. but the non-partisan fiscal watchdog notes the declines will help exporters and boost us economic growth.  the budget deficit hit a record $412bn in the 12 months to 30 september 2004  after reaching $377bn in the previous fiscal year. the cbo also forecast a total shortfall of $855bn for the years from 2006 to 2015  an improvement on previous projections. however  analysts say the new figures fail to take into account the potential $2-$3.8 trillion costs of the president s plan to revamp state pensions and extend tax cuts. the figure could also be worsened by any further military costs. republicans have blamed the size of the deficit on slow economic conditions after the 11 september attacks and ongoing military operations in iraq and afghanistan. one of president george w bush s election pledges was to halve the budget deficit within five years. but democrats have accused the president of excluding iraq-related costs from previous budgets to meet the aim of reducing the deficit  a charge which the administration denies. on tuesday  the us administration asked congress for additional funds for military operations.'
tech,'set your television to wow television started off as a magical blurry image. then came the sharpness  the colour and the widescreen format. now the tv set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future  although those in europe will have to be patient.  after years of buzz about high-definition tv (hdtv) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world  mainly the us and japan. if you believe the hype  then hdtv will so wow you  that you will never want to go back to your old telly.  hdtv is just the latest must-have technology in viewers  homes   says jo flaherty  a senior broadcaster with the cbs network in the us. all television images are made up of pixels  going across the screen  and scan lines going down. british tv pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. by contrast  hdtv offers up to 1 080 active lines  with each line made up of 1 920 pixels. the result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard tv. but to get the full impact  programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a hdtv set to receive them. most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. viewers in japan  the us  australia  canada and south korea are already embracing the new tv technology  with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format  which includes 5.1 digital surround sound.  but tv viewers in europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images.  many high-end european tv programmes  such as the recent athens olympics  are already being produced in high-definition. but they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. the prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. according to consultants strategy analytics  only 12\% of homes in europe will have tvs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. but the hdtv hype spilling out of the us and japan has spurred european broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public s attention. the 2006 world cup in germany will be broadcast in high-definition.  in the uk  satellite broadcaster bskyb is planning hdtv services in 2006. there is already a hdtv service in europe called euro1080. other european broadcasters  especially in france and germany  also aiming to launch similar services.  in britain  digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for hdtv  at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. the communications watchdog ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the uk switches off its analogue tv signal. for now  broadcasters like the bbc are working on their own hdtv plans  although with no launch date in sight.  the bbc will start broadcasting in hdtv when the time is right  and it would not be just a showcase  but a whole set of programming   says andy quested  from the bbc s high-definition support group.  we have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010  which would put us on the leading edge.  one of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. the bbc has already dipped its toe into this  including some hdtv content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for pcs. it is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. according to mr quested  this could help put europe back into the running in the race to switch to hdtv. this is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months  with the web eating into tv viewing habits.'
sport,'gardener battles to narrow win jason gardener fought all the way to the line to narrowly claim the men s 60m title at the norwich union indoor trials and aaas championships.  the world 60m champion got off to a rolling start and had to dig deep to dip ahead of mark findlay and darren chin  who both set personal bests.  it was a close race   admitted gardener.  i stumbled out the blocks but my experience told through.  i still feel there s more life in me and i believe i can go faster.  gardener s performance in sheffield could have been affected by the news  which he heard before his semi-final  that his european record had been broken frenchman ronald pognon  who will be a real threat at the european championships  set a new time of 6.45  one-hundreth of a second faster than gardener s previous mark. favourite  delivered a powerful performance to take the women s 60m title in 7.27 seconds.  you ll see me in madrid and i feel there is a lot more to come along   said the 22-year-old. katherine endacott battled hard to take second and dip under the european qualifying mark. defending champion joice maduaka had pulled out of the final with a chest infection.  was on record-breaking form as she stormed to the women s 60m hurdles crown. the 25-year-old set a new british record for the second time in seven days  clocking 7.96 seconds to finish ahead of rival diane allahgreen.  i m so happy   a tearful claxton told bbc sport.  all the years i ve been running and i m getting recognition.  claxton s time was also good enough to qualify for the european championships.  the men s 800m went to form in sheffield as  dominated the race from start to finish. the northern ireland athlete went off at a startling pace but had to hold off the challenge of welshman jimmy watkins over the final 200m to win in one minute  47.96 seconds. both mcilory and watkins  who set a life-time best of 1:48.32  had already booked their places in madrid and were again well within the qualifying time.  i had to go out and go through all the gears before the europeans and i won t run again until then   said mcilroy.  could not reach the european mark in the women s race as she crossed the line to win in 2:04.45. olympic bronze heptathlon medallist  rounded off a useful weekend with two more personal bests in sheffield. the 28-year-old reached 1.80m in the high jump and clocked 8.47secs in the heats of the 60m hurdles.  i ve surprised myself   said sotherton.  i m starting to thrive on the pressure but if i don t perform then it s not the end of the world.  pole vaulter  made a winning return to major competition after a drugs ban. the trafford athlete  who has served a two-year ban after testing positive for anabolic steroids  clinched the title with a championship record 4.25m.  also set a new championship mark in the men s triple jump title in sheffield. the 26-year-old  who has been training in australia over the winter  landed 17.30m with his final effort - the longest leap in the world this year.  i didn t have a clue   said idowu.  i ve not jumped indoors before and i just wanted the qualifying mark.  but this isn t a bad start and hopefully i ll come back from madrid with a gold medal.  nathan douglas continued his steady progress this season as he set a life-time best of 16.76m in second while jonathan moore took third.  and  resumed their rivalry in the long jump competition  both achieving the european standard. commonwealth champion morgan reached a personal best of 7.96m on his very first jump and then promptly retired with a bruised heel. olympian tomlinson tried to play catch up with his six jumps but had to settle for a season s best jump of 7.91m.  i was advised not to jump by my doctor and so i m pleased to come here and get the qualifying mark   said tomlinson.    now based at loughborough  sprinted past front runner catherine murphy in the final 100m to steal the women s 400m title. the 21-year-old ran a personal best of 53.45 seconds to win her first indoor title. wall s time was just short of the qualifying mark - something murphy already has. ireland s  took the men s title in 46.46 ahead of promising channel islands decathlete dale garland. sudanese 18-year-old rabah yusuf  who is seeking british citizenship  showed his raw talent as he burst through in third.  cleared the required 1.90m to qualify for the european championships and claim the aaas title in the women s high jump. in the men s 3 000m   powered to a new personal best of seven minutes  56.86 seconds to defend his aaas title in style. it was the first time in 11 years the eight-minute barrier has been broken at the championships and was just within the european mark.  took the women s 1500m aaas title in the absence of kelly holmes. her time of 4:19.11 was not good enough to qualify for madrid but ovens had already opted out of the championships. the men s race was won by    who had to fight off a closing pack to claim the title in 3:45.87.'
politics,'russian ex-spy on hunger strike an ex-russian intelligence officer who risked his life spying for mi6 is entering the seventh week of a hunger strike near 10 downing street.  viktor makarov  50  claims he has been betrayed by the british authorities  who promised he would live like an  average british citizen . but despite a £65 000 settlement four years ago  he says he has been denied defector status and a decent pension. other ex-russian spies have been given civil service pensions.  hunger strike is a weapon of last resort. it can work only with determination and of course the realisation of the righteousness of your case - without that it will not work   mr makarov told the bbc s newsnight programme.  since i came to this country two batches of promises have been made and broken one after the other.   oleg gordievsky  a senior kgb officer who became a secret agent for the british  said he was  very happy  with the way the government have treated him since him since he defected in 1985. commenting on mr makarov s case  he said:  the british state is not a fat cow - it is impossible to come here and demand give me more money every week.  but mr makarov s case has been backed by david kahn - a former yale historian  and a leading expert on code-breaking  who has confirmed his information was valuable to the western allies.  i believe the government of the united kingdom  which in that respect was probably the same as most other power authorities - took the information that victor makarov had  wrung him dry and left him to hang out in the cold   mr kahn said.  mr makarov joined the kgb in 1970s russia  as an idealistic 20 year-old. one of his fellow pupils at intelligence school was vladimir putin. at kgb headquarters in moscow  he was posted to the secret 16th directorate - which decoded intercepted diplomatic traffic from the west. by the 1980s he had risen to the rank of senior lieutenant - and was privy to the thoughts of western powers. but he had became deeply disenchanted with the soviet regime - fuelled by its repression both at home and in poland.  through his english teacher  he made an approach to m16 - and then began passing secrets to the british intelligence service. he spied for mi6 for two years before being betrayed by a friend and sent to perm 35 - a soviet hard labour camp in the artic circle. within a week of his release in 1992  he made contact with the british authorities he d been spying for  who arranged a meeting between him and an mi6 agent in latvia. he was given a false passport  and he says  promised that he would be given the chance to live like an average uk citizen. but after arriving in london 13 years ago  he feels this promise has not been fulfilled. after long periods of living in bedsits  with deteriorating health  four years ago he took legal action against the government - and settled for £65 000 to buy a small house. but he says he will remain on hunger strike until he receives a decent pension and the right to work  something he feels he has been denied because the authorities do not trust him. government sources told the bbc they had reached a final settlement with the former spy  which he has been able to appeal to security and intelligence tribunals.'