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1,034 | EU fraud clampdown urged
EU member states are failing to report fraud and irregularities in EU funds on a consistent basis, the UK's public spending watchdog has said.
The National Audit Office said although the latest figures showed reported fraud was falling, the EU still had no common definition of fraud. It also expressed concern that, for the 10th year, the European Court of Auditors had qualified the EU accounts. The NAO urged the government to push for improvements in reporting fraud. It said member states needed to be more accountable on how money was spent. The report said: "Member states still do not report fraud and other irregularities to the European Anti-Fraud Office on a consistent basis.
"As the court has now qualified its opinion on the Community accounts for a decade, it is essential for all the authorities involved to contribute to the strengthening of the audit of EU revenue and expenditure and improving accountability for the financial management and use of EU resources." It said there were 922 cases of reported fraud or irregularities in EU funds in the UK in 2003, worth £38.5m (52m euros), up from 831 cases worth £35.7m in 2002. At the same time, reported fraud throughout the EU dropped from 10,276 cases worth £808m to 8,177 cases worth £644m. Edward Leigh, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, said Britain had to set an example when it assumed the EU presidency.
"Any fraud in other member states is potentially fraud against the UK taxpayer, given that we are the second largest net contributor to the Community," he said. "Departments responsible for administering EU funds need to make sure that they're doing everything possible to weed out improper spending. "The government must take the opportunity afforded by the UK presidency of the EU to press the Commission and other member states to take an equally robust stance against fraud and irregularity, and raise overall standards of financial management." A spokesman for the European Anti-Fraud Office said the organisation agreed with the NAO's assessment of fraud reporting. "The quality of reporting does differ from member state to member state, and there is room for improvement," spokesman Jorg Wojahn said. He added that there is generally good co-operation with member states and the anti-fraud office on specific cases of fraud, with the statistics studied by NAO providing a "good overview for planning strategic ways of detecting fraud".
| EU member states are failing to report fraud and irregularities in EU funds on a consistent basis, the UK's public spending watchdog has said.The report said: "Member states still do not report fraud and other irregularities to the European Anti-Fraud Office on a consistent basis.It said there were 922 cases of reported fraud or irregularities in EU funds in the UK in 2003, worth £38.5m (52m euros), up from 831 cases worth £35.7m in 2002."Any fraud in other member states is potentially fraud against the UK taxpayer, given that we are the second largest net contributor to the Community," he said.The National Audit Office said although the latest figures showed reported fraud was falling, the EU still had no common definition of fraud.He added that there is generally good co-operation with member states and the anti-fraud office on specific cases of fraud, with the statistics studied by NAO providing a "good overview for planning strategic ways of detecting fraud"."The government must take the opportunity afforded by the UK presidency of the EU to press the Commission and other member states to take an equally robust stance against fraud and irregularity, and raise overall standards of financial management." |
1,826 | China net cafe culture crackdown
Chinese authorities closed 12,575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004, the country's government said.
According to the official news agency most of the net cafes were closed down because they were operating illegally. Chinese net cafes operate under a set of strict guidelines and many of those most recently closed broke rules that limit how close they can be to schools. The move is the latest in a series of steps the Chinese government has taken to crack down on what it considers to be immoral net use.
The official Xinhua News Agency said the crackdown was carried out to create a "safer environment for young people in China". Rules introduced in 2002 demand that net cafes be at least 200 metres away from middle and elementary schools. The hours that children can use net cafes are also tightly regulated. China has long been worried that net cafes are an unhealthy influence on young people. The 12,575 cafes were shut in the three months from October to December. China also tries to dictate the types of computer games people can play to limit the amount of violence people are exposed to.
Net cafes are hugely popular in China because the relatively high cost of computer hardware means that few people have PCs in their homes. This is not the first time that the Chinese government has moved against net cafes that are not operating within its strict guidelines. All the 100,000 or so net cafes in the country are required to use software that controls what websites users can see. Logs of sites people visit are also kept. Laws on net cafe opening hours and who can use them were introduced in 2002 following a fire at one cafe that killed 25 people. During the crackdown following the blaze authorities moved to clean up net cafes and demanded that all of them get permits to operate. In August 2004 Chinese authorities shut down 700 websites and arrested 224 people in a crackdown on net porn. At the same time it introduced new controls to block overseas sex sites. The Reporters Without Borders group said in a report that Chinese government technologies for e-mail interception and net censorship are among the most highly developed in the world.
| Laws on net cafe opening hours and who can use them were introduced in 2002 following a fire at one cafe that killed 25 people.Chinese authorities closed 12,575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004, the country's government said.China has long been worried that net cafes are an unhealthy influence on young people.This is not the first time that the Chinese government has moved against net cafes that are not operating within its strict guidelines.The hours that children can use net cafes are also tightly regulated.According to the official news agency most of the net cafes were closed down because they were operating illegally.In August 2004 Chinese authorities shut down 700 websites and arrested 224 people in a crackdown on net porn.Net cafes are hugely popular in China because the relatively high cost of computer hardware means that few people have PCs in their homes. |
936 | Lords wrong on detainees - Straw
Jack Straw has attacked the decision by Britain's highest court that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws.
The foreign secretary said the right to life was the "most important liberty" and the government had a duty to protect people from terrorism. Law lords were "simply wrong" to imply the men were being held arbitrarily. New Home Secretary Charles Clarke vowed the nine men would remain in prison while the law was being reviewed.
The House of Lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by the men - dealing a major blow to the government's anti-terror policy.
But Mr Straw denied it amounted to a "constitutional crisis". He said those held had a right of appeal to the special immigration appeal tribunal and the decision to hold the suspects was upheld by that court. "The law lords are simply wrong to imply that this is a decision to detain these people on the whim or the certificate of the home secretary," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The foreign secretary insisted it was for Parliament, and not judges, to decide how best Britain could be defended against the threat of terrorism. But Liberal Democrat peer Lord Carlile, the government's independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, said it was possible some of the detainees could now be released. He said the Law Lords' ruling was an "embarrassment" for the government and major changes were needed to the law.
The ruling came on Charles Clarke's first day as home secretary following David Blunkett's resignation. In a statement to MPs, Mr Clarke said: "I will be asking Parliament to renew this legislation in the New Year.
"In the meantime, we will be studying the judgment carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the House of Lords." The detainees took their case to the House of Lords after the Court of Appeal backed the Home Office's powers to hold them without limit or charge. The government opted out of part of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 September attacks in the US. Any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. But those detained cannot be deported if this would mean persecution in their homeland. On Thursday, Lord Bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status" by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects, but not Britons. Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, in his ruling, said: "Indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law.
In a statement, detainee 'A' in Woodhill Prison said: "I hope now that the government will act upon this decision, scrap this illegal 'law' and release me and the other internees to return to our families and loved ones." The case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. Solicitor Gareth Pierce, who represents eight of the detainees, claimed the detention had driven four of the detainees to "madness", saying two were being held in Broadmoor hospital.
| He said the Law Lords' ruling was an "embarrassment" for the government and major changes were needed to the law.The foreign secretary said the right to life was the "most important liberty" and the government had a duty to protect people from terrorism.New Home Secretary Charles Clarke vowed the nine men would remain in prison while the law was being reviewed.On Thursday, Lord Bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status" by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects, but not Britons.Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, in his ruling, said: "Indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law.He said those held had a right of appeal to the special immigration appeal tribunal and the decision to hold the suspects was upheld by that court."The law lords are simply wrong to imply that this is a decision to detain these people on the whim or the certificate of the home secretary," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.Law lords were "simply wrong" to imply the men were being held arbitrarily.But Liberal Democrat peer Lord Carlile, the government's independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, said it was possible some of the detainees could now be released.The case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. |
1,534 | Lennon brands Rangers favourites
Celtic's Neil Lennon admits Rangers could be considered "slight favourites" for the Old Firm CIS Cup clash, but insists his side can still win.
Lennon concedes Rangers are in good form at the moment, but they have failed to beat Celtic in their last seven meetings. "Rangers are on the up and have been on a good run in recent weeks," he said. "But it's a game we believe we're capable of winning if we play our best," he told the Evening Times. "All the boys are looking forward to it because they are brilliant games to be involved in. "Without playing at the top of our game, we have still been winning matches. "At the minute, we are at the top of the league and still in with a chance of staying in Europe, so I don't think it is the crisis people have been trying to make out. "Of course, it is a concern when you are losing goals, because we have been notorious for being a team that is hard to beat and keeping clean sheets, but hopefully we are over that wee run. "Considering we lost Henrik Larsson at the end of last season, we have still been scoring a lot of goals, which is pleasing."
| "Without playing at the top of our game, we have still been winning matches.Lennon concedes Rangers are in good form at the moment, but they have failed to beat Celtic in their last seven meetings.Celtic's Neil Lennon admits Rangers could be considered "slight favourites" for the Old Firm CIS Cup clash, but insists his side can still win."Rangers are on the up and have been on a good run in recent weeks," he said. |
1,503 | SA return to Mauritius
Top seeds South Africa return to the scene of one of their most embarrassing failures when they face the Seychelles in the Cosafa Cup next month.
Last year Bafana Bafana were humbled in the first by minnows Mauritius who beat them 2-0 in Curepipe. Coach Stuart Baxter and his squad will return to Curepipe face the Seychelles in their first game of the new-look regional competition. The format of the event has been changed this year after the entry of the Seychelles, who have taken the number of participants to 13. The teams are now divided into three group of four and play knock-out matches on successive days to determine the group champions. Mauritius host the first group, and their opponents are Madagascar, the Seychelles and South Africa. Bafana Bafana play the Seychelles before Mauritius take on Madagascar in a double-header on 26 February. The two winners return to the New George V stadium the next day and the victor of the group decider advances to August's final mini-tournament. The second group will be hosted in Namibia in April. It comprises Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and the hosts. In June, former champions Zambia will host Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland in the third group in Lusaka. The three group winners will then join title holders Angola for the last of the mini-tournaments in August, where the winners will be crowned.
Seychelles v South Africa
Mauritius v Madagascar
Winners meet in final match
Mozambique v Zimbabwe
Namibia v Botswana
Winners meet in final match
Lesotho v Malawi
Zambia v Swaziland
Winners meet in final match
| Mauritius host the first group, and their opponents are Madagascar, the Seychelles and South Africa.Seychelles v South Africa Mauritius v Madagascar Winners meet in final match Mozambique v Zimbabwe Namibia v Botswana Winners meet in final match Lesotho v Malawi Zambia v Swaziland Winners meet in final matchBafana Bafana play the Seychelles before Mauritius take on Madagascar in a double-header on 26 February.The two winners return to the New George V stadium the next day and the victor of the group decider advances to August's final mini-tournament.The teams are now divided into three group of four and play knock-out matches on successive days to determine the group champions.Last year Bafana Bafana were humbled in the first by minnows Mauritius who beat them 2-0 in Curepipe. |
1,057 | Turkey deal 'to help world peace'
A deal bringing Turkey a step closer to EU membership is of "fundamental importance" to the peace and security of the world, Tony Blair has said.
The deal, struck at the European Council last week, also proved claims of a clash between Muslims and Christians were "wrong", Mr Blair said. It represented the achievement of an "historic British objective", he added. Tory leader Michael Howard said the deal laid to rest any suggestion the EU was "anti-Islamic".
Turkey's involvement with the EU would provide an "invaluable bridge" between Europe and the rest of the world, Mr Howard added. But the Tory leader argued that the EU constitution was not designed to take in a country as large as Turkey. Mr Blair has been a leading advocate of Turkish membership despite controversy surrounding the idea. He insisted that the Turkish leadership had made great advances in improving its human rights records. The deal to open formal talks with Ankara came despite an EU demand for Turkey to recognise Cyprus.
It was agreed the issue can be tackled at a later date but Turkish premier Recep Erdogan had to accept negotiations did not guarantee his country full EU membership. The internationally recognised southern part of Cyprus is an EU member, but Turkey, which occupies northern Cyprus, had previously insisted it would not bow to demands to recognise the country, calling the issue a "red line". It could take up to 15 years before Turkey is able to join, and entry cannot be guaranteed. If it joins, Turkey may have to accept restrictions to limit migration by its citizens. The EU has also announced that it will start accession talks with Croatia in April 2005. However, talks will begin only if the country co-operates fully with the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
| A deal bringing Turkey a step closer to EU membership is of "fundamental importance" to the peace and security of the world, Tony Blair has said.The deal to open formal talks with Ankara came despite an EU demand for Turkey to recognise Cyprus.But the Tory leader argued that the EU constitution was not designed to take in a country as large as Turkey.Tory leader Michael Howard said the deal laid to rest any suggestion the EU was "anti-Islamic".The internationally recognised southern part of Cyprus is an EU member, but Turkey, which occupies northern Cyprus, had previously insisted it would not bow to demands to recognise the country, calling the issue a "red line".It was agreed the issue can be tackled at a later date but Turkish premier Recep Erdogan had to accept negotiations did not guarantee his country full EU membership. |
2,002 | Slimmer PlayStation triple sales
Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale.
Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft's Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track. The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release. Latest figures suggest it has sold more than 677,000 copies.
"It is obviously very, very encouraging for Sony because Microsoft briefly outsold them last week," John Houlihan, editor of Computerandvideogames.com told BBC News. "And with Halo 2 [for Xbox] out next week, it really is a head-to-head contest between them and Xbox."
Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that. The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console. Edinburgh-based developer, Rockstar, which is behind the GTA titles, has seen San Andreas pull in an estimated £24m in gross revenues over the weekend. In comparison, blockbuster films like Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban took £11.5m in its first three days at the UK box office. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took nearly £10m over its opening weekend, although games titles are four to five times more expensive than cinema tickets.
Gangster-themed GTA San Andreas is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto Vice City which previously held the record for the fastest-selling video game ever. The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year. The original title won universal acclaim in 2001, and sold more than four million copies.
Mr Houlihan added that Sony had done well with the PS2, but it definitely helped that the release of San Andreas coincided with the slimline PS2 hitting the shelves. The run-up to Christmas is a huge battlefield for games consoles and titles. Microsoft's Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate. Sony and Microsoft have both reduced console prices recently and are preparing the way for the launches of their next generation consoles in 2005. "Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan.
| The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release.Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that.Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale.The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate.The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year.The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console."Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan.Microsoft's Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. |
294 | Wall Street cheers Bush victory
The US stock market has closed higher in response to George W Bush's victory in the presidential elections.
The benchmark Dow Jones share index closed more than 1% higher at 10,137, while the Nasdaq rose 0.9% to 2,004. Many investors believe that Mr Bush's policies are more business-friendly than those of his Democrat challenger, John Kerry. The higher share prices also reflect relief that a clear winner has emerged from what proved to be a tight poll.
Investors had worried that the outcome of the poll would be inconclusive, paving the way for a repeat of the legal wrangling that marred the 2000 election.
The Dow lost 5% of its value in the three weeks immediately after that election, when it was unclear who would occupy the White House. Mr Kerry conceded defeat on Wednesday, abandoning last-ditch hopes of carrying the vote in the swing state of Ohio. "The relief for the markets may be that we have a decision and can move forward," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Asset Management. Some analysts predicted that the jump in share prices would be short-lived, saying investors would quickly focus once again on the health of the US economy. "I would look at the stock market rally for Bush as kind of a one-day event," said Ken Mayland at Clearview Economics. The US' recent economic performance has been mixed, with solid growth offset by disappointingly low job creation figures, and mounting worries over a record budget deficit. Elsewhere in the financial markets on Wednesday, the dollar dipped slightly against the euro and climbed against the yen, while US oil prices closed up $1.26 at $50.88 a barrel in New York. The rise in oil prices partly reflects the view that President Bush is less likely than Mr Kerry to release supplies from the US' strategic oil reserve. Share prices in London, Frankfurt and Paris also closed higher.
Successive polls in the run-up to Tuesday's election had shown the two candidates running neck and neck.
Economic issues, as well as the war in Iraq, were the forefront of the campaign. In key swing states such as Ohio, which has suffered substantial job losses in the past four years, President Bush's handling of the economy became a crucial election issue. Senator Kerry attacked President Bush's economic record during his campaign, hammering home the fact that a net 800,000 jobs were lost during his term in office. President Bush focused on the fact that two million jobs have been created in the past year, claiming that it has vindicated his tax-cutting agenda. As for future policies, both candidates pledged to bring America's $422bn federal budget deficit under control. Senator Kerry planned to increase taxes on those earning more than $200,000 a year. President Bush has placed reform of the pensions system at the heart of his economic agenda for a second term. However, economists have said both candidates' economic programmes rested on questionable assumptions about future growth.
| Senator Kerry attacked President Bush's economic record during his campaign, hammering home the fact that a net 800,000 jobs were lost during his term in office.The US stock market has closed higher in response to George W Bush's victory in the presidential elections.The higher share prices also reflect relief that a clear winner has emerged from what proved to be a tight poll.The rise in oil prices partly reflects the view that President Bush is less likely than Mr Kerry to release supplies from the US' strategic oil reserve.In key swing states such as Ohio, which has suffered substantial job losses in the past four years, President Bush's handling of the economy became a crucial election issue.President Bush has placed reform of the pensions system at the heart of his economic agenda for a second term.President Bush focused on the fact that two million jobs have been created in the past year, claiming that it has vindicated his tax-cutting agenda.The US' recent economic performance has been mixed, with solid growth offset by disappointingly low job creation figures, and mounting worries over a record budget deficit.Share prices in London, Frankfurt and Paris also closed higher.Some analysts predicted that the jump in share prices would be short-lived, saying investors would quickly focus once again on the health of the US economy. |
812 | Actress Roberts takes spider role
Actress Julia Roberts will play the part of a spider in a new film version of children's classic Charlotte's Web.
She will voice Charlotte, who teams up with a girl to save their friend Wilbur the pig, in the story by EB White. The film - a mix of live action and animation - will be Roberts' first project since the birth of her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, two months ago. Oprah Winfrey will voice a goose, John Cleese will voice a sheep and Steve Buscemi a rat in the 2006 film.
Ten-year-old Dakota Fanning will play Fern, the girl at the centre of the story, in the film to be directed by 13 Going on 30 film-maker Gary Winick. Filming is due to begin in Melbourne, Australia, later this month. Charlotte's Web has sold 45 million copies since it was published in 1952. An animated version was made in 1973 but this will be the first live action film. The actor who will voice Wilbur the pig has yet to be revealed.
| The film - a mix of live action and animation - will be Roberts' first project since the birth of her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, two months ago.An animated version was made in 1973 but this will be the first live action film.Actress Julia Roberts will play the part of a spider in a new film version of children's classic Charlotte's Web.Oprah Winfrey will voice a goose, John Cleese will voice a sheep and Steve Buscemi a rat in the 2006 film. |
305 | Brazil approves bankruptcy reform
A major reform of Brazil's bankruptcy laws has been approved by the country's Congress, in a move which it is hoped will cut the cost of borrowing.
The bill, proposed in 1993, has finally been approved by the leadership of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The old law, dating from 1945, gave priority first to workers, second to tax revenue and finally to creditors. The new legislation changes this, giving priority to creditors and limiting payments to workers. The new regulations will limit payments to workers to 150 times the minimum monthly salary, which is currently $94. The law also makes it more difficult for a company to declare bankruptcy. However, when a firm is declared bankrupt it will gain protection from creditors for 180 days while a recovery plan is worked out.
The proposals were opposed in the past by leftist parties, including Mr Lula's Worker Party. They considered that they undermined workers' rights. But President Lula became a defender of the reforms, arguing that the country's bank lending margins were among the highest in the world and were damaging the economy. According to Andreas Adriano of Latin Trade Magazine, the new bankruptcy law will help in reducing the spread - difference between the interest rates of the banks and federal bonds. Nevertheless, Mr Adriano said to reduce the basic interest rate the Central Bank needs to change its policy, focusing not only on inflation but also on economic growth.
| The new legislation changes this, giving priority to creditors and limiting payments to workers.According to Andreas Adriano of Latin Trade Magazine, the new bankruptcy law will help in reducing the spread - difference between the interest rates of the banks and federal bonds.The old law, dating from 1945, gave priority first to workers, second to tax revenue and finally to creditors.A major reform of Brazil's bankruptcy laws has been approved by the country's Congress, in a move which it is hoped will cut the cost of borrowing.The law also makes it more difficult for a company to declare bankruptcy. |
8 | India calls for fair trade rules
India, which attends the G7 meeting of seven leading industrialised nations on Friday, is unlikely to be cowed by its newcomer status.
In London on Thursday ahead of the meeting, India's finance minister, lashed out at the restrictive trade policies of the G7 nations. He objected to subsidies on agriculture that make it hard for developing nations like India to compete. He also called for reform of the United Nations, the World Bank and the IMF.
Palaniappan Chidambaram, India's finance minister, argued that these organisations need to take into account the changing world order, given India and China's integration into the global economy. He said the issue is not globalisation but "the terms of engagement in globalisation." Mr Chidambaram is attending the G7 meeting as part of the G20 group of nations, which account for two thirds of the world's population. At a conference on developing enterprise hosted by UK finance minister Gordon Brown on Friday, he said that he was in favour of floating exchange rates because they help countries cope with economic shocks. "A flexible exchange rate is one more channel for absorbing both positive and negative shocks," he told the conference. India, along with China, Brazil, South Africa and Russia, has been invited to take part in the G7 meeting taking place in London on Friday and Saturday. China is expected to face renewed pressure to abandon its fixed exchange rate, which G7 nations, in particular the US, have blamed for a surge in cheap Chinese exports. "Some countries have tried to use fixed exchange rates. I do not wish to make any judgements," Mr Chidambaram said. Separately, the IMF warned on Thursday that India's budget deficit was too large and would hamper the country's economic growth, which it forecast to be around 6.5% in the year to March 2005. In the year to March 2004, the Indian economy grew by 8.5%.
| At a conference on developing enterprise hosted by UK finance minister Gordon Brown on Friday, he said that he was in favour of floating exchange rates because they help countries cope with economic shocks.In London on Thursday ahead of the meeting, India's finance minister, lashed out at the restrictive trade policies of the G7 nations.Mr Chidambaram is attending the G7 meeting as part of the G20 group of nations, which account for two thirds of the world's population.China is expected to face renewed pressure to abandon its fixed exchange rate, which G7 nations, in particular the US, have blamed for a surge in cheap Chinese exports.Palaniappan Chidambaram, India's finance minister, argued that these organisations need to take into account the changing world order, given India and China's integration into the global economy.India, along with China, Brazil, South Africa and Russia, has been invited to take part in the G7 meeting taking place in London on Friday and Saturday. |
2,030 | Row brewing over peer-to-peer ads
Music download networks are proving popular not just with an audience of youngsters keen to take advantage of free music but with advertisers equally keen to reach out to a captive audience.
The debate over the legitimacy of file-sharing networks rages on as the music industry continues its threats to close the services down for good. Meanwhile the millions of downloaders are proving both an advertiser's dream come true and a branding nightmare. Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit - a peer to peer service which provides paid-for music downloads - believes it is time advertisers stopped providing 'oxygen' for companies that support illegal downloading. "You may be surprised to know that current advertisers on the most popular peer to peer service eDonkey who now steadfastly support copyright theft with real cash money include Nat West, Vodafone, O2, First Direct, NTL, and Renault," he said in an open letter to the British Phonographic Industry last month.
He urged people to follow his lead and 'dump' brands associated with companies such as eDonkey. The BPI is equally quick to condemn established brands becoming bedfellows with peer to peer networks. 'Networks like eDonkey, Kazaa and Grokster facilitate illegal filesharing. The BPI strongly believes that any reputable company should look carefully at the support they are giving these networks through their advertising revenue," it said in a statement. "Illegal file-sharers steal millions of pounds worth of music through these services. We are sure that the companies advertising on them would not put up with theft on such a scale from their own businesses," it said. But the issue is often more complicated for advertisers, said Mark Mulligan, a music analyst with Jupiter Research. "This has been a problem for a long time, ever since the days of Napster," he told the BBC News website.
The reality is that the millions of downloaders represent a very attractive audience. "Advertisers probably pay a lot less for putting ads here than on more respected sites and they are reaching the perfect target audience," he said. "If you put the legality issues aside, not to advertise here would mean missing out on a valuable audience," he added. Meanwhile companies contacted by the BBC News website insist that they were not directly aware of where their ads have been appearing. OneTel adverts were spotted on eDonkey this week and its response was typical. "We have investigated this matter and believe that one of our affiliate partners has placed this advert without our knowledge. It is not our policy to advertise through peer-to-peer networks," read a statement from the discount phone firm. It has requested the advert be removed immediately, said a spokeswoman. Similarly telecommunications firm NTL blames its media buying agency which places adverts with third party networks featuring thousands of sites. Since the matter was brought to its attention last month, the agency has strict instructions to make sure ads do not appear on such sites, a spokesman told the BBC News website.
However Mr Mulligan was not entirely convinced by these explanations. While smaller brands might not necessarily be aware of where the money they allocate to online advertising actually ends, this is no excuse for well-known brands, he said. "I would be surprised if these brands didn't have the know-how to prevent this happening," he said. At the moment eDonkey is enjoying the benefits of having some very well-known faces advert on its network. "Many big brands have leveraged the opportunity, including perhaps two of the biggest brands in the world - Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush," said chief executive Sam Yagan. There are some distinct advantages of advertising on such a network, he thinks. "Peer-to-peer clients offer big brands a unique opportunity to engage with their customers where they're most comfortable: at their desks interacting with their favourite digital media," he said.
| The BPI strongly believes that any reputable company should look carefully at the support they are giving these networks through their advertising revenue," it said in a statement.We are sure that the companies advertising on them would not put up with theft on such a scale from their own businesses," it said.It has requested the advert be removed immediately, said a spokeswoman."I would be surprised if these brands didn't have the know-how to prevent this happening," he said.Music download networks are proving popular not just with an audience of youngsters keen to take advantage of free music but with advertisers equally keen to reach out to a captive audience."You may be surprised to know that current advertisers on the most popular peer to peer service eDonkey who now steadfastly support copyright theft with real cash money include Nat West, Vodafone, O2, First Direct, NTL, and Renault," he said in an open letter to the British Phonographic Industry last month.But the issue is often more complicated for advertisers, said Mark Mulligan, a music analyst with Jupiter Research.At the moment eDonkey is enjoying the benefits of having some very well-known faces advert on its network.While smaller brands might not necessarily be aware of where the money they allocate to online advertising actually ends, this is no excuse for well-known brands, he said.Paul Myers, chief executive of Wippit - a peer to peer service which provides paid-for music downloads - believes it is time advertisers stopped providing 'oxygen' for companies that support illegal downloading.Since the matter was brought to its attention last month, the agency has strict instructions to make sure ads do not appear on such sites, a spokesman told the BBC News website."Advertisers probably pay a lot less for putting ads here than on more respected sites and they are reaching the perfect target audience," he said. |
1,954 | Slim PlayStation triples sales
Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale.
Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft's Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track. The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release. Latest figures suggest it has sold more than 677,000 copies.
"It is obviously very, very encouraging for Sony because Microsoft briefly outsold them last week," John Houlihan, editor of Computerandvideogames.com told BBC News. "And with Halo 2 [for Xbox] out next week, it really is a head-to-head contest between them and Xbox."
Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that. The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console. Edinburgh-based developer, Rockstar, which is behind the GTA titles, has seen San Andreas pull in an estimated £24m in gross revenues over the weekend. In comparison, blockbuster films like Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban took £11.5m in its first three days at the UK box office. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took nearly £10m over its opening weekend, although games titles are four to five times more expensive than cinema tickets.
Gangster-themed GTA San Andreas is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto Vice City which previously held the record for the fastest-selling video game ever. The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year. The original title won universal acclaim in 2001, and sold more than four million copies.
Mr Houlihan added that Sony had done well with the PS2, but it definitely helped that the release of San Andreas coincided with the slimline PS2 hitting the shelves. The run-up to Christmas is a huge battlefield for games consoles and titles. Microsoft's Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate. Sony and Microsoft have both reduced console prices recently and are preparing the way for the launches of their next generation consoles in 2005. "Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan.
| The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release.Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that.Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale.The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate.The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year.The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console."Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan.Microsoft's Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales. |
874 | Hitch holds on to US box office
Will Smith's first romantic comedy, Hitch, has topped the North American box office for a second weekend.
Smith plays a New York "date doctor" with love worries of his own in the movie, which took $31.8m (£16.8m). It held off a strong challenge from the new Keanu Reeves sci-fi thriller Constantine which opened at number two with $30.5m (£16.1m) Constantine, based on the Hellblazer comics, stars Reeves as an exorcist who must send Satan's minions back to hell. Two family films came next in the chart, with Wayne Wang's comedy Because of Winn-Dixie, about a young girl and an abandoned dog, in third position with $10.85m (£5.73m).
Comedy adventure Son of the Mask, came in at number four with $7.7m (£4.1m), just ahead of Oscar favourite Million Dollar Baby at five.
Smith's comedy will be the first US movie released this year to top the $100m (£52.7m) mark. It's success continues a strong trend of Hollwood movie-going this year with figures for the popular President's Day weekend 13% greater than last year. Oscar contenders The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and wine-tasting comedy Sideways, both held onto positions in the top 10.
| Smith's comedy will be the first US movie released this year to top the $100m (£52.7m) mark.Oscar contenders The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and wine-tasting comedy Sideways, both held onto positions in the top 10.Will Smith's first romantic comedy, Hitch, has topped the North American box office for a second weekend.Comedy adventure Son of the Mask, came in at number four with $7.7m (£4.1m), just ahead of Oscar favourite Million Dollar Baby at five. |
1,814 | Ivanovic seals Canberra victory
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic captured her first WTA title with a straight-sets victory over Hungarian Melinda Czink in the final of the Canberra Classic.
The 17-year-old took 83 minutes to take the match 7-5 6-1. Ivanovic beat Czink in the last round of qualifying but the Hungarian made the main draw as a lucky loser after Katarina Srebotnik withdrew injured. Ivanovic said: "I was really nervous in the beginning, but I pulled through and didn't do too much wrong." A junior Wimbledon finalist last year, she added: "It's my first WTA title, and to win it has really given me more energy to practice and improve." Ivanovic will play 32nd seed Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic in the first round.said of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
| Serbia's Ana Ivanovic captured her first WTA title with a straight-sets victory over Hungarian Melinda Czink in the final of the Canberra Classic.Ivanovic beat Czink in the last round of qualifying but the Hungarian made the main draw as a lucky loser after Katarina Srebotnik withdrew injured.A junior Wimbledon finalist last year, she added: "It's my first WTA title, and to win it has really given me more energy to practice and improve." |
149 | Saab to build Cadillacs in Sweden
General Motors, the world's largest car maker, has confirmed that it will build a new medium-sized Cadillac BLS at its loss-making Saab factory in Sweden.
The car, unveiled at the Geneva motor show, is intended to compete in the medium-sized luxury car market. It will not be sold in the US, said GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster. As part of its efforts to make the US marque appeal to European drivers, the car will be the first Cadillac with a diesel engine.
GM's announcement should go some way to allay fears of the Saab factory's closure. The factory in Trollhaettan has been at the centre of rumours about GM's planned severe cutbacks in its troubled European operations. But the group's new commitment to the Swedish factory may not be welcomed by the group's Opel workers in Ruesselsheim, Germany. They may now have to face a larger proportion of GM's cuts.
Neither will the announcement be seen as unalloyed good news in Sweden, since it reflects Saab's failure to make significant inroads into the lucrative European luxury car market. For years, Saab has consistently said it is competing head-on with BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar. The segment's leaders do not agree.
GM's plans to build the American marque in Sweden is part of its efforts to push it as an alternative luxury brand for European drivers. In the US, it has long been established as an upmarket brand - even the presidential limousine carries the badge. Yet it could prove tough for Cadillac to steal market share from the majors in Europe. Other luxury car makers, most notably the Toyota subsidiary Lexus, have enjoyed tremendous success in the US without managing to make significant inroads in Europe. There, German marques Mercedes Benz and BMW have retained their stranglehold on the luxury market.
Bringing Cadillac production to Sweden should help introduce desperately-needed scale to the Saab factory, which currently produces fewer than 130,000 cars per year. That is about half of what major car makers consider sufficient numbers for profitable operations, and Saab is losing money fast - albeit with losses halved in 2004 to $200m (£104m; 151m euros) from $500m the previous year. Beyond the 12,000 job cuts announced last year at its European operations, GM is reducing expenditure by building Saabs, Opels - badged as Vauxhalls in the UK - and now Cadillacs on the same framework, and by allowing the different brands to share parts. Another way to further reduce Saab's losses could be to shift some of the production of Saabs to the US, a market where drivers have adopted it as an upmarket European car. Doing so would remove the exposure to the weak US dollar, which is making Saabs more expensive to US consumers. But not everyone in the industry agree that it would be the best way forward. "We know that in five years the US dollar will be stronger than it is today," the chief executive of a leading European car maker told BBC News. The current trend towards US production was "stupid", he said.
In a separate announcement, GM unveiled a new scheme to allow European consumers the chance to test drive its Opel and Vauxhall models. It is to deploy a fleet of 35,000 test cars across 40 countries, inviting potential buyers to try out a vehicle for 24-hours. It follows a similar initiative by GM in the US. GM said it wanted to change "customers' perceptions" about Opel and Vauxhall cars, showing them that the quality had improved in recent years.
| Another way to further reduce Saab's losses could be to shift some of the production of Saabs to the US, a market where drivers have adopted it as an upmarket European car.As part of its efforts to make the US marque appeal to European drivers, the car will be the first Cadillac with a diesel engine.Neither will the announcement be seen as unalloyed good news in Sweden, since it reflects Saab's failure to make significant inroads into the lucrative European luxury car market."We know that in five years the US dollar will be stronger than it is today," the chief executive of a leading European car maker told BBC News.General Motors, the world's largest car maker, has confirmed that it will build a new medium-sized Cadillac BLS at its loss-making Saab factory in Sweden.The car, unveiled at the Geneva motor show, is intended to compete in the medium-sized luxury car market.Other luxury car makers, most notably the Toyota subsidiary Lexus, have enjoyed tremendous success in the US without managing to make significant inroads in Europe.It will not be sold in the US, said GM Europe president Carl-Peter Forster.Bringing Cadillac production to Sweden should help introduce desperately-needed scale to the Saab factory, which currently produces fewer than 130,000 cars per year.GM's plans to build the American marque in Sweden is part of its efforts to push it as an alternative luxury brand for European drivers.Doing so would remove the exposure to the weak US dollar, which is making Saabs more expensive to US consumers.It follows a similar initiative by GM in the US. |
1,426 | Wright-Phillips to start on right
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed Shaun Wright-Phillips will start against the Netherlands.
But Wright-Phillips will not make his first start for England playing on the left, as had been widely expected. "Shaun Wright-Phillips will probably start the game," said Eriksson. "But I'm not going to start Wright-Phillips on the left." Eriksson also revealed that Wes Brown will start alongside Jamie Carragher in the injury-hit centre of defence. When asked if Brown and Carragher would start Eriksson replied: "I could tell you yes. "It's a blow that four or five central defenders are away because of injuries. "On the other hand it's good for Carragher and Brown to show what they can do at this level. That's positive." The England coach said that he had been impressed by Wright-Phillips' form for Manchester City. "He deserves his chance. He has been playing well all season and I look forward to seeing him." And he added that Andy Johnson and Stewart Downing - the other two new players in the squad - would also get a chance to impress. "Wright-Phillips, Downing and Johnson will start or get the chance to play some part. "Johnson was not in my plans a year ago but he is doing a great season and scoring a lot of goals. "Downing is another one making a great season. He is young, talented and there are not too many left-footed players in the squad."
| "Wright-Phillips, Downing and Johnson will start or get the chance to play some part.England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed Shaun Wright-Phillips will start against the Netherlands."Shaun Wright-Phillips will probably start the game," said Eriksson.But Wright-Phillips will not make his first start for England playing on the left, as had been widely expected."But I'm not going to start Wright-Phillips on the left."When asked if Brown and Carragher would start Eriksson replied: "I could tell you yes.And he added that Andy Johnson and Stewart Downing - the other two new players in the squad - would also get a chance to impress. |
1,707 | 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.
| 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.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."Mike had a specialist review on a fracture in his right mid foot," said England doctor Simon Kemp.Robinson is expected to announce his new-look England line-up on Monday for the match at the Millennium Stadium. |
2,198 | Commodore finds new lease of life
The once-famous Commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a US-based digital music distributor.
New owner Yeahronimo Media Ventures has not ruled out the possibility of a new breed of Commodore computers. It also plans to develop a "worldwide entertainment concept" with the brand, although details are not yet known. The groundbreaking Commodore 64 computer elicits fond memories for those who owned one back in the 1980s.
In the chronology of home computing, Commodore was one of the pioneers.
The Commodore 64, launched in 1982, was one of the first affordable home PCs. It was followed a few years later by the Amiga. The Commodore 64 sold more than any other single computer system, even to this day. The brand languished somewhat in the 1990s. Commodore International filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and was sold to Dutch firm Tulip Computers. In the late 1980s the firm was a great rival to Atari, which produced its own range of home computers and is now a brand of video games, formerly known as Infogrames.
Tulip Computers sold several products under the Commodore name, including portable USB storage devices and digital music players. It had planned to relaunch the brand, following an upsurge of nostalgia for 1980s-era games. Commodore 64 enthusiasts have written emulators for Windows PC, Apple Mac and even PDAs so that the original Commodore games can be still run. The sale of Commodore is expected to be complete in three weeks in a deal worth over £17m.
| In the chronology of home computing, Commodore was one of the pioneers.The Commodore 64, launched in 1982, was one of the first affordable home PCs.Commodore International filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and was sold to Dutch firm Tulip Computers.The once-famous Commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a US-based digital music distributor.The Commodore 64 sold more than any other single computer system, even to this day.In the late 1980s the firm was a great rival to Atari, which produced its own range of home computers and is now a brand of video games, formerly known as Infogrames. |
1,309 | Sainsbury's Labour election gift
Science Minister Lord Sainsbury has made a £2m donation to the Labour Party for its General Election fund.
It is the latest hefty donation to the party by the billionaire - he has contributed more than £10m since 1999. David Sainsbury said he was pleased to give cash to a party that had the "vision" to deliver economic prosperity and better public services for Britain. General Secretary Matt Carter said it was "a fantastic gift" that would help Labour "fight and win the election".
"Through the generosity of David Sainsbury and other Labour supporters, Labour will be campaigning hard to take Britain forward and to stop the Tories taking us back," Mr Carter said. Lord Sainsbury added: "I am pleased to be able to make this contribution to the general election funds of the Labour Party because I believe that they are the only party that has the vision to deliver both economic prosperity and better public services for Britain." The 64-year-old latest donation follows a £2.5m gift to the party in 2003. Lord Sainsbury was created a life peer in 1997, a year before he was appointed as minister for science.
| Science Minister Lord Sainsbury has made a £2m donation to the Labour Party for its General Election fund.Lord Sainsbury added: "I am pleased to be able to make this contribution to the general election funds of the Labour Party because I believe that they are the only party that has the vision to deliver both economic prosperity and better public services for Britain."David Sainsbury said he was pleased to give cash to a party that had the "vision" to deliver economic prosperity and better public services for Britain.The 64-year-old latest donation follows a £2.5m gift to the party in 2003. |
577 | Low-budget film wins Cesar
A film that follows a group of alienated youth in a Paris suburb as they prepare to perform an 18th Century play has won France's top cinema award.
L'Esquive earned a Cesar prize for its director, Tunisian-born Abdellatif Kechiche, and its young star, the 18-year-old actress Sara Forestier. It saw off competition from big-budget French epic, A Very Long Engagement, and the box-office hit, The Chorus. US film Lost in Translation won the award for best foreign feature. The wistful romantic comedy directed by Sofia Coppola has already won several awards, including an Oscar for best screenplay in 2004. Its late release in France made it a contender for this year's Cesars.
The low-budget L'Esquive depicts the travails of a group of youth getting ready to perform a school play by the 18th-Century dramatist, Marivaux. The actors are mostly amateurs and the action is set in the impoverished suburbs of Paris, home to thousands of immigrants from North Africa and their children. Kechiche said he made the film because he "wanted to show people we don't normally see at the cinema". A Very Long Engagement, a World War I drama featuring Audrey Tautou, won five Cesar awards. The Chorus, a film about a schoolteacher who introduces an unruly classroom to the pleasures of classical singing, won two awards - for best music and best sound. US actor Will Smith, who won an honorary award at the ceremony, thanked his family and his "hero", Nelson Mandela, in his speech.
| A film that follows a group of alienated youth in a Paris suburb as they prepare to perform an 18th Century play has won France's top cinema award.US film Lost in Translation won the award for best foreign feature.The Chorus, a film about a schoolteacher who introduces an unruly classroom to the pleasures of classical singing, won two awards - for best music and best sound.Kechiche said he made the film because he "wanted to show people we don't normally see at the cinema".A Very Long Engagement, a World War I drama featuring Audrey Tautou, won five Cesar awards. |
1,385 | Running around the Olympics
It was back to official duties last week in my role as an ambassador to London's 2012 Olympic bid. But I still managed to do all my marathon training.
All the sporting people on the capital's bid team think I'm mad to be taking part in the London Marathon. The bid chairman, Lord Coe, admitted he would never dream of running a marathon, even though he was an Olympic middle-distance runner.
Kelly Holmes, former hurdler Alan Pascoe and former sprinter Frankie Fredericks - who is now an IOC member - all wanted to know why anyone would want to run that far. You'd have thought all these athletes, who have been running for most of their lives, wouldn't think it would be that bad. But the only person who was positive about my intentions was Tanni Grey Thompson, who has won the London Marathon wheelchair race six times. Even though it was a very busy week entertaining the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Evaluation Commission, I actually found my running schedule easier to follow. When I'm at home, I get distracted by all sorts of things but for the five days I was in London, I was in a pressurised situation, but I found it easy to relax by running.
On Wednesday, the presentations to the IOC team did not finish until the early evening, so I just managed to squeeze in a 45-minute run. We had an early start on Thursday because we had to visit all the Olympic sites around London, that was pretty shattering, but when we got back to the hotel, I got back on the treadmill. On Friday evening I went along to the special dinner at Buckingham Palace which was a nice occasion. I never feel guilty about eating, especially when I'm exercising. And because it was a rest day I didn't have to feel bad about missing my training either. Anyway, I managed to do another quick run on Saturday ahead of the final IOC presentations, before heading home for my daughter's birthday.
When I was in London I did all of my runs on the treadmill, which isn't the same as exercising outdoors. One of the IOC's technical staff from Australia ran alongside me one day. We talked about the Sydney Olympics and that made the time go past more quickly. I do find it quite comfortable running in the gym because there is more cushioning. But when you're gearing up to running on the road you need your body to get used to that jarring feeling when your feet hit the pavement. It was good to get out on the road for my long run on Sunday. After the week I'd had I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to complete it. But I coped with it very well and, even though it was bitterly cold, I put in 15-and-a-half miles - only another 11 to go then.
- This year Steve will donate all the proceeds from his London Marathon efforts to victims of the tsunami.Steve will be writing a regular column on the ups and downs of his marathon training for the BBC Sport website.He will be raising money through the Steve Redgrave Trust which supports the Association of Children's Hospices, the Children With Leukaemia charity, and the Trust's own project which aims to provide inner-city schools with rowing equipment.
| When I'm at home, I get distracted by all sorts of things but for the five days I was in London, I was in a pressurised situation, but I found it easy to relax by running.The bid chairman, Lord Coe, admitted he would never dream of running a marathon, even though he was an Olympic middle-distance runner.When I was in London I did all of my runs on the treadmill, which isn't the same as exercising outdoors.But the only person who was positive about my intentions was Tanni Grey Thompson, who has won the London Marathon wheelchair race six times.It was good to get out on the road for my long run on Sunday.Even though it was a very busy week entertaining the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Evaluation Commission, I actually found my running schedule easier to follow.And because it was a rest day I didn't have to feel bad about missing my training either.It was back to official duties last week in my role as an ambassador to London's 2012 Olympic bid.But I coped with it very well and, even though it was bitterly cold, I put in 15-and-a-half miles - only another 11 to go then.After the week I'd had I was a bit concerned I wouldn't be able to complete it. |
1,930 | Web logs aid disaster recovery
Some of the most vivid descriptions of the devastation in southern Asia are on the internet - in the form of web logs or blogs.
Bloggers have been offering snapshots of information from around the region and are also providing some useful information for those who want to help. Indian writer Rohit Gupta edits a group blog called Dogs without Borders. When he created it, the site was supposed to be a forum to discuss relations between India and Pakistan. But in the wake of Sunday's tsunami, Mr Gupta and his fellow bloggers switched gears.
They wanted to blog the tsunami and its aftermath. One Sri Lankan blogger in the group goes by the online name Morquendi. With internet service disrupted by the tsunami, Morquendi started sending SMS text messages via cell phone from the affected areas of Sri Lanka. "We started publishing these SMSes," says Mr Gupta.
"Morquendi was describing scenes like 1,600 bodies washed up on a shore, and people burying, and burying and burying them. People digging holes with their hands. And this was coming through an SMS message. "We didn't have visual accounts on radio or on TV, or in the print media." Soon, thousands of web users around the world were logging on to read Morquendi's first hand accounts. In one message, Morquendi wrote about a Sri Lankan woman who was running home with a friend when the wave hit. "She was being swept away," Morquendi's message read. "She grabbed a tree with one hand and her friend with the other. She says she watched the water pull her friend away." Mr Gupta says the power of Morquendi's text message blogs was palpable. "He was running around, looking for friends, burying bodies, carrying bodies," Mr Gupta says of Morquendi. "I can't even begin to imagine the psychological state he was in when he was sending us reports, and doing the relief work at the same time. "He was caught between being a journalist and being a human being."
Others blogs are helping to spread information about relief efforts. Dina Mehta is an Indian blogger who's helping with the newly created South East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog. She says the blog is not meant to be filled with first person accounts. "What we're doing is we're building a resource," she says. "Anyone who says, OK, I want to come and do some work in India, volunteer in India, or in Sri Lanka or Malaysia, this is the sort of one-stop-shop that they can come to for all sorts of resources - emergency help lines, relief agencies, aid agencies, contacts for them etc."
Ms Mehta also says she wishes that governments in the region would realise the power of blogs. "Imagine if they had this resource available to them, if there was a disaster, how quickly you could funnel aid in, and get people to help," she says. Bloggers in the United States are also getting involved. Ramdhan Yadav Kotamaraja is originally from India, but now lives in Dallas. Mr Kotamaraja wanted to help those affected by the tsunami by pooling money with concerned friends. So, he set up an online payment system on his website. Then, says Mr Kotamaraja, the blogging world found out. "All my blogger friends started linking up my site, and I saw a lot of people other than my friends. I'd say 70% of the donations came from people I don't know. "It's simply unbelievable to me, that people that I don't know will come and start donating." News spreads quickly on weblogs, a phenomenon that helps bloggers expand their audience and scope. In Sri Lanka, blogger Morquendi is recruiting others to help. One recruit calls himself Heretic. In one of his latest posts, Heretic asks: "Have you ever seen fishing trawlers on the road? Ever seen a bus inside a house? "Well," Heretic writes, "that was just the least affected areas - so you can just imagine - or can you?" He concludes: "Keep it blogged."
Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production.
| Mr Gupta says the power of Morquendi's text message blogs was palpable."He was running around, looking for friends, burying bodies, carrying bodies," Mr Gupta says of Morquendi.In one message, Morquendi wrote about a Sri Lankan woman who was running home with a friend when the wave hit."Imagine if they had this resource available to them, if there was a disaster, how quickly you could funnel aid in, and get people to help," she says.One Sri Lankan blogger in the group goes by the online name Morquendi.Then, says Mr Kotamaraja, the blogging world found out."She was being swept away," Morquendi's message read.In Sri Lanka, blogger Morquendi is recruiting others to help."We started publishing these SMSes," says Mr Gupta.With internet service disrupted by the tsunami, Morquendi started sending SMS text messages via cell phone from the affected areas of Sri Lanka.And this was coming through an SMS message.Mr Kotamaraja wanted to help those affected by the tsunami by pooling money with concerned friends."All my blogger friends started linking up my site, and I saw a lot of people other than my friends."I can't even begin to imagine the psychological state he was in when he was sending us reports, and doing the relief work at the same time."Well," Heretic writes, "that was just the least affected areas - so you can just imagine - or can you?"But in the wake of Sunday's tsunami, Mr Gupta and his fellow bloggers switched gears.I'd say 70% of the donations came from people I don't know.She says the blog is not meant to be filled with first person accounts. |
964 | MPs to debate 'euthanasia laws'
MPs are preparing to debate a bill which critics claim would legalise euthanasia "by the back door".
The bill would give legal force to "living wills", where people say they want medical treatment withheld if they become severely incapacitated. The Mental Capacity Bill has broad support from charities who say it would give better safeguards over treatment. But Christian groups say it could mean doctors withholding food and fluids even if they think it inappropriate.
Ministers insist the Mental Capacity Bill - for England and Wales - would not change laws on assisted suicide and contains a presumption in favour of preserving life.
The bill would establish a legal presumption that everybody can make decisions about their own treatment unless proved otherwise. It would allow people to give somebody the power of attorney to make decisions on their behalf, which could be challenged by doctors. Critics fear it could allow "killing by omission" through withdrawing treatment. An amendment to the bill - specifically preventing decisions that would bring about death - has been tabled by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. Ninety one MPs have signed a petition backing the amendment. MPs could vote on it later on Tuesday, during the bill's report stage debate. The Bill will then go to a third reading and be debated in the Lords, before becoming law.
The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) and Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) said the Mental Capacity Bill would allow euthanasia by the "back door". Peter Saunders of the CMF said it believed advance refusals should be only advisory, not legally binding. "CMF is concerned that patients will make unwise and hasty advance decisions to refuse food and fluids without being properly informed about the diagnosis and the expected course their illness will take," he said.
The LCF's Andrea Williams said there were "too many loopholes that could be abused by unscrupulous doctors". Ex-Labour minister Frank Field told BBC Two's Newsnight programme there was a danger people would feel under pressure to "do away" with themselves so relatives could inherit their assets.
Constitutional Affairs Minister David Lammy said laws affecting 750,000 people with dementia needed updating. Mr Lammy told BBC News Labour MPs would not get a free vote as the law was being strengthened, not changed. "We are against euthanasia, we are against assisted suicide but we are in a situation now where people can make living wills and that has the force of the common law," he said. "Doctors are saying they want more clarity. Patients are saying they want more clarity." The Making Decisions Alliance, which includes the Alzheimer's Society, Age Concern, Mencap and the National Autistic Society, said misunderstandings over the bill had to be cleared up. "It will not change the current law on euthanasia and will actually provide a series of better safeguards when decisions are made for people who lack capacity," the alliance said in a statement. The British Medical Association also backs the bill, saying it just gives incapacitated people the same rights as others. Debate on legalising euthanasia has intensified in the UK because of cases like that of motor neurone patient Diane Pretty. She died two years ago after losing a legal battle to allow her husband to help her commit suicide.
| The bill would give legal force to "living wills", where people say they want medical treatment withheld if they become severely incapacitated.The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) and Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) said the Mental Capacity Bill would allow euthanasia by the "back door".It would allow people to give somebody the power of attorney to make decisions on their behalf, which could be challenged by doctors.The Mental Capacity Bill has broad support from charities who say it would give better safeguards over treatment."We are against euthanasia, we are against assisted suicide but we are in a situation now where people can make living wills and that has the force of the common law," he said.MPs are preparing to debate a bill which critics claim would legalise euthanasia "by the back door".The bill would establish a legal presumption that everybody can make decisions about their own treatment unless proved otherwise."It will not change the current law on euthanasia and will actually provide a series of better safeguards when decisions are made for people who lack capacity," the alliance said in a statement.Ministers insist the Mental Capacity Bill - for England and Wales - would not change laws on assisted suicide and contains a presumption in favour of preserving life.The British Medical Association also backs the bill, saying it just gives incapacitated people the same rights as others.An amendment to the bill - specifically preventing decisions that would bring about death - has been tabled by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. |
1,611 | Ref stands by Scotland decisions
The referee from Saturday's France v Scotland Six Nations match has defended the officials' handling of the game after criticism by Matt Williams.
The Scotland coach said his side were robbed of victory by poor decisions made by the officials. But Nigel Williams said: "I'm satisfied the game was handled correctly." Meanwhile, Matt Williams will not be punished by the Scottish Rugby Union for allegedly using bad language in his comments about the officials. He denies having done so. Nonetheless, he was furious about several decisions that he felt denied his side a famous victory. But Nigel Williams told the Scottish Daily Mail: "I spoke to Matt Williams at the post-match dinner. "He made no mention of the disallowed try or any other refereeing decisions whatsoever. "If Matt has issues with the match officials, then he is very welcome to phone me and discuss them. "Ultimately there is a match assessor at every international game to give an impartial and objective view of the performance of the officials. "That is the beginning and end of it."
| The referee from Saturday's France v Scotland Six Nations match has defended the officials' handling of the game after criticism by Matt Williams.The Scotland coach said his side were robbed of victory by poor decisions made by the officials.Meanwhile, Matt Williams will not be punished by the Scottish Rugby Union for allegedly using bad language in his comments about the officials."If Matt has issues with the match officials, then he is very welcome to phone me and discuss them.But Nigel Williams told the Scottish Daily Mail: "I spoke to Matt Williams at the post-match dinner. |
360 | Record year for Chilean copper
Chile's copper industry has registered record earnings of $14.2bn in 2004, the governmental Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) has reported.
Strong demand from China's fast-growing economy and high prices have fuelled production, said Cochilco vice president Patricio Cartagena. He added that the boom has allowed the government to collect $950m in taxes. Mr Cartagena said the industry expects to see investment worth $10bn over the next three years.
"With these investments, clearly we are going to continue being the principle actor in the mining of copper. It's a consolidation of the industry with new projects and expansions that will support greater production." Australia's BHP Billiton - which operates La Escondida, the world's largest open pit copper mine - is planning to invest $1.9bn between now and 2007, while state-owned Codelco will spend about $1bn on various projects. Chile, the biggest copper producer in the world, is now analyzing ways of to keep prices stable at their current high levels, without killing off demand or leading customers to look for substitutes for copper. The copper price reached a 16-year high in October 2004. Production in Chile is expected rise 3.5% in 2005 to 5.5 million tonnes, said Mr Cartagena. Cochilco expects for 2005 a slight reduction on copper prices and forecasts export earnings will fall 10.7%.
| Chile's copper industry has registered record earnings of $14.2bn in 2004, the governmental Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) has reported.The copper price reached a 16-year high in October 2004.Chile, the biggest copper producer in the world, is now analyzing ways of to keep prices stable at their current high levels, without killing off demand or leading customers to look for substitutes for copper.Cochilco expects for 2005 a slight reduction on copper prices and forecasts export earnings will fall 10.7%.Strong demand from China's fast-growing economy and high prices have fuelled production, said Cochilco vice president Patricio Cartagena. |
907 | Mrs Howard gets key election role
Michael Howard's ex-model wife, Sandra, is to play a leading role in the Conservative election campaign.
Mrs Howard will make solo visits to target seats as well as accompanying her husband on his helicopter campaign trail criss-crossing the country. Mr Howard will host a news conference at the party's London HQ every morning, Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said. "We want Michael to be as accessible as possible," Mr Fox said, adding that the party was not afraid of scrutiny.
The Tory leader wanted to meet as many ordinary members of the public, Mr Fox said. Tony Blair has also said he is intending to get out and talk to as many people as possible during the election campaign. But Labour campaign chiefs say there are no plans for Mr Blair to hold a daily news conference.
Mr Fox responded by accusing the prime minister of "hiding away from the scrutiny of London's media". The Liberal Democrats also say they are planning to hold daily news conferences with Charles Kennedy. On Mrs Howard's role, Mr Fox said: "Sandra has already been campaigning with Michael on a number of visits and has been undertaking short visits herself. "That pattern will continue. It's worked very well up until now." Mrs Howard made her debut speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth last October. She used her speech on the fringe to highlight the work of a drugs charity, Addaction, which she supports. Mrs Howard has also appeared along side her husband on TV chat shows. During an interview on ITV1's This Morning she said she often criticised her husband for not showing the side of him that she knows.
| Mr Howard will host a news conference at the party's London HQ every morning, Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said.On Mrs Howard's role, Mr Fox said: "Sandra has already been campaigning with Michael on a number of visits and has been undertaking short visits herself."We want Michael to be as accessible as possible," Mr Fox said, adding that the party was not afraid of scrutiny.But Labour campaign chiefs say there are no plans for Mr Blair to hold a daily news conference.Tony Blair has also said he is intending to get out and talk to as many people as possible during the election campaign.Mrs Howard will make solo visits to target seats as well as accompanying her husband on his helicopter campaign trail criss-crossing the country.The Tory leader wanted to meet as many ordinary members of the public, Mr Fox said. |
1,336 | Greek pair attend drugs hearing
Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have appeared before an independent tribunal which will decide if their bans should stand.
They were given provisional suspensions by athletics' ruling body the IAAF in December for failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics. The pair arrived with former coach Christos Tzekos to give evidence at the Hellenic Olympic Committee's offices. A decision is expected to be announced before the end of February. Whatever the ruling, all parties will have the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Yiannis Papadoyiannakis, who was head of the Greek Olympic team at the Athens Games last year, also testified at the tribunal, along with other Greek sports officials and athletes. "I believe the tribunal will reach a decision that will uphold the standing of the institution," said Papadoyiannakis. "Whatever the athletes have done, we must not forget that they have offered us great moments." Kenteris won 200m gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while Thanou won silver in the 100m.
They withdrew from the Athens Games last August after missing drugs tests on the eve of the opening ceremony. The pair spent four days in a hospital, claiming they had been injured in a motorcycle crash. The five-member tribunal, assembled by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics, is also examining allegations that Kenteris and Thanou avoided tests in Tel Aviv and Chicago before the Games. Tzekos was also banned for two years by the IAAF. He faces charges of assisting in the use of prohibited substances and tampering with the doping inspection process. All three, who have repeatedly denied the allegations, have also been charged by a Greek prosecutor and face trial for doping-related charges. A trial date has not been set. In imposing two-year suspensions on the duo on 22 December, the IAAF described their explanations for missing the tests as "unacceptable". But Kenteris' lawyer Gregory Ioannidis told BBC Sport earlier this week he was confident the sprinters would be cleared of the charges of failing to give information on their location and refusing to submit to testing. "We refute both charges as unsubstantiated and illogical," he said. "There have been certain breaches in the correct application of the rules on behalf of the sporting authorities and their officials, and these procedural breaches have also violated my client's rights. "There is also evidence that proves the fact that my client has been persecuted."
| Yiannis Papadoyiannakis, who was head of the Greek Olympic team at the Athens Games last year, also testified at the tribunal, along with other Greek sports officials and athletes.The five-member tribunal, assembled by the Hellenic Association of Amateur Athletics, is also examining allegations that Kenteris and Thanou avoided tests in Tel Aviv and Chicago before the Games.They were given provisional suspensions by athletics' ruling body the IAAF in December for failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics.Tzekos was also banned for two years by the IAAF.Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have appeared before an independent tribunal which will decide if their bans should stand.All three, who have repeatedly denied the allegations, have also been charged by a Greek prosecutor and face trial for doping-related charges."There is also evidence that proves the fact that my client has been persecuted."But Kenteris' lawyer Gregory Ioannidis told BBC Sport earlier this week he was confident the sprinters would be cleared of the charges of failing to give information on their location and refusing to submit to testing."I believe the tribunal will reach a decision that will uphold the standing of the institution," said Papadoyiannakis. |
1,056 | Lawyer attacks anti-terror laws
A senior barrister who has resigned in protest over the government's anti-terror laws says the current system is giving Britain a bad name.
Ian MacDonald QC quit when the government failed to recognise a House of Lords ruling that detaining terror suspects indefinitely is unlawful. He was part of a 19-strong panel who have special security clearance to act for suspected terrorists. Five more barristers are now reported to be threatening to resign.
Mr MacDonald told BBC News: "The reason why I am resigning is because I fundamentally disagree with locking people up without any trial for an indefinite period on reasonable suspicion. "The current legal system is certainly having a very adverse effect on the Muslim community in Britain and the whole Asian community. "I think it is giving Britain a bad name internationally".
Under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act introduced by the government in 2001 in response to the 11 September attacks, foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism who cannot be deported can be held indefinitely without trial. But Mr MacDonald believes that detainees currently being held should be entitled to a trial by jury. "My own view is we need to have a full return to trial by jury, a proper criminal trial with proper accusations. "As far as I'm concerned, the government have to start all over again and rethink their whole strategy for dealing with this." he added.
The Attorney General Lord Goldsmith will receive a letter of resignation from Mr MacDonald on Monday. According to the Independent, his resignation is expected to be followed by those of five other barristers - Nicholas Blake QC, Andrew Nicol QC, Manjit Singh Gill QC, Rick Scannell and Tom de la Mare. They are all believed to be carefully considering their positions on the panel of Special Advocates who represent detainees before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) - a secure court without a jury, which tries terror suspects. Mr MacDonald said he had "no idea" whether further resignations would follow. But Barry Hugill, a spokesman for the campaign group Liberty, told Radio 4's Today programme that more lawyers may go. "I can assure that there is a distinct possibilty that more lawyers may be resigning," he said. "They are now in a situation where everything they have been trained to believe in, the right to trial by jury, has been abandoned and that is what gives some of them sleepless nights."
Helena Kennedy, a Labour peer and a human rights lawyer, said the Special Advocates' main concern was that once they had seen any special intelligence they were not allowed to speak to the detainees. "When this whole procedure was being considered immediately after 11 September there was a great deal of argument particularly in the House of Lords about whether there really was a process that could be considered a judicial review," she said. "Without that you are having detention with no habeus corpus and really a blot, as Ian McDonald has said, on our legal landscape, something really quite shocking with regard to the rule of the law."
| But Mr MacDonald believes that detainees currently being held should be entitled to a trial by jury.Mr MacDonald said he had "no idea" whether further resignations would follow.A senior barrister who has resigned in protest over the government's anti-terror laws says the current system is giving Britain a bad name.Mr MacDonald told BBC News: "The reason why I am resigning is because I fundamentally disagree with locking people up without any trial for an indefinite period on reasonable suspicion.Helena Kennedy, a Labour peer and a human rights lawyer, said the Special Advocates' main concern was that once they had seen any special intelligence they were not allowed to speak to the detainees.Under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act introduced by the government in 2001 in response to the 11 September attacks, foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism who cannot be deported can be held indefinitely without trial."When this whole procedure was being considered immediately after 11 September there was a great deal of argument particularly in the House of Lords about whether there really was a process that could be considered a judicial review," she said.Ian MacDonald QC quit when the government failed to recognise a House of Lords ruling that detaining terror suspects indefinitely is unlawful.They are all believed to be carefully considering their positions on the panel of Special Advocates who represent detainees before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) - a secure court without a jury, which tries terror suspects. |
563 | Horror film heads US box office
A low-budget horror film produced by Evil Dead director Sam Raimi has topped the North American box office.
Boogeyman, which focuses on a man who returns to his childhood home to confront his traumatic past, took $19.5m (£14.9m) in three days. Last week's chart-topper, the Robert de Niro thriller Hide and Seek, fell to number four. Other new entries included The Wedding Date, a comedy starring Will and Grace's Debra Messing, at number two.
The road-trip comedy Are We There Yet? and multiple Oscar nominee Million Dollar Baby completed the top five. Other Oscar contenders, including The Aviator and Sideways, continued to perform strongly at the box office. The Aviator has taken $75m (£40m) so far, while Sideways has taken $46.8m (£24.8m) in a more limited release.
Boogeyman, which cost just $7m (£3.5m) to make, performed well even though it was not screened to critics before release - normally a sign that a film will get bad reviews or perform poorly at the box office. "I certainly believe it's a genre where people are going to be more moved by the marketing materials for the movie than by what the critics say," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony Pictures, which released the film in the US. Overall the weekend box office was strong despite the fact that it was American football's Super Bowl weekend - a time when cinema admissions generally fall. This year, the top 12 films grossed around $91m (£48.3m), compared to 2004's Super Bowl weekend when the total box office was $73.4m (£38.9m).
| This year, the top 12 films grossed around $91m (£48.3m), compared to 2004's Super Bowl weekend when the total box office was $73.4m (£38.9m).Boogeyman, which cost just $7m (£3.5m) to make, performed well even though it was not screened to critics before release - normally a sign that a film will get bad reviews or perform poorly at the box office.Other new entries included The Wedding Date, a comedy starring Will and Grace's Debra Messing, at number two.Other Oscar contenders, including The Aviator and Sideways, continued to perform strongly at the box office.A low-budget horror film produced by Evil Dead director Sam Raimi has topped the North American box office. |
1,975 | 'Blog' picked as word of the year
The term "blog" has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a US dictionary publisher.
Merriam-Webster said "blog" headed the list of most looked-up terms on its site during the last twelve months. During 2004 blogs, or web logs, have become hugely popular and some have started to influence mainstream media. Other words on the Merriam-Webster list were associated with major news events such as the US presidential election or natural disasters that hit the US.
Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks". Its list of most looked-up words is drawn up every year and it discounts terms such as swear words, that everyone likes to look up, or those that always cause problems, such as "affect" and "effect".
Merriam-Webster said "blog" was the word that people have asked to be defined or explained most often over the last 12 months. The word will now appear in the 2005 version of Merriam-Webster's printed dictionary. However, the word is already included in some printed versions of the Oxford English Dictionary. A spokesman for the Oxford University Press said that the word was now being put into other dictionaries for children and learners, reflecting its mainstream use. "I think it was the word of last year rather than this year," he said. "Now we're getting words that derive from it such as 'blogosphere' and so on," he said. "But," he added, "it's a pretty recent thing and in the way that this happens these days it's got established very quickly."
Blogs come in many different forms. Many act as news sites for particular groups or subjects, some are written from a particular political slant and others are simply lists of interesting sites. Other terms in the top 10 were related to natural disasters that have struck the US, such as "hurricane" or were to do with the US election. Words such as "incumbent", "electoral" and "partisan" reflected the scale of interest in the vote. Blogs also proved very useful to both sides in the US election battle because many pundits who maintain their own journals were able to air opinions that would never appear in more mainstream media. Speculation that President Bush was getting help during debates via a listening device was first aired on web logs. Online journals also raised doubts about documents used by US television news organisation CBS in a story about President Bush's war record. The immediacy of many blogs also helped some wield influence over topics that made it in to national press.
This is despite the fact that the number of people reading even the most influential blogs is tiny. Statistics by web influence ranking firm HitWise reveal that the most popular political blog racks up only 0.0051% of all net visits per day. One of the reasons that blogs and regularly updated online journals have become popular is because the software used to put them together make it very easy for people to air their views online. According to blog analysis firm Technorati the number of blogs in existence, the blogosphere, has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months. Technorati now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million. Some speculate that less than a quarter of this number are regularly maintained. According to US research firm Pew Internet & American Life a blog is created every 5.8 seconds. Another trend this year has been the increasing numbers of weblogs that detail the daily lives of many ordinary workers in jobs that few people know much about. In many repressive regimes and developing nations, blogs have been embraced by millions of people keen to give their plight a voice.
| The term "blog" has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a US dictionary publisher.Merriam-Webster said "blog" was the word that people have asked to be defined or explained most often over the last 12 months.According to blog analysis firm Technorati the number of blogs in existence, the blogosphere, has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months.Merriam-Webster said "blog" headed the list of most looked-up terms on its site during the last twelve months.Other words on the Merriam-Webster list were associated with major news events such as the US presidential election or natural disasters that hit the US.Technorati now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million."I think it was the word of last year rather than this year," he said.Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks".A spokesman for the Oxford University Press said that the word was now being put into other dictionaries for children and learners, reflecting its mainstream use.Statistics by web influence ranking firm HitWise reveal that the most popular political blog racks up only 0.0051% of all net visits per day.According to US research firm Pew Internet & American Life a blog is created every 5.8 seconds.The immediacy of many blogs also helped some wield influence over topics that made it in to national press. |
501 | Water firm Suez in Argentina row
A conflict between the Argentine State and water firm Aguas Argentinas, controlled by France's Suez, is casting doubt on the firm's future.
The firm, which serves the province of Buenos Aires, wants a tariff rise of 60% to fund water-supply improvements. The government has rejected the 60% rise and wants Aguas Argentinas to make an annual investment of 400m pesos ($136m; £72.3m) in improvements. Planning Minister Julio De Vido has offered State help but not for "free".
Mr De Vido said that the Argentine state would not make a contribution "in the form of a subsidy".
He has said a contribution could be made in return for a seat on the company's board. He added that the government is in discussions with Aguas Argentinas about what role it might take in the event that a State contribution is agreed. However, Aguas Argentinas told the Argentine newspaper Clarin it would not accept any change to its legal structure and, in practice, this rules out State participation on its board. The Planning Minister didn't rule out the possibility of cancelling Aguas Argentinas water concession. Yet he added that he didn't like to do "futurology". But last week, Argentine Economic Minister, Roberto Lavagna, told the French media in Paris that the government was considering allowing a 16% increase in tariffs and the possibility of a State contribution to Aguas Argentinas infrastructure investments. Speaking in Buenos Aires, Mr De Vido later denied the possibility of any tariff increase and insisted that the annual investment in water infrastructure was at the centre of the discussions. He added that in the coming weeks the future of Aguas Argentinas would be decided. Suez owns 40% of Aguas Argentinas (39.9%), while Spain's Aguas de Barcelona is its second biggest shareholder with 25.01%. Recently, Suez lost a water concession in Bolivia after mass protests in the city of El Alto (the poorest in the country), with citizens complaining of unfair water charges. This forced the government to cancel the contract.
In Argentina, Suez's subsidiary, which has been fined for cutting the supply of water during a recent heat wave and allegedly failing to keep up investment to meet the demand for water, has maintained a tense relationship with the Argentine government. During the last financial crisis in Argentina, the firm sued the state alleging that converting its tariffs from US dollars to pesos, and then freezing them during devaluation, had affected the company and made it difficult for it to meet its contractual obligations. When President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina arrived in power he began to negotiate a solution to the disagreements with international utilities operating in Argentina. But he has rejected any tariff increases, alleging this will impoverish citizens further. He has also asked for more investments to meet the growing demand for water. On May 2004, Aguas Argentinas and the government signed an agreement to renegotiate its Buenos Aires water-concession contract. The firm agreed to invest 242m pesos. The issue has attracted European interest. Last week in Paris, President Kirchner discussed this problem and other issues with French president Jacques Chirac. The Argentine government is also under pressure from European Union countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise utilities tariffs, because most of the utilities operating in Argentina are European.
| The government has rejected the 60% rise and wants Aguas Argentinas to make an annual investment of 400m pesos ($136m; £72.3m) in improvements.But last week, Argentine Economic Minister, Roberto Lavagna, told the French media in Paris that the government was considering allowing a 16% increase in tariffs and the possibility of a State contribution to Aguas Argentinas infrastructure investments.He added that the government is in discussions with Aguas Argentinas about what role it might take in the event that a State contribution is agreed.A conflict between the Argentine State and water firm Aguas Argentinas, controlled by France's Suez, is casting doubt on the firm's future.The Planning Minister didn't rule out the possibility of cancelling Aguas Argentinas water concession.In Argentina, Suez's subsidiary, which has been fined for cutting the supply of water during a recent heat wave and allegedly failing to keep up investment to meet the demand for water, has maintained a tense relationship with the Argentine government.On May 2004, Aguas Argentinas and the government signed an agreement to renegotiate its Buenos Aires water-concession contract.He added that in the coming weeks the future of Aguas Argentinas would be decided.Suez owns 40% of Aguas Argentinas (39.9%), while Spain's Aguas de Barcelona is its second biggest shareholder with 25.01%.However, Aguas Argentinas told the Argentine newspaper Clarin it would not accept any change to its legal structure and, in practice, this rules out State participation on its board.He has also asked for more investments to meet the growing demand for water. |
1,158 | Howard taunts Blair over splits
Tony Blair's feud with Gordon Brown is damaging the way the UK is governed, Tory leader Michael Howard has claimed in a heated prime minister's questions.
Mr Howard asked: "How can they fight crime when they are fighting each other?" That question was later unveiled as the headline for new Tory campaign posters. But Mr Blair dismissed the talk of splits and said people's priorities at the next elections would be on the economic successes achieved by Labour. "He can stick up whatever he likes on billboards about something in a book but what the public will concentrate on are the low mortgages, low inflation, low unemployment that we delivered and that he failed to," he said. The chancellor is currently on a high-profile tour of Africa to highlight new anti-poverty plans. But before doing so, he insisted he still trusted Mr Blair, despite claims to the contrary in a new book.
Brown's Britain, by Robert Peston, says there is mutual animosity between the two men. It claims Mr Blair said in November 2003 he would stand down as prime minister before the next election. But he went back on his pledge after support from Cabinet allies and suspicion that Mr Brown was manoeuvring against him, it says.
Mr Peston's book claimed that Mr Brown told Mr Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe." Mr Blair directly denied that quote on Wednesday. He again insisted there could be no deals about the premiership but twice declined directly to say whether or not he had offered to quit.
The Tory leader countered that such agreements had been struck twice at dinners with the chancellor. He declared: "He is the deals on meals prime minister. No wonder the chancellor is not a happy eater." He continued: "How can there be discipline in schools when there is no discipline in government, how can they clean up our hospitals when they don't clean up their act?" Mr Blair said he would not respond to "tittle tattle in books" and promised to hail Labour's record on the economy, waiting lists and law and order "from now until polling day". Later at their poster launch Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said his party would exploit opportunities to show how "juvenile" the prime minister and chancellor were.
Labour staged a show of unity at its own poster launch on Tuesday, where Mr Brown was joined by Alan Milburn, who Mr Blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor. But Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy told BBC News: "The government is clearly split at the top. This kind of cosmetic exercise does not persuade anybody." Later this week Mr Blair is expected to outline the direction of his party's next election manifesto. The prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at Monday's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims made Mr Peston's book.
| It claims Mr Blair said in November 2003 he would stand down as prime minister before the next election.Mr Peston's book claimed that Mr Brown told Mr Blair: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."Labour staged a show of unity at its own poster launch on Tuesday, where Mr Brown was joined by Alan Milburn, who Mr Blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor.The prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at Monday's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims made Mr Peston's book.But Mr Blair dismissed the talk of splits and said people's priorities at the next elections would be on the economic successes achieved by Labour.But before doing so, he insisted he still trusted Mr Blair, despite claims to the contrary in a new book.Mr Blair directly denied that quote on Wednesday.Later at their poster launch Tory co-chairman Liam Fox said his party would exploit opportunities to show how "juvenile" the prime minister and chancellor were.Later this week Mr Blair is expected to outline the direction of his party's next election manifesto.Mr Blair said he would not respond to "tittle tattle in books" and promised to hail Labour's record on the economy, waiting lists and law and order "from now until polling day". |
1,006 | UK heading wrong way - Howard
Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said.
"Britain is heading in the wrong direction", the Conservative leader said in his New Year message. Mr Blair's government was a "bossy, interfering government that takes decisions that should be made by individuals," he added. But Labour's campaign spokesman Fraser Kemp responded: "Britain is working, don't let the Tories wreck it again". Mr Howard also paid tribute to the nation's character for its generous response to the Asian quake disaster. The catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year, Mr Howard said.
"We watched the scenes of destruction with a sense of disbelief. The scale, the speed, the ferocity of what happened on Boxing Day is difficult to grasp. "Yet Britain's response has shone a light on our nation's character. The last week has shown that the warm, caring heart of Britain beats as strong as ever." He went on to reflect on the values that "most Britons hold dear". Looking ahead to the coming general election, he pledged to "turn these beliefs into reality" and set out the choices he says are facing Britain. "How much tax do people want to pay? Who will give taxpayers value for money, the clean hospitals and good, disciplined schools they want? "Who can be trusted to get a grip on the disorder on our streets and the chaos in our immigration system?"
Mr Blair has failed to tackle these problems, he claimed, saying he has the "wrong solution" to them.
"The result is big government and higher taxes eroding incentives, undermining enterprise and denying people choice. "Worst of all, it is a government that has wasted people's money and failed to tackle the problems families face today." The Tories, he said, can cut crime and improve public services without asking people to pay more taxes. "We can have progress without losing what makes Britain great - its tolerance, the respect for the rule of law, the ability of everyone to fulfil their potential. "We simply need to change direction. The election will give Britain the chance to change." This is the record Mr Blair will have to defend in the coming months, he said, urging voters to hold him to account.
But Labour spokesman Mr Kemp said: "It would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 April, not 1 January." "Let us never forget that when Michael Howard was in government Britain suffered mass unemployment, 15% interest rates, record home repossessions, and the introduction of the poll tax. "With Labour Britain is working. Rather than alluding to false promises Michael Howard should be starting 2005 with an apology to the British people for the misery that the government, of which he was a member, inflicted upon the country.
| Tony Blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing Britain and has failed, Michael Howard has said.The election will give Britain the chance to change."Mr Blair has failed to tackle these problems, he claimed, saying he has the "wrong solution" to them."Let us never forget that when Michael Howard was in government Britain suffered mass unemployment, 15% interest rates, record home repossessions, and the introduction of the poll tax."Britain is heading in the wrong direction", the Conservative leader said in his New Year message."With Labour Britain is working.The catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year, Mr Howard said.This is the record Mr Blair will have to defend in the coming months, he said, urging voters to hold him to account."Worst of all, it is a government that has wasted people's money and failed to tackle the problems families face today."The last week has shown that the warm, caring heart of Britain beats as strong as ever."But Labour spokesman Mr Kemp said: "It would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 April, not 1 January." |
1,875 | 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.
| 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.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.A blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps."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."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.To study "space weather" Mr Wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models.He tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. |
161 | Ex-Boeing director gets jail term
An ex-chief financial officer at Boeing has received a four-month jail sentence and a fine of $250,000 (£131,961) for illegally hiring a top Air Force aide.
Michael Sears admitted his guilt in breaking conflict of interest laws by recruiting Darleen Druyun while she still handled military contracts. Ms Druyun is currently serving a nine month sentence for favouring Boeing when awarding lucrative contracts. Boeing lost a $23bn government contract after a Pentagon inquiry into the case. The contract, to provide refuelling tankers for the US Air Force, was cancelled last year.
The Pentagon revealed earlier this week that it would examine eight other contracts worth $3bn which it believes may have been tainted by Ms Druyun's role in the procurement process. Boeing sacked Mr Sears and Ms Druyun in November 2003 after allegations that they had violated company recruitment policy. Ms Druyun had talks with Mr Sears in October 2002 about working for Boeing, while she was still a top procurement official within the Pentagon. She subsequently joined the company in January 2003. Ms Druyun admitted that she had steered multi-billion dollar contracts to Boeing and other favoured companies.
In documents filed in a Virginia court ahead of Mr Sears' sentencing, prosecutors blamed Boeing's senior management for failing to ask key questions about the "legal and ethical issues" surrounding Ms Druyun's appointment. Mr Sears told prosecutors that no other Boeing officials were aware that Ms Druyun was still responsible for major procurement decisions at the time she was discussing a job with Boeing. However, analysts believe Boeing may yet face civil charges arising from the scandal. The Pentagon has investigated 400 contracts, dating back to 1993, since the allegations against Ms Druyun came to light.
Boeing's corporate ethics have come under scrutiny on several occasions in recent years. Boeing was sued by Lockheed Martin after its rival accused it of industrial espionage during a 1998 contract competition. Boeing apologised publicly for the affair - although it claimed it did not gain any unfair advantage - and pledged to improve its procedures. The Pentagon subsequently revoked $1bn worth of contracts assigned to Boeing and prohibited the Seattle-based company from future rocket work.
| Ms Druyun had talks with Mr Sears in October 2002 about working for Boeing, while she was still a top procurement official within the Pentagon.Mr Sears told prosecutors that no other Boeing officials were aware that Ms Druyun was still responsible for major procurement decisions at the time she was discussing a job with Boeing.Boeing sacked Mr Sears and Ms Druyun in November 2003 after allegations that they had violated company recruitment policy.Ms Druyun admitted that she had steered multi-billion dollar contracts to Boeing and other favoured companies.The Pentagon subsequently revoked $1bn worth of contracts assigned to Boeing and prohibited the Seattle-based company from future rocket work.Boeing lost a $23bn government contract after a Pentagon inquiry into the case.Ms Druyun is currently serving a nine month sentence for favouring Boeing when awarding lucrative contracts.Boeing was sued by Lockheed Martin after its rival accused it of industrial espionage during a 1998 contract competition. |
2,045 | Halo 2 heralds traffic explosion
The growing popularity of online gaming could spell problems for net service firms, warns network monitoring company Sandvine.
It issued the warning following analysis which shows that traffic on the Xbox game network increased fourfold on the launch day of Halo 2. The 9 November traffic explosion has continued into December, said Sandvine. Service providers now need to make sure that their networks can cope with the increasing demands for bandwidth. As well as being a popular single-player title, Halo 2 can be connected to Microsoft's subscription-based broadband network, Xbox Live. Gamers who want to play online can create their own clan, or team, and take on others to see how well they compare.
But the surge in numbers and huge demands for bandwidth should be a wake-up call to the industry which must ensure that their networks can cope with the increases in traffic, said Sandvine's chief technology officer Marc Morin.
In a bid to cope and ease congestion, providers are increasingly making their networks intelligent, finding out who is using bandwidth and for what. It could become common to charge people for the amount of bandwidth they use. "The explosion in Xbox Live traffic attributed to Halo 2 should be seen as a clarion call," he said. "ISPs need to enhance the broadband experience for these high-end users by prioritising or reserving bandwidth for games," he added.
One of the main factors that spoils online gaming is "lag" in which there is a noticeable delay between a gamer clicking on a mouse or keyboard and what happens in the online gaming world. Gamers tend to migrate toward networks with the lowest "lag". Analysing traffic will become increasingly important for service providers if they are to hold on to bandwidth-hungry gamers said Lindsay Schroth, an analyst with research firm The Yankee Group. "In the competitive broadband environment, operators need to differentiate the way they offer access to services like live-play gaming," she said. In countries such as Korea, which has high levels of fast net connections to homes, online gaming is hugely popular.
| Service providers now need to make sure that their networks can cope with the increasing demands for bandwidth.The growing popularity of online gaming could spell problems for net service firms, warns network monitoring company Sandvine.But the surge in numbers and huge demands for bandwidth should be a wake-up call to the industry which must ensure that their networks can cope with the increases in traffic, said Sandvine's chief technology officer Marc Morin."The explosion in Xbox Live traffic attributed to Halo 2 should be seen as a clarion call," he said.As well as being a popular single-player title, Halo 2 can be connected to Microsoft's subscription-based broadband network, Xbox Live.In a bid to cope and ease congestion, providers are increasingly making their networks intelligent, finding out who is using bandwidth and for what.Analysing traffic will become increasingly important for service providers if they are to hold on to bandwidth-hungry gamers said Lindsay Schroth, an analyst with research firm The Yankee Group. |
817 | Carry On star Patsy Rowlands dies
Actress Patsy Rowlands, known to millions for her roles in the Carry On films, has died at the age of 71.
Rowlands starred in nine of the popular Carry On films, alongside fellow regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor. She also carved out a successful television career, appearing for many years in ITV's well-loved comedy Bless This House. Rowlands died in Hove on Saturday morning, her agent said.
Born in January 1934, Rowlands won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama scholarship when she was just 15.
After spending several years at the Players Theatre in London, she made her film debut in 1963 in Tom Jones, directed by Tony Richardson. She made her first Carry On film in 1969 where she appeared in Carry On Again Doctor. Rowlands played the hard-done-by wife or the put-upon employee as a regular Carry On star. She also appeared in Carry On at your Convenience, Carry On Matron and Carry On Loving, as well as others.
In recent years she appeared in BBC mini-series The Cazalets and played Mrs Potts in the London stage version of Beauty and the Beast. Agent Simon Beresford said: "She was just an absolutely favourite client She never complained about anything, particularly when she was ill, she was an old trouper. "She was of the old school - she had skills from musical theatre and high drama, that is why she worked with the great and the good of directors. "She didn't mind always being recognised for the Carry On films because she thoroughly enjoyed making them. She was a really lovely person and she will be much missed." Her last appearance on stage was as Mrs Pearce in the award-winning production of My Fair Lady at the National Theatre. Previously married, she leaves one son, Alan. Her funeral will be a private, family occasion, with a memorial service at a later date.
| She made her first Carry On film in 1969 where she appeared in Carry On Again Doctor.She also appeared in Carry On at your Convenience, Carry On Matron and Carry On Loving, as well as others.Rowlands played the hard-done-by wife or the put-upon employee as a regular Carry On star.Actress Patsy Rowlands, known to millions for her roles in the Carry On films, has died at the age of 71.Agent Simon Beresford said: "She was just an absolutely favourite client She never complained about anything, particularly when she was ill, she was an old trouper.Born in January 1934, Rowlands won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama scholarship when she was just 15.Rowlands starred in nine of the popular Carry On films, alongside fellow regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor. |
514 | Richard and Judy choose top books
The 10 authors shortlisted for a Richard and Judy book award in 2005 are hoping for a boost in sales following the success of this year's winner.
The TV couple's interest in the book world coined the term "the Richard & Judy effect" and created the top two best-selling paperbacks of 2004 so far. The finalists for 2005 include Andrew Taylor's The American Boy and Robbie Williams' autobiography Feel. This year's winner, Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, sold over one million. Joseph O'Connor's Star of the Sea came second and saw sales increase by 350%. The best read award, on Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's Channel 4 show, is part of the British Book Awards. David Mitchell's Booker-shortlisted novel, Cloud Atlas, makes it into this year's top 10 along with several lesser known works.
"There's no doubt that this year's selection of book club entries is the best yet. If anything, the choice is even wider than last time," said Madeley. "It was very hard to follow last year's extremely successful list, but we think this year's books will do even better," said Richard and Judy executive producer Amanda Ross. "We were spoiled for choice and it was tough getting down to only 10 from the 301 submitted."
| "It was very hard to follow last year's extremely successful list, but we think this year's books will do even better," said Richard and Judy executive producer Amanda Ross.The 10 authors shortlisted for a Richard and Judy book award in 2005 are hoping for a boost in sales following the success of this year's winner.The best read award, on Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's Channel 4 show, is part of the British Book Awards."There's no doubt that this year's selection of book club entries is the best yet.The TV couple's interest in the book world coined the term "the Richard & Judy effect" and created the top two best-selling paperbacks of 2004 so far. |
2,174 | Chip maker backs net phone calls
Rich Templeton, the head of giant chip maker Texas Instruments, has given his backing to the growing sector of Voice over Internet Telephony (Voip)
Voip allows PC users, and in some cases those with just a broadband connection, to make telephone calls via the net. Mr Templeton said Voip would be the next major application to drive broadband connections into homes. Internet service provider Wanadoo has announced it is launching its own broadband telephony service in the UK.
Subscribers to Wanadoo's broadband service will be able to use the service to make free evening and weekend calls to any UK landline, and free calls at any time to other Wanadoo users. The service will cost an extra £4 a month and will come with a free Livebox, the broadband hub which Wanadoo plans will be used in future to provide video-on-demand and home security services. The secondary phone line will mean customers can have an extra home phone number and will also provide wireless internet access around the home. Eventually the service will replace existing landline services as Wanadoo goes head to head with BT. "Voice-over broadband is a key trend across Europe and is set to have a dramatic impact on the telecommunications industry, " Eric Abensur, Wanadoo's chief executive told the BBC News website. Mr Templeton said he agreed. "Voice-over-packet is going to be the second killer application after broadband internet access," he said. The world's largest maker of chips for mobile phones believes the technology will grow rapidly from the relatively small user base it has currently.
Almost 83 million people have downloaded the software that powers the Skype Voip service, according to the net telephony firm's website. Skype lets people make free calls to other Skype users and also make low-cost calls to ordinary phone numbers. US firm Vonage also offers a Voip service, but one which lets people plug an ordinary phone into a broadband router to make calls. Bill Simmelink, general manager of TI's Voip business, said the technology would only take off when people were making net calls with the ease of making a normal call. "It's not about the pipe, if you will, or the silicon per se, it's about the application," he said.
"We want to communicate freely, effortlessly and economically wherever we are." In a sign that Voip is seeping into the mainstream, giant ISP AOL announced on Tuesday that it had plans to launch a net-based phone service for some of its members within the month. Customers will continue to use their traditional phones, but they will plug them into adapters connected to their broadband source rather than the jack provided by the telephone company. Calls are received and placed just like on the old telephone network. "We can help mass-market adoption of Voip," said AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller. "We can utilise our national footprint. We can help the entire industry become well known."
| US firm Vonage also offers a Voip service, but one which lets people plug an ordinary phone into a broadband router to make calls.Rich Templeton, the head of giant chip maker Texas Instruments, has given his backing to the growing sector of Voice over Internet Telephony (Voip) Voip allows PC users, and in some cases those with just a broadband connection, to make telephone calls via the net.Subscribers to Wanadoo's broadband service will be able to use the service to make free evening and weekend calls to any UK landline, and free calls at any time to other Wanadoo users.Internet service provider Wanadoo has announced it is launching its own broadband telephony service in the UK.Mr Templeton said Voip would be the next major application to drive broadband connections into homes."Voice-over-packet is going to be the second killer application after broadband internet access," he said.The service will cost an extra £4 a month and will come with a free Livebox, the broadband hub which Wanadoo plans will be used in future to provide video-on-demand and home security services.Skype lets people make free calls to other Skype users and also make low-cost calls to ordinary phone numbers.Almost 83 million people have downloaded the software that powers the Skype Voip service, according to the net telephony firm's website."We can help mass-market adoption of Voip," said AOL chief executive Jonathan Miller. |
2,224 | US cyber security chief resigns
The man making sure US computer networks are safe and secure has resigned after only a year in his post.
Amit Yoran was director of the National Cyber Security Division within the US Department of Homeland Security created following the 9/11 attacks. The division was tasked with improving US defences against malicious hackers, viruses and other net-based threats. Reports suggest he left because his division was not given enough clout within the larger organisation.
Mr Yoran took up his post in September 2003 and his first task was to get the Cyber Security Division up and running. The organisation had a staff of about 60 people and a budget of about $80m (£44.54m). The division was charged with thinking up and carrying out action to make US networks more impervious to attack and disruption by the viruses, worms and hack attacks that have become commonplace.
In the last 12 months Mr Yoran oversaw the creation of a cyber alert system that sends out warnings about big hitting viruses and net attacks as they occur. The warnings also contained information about how firms and organisations could protect themselves against these attacks. The Cyber Security Division also audited US government networks to discover exactly what was sitting on which network. The next step was to be the creation of a scanning system to identify vulnerabilities that made federal networks and machines susceptible to attack by malicious hackers and virus writers. Mr Yoran's division was also doing work to identify the networks and machines that had been broken into by cyber criminals. Despite this success Mr Yoran left his post abruptly at the end of last week, reportedly only giving one day's notice to bosses at the Department of Homeland Security. "Amit Yoran has been a valuable contributor on cyber security issues over the past year, and we appreciate his efforts in starting the department's cybersecurity program," said a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman. Some reports have suggested that Mr Yoran felt frustrated by the lack of prominence given to work to protect against net-based threats in the wider homeland organisation. An attempt by US politicians to pass a law to promote Mr Yoran and raise the profile of his department's work is now mired in Congress.
| Amit Yoran was director of the National Cyber Security Division within the US Department of Homeland Security created following the 9/11 attacks.The Cyber Security Division also audited US government networks to discover exactly what was sitting on which network.Mr Yoran took up his post in September 2003 and his first task was to get the Cyber Security Division up and running.Mr Yoran's division was also doing work to identify the networks and machines that had been broken into by cyber criminals.The division was tasked with improving US defences against malicious hackers, viruses and other net-based threats.Reports suggest he left because his division was not given enough clout within the larger organisation.Some reports have suggested that Mr Yoran felt frustrated by the lack of prominence given to work to protect against net-based threats in the wider homeland organisation. |
717 | Jungle TV show ratings drop by 4m
The finale of ITV1's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here drew an average of 10.9m viewers - about four million fewer than the previous series.
The fourth series of the show peaked on Monday at 11.9m and 49.2% of the audience, just before Joe Pasquale won. This compared with a peak of 15.3m at and a record 62.2% of the TV audience when Kerry McFadden won in February. Comic Pasquale beat former Royal butler Paul Burrell who came second, nightclub owner Fran Cosgrave, who was third. Pasquale follows Kerry McFadden, Phil Tufnell and Tony Blackburn as winners of the show.
Singer and TV presenter McFadden was the show's first female winner. When cricketer Phil Tufnell won in May 2003, 12.3 million people - 50% of the viewing public - tuned in to watch. And when Tony Blackburn won the first show in 2002, 10.9 million people saw the show. Pasquale had been the show's hottest ever favourite to win, and its hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, known as Ant and Dec, said Monday's deciding vote was the closest in the programme's history.
Pascuale has been flooded with offers of TV work, according to his management company, but one of his first jobs on his return is pantomime.
Before joining I'm a Celebrity, he had signed up to play Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk in Birmingham, and tickets for the show have become increasingly popular since he joined the TV show. His manager Robert Voice said: "We've had interest from different TV producers. Some are for comedy shows, some are new-type projects. "There are a number of things Joe wants to do. He is very ambitious. "He wants to play the West End and do different things other than straightforward comedy. We are talking to a couple of West End producers about a musical."
| Pasquale follows Kerry McFadden, Phil Tufnell and Tony Blackburn as winners of the show.Singer and TV presenter McFadden was the show's first female winner.And when Tony Blackburn won the first show in 2002, 10.9 million people saw the show."He wants to play the West End and do different things other than straightforward comedy.The fourth series of the show peaked on Monday at 11.9m and 49.2% of the audience, just before Joe Pasquale won.Before joining I'm a Celebrity, he had signed up to play Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk in Birmingham, and tickets for the show have become increasingly popular since he joined the TV show.This compared with a peak of 15.3m at and a record 62.2% of the TV audience when Kerry McFadden won in February. |
961 | Guantanamo pair's passport ban
The government has written to two of the British men freed from Guantanamo Bay telling them they will not be allowed passports.
A letter sent to Martin Mubanga said his British passport would not be issued in the light of evidence gathered against him by the US. This suggested he was likely to take part in action against UK or allied targets if he left Britain, it said. An identical letter has been sent to Feroz Abbasi, the men's solicitor says.
It is not known whether the other two men released from the Cuba detention camp in January - Richard Belmar and Moazzam Begg - have also received letters. The government is implementing the rarely used Royal Prerogative in order to withdraw the men's passports. It is only the 13th time the power has been used since 1947 - the last time was in 1976. The letter, from the Home Office, says: "I am writing to inform you that on the basis of the information which has come to light during your detention by the United States, the home secretary considered that there are strong grounds for believing that, on leaving the United Kingdom, you would take part in activities against the United Kingdom, or allied targets."
The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.
The Liberal Democrats say they suspect the move is part of a package of security measures agreed with the US in order for the men to be allowed home from Guantanamo Bay.
Home Affairs spokesman Mark Oaten also demanded assurances that the evidence against the men was not gained under torture. He added: "The power should only be used in absolute extreme circumstances and I find it hard to believe that these conditions have been met this time." He said the move also raised complex questions about the use of the Royal Prerogative. The Liberal Democrats have promised to raise the issue in Parliament.
Amnesty International UK also questioned whether the decisions had been based on "torture evidence" obtained at Guantanamo Bay. "Furthermore, we believe there should be an investigation into the role played by the UK in the detention of UK residents and nationals and possibly many others at Guantanamo Bay," said director Kate Allen. The men's solicitor, Louise Christian, has raised questions about whether the evidence was gathered through torture. But the Pentagon told BBC News US policy "condemns and prohibits" torture and said there was no evidence that any British detainee was tortured or abused. Mr Abbasi, 23, from Croydon, south London, was taken to Guantanamo Bay after being captured in Afghanistan in 2001. Mr Mubanga, 29, from north London, was originally detained in Zambia.
| The men's solicitor, Louise Christian, has raised questions about whether the evidence was gathered through torture.But the Pentagon told BBC News US policy "condemns and prohibits" torture and said there was no evidence that any British detainee was tortured or abused.The Liberal Democrats say they suspect the move is part of a package of security measures agreed with the US in order for the men to be allowed home from Guantanamo Bay.Home Affairs spokesman Mark Oaten also demanded assurances that the evidence against the men was not gained under torture.Amnesty International UK also questioned whether the decisions had been based on "torture evidence" obtained at Guantanamo Bay.The government has written to two of the British men freed from Guantanamo Bay telling them they will not be allowed passports.Mr Abbasi, 23, from Croydon, south London, was taken to Guantanamo Bay after being captured in Afghanistan in 2001.A letter sent to Martin Mubanga said his British passport would not be issued in the light of evidence gathered against him by the US. |
590 | US TV cuts nudity from BBC film
A US TV network is editing BBC Films' Dirty War to avoid showing the front of a nude woman being scrubbed down after a fictional chemical attack.
It is not worth showing "non-essential" nude scenes when indecency complaints are "aggressively pursued" by US TV watchdogs, said PBS' Jacoba Atlas. Dirty War - screened uncut on BBC One last September - depicts a dirty bomb attack on the City of London. It is also being screened uncut on US cable channel HBO on 24 January. PBS said it will use extra footage for its broadcast, showing the woman "from a more discreet angle" instead.
The US Federal Communications Commission fined CBS $550,000 (£306,814) last autumn for singer Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction", during which her breast was exposed during a dance routine with Justin Timberlake. Many US networks and broadcasters are now more nervous about airing nudity, violence or bad language. Ms Atlas said PBS could put itself financially at risk if it showed the uncut version of Dirty War, and it could also deter many of its 170 individual stations from airing "an important film". "You want to pick your battles," she said. She added that PBS, which is a private, non-profit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations, is bolder about screening non-fiction or historical programming. PBS is seen in virtually all US homes with TV, and describes itself as a "trusted community resource" serving nearly 100 million people each week.
| It is not worth showing "non-essential" nude scenes when indecency complaints are "aggressively pursued" by US TV watchdogs, said PBS' Jacoba Atlas.A US TV network is editing BBC Films' Dirty War to avoid showing the front of a nude woman being scrubbed down after a fictional chemical attack.Ms Atlas said PBS could put itself financially at risk if it showed the uncut version of Dirty War, and it could also deter many of its 170 individual stations from airing "an important film".PBS said it will use extra footage for its broadcast, showing the woman "from a more discreet angle" instead.It is also being screened uncut on US cable channel HBO on 24 January. |
2,053 | Robotic pods take on car design
A new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by Japanese car giant Toyota.
The company's vision for the single passenger in the 21st Century involves the driver cruising by in a four-wheeled leaf-like device or strolling along encased in an egg-shaped cocoon that walks upright on two feet. Both these prototypes will be demonstrated, along with other concept vehicles and helper robots, at the Toyota stand at the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, in March 2005. The models are being positioned as so-called personal mobility devices, which have few limits. The open leaf-like "i-unit" vehicle is the latest version of the concept which the company introduced last year. Built using environmentally friendly plant-based materials, the single passenger unit is equipped with intelligent transport system technologies that allow for safe autopilot driving in specially equipped lanes. The model allows the user to make tight on-the-spot turns, move upright amongst other people at low speeds and can be easily switched into a reclining position at higher speeds. Body colours can be customized to suit individual preferences and a personal recognition system offers both information and music.
Also on display at the show will be the egg-shaped "i-foot". This is a two-legged mountable robot like device that can be controlled with a joystick.
Standing at a height of well over seven feet (2.1 metres), the unit can walk along at a speed of about 1.35km/h (0.83mph) and navigate staircases into the bargain. Mounting and dismounting is accomplished with the aid of the bird-like legs that bend over backwards. "They are clearly what we call concept vehicles, innovative ideas which have yet to be transformed into potential products and which are a few years away from actual production," said Dr David Gillingwater from the Transport Studies Group at Loughborough University. "They clearly have eye-catching appeal, which is in part the name of the game here, and are linked to the iMac and iPod-type niche which Apple have been responsible for developing and leading in recent years - new, different, hi-tech, image conscious products. "As always with these concept vehicles, it is difficult to see 'who' they would appeal to and what their role would be in the 'personal transport' marketplace."
The personal transport arena is taking on a new dimension though with futuristic devices that augment human capabilities. Toyota's prototypes represent the latest incarnation of wearable exoskeletons in a vehicular form that is specially focused on transport. Powered robotic exoskeletons have been the focus of much US military research over the years and Japan seems to have jumped onto the bandwagon with a wave of products being developed for specific applications. With an emerging range of devices targeted towards the ageing world population, care giving and the military, wearable exoskeletons seem to represent a new line of future technologies that meet an individual's particular mobility needs. While Toyota's prototypes are geared towards mass transport, the company says that the vehicles will allow the elderly and the disabled to achieve independent mobility.
Experts, though, are a bit sceptical of their acceptance in this area.
"Those with arguably the greatest needs for this sort of assistance, now and certainly in the future, are the elderly and infirm people," Dr Gillingwater told the BBC News website. "You have to ask whether these sorts of vehicles will appeal to these groups." Design considerations also exist. Dr Erel Avineri, of the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England in Bristol said: "The design of the introduced mobility devices is not completely adjusted to the specific needs of the elderly and the disabled. "For example, one problem that many older passengers experience is limited ability to rotate the neck and upper body, making it difficult to look to the side and back when backing up. "It looks like the visual design of the device interior does not consider this need. This and other human-factors related issues in the design of such devices are not the only issues that should be considered," said Dr Avineri. "In general, introducing a new technology requires the passenger to change behaviour patterns that have served the older passenger for decades. Elderly users might not necessarily accept such innovation. "This may be another barrier to the commercial success of such a vehicle." Such single-person vehicles may find a relatively small market niche and may be more suited towards specialised applications rather than revolutionising the face of mass transport. "The concept of personal mobility behind these sorts of innovations is great but they beg a huge number of questions," said Dr Gillingwater. "What's their range? How user-friendly will they really be? What infrastructure will be required to allow these vehicles to be used. "Overall I think these vehicles pose a number of important questions than provide answers or solutions."
| Dr Erel Avineri, of the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England in Bristol said: "The design of the introduced mobility devices is not completely adjusted to the specific needs of the elderly and the disabled.While Toyota's prototypes are geared towards mass transport, the company says that the vehicles will allow the elderly and the disabled to achieve independent mobility.The personal transport arena is taking on a new dimension though with futuristic devices that augment human capabilities."The concept of personal mobility behind these sorts of innovations is great but they beg a huge number of questions," said Dr Gillingwater.With an emerging range of devices targeted towards the ageing world population, care giving and the military, wearable exoskeletons seem to represent a new line of future technologies that meet an individual's particular mobility needs.The open leaf-like "i-unit" vehicle is the latest version of the concept which the company introduced last year.A new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by Japanese car giant Toyota.Both these prototypes will be demonstrated, along with other concept vehicles and helper robots, at the Toyota stand at the Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, in March 2005."They are clearly what we call concept vehicles, innovative ideas which have yet to be transformed into potential products and which are a few years away from actual production," said Dr David Gillingwater from the Transport Studies Group at Loughborough University."You have to ask whether these sorts of vehicles will appeal to these groups."This and other human-factors related issues in the design of such devices are not the only issues that should be considered," said Dr Avineri."As always with these concept vehicles, it is difficult to see 'who' they would appeal to and what their role would be in the 'personal transport' marketplace.""It looks like the visual design of the device interior does not consider this need.Such single-person vehicles may find a relatively small market niche and may be more suited towards specialised applications rather than revolutionising the face of mass transport.The company's vision for the single passenger in the 21st Century involves the driver cruising by in a four-wheeled leaf-like device or strolling along encased in an egg-shaped cocoon that walks upright on two feet. |
91 | Russia gets investment blessing
Soaring oil sales and a budget surplus mean Russian debt is no longer a risky investment, one of the world's leading credit rating agencies says.
Standard & Poor's has classed Russian bonds as "investment grade", up from their former "speculative" rating. Russia's reputation among investors has been hurt in recent months by the heavy tax bills and asset seizures imposed on companies such as oil giant Yukos. S&P said the solidity of government finances outweighed the risk. Russia is now a net creditor rather than a debtor. Gold and foreign currency reserves of $119bn beat its foreign public debt of some $113bn.
The other two major ratings agencies - Fitch and Moody's have long since upped their rating of Russia's sovereign debt. S&P had held back through fear that the government was dragging its feet on economic and legal reforms. Now, though, it has finally followed suit. But the agency made it clear that the improved rating did not mean that the risks were a thing of the past. Instead, with Russian government coffers brimming with tax revenues from energy sales, S&P said the government's own debt is looking a good bet. "These improvements are so significant that they now outweight the serious and growing political risk that continues to be a key ratings constraint on Russia," wrote S&P credit analyst Helena Hessel.
The Yukos saga is the most high-profile of the political risks to which Ms Hessel alludes. The company's founder and ex-chief executive, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, is in jail on trial for tax evasion and fraud. Many believe the real motive for his prosecution is that he threatened to use his wealth to set up a political alternative to President Vladimir Putin. His company, meanwhile, is widely believed to have fallen victim to the Kremlin's wish to get Russian energy resources as far as possible back under state control.
| "These improvements are so significant that they now outweight the serious and growing political risk that continues to be a key ratings constraint on Russia," wrote S&P credit analyst Helena Hessel.Instead, with Russian government coffers brimming with tax revenues from energy sales, S&P said the government's own debt is looking a good bet.Soaring oil sales and a budget surplus mean Russian debt is no longer a risky investment, one of the world's leading credit rating agencies says.The other two major ratings agencies - Fitch and Moody's have long since upped their rating of Russia's sovereign debt.But the agency made it clear that the improved rating did not mean that the risks were a thing of the past.S&P said the solidity of government finances outweighed the risk.Standard & Poor's has classed Russian bonds as "investment grade", up from their former "speculative" rating. |
626 | Legendary music studio to close
The New York music studio where John Lennon spent his final hours is to close next month.
The Hit Factory, which opened 37 years ago, has played host to some of the biggest stars in music, including Paul Simon, Madonna and David Bowie. However, the rise in digital recording has affected business at the studio, which is relocating to smaller premises in Miami. Lennon recorded his final album Double Fantasy at the studio in 1979.
The studio was founded by Jerry Ragovoy in 1968. In 1975 it was sold to fellow producer Edward Germano, who turned it into a 100,000 square foot studio with seven recording rooms and live mastering suites. His first client was Stevie Wonder, who recorded part of his classic album Songs In The Key Of Life there. Other well-known albums to be recorded or partially recorded at the studio include Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA, the Rolling Stones' Emotional Rescue and Paul Simon's Graceland. Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Jay-Z and Beyonce are also among artists who have used the Hit Factory in the past, as well as 50 Cent who survived an attempt on his life as he left the premises in 2000. The studio made history in 1994 when it won a record 41 Grammy nominations for songs recorded, mastered or mixed there, including the soundtrack to the Whitney Houston film The Bodyguard.
| Lennon recorded his final album Double Fantasy at the studio in 1979.Other well-known albums to be recorded or partially recorded at the studio include Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA, the Rolling Stones' Emotional Rescue and Paul Simon's Graceland.The studio was founded by Jerry Ragovoy in 1968.The New York music studio where John Lennon spent his final hours is to close next month. |
1,655 | 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.
| England captain Jason Robinson will miss the rest of the Six Nations because of injury.England will announce their squad for the 12 March game against Italy on Saturday.I look forward to having him back in the England squad."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.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."As England captain he has been an immense figure during the autumn internationals and the Six Nations, leading by example at all times.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."Unfortunately England cannot rely on leaders on the field at the moment." |
968 | 'No more concessions' on terror
Charles Clarke says he has "no desire" to offer more concessions on his controversial anti-terror plans to get them on to the statute book.
MPs voted in favour of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill after Mr Clarke agreed to key changes - but Labour's majority was reduced to 14. The Bill now faces opposition from peers angry at house arrest proposals. Lord Strathclyde, Tory leader in the Lords, said ministers should expect it to be "substantially re-written".
The Bill proposes "control orders", which as well as house arrest could impose curfews, tagging or bans on telephone and internet use. They would replace current powers to detain foreign terror suspects without trial, which the law lords have ruled against.
On Monday, MPs voted 272-219 in favour of the Bill after key concessions from Mr Clarke. The government earlier saw its 161-strong majority cut to just 14 as a cross-party amendment was narrowly rejected by the Commons despite the support of 62 Labour rebels. Mr Clarke won over critics by announcing he would introduce an amendment in the Lords to ensure the most controversial control order, amounting to house arrest, would be imposed by judges and not politicians. Lord Strathclyde warned ministers that they should "prepare themselves for substantial rewriting of various aspects of the Bill". "They should consider far more seriously the use of intercept evidence in any trial and I think they should drop the most objectionable proposals, which are for house arrest."
But Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he believed the changes he had made to the Bill to win over critics in the Commons should be sufficient to satisfy colleagues in the Lords. "No Bill goes through Parliament without detailed consideration being made, but I believe that what I announced yesterday will be sufficient to secure the agreement of the House of Lords," he said.
"I have no desire to make further so-called concessions on the Bill." Mr Clarke's proposed amendment will be debated by the Lords on Tuesday without having been considered by MPs. The debate is unlikely to result in a vote. Speaking after the Commons debate, shadow home secretary David Davies said the bill had been "clearly very badly drawn-up" and that the government was trying to rush it through too quickly. He said it would be possible to "rescue" the government and make the law "tolerable" by amending it in the Lords. "The scope for miscarriages of justice is enormous," he told BBC News.
Mark Oaten, for the Liberal Democrats, said Monday night's vote showed the government had "lost the confidence of all sides of the House". He said: "They need to rethink the bill, and extend the power of a judge to decide on all control orders, build safeguards on evidence and create charges against suspects. "Unless there is a major movement, this bill is doomed to fail."
BBC News political editor Andrew Marr said: "I think that this is a bill in deep trouble. It's been unravelling in the House of Commons - it may unravel further." The government wants the new bill to pass into law by 14 March, when the current powers expire.
| On Monday, MPs voted 272-219 in favour of the Bill after key concessions from Mr Clarke.But Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he believed the changes he had made to the Bill to win over critics in the Commons should be sufficient to satisfy colleagues in the Lords."No Bill goes through Parliament without detailed consideration being made, but I believe that what I announced yesterday will be sufficient to secure the agreement of the House of Lords," he said.The Bill now faces opposition from peers angry at house arrest proposals.MPs voted in favour of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill after Mr Clarke agreed to key changes - but Labour's majority was reduced to 14.Speaking after the Commons debate, shadow home secretary David Davies said the bill had been "clearly very badly drawn-up" and that the government was trying to rush it through too quickly."I have no desire to make further so-called concessions on the Bill."Mr Clarke won over critics by announcing he would introduce an amendment in the Lords to ensure the most controversial control order, amounting to house arrest, would be imposed by judges and not politicians.BBC News political editor Andrew Marr said: "I think that this is a bill in deep trouble.The government wants the new bill to pass into law by 14 March, when the current powers expire. |
543 | DVD review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This third Harry Potter film brought a change of director and a dramatic visual shake-up that really shines on DVD.
Gone are the warm, bright colours found in the two earlier films, Alfonso Cuaron brings in a bleak and cold feel that is simply gorgeous - and looks even better here than in the cinema. It is all part of the progression of Harry's story into darker areas, but you'll spend time just marvelling at the beautiful Hogwarts landscape.
This is the first Potter film where you get so lost in the screen adaptation that you forget the book. It is the third year at Hogwarts and studies are interrupted, as they always are, by a calamity that only Harry, Ron and Hermione can put right.
It sounds corny. But Harry is no longer the winsome hero, he is a moody teenager and Daniel Radcliffe pulls it off very well. Emma Watson is ever better as Hermione, and the young stars are joined by the usual myriad famous actors including Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson. The film itself is the reason to buy this DVD. But it is laden with behind-the-scenes extras, including funny, if shallow, interviews with all the main cast. But what seems like a long list of features can be swiftly whittled down to the few that you are going to watch. Younger viewers will go for the games which include a Magic You May Have Missed memory test, and Crookshanks chasing off after Scabbers. Adult viewers will ignore those and go straight to the deleted scenes. You will understand why they were deleted but it is fun to see more footage - and not have to hunt through endless menus to find it, as we did on the first Harry Potter DVD. The most interesting pieces are an interview with JK Rowling in Creating The Vision and Conjuring A Scene, a short featurette about the making of the film's big moments.
| This third Harry Potter film brought a change of director and a dramatic visual shake-up that really shines on DVD.You will understand why they were deleted but it is fun to see more footage - and not have to hunt through endless menus to find it, as we did on the first Harry Potter DVD.It is the third year at Hogwarts and studies are interrupted, as they always are, by a calamity that only Harry, Ron and Hermione can put right.The film itself is the reason to buy this DVD.This is the first Potter film where you get so lost in the screen adaptation that you forget the book.Emma Watson is ever better as Hermione, and the young stars are joined by the usual myriad famous actors including Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson. |
1,730 | D'Arcy injury adds to Ireland woe
Gordon D'Arcy has been ruled out of the Ireland team for Saturday's Six Nations clash against Scotland in Murrayfield.
Like skipper Brian O'Driscoll, D'Arcy failed to recover from a hamstring injury. The side will now be led by Munster lock Paul O'Connell. Shane Horgan switches from wing to centre where he will be joined by Ulster's Kevin Maggs. Girvan Dempsey comes into the team to take the right wing spot while Gavin Duffy is called up to the replacements. ''We gave Gordon a chance but it didn't work out,'' said Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan. ''In terms of the risk element, it was a sensible precaution. He should be fine for the next game but we do not want to tempt fate.''
Maggs, who will win his 67th cap, was the obvious replacement at centre while Shane Horgan was always likely to be moved from the wing. The only other change to the Ireland side from last weekend's win in Rome sees Wasps flanker Johnny O'Connor replacing Denis Leamy. O'Connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over South Africa last November.
: Murphy, Dempsey, Horgan, Maggs, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, capt, S Easterby, O'Connor, Foley.
: Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Duffy.
| Maggs, who will win his 67th cap, was the obvious replacement at centre while Shane Horgan was always likely to be moved from the wing.: Murphy, Dempsey, Horgan, Maggs, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, capt, S Easterby, O'Connor, Foley.Shane Horgan switches from wing to centre where he will be joined by Ulster's Kevin Maggs.The only other change to the Ireland side from last weekend's win in Rome sees Wasps flanker Johnny O'Connor replacing Denis Leamy.Gordon D'Arcy has been ruled out of the Ireland team for Saturday's Six Nations clash against Scotland in Murrayfield.Girvan Dempsey comes into the team to take the right wing spot while Gavin Duffy is called up to the replacements. |
275 | Five million Germans out of work
Germany's unemployment figure rose above the psychologically important level of five million last month.
On Wednesday, the German Federal Labour Agency said the jobless total had reached 5.037 million in January, which takes the jobless rate to 12.1%. "Yes, we have effectively more than five million people unemployed," a government minister said earlier on ZDF public television. Unemployment has not been this high in Germany since the 1930s.
Changes to the way the statistics are compiled partly explain the jump of 572,900 in the numbers. But the figures are embarrassing for the government. "With the figures apparently the worst we've seen in the post-war period, these numbers are very charged politically," said Christian Jasperneite, an economist with MM Warburg. "They could well put an end to the recent renaissance we've seen by the SPD [the ruling Social Democrats] in the polls, and with state elections due in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, they may have an adverse effect on the government's chances there."
The opposition also made political capital from the figures. It said there are a further 1.5 million-2 million people on subsidised employment schemes who are, in fact, looking for real jobs. It added that government reforms, including unpopular benefit cuts, do not go far enough. Under the government's controversial "Hartz IV" reforms, which came into effect at the beginning of the year, both those on unemployment benefits and welfare support and those who are long-term unemployed are officially classified as looking for work. The bad winter weather also took its toll, as key sectors such as the construction sector laid off workers. Adjusted for the seasonal factors, the German jobless total rose by 227,000 in January from December.
| Germany's unemployment figure rose above the psychologically important level of five million last month."Yes, we have effectively more than five million people unemployed," a government minister said earlier on ZDF public television.On Wednesday, the German Federal Labour Agency said the jobless total had reached 5.037 million in January, which takes the jobless rate to 12.1%.It said there are a further 1.5 million-2 million people on subsidised employment schemes who are, in fact, looking for real jobs.But the figures are embarrassing for the government.The opposition also made political capital from the figures. |
585 | Indie film nominations announced
Mike Leigh's award-winning abortion drama Vera Drake has scooped seven nominations at this year's British Independent Film Awards.
But the Venice winner faces stiff competition from Shane Meadows' critically acclaimed Dead Man's Shoes, which received eight nominations. Also in the running for a clutch of awards are My Summer of Love and the stalker drama Enduring Love. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 30 November. The winners of the awards will be chosen by a jury chaired by Cold Mountain director Anthony Minghella and including actresses Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham-Carter.
The awards, which recognise independent film-making in Britain, were established seven years ago. "This year's nominees reflect the growing strength and diversity of British independent filmmaking," said BIFA founder and director Elliot Grove. Commenting on the diversity of the nominated films, he added: "Our selection committee had a harder time than ever narrowing down the field."
Joining Vera Drake and Dead Man's Shoes in the running for best film are My Summer of Love, climbing documentary Touching the Void and zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead. Geoffrey Rush wins a best actor nomination for his role as Peter Sellers in the recent biopic The Life & Death of Peter Sellers.
The Australian star faces competition from Daniel Craig (Enduring Love), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), Ian Hart (Blind Fight) and Dead Man's Shoes' star Paddy Considine. Considine is also nominated for a best supporting actor award for My Summer of Love. A rare US nominee, Scarlett Johansson, is among this year's best actress contenders for her role in Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Fellow nominees include Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), Natalie Press (My Summer of Love), Anne Reid (The Mother) and Eva Birthistle (Ae Fond Kiss... ). Shane Meadows and Kevin McDonald, both former winners of the Douglas Hickox Award (for Best Directorial Debut) won best director nominations. Seasoned film-makers Roger Michell, Mike Leigh and Pavel Pavlikowsky challenge them to the award. Harry Potter author JK Rowling will receive a special award for her contribution to the industry.
| Considine is also nominated for a best supporting actor award for My Summer of Love.Joining Vera Drake and Dead Man's Shoes in the running for best film are My Summer of Love, climbing documentary Touching the Void and zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead.Shane Meadows and Kevin McDonald, both former winners of the Douglas Hickox Award (for Best Directorial Debut) won best director nominations.Also in the running for a clutch of awards are My Summer of Love and the stalker drama Enduring Love.Mike Leigh's award-winning abortion drama Vera Drake has scooped seven nominations at this year's British Independent Film Awards.The Australian star faces competition from Daniel Craig (Enduring Love), Phil Davis (Vera Drake), Ian Hart (Blind Fight) and Dead Man's Shoes' star Paddy Considine.But the Venice winner faces stiff competition from Shane Meadows' critically acclaimed Dead Man's Shoes, which received eight nominations. |
1,681 | A November to remember
Last Saturday, one newspaper proclaimed that England were still the number one side in the world.
That statement was made to look a little foolish by events later that afternoon at Twickenham. But it illustrated the wonderful unpredictability of Test rugby at the highest level, at the end of a richly entertaining autumn series. The final weekend threw the world pecking order into renewed confusion, with Australia's triumph in London followed by France's capitulation to New Zealand. "Clearly, there is no number one side in the world at the moment," declared Wallabies coach Eddie Jones on arrival back in Sydney. "There are four, five or probably six sides all competing at the same level and on any given day the difference between one side and another is only about 1%."
While that bodes well for rugby as a whole, it also sharpens the sense of excitement ahead of what could be the most open Six Nations Championship for a decade. While the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks hit the beach before turning their attention to Super 12 matters in the new year, Europe's finest have less than 10 weeks before they return to the international fray. And for the first time in more than a decade, it will not simply be a straightforward choice between England and France for the Six Nations title.
That owes much to Ireland's continued progress and the belief that Wales are on the verge of delivering a major scalp to cement the promise of their autumn displays.
, who secured a first Triple Crown in 19 years last season, could go one better and win their first Five/Six Nations title since 1985. They start with away games against Italy and Scotland, before England and France come to Lansdowne Road.
Their momentous victory over the Springboks can only bolster Ireland's self-belief, while Ronan O'Gara's late drop goal to deliver victory over Argentina was further proof that Eddie O'Sullivan's side can now close out tight games. Not that England or France, who have won nine of the last 10 Six Nations titles between them, will lay down quietly.
dismantling of the Springboks suggested that even after the loss of such influential figures as Martin Johnson and Lawrence Dallaglio, they still have the personnel to prosper.
The narrow defeat to Australia was a timely reminder that not everything is blooming in the red rose garden, but the fresh shoots of post-World Cup recovery have been sown by new head coach Andy Robinson. A fresh desire to regain former heights is evident, and if England emerge triumphant from an opening Six Nations engagement in Cardiff, a fourth title in six years is within reach.
are in familiar revival territory, but this time it appears there is substance behind the rediscovered style.
While South Africa's over-confidence in Cardiff made for a closer scoreline than expected, Wales could legitimately claim to have had victory within their grasp against the All Blacks in one of the best Tests in recent memory. If Mike Ruddock can coax a reliable set-piece platform from his pack, there is no reason why victories should not ensue come February. The last fortnight has left
in a state of bewilderment after an autumn series that began with a superb victory over Australia. A stunning defeat to Argentina, their first loss since the World Cup, could have been attributed to trademark French inconsistency.
But the manner of New Zealand's 45-6 demolition job in Paris has coach Bernard Laporte bemoaning a lack of young talent coming through to replace the old guard. Fortunately for the French, the opening match of the Six Nations sees them entertaining
in Paris. After two reasonable performances against Australia, the Scots' humbling by the Springboks forced coach Matt Williams to reassess his belief that a win over one of the major nations was imminent. While individuals such as Chris Cusiter and Ali Hogg enhanced their reputations, a lack of top-class players will continue to undermine their best efforts.
, who start with home games against Ireland and Wales before travelling to Scotland, are also hopeful of registering more than one victory for the first time in the Championship. As autumn gives way to winter and the Heineken Cup prepares to resume centre stage meantime, the joy of Six will keep the home fires burning until February.
| And for the first time in more than a decade, it will not simply be a straightforward choice between England and France for the Six Nations title.Last Saturday, one newspaper proclaimed that England were still the number one side in the world.Not that England or France, who have won nine of the last 10 Six Nations titles between them, will lay down quietly., who secured a first Triple Crown in 19 years last season, could go one better and win their first Five/Six Nations title since 1985., who start with home games against Ireland and Wales before travelling to Scotland, are also hopeful of registering more than one victory for the first time in the Championship.A fresh desire to regain former heights is evident, and if England emerge triumphant from an opening Six Nations engagement in Cardiff, a fourth title in six years is within reach."Clearly, there is no number one side in the world at the moment," declared Wallabies coach Eddie Jones on arrival back in Sydney."There are four, five or probably six sides all competing at the same level and on any given day the difference between one side and another is only about 1%."While South Africa's over-confidence in Cardiff made for a closer scoreline than expected, Wales could legitimately claim to have had victory within their grasp against the All Blacks in one of the best Tests in recent memory.After two reasonable performances against Australia, the Scots' humbling by the Springboks forced coach Matt Williams to reassess his belief that a win over one of the major nations was imminent.Fortunately for the French, the opening match of the Six Nations sees them entertaining in Paris.Their momentous victory over the Springboks can only bolster Ireland's self-belief, while Ronan O'Gara's late drop goal to deliver victory over Argentina was further proof that Eddie O'Sullivan's side can now close out tight games. |
1,785 | Bryan twins keep US hopes alive
The United States kept the Davis Cup final alive with victory in Saturday's doubles rubber, leaving Spain 2-1 ahead going into the final day.
Masters Cup champions Mike and Bob Bryan thrashed Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-3 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd in Seville. Victory would have given Spain the title but they were outclassed. In Sunday's reverse singles, Carlos Moya takes on Andy Roddick before Rafael Nadal faces Mardy Fish. "It feels good, but it's not going to be as good if we don't win two tomorrow," said Mike Bryan. "It feels good to give those guys another shot, and Spain has to go to sleep on that." Bob Bryan added: "I'm really confident in Andy winning that first match, and then anything can happen." Spain coach Jordi Arrese chose to rest 18-year-old Nadal in the doubles after his epic singles win over Roddick on Friday. He was replaced by former world number one Ferrero, but the Spanish pair were out of their depth against one of the world's best doubles teams.
The 26-year-old Bryan twins have won all four of their Davis Cup matches this year. And they quickly silenced the huge crowd at the Olympic Stadium, racing through the opening set to love. The Spaniards then twice surrendered breaks of serve at the start of the second before the Bryans broke to go 5-3 ahead and served out. When Robredo dropped serve in the opening game of the third set the match was all but over, and the unflappable Bryan brothers powered on to an impressive win. Ferrero, who was upset to be dropped for Friday's singles, hinted at further dissatisfaction after the defeat. "It was a difficult game against the best doubles players," he said. "They have everything calculated and we had very little to do. "I was a bit surprised that I was named to play the doubles match because I hardly play doubles." Arrese said: "Juan Carlos hasn't played at all badly. He played the right way but the Bryans are great doubles players."
| When Robredo dropped serve in the opening game of the third set the match was all but over, and the unflappable Bryan brothers powered on to an impressive win."It was a difficult game against the best doubles players," he said."I was a bit surprised that I was named to play the doubles match because I hardly play doubles."Spain coach Jordi Arrese chose to rest 18-year-old Nadal in the doubles after his epic singles win over Roddick on Friday.Masters Cup champions Mike and Bob Bryan thrashed Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo 6-0 6-3 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd in Seville."It feels good, but it's not going to be as good if we don't win two tomorrow," said Mike Bryan.The United States kept the Davis Cup final alive with victory in Saturday's doubles rubber, leaving Spain 2-1 ahead going into the final day.The 26-year-old Bryan twins have won all four of their Davis Cup matches this year. |
4 | High fuel prices hit BA's profits
British Airways has blamed high fuel prices for a 40% drop in profits.
Reporting its results for the three months to 31 December 2004, the airline made a pre-tax profit of £75m ($141m) compared with £125m a year earlier. Rod Eddington, BA's chief executive, said the results were "respectable" in a third quarter when fuel costs rose by £106m or 47.3%. BA's profits were still better than market expectation of £59m, and it expects a rise in full-year revenues.
To help offset the increased price of aviation fuel, BA last year introduced a fuel surcharge for passengers.
In October, it increased this from £6 to £10 one-way for all long-haul flights, while the short-haul surcharge was raised from £2.50 to £4 a leg. Yet aviation analyst Mike Powell of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein says BA's estimated annual surcharge revenues - £160m - will still be way short of its additional fuel costs - a predicted extra £250m. Turnover for the quarter was up 4.3% to £1.97bn, further benefiting from a rise in cargo revenue. Looking ahead to its full year results to March 2005, BA warned that yields - average revenues per passenger - were expected to decline as it continues to lower prices in the face of competition from low-cost carriers. However, it said sales would be better than previously forecast. "For the year to March 2005, the total revenue outlook is slightly better than previous guidance with a 3% to 3.5% improvement anticipated," BA chairman Martin Broughton said. BA had previously forecast a 2% to 3% rise in full-year revenue.
It also reported on Friday that passenger numbers rose 8.1% in January. Aviation analyst Nick Van den Brul of BNP Paribas described BA's latest quarterly results as "pretty modest". "It is quite good on the revenue side and it shows the impact of fuel surcharges and a positive cargo development, however, operating margins down and cost impact of fuel are very strong," he said. Since the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, BA has cut 13,000 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive. "Our focus remains on reducing controllable costs and debt whilst continuing to invest in our products," Mr Eddington said. "For example, we have taken delivery of six Airbus A321 aircraft and next month we will start further improvements to our Club World flat beds." BA's shares closed up four pence at 274.5 pence.
| Rod Eddington, BA's chief executive, said the results were "respectable" in a third quarter when fuel costs rose by £106m or 47.3%.To help offset the increased price of aviation fuel, BA last year introduced a fuel surcharge for passengers.BA had previously forecast a 2% to 3% rise in full-year revenue."It is quite good on the revenue side and it shows the impact of fuel surcharges and a positive cargo development, however, operating margins down and cost impact of fuel are very strong," he said.Yet aviation analyst Mike Powell of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein says BA's estimated annual surcharge revenues - £160m - will still be way short of its additional fuel costs - a predicted extra £250m."For the year to March 2005, the total revenue outlook is slightly better than previous guidance with a 3% to 3.5% improvement anticipated," BA chairman Martin Broughton said.Looking ahead to its full year results to March 2005, BA warned that yields - average revenues per passenger - were expected to decline as it continues to lower prices in the face of competition from low-cost carriers.BA's profits were still better than market expectation of £59m, and it expects a rise in full-year revenues. |
2,052 | More power to the people says HP
The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard.
The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged. She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology. CES showcases 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005. The tech-fest, the largest of its kind in the world, runs from 6 to 9 January. "The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates. "Revolution has always been about giving power to the people." She added: "The real story of the digital revolution is not just new products, but the millions of experiences made possible and stories that millions can tell." Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music. Crucial to this has been the effort to make devices that speak to each other better so that content can be more easily transferred from one device, such as a digital camera, to others, such as portable media players. A lot of work still needs to be done, however, to sort out compatibility issues and standards within the technology industry so that gadgets just work seamlessly, she said.
Ms Fiorina's talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want.
Special guest, singer Gwen Stefani, joined her on-stage to promote her own range of HP digital cameras which Ms Stefani has helped design and which are heavily influenced by Japanese youth culture. The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. The emphasis on personalisation and lifestyle is a big theme at this year's CES, with tiny, wearable MP3 players at every turn and rainbow hues giving colour to everything. Ms Fiorina also announced that HP was working with Nokia to launch a visual radio service for mobiles, which would launch in Europe early this year. The service will let people listen to radio on their mobiles and download relevant content, like a track's ringtone, simultaneously. The service is designed to make mobile radio more interactive.
Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP's Digital Entertainment Centre. Coming out in the autumn in the US, the box is a networked, high-definition TV, cable set-top box, digital video recorder and DVD recorder. It has a removable hard drive cartridge, memory card slots, and Light Scribe labelling software which lets people design and print customised DVD labels and covers. It is designed to contain all a household's digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place. The hub reflects the increasing move to re-box the PC so that it can work as part of other key centres of entertainment. Research suggests that about 258 million images are saved and shared every day, equating to 94 billion a year. Eighty per cent of those remain on cameras. Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box. Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months. In a separate announcement during the keynote speech, Ms Fiorina said that HP would be partnering MTV to replace this year's MTV Asia music award. MTV's Asia Aid will be held in Bangkok on 3 February, and is aimed at helping to raise money for the Asian tsunami disaster.
| She said the goal for 2005 was to make people the centre of technology.Among the other new products she showcased was the Digital Media Hub, a big upgrade to HP's Digital Entertainment Centre.The digital revolution is focused on letting people tell and share their own stories, according to Carly Fiorina, chief of technology giant Hewlett Packard."The digital revolution is about the democratisation of technology and the experiences it makes possible," she told delegates.Ms Fiorina was one of several keynote speakers, who also included Microsoft chief Bill Gates, to set out what major technology companies think people will be doing with technologies and gadgets in the next 12 months.The job of firms such as HP now, she said in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was to ensure digital and physical worlds fully converged.Media hubs are designed to encourage people to organise them on one box."Revolution has always been about giving power to the people."Part of giving people more control has been about the freeing up of content, such as images, video and music.Ms Fiorina's talk also touted the way technology is being designed to focus on lifestyle, fashion and personalisation, something she sees as key to what people want.It is designed to contain all a household's digital media, such as pre-recorded TV shows, pictures, videos and music so it can all be managed in one place.The digital cameras, which are due to go on sale in the US by the summer, are based on the HP 607 model. |
182 | 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%.
| "[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."[Oil prices] will weigh on consumer spending in the short term, and potentially on confidence," he said.At the same time, finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy warned that high oil prices posed a threat to French growth.The French statistics agency, INSEE, expects the economy to grow by about 2.4% this year, buoyed by strong consumer spending and business investment.Analysts said French companies, keen to protect their profit margins at a time of rising energy costs, were reluctant to take on extra staff. |
558 | 'Landmark movies' of 2004 hailed
US film professionals have declared Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Passion of the Christ as two of the most significant cultural milestones of 2004.
The American Film Institute (AFI) hailed Mel Gibson's biblical epic and Michael Moore's political documentary as inspiring national debate. It claimed both film-makers "tossed Hollywood convention out the window". The Institute also cited the death of actor Marlon Brando and the changing landscape of TV news in the US. In referring to Marlon Brando's death on 1 July at the age of 80, the 13-strong AFI jury concluded "the art of screen acting has two chapters - 'Before Brando' and 'After Brando'.
It credited the screen legend's "raw hypnotic energy" and his ability to create characters like Stanley Kowalski and Terry Malloy "that will live forever in the annals of film history". The list also acknowledges key influences and trends in the world of film and broadcasting. Among current trends, it highlighted the final broadcasts of veteran newscasters Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters and the impending retirement of CBS news anchor Dan Rather. It its place, the AFI fears, is a news landscape where "newscasters are more personalities than journalists" and balance and integrity are increasingly ignored.
The AFI also questioned "the long-term viability of evening news broadcasts", in the light of 24-hour news channels and the internet. The list also draws attention to the growing influence of US broadcasting regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The institute concluded the threat of regulation, which went into freefall following Janet Jackson's 'wardrobe malfunction' during a live Super Bowl performance in February, "had a profound effect on television". "Unsure of how the FCC will rule on an issue, the creative community has begun to self-censor their shows, a disturbing trend in a country founded on free expression," the AFI jury declared. To illustrate their point, the AFI cited ABC affiliates refusal to air Steven Spielberg's film Saving Private Ryan in an unedited form over fears of possible fines.
| The Institute also cited the death of actor Marlon Brando and the changing landscape of TV news in the US.The AFI also questioned "the long-term viability of evening news broadcasts", in the light of 24-hour news channels and the internet.The list also acknowledges key influences and trends in the world of film and broadcasting.In referring to Marlon Brando's death on 1 July at the age of 80, the 13-strong AFI jury concluded "the art of screen acting has two chapters - 'Before Brando' and 'After Brando'.It its place, the AFI fears, is a news landscape where "newscasters are more personalities than journalists" and balance and integrity are increasingly ignored.The American Film Institute (AFI) hailed Mel Gibson's biblical epic and Michael Moore's political documentary as inspiring national debate. |
2,143 | Why Cell will get the hard sell
The world is casting its gaze on the Cell processor for the first time, but what is so important about it, and why is it so different?
The backers of the processor are big names in the computer industry. IBM is one of the largest and most respected chip-makers in the world, providing cutting edge technology to large businesses. Sony will be using the chip inside its PlayStation 3 console, and its dominance of the games market means that it now has a lot of power to dictate the future of computer and gaming platforms. The technology inside the Cell is being heralded as revolutionary, from a technical standpoint. Traditional computers - whether they are household PCs or PlayStation 2s - use a single processor to carry out the calculations that run the computer. The Cell technology, on the other hand, uses multiple Cell processors linked together to run lots of calculations simultaneously.
This gives it processing power an order of magnitude above its competitors. Whilst its rivals are working on similar technology, it is Sony's which is the most advanced. The speed of computer memory has been slowly increasing over the last few years, but the memory technology that accompanies the Cell is a huge leap in performance.
Using a technology called XDR, created by American firm Rambus, memory can run up to eight times faster than the current standard being promoted by Intel. Perhaps more important than any of the technology is the Cell's role in the imminent "war on living rooms". The big trend predicted for this year is the convergence of computers with home entertainment devices such as DVD players and hi-fis. Companies like Microsoft and Sony believe that there is a lot of money to be made by putting a computer underneath the TV of every household and then offering services such as music and video downloads, as well as giving an individual access to all the media they already own in one place.
Microsoft has already made its first tactical move into this area with its Windows Media Center software, which has been adopted by many PC makers. Sony had a stab at something similar with the PSX - a variation on the PlayStation - last year in Japan, although this attempt was generally seen as a failure. Both companies believe that increasing the capabilities of games consoles, to make them as powerful as PCs, will make the technology accessible enough to persuade buyers to give them pride of place on the video rack.
Sony and IBM want to make sure that the dominance of the PC market enjoyed by Microsoft and Intel is not allowed to extend to this market. By creating a radically new architecture, and using that architecture in a games console that is sure to be a huge seller, they hope that the Cell processor can become the dominant technology in the living room, shutting out their rivals. Once they have established themselves under the TV, there is no doubt that they hope to use this as a base camp to extend their might into our traditional PCs and instigate a regime change on the desktop. Cell is, in fact, specifically designed to be deployed throughout the house. The links between the multiple processors can also be extended to reach Cell processors in entirely different systems.
Sony hopes to put Cells in televisions, kitchen appliances and anywhere that could use any sort of computer chip. Each Cell will be linked to the others, creating a vast home network of computing power. Resources of the Cells across the house can be pooled to provide more power, and the links can also be used to enable devices to talk to each other, so that you can programme your microwave from your TV, for example. This digital home of the future depends on the widespread adoption of the Cell processor and there are, as with all things, a number of reasons it could fail. Because the processor is so different, it requires programmers to learn a different way of writing software, and it may be that the changeover is simply too difficult for them to master. You can also guarantee that Microsoft and Intel are not going to sit around and let Cell take over home computing without a fight. Microsoft is going to be pushing its Xbox 2 as hard as possible to make sure that its technology, not Sony's, will be under your tree next Christmas. Intel will be furiously working on new designs that address the problems of its current chips to create a rival technology to Cell, so that it doesn't lose its desktop PC dominance. If Cell succeeds in becoming the living room technology of choice, however, it could provide the jump-start to the fully digital home of the future. The revolution might not be televised, but it could well be played with a videogame controller.
| The Cell technology, on the other hand, uses multiple Cell processors linked together to run lots of calculations simultaneously.If Cell succeeds in becoming the living room technology of choice, however, it could provide the jump-start to the fully digital home of the future.By creating a radically new architecture, and using that architecture in a games console that is sure to be a huge seller, they hope that the Cell processor can become the dominant technology in the living room, shutting out their rivals.The speed of computer memory has been slowly increasing over the last few years, but the memory technology that accompanies the Cell is a huge leap in performance.The links between the multiple processors can also be extended to reach Cell processors in entirely different systems.The world is casting its gaze on the Cell processor for the first time, but what is so important about it, and why is it so different?Intel will be furiously working on new designs that address the problems of its current chips to create a rival technology to Cell, so that it doesn't lose its desktop PC dominance.The technology inside the Cell is being heralded as revolutionary, from a technical standpoint.This digital home of the future depends on the widespread adoption of the Cell processor and there are, as with all things, a number of reasons it could fail.Sony will be using the chip inside its PlayStation 3 console, and its dominance of the games market means that it now has a lot of power to dictate the future of computer and gaming platforms.Traditional computers - whether they are household PCs or PlayStation 2s - use a single processor to carry out the calculations that run the computer.Each Cell will be linked to the others, creating a vast home network of computing power.You can also guarantee that Microsoft and Intel are not going to sit around and let Cell take over home computing without a fight. |
956 | 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.
| "How is it that peace has not arrived?," the cardinal will ask.On Friday, the Cardinal will ask the congregation to search for peace.The cardinal used a Christmas message to denounce the war in Iraq as a "terrible" waste of money.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.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.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".The cardinal said 2005 should be the year for campaigning to "make history poverty"."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?" |
2,046 | Media gadgets get moving
Pocket-sized devices that let people carry around video and images are set to have a big year in 2005, according to industry experts.
Last year saw the emergence of portable media players, such as the Windows-based Creative Zen portable media player, the Samsung Yepp, the iRiver PMC-100, and the Archos AV400 series among others. But this year, they are set to get smarter and more connected, to allow people to find more video to watch on them. Archos launched its latest range of its Linux-based portable media devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday. Dubbed the Pocket Media Assistant PMA430, it crucially has wi-fi capability built-in for the first time. "Consumers are showing a great thirst for devices that store all their media in one place for anywhere access," said Henri Crohas, chief of Archos. "And now those consumers can stay connected and productive at the same time." Archos said the focus for the device is to be the second gadget in people's pockets, after the mobile.
Unlike Windows-based players, the Archos AV400 series devices have always been able to record from any video source, such as TVs, as well as playback. The content put onto the devices is copy protected so cannot then be swapped to another device.
Recording is perhaps a crucial functionality for those who have not seen the point of portable video if there is not a lot of video to watch on it. And wi-fi connectivity opens up the possibility of content delivery via a high-speed wireless link. Archos also announced that it would open up the software development kit to Linux developers so that more applications could be created for the device. Microsoft also made some announcements in the portable media arena at CES, primarily for US consumers though. It has agreed a content deal with personal video recorder company TiVo, which Bill Gates also showcased in his keynote speech at CES. The TiVo To Go service means that US consumers will be able to take any programmes they record on their TiVos and transfer it for free to watch on any of the Windows-based portable media players or smartphones. It also said it had launched a service with MTV to let people watch Comedy Central, VH1 and Country Music TV on its devices. And a service is launching with MSN to provide people with shortened versions of news, entertainment and other video on a subscription basis for download via the PC onto the portable devices. But the ability to record directly from TV, VCR, and digital cable and satellite boxes, which Windows-based devices do not offer, certainly gives people more content to watch on the go too.
The increased capability of these devices, and the content deals that are being done, may go some way to persuading people to use them. Recent research by Jupiter suggested that people would prefer a device that was dedicated to music. Only 13% of Europeans wanted to watch video while on the move. More seemed interested in spending their cash on music-only devices.
"This year, we are ready for an explosion of portable media," Microsoft's Mike Coleman told the BBC News website. "We are very bullish about it. The fact that I can put photos on here too and share them is super-cool to the consumer," he added. The fact that Europeans are far larger public transport users than Americans is one reason why portable media will take off in the coming year too. There is a burgeoning market there for commuters to watch news and other programmes on their way to work. Although Microsoft's content distribution deals are for the US market at the moment, talks were "always on-going" with European content suppliers to offer similar services. Various rights management issues have to be ironed out first however. But that does not prevent people from finding ways to create their own content to share online and swap on portable devices, particularly via those which are wi-fi enabled. The possibility is open for non-professional makers of video and audio to take advantage of the growing portable media market to distribute their work. CES, which runs from 6 to 9 January, showcases more than 50,000 new gadgets that will be hitting the shelves in 2005.
| The TiVo To Go service means that US consumers will be able to take any programmes they record on their TiVos and transfer it for free to watch on any of the Windows-based portable media players or smartphones.Archos launched its latest range of its Linux-based portable media devices at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Friday.But that does not prevent people from finding ways to create their own content to share online and swap on portable devices, particularly via those which are wi-fi enabled.But the ability to record directly from TV, VCR, and digital cable and satellite boxes, which Windows-based devices do not offer, certainly gives people more content to watch on the go too.But this year, they are set to get smarter and more connected, to allow people to find more video to watch on them.And a service is launching with MSN to provide people with shortened versions of news, entertainment and other video on a subscription basis for download via the PC onto the portable devices.The possibility is open for non-professional makers of video and audio to take advantage of the growing portable media market to distribute their work.Last year saw the emergence of portable media players, such as the Windows-based Creative Zen portable media player, the Samsung Yepp, the iRiver PMC-100, and the Archos AV400 series among others.Recording is perhaps a crucial functionality for those who have not seen the point of portable video if there is not a lot of video to watch on it.Microsoft also made some announcements in the portable media arena at CES, primarily for US consumers though.Pocket-sized devices that let people carry around video and images are set to have a big year in 2005, according to industry experts.Unlike Windows-based players, the Archos AV400 series devices have always been able to record from any video source, such as TVs, as well as playback.It also said it had launched a service with MTV to let people watch Comedy Central, VH1 and Country Music TV on its devices.The increased capability of these devices, and the content deals that are being done, may go some way to persuading people to use them. |
460 | Jobs go at Oracle after takeover
Oracle has announced it is cutting about 5,000 jobs following the completion of its $10.3bn takeover of its smaller rival Peoplesoft last week.
The company said it would retain more than 90% of Peoplesoft product development and product support staff. The cuts will affect about 9% of the 55,000 staff of the combined companies. Oracle's 18-month fight to acquire Peoplesoft was one of the most drawn-out and hard-fought US takeover battles of recent times. The merged companies are set to be a major force in the enterprise software market, second only in size to Germany's SAP.
In a statement, Oracle said it began notifying staff of redundancies on Friday and the process would continue over the next 10 days. "By retaining the vast majority of Peoplesoft technical staff, Oracle will have the resources to deliver on the development and support commitments we have made to Peoplesoft customers over the last 18 months," Oracle's chief executive Larry Ellison said in a statement.
Correspondents say 6,000 job losses had been expected - and some suggest more cuts may be announced in future. They say Mr Ellison may be trying to placate Peoplesoft customers riled by Oracle's determined takeover strategy. Hours before Friday's announcement, there was a funereal air at Peoplesoft's headquarters, reported AP news agency. A Peoplesoft sign had been turned into shrine to the company, with flowers, candles and company memorabilia. "We're mourning the passing of a great company," the agency quoted Peoplesoft worker David Ogden as saying. Other employees said they would rather be sacked than work for Oracle. "The new company is going to be totally different," said Anil Aggarwal, Peoplesoft's director of database markets. "Peoplesoft had an easygoing, relaxed atmosphere. Oracle has an edgy, aggressive atmosphere that's not conducive to innovative production." On the news, Oracle shares rose 15 cents - 1.1% - on Nasdaq. In after-hours trading the shares did not move.
| "By retaining the vast majority of Peoplesoft technical staff, Oracle will have the resources to deliver on the development and support commitments we have made to Peoplesoft customers over the last 18 months," Oracle's chief executive Larry Ellison said in a statement.The company said it would retain more than 90% of Peoplesoft product development and product support staff.Oracle has announced it is cutting about 5,000 jobs following the completion of its $10.3bn takeover of its smaller rival Peoplesoft last week.A Peoplesoft sign had been turned into shrine to the company, with flowers, candles and company memorabilia.In a statement, Oracle said it began notifying staff of redundancies on Friday and the process would continue over the next 10 days."We're mourning the passing of a great company," the agency quoted Peoplesoft worker David Ogden as saying.They say Mr Ellison may be trying to placate Peoplesoft customers riled by Oracle's determined takeover strategy."Peoplesoft had an easygoing, relaxed atmosphere. |
921 | UK 'needs true immigration data'
A former Home Office minister has called for an independent body to be set up to monitor UK immigration.
Barbara Roche said an organisation should monitor and publish figures and be independent of government. She said this would counter "so-called independent" groups like Migration Watch, which she described as an anti-immigration body posing as independent. Migration Watch says it is not against all immigration and the government already publishes accurate figures. Sir Andrew Green, chairman of the organisation, says there is no need for an independent body because Office of National Statistics data are accurate. He says he opposes large-scale immigration "both on the grounds of overcrowding and culture".
He said: "For example, over the next 20 years one household in three will be due to immigration. "We are already more overcrowded than India and we are four times more overcrowded than France." Ms Roche, Labour MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, believes legal migration is something we should welcome. She said her proposals mean "we wouldn't have so-called independent experts, like Migration Watch, who come into this debate from an anti-immigration point of view." She went on: "What I would like to see is there being a body which actually looked at the figures, published them, and was independent of government. "I think that would go a long way to allaying some of the fears that are sometimes whipped up during this debate."
| She said this would counter "so-called independent" groups like Migration Watch, which she described as an anti-immigration body posing as independent.Migration Watch says it is not against all immigration and the government already publishes accurate figures.She said her proposals mean "we wouldn't have so-called independent experts, like Migration Watch, who come into this debate from an anti-immigration point of view."She went on: "What I would like to see is there being a body which actually looked at the figures, published them, and was independent of government.Barbara Roche said an organisation should monitor and publish figures and be independent of government. |
1,326 | Kenya lift Chepkemei's suspension
Kenya's athletics body has reversed a ban on marathon runner Susan Chepkemei after she made an official apology.
Athletics Kenya (AK) had suspended the two-time London Marathon runner-up for failing to turn up to a cross-country team training camp in Embu. "We have withdrawn the ban. Chepkemei has given a reason for her absence," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat. "She explained she had a contract with the organisers of the race in Puerto Rice and we have accepted her apology."
The Kenyan coaching team will now decide whether Chepkemei can be included in the team for this month's world cross country championships. The 29-year-old would be a strong contender at the event in France and is hopeful she will be granted a place in the 32-strong squad. "I am satisfied that the whole saga has been brought to an end," Chepkemei said. "I am ready and prepared to represent my country. "I will be disappointed if I am not given a chance to compete at the world cross country championships." AK had insisted it was making an example of Chepkemei by banning her from competition until the end of 2005. But the organisation came under intense international and domestic pressure to reverse its decision. The 29-year-old took part in the 2002 and 2003 London Marathons and was edged out by Radcliffe in an epic New York Marathon contest last year.
The two-time world half-marathon silver medallist will be back to challenge Radcliffe at this year's London event in April. AK also dropped its harsh stance on three-time world cross country 4km champion Edith Masai. Masai missed Kenya's world cross country trials because of an ankle problem but AK insisted it would take disciplinary action unless she could prove she was really injured. "Subject to our doctor's confirmation, we have decided to clear Masai," added Kiplagat.
| Masai missed Kenya's world cross country trials because of an ankle problem but AK insisted it would take disciplinary action unless she could prove she was really injured.The Kenyan coaching team will now decide whether Chepkemei can be included in the team for this month's world cross country championships.Kenya's athletics body has reversed a ban on marathon runner Susan Chepkemei after she made an official apology.AK also dropped its harsh stance on three-time world cross country 4km champion Edith Masai.Chepkemei has given a reason for her absence," said AK chief Isaiah Kiplagat."I will be disappointed if I am not given a chance to compete at the world cross country championships."AK had insisted it was making an example of Chepkemei by banning her from competition until the end of 2005. |
840 | Douglas set for Indian adventure
Actor Michael Douglas is to co-produce and star in an adventure film about a diamond robbery set in India.
The new picture is expected to be similar to Douglas's action films of the 1980s, Romancing The Stone and The Jewel Of The Nile. Another Hollywood star is being lined up to co-star, while the rest of the cast will be Indian. Aishwarya Rai, star of Bride and Prejudice, is the "preferred choice" of the Indian studio involved in the film.
On a visit to India, the 60-year-old actor said he hoped to start shooting Racing The Monsoon next year. Douglas added that it had been inspired by a Wall Street Journal article about India's 'angadias', who courier money and diamonds around India.
The actor's own production company, Further Films, is working in partnership with two Indian film-making concerns to bring the picture to the screen. Shailendra Singh, the founder of India's Percept Films, said there would be "a lot of India" in the movie - and that an Indian train would play a big role. "The train will be a crucial part of the film. The chase and most of the stunts will be on the train," said Mr Singh. Swashbuckling adventure film Romancing The Stone saw Douglas's female co-star Kathleen Turner win a Golden Globe award for her performance in 1985.
| Actor Michael Douglas is to co-produce and star in an adventure film about a diamond robbery set in India.Shailendra Singh, the founder of India's Percept Films, said there would be "a lot of India" in the movie - and that an Indian train would play a big role."The train will be a crucial part of the film.Aishwarya Rai, star of Bride and Prejudice, is the "preferred choice" of the Indian studio involved in the film.Swashbuckling adventure film Romancing The Stone saw Douglas's female co-star Kathleen Turner win a Golden Globe award for her performance in 1985. |
496 | Europe asks Asia for euro help
European leaders say Asian states must let their currencies rise against the US dollar to ease pressure on the euro.
The European single currency has shot up to successive all-time highs against the dollar over the past few months. Tacit approval from the White House for the weaker greenback, which could help counteract huge deficits, has helped trigger the move. But now Europe says the euro has had enough, and Asia must now share some of the burden.
China is seen as the main culprit, with exports soaring up 35% in 2004 partly on the back of a currency pegged to the dollar. "Asia should engage in greater currency flexibility," said French finance minister Herve Gaymard, after a meeting with his German counterpart Hans Eichel. Markets responded by pushing the euro lower, in the expectation that the rhetoric - and the pressure - is unlikely to ease ahead of a meeting of the G7 industrialised countries next week. Early on Tuesday morning, the dollar had edged higher to 1.3040 euros. The yen, meanwhile, had strengthened to 102.975 against the dollar by 0730 GMT.
| European leaders say Asian states must let their currencies rise against the US dollar to ease pressure on the euro.The European single currency has shot up to successive all-time highs against the dollar over the past few months.China is seen as the main culprit, with exports soaring up 35% in 2004 partly on the back of a currency pegged to the dollar.But now Europe says the euro has had enough, and Asia must now share some of the burden. |
918 | Nat Insurance to rise, say Tories
National Insurance will be raised if Labour wins the next election, Tory leader Michael Howard has claimed.
Tony Blair has said he does not want higher tax rates for top earners but on Wednesday said other tax promises would be left to Labour's manifesto. Prime minister's questions also saw Mr Blair predict that new plans would probably cut net immigration. He attacked Tory plans to process asylum claims abroad - but Mr Howard said Labour had proposed the idea too.
The Commons questions session again saw the leaders of the two biggest parties shape up for the forthcoming election campaign. The Tories have promised £4bn in tax cuts but have yet to say where they will fall. Mr Howard pointed to the Institute for Fiscal Studies' predictions that Labour will need to increase taxes to cover an £11bn gap in its spending plans. He accused ministers of wasting money on unsuccessful attempts to curb bad behaviour and truancy in schools and on slow asylum processing. It was no good Mr Blair claiming tax pledges were being left to the manifesto as he had given one to MPs on Tuesday about the top rate of income tax, argued Mr Howard. Pointing to national insurance, he added: "Everyone knows tax will go up under Labour: isn't it now clear which tax it would be?"
Mr Blair instead hailed Labour's achievement in using a strong economy to invest in public services. "When we have money not only going into extra teachers and nurses but equipment in schools and hospitals, that money is not wasted," he said. On the tax questions, he added: "We will make commitments on tax at the time of the manifesto." Home Secretary Charles Clarke this week published plans for a new points system for economic migrants, with only high-skilled workers allowed into the UK from outside the European Union.
Mr Blair said abuses would be weeded out and chain migration, where families automatically get the right to settle with immigrant workers, would end. That would probably create a fall in the migrant numbers, he said. The prime minister ridiculed the Tory plans for asylum quotas and for processing all asylum claims overseas. He challenged the Tories on which country would house their processing centres - what he called a "fantasy island". Mr Howard read from a letter about the government's own plans at the European Council of Ministers for processing asylum seekers outside the EU. But Mr Blair said: "All the other countries could not agree on the way forward, nor could the UN."
| Tony Blair has said he does not want higher tax rates for top earners but on Wednesday said other tax promises would be left to Labour's manifesto.He attacked Tory plans to process asylum claims abroad - but Mr Howard said Labour had proposed the idea too.It was no good Mr Blair claiming tax pledges were being left to the manifesto as he had given one to MPs on Tuesday about the top rate of income tax, argued Mr Howard.Prime minister's questions also saw Mr Blair predict that new plans would probably cut net immigration.Mr Howard read from a letter about the government's own plans at the European Council of Ministers for processing asylum seekers outside the EU.Pointing to national insurance, he added: "Everyone knows tax will go up under Labour: isn't it now clear which tax it would be?"Mr Blair said abuses would be weeded out and chain migration, where families automatically get the right to settle with immigrant workers, would end.Mr Howard pointed to the Institute for Fiscal Studies' predictions that Labour will need to increase taxes to cover an £11bn gap in its spending plans. |
600 | Berlin cheers for anti-Nazi film
A German movie about an anti-Nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at Berlin Film Festival.
Sophie Scholl - The Final Days portrays the final days of the member of the White Rose movement. Scholl, 21, was arrested and beheaded with her brother, Hans, in 1943 for distributing leaflets condemning the "abhorrent tyranny" of Adolf Hitler. Director Marc Rothemund said: "I have a feeling of responsibility to keep the legacy of the Scholls going." "We must somehow keep their ideas alive," he added.
The film drew on transcripts of Gestapo interrogations and Scholl's trial preserved in the archive of communist East Germany's secret police. Their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for Rothemund, who worked closely with surviving relatives, including one of Scholl's sisters, to ensure historical accuracy on the film. Scholl and other members of the White Rose resistance group first started distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. They were arrested as they dropped leaflets at Munich University calling for a "day of reckoning" with Adolf Hitler's regime. The film focuses on the six days from Scholl's arrest to the intense trial which saw Scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance. It is one of three German films vying for a top prize at the Festival.
A South African film version of Bizet's tragic opera Carmen shot in Cape Town in the Xhosa language has also premiered at the Berlin Festival. The film is entitled U-Carmen eKhayelitsha or Carmen in Khayelitsha after the township in which the story is set. It is performed by a 40-strong music and theatre troupe in their debut film performance. The film is the first South African feature in 25 years and only the second to be nominated for a Golden Bear Award.
| Their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for Rothemund, who worked closely with surviving relatives, including one of Scholl's sisters, to ensure historical accuracy on the film.The film focuses on the six days from Scholl's arrest to the intense trial which saw Scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance.A German movie about an anti-Nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at Berlin Film Festival.It is one of three German films vying for a top prize at the Festival.A South African film version of Bizet's tragic opera Carmen shot in Cape Town in the Xhosa language has also premiered at the Berlin Festival.Scholl and other members of the White Rose resistance group first started distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. |
720 | Muslim group attacks TV drama 24
A British Muslim group has criticised the new series of US drama 24, which is about to be aired on Sky One, claiming it portrays Islam unfairly.
The Muslim Council of Britain has complained to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom. It says the programme breaches editorial guidelines. The group's members met with Sky executives on Tuesday after viewing previews of the first five episodes. The drama, now in its fourth series, begins on Sunday evening. The new series portrays a Muslim family as a sleeper terrorist cell. The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement: "We are greatly concerned by the unremittingly hostile and unbalanced portrayal of Muslims in this series of 24 based upon a preview of the first five episodes that we have seen." "There is not a single positive Muslim character in the storyline to date. At a time when negative stereotypes of Muslims are on the increase we feel that Sky - as a major UK broadcaster - has a responsibility to challenge these insidious views, not help to reinforce them." But Sky denied the programme breached broadcasting guidelines. A spokesperson said: "During a useful meeting yesterday, Sky listened to the concerns raised by representatives of the council. Sky does not believe that the episodes that it has reviewed to date breach Ofcom's programme code." Fox TV, which shows the series in the US, is broadcasting public service announcements showing Muslims in a positive light after complaints about the series.
| A British Muslim group has criticised the new series of US drama 24, which is about to be aired on Sky One, claiming it portrays Islam unfairly.But Sky denied the programme breached broadcasting guidelines.The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement: "We are greatly concerned by the unremittingly hostile and unbalanced portrayal of Muslims in this series of 24 based upon a preview of the first five episodes that we have seen."Sky does not believe that the episodes that it has reviewed to date breach Ofcom's programme code."The Muslim Council of Britain has complained to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.The new series portrays a Muslim family as a sleeper terrorist cell. |
309 | AstraZeneca hit by drug failure
Shares in Anglo-Swedish drug have closed down 8% in UK trade after the failure of its Iressa drug in a major clinical trial.
The lung cancer drug did not significantly prolong survival in patients with the disease. This setback for the group follows the rejection by the US in October of its anti-coagulant pill Exanta. Meanwhile, another of its major money spinners - cholesterol drug Crestor - is facing mounting safety concerns. "This would be two of the three blockbuster drugs that were meant to power the company forward failing... and we've got risks on Crestor," said Nick Turner, analyst at brokers Jefferies.
AstraZeneca had hoped to pitch its Iressa drug against rival medicine Tarceva. But Iressa proved no better than a placebo in extending lives in the trial involving 1,692 patients. Tarceva - made by OSI Pharmaceuticals, Genentech and Roche - has already proved to be successful in helping prolong the life of lung cancer patients. AztraZeneca has now appointed a new executive director to the board. John Patterson will be in charge of drug development. The company said Mr Patterson would make "substantial changes to the clinical organisation and its processes". "I am determined to improve our development and regulatory performance, restore confidence in the company and value to shareholders," said chief executive Tom McKillop.
| Shares in Anglo-Swedish drug have closed down 8% in UK trade after the failure of its Iressa drug in a major clinical trial.John Patterson will be in charge of drug development.AstraZeneca had hoped to pitch its Iressa drug against rival medicine Tarceva.The lung cancer drug did not significantly prolong survival in patients with the disease."This would be two of the three blockbuster drugs that were meant to power the company forward failing... and we've got risks on Crestor," said Nick Turner, analyst at brokers Jefferies. |
111 | Unilever shake up as profit slips
Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever is to merge its two management boards after reporting "unsatisfactory" earnings for 2004.
It blamed the poor results on sluggish decision making, a rise in discounted retailers and a wet European summer. The company also cited difficult trading conditions and a lack of demand for goods such as its Slimfast range. Unilever, which owns brands including Dove soap, said annual pre-tax profit fell 36% to 2.9bn euros (£1.99bn). Shares fell 1% to 510.75 pence in London, and dropped by 1.2% to 50.50 euros in Amsterdam.
Under the restructuring plans, Patrick Cescau, the UK-based co-chairman, will become group chief executive. Dutch co-chairman Antony Burgmans will take on the role of non-executive chairman.
"We have recognised the need for greater clarity of leadership and we are moving to a simpler leadership structure that will provide a sharper operational focus," Mr Burgmans said. "We are leaving behind one of the key features of Unilever's governance but this is a natural development following the changes introduced last year." The company, which has had dual headquarters in Rotterdam and London since 1930, will announce the location of its head office at a later date. Unilever is not alone in trying to simplify its business. Oil giant Shell last year dismantled its dual-ownership structure, after a series of problems relating to the size of its oil reserves that hammered its share price and led to the resignation of key board members. "The best part of the news this morning was that the company announced a structure simplification," said Arjan Sweere, an analyst at Petercam.
The company said the organizational changes would speed decision making, and it also may make further changes.
The company said its main focus will be on improving profits, and it is planning to accelerate and increase investment in its 400 main brands. "While it is certainly the case that markets have been tougher in the past eighteen months than we had expected, we have also lost some market share," said Mr Cescau. "We let a range of targets limit our ability flexibility and did not adjust our plans quickly enough to a more difficult business environment." "Our objective is to reverse the share loss that we experienced in some markets in 2004 and return to growth."
Unilever said European sales fell 2.8% last year, dragged down by below part sales at its beverage division, where revenues dipped by almost 4%.
Sales of ice cream and frozen food dipped by 3.4% In the US last year, revenue grew by 1.5% "despite disappointing sales in Slimfast", the company said. In Asia, leading products came under "attack" from rivals such as Procter & Gamble. Unilever took a 1.5bn euro one-time charge in the fourth quarter, including a 650m euro write-down on Slimfast diet foods. Sales of Slimfast products have been hit in recent years by the popularity of the Atkins diet. But looking ahead, Unilever said it was optimistic about prospects for its slimming products saying that demand is on the wane for rival low-carbohydrate diets. The company also said it planned to spend 500m euros this year buying back shares.
| The company also said it planned to spend 500m euros this year buying back shares.Sales of ice cream and frozen food dipped by 3.4% In the US last year, revenue grew by 1.5% "despite disappointing sales in Slimfast", the company said.Unilever said European sales fell 2.8% last year, dragged down by below part sales at its beverage division, where revenues dipped by almost 4%.The company said the organizational changes would speed decision making, and it also may make further changes.Unilever, which owns brands including Dove soap, said annual pre-tax profit fell 36% to 2.9bn euros (£1.99bn).But looking ahead, Unilever said it was optimistic about prospects for its slimming products saying that demand is on the wane for rival low-carbohydrate diets."While it is certainly the case that markets have been tougher in the past eighteen months than we had expected, we have also lost some market share," said Mr Cescau.The company also cited difficult trading conditions and a lack of demand for goods such as its Slimfast range."The best part of the news this morning was that the company announced a structure simplification," said Arjan Sweere, an analyst at Petercam.Unilever took a 1.5bn euro one-time charge in the fourth quarter, including a 650m euro write-down on Slimfast diet foods. |
142 | Asian banks halt dollar's slide
The dollar regained some lost ground against most major currencies on Wednesday after South Korea and Japan denied they were planning a sell-off.
The dollar suffered its biggest one-day fall in four months on Tuesday on fears that Asian central banks were about to lower their reserves of dollars. Japan is the biggest holder of dollar reserves in the world, with South Korea the fourth largest. The dollar was buying 104.76 yen at 0950 GMT, 0.5% stronger on the day. It also edged higher against both the euro and the pound, with one euro worth $1.3218, and one pound buying $1.9094. Concerns over rising oil prices and the outlook for the dollar pushed down US stock markets on Tuesday; the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 1.6%, while the Nasdaq lost 1.3%.
The dollar's latest slide began after a South Korean parliamentary report suggested the country, which has about $200bn in foreign reserves, had plans to boost holdings of currencies such as the Australian and Canadian dollar. On Wednesday, however, South Korea moved to steady the financial markets. It issued a statement that "The Bank of Korea will not change the portfolio of currencies in its reserves due to short term market factors". Japan, too, steadied nerves. A senior Japanese Finance Ministry official told Reuters "we have no plans to change the composition of currency holdings in the foreign reserves, and we are not thinking about expanding our euro holdings". Japan has $850bn in foreign exchange reserves. 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 has been on the country's massive trade and budget deficits, and analysts have predicted more dollar weakness to come.
| The dollar regained some lost ground against most major currencies on Wednesday after South Korea and Japan denied they were planning a sell-off.Japan is the biggest holder of dollar reserves in the world, with South Korea the fourth largest.The dollar's latest slide began after a South Korean parliamentary report suggested the country, which has about $200bn in foreign reserves, had plans to boost holdings of currencies such as the Australian and Canadian dollar.Japan has $850bn in foreign exchange reserves.The dollar suffered its biggest one-day fall in four months on Tuesday on fears that Asian central banks were about to lower their reserves of dollars.A senior Japanese Finance Ministry official told Reuters "we have no plans to change the composition of currency holdings in the foreign reserves, and we are not thinking about expanding our euro holdings". |
1,391 | Butler strikes gold in Spain
Britain's Kathy Butler continued her impressive year with victory in Sunday's 25th Cross Internacional de Venta de Banos in Spain.
The Scot, who led GB to World Cross Country bronze earlier this year, moved away from the field with Ines Monteiro halfway into the 6.6km race. She then shrugged off her Portuguese rival to win in 20 minutes 38 seconds. Meanwhile, Briton Karl Keska battled bravely to finish seventh in the men's 10.6km race in a time of 31:41. Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia - the reigning world long and short course champion - was never troubled by any of the opposition, winning leisurely in 30.26. Butler said of her success: "I felt great throughout the race and hope this is a good beginning for a marvellous 2005 season for me." Elsewhere, Abebe Dinkessa of Ethiopia won the Brussels IAAF cross-country race on Sunday, completing the 10,500m course in 33.22. Gelete Burka then crowned a great day for Ethiopia by claiming victory in the women's race.
| Gelete Burka then crowned a great day for Ethiopia by claiming victory in the women's race.Elsewhere, Abebe Dinkessa of Ethiopia won the Brussels IAAF cross-country race on Sunday, completing the 10,500m course in 33.22.The Scot, who led GB to World Cross Country bronze earlier this year, moved away from the field with Ines Monteiro halfway into the 6.6km race.Butler said of her success: "I felt great throughout the race and hope this is a good beginning for a marvellous 2005 season for me." |
215 | SEC to rethink post-Enron rules
The US stock market watchdog's chairman has said he is willing to soften tough new US corporate governance rules to ease the burden on foreign firms.
In a speech at the London School of Economics, William Donaldson promised "several initiatives". European firms have protested that US laws introduced after the Enron scandal make Wall Street listings too costly. The US regulator said foreign firms may get extra time to comply with a key clause in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
The Act comes into force in mid-2005. It obliges all firms with US stock market listings to make declarations, which, critics say, will add substantially to the cost of preparing their annual accounts.
Firms that break the new law could face huge fines, while senior executives risk jail terms of up to 20 years. Mr Donaldson said that although the Act does not provide exemptions for foreign firms, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would "continue to be sensitive to the need to accomodate foreign structures and requirements". There are few, if any, who disagree with the intentions of the Act, which obliges chief executives to sign a statement taking responsibility for the accuracy of the accounts. But European firms with secondary listings in New York have objected - arguing that the compliance costs outweigh the benefits of a dual listing. The Act also applies to firms with more than 300 US shareholders, a situation many firms without US listings could find themselves in.
The 300-shareholder threshold has drawn anger as it effectively blocks the most obvious remedy, a delisting. Mr Donaldson said the SEC would "consider whether there should be a new approach to the deregistration process" for foreign firms unwilling to meet US requirements.
"We should seek a solution that will preserve investor protections" without turning the US market into "one with no exit", he said. He revealed that his staff were already weighing up the merits of delaying the implementation of the Act's least popular measure - Section 404 - for foreign firms. Seen as particularly costly to implement, Section 404 obliges chief executives to take responsibility for the firm's internal controls by signing a compliance statement in the annual accounts. The SEC has already delayed implementation of this clause for smaller firms - including US ones - with market capitalisations below $700m (£374m).
A delegation of European firms visited the SEC in December to press for change, the Financial Times reported.
It was led by Digby Jones, director general of the UK's Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and included representatives of BASF, Siemens and Cadbury Schweppes. Compliance costs are already believed to be making firms wary of US listings. Air China picked the London Stock Exchange for its secondary listing in its $1.07bn (£558m) stock market debut last month. There are also rumours that two Chinese state-run banks - China Construction Bank and Bank of China - have abandoned plans for multi-billion dollar listings in New York later this year. Instead, the cost of Sarbanes-Oxley has persuaded them to stick to a single listing in Hong Kong, according to press reports in China.
| The Act also applies to firms with more than 300 US shareholders, a situation many firms without US listings could find themselves in.It obliges all firms with US stock market listings to make declarations, which, critics say, will add substantially to the cost of preparing their annual accounts.The US stock market watchdog's chairman has said he is willing to soften tough new US corporate governance rules to ease the burden on foreign firms.The SEC has already delayed implementation of this clause for smaller firms - including US ones - with market capitalisations below $700m (£374m).Mr Donaldson said the SEC would "consider whether there should be a new approach to the deregistration process" for foreign firms unwilling to meet US requirements.The US regulator said foreign firms may get extra time to comply with a key clause in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.But European firms with secondary listings in New York have objected - arguing that the compliance costs outweigh the benefits of a dual listing.European firms have protested that US laws introduced after the Enron scandal make Wall Street listings too costly.Compliance costs are already believed to be making firms wary of US listings.Mr Donaldson said that although the Act does not provide exemptions for foreign firms, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would "continue to be sensitive to the need to accomodate foreign structures and requirements". |
2,217 | Savvy searchers fail to spot ads
Internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated, suggests a report into search habits.
The report by the US Pew Research Center reveals that 87% of searchers usually find what they were looking for when using a search engine. It also shows that few can spot the difference between paid-for results and organic ones. The report reveals that 84% of net users say they regularly use Google, Ask Jeeves, MSN and Yahoo when online.
Almost 50% of those questioned said they would trust search engines much less, if they knew information about who paid for results was being hidden. According to figures gathered by the Pew researchers the average users spends about 43 minutes per month carrying out 34 separate searches and looks at 1.9 webpages for each hunt. A significant chunk of net users, 36%, carry out a search at least weekly and 29% of those asked only look every few weeks. For 44% of those questioned, the information they are looking for is critical to what they are doing and is information they simply have to find.
Search engine users also tend to be very loyal and once they have found a site they feel they can trust tend to stick with it. According to Pew Research 44% of searchers use just a single search engine, 48% use two or three and a small number, 7%, consult more than three sites. Tony Macklin, spokesman for Ask Jeeves, said the results reflected its own research which showed that people use different search engines because the way the sites gather information means they can provide different results for the same query. Despite this liking for search sites half of those questioned said they could get the same information via other routes. A small number, 17%, said they wouldn't really miss search engines if they did not exist. The remaining 33% said they could not live without search sites. More than two-thirds of those questioned, 68%, said they thought that the results they were presented with were a fair and unbiased selection of the information on a topic that can be found on the net. Alongside the growing sophistication of net users is a lack of awareness about paid-for results that many search engines provide alongside lists of websites found by indexing the web. Of those asked, 62% were unaware that someone has paid for some of the results they see when they carry out a search. Only 18% of all searchers say they can tell which results are paid for and which are not. Said the Pew report: "This finding is ironic, since nearly half of all users say they would stop using search engines if they thought engines were not being clear about how they presented paid results." Commenting Mr Macklin said sponsored results must be clearly marked and though they might help with some queries user testing showed that people need to be able to spot the difference.
| Almost 50% of those questioned said they would trust search engines much less, if they knew information about who paid for results was being hidden.Said the Pew report: "This finding is ironic, since nearly half of all users say they would stop using search engines if they thought engines were not being clear about how they presented paid results."Tony Macklin, spokesman for Ask Jeeves, said the results reflected its own research which showed that people use different search engines because the way the sites gather information means they can provide different results for the same query.Internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated, suggests a report into search habits.The report by the US Pew Research Center reveals that 87% of searchers usually find what they were looking for when using a search engine.A small number, 17%, said they wouldn't really miss search engines if they did not exist.Alongside the growing sophistication of net users is a lack of awareness about paid-for results that many search engines provide alongside lists of websites found by indexing the web.Despite this liking for search sites half of those questioned said they could get the same information via other routes. |
348 | US to probe airline travel chaos
The US government is to investigate two airlines- US Airways and Delta Air Lines' Comair subsidiary - after travel chaos over the Christmas weekend.
Staff calling in sick at US Airways and computer failures at Comair left 30,000 passengers stranded and 10,000 pieces of baggage undelivered. US Airways is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, and battling to cut costs. It is currently trying to negotiate pay cuts with flight and baggage staff.
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said he was "deeply concerned" at the disruption to passengers, and ordered a thorough investigation. Comair's computer breakdown plunged its flight-crew scheduling system into disarray. Altogether, some 1,100 flights were cancelled over the holiday long weekend. Mr Mineta said it was important to understand "what happened, why it happened and whether the carriers properly planned for the holiday travel period and responded appropriately to consumer needs in the aftermath".
Adding to the atmosphere of chaos were mountains of luggage left to pile up when a third of US Airways' baggage handling staff called in sick. There was also a shortage of US Airways flight attendants, with nearly a fifth saying they were too sick to work, leading to many flight cancellations. However, union officials denied there had been a deliberate "sickout". They said that many people have flu at this time of year and that the airline is chronically understaffed.
US Airways ended up cancelling over 100 flights on Christmas Day, stranding passengers in as many as 119 airports. Ground crews at US Airways, the seventh-largest US airline, which is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, face a court-imposed pay cut next month. The airline needs to negotiate other paycuts if it is to find a route out of bankruptcy. It is looking for paycuts totalling $800m.
"US Airways has a full-scale employee mutiny on its hands," commented Michael Boyd, an industry consultant. Disruptions to flight schedules could discourage customers from flying with US Airways, reducing revenues. US Airways had to cancel approximately 65 flights on Thursday, 180 on Friday, 140 on Saturday, 43 on Sunday and 15 on Monday, said industry officials. The airline said it was "embarrassed by the situation" and "deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to customers," The probe will focus on the industry's compliance with a 1999 agreement aimed at improving the quality of passenger service that has so far allowed airlines to avoid congressionally-mandated standards. Analysts said the Christmas chaos cast doubt on US Airway's ability to emerge from bankruptcy - and was likely to worsen the finances of troubled Delta, parent of Comair. Comair "deeply regrets the inconvenience to all of our customers caused by the severe winter storm in the Ohio River Valley during the busy holiday season, exacerbated by problems with the airline's crew scheduling system, causing additional flight delays and cancellations," the Delta subsidiary said in a statement.
| Ground crews at US Airways, the seventh-largest US airline, which is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, face a court-imposed pay cut next month.There was also a shortage of US Airways flight attendants, with nearly a fifth saying they were too sick to work, leading to many flight cancellations.The US government is to investigate two airlines- US Airways and Delta Air Lines' Comair subsidiary - after travel chaos over the Christmas weekend.US Airways ended up cancelling over 100 flights on Christmas Day, stranding passengers in as many as 119 airports.Analysts said the Christmas chaos cast doubt on US Airway's ability to emerge from bankruptcy - and was likely to worsen the finances of troubled Delta, parent of Comair.US Airways had to cancel approximately 65 flights on Thursday, 180 on Friday, 140 on Saturday, 43 on Sunday and 15 on Monday, said industry officials.Staff calling in sick at US Airways and computer failures at Comair left 30,000 passengers stranded and 10,000 pieces of baggage undelivered.US Airways is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, and battling to cut costs.Disruptions to flight schedules could discourage customers from flying with US Airways, reducing revenues. |
1,170 | The memory driving Brown's mission
The memory Gordon Brown says keeps returning to him - the one that he says is burnt into him - is that of a 12 year-old girl, whose parents died of Aids, and who is HIV positive herself.
Mr Brown seems haunted by her eyes, desolate of all hope. And then he talks of those eyes that do inspire optimism: an extraordinary performance by schoolgirls of Kenya's largest slum, advancing with crowded menace, flicking their hips in a manner almost as disturbing, before the finale of a clenched fist salute and shout of "free education - free education for all". Mr Brown's message generally, that compassion must become action before that hope is squandered. But he is such a pivotal figure in British politics, it is almost impossible not to ask him why he is doing this. His answer, in part, is because of the missionaries that used to come to his father's church. Ever since, he says, Africa has been important to him.
I've absolutely no doubt whatsoever this is heartfelt. But he also believes it is time for the world to see a new Gordon Brown. Not the dull, reassuring bank manager but a man driven by a moral passion - and it just so happens the Labour Party feels an awful lot happier ridding the world of debt than ridding the world of dictators.
There's also a sense of liberation. If Mr Blair won't allow him to run the election campaign then he can at least pretend it was all getting tedious and he'd much rather be out examining social problems in the raw. It also goes some way to solving one of the overarching problems for all politicians of all parties: scepticism sliding into cynicism about politics itself. If he can help the world's poor just a little, then it shows politics isn't worthless. But is his vision for Africa too grand? Can poverty in the continent really be halved? Brown replies that no one thought the Berlin Wall would ever come down either. He's still got to overcome - not only the reluctance of other finance ministers in the world - but also the cynicism of experts who wonder whether debt relief will just be squandered by governments that just won't in the end spend wisely.
| But he also believes it is time for the world to see a new Gordon Brown.It also goes some way to solving one of the overarching problems for all politicians of all parties: scepticism sliding into cynicism about politics itself.Brown replies that no one thought the Berlin Wall would ever come down either.Mr Brown seems haunted by her eyes, desolate of all hope.He's still got to overcome - not only the reluctance of other finance ministers in the world - but also the cynicism of experts who wonder whether debt relief will just be squandered by governments that just won't in the end spend wisely.Ever since, he says, Africa has been important to him.The memory Gordon Brown says keeps returning to him - the one that he says is burnt into him - is that of a 12 year-old girl, whose parents died of Aids, and who is HIV positive herself.But he is such a pivotal figure in British politics, it is almost impossible not to ask him why he is doing this. |
919 | E-University 'disgraceful waste'
A failed government scheme to offer UK university courses online has been branded a "disgraceful waste" by MPs.
The e-University was scrapped last year, having attracted only 900 students at a cost of £50m. Chief executive John Beaumont was paid a bonus of £44,914, despite a failure to bring in private sector backers. The Commons education select committee called this "morally indefensible" but the government said the e-University project had "improved understanding".
A Department for Education and Skills spokeswoman said the venture had been "ambitious and ground-breaking, but take-up had not been "sufficient to continue with the project". She added: "UK e-Universities was not the only organisation to have lost out on private sector investment in the collapse of the dotcom boom." The select committee found that those responsible for founding the e-University in 2000 had been caught up in the "general atmosphere of enthusiasm" surrounding the internet. Initial business plans forecast a quarter of a million students joining within a decade, bringing in at least £110m in profit.
But virtually no market research was carried out and just £4.2m was spent on worldwide sales and marketing of courses. Some £14m went on developing the technology to make the e-University work. This was used by just 200 students, the rest preferring to work through existing university websites. With no significant private investors and no direct accountability to a government minister, the e-University had had "too much freedom to spend public money as it wished", the report found. Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said: "UK e-University was a terrible waste of public money. "The senior executives failed to interest any private investors and showed an extraordinary over-confidence in their ability to attract students to the scheme." The report warns that the government should not be scared off investment in innovative but potentially risky schemes by the failure of the e-University, but "should learn the lessons from this disaster".
| Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said: "UK e-University was a terrible waste of public money.The e-University was scrapped last year, having attracted only 900 students at a cost of £50m.The Commons education select committee called this "morally indefensible" but the government said the e-University project had "improved understanding".With no significant private investors and no direct accountability to a government minister, the e-University had had "too much freedom to spend public money as it wished", the report found.The report warns that the government should not be scared off investment in innovative but potentially risky schemes by the failure of the e-University, but "should learn the lessons from this disaster".She added: "UK e-Universities was not the only organisation to have lost out on private sector investment in the collapse of the dotcom boom." |
443 | Kraft cuts snack ads for children
Kraft plans to cut back on advertising of products like Oreo cookies and sugary Kool-Aid drinks as part of an effort to promote healthy eating.
The largest US food maker will also add a label to its more nutritional and low-fat brands to promote the benefits. Kraft rival PepsiCo began a similar labelling initiative last year. The moves come as the firms face criticism from consumer groups concerned at rising levels of obesity in US children. Major food manufacturers have recently been reformulating the content of some calorie-heavy products.
Kraft's new advertising policy, which covers advertising on TV, radio and in print publications, is aimed at children between the ages of six and 11. It means commercials for some of its most famous snacks and cereals shown during early morning cartoon shows on TV will now be replaced by food and drink qualifying for Kraft's new "Sensible Solution" label. But the firm said it would continue to advertise all its products in media seen by parents and "all family" audiences. "We're working on ways to encourage both adults and children to eat wisely by selecting more nutritionally balanced diets," said Lance Friedmann, Kraft senior vice president.
| Kraft plans to cut back on advertising of products like Oreo cookies and sugary Kool-Aid drinks as part of an effort to promote healthy eating.It means commercials for some of its most famous snacks and cereals shown during early morning cartoon shows on TV will now be replaced by food and drink qualifying for Kraft's new "Sensible Solution" label.The largest US food maker will also add a label to its more nutritional and low-fat brands to promote the benefits.Kraft's new advertising policy, which covers advertising on TV, radio and in print publications, is aimed at children between the ages of six and 11. |
926 | Labour targets 'hardcore truants'
A fresh crackdown on persistent truants in England has been launched by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.
Serial truants make up one in 13 pupils. Previous initiatives brought 40,000 pupils back to school since 1997, according to official statistics. Parenting contracts, penalty notices and "fast track" prosecution systems have been used to tackle what has been a stubborn problem. It is thought that nearly half a million children skip school each day. Tories say Labour's previous success regarding the issue came because it tackled the easy part of the problem by reducing authorised absence, where parents are permitted to take children out of school. Such absences are often due to family holidays.
However, serial truants avoid the classroom despite government schemes costing £885m. Those missing classes are more likely to become involved in crime as well as failing academically. Measures such as parenting contracts and penalty notices were adopted by most local education authorities last term and come into force in the remainder this term. In one local education authority alone 800 parents were warned they would receive a penalty notice unless their child's attendance improved. The tough stance paid off with just 24 issued, while attendance improved in 776 cases. Truancy has been reduced by 5% at the 128 worst hit schools through the government's Behaviour Improvement Programme. This is the equivalent of 200 pupils back in classes since September.
The new measures come on top of national truancy sweeps - the sixth of which will take place on Monday. Police and education welfare officers patrol problem hotspots picking up truants and returning them to school. Held twice each year, in addition to routine local patrols, previous country-wide sweeps have apprehended 31,000 pupils dodging school. In almost 14,000 of those cases, the youngsters were accompanied by their parents. A Department for Education and Skills source said: "Every day in school counts. "It is clear form these figures that schools and local education authorities are now seizing the tools we have given them to improve school attendance and crack down hard on the very small numbers of pupils which account for almost half of the nation's truancy."
| "It is clear form these figures that schools and local education authorities are now seizing the tools we have given them to improve school attendance and crack down hard on the very small numbers of pupils which account for almost half of the nation's truancy."Police and education welfare officers patrol problem hotspots picking up truants and returning them to school.Previous initiatives brought 40,000 pupils back to school since 1997, according to official statistics.In one local education authority alone 800 parents were warned they would receive a penalty notice unless their child's attendance improved.Held twice each year, in addition to routine local patrols, previous country-wide sweeps have apprehended 31,000 pupils dodging school.A Department for Education and Skills source said: "Every day in school counts.Tories say Labour's previous success regarding the issue came because it tackled the easy part of the problem by reducing authorised absence, where parents are permitted to take children out of school.Truancy has been reduced by 5% at the 128 worst hit schools through the government's Behaviour Improvement Programme. |
1,405 | 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."
| World 100m champion Kim Collins says suspended sprinter Dwain Chambers should be allowed to compete in the Olympics again.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.Collins added: "He is a great guy and I have never had any problems with him.Chambers was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid THG and his suspension runs out in November this year. |
1,013 | Boothroyd calls for Lords speaker
Betty Boothroyd has said the House of Lords needs its own Speaker and that peers should lead the way on reforming the upper chamber.
Baroness Boothroyd, who was the first woman to be Commons Speaker, said she believed Tony Blair initiated reforms without a clear outcome in mind. "Now we have to take care of it ourselves and make the best of it," she told the BBC's Breakfast with Frost. In 1999 Labour removed all but 92 of the Lords' 750 hereditary peers. That was billed as the first stage of reform of the institution. The lord chancellor hinted further reforms could be unveiled in the next Labour manifesto.
"I think we need to look very carefully at the relationship between the Lords and the Commons," Lord Falconer told BBC1's Breakfast With Frost. "How it interacts with the Commons is a very, very important issue. "We need to address the issue in the manifesto, but you will have to wait for when the manifesto comes." The lord chancellor currently has the role of House of Lords speaker. He is also head of the judiciary and a member of the Cabinet as constitutional affairs secretary.
Lady Boothroyd said she believed it was unacceptable for the lord chancellor to have the role of Speaker. "I would really like to see a Speaker of the House of Lords," she said. "I don't go for the idea of somebody - a lord chancellor - who is head of the judiciary, a senior Cabinet minister and Speaker of the Lords. "I want somebody there who is going to look after that House and do a job there.
| The lord chancellor currently has the role of House of Lords speaker."I don't go for the idea of somebody - a lord chancellor - who is head of the judiciary, a senior Cabinet minister and Speaker of the Lords.Lady Boothroyd said she believed it was unacceptable for the lord chancellor to have the role of Speaker."I think we need to look very carefully at the relationship between the Lords and the Commons," Lord Falconer told BBC1's Breakfast With Frost.Betty Boothroyd has said the House of Lords needs its own Speaker and that peers should lead the way on reforming the upper chamber."I would really like to see a Speaker of the House of Lords," she said. |
502 | 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.
| 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.Demonstrators in a number of regions blocked roads, attacked public buildings and overturned vehicles, newspapers including El Watan reported.Riots also flared up in the Maghnia region close to the border with Morocco in the west, AFP said.Algeria suffered a weekend of violent protests against government plans to raise gas prices, local press reports. |
1,797 | Sydney return for Henin-Hardenne
Olympic champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will return to action in January's Sydney International tournament.
The Belgian has not competed since losing her top world ranking at the US Open in September, where she was beaten in the fourth round by Nadia Petrova. She took time out to shake off a virus but will defend her titles in Sydney and at the Australian Open. Women's world number one Lindsay Davenport and French Open champion Anastasia Myskina will also compete.
In the men's event, world number three Lleyton Hewitt returns to defend his title, along with runner-up Carlos Moya. Moya, Spain's Davis Cup final hero in their recent win over the US, had to retire with an ankle injury in the first set of the final.
Tournament director Craig Watson said: "I had a message relayed to me from him after Spain's Davis Cup victory, saying he was looking forward to trying to make up for his disappointment in the (2004) final. The tournament will take place from 9-15 January.
| In the men's event, world number three Lleyton Hewitt returns to defend his title, along with runner-up Carlos Moya.Tournament director Craig Watson said: "I had a message relayed to me from him after Spain's Davis Cup victory, saying he was looking forward to trying to make up for his disappointment in the (2004) final.Olympic champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will return to action in January's Sydney International tournament.Women's world number one Lindsay Davenport and French Open champion Anastasia Myskina will also compete. |
453 | US industrial output growth eases
US industrial production continued to rise in November, albeit at a slower pace than the previous month.
The US Federal Reserve said output from factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3% - in line with forecasts - from a revised 0.6% increase in October. Analysts added that if the carmaking sector - which saw production fall 0.5% - had been excluded the data would have been more impressive. The latest increase means industrial output has grown 4.2% in the past year. Many analysts were upbeat about the prospects for the US economy, with the increase in production coming on the heels of news of a recovery in retail sales. "This is very consistent with an economy growing at 3.5 to 4.0%. It is congruent with job growth and consumer optimism," Comerica chief economist David Littman said of the figures.
The US economy grew at a respectable annual rate of 3.7% in the three months between July and September, while jobs growth averaged 178,000 during the same period. While the employment figures are not spectacular, experts believe they are enough to whittle away at America's 5.4% jobless rate. A breakdown of the latest production figures shows mining output drove the increase, surging 2.1%, while factory output rose 0.3%. But utility output dropped 1.4%. Meanwhile, the amount of factory capacity in use during the month rose to 77.6% - its highest level since May 2001. "Many investors think that product market inflation won't be a problem until the utilisation rates are at 80% or higher," Cary Leahy, senior US economist at Deutsche Bank Securities, said. "So there is still a lot of inflation-fighting slack in the manufacturing sector," "Overall I'd say manufacturing at least away from autos continues to improve and I would bet that it improves at a faster rate in coming months given how lean inventories are," Citigroup senior economist Steven Wieting added.
| A breakdown of the latest production figures shows mining output drove the increase, surging 2.1%, while factory output rose 0.3%.The US Federal Reserve said output from factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3% - in line with forecasts - from a revised 0.6% increase in October.The US economy grew at a respectable annual rate of 3.7% in the three months between July and September, while jobs growth averaged 178,000 during the same period.Many analysts were upbeat about the prospects for the US economy, with the increase in production coming on the heels of news of a recovery in retail sales.US industrial production continued to rise in November, albeit at a slower pace than the previous month.The latest increase means industrial output has grown 4.2% in the past year. |
2,024 | Computer grid to help the world
Your computer can now help solve the world's most difficult health and social problems.
Launched this week, the World Community Grid will use idle computer time to test solutions to these problems. The donated processor cycles will help the WCG create virtual supercomputers via the net. The idea follows the success of other similar projects that have used the untapped processing power of millions of desktop PCs. One of the most successful collaboration projects was Seti@home, run by the Search for Extra Terrestrial Life project, which sorted through radio signals looking for signs of alien communication.
Anyone can volunteer to donate the spare time of their computers by downloading a special screensaver from the WGC website. Once installed, the virtual terminal gets a chunk of the computational task to process, and reports back after completing that task. The first WCG problem being tackled will be the Human Proteome Folding Project, which hopes to identify the ways that the proteins in our body fold.
The subjects of study are being selected by an international advisory board of experts specializing in health sciences, and technology. The body will evaluate proposals from leading research, public and not-for-profit organizations, and is expected to oversee up to six projects a year. Organisations also represented on the board include the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organisation.
"The World Community Grid will enable researchers around the globe to gather and analyze unprecedented quantities of data to help address important global issues," said Elain Gallin, program director for medical research at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. "[It] will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems", she added. IBM has donated the hardware, software, technical services and expertise to build the basic infrastructure for the grid. The computer company, working with United Devices, previously developed the Smallpox Research Grid, which linked together more than two million volunteers from 226 countries to speed the analysis of some 35 million drug molecules in the search for a treatment for Smallpox.
| Launched this week, the World Community Grid will use idle computer time to test solutions to these problems.Your computer can now help solve the world's most difficult health and social problems.The computer company, working with United Devices, previously developed the Smallpox Research Grid, which linked together more than two million volunteers from 226 countries to speed the analysis of some 35 million drug molecules in the search for a treatment for Smallpox."The World Community Grid will enable researchers around the globe to gather and analyze unprecedented quantities of data to help address important global issues," said Elain Gallin, program director for medical research at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.The donated processor cycles will help the WCG create virtual supercomputers via the net.The body will evaluate proposals from leading research, public and not-for-profit organizations, and is expected to oversee up to six projects a year. |
1,371 | 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.
| also set a new championship mark in the men's triple jump title in Sheffield."I was advised not to jump by my doctor and so I'm pleased to come here and get the qualifying mark," said Tomlinson.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.cleared the required 1.90m to qualify for the European championships and claim the AAAs title in the women's high jump.The 21-year-old ran a personal best of 53.45 seconds to win her first indoor title.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.The men's race was won by , who had to fight off a closing pack to claim the title in 3:45.87.Wall's time was just short of the qualifying mark - something Murphy already has.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.Claxton's time was also good enough to qualify for the European Championships.could not reach the European mark in the women's race as she crossed the line to win in 2:04.45.Her time of 4:19.11 was not good enough to qualify for Madrid but Ovens had already opted out of the championships.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.Katherine Endacott battled hard to take second and dip under the European qualifying mark.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.took the women's 1500m AAAs title in the absence of Kelly Holmes."You'll see me in Madrid and I feel there is a lot more to come along," said the 22-year-old.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.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. |
132 | Brazil buy boosts Belgium's Inbev
Belgian brewing giant Inbev has seen its profits soar thanks to its acquisition of Brazil's biggest beer firm Ambev last year.
Inbev, which makes Stella Artois, said pre-tax profits for 2004 rose 56% to 1.16bn euros ($1.5bn; £800m), and said it expected solid growth in 2005. The performance comes on sales up 21% at 8.6bn euros. The firm, formerly Interbrew, became the world's biggest brewer by volume when it bought Ambev in August 2004. The acquisition meant its sales by volume grew 57% in 2004, with four months of Ambev sales accounting for almost all of the increase. US beermaker Anheuser-Busch sells less beer by volume than Inbev but is bigger in terms of the value of its sales. Continuing demand for Inbev's products in the South American markets where its Brazilian arm is most popular means it expects to keep boosting its turnover. "It's the Brazil business that's doing it," said ING analyst Gerard Rijk of Inbev's strong performance. Ambev boosted its share of Brazil's beer market from 62% at the end of 2003 to more than 68% by December 2004, Inbev reported. In contrast, Inbev's European business saw volume sales fall 2.5%, although Central and Eastern European sales rose 12%. Overall, net profits were up 42% to 719m euros.
| Belgian brewing giant Inbev has seen its profits soar thanks to its acquisition of Brazil's biggest beer firm Ambev last year.The performance comes on sales up 21% at 8.6bn euros.The acquisition meant its sales by volume grew 57% in 2004, with four months of Ambev sales accounting for almost all of the increase.In contrast, Inbev's European business saw volume sales fall 2.5%, although Central and Eastern European sales rose 12%.Ambev boosted its share of Brazil's beer market from 62% at the end of 2003 to more than 68% by December 2004, Inbev reported. |
249 | Bush budget seeks deep cutbacks
President Bush has presented his 2006 budget, cutting domestic spending in a bid to lower a record deficit projected to peak at $427bn (£230bn) this year.
The $2.58 trillion (£1.38 trillion) budget submitted to Congress affects 150 domestic programmes from farming to the environment, education and health. But foreign aid is due to rise by 10%, with more money to treat HIV/Aids and reward economic and political reform. Military spending is also set to rise by 4.8%, to reach $419.3bn. The budget does not include the cost of running military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which the administration is expected to seek an extra $80bn from Congress later this year.
Congress will spend several months debating George W Bush's proposal.
The state department's planned budget would rise to just under $23bn - a fraction of the defence department's request - including almost $6bn to assist US allies in the "war on terror". However, the administration is keen to highlight its global effort to tackle HIV/Aids, the BBC's Jonathan Beale reports, and planned spending would almost double to $3bn, with much of that money going to African nations. Mr Bush also wants to increase the amount given to poorer countries through his Millennium Challenge Corporation. The scheme has been set up to reward developing countries that embrace what the US considers to be good governance and sound policies. Yet Mr Bush's proposed spending of $3bn on that project is well below his initial promise of $5bn.
A key spending line missing from proposals is the cost of funding the administration's proposed radical overhaul of Social Security, the pensions programme on which many Americans rely for their retirement income.
Some experts believe this could require borrowing of up to $4.5 trillion over a 20-year period. Neither does the budget include any cash to purchase crude oil for the US emergency petroleum stockpile. Concern over the level of the reserve, created in 1970s, has led to rises in oil prices over the past year. The Bush administration will instead continue to fill the reserve by taking oil - rather than cash - from energy companies that drill under federal leases.
The outline proposes reductions in budgets at 12 out of 23 government agencies including cuts of 9.6% at Agriculture and 5.6% at the Environmental Protection Agency. The spending plan for the year beginning 1 October is banking on a healthy US economy to boost government income by 6.1% to $2.18 trillion. Spending is forecast to grow by 3.5% to $2.57 trillion. But the budget is still the tightest yet under Mr Bush's presidency. "In order to sustain our economic expansion, we must continue pro-growth policies and enforce even greater spending restraint across federal government," Mr Bush said in his budget message to Congress. Mr Bush has promised to halve the US's massive budget deficit within five years. The deficit, partly the result of massive tax cuts early in Mr Bush's presidency, has been a key factor in pushing the US dollar lower. The independent Congressional Budget Office estimates that the shortfall could shrink to little more than $200bn by 2009, returning to the surpluses seen in the late 1990s by 2012. But its estimates depend on the tax cuts not being made permanent, in line with the promise when they were passed that they would "sunset", or disappear, in 2010. Most Republicans, however, want them to stay in place. And the figures also rely on the "Social Security trust fund" - the money set aside to cover the swelling costs of retirement pensions - being offset against the main budget deficit.
| President Bush has presented his 2006 budget, cutting domestic spending in a bid to lower a record deficit projected to peak at $427bn (£230bn) this year.Yet Mr Bush's proposed spending of $3bn on that project is well below his initial promise of $5bn.Military spending is also set to rise by 4.8%, to reach $419.3bn.The budget does not include the cost of running military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which the administration is expected to seek an extra $80bn from Congress later this year.The state department's planned budget would rise to just under $23bn - a fraction of the defence department's request - including almost $6bn to assist US allies in the "war on terror"."In order to sustain our economic expansion, we must continue pro-growth policies and enforce even greater spending restraint across federal government," Mr Bush said in his budget message to Congress.Mr Bush has promised to halve the US's massive budget deficit within five years.But the budget is still the tightest yet under Mr Bush's presidency.The deficit, partly the result of massive tax cuts early in Mr Bush's presidency, has been a key factor in pushing the US dollar lower.The spending plan for the year beginning 1 October is banking on a healthy US economy to boost government income by 6.1% to $2.18 trillion.The $2.58 trillion (£1.38 trillion) budget submitted to Congress affects 150 domestic programmes from farming to the environment, education and health. |
796 | Goodrem wins top female MTV prize
Pop singer Delta Goodrem has scooped one of the top individual prizes at the first Australian MTV Music Awards.
The 21-year-old singer won the award for best female artist, with Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll taking the title of best male at the ceremony. Goodrem, known in both Britain and Australia for her role as Nina Tucker in TV soap Neighbours, also performed a duet with boyfriend Brian McFadden. Other winners included Green Day, voted best group, and the Black Eyed Peas. Goodrem, Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas took home two awards each. As well as best female, Goodrem also took home the Pepsi Viewers Choice Award, whilst Green Day bagged the prize for best rock video for American Idiot. The Black Eyed Peas won awards for best R 'n' B video and sexiest video, both for Hey Mama. Local singer and songwriter Missy Higgins took the title of breakthrough artist of the year, with Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian taking the honours for best pop video. The VH1 First Music Award went to Cher honouring her achievements within the music industry. The ceremony was held at the Luna Park fairground in Sydney Harbour and was hosted by the Osbourne family. Artists including Carmen Electra, Missy Higgins, Kelly Osbourne, Green Day, Ja Rule and Natalie Imbruglia gave live performances at the event.
| As well as best female, Goodrem also took home the Pepsi Viewers Choice Award, whilst Green Day bagged the prize for best rock video for American Idiot.Goodrem, Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas took home two awards each.Other winners included Green Day, voted best group, and the Black Eyed Peas.The 21-year-old singer won the award for best female artist, with Australian Idol runner-up Shannon Noll taking the title of best male at the ceremony.The Black Eyed Peas won awards for best R 'n' B video and sexiest video, both for Hey Mama. |
1,414 | Man City 0-2 Man Utd
Manchester United reduced Chelsea's Premiership lead to nine points after a scrappy victory over Manchester City.
Wayne Rooney met Gary Neville's cross to the near post with a low shot, which went in via a deflection off Richard Dunne, to put United ahead. Seven minutes later, the unfortunate Dunne hooked a volley over David James' head and into his own net. Steve McManaman wasted City's best chance when he shot wide from three yards in the first half. In the opening 45 minutes United had looked unlikely to earn the win they needed to maintain any chance of catching Chelsea in the title race. Their approach play was more laboured than patient and they managed to fashion just one chance - a Paul Scholes header over the bar. And City seemed to be content to sit back and try and hit their rivals on the break as the game settled into a tepid pattern. Only Shaun Wright-Phillips appeared capable of interrupting the monotony, looking lively down the right and causing Gabriel Heinze problems.
Wes Brown also found Wright-Phillips to be a difficult opponent when the tricky winger embarrassed him near the touchline. Wright-Phillips' sublime skill and pace took him past Brown and he delivered a pin-point centre to the feet of McManaman. But the former Liverpool player demonstrated why he has never scored against United by side-footing the easy chance wide. John O'Shea was forced off after an earlier clash with Sylvain Distin and Cristiano Ronaldo came on to replace him. He immediately caused Ben Thatcher some discomfort and looked set to inject some much-needed pace into the United attack. Rooney was being well marshalled by Dunne - but that was all about to change. After the break, United poured forward and there was a renewed urgency about their play. And when Neville delivered a cross in a carbon copy of City's best first-half chance, Rooney showed McManaman how to do it - even if he needed the help of Dunne's leg. Worse was to come for Dunne, who had been having a fine match. On 75 minutes, he scored a horrible own goal when attempting to volley clear Rooney's cross and United seemed home and dry. However, City did fight back and Fowler missed another great chance from close range. And United keeper Roy Carroll saved well from Kiki Musampa. But United could have a had a third late on when substitute Ryan Giggs hit the post.
- Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan: "We had a great chance to take the lead and the first goal was always going to be crucial. "We started off with a good tempo but then we allowed them to dictate the pace a bit too much. "But we still had four good chances, two after we'd gone 2-0 down, the one McManaman missed was very similar to the one Wayne Rooney scored from."
- Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson: "It wasn't our best performance of the last three months but I think we're deserved winners. "At times, especially in the first half, we didn't play with enough speed. But with (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Ryan) Giggs on, the speed improved. "Derby games can be like that, they can be scrappy, dull, horrible and it was maybe like that." Man City: James, Mills (Bradley Wright-Phillips 83), Dunne, Distin, Thatcher, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Barton (Macken 68), Sibierski, McManaman, Musampa, Fowler. Subs Not Used: Weaver, Onuoha, Flood. Booked: Fowler, Sibierski. Man Utd: Carroll, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Heinze, O'Shea (Ronaldo 33), Keane, Fortune, Fletcher (Giggs 64), Rooney, Scholes (Phil Neville 84). Subs Not Used: Howard, Bellion. Booked: Rooney, Scholes, Keane. Goals: Rooney 68, Dunne 75 og. Att: 47,111 Ref: S Bennett (Kent).
| Rooney was being well marshalled by Dunne - but that was all about to change.Man City: James, Mills (Bradley Wright-Phillips 83), Dunne, Distin, Thatcher, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Barton (Macken 68), Sibierski, McManaman, Musampa, Fowler.After the break, United poured forward and there was a renewed urgency about their play.- Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan: "We had a great chance to take the lead and the first goal was always going to be crucial.Wayne Rooney met Gary Neville's cross to the near post with a low shot, which went in via a deflection off Richard Dunne, to put United ahead."But we still had four good chances, two after we'd gone 2-0 down, the one McManaman missed was very similar to the one Wayne Rooney scored from."And when Neville delivered a cross in a carbon copy of City's best first-half chance, Rooney showed McManaman how to do it - even if he needed the help of Dunne's leg.Man Utd: Carroll, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Heinze, O'Shea (Ronaldo 33), Keane, Fortune, Fletcher (Giggs 64), Rooney, Scholes (Phil Neville 84).Their approach play was more laboured than patient and they managed to fashion just one chance - a Paul Scholes header over the bar.Goals: Rooney 68, Dunne 75 og.Worse was to come for Dunne, who had been having a fine match.Booked: Rooney, Scholes, Keane.Steve McManaman wasted City's best chance when he shot wide from three yards in the first half.But the former Liverpool player demonstrated why he has never scored against United by side-footing the easy chance wide.Manchester United reduced Chelsea's Premiership lead to nine points after a scrappy victory over Manchester City. |
985 | Tory leader quits legal position
David McLetchie has resigned from his post as a partner in a legal firm following criticism over his dual role.
The Scottish Conservative leader had insisted that his legal work with Tods Murray did not influence the causes he supports. But on Friday he said: "I have tendered my resignation as a partner with immediate effect." Mr McLetchie had received advice from Holyrood officials about what details he needed to declare. Labour said he had "cleverly" not asked about paid advocacy. A Tory spokesman "totally refuted" any wrongdoing.
Mr McLetchie received advice from the clerk to the standards committee after concern over him signing a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for Edinburgh Airport. The MSP had been a partner for Tods Murray which has a client opposing the development. Mr McLetchie did not have a complaint made against him, but when concerns were raised he sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position. He was advised to exercise judgement to avoid the perception of a conflict and said he had done nothing wrong.
Explaining his reason for quitting the post, Mr McLetchie said: "I have been greatly concerned by the recent publicity surrounding my association with Tods Murray. "However, I have no wish to see a similar situation arise again. "To avoid any misconceptions in the future and be mindful of the good name of Tods Murray and the confidentiality to which its clients are entitled, I have brought forward the date of my retirement from the firm which would otherwise have happened later this year. "I am proud to have been a part of Tods Murray for the last 29 years and wish it well in the future."
Labour MSP Christine May had said Mr McLetchie was "very clever" to ask the clerk to consider his conduct in respect of section 5 of the code. "He was almost bound to get the answer he wanted from this enquiry since he stands accused of breaching section 6, the section on paid advocacy," she said. Section 5 of the members interest order legally obliges MSPs to declare registrable interests before taking part in related parliamentary proceedings "where the interest would prejudice or give the appearance of prejudicing their ability to participate in a disinterested manner". However, MSPs' Code of Conduct "recognises a wider definition" of parliamentary proceedings, including a non-statutory requirement to make a declaration in relation to written notices, such as motions.
But a letter from Holyrood's Chamber Office chief Ken Hughes also made clear that Mr McLetchie did not need to list any of the clients for whom he worked as a solicitor. Commenting on Mr McLetchie's decision to stand down, a Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: "This should mean Mr McLetchie doesn't breach the paid advocacy rules in future. "However it doesn't change the fact that there should be a full investigation into whether he has done this in the past."
Scottish National Party Holyrood leader Nicola Sturgeon accused Mr McLetchie of failing to properly serve his constituents. Ms Sturgeon said: "I think this whole episode has been very damaging for Mr McLetchie and I'm sure he will be reflecting on it." She added that she thought that the Tories were an irrelevant party so she would not "lose any sleep over it". Peter Misselbrook, executive partner of Tods Murray said Mr McLetchie had been considering retirement later in the year. He added: "David has decided that this announcement should be made now and we fully understand and appreciate his reasons for doing so."
| Peter Misselbrook, executive partner of Tods Murray said Mr McLetchie had been considering retirement later in the year.Commenting on Mr McLetchie's decision to stand down, a Scottish Labour Party spokesman said: "This should mean Mr McLetchie doesn't breach the paid advocacy rules in future.Explaining his reason for quitting the post, Mr McLetchie said: "I have been greatly concerned by the recent publicity surrounding my association with Tods Murray.Labour MSP Christine May had said Mr McLetchie was "very clever" to ask the clerk to consider his conduct in respect of section 5 of the code.Ms Sturgeon said: "I think this whole episode has been very damaging for Mr McLetchie and I'm sure he will be reflecting on it."The MSP had been a partner for Tods Murray which has a client opposing the development.Scottish National Party Holyrood leader Nicola Sturgeon accused Mr McLetchie of failing to properly serve his constituents.Mr McLetchie had received advice from Holyrood officials about what details he needed to declare.Mr McLetchie received advice from the clerk to the standards committee after concern over him signing a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for Edinburgh Airport.Mr McLetchie did not have a complaint made against him, but when concerns were raised he sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position.David McLetchie has resigned from his post as a partner in a legal firm following criticism over his dual role. |
706 | Gervais writing Simpsons episode
The Office's Ricky Gervais is writing an episode of hit US cartoon The Simpsons, following an invitation from its creator Matt Groening.
Gervais has already begun writing the script but is keeping its subject matter a closely guarded secret. He will also write a part for himself in the episode. "I've got the rough idea but this is the most intimidating project of my career. The Simpsons is the greatest TV show of all time," he said. Groening recently heaped praise on The Office, saying: "Everybody on The Simpsons is a fan of The Office - it's one of the best shows on TV in the last decade." Gervais has already said he would not guest star in the show as his Office character David, having left him behind for good in the Christmas specials. The Office became a surprise US success when it was screened on cable channel BBC America. The first series won two Golden Globes in 2004 for best comedy and best TV actor for Gervais.
In winning it beat the likes of Sex and the City and Will and Grace. An American version was produced, but so far only a pilot has been broadcast - to much criticism that it failed to live up to the original. At the British Comedy Awards on Wednesday, Gervais was handed a special achievement award for writing. But The Office missed out in the best comedy show category to Little Britain. Matt Groening was also at the awards to collect the award for best international comedy for The Simpsons.
| Matt Groening was also at the awards to collect the award for best international comedy for The Simpsons.Groening recently heaped praise on The Office, saying: "Everybody on The Simpsons is a fan of The Office - it's one of the best shows on TV in the last decade."But The Office missed out in the best comedy show category to Little Britain.At the British Comedy Awards on Wednesday, Gervais was handed a special achievement award for writing.The first series won two Golden Globes in 2004 for best comedy and best TV actor for Gervais.The Office's Ricky Gervais is writing an episode of hit US cartoon The Simpsons, following an invitation from its creator Matt Groening. |
70 | Circuit City gets takeover offer
Circuit City Stores, the second-largest electronics retailer in the US, has received a $3.25bn (£1.7bn) takeover offer.
The bid has come from Boston-based private investment firm Highfields Capital Management, which already owns 6.7% of Circuit City's shares. Shares in the retailer were up 19.6% at $17.04 in Tuesday morning trading in New York following the announcement. Highfield said that it intends to take the Virginia-based firm private.
"Such a transformation would eliminate the public-company transparency into the company's operating strategy that is uniquely damaging in a highly competitive industry where Circuit City is going head-to-head with a tough and entrenched rival," Highfield said. One analyst suggested that a bidding battle may now begin for the company. Bill Armstrong, a retail analyst at CL King & Associates, said he expected to see other private investment firms come forward for Circuit City. The retailer is debt free with a good cash flow, despite the fact that it is said to be struggling to keep up with market leader Best Buy and cut-price competition from the likes of Wal-Mart, said Mr Armstrong.
| Bill Armstrong, a retail analyst at CL King & Associates, said he expected to see other private investment firms come forward for Circuit City.The bid has come from Boston-based private investment firm Highfields Capital Management, which already owns 6.7% of Circuit City's shares.Highfield said that it intends to take the Virginia-based firm private."Such a transformation would eliminate the public-company transparency into the company's operating strategy that is uniquely damaging in a highly competitive industry where Circuit City is going head-to-head with a tough and entrenched rival," Highfield said. |
661 | Eminem secret gig venue revealed
Rapper Eminem is to play an intimate gig in London on Saturday, following a show on the River Thames on Friday.
The US star will play just two songs at a night showcasing his label Shady Records at the Islington Academy. Eminem performed on HMS Belfast on Friday, which is docked on the River Thames, where he filmed two songs for BBC One's Top of the Pops. He arrived in the UK on Friday following his appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Rome. Other rap acts who may appear at the Islington gig include Stat Quo, Proof, DJ Green Lantern, Swift and Obie Trice.
Eminem's latest album soared to the top of the US chart after just three days on sale in record shops. Encore is now a chart-topper on both sides of the Atlantic following its debut at number one in the UK. The fourth album from the rap star was on sale for two days before it outsold all of its rivals. The album was released early in an effort to combat both physical and online piracy.
Eminem's album includes the track Mosh, which is a tirade against US President Bush and the presence of US troops in Iraq. The rapper was criticised earlier this year after a performance on BBC One's Top of the Pops in April led 12 viewers to complain he was "lewd" and "offensive". The complaints about the star grabbing his crotch were upheld by the BBC. "The performer had been asked to tone his act down after rehearsal but ignored this request during the live broadcast," a BBC statement read. "Although his gestures were part of the rap culture, they had gone beyond what is expected."
| The fourth album from the rap star was on sale for two days before it outsold all of its rivals.Eminem performed on HMS Belfast on Friday, which is docked on the River Thames, where he filmed two songs for BBC One's Top of the Pops.Eminem's latest album soared to the top of the US chart after just three days on sale in record shops.Rapper Eminem is to play an intimate gig in London on Saturday, following a show on the River Thames on Friday.The US star will play just two songs at a night showcasing his label Shady Records at the Islington Academy.The rapper was criticised earlier this year after a performance on BBC One's Top of the Pops in April led 12 viewers to complain he was "lewd" and "offensive". |
847 | Career honour for actor DiCaprio
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's "exceptional career" has been honoured at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The star was presented with the award by Martin Scorsese, who directed him in Oscar-nominated movie The Aviator. "It's a lifetime achievement award, which is completely and utterly surreal, given I'm only 30 years old," DiCaprio said. "But what has it been? Almost 17 years now. I've done quite a few films." A retrospective of his movies was shown.
"What's really exciting, for me, is that this is what I really love doing," he added. "It's what I want to do for the rest of my life." DiCaprio began his movie career in horror film Critters 3, before moving onto roles in The Basketball Diaries, Romeo and Juliet, Titanic and Gangs of New York. The achievement award was created to commemorate the California festival's 20th anniversary and coincided with DiCaprio's portrayal of millionaire Howard Hughes in The Aviator.
Veteran actress Jane Russell, who starred in Hughes' 1943 film The Outlaw, said was impressed by DiCaprio's quest for authenticity when he previously discussed the role with her. "I was very happy that (DiCaprio) came and cared to come up and find out what (Hughes) was really like," she said. The Aviator has taken pole position in this year's Oscars race with 11 nominations, including nominations for best film, best actor for DiCaprio and best director for Scorsese.
| "I was very happy that (DiCaprio) came and cared to come up and find out what (Hughes) was really like," she said.The star was presented with the award by Martin Scorsese, who directed him in Oscar-nominated movie The Aviator.Veteran actress Jane Russell, who starred in Hughes' 1943 film The Outlaw, said was impressed by DiCaprio's quest for authenticity when he previously discussed the role with her.The achievement award was created to commemorate the California festival's 20th anniversary and coincided with DiCaprio's portrayal of millionaire Howard Hughes in The Aviator.A retrospective of his movies was shown."It's a lifetime achievement award, which is completely and utterly surreal, given I'm only 30 years old," DiCaprio said. |
941 | Tory leader 'cleared' over work
Scottish Conservative Party leader David McLetchie claims he has been cleared over a potential conflict of interest.
The Edinburgh MSP earns up to £30,000 a year from the law firm Tods Murray, where he is a partner. Mr McLetchie said he has taken advice from Holyrood officials about what details he needs to declare. He was advised to exercise judgement to avoid the perception of a conflict and said he had done nothing wrong. As an MSP, Mr McLetchie signed a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for Edinburgh Airport.
It then emerged Tods Murray has a client which opposes the development. Mr McLetchie then sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position. BBC Scotland's political correspondent Glenn Campbell said no complaint had been made against Mr McLetchie, but questions were raised about his dual role. Glenn said MSPs are advised to guard against a conflict of interests and a perception of a conflict.
Mr McLetchie said: "I'm quite clear that no conflicts of interest arise in my case, that the judgement I took has effectively been vindicated when you look at the advice that has been given to me and that these allegations are unfounded." He said nothing had changed in respect of his work with the law firm and it was a matter he would have to discuss with the other partners at Tods Murray. "The firm and I have a very good working relationship and we have done for the last six years," said Mr McLetchie. "I don't suppose I'll be working forever as a lawyer or a politician. I deserve to retire from both, but I'm not willing to put time limits on them."
| Mr McLetchie said: "I'm quite clear that no conflicts of interest arise in my case, that the judgement I took has effectively been vindicated when you look at the advice that has been given to me and that these allegations are unfounded.""The firm and I have a very good working relationship and we have done for the last six years," said Mr McLetchie.Mr McLetchie said he has taken advice from Holyrood officials about what details he needs to declare.Glenn said MSPs are advised to guard against a conflict of interests and a perception of a conflict.He said nothing had changed in respect of his work with the law firm and it was a matter he would have to discuss with the other partners at Tods Murray.BBC Scotland's political correspondent Glenn Campbell said no complaint had been made against Mr McLetchie, but questions were raised about his dual role. |
768 | No jail for singer Courtney Love
Singer Courtney Love has been spared jail for assault and drug offences, but must serve three years probation.
She had back-to-back court appearances in two separate cases in Los Angeles, first pleading no contest to attacking a woman with a whisky bottle. In the second, Ms Love, 40, pleaded guilty to possessing a forged prescription and painkiller oxycodone. She must also do 100 hours community service, have drug treatment, attend Narcotics Anonymous and pay a fine. The ex-Hole singer's lawyer Howard Weitzman said Ms Love had "turned her life around" and she was "clean and sober".
The assault charge stemmed from April 2004, when Ms Love found musician Kristin King in her boyfriend's home. Ms King said the singer "threw the bottle at the left side of my face" in an "angry, vicious and erratic" attack. Ms Love was originally charged with the more serious offence of assault with a deadly weapon, but that was reduced to assault. Judge Rand Rubin said she must:
- Spend three years on probation
- Have one year's anger management counselling
- Have one year's drug rehabilitation
- Do 100 hours community service
- Pay $1,000 (£535) fine
- Have random drug tests
- Go to three Narcotics Anonymous meetings per week
In the drugs case, she was sentenced to 18 months probation, to run concurrently with the probation for the assault. That offence stemmed from October 2003, when she suffered an overdose after breaking a window at her boyfriend's home. In a separate case relating to the same incident, Ms Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation for being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. In another case last October, she pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for hitting a man on the head with a microphone stand at a New York City nightclub. Last month her lawyers said she had won back custody of Frances Bean, her 12-year-old daughter with former Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The girl was removed from her care following her double arrest in October 2003. Cobain committed suicide in 1994.
| In a separate case relating to the same incident, Ms Love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation for being under the influence of cocaine and opiates.Ms Love was originally charged with the more serious offence of assault with a deadly weapon, but that was reduced to assault.Judge Rand Rubin said she must: - Spend three years on probation - Have one year's anger management counselling - Have one year's drug rehabilitation - Do 100 hours community service - Pay $1,000 (£535) fine - Have random drug tests - Go to three Narcotics Anonymous meetings per week In the drugs case, she was sentenced to 18 months probation, to run concurrently with the probation for the assault.The assault charge stemmed from April 2004, when Ms Love found musician Kristin King in her boyfriend's home.The ex-Hole singer's lawyer Howard Weitzman said Ms Love had "turned her life around" and she was "clean and sober".Singer Courtney Love has been spared jail for assault and drug offences, but must serve three years probation. |
127 | Yukos owner sues Russia for $28bn
The majority owner of embattled Russian oil firm Yukos has sued the Russian government for $28.3bn (£15.2bn).
The Kremlin last year seized and sold Yukos' main production arm, Yugansk, to state-run oil group Rosneft for $9.3bn to offset a massive back tax bill. Group Menatep, the Gibraltar-based holding company which controls 51% of Yukos, says this was illegal. Menatep has already asked Rosneft to repay a $900m loan that Yugansk had secured on its assets.
The Russian government's argument for selling Yuganskneftegaz - the unit's full name - was that Yukos owed more than $27bn in back taxes for the years from 2000 onwards. It accused the firm of using a web of offshore firms to avoid its tax liabilities, and the courts sent in bailiffs to freeze Yukos accounts and seize Yugansk.
But critics say the sell-off, and the assault on Yukos' finances, are part of an attempt to bring the energy industry back under state control. According to Menatep, the government's actions were contrary to the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty, which was designed to regulate disagreements over energy investments. "We have warned the Russian government about their continuing attacks against Yukos, its personnel and its shareholders and we have warned any buyer of Yuganskneftegaz that they would face a lifetime of litigation," said Tim Osborne, a director of Group Menatep. "The time for warning is over and actions to recover the value of our losses begin in earnest today."
Menatep said the value of its Yukos shareholding had gone from $17.8bn to "virtually nothing" since 2003 as a result of the Russian government's action, as its shares have fallen 97%. According to its Paris lawyer, Emmanuel Gaillard of Shearman and Sterling, the overall claim is based on that figure, with a 60% addition for the share gains that could have accrued since then. Arbitration of the lawsuit could take place in Stockholm or The Hague, Mr Gaillard said. While Russia has signed the Charter, it has never ratified it - which some experts say could make it difficult for Menatep to press its case. But Mr Gaillard told BBC News that the Charter came into effect on signature, not ratification. "Russia has said in the past that it is bound by it, so as to attract foreign investors," he said.
Yukos is still waiting to see what will happen to its filing in a US court for bankruptcy protection. It took the action to try to prevent the forced sale of Yugansk - first to a little-known shell company, which in turn was bought by Rosneft. Yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Mr Khodorkovsky, currently facing fraud and tax evasion charges of his own, was one of the founders of Menatep. He has since signed over his shareholding to one of his fellow investors.
| Menatep said the value of its Yukos shareholding had gone from $17.8bn to "virtually nothing" since 2003 as a result of the Russian government's action, as its shares have fallen 97%.Group Menatep, the Gibraltar-based holding company which controls 51% of Yukos, says this was illegal.The Russian government's argument for selling Yuganskneftegaz - the unit's full name - was that Yukos owed more than $27bn in back taxes for the years from 2000 onwards.The majority owner of embattled Russian oil firm Yukos has sued the Russian government for $28.3bn (£15.2bn).While Russia has signed the Charter, it has never ratified it - which some experts say could make it difficult for Menatep to press its case.Mr Khodorkovsky, currently facing fraud and tax evasion charges of his own, was one of the founders of Menatep.The Kremlin last year seized and sold Yukos' main production arm, Yugansk, to state-run oil group Rosneft for $9.3bn to offset a massive back tax bill."We have warned the Russian government about their continuing attacks against Yukos, its personnel and its shareholders and we have warned any buyer of Yuganskneftegaz that they would face a lifetime of litigation," said Tim Osborne, a director of Group Menatep.According to Menatep, the government's actions were contrary to the 1994 Energy Charter Treaty, which was designed to regulate disagreements over energy investments. |
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