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1,198 | Galloway targets 'New Labour' MP
George Galloway is to stand against pro-Iraq war Labour MP Oona King at the next general election.
Mr Galloway, who on Thursday won £150,000 in libel damages from the Daily Telegraph said he would contest Bethnal Green, in London, for Respect. The Glasgow Kelvin MP, who was expelled from Labour over his anti Iraq war stance, accused Ms King of being a "New Labour stooge". Ms King said she was "delighted" at the chance to take on Mr Galloway.
Mr Galloway's current constituency is set to disappear under planned boundary changes in Scotland.
The 50-year-old MP launched Respect, the Unity Coalition, in January along with 1,000 anti-war activists, and the Muslim Association of Britain. The party's declared aims are an end to the occupation of Iraq, the repeal of anti-union laws and the end of privatisation. Speaking from a cafe in Brick Lane, east London, Mr Galloway said he had accepted the party's invitation to stand with "great honour and pride".
He added: "Here in this constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow there is a New Labour stooge MP. "A stooge who will sing any song, make any speech, do any dance, do anything she is told to by Tony Blair - irrespective of how her constituents are adversely affected or how strongly they feel to the contrary." Ms King has represented the constituency since 1997. She said: "I'm delighted I've been given the chance to finish him (Mr Galloway) off, and believe me I will. "I know many people around the country will be grateful, not least his constituents in Scotland who he has shamelessly abandoned." In June's European Parliament elections, Respect failed to gain enough votes for an MEP but did come first in Tower Hamlets borough, most of which is covered by the Commons constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow.
A month later it gained a council seat in a by-election in St Dunstan's and Stepney Green ward, Tower Hamlets. Mr Galloway said that in next year's expected general election and local elections a year later, the party would "turn the East End of London into a fortress". Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have chosen prospective parliamentary candidates for Bethnal Green and Bow from the Bangladeshi population, which makes up almost half the electorate. The Telegraph was sued for libel by Mr Galloway after the newspaper claimed he received money from Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. The newspaper said it was in the public interest to publish the claims, based on documents found in Baghdad. Mr Justice Eady said he was "obliged to compensate Mr Galloway... and to make an award for the purposes of restoring his reputation".
| Ms King said she was "delighted" at the chance to take on Mr Galloway.Mr Galloway, who on Thursday won £150,000 in libel damages from the Daily Telegraph said he would contest Bethnal Green, in London, for Respect.Mr Justice Eady said he was "obliged to compensate Mr Galloway... and to make an award for the purposes of restoring his reputation".He added: "Here in this constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow there is a New Labour stooge MP.Mr Galloway said that in next year's expected general election and local elections a year later, the party would "turn the East End of London into a fortress".She said: "I'm delighted I've been given the chance to finish him (Mr Galloway) off, and believe me I will.The Glasgow Kelvin MP, who was expelled from Labour over his anti Iraq war stance, accused Ms King of being a "New Labour stooge".George Galloway is to stand against pro-Iraq war Labour MP Oona King at the next general election. |
2,107 | Games help you 'learn and play'
'God games' in which players must control virtual people and societies could be educational, says research.
A US researcher has suggested that games such as The Sims could be a good way to teach languages. Ravi Purushotma believes that the world of The Sims can do a better job of teaching vocabulary and grammar than traditional methods. The inherent fun of game playing could help to make learning languages much less of a chore, said Mr Purushotma.
There must be few parents or teachers that do not worry that the lure of a video game on a computer or console is hard to resist by children that really should be doing their homework. But instead of fearing computer games, Ravi Purushotma believes that educationalists, particularly language teachers should embrace games. "One goal would be to break what I believe to be the false assumption that learning and play are inherently oppositional," he said. He believes that the "phenomenal ability" of games such as The Sims and others to capture the interest of adolescent audiences is ripe for exploitation. The hard part of learning any language, said Mr Purushotma, were the basic parts of learning what different words refer to and how they are used to build up sentences. Boring lessons drumming vocabulary into pupils couched in terms they do not understand has made many languages far harder to learn than they should be. "The way we often teach foreign languages right now is somewhat akin to learning to ride a bike by formally studying gravity," he said.
By contrast, said Mr Purushotma, learning via something like The Sims may mean students do not feel like they are studying at all. This was because The Sims does not rely solely on words to get information across to players. Instead the actions of its computer controlled people and how they interact with their world often makes clear what is going on. The incidental information about what a Sim was doing could reinforce what a player or student was supposed to be learning, said Mr Purushotma. By contrast many language lessons try to impart information about a tongue with little context. For instance, he said, in a version of The Sims adapted to teach German, if a player misunderstood what was meant by the word "energie" the actions of a tired Sim, stumbling then falling asleep, would illustrate the meaning. If necessary detailed textual information could be called upon to aid players' or students' understanding.
One of the drawbacks of The Sims, said Mr Purushotma, was the lack of spoken language to help people brush up on pronunciation. However, online versions of The Sims, in which people have to move in, meet the neighbours and get to know the local town, could be adapted to help this. Although not wishing to claim that he is the first to suggest using a game can help people learn, Mr Purushotma believes that educationalists have missed the potential they have to help.
Getting a simulated person to perform everyday activities in a make-believe world and having them described in a foreign language could be a powerful learning aid, he believes. Before now, he said, educational software titles suffer by comparison with the slick graphics and rich worlds found in games. But, he said, using pre-prepared game worlds such as The Sims has never been easier because tools have been made by its creators and fans that make it easy to modify almost any part of the game. This could make it easy for teachers to adapt parts of the game for their own lessons. "I'm hoping now to re-create a well-polished German learning mod for the sequel by this summer," he told the BBC News website. "I'm encouraged to hear that others are thinking of experimenting with Japanese and Spanish." Earlier work with a colleague on using Civilisation III to teach students about history showed that it could be a powerful way to get them to realise that solving a society's problems can not always come from making a single change. A report on the experiment said: "Students began asking historical and geographical questions in the context of game play, using geography and history as tools for their game, and drawing inferences about social phenomena based on their play." Mr Purushotma's ideas were aired in an article for the journal Language Learning and Technology.
| The inherent fun of game playing could help to make learning languages much less of a chore, said Mr Purushotma.One of the drawbacks of The Sims, said Mr Purushotma, was the lack of spoken language to help people brush up on pronunciation.The incidental information about what a Sim was doing could reinforce what a player or student was supposed to be learning, said Mr Purushotma.The hard part of learning any language, said Mr Purushotma, were the basic parts of learning what different words refer to and how they are used to build up sentences.But, he said, using pre-prepared game worlds such as The Sims has never been easier because tools have been made by its creators and fans that make it easy to modify almost any part of the game.By contrast, said Mr Purushotma, learning via something like The Sims may mean students do not feel like they are studying at all.A US researcher has suggested that games such as The Sims could be a good way to teach languages."The way we often teach foreign languages right now is somewhat akin to learning to ride a bike by formally studying gravity," he said.This could make it easy for teachers to adapt parts of the game for their own lessons.Although not wishing to claim that he is the first to suggest using a game can help people learn, Mr Purushotma believes that educationalists have missed the potential they have to help.Getting a simulated person to perform everyday activities in a make-believe world and having them described in a foreign language could be a powerful learning aid, he believes.But instead of fearing computer games, Ravi Purushotma believes that educationalists, particularly language teachers should embrace games. |
695 | Oscar host Rock to keep it clean
Oscar host Chris Rock said he will steer clear of bad language when he fronts the awards on 27 February.
The comedian, who recently got into trouble for poking fun at the ceremony, is renowned for his heavy use of expletives during his stand-up routine. The live ceremony will be broadcast with a transmission delay on US network ABC to ensure swear words are removed. "I've been on TV and been funny not cursing," he said during an interview for CBS network's 60 Minutes show. "As far as content is concerned, I will talk about the movies. I'm not really worried about it. I'm sure ABC might be more worried about it than me," he added.
The 40-year-old comedian caused a furore when he said in an interview with US magazine Entertainment Weekly recently that he hardly ever watched the Oscars and labelled awards ceremonies "idiotic". The show's producers defended Rock and confirmed that he would still be presenting the Oscar ceremony, saying his comments were "humorous digs". Meanwhile, the Academy has announced that Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman will present an award at the ceremony. Portman, who has been nominated for a best supporting actress gong for her role in Mike Nichols' Closer, joins a growing list of stars set to bestow an award at the ceremony including Dustin Hoffman, Drew Barrymore, Renee Zellweger and British-born actress Kate Winslet.
| The 40-year-old comedian caused a furore when he said in an interview with US magazine Entertainment Weekly recently that he hardly ever watched the Oscars and labelled awards ceremonies "idiotic".Meanwhile, the Academy has announced that Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman will present an award at the ceremony.I'm sure ABC might be more worried about it than me," he added.Portman, who has been nominated for a best supporting actress gong for her role in Mike Nichols' Closer, joins a growing list of stars set to bestow an award at the ceremony including Dustin Hoffman, Drew Barrymore, Renee Zellweger and British-born actress Kate Winslet.The live ceremony will be broadcast with a transmission delay on US network ABC to ensure swear words are removed. |
1,070 | Escaped prisoner report ordered
First Minister Jack McConnell has ordered a report on the decision to allow a paranoid schizophrenic knife attacker to go on a visit unguarded.
Michael Ferguson, 36, escaped after being allowed out of the high-security Carstairs unit. The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has demanded to know who was responsible for signing off the leave. The Scottish Executive said ministers would be notified but it would "not be common practice" to sign approval. An executive spokesman said the health department and the state hospital itself would work together on preparing the report. Ministerial responsibility for Carstairs rests with Rhona Brankin, the deputy health minister. Ms Brankin said: "The first minister has called for a review of what has happened, we need to talk to the state hospital and we need to reflect on this." Ms Sturgeon has written to Mr McConnell asking for clarification on the move to allow the prisoner out. She said questions must be answered about his escape, if the public is to be reassured about safety. Police are still searching for Ferguson, who failed to return after a trip to East Kilbride on Monday.
The Scottish National Party's parliamentary leader argued that under the law, authorisation of Ferguson's leave of absence would have come directly from ministers. She said: "The Scottish Executive seemed to indicate yesterday that the escape of Mr Ferguson was a matter for Carstairs. "However, my understanding is that, under the mental health legislation, the decision to grant this patient - and any restricted patient - leave of absence, would have required direct and specific authorisation by Scottish ministers." She added: "I have written to the first minister today asking for confirmation of that fact. I have also asked him to confirm which minister would routinely take decisions of this nature and what information they are based on. "This is not an attempt to apportion blame, but to ensure a better understanding of the decision making process in such important and sensitive cases."
Police said Ferguson posed a danger to the public. BBC Scotland political correspondent Glenn Campbell said the first minister had ordered an urgent report into the situation. He said: "We understand from the executive that in this case no individual minister signed off the approval for Michael Ferguson to be released unescorted from Carstairs. "The executive concedes that it is up to Scottish ministers, they have a legal responsibility for approving this sort of leave, but they say routinely it is specialised officials that make that decision and simply inform ministers that they have taken it. "But at that stage presumably ministers can ask hard questions and can ask for reassurances that the patient is not a serious danger to the public or that any risk has been minimised." Scottish Conservative leader, David McLetchie, said earlier it was "almost beyond belief that this has been allowed to happen".
The executive spokeswoman said the recommendation for leave was agreed by a psychiatric advisor "in conjunction with officials on behalf of ministers". She said: "Ministers were told of that, notified of it, but it would not be common practice for them to sign it off. "They do have statutory responsibility, but the common practice has been that people who work with the patient and have the best knowledge about risk would make that decision." Ferguson, who slashed a man in a doctors' surgery in Coatbridge in 1994, had been out to see his fiancée Annabella Holmes, 47, whom he met when she was a patient at the high security complex in South Lanarkshire. He is described as being 5ft 9ins tall, slim, with blond hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. Ferguson was wearing a black jacket, grey jeans, black jumper and black shoes when he was last seen. He has multiple fading tattoos on his left hand and a very faded tear tattoo under his left eye. Ms Holmes is not missing but there have been no sightings of Ferguson since Monday. Strathclyde Police asked anyone who spots Ferguson to contact Sergeant Keith McDonald on
.
| The Scottish Executive said ministers would be notified but it would "not be common practice" to sign approval.She said: "The Scottish Executive seemed to indicate yesterday that the escape of Mr Ferguson was a matter for Carstairs.He said: "We understand from the executive that in this case no individual minister signed off the approval for Michael Ferguson to be released unescorted from Carstairs.Ms Brankin said: "The first minister has called for a review of what has happened, we need to talk to the state hospital and we need to reflect on this."Police said Ferguson posed a danger to the public.She said: "Ministers were told of that, notified of it, but it would not be common practice for them to sign it off."They do have statutory responsibility, but the common practice has been that people who work with the patient and have the best knowledge about risk would make that decision.""The executive concedes that it is up to Scottish ministers, they have a legal responsibility for approving this sort of leave, but they say routinely it is specialised officials that make that decision and simply inform ministers that they have taken it.Scottish Conservative leader, David McLetchie, said earlier it was "almost beyond belief that this has been allowed to happen".An executive spokesman said the health department and the state hospital itself would work together on preparing the report.The executive spokeswoman said the recommendation for leave was agreed by a psychiatric advisor "in conjunction with officials on behalf of ministers".First Minister Jack McConnell has ordered a report on the decision to allow a paranoid schizophrenic knife attacker to go on a visit unguarded. |
455 | Qantas considers offshore option
Australian airline Qantas could transfer as many as 7,000 jobs out of its home country as it seeks to save costs, according to newspaper reports.
Chief executive Geoff Dixon was quoted by The Australian newspaper as saying the carrier could no longer afford to remain "all-Australian". Unions criticised the possible move - which may affect cabin and maintenance staff - saying Qantas was profitable. More than 90% of the airline's staff are based in Australia.
Qantas confirmed it was looking at whether it might recruit and source products overseas - potentially through joint ventures - but said it would continue to create jobs in Australia.
Despite making a record Australian dollars 648m ($492m) profit last year, Qantas has argued that it needs to make considerable savings if it is to remain competitive. "We're going to have to get the lowest cost structure we can and that willmean sourcing things more and more from overseas," the newspaper quoted Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon as saying. Early this year, Qantas increased the number of flight attendants based in London from 370 to 870. If Qantas were to follow the lead of other airlines moving staff 'offshore' 7,000 jobs could shift overseas, the newspaper reported. In a statement, Qantas said it was looking to build its operations overseas. However, it stressed this would not result in large scale redundancies in its home market, where most of its 35,000 staff are employed. "We are totally committed to continuing to grow jobs in Australia," Mr Dixon said. "We are, however, operating in a global market and there is no room for complacency simply because we are currently profitable and successful."
Unions reacted angrily to the reported disclosure, arguing that Qantas was profitable and did not need to take such action. "We could understand if Qantas was a struggling airline about to go under," Michael Mijatov, international division secretary of the Flight Attendants Association, told Agence France Presse. "Qantas announced a record profit last year and is on course this year for an even greater profit so it is totally unnecessary." In an effort to meet the challenge posed by low cost carriers, Qantas sought a tie-up with Air New Zealand last year However, the deal was thrown out by the New Zealand High Court on competition grounds.
| If Qantas were to follow the lead of other airlines moving staff 'offshore' 7,000 jobs could shift overseas, the newspaper reported.In a statement, Qantas said it was looking to build its operations overseas.Unions criticised the possible move - which may affect cabin and maintenance staff - saying Qantas was profitable.Qantas confirmed it was looking at whether it might recruit and source products overseas - potentially through joint ventures - but said it would continue to create jobs in Australia.Australian airline Qantas could transfer as many as 7,000 jobs out of its home country as it seeks to save costs, according to newspaper reports.Unions reacted angrily to the reported disclosure, arguing that Qantas was profitable and did not need to take such action."We're going to have to get the lowest cost structure we can and that willmean sourcing things more and more from overseas," the newspaper quoted Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon as saying. |
2,015 | Online commons to spark debate
Online communities set up by the UK government could encourage public debate and build trust, says the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Existing services such as eBay could provide a good blueprint for such services, says the think-tank. Although the net is becoming part of local and central government, its potential has not yet been fully exploited to create an online "commons" for public debate. In its report, Is Online Community A Policy Tool?, the IPPR also asks if ID cards could help create safer online communities. Adopting an eBay-type model would let communities create their own markets for skills and services and help foster a sense of local identity and connection. "What we are proposing is a civic commons," Will Davies, senior research fellow at the IPPR told the BBC News website. "A single publicly funded and run online community in which citizens can have a single place to go where you can go to engage in diversity and in a way that might have a policy implication - like a pre-legislation discussion."
The idea of a "civic commons" was originally proposed by Stephen Coleman, professor of e-democracy at the Oxford Internet Institute. The IPPR report points to informal, small scale examples of such commons that already exist. It mentions good-practice public initiatives like the BBC's iCan project which connects people locally and nationally who want to take action around important issues.
But he adds, government could play a bigger role in setting up systems of trust for online communities too. Proposals for ID cards, for instance, could also be widened to see if they could be used online. They could provide the basis for a secure authentication system which could have value for peer-to-peer interaction online. "At the moment they have been presented as a way for government to keep tabs on people and ensuring access to public services," said Mr Davies. "But what has not been explored is how authentication technology may potentially play a role in decentralised online communities." The key idea to take from systems such as eBay and other online communities is letting members rate each other's reputation by how they treat other members. Using a similar mechanism, trust and cooperation between members of virtual and physical communities could be built. This could mean a civic commons would work within a non-market system which lets people who may disagree with one another interact within publicly-recognised rules.
E-government initiatives over the last decade have very much been about putting basic information and service guides online as well as letting people interact with government via the web. Many online communities, such as chatrooms, mailing lists, community portals, message boards and weblogs often form around common interests or issues.
With 53% of UK households now with access to the net, the government, suggests Mr Davies, could act as an intermediary or "middleman" to set up public online places of debate and exchange to encourage more "cosmopolitan politics" and public trust in policy. "Government already plays a critical role in helping citizens trade with each other online. "But it should also play a role in helping citizens connect to one another in civic, non-market interactions," said Mr Davies. There is a role for public bodies like the BBC, libraries, and government to bring people back into public debate again instead of millions of "cliques" talking to each other, he added. The paper is part of the IPPR's Digital Society initiative which is producing a number of conferences and research papers leading up to the publication of A Manifesto For A Digital Britain.
| Online communities set up by the UK government could encourage public debate and build trust, says the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).But he adds, government could play a bigger role in setting up systems of trust for online communities too.In its report, Is Online Community A Policy Tool?, the IPPR also asks if ID cards could help create safer online communities.With 53% of UK households now with access to the net, the government, suggests Mr Davies, could act as an intermediary or "middleman" to set up public online places of debate and exchange to encourage more "cosmopolitan politics" and public trust in policy."Government already plays a critical role in helping citizens trade with each other online.They could provide the basis for a secure authentication system which could have value for peer-to-peer interaction online.Although the net is becoming part of local and central government, its potential has not yet been fully exploited to create an online "commons" for public debate.Proposals for ID cards, for instance, could also be widened to see if they could be used online.There is a role for public bodies like the BBC, libraries, and government to bring people back into public debate again instead of millions of "cliques" talking to each other, he added.The key idea to take from systems such as eBay and other online communities is letting members rate each other's reputation by how they treat other members. |
1,867 | DVD copy protection strengthened
DVDs will be harder to copy thanks to new anti-piracy measures devised by copy protection firm Macrovision.
The pirated DVD market is enormous because current copy protection was hacked more than five years ago. Macrovision says its new RipGuard technology will thwart most, but not all, of the current DVD ripping (copying) programs used to pirate DVDs. "RipGuard is designed to... reduce DVD ripping and the resulting supply of illegal peer to peer," said the firm. Macrovision said the new technology will work in "nearly all" current DVD players when applied to the discs, but it did not specify how many machines could have a problem with RipGuard. The new technology will be welcomed by Hollywood film studios which are increasingly relying on revenue from DVD sales.
The film industry has stepped up efforts to fight DVD piracy in the last 12 months, taking legal action against websites which offer pirated copies of DVD movies for download.
"Ultimately, we see RipGuard DVD... evolving beyond anti-piracy, and towards enablement of legitimate online transactions, interoperability in tomorrow's digital home, and the upcoming high-definition formats," said Steve Weinstein, executive vice president and general manager of Macrovision's Entertainment Technologies Group. Macrovision said RipGuard was designed to plug the "digital hole" that was created by so-called DeCSS ripper software. It circumvents Content Scrambling System measures placed on DVDs and let people make perfect digital copies of copyrighted DVDs in minutes. Those copies could then be burned onto a blank DVD or uploaded for exchange to a peer-to-peer network. Macrovision said RipGuard would also prevent against "rent, rip and return" - where people would rent a DVD, copy it and then return the original. RipGuard is expected to be rolled out on DVDs from the middle of 2005, the company said. The new system works specifically to block most ripping programs - if used, those programs will now most likely crash, the company said. Macrovision has said that Rip Guard can be updated if hackers find a way around the new anti-copying measures.
| Macrovision says its new RipGuard technology will thwart most, but not all, of the current DVD ripping (copying) programs used to pirate DVDs.Macrovision said the new technology will work in "nearly all" current DVD players when applied to the discs, but it did not specify how many machines could have a problem with RipGuard.Macrovision said RipGuard would also prevent against "rent, rip and return" - where people would rent a DVD, copy it and then return the original.DVDs will be harder to copy thanks to new anti-piracy measures devised by copy protection firm Macrovision."RipGuard is designed to... reduce DVD ripping and the resulting supply of illegal peer to peer," said the firm.RipGuard is expected to be rolled out on DVDs from the middle of 2005, the company said. |
1,752 | Venus stunned by Farina Elia
Venus Williams suffered a first-round defeat for the first time in four years at the Dubai Championships.
Sylvia Farina Elia, who had lost all nine of her previous meetings with the American fifth seed, won 7-5 7-6 (8-6). Former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez and India's Sania Mirza, the oldest and youngest players in the draw, also reached the second round. Martinez, 32, beat Shinobu Asagoe 6-4 6-4 and 18-year-old Mirza beat Jelena Kostanic 6-7 (7-2) 6-4 6-1. Mirza, the first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title this month on home ground at Hyderabad, will now face US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
But she is remaining confident. "She (Kuznetsova) is a great player," she said. "But everyone is beatable and I am looking forward to a great match." Williams though blamed her defeat by Farina Elia on injuries. "Blisters were a factor, but mostly my stomach wasn't that great," she said. "I did it in the last tournament in the semi-finals, and I was serving at 40% in the final. "The first time I served again was Sunday and there wasn't a lot I could do out there. When your serve isn't good it throws the rest of your game off too." She will wait to see how she recovers before deciding whether to take part in the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami, starting on 21 March.
| "She (Kuznetsova) is a great player," she said."The first time I served again was Sunday and there wasn't a lot I could do out there."Blisters were a factor, but mostly my stomach wasn't that great," she said.Mirza, the first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title this month on home ground at Hyderabad, will now face US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.Venus Williams suffered a first-round defeat for the first time in four years at the Dubai Championships.Williams though blamed her defeat by Farina Elia on injuries. |
216 | Nissan names successor to Ghosn
Nissan has named a lifetime employee to run its operations after Carlos Ghosn, its highly successful boss, takes charge at Renault.
As chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga will run Nissan on a daily basis, although Mr Ghosn, who masterminded its recovery, will remain chief executive. Mr Ghosn is to become chairman and chief executive of Renault, which owns 44% of the Japanese carmaker, in April. Mr Ghosn transformed Nissan into a fast-growing and profitable business.
Mr Shiga will nominally serve as Mr Ghosn's deputy. However, he will be Nissan's most senior Japan-based executive and will be in charge of the firm's global sales and marketing.
He is currently in charge of Nissan's operations across Asia and Australasia and is credited with significantly improving its sales in China. He will inherit a strong legacy from Mr Ghosn, who has overseen a dramatic turnaround in Nissan's fortunes in the past five years. Dubbed 'le cost killer' for pushing through huge cost cuts in previous jobs, Mr Ghosn reduced Nissan's overheads by 20% and trimmed its workforce by about 200,000 after taking charge in 1999. These actions helped Nissan turn a 684bn yen ($6.4bn) loss in 2000 into a 331bn yen ($2.7bn) profit the following year. During his tenure, Nissan has increased its market share and made significant strides in key export markets. Nissan aims to increase vehicle sales to more than four million by 2008, launching 28 new models in the process.
In his new job as Renault chief executive, Mr Ghosn will devote 40% of his time to Renault, 40% to Nissan and the rest to the group's activities in North America and other key markets.
Mr Ghosn said Mr Shiga's appointment would ensure a "seamless" transition in management. "I need a leadership team capable of accelerating the performance and delivery of results that has characterized Nissan over the past six years," Mr Ghosn said. "I have full confidence in Toshiyuki Shiga and the new leadership team to help me implement the next chapter of Nissan's growth." Nissan also announced a number of other management appointments with promotions for several younger executives.
| Mr Ghosn transformed Nissan into a fast-growing and profitable business.In his new job as Renault chief executive, Mr Ghosn will devote 40% of his time to Renault, 40% to Nissan and the rest to the group's activities in North America and other key markets.As chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga will run Nissan on a daily basis, although Mr Ghosn, who masterminded its recovery, will remain chief executive."I need a leadership team capable of accelerating the performance and delivery of results that has characterized Nissan over the past six years," Mr Ghosn said.Mr Ghosn said Mr Shiga's appointment would ensure a "seamless" transition in management.Mr Ghosn is to become chairman and chief executive of Renault, which owns 44% of the Japanese carmaker, in April.He will inherit a strong legacy from Mr Ghosn, who has overseen a dramatic turnaround in Nissan's fortunes in the past five years. |
166 | Crossrail link 'to get go-ahead'
The £10bn Crossrail transport plan, backed by business groups, is to get the go-ahead this month, according to The Mail on Sunday.
It says the UK Treasury has allocated £7.5bn ($13.99bn) for the project and that talks with business groups on raising the rest will begin shortly. The much delayed Crossrail Link Bill would provide for a fast cross-London rail link. The paper says it will go before the House of Commons on 23 February.
A second reading could follow on 16 or 17 March. "We've always said we are going to introduce a hybrid Bill for Crossrail in the Spring and this remains the case," the Department for Transport said on Sunday. Jeremy de Souza, a spokesman for Crossrail, said on Sunday he could not confirm whether the Treasury was planning to invest £7.5bn or when the bill would go before Parliament.
However, he said some impetus may have been provided by the proximity of an election.
The new line would go out as far as Maidenhead, Berkshire, to the west of London, and link Heathrow to Canary Wharf via the City. Heathrow to the City would take 40 minutes, dramatically cutting journey times for business travellers, and reducing overcrowding on the tube. The line has the support of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, business groups and the government, but there have been three years of arguments over how it should be funded. The Mail on Sunday's Financial Mail said the £7.5bn of Treasury money was earmarked for spending in £2.5bn instalments in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
| Jeremy de Souza, a spokesman for Crossrail, said on Sunday he could not confirm whether the Treasury was planning to invest £7.5bn or when the bill would go before Parliament.The £10bn Crossrail transport plan, backed by business groups, is to get the go-ahead this month, according to The Mail on Sunday.It says the UK Treasury has allocated £7.5bn ($13.99bn) for the project and that talks with business groups on raising the rest will begin shortly.The Mail on Sunday's Financial Mail said the £7.5bn of Treasury money was earmarked for spending in £2.5bn instalments in 2010, 2011 and 2012."We've always said we are going to introduce a hybrid Bill for Crossrail in the Spring and this remains the case," the Department for Transport said on Sunday. |
1,217 | Schools to take part in mock poll
Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.
Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. Pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers, canvassers and political candidates. Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said engaging young people's interest was "essential" to the future of democracy.
He added: said "Young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy. "The mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters. "By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future." The Hansard Society, the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills are running the programme. Pupils will stand as party candidates, speech writers and canvassers. Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy." The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election. Information packs, including ballot papers and manifesto guides, with elections happening in early May were sent out to the 3,000 schools invited to take part.
| Record numbers of schools across the UK are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.Michael Raftery, project manager at the Hansard Society, said: "The Y Vote Mock Elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election, raising awareness of citizenship, and the benefits of active democracy.""By experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future."The mock votes will take place around 5 May, widely expected to be the date of the general election.Some 600 schools have already signed up for the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005 run by the Hansard Society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. |
1,245 | Chancellor rallies Labour voters
Gordon Brown has issued a rallying cry to supporters, warning the "stakes are too high" to stay at home or protest vote in the next general election.
The chancellor said the poll - expected to fall on 5 May - would give a "clear and fundamental" choice between Labour investment and Tory cuts. He told his party's spring conference the Tories must not be allowed to win. The Conservatives and Lib Dems insisted that voters faced higher taxes and means-testing under Labour.
To a packed audience at Gateshead's Sage Centre, Mr Brown accused shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin of plotting cuts that were the equivalent of sacking every teacher, GP and nurse in the country. Laying into the Conservative's record in government he said: "I give you this promise - with Labour, Britain will never return to the mistakes of ERM and 10% inflation, 15% interest rates, £3bn in lost reserves, 250,000 repossessed, one million in negative equity and three million unemployed. "Never again Tory boom and bust.
"This will be the central dividing line at the election, between a Conservative Party taking Britain back and planning deep cuts of £35bn in our services, and a Labour government taking Britain forward, which on a platform of stability will reform and renew our hospitals, schools and public services and, I am proud to say, spend by 2008 £60bn more." Turning to the economy, the chancellor promised to continue economic stability and growth in a third term in power.
He also pledged to continue the fight against child and pensioner poverty. And he promised help to get young people on the property ladder. "My message to the thousands of young couples waiting to obtain their first home is that housing is rightly now at the centre of our coming manifesto," he said. "And the next Labour government will match our low mortgage rates with a new first-time buyers' initiative." In the speech, which prompted a standing ovation, he also promised to end teenage unemployment within the next five years.
He also highlighted plans for 100% debt relief for the world's poorest countries, a national minimum wage for 16 and 17-year-olds, the creation of a network of children's centres and flexibility in maternity leave. Responding to the speech, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, George Osborne, said: "This was more talk from Gordon Brown. "We've heard it all before. Instead of talking about the future he kept on talking about the past. "He completely failed to say which taxes he would put up to fill the black hole in his spending plans. "There will be a simple choice at the election - value for money and lower taxes with the Conservatives, or more waste and higher taxes under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown."
Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor Vince Cable warned the picture was not as rosy as Mr Brown would like to portray it. "For all his trumpeting of Labour's management of the economy, Gordon Brown's record is very mixed," he said. "Gordon Brown has created a system of massive centralisation and bureaucracy, a system which subjects millions of people to means testing, and a system of taxation which is extremely complex. "For all his positive words, Gordon Brown is faced with economic problems looming on the horizon, not least the unprecedented levels of personal debt facing the nation." Also in Gateshead, the prime minister took questions sent in by e-mail, text message and telephone as part of Labour's attempt to engage the public in their campaign. Mr Blair told the audience he believed the Iraq war would have made Britain a safer place if its emerging democracy succeeded and that he wanted to bring troops home as soon as possible, but not before the job was done. He also said he wanted to carry on as PM "because I still think that there are big changes our country needs".
| Responding to the speech, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, George Osborne, said: "This was more talk from Gordon Brown."There will be a simple choice at the election - value for money and lower taxes with the Conservatives, or more waste and higher taxes under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown."The chancellor said the poll - expected to fall on 5 May - would give a "clear and fundamental" choice between Labour investment and Tory cuts.Laying into the Conservative's record in government he said: "I give you this promise - with Labour, Britain will never return to the mistakes of ERM and 10% inflation, 15% interest rates, £3bn in lost reserves, 250,000 repossessed, one million in negative equity and three million unemployed.Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor Vince Cable warned the picture was not as rosy as Mr Brown would like to portray it."For all his trumpeting of Labour's management of the economy, Gordon Brown's record is very mixed," he said.Gordon Brown has issued a rallying cry to supporters, warning the "stakes are too high" to stay at home or protest vote in the next general election.To a packed audience at Gateshead's Sage Centre, Mr Brown accused shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin of plotting cuts that were the equivalent of sacking every teacher, GP and nurse in the country.Mr Blair told the audience he believed the Iraq war would have made Britain a safer place if its emerging democracy succeeded and that he wanted to bring troops home as soon as possible, but not before the job was done.He also said he wanted to carry on as PM "because I still think that there are big changes our country needs"."For all his positive words, Gordon Brown is faced with economic problems looming on the horizon, not least the unprecedented levels of personal debt facing the nation." |
1,745 | Davenport hits out at Wimbledon
World number one Lindsay Davenport has criticised Wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women.
Reacting to a disputed comment by All England Club chairman Tim Phillips, the American said: "I think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away. "Somebody, I think it was Mr Phillips, said they won't have money for flowers at Wimbledon. That's insulting." An All England club spokesperson denied Phillips made the remark, insisting: "He definitely didn't say it." The statement added: "It was said by someone else and was a humorous aside at the end of a radio interview when the conversation had moved to talking about the Wimbledon grounds."
Davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week's Dubai Duty Free event will join the US and Australian Opens in offering equal prize money for women. "You hear about women playing only three sets while men play five," said Daveport. "And the best women are never going to beat the best men. "But it's a different game you go to watch with the women - it doesn't make it better or worse. "Hopefully we will be able to change people's minds."
Serena Williams, who is also in Dubai, added: "I'm obviously for equal prize money. "Women's tennis is exciting. Men's tennis is exciting as well, but the women have it right now. "If you are bringing in the spectators you should be able to reap what everyone else is able to reap."
| Reacting to a disputed comment by All England Club chairman Tim Phillips, the American said: "I think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away."Somebody, I think it was Mr Phillips, said they won't have money for flowers at Wimbledon.Men's tennis is exciting as well, but the women have it right now.Davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week's Dubai Duty Free event will join the US and Australian Opens in offering equal prize money for women.World number one Lindsay Davenport has criticised Wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women.Serena Williams, who is also in Dubai, added: "I'm obviously for equal prize money. |
1,899 | US peer-to-peer pirates convicted
The first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the US.
New Yorker William Trowbridge and Texan Michael Chicoine have pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. The two men faced charges following raids in August on suspected pirates by the FBI. The pair face jail terms of up to five years and a $250,000 (£130,000) fine.
In a statement the US Department of Justice said the two men operated the central hubs in a piracy community organised across the Direct Connect peer-to-peer network. The piracy group called itself the Underground Network and membership of it demanded that users share between one and 100 gigabytes of files. Direct Connect allows users to set themselves up as central servers that act as co-ordinating spots for sharers. Users would swap files, such as films and music, by exchanging data over the network. During its investigation FBI agents reportedly downloaded 84 movies, 40 software programs, 13 games and 178 "sound recordings" from the five hubs that made up the larger piracy group. The raids were organised under the umbrella of Operation Digital Gridlock which was aimed at fighting "criminal copyright theft on peer-to-peer networks". In total, six raids were carried out in August. Five were on the homes of suspected copyright thieves and one on a net service firm. The Department of Justice said that both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. They also pleaded guilty to acting for commercial advantage. The two men are due to be sentenced on 29 April.
| In a statement the US Department of Justice said the two men operated the central hubs in a piracy community organised across the Direct Connect peer-to-peer network.The Department of Justice said that both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement.The two men faced charges following raids in August on suspected pirates by the FBI.The piracy group called itself the Underground Network and membership of it demanded that users share between one and 100 gigabytes of files.The first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the US.Five were on the homes of suspected copyright thieves and one on a net service firm. |
995 | Blair stresses prosperity goals
Tony Blair says his party's next manifesto will be "unremittingly New Labour" and aimed at producing "personal prosperity for all".
The prime minister is trying to draw a line under speculation over the state of his relationship with Gordon Brown with the speech in Chatham, Kent. He is saying that prosperity means both individual wealth and ensuring "radically improved" public services. He is also claiming Labour is more ideologically united than ever. Mr Brown is currently touring Africa after a week of facing questions about reports of his splits with Downing Street.
With the election widely predicted for May, angry Labour MPs this week warned Mr Blair and Mr Brown about the dangers of disunity. Now Mr Blair is trying to put the focus on the substance of Labour's platform for a third term in government. Labour made low inflation, unemployment and mortgage rates the centrepiece of a new poster campaign this week.
And on Thursday Mr Blair is saying: "I want to talk about the central purpose ofNew Labour - which is to increase personal prosperity and well-being, not justfor a few but for all. "By prosperity I mean both the income and wealth of individuals and theirfamilies, and the opportunity and security available to them through radicallyimproved public services and a reformed welfare state."
The Tories are trying to capitalise on the apparent feud at the top of government. On Wednesday they unveiled a poster which pictured the prime minister and Mr Brown under the words "How can they fight crime when they are fighting each other?" Michael Howard and frontbencher John Redwood on Thursday launched new plans to abolish hundreds of quangos. They say government is spending too much and lower taxes are needed to make Britain more competitive.
The Liberal Democrats have also claimed infighting its obstructing good government. The latest speculation about relations between New Labour's two most powerful figures came after the publication of a new book, Brown's Britain by Robert Preston. In it he alleges that Mr Blair told Mr Brown in 2003 he would step down as prime minister before the coming general election. The book claims the premier went back on his pledge after support from Cabinet allies and suspicion that Mr Brown was manoeuvring against him. 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." On Wednesday Mr Blair directly denied Mr Brown made that quote, and before he left for Africa on Tuesday the chancellor told reporters: "Of course I trust the prime minister."
| 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."In it he alleges that Mr Blair told Mr Brown in 2003 he would step down as prime minister before the coming general election.With the election widely predicted for May, angry Labour MPs this week warned Mr Blair and Mr Brown about the dangers of disunity.On Wednesday Mr Blair directly denied Mr Brown made that quote, and before he left for Africa on Tuesday the chancellor told reporters: "Of course I trust the prime minister."And on Thursday Mr Blair is saying: "I want to talk about the central purpose ofNew Labour - which is to increase personal prosperity and well-being, not justfor a few but for all.Now Mr Blair is trying to put the focus on the substance of Labour's platform for a third term in government.On Wednesday they unveiled a poster which pictured the prime minister and Mr Brown under the words "How can they fight crime when they are fighting each other?"Tony Blair says his party's next manifesto will be "unremittingly New Labour" and aimed at producing "personal prosperity for all". |
716 | Show over for MTV's The Osbournes
Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has said his family will not make any more episodes of reality TV show The Osbournes.
"At the end of it I didn't like having cameras around the house all the time," the Black Sabbath singer told reporters at the MTV Europe Awards in Rome. His wife Sharon, who also appears in the popular MTV show based on the Osbournes' family life, agreed. "Now everybody's doing reality shows. He's done it, he's been there, he's got to do something else," she said.
Ozzy Osbourne said he had had enough of the work involved in making the series. "When you watch a 25-minute episode, I've been filming all day," he said. Sharon Osbourne is currently appearing as a judge and mentor in ITV1 talent show The X-Factor alongside Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.
Earlier this year she topped a poll of the most important people in rock, for her part in guiding the career of husband Ozzy and her family. She was the driving force behind The Osbournes, which ran for three series, earning the family a reported $85m (£46m). The renewed popularity for Ozzy has seen sales of his merchandise hit the $50m (£27.2m) mark, a record for a heavy metal artist. Sales of T-shirts, accessories and action figures have rocketed since The Osbournes hit screens. At its peak, The Osbournes had a regular audience of eight million, with America's TV Guide magazine describing the series as "a cross between The Simpsons and This Is Spinal Tap". Osbourne himself was at a loss to explain its popularity: "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week."
| Rock star Ozzy Osbourne has said his family will not make any more episodes of reality TV show The Osbournes.Ozzy Osbourne said he had had enough of the work involved in making the series.His wife Sharon, who also appears in the popular MTV show based on the Osbournes' family life, agreed.She was the driving force behind The Osbournes, which ran for three series, earning the family a reported $85m (£46m).Osbourne himself was at a loss to explain its popularity: "I suppose Americans get a kick out of watching a crazy Brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week."Earlier this year she topped a poll of the most important people in rock, for her part in guiding the career of husband Ozzy and her family. |
559 | De Niro film leads US box office
Film star Robert De Niro has returned to the top of the North American box office with his film Hide and Seek.
The thriller shot straight to the number one spot after taking $22m (£11.7m) at the box office. De Niro recently spent three weeks at the top with comedy Meet The Fockers, which was at number five this week. Oscar hopefuls The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways all cashed in on their multiple nominations with stronger ticket sales.
In Hide and Seek, De Niro plays a widower whose daughter has a creepy imaginary friend. Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, the film took more than the expected $18m (£9.5m). "The element of a real actor in a psychological thriller certainly elevated it," said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby led the Oscar hopefuls with $11.8m (£6.3m), coming in at number three during its first weekend of wide release. The Aviator, a film biography of Howard Hughes that leads the Oscar field with 11 nominations, was at number six for the weekend with $7.5m (£4m). Oscar best-picture nominee Sideways entered the top ten for the first time in its 15th week of release. It came in seventh $6.3 (£3.35m). Last week's top film, Ice Cube's road-trip comedy Are We There Yet?, slipped to second place with $17m (£9m), while Coach Carter fell two places to number four, taking $8m (£4.25m) in its third week. Rounding out the top ten were In Good Company - starring Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson - Racing Stripes and Assault on Precinct 13.
| Film star Robert De Niro has returned to the top of the North American box office with his film Hide and Seek.De Niro recently spent three weeks at the top with comedy Meet The Fockers, which was at number five this week.Oscar best-picture nominee Sideways entered the top ten for the first time in its 15th week of release.Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby led the Oscar hopefuls with $11.8m (£6.3m), coming in at number three during its first weekend of wide release.The Aviator, a film biography of Howard Hughes that leads the Oscar field with 11 nominations, was at number six for the weekend with $7.5m (£4m).Last week's top film, Ice Cube's road-trip comedy Are We There Yet?, slipped to second place with $17m (£9m), while Coach Carter fell two places to number four, taking $8m (£4.25m) in its third week. |
296 | Millions 'to lose textile jobs'
Millions of the world's poorest textile trade workers will lose their jobs under new trade rules to be introduced in the new year, a charity has warned.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to end its Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA) on midnight of 31 December. Christian Aid condemned the move, saying it would see almost a million jobs in Bangladesh alone being axed. However, supporters of the change claim it will mean increased efficiency and lower costs for Western consumers.
It will also see more jobs created in India and China, advocates argue. The WTO said that many developing countries support the end of quotas and stressed that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them make the transition to a fully liberalised market. "There will be a period of adjustment required," said WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell. "Some countries will do better than others but there is no one who is suggesting that no developing country will do well out of this. "Some countries where it may appear that orders will dry up have seen orders surging and there are many companies who will continue with existing trading relationships."
Christian Aid has called on British firms not to simply "cut and run" but look after their workers, in a new report called Rags To Riches To Rags.
It added that with few employment alternatives available many sacked garment workers could end up in far worse jobs - with some of the mainly female workers forced into the sex trade. The WTO itself has warned that as many as 27 million jobs could be lost as a result of liberalisation in the textile industry. Some of the world's fastest developing countries which rely on textile exports to build growth - for example in Bangladesh textiles account for almost 85% of the country's exports and the industry employs around 1.5 million people. The MFA pact has helped developing countries get a bigger share of the world market. "The losers in this new trade landscape will be some of the most vulnerable workers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Nepal," Andrew Pendleton, Christian Aid's head of Trade Policy, said. "They will be hard-pressed to cope when garment industries there lose their protection. "We are deeply concerned that the New Year will spell misery for huge numbers of garment workers." The WTO said there was no consenus among its members to retain the quotas and emphasised that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them adjust to the liberalised market.
It added that the impact of the changes for workers most affected by the shake-up had not been considered, adding such seismic changes to policy should "put the interests of poor people first - rather than simply aiming to liberalise markets at any cost". While the current MFA was not perfect, its did allow Third World countries like Bangladesh to get onto the first rung of industrial development, Christian Aid said. "International trade must not be governed by a 'race to the bottom' that pitches one set of poor people against another," Mr Pendleton added.
| The WTO said that many developing countries support the end of quotas and stressed that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them make the transition to a fully liberalised market."The losers in this new trade landscape will be some of the most vulnerable workers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Nepal," Andrew Pendleton, Christian Aid's head of Trade Policy, said.Millions of the world's poorest textile trade workers will lose their jobs under new trade rules to be introduced in the new year, a charity has warned.The WTO said there was no consenus among its members to retain the quotas and emphasised that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them adjust to the liberalised market.While the current MFA was not perfect, its did allow Third World countries like Bangladesh to get onto the first rung of industrial development, Christian Aid said.The WTO itself has warned that as many as 27 million jobs could be lost as a result of liberalisation in the textile industry.The MFA pact has helped developing countries get a bigger share of the world market.It added that with few employment alternatives available many sacked garment workers could end up in far worse jobs - with some of the mainly female workers forced into the sex trade.Some of the world's fastest developing countries which rely on textile exports to build growth - for example in Bangladesh textiles account for almost 85% of the country's exports and the industry employs around 1.5 million people. |
1,727 | England 17-18 France
England suffered an eighth defeat in 11 Tests as scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili booted France to victory at Twickenham.
Two converted tries from Olly Barkley and Josh Lewsey helped the world champions to a 17-6 half-time lead. But Charlie Hodgson and Barkley missed six penalties between them, while Yachvili landed six for France to put the visitors in front. England could have won the game with three minutes left, but Hodgson pushed an easy drop goal opportunity wide. It was a dismal defeat for England, coming hard on the heels of an opening Six Nations loss in Wales. They should have put the game well beyond France's reach, but remarkably remained scoreless for the entire second half. A scrappy opening quarter saw both sides betray the lack of confidence engendered by poor opening displays against Wales and Scotland respectively. Hodgson had an early opportunity to settle English nerves but pushed a straightforward penalty attempt wide. But a probing kick from France centre Damien Traille saw Mark Cueto penalised for holding on to the ball in the tackle, Yachvili giving France the lead with a kick from wide out.
France twice turned over England ball at the breakdown early on as the home side struggled to generate forward momentum, one Ben Kay charge apart. A spell of tit-for-tat kicking emphasised the caution on both sides, until England refused a possible three points to kick a penalty to the corner, only to botch the subsequent line-out. But England made the breakthrough after 19 minutes, when a faltering move off the back of a scrum led to the opening try. Jamie Noon took a short pass from Barkley and ran a good angle to plough through Yann Delaigue's flimsy tackle before sending his centre partner through to score at the posts.
Hodgson converted and added a penalty after one of several French infringements on the floor for a 10-3 lead. The fly-half failed to dispense punishment though with a scuffed attempt after France full-back Pepito Elhorga, scragged by Lewsey, threw the ball into touch. Barkley also missed two longer-range efforts as the first half drew to a close, but by then England had scored a second converted try. After a series of phases lock Danny Grewcock ran hard at the French defence and off-loaded out of Sylvain Marconnet's tackle to Lewsey. The industrious wing cut back in on an angle and handed off hooker Sebastien Bruno to sprint over. After a dire opening to the second half, France threw on three forward replacements in an attempt to rectify the situation, wing Jimmy Marlu having already departed injured. Yachvili nibbled away at the lead with a third penalty after 51 minutes.
And when Lewis Moody was twice penalised - for handling in a ruck and then straying offside - the scrum-half's unerring left boot cut the deficit to two points. Barkley then missed his third long-range effort to increase the tension. And after seeing another attempt drop just short, Yachvili put France ahead with his sixth penalty with 11 minutes left.
England sent on Ben Cohen and Matt Dawson, and after Barkley's kick saw Christophe Dominici take the ball over his own line, the stage was set for a victory platform. But even after a poor scrummage, Hodgson had the chance to seal victory but pushed his drop-goal attempt wide. England threw everything at the French in the final frantic moments, but the visitors held on for their first win at Twickenham since 1997.
J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, P Vickery; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry.
A Titterrell, A Sheridan, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, H Paul, B Cohen.
P Elhorga; C Dominici, B Liebenberg, D Traille, J Marlu; Y Delaigue, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, S Bruno, N Mas; F Pelous (capt), J Thion, S Betsen, J Bonnaire, S Chabal.
W Servat, J Milloud, G Lamboley, Y Nyanga, P Mignoni, F Michalak, J-P Grandclaude.
Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)
| But Charlie Hodgson and Barkley missed six penalties between them, while Yachvili landed six for France to put the visitors in front.But a probing kick from France centre Damien Traille saw Mark Cueto penalised for holding on to the ball in the tackle, Yachvili giving France the lead with a kick from wide out.And after seeing another attempt drop just short, Yachvili put France ahead with his sixth penalty with 11 minutes left.Barkley also missed two longer-range efforts as the first half drew to a close, but by then England had scored a second converted try.England could have won the game with three minutes left, but Hodgson pushed an easy drop goal opportunity wide.J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, P Vickery; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry.England suffered an eighth defeat in 11 Tests as scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili booted France to victory at Twickenham.Hodgson had an early opportunity to settle English nerves but pushed a straightforward penalty attempt wide.After a dire opening to the second half, France threw on three forward replacements in an attempt to rectify the situation, wing Jimmy Marlu having already departed injured.Hodgson converted and added a penalty after one of several French infringements on the floor for a 10-3 lead.Yachvili nibbled away at the lead with a third penalty after 51 minutes.England sent on Ben Cohen and Matt Dawson, and after Barkley's kick saw Christophe Dominici take the ball over his own line, the stage was set for a victory platform.France twice turned over England ball at the breakdown early on as the home side struggled to generate forward momentum, one Ben Kay charge apart. |
991 | Brown hits back in Blair rift row
Gordon Brown has criticised a union leader who said conflict between himself and Tony Blair was harming the workings of government.
Jonathan Baume, of the top civil servants' union, spoke of "competing agendas" between Mr Brown and Mr Blair. But the chancellor said Mr Baume was never at meetings between himself and the prime minister so could not judge. He said the union leader was trying to block civil service reform which threatened his members' jobs. It suited the purpose of Mr Baume's union, the First Division Association, to suggest there were two agendas battling against each other because the union was trying to resist the planned reforms, Mr Brown told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Under the plans, unveiled in the Gershon report, some 84,000 civil servants jobs will be axed or changed and the savings ploughed back into frontline services. Mr Brown said: "To be honest I don't think you can rely on his [Mr Baume's] judgement on this matter when it comes to the decisions that the government are making. "Mr Blair and I are making exactly the same decisions on civil service reforms. We are determined to go on with the Gershon reforms." He also said that as Mr Baume was never present at meetings between himself and the prime minister, he was not in a position to judge. On Wednesday, ahead of the Chancellor's pre-Budget report, Mr Baume told BBC News there were sometimes "conflicting and competing agendas for government" between Number 10 and the Treasury.
What the chancellor wanted was "not by any means what Alan Milburn and the prime minister want to see", Mr Baume said. "Government departments get their money from the Treasury on the basis of public service agreements they sign up to, but at the same time the prime minister also has an agenda and that's not necessarily the same as the Treasury's and the prime minister is of course a very powerful figure in any government. "He also sends instructions and messages and directions to departments about how he would like each secretary of state and each department to implement a policy agenda. "The problem is that on many occasions these two don't add up and individual cabinet ministers as well as departments have to make sense of this battle." Number 10 said ministers were interested in governing and not a "soap opera" about Mr Blair and Mr Brown. Tory shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "The battle Royal that the top civil servants are now reporting on between the chancellor and Tony Blair is preventing them both from getting on with the business of getting taxpayers value for money."
| But the chancellor said Mr Baume was never at meetings between himself and the prime minister so could not judge.He also said that as Mr Baume was never present at meetings between himself and the prime minister, he was not in a position to judge.Number 10 said ministers were interested in governing and not a "soap opera" about Mr Blair and Mr Brown.Jonathan Baume, of the top civil servants' union, spoke of "competing agendas" between Mr Brown and Mr Blair.What the chancellor wanted was "not by any means what Alan Milburn and the prime minister want to see", Mr Baume said.Mr Brown said: "To be honest I don't think you can rely on his [Mr Baume's] judgement on this matter when it comes to the decisions that the government are making."Mr Blair and I are making exactly the same decisions on civil service reforms. |
1,641 | Umaga ready for Lions
All Blacks captain Tama Umaga has warned the British and Irish Lions will be his most fearsome opponents yet ahead of their summer tour.
But Umaga, in England for Saturday's IRB Rugby Aid match, also backed New Zealand to win the three-Test series against the Lions. He told BBC Sport: "It's potentially the most fearsome line-up I've ever come up against. They're awesome. "But I'd back us all the way to beat them when they come over." Lions boss Sir Clive Woodward is set to announce his squad for the June-July tour next month.
When Woodward was appointed last year, it was widely believed he would rely heavily on his former England players. But Umaga said: "He'd be hard pushed to do that now considering the shape of the Six Nations. "Don't get me wrong, England have got a lot of talented guys and I'm sure there are some of them who'll make the Lions Test XV. "But you can't disguise Wales and Ireland in particular. Some of the tries they've scored have been great. I'll admit it'll be fairly awesome lining up against the likes of Brian O'Driscoll."
Umaga will meet O'Driscoll in Saturday's Rugby Aid match at Twickenham, with the Irish captain leading the Northern Hemisphere side. O'Driscoll is among a host of players in the Northern Hemisphere squad, coached by Woodward, that are tipped for Lions call-ups. "It'll be good for us to get an early idea of some of these guys, although a lot can change between now and June," Umaga said. The 31-year-old admitted interest in the Lions tour was immense, calling it "the biggest thing to hit New Zealand since Lord of the Rings". He added: "As players, it's enough for us to be driven by the rarity of playing the Lions. In fact, it's not just us All Blacks - it's the talk of the country."
Umaga admitted the fear of injury weighed on his mind ahead of Saturday's charity game, which features a host of big names including George Gregan, Andrew Mehrtens and Chris Latham. But he admitted the value of the cause - proceeds of the match will go to aiding victims of the tsunami - easily won him over. "The second [Southern Hemisphere coach] Rod Macqueen made the approach, I didn't hesitate. It was great when New Zealand Rugby then gave me the all clear. "Thankfully I didn't know anyone that was involved in the tragedy of the tsunami but you couldn't miss all the horrific reports on the news. "There are so many people that were affected, are still affected and will be affected for a long time. It's just good to know we can do something minor to help out."
- The match will be televised on BBC One at 1400 GMT on Saturday.
| But Umaga, in England for Saturday's IRB Rugby Aid match, also backed New Zealand to win the three-Test series against the Lions.Umaga will meet O'Driscoll in Saturday's Rugby Aid match at Twickenham, with the Irish captain leading the Northern Hemisphere side.All Blacks captain Tama Umaga has warned the British and Irish Lions will be his most fearsome opponents yet ahead of their summer tour.The 31-year-old admitted interest in the Lions tour was immense, calling it "the biggest thing to hit New Zealand since Lord of the Rings"."It'll be good for us to get an early idea of some of these guys, although a lot can change between now and June," Umaga said.O'Driscoll is among a host of players in the Northern Hemisphere squad, coached by Woodward, that are tipped for Lions call-ups.It was great when New Zealand Rugby then gave me the all clear.He added: "As players, it's enough for us to be driven by the rarity of playing the Lions.Lions boss Sir Clive Woodward is set to announce his squad for the June-July tour next month.When Woodward was appointed last year, it was widely believed he would rely heavily on his former England players."Thankfully I didn't know anyone that was involved in the tragedy of the tsunami but you couldn't miss all the horrific reports on the news. |
766 | Brits debate over 'urban' music
Joss Stone, a 17-year-old soul singer from Devon, beat Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia, Lemar and The Streets to win best British urban act at the Brit Awards. Her victory has reignited the debate about what urban music is.
I'm not really comfortable with the word urban. It's a word that's been manufactured in this country and America to describe black music. The word urban seems to cover such a broad range of black music that it's wrong. How far are the Brits removed from inner-city music and what people are doing? It's so far removed that I don't expect them to get it bang on. The music industry isn't championing music from our particular genre very well anyway. People don't feel like that's anything to do with us. I don't feel like urban music's just been celebrated by [Joss Stone] winning or her being nominated, or by the Brits acknowledging that there's an urban music scene because it's all a kick in the teeth at the end of the day. It's not really relevant. If Joss Stone is the closest thing that they feel comfortable championing because of what she looks like and how she sounds and who she's signed to, then so be it. It's got nothing to do with what's really going on.
Urban as a genre is very broad. If you look underneath urban, there are a number of core elements that include hip-hop, R&B, garage and into that obviously comes soul. Joss Stone is a soul artist. Her first album was called The Soul Sessions. So urban is a very broad brushstroke that is the umbrella over the top of sub-genres, and there are offshoots of all of those. Joss Stone has had amazing success [in the US] given that she's a UK artist. What has really captured everybody's imagination is that here you have a 17-year-old from Devon with a voice to die for and a bunch of really, really good tunes and she looks good - I think that's what's done it.
The award for best British urban act was voted for by viewers of MTV Base.
I don't think Joss was not a worthy winner. She makes soul music and that definitely comes under the category of what we describe as urban. The fact that she's from Devon is the interesting thing because most of the music we cover is made in large cities and she's literally rural. The great thing about urban music is that there's a big range. If there is some sort of root with black music or dance music in Britain, I think that's where you can call it urban - that's where this new sub-category, or uber-category, has come from. Joss Stone is certainly not old enough to have had some of the experiences of an older soul singer, but you couldn't argue that she was being inauthentic with her emotions - it is coming from somewhere genuine. It has to come across as real. That's the only cut-off point we have here and that's the only way by which we judge people.
What urban means to us as an organisation is the politically correct term to describe music which originated from a black background. Music should become inclusive and if we are fighting for a multi-cultural Britain, then we should be fighting for inclusion rather than exclusion. If Joss Stone can be accepted within the urban music community, I think acts from other ethnicities doing classical music and rock should be accepted too. Race doesn't make a difference if everyone is included. Out of all the awards dished out yesterday, I'm still trying to find out what people of other races received any sort of recognition or award.
A type of music (especially street music) that originates from a city, and typically reflects or is characteristic of urban life.
She might not be urban, but when did R&B become the hip hop tainted thing it is now? R&B stands for Rhythm And Blues, remember!
That Joss Stone is rubbish is certain. If anyone deserves to win an award for urban music (I think probably should include Hip-Hop, Soul & Funk at least but not rock or pop) this year its the Streets, although Dizzee Rascal stakes a good claim
She definitely deserved to win a prize, Joss Stone's albums are quite simply amazing, easily better than anything else that was released last year. This whole debate about what is urban, what isnt urban is completely pointless and probably fueled by urban artists who weren't nominated or didn't win. I cant see why people can't just congratulate her for the talent that she is.
She did deserve it, but I agree with the comments about urban music. Its a stupid phrase, and particularly British. In the states they tend to use hip hop and R&B, if I say hip hop here a lot of people have no idea what I'm talking about. Very strange.
What's in a name? A rose by any other name etc... If people want to call it urban, why not? If we really analysed it, the term 'dance music' is misleading because it doesn't describe everything you can dance to.
Whilst I agree that the term 'urban' is open to interpretation, it strikes me as simply weird that Joss Stone has won. 'Urban' to me is what I hear being played in parties in the inner cities - I live in Brixton and have never heard The Soul Sessions pumping out of of a bass heavy sound system in any parties I've been to. Good luck to Joss Stone, let's celebrate her victory - let's also question why, with artists so successful and talented as Jamelia, Lemar, Kanye West, Dizzee Rascal, Alicia Keys and Outkast - we didn't see a single black artist on stage collecting an award.
So, what you're saying is that any music that has black heritage is not allowed to be sung by anyone who isn't black. And, if it is, then they shouldn't be acknowledged for it even if they're pretty dam good at it? She's 17, has an amazing voice, and won. Good on her. Oh, but she's not "black" well, let's make her feel real bad about it then. How dare she! Though hang on, didn't the so-called 'public' vote on this one?
This idea of pigeonholing whatever is popular at the time is no different than what was happening in the 1940s and 50s in relation to what "Jazz" was. The media then called anything that had a swinging beat, syncopated melody or soulful feeling "Jazz", much to the chagrin of the artists. It would mean that "blues" would be put in the same mould as "bebop", "cool" and "ragtime", all very different styles at that time. Jazz was and remains such a massively misunderstood term. And so what of "Urban" music? In truth it's a lazy term to categorise music that you don't really understand. Soul and garage are worlds apart musically (Marvin Gaye v Tuff Jam?), but no doubt have their connections. If we just let the music speak for itself and not judge the success of an artist by the number of awards won, then maybe we can enjoy the music for what it is, rather than what it represents.
I demand a prize for rural music! Sucks to the cities- it's way better out here. We have hay, for one thing.
Excluding her from what has become known as urban music would be as bad as excluding Lenny Kravitz or Hendrix from rock music for being black surely? I dont understand the point that Ty is making. If Lemar, who makes music which is less soulful than Joss' work won, he might have said nothing. (btw i'm black too)
How can she be "urban" if she spent most of her life in the Devon countryside? Nonsense.
I love Joss to bits and don't care what her branding is - it's amazing music, full stop. Stop puting it all in brackets and let's just call it music, and let's especially drop the black / urban tag - nearly all music came from black origin, this just sets an example that it is ok to pigeonhole people and their music by their colour.
Surely the point of having an urban music category is simply to acknowledge artists that are making what is (historically) considered urban music, irrelevent of the colour of their skin, or where they originate from. Joss Stone is simply singing a certain type of music that can be considered urban in style, just as someone from an inner city, and indeed not from the USA could sing country music. If that person was good at it and authentic in sound, would we criticise it being referred to as country music or the artist for representing that style?
The term urban in reference to a music genre in UK has developed, in part, from the controversy surrounding the branding of the MOBO Awards. The very term 'Music of Black Origin' has confused and offended many people. This is particularly strange given the existence of the Asian Music Awards. It appears that the use of 'black' or 'white' in relation to music makes people feel uncomfortable. The term 'urban' therefore, has been invoked to sidestep the debate of which type of music came first 'black' or 'white' thereby rendering the issue colourblind. The result is now a redundant new debate as to what 'urban' also means. Perhaps we should have created a new term altogether to describe the various strains of soul/RnB and Hip-Hop, one which does not also mean something else - as we have done with 'Crunk'.
Urban is just a word that's come about recently to describe "black" music that's become popular now. The word wasn't even in use, or common use five of six years ago. It's just a way of the industry clumping it all together without having to call it black music, because some people are oversensitive and might call them racist for it.
I'm in a band that has been called "urban", and I despise the label. I'd hate to think I belonged to any neat marketing niche, because that's all it is. Ever since the music channels and record comapnies tried to fracture what they consider 'music of black origin', these labels have been used to undermine the status of good music into a commodity. Look at all the TV broadcasters, unable to reach young people without condesending, they simply play some 'urban' music on the soundtrack as if its some dreadful cheap lift music. Ignore the labels, it is what it is, just music.
As a black man, I think I agree with some of the statements at least the statements made by the key executives. Black people should lead the music they invented . We should stop calling a genre meaningless, northing is meaningless. The real question is would Joss Stone would have been that successful doing the music she was doing if she were black? Same thing, with Streets, Amy Winehouse, etc. Who's ever heard of Terri Walker or Rhian Benson.. They are both 10 times better than Joss Stone and both of them have won Urban Music Awards and i think Mobos , but why not Brits????
So what if Joss Stone won the Urban awards. Her music is great soul and surely that is under the 'Urban' banner? What if The Streets had won? Would people be whining because Mike Skinner is white... It seems that a lot of the fuss is about race where the real issue should be music and nothing else.
Urban is PC version for saying black music. I'm not doubting Ms Stone's talent, but why didn't Jamelia or Lemar get a Brit? This reminds me of what happened to Craig David and Soul II Soul in the past, getting nominations are easy to get, but picking up a Brit seems to be the hardest thing.
Refreshing to see people making reasonable, intelligent comments on any topic these days. More power to you, people! You have said it: there is music you like and music you don't like - who cares what label you put on it?
That entire category was a mess. How can you have people like Dizzee Rascal up against Joss Stone? Its like putting Eminem against Bob Geldof. She should have been nominated for Best British R & B act. Joss Stone deserved to win an award for her talents, but I don't think it was very 'urban' of her to sing angels with Robbie Williams.
Urban is a nonsense term - music of black origin? Well doesn't that include rock? Music made in the inner cities? Well almost all bands end up making music in London/Manchester etc. And doesn't that make some weird implication that all black people live in cities? It doesn't make any sense.
Why does music have to be put into a genre? It's music, you like it or you don't. Simple as that.
I play in a heavy metal band. We are urban music as far as I'm concerned. We live in cities and spend our working life in an urban environment; It therefore directly shapes what we write musically.
"Urban" seems to be the new name for all styles of black music. Why it needed a rebrand I don't know as the name is misleading. Oasis originate from a city and characterise the urban life they know, therefore more than fit the term "urban" yet as they're a white rock band they won't be described as such.
Joss Stone has a fantastic voice and great timing and delivery - what other reason do they need to award her the Brit? All this "urban" and other such categorisation is just the red-tape of the music business and is best ignored.
Yeah, she deserved it. She is talented. Urban is a crap, meaningless, politically correct and probably actually racist marketing term though. There's only two kinds of music: good and bad.
| And so what of "Urban" music?Urban is a nonsense term - music of black origin?"Urban" seems to be the new name for all styles of black music.If there is some sort of root with black music or dance music in Britain, I think that's where you can call it urban - that's where this new sub-category, or uber-category, has come from.Stop puting it all in brackets and let's just call it music, and let's especially drop the black / urban tag - nearly all music came from black origin, this just sets an example that it is ok to pigeonhole people and their music by their colour.We are urban music as far as I'm concerned.Urban is PC version for saying black music.If Joss Stone can be accepted within the urban music community, I think acts from other ethnicities doing classical music and rock should be accepted too.They are both 10 times better than Joss Stone and both of them have won Urban Music Awards and i think Mobos , but why not Brits????Surely the point of having an urban music category is simply to acknowledge artists that are making what is (historically) considered urban music, irrelevent of the colour of their skin, or where they originate from.Her victory has reignited the debate about what urban music is.She makes soul music and that definitely comes under the category of what we describe as urban.Her music is great soul and surely that is under the 'Urban' banner?Excluding her from what has become known as urban music would be as bad as excluding Lenny Kravitz or Hendrix from rock music for being black surely?She did deserve it, but I agree with the comments about urban music.Joss Stone is simply singing a certain type of music that can be considered urban in style, just as someone from an inner city, and indeed not from the USA could sing country music.I don't feel like urban music's just been celebrated by [Joss Stone] winning or her being nominated, or by the Brits acknowledging that there's an urban music scene because it's all a kick in the teeth at the end of the day.It's music, you like it or you don't.The word urban seems to cover such a broad range of black music that it's wrong.A type of music (especially street music) that originates from a city, and typically reflects or is characteristic of urban life.The great thing about urban music is that there's a big range.Urban is just a word that's come about recently to describe "black" music that's become popular now.Black people should lead the music they invented .Ever since the music channels and record comapnies tried to fracture what they consider 'music of black origin', these labels have been used to undermine the status of good music into a commodity.Look at all the TV broadcasters, unable to reach young people without condesending, they simply play some 'urban' music on the soundtrack as if its some dreadful cheap lift music.You have said it: there is music you like and music you don't like - who cares what label you put on it?The real question is would Joss Stone would have been that successful doing the music she was doing if she were black?The very term 'Music of Black Origin' has confused and offended many people.What urban means to us as an organisation is the politically correct term to describe music which originated from a black background.So what if Joss Stone won the Urban awards.All this "urban" and other such categorisation is just the red-tape of the music business and is best ignored.The music industry isn't championing music from our particular genre very well anyway.The term 'urban' therefore, has been invoked to sidestep the debate of which type of music came first 'black' or 'white' thereby rendering the issue colourblind.It appears that the use of 'black' or 'white' in relation to music makes people feel uncomfortable.If anyone deserves to win an award for urban music (I think probably should include Hip-Hop, Soul & Funk at least but not rock or pop) this year its the Streets, although Dizzee Rascal stakes a good claim She definitely deserved to win a prize, Joss Stone's albums are quite simply amazing, easily better than anything else that was released last year.The term urban in reference to a music genre in UK has developed, in part, from the controversy surrounding the branding of the MOBO Awards.Joss Stone deserved to win an award for her talents, but I don't think it was very 'urban' of her to sing angels with Robbie Williams.How far are the Brits removed from inner-city music and what people are doing?It's a word that's been manufactured in this country and America to describe black music.Joss Stone, a 17-year-old soul singer from Devon, beat Dizzee Rascal, Jamelia, Lemar and The Streets to win best British urban act at the Brit Awards.If we just let the music speak for itself and not judge the success of an artist by the number of awards won, then maybe we can enjoy the music for what it is, rather than what it represents.This whole debate about what is urban, what isnt urban is completely pointless and probably fueled by urban artists who weren't nominated or didn't win.In truth it's a lazy term to categorise music that you don't really understand.If people want to call it urban, why not?Ignore the labels, it is what it is, just music.Why does music have to be put into a genre?Music made in the inner cities?Whilst I agree that the term 'urban' is open to interpretation, it strikes me as simply weird that Joss Stone has won.So, what you're saying is that any music that has black heritage is not allowed to be sung by anyone who isn't black.I love Joss to bits and don't care what her branding is - it's amazing music, full stop.If Lemar, who makes music which is less soulful than Joss' work won, he might have said nothing.I'm not really comfortable with the word urban.This is particularly strange given the existence of the Asian Music Awards.There's only two kinds of music: good and bad.I demand a prize for rural music!Urban as a genre is very broad. |
1,417 | Chelsea clinch cup in extra-time
(after extra-time - score at 90 mins 1-1)
John Arne Riise volleyed Liverpool ahead after 45 seconds but Steven Gerrard scored a 79th-minute own goal. Blues boss Jose Mourinho was sent off for taunting Liverpool fans after the goal and he watched on television as his side went on to win the game. Drogba and Kezman scored from close range before Antonio Nunez's header made for a tense finale. It was an amazing climax which gave Mourinho his first silverware as Chelsea manager. Yet it was controversial too, after Mourinho's sending off, apparently for putting his finger to his lips to hush the Liverpool fans. There was no hushing them after the extraordinary opening in which the Reds took a stunning lead inside the first minute.
Riise could not have connected any better with Morientes' cross as he smashed a left-foot volley past Petr Cech. The goal, the quickest-ever in a League Cup final, stunned a Blues side whose previously rock-solid confidence had been shaken by consecutive losses to Newcastle and Barcelona in the previous week. The Blues' attacking chances were limited, and Jerzy Dudek was equal to Frank Lampard's powerfully-struck drive and Drogba's low shot. Despite their frustration, Chelsea began to dominate midfield without seriously threatening to break Liverpool's well-organised defence.
Joe Cole had a shot blocked and a promising Damien Duff break was halted by a good tackle from Djimi Traore, but the Reds reached half-time without any major scares. The Blues began the second half with more urgency and pegged Liverpool back. Nevertheless, Liverpool were living dangerously and they needed a fantastic double save from Dudek on 54 minutes, first at full stretch from Gudjohnsen's header, then to smother William Gallas' follow-up. And despite Chelsea's possession, it was Liverpool who fashioned the next clear opportunity as Luis Garcia fed Dietmar Hamann whose shot forced a superb save from Cech. And the Blues' increasingly adventurous approach saw Liverpool earn another chance on the break on 75 minutes as Paulo Ferreira denied Gerrard with a last-ditch tackle. But Gerrard was on the scoresheet minutes later - in the most unfortunate fashion - as he inadvertently deflected Ferrerira's free-kick past his own keeper and in off the post to bring Chelsea level. That prompted Mourinho's reaction which saw him sent off, but Chelsea still pressed and Duff had a chance to win the game with seven minutes remaining. Dudek saved bravely at the Irishman's feet, while Milan Baros shot wildly at the other end to ensure extra time. Drogba almost headed Chelsea in front two minutes into extra-time but the striker saw the ball rebound off the post. But seconds after the half-time interval, Drogba made no mistake, picking the ball up from Glen Johnson's long throw inside the six-yard box and sidefooting home. And Kezman appeared to have made the game safe as he netted from close range after Gudjohnsen's cross in the 110th minute. There was still drama as Nunez beat Cech to a high ball with six minutes remaining to head his side level, but despite Liverpool's desperate attacks, Chelsea clung on to win.
Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore (Biscan 67), Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise, Kewell (Nunez 56), Morientes (Baros 74).
Subs Not Used: Pellegrino, Carson.
Hyypia, Traore, Hamann, Carragher.
Riise 1, Nunez 113.
Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Gallas (Kezman 74), Jarosik (Gudjohnsen 45), Lampard, Makelele, Cole (Johnson 81), Drogba, Duff.
Subs Not Used: Pidgeley, Tiago.
Lampard, Kezman, Drogba, Duff.
Gerrard 79 og, Drogba 107, Kezman 112.
78,000
S Bennett (Kent).
| There was still drama as Nunez beat Cech to a high ball with six minutes remaining to head his side level, but despite Liverpool's desperate attacks, Chelsea clung on to win.Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore (Biscan 67), Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Riise, Kewell (Nunez 56), Morientes (Baros 74).And the Blues' increasingly adventurous approach saw Liverpool earn another chance on the break on 75 minutes as Paulo Ferreira denied Gerrard with a last-ditch tackle.Blues boss Jose Mourinho was sent off for taunting Liverpool fans after the goal and he watched on television as his side went on to win the game.Gerrard 79 og, Drogba 107, Kezman 112.Lampard, Kezman, Drogba, Duff.And despite Chelsea's possession, it was Liverpool who fashioned the next clear opportunity as Luis Garcia fed Dietmar Hamann whose shot forced a superb save from Cech.That prompted Mourinho's reaction which saw him sent off, but Chelsea still pressed and Duff had a chance to win the game with seven minutes remaining.But Gerrard was on the scoresheet minutes later - in the most unfortunate fashion - as he inadvertently deflected Ferrerira's free-kick past his own keeper and in off the post to bring Chelsea level.Drogba almost headed Chelsea in front two minutes into extra-time but the striker saw the ball rebound off the post.Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Gallas (Kezman 74), Jarosik (Gudjohnsen 45), Lampard, Makelele, Cole (Johnson 81), Drogba, Duff.(after extra-time - score at 90 mins 1-1) John Arne Riise volleyed Liverpool ahead after 45 seconds but Steven Gerrard scored a 79th-minute own goal.Joe Cole had a shot blocked and a promising Damien Duff break was halted by a good tackle from Djimi Traore, but the Reds reached half-time without any major scares. |
1,779 | Moya clinches Cup for Spain
Spain won the Davis Cup for the second time in their history when Carlos Moya beat the USA's Andy Roddick in the fourth rubber in Seville.
Moya won 6-2 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead with only one singles rubber remaining. Roddick battled hard and had chances in the second set, but Moya's clay-court expertise proved the difference. Mardy Fish beat Tommy Robredo 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 in the final dead rubber to cut Spain's winning margin to 3-2. Spain's only other Davis Cup title came in 2000, when they beat Australia in Barcelona. This time they chose to play the final in Seville and the city's Olympic Stadium was revamped to allow for a record crowd for a competitve tennis event of 27,000 spectators. And the home fans gave vociferous support to their players, with 18-year-old Nadal and Moya winning both Friday's singles rubbers. American twins Mike and Bob Bryan gave the visitors hope with victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo in Saturday's doubles. But it remained an uphill task for a US team far happier on hard courts than clay, and 1998 French Open champion Moya had too much for world number two Roddick. "This has been incredible - the moment I've been waiting for for years," said Moya, who missed out in 2000 through injury. "I've prepared myself for this day. I knew that playing on clay I would have my chances to win.
"The Davis Cup is my dream. I can't ask for more. There is nothing bigger than what I've lived today." Moya stormed into a 4-0 lead on his way to taking the first set against Roddick and recovered immediately from dropping serve in the second. The match came down to two tie-breaks and Moya dominated both, clinching victory on his third match point. Wild celebrations followed, with an emotional Moya congratulated by his team-mates, including Nadal, who at 18 years and 187 days becomes the youngest ever victor in Davis Cup history. "I think we put up a better fight here than in Paris two years ago," said Roddick, who was on the US team which lost to France in the 2002 semi-finals at Roland Garros. "They were just better than us this weekend. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I gave it my all. "I am not going to walk out of here with my head down, that's for sure. "There's no miracle answer. We have to improve."
| Spain won the Davis Cup for the second time in their history when Carlos Moya beat the USA's Andy Roddick in the fourth rubber in Seville.Wild celebrations followed, with an emotional Moya congratulated by his team-mates, including Nadal, who at 18 years and 187 days becomes the youngest ever victor in Davis Cup history.But it remained an uphill task for a US team far happier on hard courts than clay, and 1998 French Open champion Moya had too much for world number two Roddick.Moya stormed into a 4-0 lead on his way to taking the first set against Roddick and recovered immediately from dropping serve in the second.Spain's only other Davis Cup title came in 2000, when they beat Australia in Barcelona."This has been incredible - the moment I've been waiting for for years," said Moya, who missed out in 2000 through injury.And the home fans gave vociferous support to their players, with 18-year-old Nadal and Moya winning both Friday's singles rubbers.Moya won 6-2 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead with only one singles rubber remaining."I think we put up a better fight here than in Paris two years ago," said Roddick, who was on the US team which lost to France in the 2002 semi-finals at Roland Garros."The Davis Cup is my dream. |
1,060 | McConnell details Scots wave toll
At least three people from Scotland died in the tsunami disaster and a further three are on the missing list, the first minister has told MSPs.
The figures came out during a statement by Jack McConnell to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday. He formally expressed Scotland's sympathy for the victims of the Indian Ocean tidal wave which killed 150,000. Mr McConnell went on to promise that Scotland would play its part in the reconstruction effort. He said the provisional figures on the dead and lost had been provided by the police.
Mr McConnell said the tragedy should persuade everyone to step up the fight against global poverty and change the world for the better. He said he was proud of the generous response of people in Scotland to the disaster appeal, which is expected soon to top £20m. The first minister also praised Scottish Water for immediately flying bottled water and five large generators to the disaster zone. The Scottish Executive has seconded 11 staff to the aid agencies.
But he said Scotland was "in it for the long term" with help planned for fishing communities, for children's services, and for the aid charities. He said 2005 must be the year that Scotland showed clearly it cared for what happened to people elsewhere in the world, whether in Asia or in Africa. Mr McConnell went on to signal that the executive would play its part in the Make Poverty History campaign being mounted by a variety of aid charities, trade unions and churches in the run-up to the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July. Edinburgh architect, Dominic Stephenson, became the first Scot to be confirmed as a victim of the Asian tsunami. The 27-year-old was holidaying on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi with Eileen Lee, 24. She is still missing.
| At least three people from Scotland died in the tsunami disaster and a further three are on the missing list, the first minister has told MSPs.He said he was proud of the generous response of people in Scotland to the disaster appeal, which is expected soon to top £20m.But he said Scotland was "in it for the long term" with help planned for fishing communities, for children's services, and for the aid charities.Mr McConnell went on to promise that Scotland would play its part in the reconstruction effort.Mr McConnell went on to signal that the executive would play its part in the Make Poverty History campaign being mounted by a variety of aid charities, trade unions and churches in the run-up to the G8 summit in Gleneagles in July.He said 2005 must be the year that Scotland showed clearly it cared for what happened to people elsewhere in the world, whether in Asia or in Africa. |
943 | Student 'fee factor' played down
A rise has been recorded in the number of students from south of the border applying to universities in Scotland.
However, Lifelong Learning Minister Jim Wallace said that this would not result in Scottish students missing out. Applications from England and Wales rose by 17% between January 2005 and the previous year, up 23,600 to 27,700. Fears had been expressed that a flood of "fee refugees" would try to avoid top-up fees of up to £3,000 a year being introduced in England. In June last year, Mr Wallace announced proposals to increase tuition fees for English students studying in Scotland by £2,000 in an attempt to prevent a cross-border flood, although no figure has yet been agreed. Legislation to introduce the top-up fees in England is not due to take effect until autumn 2006 and students who start before then will not have to pay additional fees at all.
The figures were made public on Thursday by admissions service Ucas. Universities Scotland, which represents university principals, claimed that an increase in applications did not amount to Scottish students being squeezed out. Director, David Caldwell, said some students could be applying in an attempt to avoid the possible increase in annual fees at English universities, but this was not a major factor. He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "The reason people are opting for Scottish universities is that they are perceived as being of very high quality, they offer very attractive courses and Scotland is seen as a very attractive place to study.
"They know that when they take up their studies in 2006 they will be hit by top-up fees if they are going to a university in England and that may be part of the reason why the numbers coming to Scotland are so inflated. "However, it does not mean that we will see thousands of additional students from England studying here." Mr Wallace agreed and said the figures had to be looked at in context. He explained that when applications were translated into acceptances, the number was not huge - an additional figure of about 200.
Also, the picture was further blurred by the fact that applications from Wales, where there are no plans for top-up fees, have also risen, by 19%. Mr Wallace said: "Accepting students from all parts of the world does show the high regard in which Scottish higher education is held, not just in Britain. "We want to make sure that when students are making their choice, they do so on the nature of the course and not because they are under some sort of financial pressure to go to Scotland. "We do not want to have a situation where it becomes impossible for Scottish students to get places at Scottish universities because we are seen as the cheap option. "Very often the quality of the university experience is enhanced by the fact there are students coming from a wide range of backgrounds so it would be wrong to go the other way and start excluding students."
| In June last year, Mr Wallace announced proposals to increase tuition fees for English students studying in Scotland by £2,000 in an attempt to prevent a cross-border flood, although no figure has yet been agreed.Universities Scotland, which represents university principals, claimed that an increase in applications did not amount to Scottish students being squeezed out.Legislation to introduce the top-up fees in England is not due to take effect until autumn 2006 and students who start before then will not have to pay additional fees at all."They know that when they take up their studies in 2006 they will be hit by top-up fees if they are going to a university in England and that may be part of the reason why the numbers coming to Scotland are so inflated.A rise has been recorded in the number of students from south of the border applying to universities in Scotland.However, Lifelong Learning Minister Jim Wallace said that this would not result in Scottish students missing out.Mr Wallace said: "Accepting students from all parts of the world does show the high regard in which Scottish higher education is held, not just in Britain.Director, David Caldwell, said some students could be applying in an attempt to avoid the possible increase in annual fees at English universities, but this was not a major factor. |
791 | Church urges Nelly show boycott
Church ministers are trying to prevent rapper Nelly performing in Arkansas, saying they do not want his "vile and filthy lyrics" in their town.
More than 20 Jonesboro ministers urged music fans to boycott Nelly's 12 March concert at Arkansas State University in a bid to have it cancelled. "Jonesboro is a wonderful city because of what does not come here," said the Reverend Adrian Rodgers. But a venue spokesman said more than 5,500 tickets had been sold so far.
Mr Rodgers, of the Fullness of Joy Church, said he was concerned about the rapper's lyrics that include references to drugs, sex and violence, and songs that the minister said were demeaning to women. Ministers were worried that bringing such acts to Jonesboro would lead to problems. "Tear the tickets up," Mr Rodgers said. "Do not go and do not allow your children to go."
Tim Dean, director of the Arkansas State University venue, said ticket sales had been brisk. "It would appear that with ticket sales over 5,000, many others have expressed their right to find Nelly's music entertaining and worth spending their time and money on," he said. Nelly has sold more than 30 million singles and albums worldwide, and in September 2004 simultaneously occupied the number one and two positions in the US albums chart. He has had 12 UK hit singles, including Hot in Herre, Dilemma and recent number one Over and Over.
| "Tear the tickets up," Mr Rodgers said.Tim Dean, director of the Arkansas State University venue, said ticket sales had been brisk.But a venue spokesman said more than 5,500 tickets had been sold so far.Mr Rodgers, of the Fullness of Joy Church, said he was concerned about the rapper's lyrics that include references to drugs, sex and violence, and songs that the minister said were demeaning to women."Jonesboro is a wonderful city because of what does not come here," said the Reverend Adrian Rodgers. |
412 | Iran budget seeks state sell-offs
Iran's president, Mohammad Khatami, has unveiled a budget designed to expand public spending by 30% but loosen the Islamic republic's dependence on oil.
The budget for the fiscal year starting on 21 March calls for the sell-off of 20% of the state's corporate holdings. Mr Khatami's second term as president ends on 1 August, making this his last budget. But opposition from members of parliament who have attacked previous privatisations could block his plans. Elections in May 2004 ousted many of Mr Khatami's supporters in parliament in favour of more hard-line religious conservatives. Late last year, they backed a law which would give parliament a veto over foreign investment. The ruling was a response to the involvement in telecoms and airport projects by Turkish companies, which hardliners accused of doing business with Israel. It came not long after the Expediency Council - Iran's ultimate decision-maker - blessed Mr Khatami's policy of selling stakes in sectors protected by the constitution such as energy, transport, telecoms and banking. Continued obstruction of foreign investment could get in the way not only of privatisation plans, but also of Mr Khatami's hope of modestly reducing the government's reliance on oil revenues.
In an address to the Majlis, Mr Khatami predicted economic growth of 7.1% in 2005-6, up from 6.7% in the current year. He said he wanted to increase the 2005-6 budget to 1,546 trillion rials ($175.6bn; £93.6bn) from the previous year's 1,070 trillion. Within that figure, taxation would rise to $14.3bn, a rise of over 40% from what is expected from the current year. In contrast, oil revenues were expected to fall to $14.1bn from $16bn in the year to March 2005. "Current government expenditure should come from tax revenues," Mr Khatami said. "Oil revenues should be used for productive investment." Mr Khatami has already been blocked by parliament from reducing the subsidies on many products including bread and petrol, reducing his room to manoeuvre.
| Continued obstruction of foreign investment could get in the way not only of privatisation plans, but also of Mr Khatami's hope of modestly reducing the government's reliance on oil revenues.In contrast, oil revenues were expected to fall to $14.1bn from $16bn in the year to March 2005.In an address to the Majlis, Mr Khatami predicted economic growth of 7.1% in 2005-6, up from 6.7% in the current year.Mr Khatami's second term as president ends on 1 August, making this his last budget."Current government expenditure should come from tax revenues," Mr Khatami said.Late last year, they backed a law which would give parliament a veto over foreign investment.Mr Khatami has already been blocked by parliament from reducing the subsidies on many products including bread and petrol, reducing his room to manoeuvre. |
770 | Singer Christina Aguilera to wed
Pop star Christina Aguilera is to marry music executive Jordan Bratman, the singer's agent has confirmed.
Bratman, 26, proposed to Grammy-winning singer Aguilera, 23, on holiday at an undisclosed location. The pair have been together for more than two years. "No wedding plans have been set yet," said Aguilera's agent Meghan Prophet. Aguilera burst onto the pop scene in 1999, winning a best new artist Grammy in 2000. Her hits include What a Girl Wants, Dirrty and Beautiful. Bratman presented his fiancee with a diamond ring designed by jeweller Stephen Webster on Friday, said Ms Prophet. New York-born Aguilera reached number one in the UK with her debut hit Genie in a Bottle in October 1999. Her early success was cemented by two further Grammys in subsequent years. In 2002, Aguilera won best pop collaboration for the hit track Lady Marmalade with Lil' Kim, Maya and Pink, and last year she picked up the award for best female pop vocal performance for Beautiful. Her most recent single, Car Wash, featuring Missy Elliott, reached number four in the UK charts last November.
| In 2002, Aguilera won best pop collaboration for the hit track Lady Marmalade with Lil' Kim, Maya and Pink, and last year she picked up the award for best female pop vocal performance for Beautiful.New York-born Aguilera reached number one in the UK with her debut hit Genie in a Bottle in October 1999.Pop star Christina Aguilera is to marry music executive Jordan Bratman, the singer's agent has confirmed.Aguilera burst onto the pop scene in 1999, winning a best new artist Grammy in 2000.Bratman, 26, proposed to Grammy-winning singer Aguilera, 23, on holiday at an undisclosed location. |
253 | Jobs growth still slow in the US
The US created fewer jobs than expected in January, but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years.
According to Labor Department figures, US firms added only 146,000 jobs in January. The gain in non-farm payrolls was below market expectations of 190,000 new jobs. Nevertheless it was enough to push down the unemployment rate to 5.2%, its lowest level since September 2001. The job gains mean that President Bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the US economy in his first term in office. He presided over a net fall in jobs up to last November's Presidential election - the first President to do so since Herbert Hoover. As a result, job creation became a key issue in last year's election. However, when adding December and January's figures, the administration's first term jobs record ended in positive territory.
The Labor Department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in December 2004, from 157,000 to 133,000.
Analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions. "It suggests that employment is continuing to expand at a moderate pace," said Rick Egelton, deputy chief economist at BMO Financial Group. "We are not getting the boost to employment that we would have got given the low value of the dollar and the still relatively low interest rate environment." "The economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "That means there are a limited number of new opportunities for workers."
| The job gains mean that President Bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the US economy in his first term in office.Analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions.The Labor Department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in December 2004, from 157,000 to 133,000.The US created fewer jobs than expected in January, but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years."The economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.He presided over a net fall in jobs up to last November's Presidential election - the first President to do so since Herbert Hoover. |
1,525 | Can Smith work Scottish wonders?
The worst kept secret in Scottish football was revealed on Thursday when Walter Smith was named as the new national manager.
From the moment Berti Vogts' miserable tenure in charge of Scotland ended, the former Rangers and Everton boss has been the overwhelming favourite for the post. But is Smith the man for what must be one of the hardest jobs in football? The 56-year-old takes over at a time when the national side is in the doldrums. Scotland have not reached a major finals since the World Cup in 1998 and reaching Germany 2006 looks near impossible, having picked up just two points from the opening three games in the qualifying race. And the Fifa rankings see Scotland listed at an all time low of 77th, below the likes of Estonia, Ghana, Angola and Thailand. Scotland are not blessed with quality players with experience at the top level, so Smith will have to get the best out of meagre resources. Smith's track record make impressive reading and he is widely respected within the game. The man who was Alex Ferguson's assistant when Scotland played at the 1986 World Cup won seven league titles with Rangers. And his appointment has been widely endorsed by many of the games' top names, including Ferguson and Graeme Souness, who took him to Ibrox as his assistant in 1986. Characters like Souness, Ferguson and current Ibrox manager Alex McLeish all cite Smith's experience and his expansive knowledge of the Scottish game.
Much was made of Vogts' inability to express himself to the players and media. That will certainly not be the case with Smith. The former Dundee United and Dumbarton full-back is from the managerial old school - straight talking and never slow to let players know when he expects better (often with the use of some colourful invective). But it should be remembered Vogts came to Scotland with an impressive curriculum vitae - a World Cup winner as a player and a European Championships winner as a manager. Smith will inherit the same problems Vogts had - a callow squad of players with no exceptional talents. And it remains to be seen if Smith will experience the rash of call-offs that blighted so much of Vogts' preparation work. A fresh start for the Scottish national team was imperative and Smith is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands. But will a safe pair of hands be enough when the adroit hands of a magician might be required...
| A fresh start for the Scottish national team was imperative and Smith is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands.Scotland are not blessed with quality players with experience at the top level, so Smith will have to get the best out of meagre resources.The worst kept secret in Scottish football was revealed on Thursday when Walter Smith was named as the new national manager.Smith will inherit the same problems Vogts had - a callow squad of players with no exceptional talents.But it should be remembered Vogts came to Scotland with an impressive curriculum vitae - a World Cup winner as a player and a European Championships winner as a manager.The man who was Alex Ferguson's assistant when Scotland played at the 1986 World Cup won seven league titles with Rangers.Much was made of Vogts' inability to express himself to the players and media.And it remains to be seen if Smith will experience the rash of call-offs that blighted so much of Vogts' preparation work. |
66 | German business confidence slides
German business confidence fell in February knocking hopes of a speedy recovery in Europe's largest economy.
Munich-based research institute Ifo said that its confidence index fell to 95.5 in February from 97.5 in January, its first decline in three months. The study found that the outlook in both the manufacturing and retail sectors had worsened. Observers had been hoping that a more confident business sector would signal that economic activity was picking up.
"We're surprised that the Ifo index has taken such a knock," said DZ bank economist Bernd Weidensteiner. "The main reason is probably that the domestic economy is still weak, particularly in the retail trade." Economy and Labour Minister Wolfgang Clement called the dip in February's Ifo confidence figure "a very mild decline". He said that despite the retreat, the index remained at a relatively high level and that he expected "a modest economic upswing" to continue.
Germany's economy grew 1.6% last year after shrinking in 2003. However, the economy contracted by 0.2% during the last three months of 2004, mainly due to the reluctance of consumers to spend. Latest indications are that growth is still proving elusive and Ifo president Hans-Werner Sinn said any improvement in German domestic demand was sluggish. Exports had kept things going during the first half of 2004, but demand for exports was then hit as the value of the euro hit record levels making German products less competitive overseas. On top of that, the unemployment rate has been stuck at close to 10% and manufacturing firms, including DaimlerChrysler, Siemens and Volkswagen, have been negotiating with unions over cost cutting measures. Analysts said that the Ifo figures and Germany's continuing problems may delay an interest rate rise by the European Central Bank. Eurozone interest rates are at 2%, but comments from senior officials have recently focused on the threat of inflation, prompting fears that interest rates may rise.
| Analysts said that the Ifo figures and Germany's continuing problems may delay an interest rate rise by the European Central Bank.Munich-based research institute Ifo said that its confidence index fell to 95.5 in February from 97.5 in January, its first decline in three months.Latest indications are that growth is still proving elusive and Ifo president Hans-Werner Sinn said any improvement in German domestic demand was sluggish.Economy and Labour Minister Wolfgang Clement called the dip in February's Ifo confidence figure "a very mild decline".German business confidence fell in February knocking hopes of a speedy recovery in Europe's largest economy."We're surprised that the Ifo index has taken such a knock," said DZ bank economist Bernd Weidensteiner. |
1,562 | Solskjaer raises hopes of return
Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he hoped to return next season following a career-threatening injury to his right knee.
The 31-year-old Norway international had surgery in Sweden in August to transplant cartilage into the joint. "I'm in no doubt that I'll play again," Solskjaer told Aftenposten Daily. "The problem will be the speed but we're talking about eight months' time. It's going as it should with the knee. I'm slavishly following a programme." Solskjaer last played for United as a late substitute in May's FA Cup final win over Millwall. His contract with United runs out in 2006, by which time he will have been at the Premier League club for 10 years.
| Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he hoped to return next season following a career-threatening injury to his right knee.His contract with United runs out in 2006, by which time he will have been at the Premier League club for 10 years."I'm in no doubt that I'll play again," Solskjaer told Aftenposten Daily.Solskjaer last played for United as a late substitute in May's FA Cup final win over Millwall. |
1,098 | Tories opposing 24-hour drinking
The Tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control, despite backing a law change last year.
Spokesman David Davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti-social behaviour. Notts police chief Steve Green said innocent people would suffer. But Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said a delay would be "disastrous" and she accused the Tories of opportunism. The government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking, she added. Earlier chief constable Green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises. "If you look at the Market Square in Nottingham, if a fight takes place which licensed premises do you go and lay the responsibilty at the door of?" he asked on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.
He warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night. Earlier this year the Royal College of Physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an "epidemic" of binge drinking. Minister Richard Caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. It is hoped that allowing pubs and clubs to stay open longer will stagger closing times and end the current situation where drinkers spill on to the streets all at once. Earlier Tony Blair defended the plans against criticism from one of his own backbenchers.
"My view of this is very clear: we should have the same flexibility that other countries have and then we should come down really hard on those who abuse that freedom and don't show the responsibility," he told MPs. "The law-abiding majority who want the ability, after going to the cinema or theatre say, to have a drink at the time they want should not be inconvenienced, we shouldn't have to have restrictions that no other city in Europe has, just in order to do something for that tiny minority who abuse alcohol, who go out and fight and cause disturbances. "To take away that ability for all the population - even the vast majority who are law abiding - is not, in my view, sensible." This week a judge claimed easy access to drink was breeding "urban savages" and turning town centres into no go areas. Judge Charles Harris QC made his remarks as he sentenced three men for assaults carried out while drunk and high on drugs after a night out.
| The government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking, she added.He warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night.Earlier this year the Royal College of Physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an "epidemic" of binge drinking.Earlier chief constable Green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises.Spokesman David Davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti-social behaviour.Notts police chief Steve Green said innocent people would suffer.The Tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control, despite backing a law change last year.Minister Richard Caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. |
1,871 | Millions buy MP3 players in US
One in 10 adult Americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an MP3 player, according to a survey.
A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that MP3 players are the gadget of choice among affluent young Americans. The survey did not interview teenagers but it is likely that millions of under-18s also have MP3 players. The American love affair with digital music players has been made possible as more and more homes get broadband.
Of the 22 million Americans who own MP3 players, 59% are men compared to 41% of women. Those on high income - judged to be $75,000 (£39,000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30, 000 ( £15,000). Broadband access plays a big part in ownership too. Almost a quarter of those with broadband at home have players, compared to 9% of those who have dial-up access. MP3 players are still the gadget of choice for younger adults. Almost one in five US citizens aged under 30 have one. This compares to 14% of those aged 30-39 and 14% of those aged 40-48. The influence of children also plays a part. Sixteen percent of parents living with children under 18 have digital players compared to 9% of those who don't. The ease of use and growth of music available on the net are the main factors for the upsurge in ownership, the survey found. People are beginning to use them as instruments of social activity - sharing songs and taking part in podcasting - the survey found. "IPods and MP3 players are becoming a mainstream technology for consumers" said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project. "More growth in the market is inevitable as new devices become available, as new players enter the market, and as new social uses for iPods/MP3 players become popular," he added.
| One in 10 adult Americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an MP3 player, according to a survey.A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that MP3 players are the gadget of choice among affluent young Americans.The survey did not interview teenagers but it is likely that millions of under-18s also have MP3 players.MP3 players are still the gadget of choice for younger adults.Of the 22 million Americans who own MP3 players, 59% are men compared to 41% of women."IPods and MP3 players are becoming a mainstream technology for consumers" said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.The American love affair with digital music players has been made possible as more and more homes get broadband. |
1,511 | Edu describes tunnel fracas
Arsenal's Edu has lifted the lid on the scenes that followed Manchester United's win over the Gunners.
The Brazilian confirmed tempers had flared but could shed no light on reports that food was thrown at United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. "I saw people being pulled apart, people pushing, pointing and shouting," he told Uefa's official website. "The United players were trying to wind us up about the result but I didn't see any soup being thrown at anyone." However, Edu tried to play down the incidents, adding: "There was nothing that I haven't seen in Brazilian derbies. "Derby matches in Brazil are worse. I like to play in games like this with this intense rivalry." But Edu was highly critical of the ferocity of some of United's challenges during the game, particularly on Jose Antonio Reyes. "I think we were a lot fairer in the tackles than United," he said. "Reyes was being kicked all over the park - they were beating up the boy and Gary Neville was tackling in such a way that he should have been sent off." Following the game, the Football Association said it would look into events in the tunnel. It also charged Ruud van Nistelrooy with serious foul play while Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been asked to explain comments he made about the referee.
| But Edu was highly critical of the ferocity of some of United's challenges during the game, particularly on Jose Antonio Reyes.However, Edu tried to play down the incidents, adding: "There was nothing that I haven't seen in Brazilian derbies.The Brazilian confirmed tempers had flared but could shed no light on reports that food was thrown at United boss Sir Alex Ferguson."Reyes was being kicked all over the park - they were beating up the boy and Gary Neville was tackling in such a way that he should have been sent off."I like to play in games like this with this intense rivalry." |
1,230 | Immigration to be election issue
Immigration and asylum have normally been issues politicians from the big parties have tiptoed around at election time.
But no longer. Both Labour and the Tories have signalled their intention of making them central to their election campaigns. They have been struck by the level of concern amongst voters about the issues, with internal surveys showing they have the potential to swing large numbers of votes. That was also true at the last general election and the issue did briefly become a campaigning issue. But it sparked the probably predictable furore with claims politicians were either stoking up xenophobia or, alternatively, running scared of addressing the problem. But this time around it looks set to be one of the core battlegrounds with both the big parties competing to set out tough policies.
The Tories are already committed to imposing annual limits on immigration, with a quota for asylum seekers and with applications processed outside the UK. Labour has already branded the proposal unworkable but party strategists have seen the Tories seizing a poll advantage over the issue.
Now Home Secretary Charles Clarke has come up with alternative proposals for a points system to ensure only immigrants who can benefit the economy will be granted entry, and to kick out more failed asylum seekers. That has been attacked by the Tories as too little, too late and for failing to tackle the key issue of the numbers entering the UK. The Liberal Democrats have not been drawn too deeply into the argument but have called for a Europe-wide policy on immigration.
But, while all the parties appear to agree the time has come to properly debate and address the issue, there are already signs they will run into precisely the same problems as before. Former union leader Sir Bill Morris has already accused both the big parties of engaging in a "bidding war about who can be nastiest to asylum seekers".
"My concern is that, whilst the Labour Party and the Conservative Party will take a constructive approach to the debate, right-wing political parties, picking up on statements like `burden to Britain' will exploit this and create a lot of fear and uncertainty". It is precisely that concern - and the possible suggestion the issue is playing to the far right's racist agenda - that will provoke strong reactions from many concerned with this issue. The challenge for the big parties is to ensure they can engage in the debate during the cut and thrust of a general election while also avoiding that trap.
| Immigration and asylum have normally been issues politicians from the big parties have tiptoed around at election time.But, while all the parties appear to agree the time has come to properly debate and address the issue, there are already signs they will run into precisely the same problems as before.Labour has already branded the proposal unworkable but party strategists have seen the Tories seizing a poll advantage over the issue.Former union leader Sir Bill Morris has already accused both the big parties of engaging in a "bidding war about who can be nastiest to asylum seekers".The challenge for the big parties is to ensure they can engage in the debate during the cut and thrust of a general election while also avoiding that trap.That has been attacked by the Tories as too little, too late and for failing to tackle the key issue of the numbers entering the UK.That was also true at the last general election and the issue did briefly become a campaigning issue. |
888 | Halloween writer Debra Hill dies
Screenwriter and producer Debra Hill, best known for her work on the 70s horror classic Halloween, has died in Los Angeles aged 54.
Hill, who had been suffering from cancer, co-wrote the 1978 film, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis as a babysitter terrorised by a psychopath. Directed by John Carpenter, it made over $60m (£31.3m) worldwide - a record for independent film at that time. Hill also worked with Carpenter on Escape From New York and The Fog. Born in New Jersey, Hill began her career as a production assistant and worked her way through the ranks, becoming an assistant director and second-unit director before she began collaborating with Carpenter.
She was regarded by many as a pioneering woman in film, taking on jobs in the 70s that were more commonly taken by men. "Back when I started in 1974, there were very few women in the industry," she said in 2003. "I was assumed to be the make-up and hair person, or the script person. I was never assumed to be the writer or producer." "I took a look around and realised there weren't that many women, so I had to carve a niche for myself." Carpenter said that working with Hill was "one of the greatest experiences of my life". "The ground that she trailblazed in the beginning can now be followed by anyone. She was incredibly capable and talented," he said. Carpenter and Hill collaborated on a number of Halloween sequels, including Halloween II, Halloween: Resurrection and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
Later in her career, Hill formed a production company with her friend Lynda Obst, making a string of hit films including Oscar nominee The Fisher King and teen comedy Adventures In Babysitting. Other films included the Stephen King adaptation The Dead Zone in 1983 and 1985's Clue, a comedy based on the board game Cluedo. In the 90s she pursued work in TV, although she was reunited with Carpenter in 1996 for Escape From LA, the sequel to Escape From New York. At the time of her death she was working on a film about the last two men pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers following the 11 September terror attacks in 2001. She was also co-producing the remake of The Fog, which is due for release early next year.
| Carpenter said that working with Hill was "one of the greatest experiences of my life".Hill also worked with Carpenter on Escape From New York and The Fog.She was regarded by many as a pioneering woman in film, taking on jobs in the 70s that were more commonly taken by men.In the 90s she pursued work in TV, although she was reunited with Carpenter in 1996 for Escape From LA, the sequel to Escape From New York.She was incredibly capable and talented," he said.I was never assumed to be the writer or producer."At the time of her death she was working on a film about the last two men pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers following the 11 September terror attacks in 2001.Directed by John Carpenter, it made over $60m (£31.3m) worldwide - a record for independent film at that time. |
372 | Madagascar completes currency switch
Madagascar has completed the replacement of its Malagasy franc with a new currency, the ariary.
From Monday, all prices and contracts will have to be quoted in the ariary, which was trading at 1,893 to the US dollar. The Malagasy franc, which lost almost half its value in 2004, is no longer legal tender but will remain exchangeable at banks until 2009. The phasing out of the franc, begun in July 2003, was intended to distance the country from its past under French colonial rule and address the problem of the large amount of counterfeit francs in circulation. "It's above all a question of sovereignty," Reuters quoted a central bank official as saying. "It is symbolic of our independence from the old colonial ways. Since we left the French monetary zone in 1973 we should have our own currency with its own name." The ariary was the name of a pre-colonial currency in the Indian Ocean island state.
| Madagascar has completed the replacement of its Malagasy franc with a new currency, the ariary.The ariary was the name of a pre-colonial currency in the Indian Ocean island state.The phasing out of the franc, begun in July 2003, was intended to distance the country from its past under French colonial rule and address the problem of the large amount of counterfeit francs in circulation.From Monday, all prices and contracts will have to be quoted in the ariary, which was trading at 1,893 to the US dollar. |
117 | Car giant hit by Mercedes slump
A slump in profitability at luxury car maker Mercedes has prompted a big drop in profits at parent DaimlerChrysler.
The German-US carmaker saw fourth quarter operating profits fall to 785m euros ($1bn) from 2.4bn euros in 2003. Mercedes-Benz's woes - its profits slid to just 20m euros - obscured a strong performance from the Chrysler group whose returns met market expectations. Mercedes faces fierce competition in the luxury car sector from BMW and but hopes to revive its fortunes by 2006.
Mercedes' profits over the period compared unfavourably with 2003's 784m euro figure and were well below analyst expectations of 374m euros. For the year as a whole, its operating profits fell 46% to 1.6bn euros. Sales of Mercedes' brands fell 2% as demand cooled, while revenues were affected by the weakness of the US dollar.
The carmaker blamed the fall in profits on high launch costs for new models and losses from its Mercedes Smart mini-car range. Mercedes is hoping to increase productivity by 3bn euros, having negotiated 500m euros in annual savings with German workers last year. The firm said it was determined to retain Mercedes' position as the world's most successful luxury brand. However, DaimlerChrysler's shares fell 1.5% on the news. "While all these divisions are doing well the big worries continue to surround Mercedes-Benz," Michael Rabb, an analyst with Bank Sal Oppenheim, told Reuters.
In contrast, Chrysler enjoyed a 5% annual increase in unit sales while revenues - calculated in US dollars - rose 10%. The US division - whose marques include Dodge and Jeep - transformed a full year operating loss of 506m euros in 2003 into a 1.4bn euros profit last year.
Overall, DaimlerChrysler saw worldwide vehicle sales rise 8% to 4.7 million in 2004 while total revenues added 4% to 142bn euros. Chrysler's strong performance helped the world's fifth largest carmaker boost net income by 400m euros to 2.5bn euros.
"The year 2004 shows that our strategy works well - even in such a challenging competitive environment," said Jurgen Schrempp, DaimlerChrysler's chairman. DaimlerChrysler took a 475m euro hit in costs stemming from a defects scandal at its joint venture, Japanese subsidiary Fuso. DaimlerChrysler last week agreed a compensation package with partner Mitsubishi Motors which will see it buy out its stake in Fuso. Looking forward, DaimerChrysler's profits are expected to be slightly higher in 2005. However, it is expecting "significant improvements" in profitability in 2006 as a result of a major investment in the Mercedes product range.
| For the year as a whole, its operating profits fell 46% to 1.6bn euros.The US division - whose marques include Dodge and Jeep - transformed a full year operating loss of 506m euros in 2003 into a 1.4bn euros profit last year.Mercedes' profits over the period compared unfavourably with 2003's 784m euro figure and were well below analyst expectations of 374m euros.The German-US carmaker saw fourth quarter operating profits fall to 785m euros ($1bn) from 2.4bn euros in 2003.Mercedes is hoping to increase productivity by 3bn euros, having negotiated 500m euros in annual savings with German workers last year.A slump in profitability at luxury car maker Mercedes has prompted a big drop in profits at parent DaimlerChrysler.Chrysler's strong performance helped the world's fifth largest carmaker boost net income by 400m euros to 2.5bn euros.The carmaker blamed the fall in profits on high launch costs for new models and losses from its Mercedes Smart mini-car range.Sales of Mercedes' brands fell 2% as demand cooled, while revenues were affected by the weakness of the US dollar. |
1,510 | FA probes crowd trouble
The FA is to take action after trouble marred Wednesday's Carling Cup tie between Chelsea and West Ham.
Police in riot gear were confronted by a section of the West Ham support after the match which the Blues won 1-0. Mateja Kezman, the scorer of Chelsea's goal, needed treatment on a head injury during the match after being hit by a missile, believed to be a coin. A spokeswoman for Chelsea said the club would await the referee's report before deciding on its course of action. Kezman was forced off the field to receive treatment on a cut above his eye but was able to continue.
Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke said: "I would rather talk about the football but we think it was something thrown from the crowd. He did not require stitches." West Ham boss Alan Pardew said: "It's a shame because I thought there was good English banter in the crowd. "There's big rivalry between the two clubs and it is a shame if that's happened. From where I was standing I didn't see any trouble." Former Hammers star Joe Cole also had a plastic bottle thrown at him, while Frank Lampard was pelted with coins as he was preparing to take a penalty. Lampard's spot-kick was saved to the delight of the Hammers' fans, who have still not forgiven him for leaving Upton Park. The FA will seek reports from the clubs and the police, and will review video evidence and the referee's report. Police in riot gear battled with West Ham fans in the Matthew Harding stand and at least one supporter required treatment. Fans are also thought to have clashed outside the ground after the game. Scotland Yard said there had been 11 arrests for alleged public order, drugs and offensive weapon offences.
The FA is already looking into the trouble at Tuesday's heated Carling Cup tie between Millwall and Liverpool.
| West Ham boss Alan Pardew said: "It's a shame because I thought there was good English banter in the crowd.The FA is to take action after trouble marred Wednesday's Carling Cup tie between Chelsea and West Ham.Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke said: "I would rather talk about the football but we think it was something thrown from the crowd.Kezman was forced off the field to receive treatment on a cut above his eye but was able to continue.Former Hammers star Joe Cole also had a plastic bottle thrown at him, while Frank Lampard was pelted with coins as he was preparing to take a penalty.A spokeswoman for Chelsea said the club would await the referee's report before deciding on its course of action.From where I was standing I didn't see any trouble." |
939 | Parties warned over 'grey vote'
Political parties cannot afford to take older UK voters for granted in the coming election, says Age Concern.
A survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds. Charity boss Gordon Lishman said if a "decisive blow" was struck at the election it would be by older voters who could be relied on to turn out. A total of 3,028 adults aged 18 or over were interviewed for the study. Mr Lishman urged the next government to boost state pension.
He also called for measures to combat ageism and build effective public services to "support us all in an ageing society". "Older people want to see manifesto commitments that will make a difference to their lives," Mr Lishman said. "Political parties must wake up to the fact that unless they address the demands and concerns of older people they will not keep or attract their vote." In the survey carried out by ICM Research, 14% of people aged between 18 and 34 said they never voted in general elections. Among the over-65s, 70% said they would be certain to vote in an immediate election, compared with 39% of people under 55. Age Concern says the over-55s are "united around" key areas of policy they want the government to focus on. For 57%, pensions and the NHS were key issues, while the economy was important for a third, and tax was a crucial area for 25%.
| Among the over-65s, 70% said they would be certain to vote in an immediate election, compared with 39% of people under 55.Charity boss Gordon Lishman said if a "decisive blow" was struck at the election it would be by older voters who could be relied on to turn out."Older people want to see manifesto commitments that will make a difference to their lives," Mr Lishman said.A survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds.Political parties cannot afford to take older UK voters for granted in the coming election, says Age Concern. |
1,042 | 'Nuclear dumpsite' plan attacked
Plans to allow foreign nuclear waste to be permanently stored in the UK have been branded "deeply irresponsible" by the Liberal Democrats.
The government has confirmed intermediate level waste (ILW) that was to have been shipped back to its home countries will now be stored in the UK. The cash raised will go towards the UK's nuclear clean-up programme. But Lib Dem Norman Baker accused ministers of turning Britain into a "nuclear dumpsite".
Under current contracts, British Nuclear Fuels should return all but low level waste, but none has ever been sent back. In future, only highly-radioactive waste will be sent back to its country of origin, normally Germany or Japan, under armed guard. Intermediate waste from countries such as Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden will be stored permanently in the UK. At the moment, this waste is stored at Sellafield, in Cumbria, in the form of glass bricks, untreated liquid waste or solid material in drums. In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry said the new policy meant there would be a "sixfold reduction in the number of waste shipments to overseas countries". And it said highly-radioactive waste would be returned to its home country sooner, ensuring there would be no overall increase in radioactivity.
Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the new arrangements, revealed in a Commons written statement, would raise up to £680m for Britain's nuclear clean-up programme, under the new Nuclear Decommissioning Agency. But the move has been criticised by environmental groups and the Liberal Democrats. Mr Baker, the Lib Dem environment spokesman, said: "I have been warning for months that this would happen and raised it with government several times. But now our worst fears have been confirmed. "Once again Britain's environmental and health needs are being ignored in policies driven by the Treasury and DTI. "This is a terrible attempt to offload some of the £48bn cost of cleaning up nuclear sites. "The Energy Act was supposed to help Britain clean up, but in order to pay for it we are becoming a nuclear dumpsite. "The nuclear industry is an economic, social and environmental millstone that hangs around Britain's neck."
| The government has confirmed intermediate level waste (ILW) that was to have been shipped back to its home countries will now be stored in the UK.Plans to allow foreign nuclear waste to be permanently stored in the UK have been branded "deeply irresponsible" by the Liberal Democrats.Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the new arrangements, revealed in a Commons written statement, would raise up to £680m for Britain's nuclear clean-up programme, under the new Nuclear Decommissioning Agency.Under current contracts, British Nuclear Fuels should return all but low level waste, but none has ever been sent back.Intermediate waste from countries such as Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Sweden will be stored permanently in the UK.And it said highly-radioactive waste would be returned to its home country sooner, ensuring there would be no overall increase in radioactivity.In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry said the new policy meant there would be a "sixfold reduction in the number of waste shipments to overseas countries"."The nuclear industry is an economic, social and environmental millstone that hangs around Britain's neck." |
588 | Baby becomes new Oscar favourite
Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby has become the new favourite to win best picture at the Oscars on Sunday.
According to pundits, the film has overtaken previous favourite The Aviator, with Eastwood also tipped to take the best director award. Its star Hilary Swank is favourite to win best actress while Jamie Foxx is tipped to win best actor for Ray. Million Dollar Baby has seven nominations while The Aviator has 11. The Aviator has scored a best director nomination for Martin Scorsese, who has never won an Oscar, while stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett are both nominated for acting Oscars.
"If you look at the Oscars race, The Aviator should be ahead," said awards pundit Tom O'Neil. "It is the most nominated film, and the most nominated movie has won best picture 18 times out of the last 20 years. "But the reality is Million Dollar Baby is the dark horse. People feel emotionally about it and Clint is a beloved Hollywood chum of the Academy voters," he said. Anne Thompson of the Hollywood Reporter said that Million Dollar Baby was "heart-wrenching". "It's very emotional, it even makes grown men cry," she said. "The Aviator is a gorgeous movie, but it's colder."
In the acting categories, Foxx is regarded as almost unbeatable for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray. "The performance is based on a real person who was a showbusiness hero with a handicap, who recently died," O'Neil said. "He has unstoppable momentum among the voters." Hilary Swank is the favourite to win best actress for the second time in six years. She previously won in 1999 for her performance in Boys Don't Cry. In the supporting categories, Cate Blanchett is tipped to win for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, while Morgan Freeman is favourite to take home his first ever Oscar, for Million Dollar Baby. The Oscars will take place at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on 27 February.
| Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby has become the new favourite to win best picture at the Oscars on Sunday.Million Dollar Baby has seven nominations while The Aviator has 11.In the supporting categories, Cate Blanchett is tipped to win for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, while Morgan Freeman is favourite to take home his first ever Oscar, for Million Dollar Baby.The Aviator has scored a best director nomination for Martin Scorsese, who has never won an Oscar, while stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett are both nominated for acting Oscars.According to pundits, the film has overtaken previous favourite The Aviator, with Eastwood also tipped to take the best director award.Anne Thompson of the Hollywood Reporter said that Million Dollar Baby was "heart-wrenching".Its star Hilary Swank is favourite to win best actress while Jamie Foxx is tipped to win best actor for Ray."It is the most nominated film, and the most nominated movie has won best picture 18 times out of the last 20 years. |
1,656 | England coach faces rap after row
England coach Andy Robinson is facing disciplinary action after criticising referee Jonathan Kaplan in his side's Six Nations defeat to Ireland.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) will investigate Robinson after deciding not to lodge a complaint against Kaplan. Robinson may even have to apologise for his comments in order to avoid sanction from the International Rugby Board. Robinson had said he was "livid" about Kaplan's decisions on Saturday to disallow two England "tries." The England coach went on to claim that "only one side was refereed".
After reviewing tapes of the match, the RFU decided not to formally complain to the IRB over the standard of Kaplan's refereeing. Instead the RFU said in a statement they would, "set out any concerns the England team management may have in a confidential manner".
An IRB spokesman said on the matter: "We take all breaches of the code very seriously. "Should the RFU resolve the issue to our satisfaction, as happened last month when the Scotland coach Matt Williams apologised for remarks made, it would be the end of the matter."
Kaplan has vigorously defended his performance in England's 19-13 defeat at Landsdowne Road and admitted he was "very disappointed" with Robinson's remarks. And the South African has been appointed to take charge of Scotland's match against Wales on 13 March.
The RFU recently fined Northampton coach Budge Pountney £2,000 and imposed a six-week ban for his criticism of referee Steve Lander after a Premiership match.
| Robinson had said he was "livid" about Kaplan's decisions on Saturday to disallow two England "tries."England coach Andy Robinson is facing disciplinary action after criticising referee Jonathan Kaplan in his side's Six Nations defeat to Ireland.Instead the RFU said in a statement they would, "set out any concerns the England team management may have in a confidential manner".The Rugby Football Union (RFU) will investigate Robinson after deciding not to lodge a complaint against Kaplan.The England coach went on to claim that "only one side was refereed". |
785 | The Producers scoops stage awards
The Producers has beaten Mary Poppins in the battle of the blockbuster West End musicals at the Olivier Awards.
The Producers won three prizes at the UK's most prestigious annual theatre awards, while Mary Poppins won two. Mel Brooks' hit show triumphed in the battle for best new musical, where it was up against Mary Poppins and Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White. Alan Bennett's The History Boys was the big winner in the straight theatre categories, picking up three trophies. But all eyes were on the musical prizes after The Producers, Mary Poppins and The Woman in White all had high-profile openings in the last six months.
The Producers' Nathan Lane, a last-minute replacement for Richard Dreyfuss, beat his former co-star Lee Evans to win best musical actor. Lane has already left the production. A smash hit on Broadway before moving to London, the show also won best musical performance in a supporting role for Conleth Hill, who plays director Roger DeBris. Mary Poppins' awards came for best choreography and best musical actress for its star Laura Michelle Kelly. It led the nominations going into Sunday's ceremony at London's Hilton hotel, up for nine awards. Both shows are stage adaptations of 1960s films. The History Boys, set in a grammar school in the early 1980s and partly based on Bennett's experiences as a teacher, was named best new play.
It also won best actor for Richard Griffiths, who beat his Harry Potter film co-star Michael Gambon, nominated for Endgame, as well as Jonathan Pryce and Ben Whishaw. The play also won National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner best director and Bennett got a special award for outstanding contribution to British theatre. Dame Judi Dench, who starred in All's Well That Ends Well at the Gielgud, lost out in the best supporting role category to Amanda Harris, who played Emilia in Othello for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Olivier Awards have been handed out by the Society of London since 1976.
- Best lighting design - His Dark Materials designed by Paule Constable at the Olivier
- Best sound design - The Woman in White designed by Mick Potter at the Palace
- Best new opera - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Royal Opera House
- Outstanding achievement in opera - Thomas Ades and the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of The Tempest
- Best costume design - All's Well That Ends Well designed by Deirdre Clancy at the Gielgud
- Best Revival - Hamlet by William Shakespeare at The Old Vic
- Best set design - His Dark Materials designed by Giles Cadle at the Olivier
- Outstanding musical production - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse
- Best supporting role in a musical - Conleth Hill for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
- Best theatre choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
- Best actor - Richard Griffiths for The History Boys at the Lyttelton
- Outstanding achievement or performance in an affiliate theatre - Andrew Scott for A Girl in A Car With A Man at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
- Best new dance production - Rambert Dance Company's Swamp at Sadler's Wells
- Outstanding achievement in dance - San Francisco Ballet for their season at Sadler's Wells
- Best performance in a supporting role - Amanda Harris for Othello at Trafalgar Studios
- Best actress - Clare Higgins for Hecuba at the Donmar Warehouse
- Best musical actor - Nathan Lane for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
- Best musical actress - Laura Michelle Kelly for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
- Best director - Nicholas Hytner for The History Boys at the Lyttelton
- Best new play - The History Boys by Alan Bennett at the Lyttelton
- Best new musical - The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
- Special award - Alan Bennett for his outstanding contribution to British theatre
| - Best lighting design - His Dark Materials designed by Paule Constable at the Olivier - Best sound design - The Woman in White designed by Mick Potter at the Palace - Best new opera - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Royal Opera House - Outstanding achievement in opera - Thomas Ades and the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of The Tempest - Best costume design - All's Well That Ends Well designed by Deirdre Clancy at the Gielgud - Best Revival - Hamlet by William Shakespeare at The Old Vic - Best set design - His Dark Materials designed by Giles Cadle at the Olivier - Outstanding musical production - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse - Best supporting role in a musical - Conleth Hill for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Best theatre choreographer - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward - Best actor - Richard Griffiths for The History Boys at the Lyttelton - Outstanding achievement or performance in an affiliate theatre - Andrew Scott for A Girl in A Car With A Man at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court - Best new dance production - Rambert Dance Company's Swamp at Sadler's Wells - Outstanding achievement in dance - San Francisco Ballet for their season at Sadler's Wells - Best performance in a supporting role - Amanda Harris for Othello at Trafalgar Studios - Best actress - Clare Higgins for Hecuba at the Donmar Warehouse - Best musical actor - Nathan Lane for The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Best musical actress - Laura Michelle Kelly for Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward - Best director - Nicholas Hytner for The History Boys at the Lyttelton - Best new play - The History Boys by Alan Bennett at the Lyttelton - Best new musical - The Producers at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane - Special award - Alan Bennett for his outstanding contribution to British theatreMel Brooks' hit show triumphed in the battle for best new musical, where it was up against Mary Poppins and Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman in White.Mary Poppins' awards came for best choreography and best musical actress for its star Laura Michelle Kelly.The Producers has beaten Mary Poppins in the battle of the blockbuster West End musicals at the Olivier Awards.A smash hit on Broadway before moving to London, the show also won best musical performance in a supporting role for Conleth Hill, who plays director Roger DeBris.The Producers won three prizes at the UK's most prestigious annual theatre awards, while Mary Poppins won two.The Producers' Nathan Lane, a last-minute replacement for Richard Dreyfuss, beat his former co-star Lee Evans to win best musical actor. |
373 | Quiksilver moves for Rossignol
Shares of Skis Rossignol, the world's largest ski-maker, have jumped as much as 15% on speculation that it will be bought by US surfwear firm Quiksilver.
The owners of Rossignol, the Boix-Vives family, are said to be considering an offer from Quiksilver. Analysts believe other sporting goods companies may now take a closer look at Rossignol, prompting an auction and pushing the sale price higher. Nike and K2 have previously been mentioned as possible suitors.
Rossignol shares touched 17.70 euros, before falling back to trade 7.8% higher at 16.60 euros. European sporting goods companies have seen foreign revenues squeezed by a slump in the value of the US dollar, making a takeover more attractive, analysts said. Companies such as Quiksilver would be able to cut costs by selling Rossignol skis through their shops, they added. The Boix-Vives family is thought to have spent the past couple of years sounding out possible suitors for Rossignol, which also makes golf equipment, snowboards and sports clothing.
| The owners of Rossignol, the Boix-Vives family, are said to be considering an offer from Quiksilver.The Boix-Vives family is thought to have spent the past couple of years sounding out possible suitors for Rossignol, which also makes golf equipment, snowboards and sports clothing.Analysts believe other sporting goods companies may now take a closer look at Rossignol, prompting an auction and pushing the sale price higher.Shares of Skis Rossignol, the world's largest ski-maker, have jumped as much as 15% on speculation that it will be bought by US surfwear firm Quiksilver. |
301 | Libya takes $1bn in unfrozen funds
Libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the US, assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years, the Libyan central bank has said.
The move came after the US lifted a trade ban to reward Tripoli for giving up weapons of mass destruction and vowing to compensate Lockerbie victims. The original size of Libya's funds was $400m, the central bank told Reuters. However, the withdrawal did not mean that Libya had cut its ties with the US, he added.
"We are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the United States," the central bank's vice president Farhat Omar Ben Gadaravice said. The previously frozen assets had been invested in various countries and are believed to have included equity holdings in banks. The US ban on trade and economic activity with Tripoli - imposed by then president Ronald Regan in 1986 after a series of what the US deemed terrorist acts, including the 1988 Lockerbie air crash - was suspended in April. Bankers from the two country's had been working on how to unfreeze Libya's assets.
| Libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the US, assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years, the Libyan central bank has said.The US ban on trade and economic activity with Tripoli - imposed by then president Ronald Regan in 1986 after a series of what the US deemed terrorist acts, including the 1988 Lockerbie air crash - was suspended in April.The original size of Libya's funds was $400m, the central bank told Reuters."We are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the United States," the central bank's vice president Farhat Omar Ben Gadaravice said. |
1,879 | Junk e-mails on relentless rise
Spam traffic is up by 40%, putting the total amount of e-mail that is junk up to an astonishing 90%.
The figures, from e-mail management firm Email Systems, will alarm firms attempting to cope with the amount of spam in their in-boxes. While virus traffic has slowed down, denial of service attacks are on the increase according to the firm. Virus mail accounts for just over 15% of all e-mail traffic analysis by the firm has found.
It is no longer just multi-nationals that are in danger of so-called denial of service attacks, in which websites are bombarded by requests for information and rendered inaccessible. Email Systems refers to a small UK-based engineering firm, which received a staggering 12 million e-mails in January. The type of spam currently being sent has subtlety altered in the last few months, according to Email Systems analysis. Half of spam received since Christmas has been health-related with gambling and porn also on the increase. Scam mails, offering ways to make a quick buck, have declined by 40%. "January is clearly a month when consumers are less motivated to purchase financial products or put money into dubious financial opportunities," said Neil Hammerton, managing director of Email Systems. "Spammers seem to have adapted their output to reflect this, focussing instead on medically motivated and pornographic offers, presumably intentionally intended to coincide with what is traditionally considered to be the bleakest month in the calendar," he said.
| The figures, from e-mail management firm Email Systems, will alarm firms attempting to cope with the amount of spam in their in-boxes.Virus mail accounts for just over 15% of all e-mail traffic analysis by the firm has found.Email Systems refers to a small UK-based engineering firm, which received a staggering 12 million e-mails in January.While virus traffic has slowed down, denial of service attacks are on the increase according to the firm.The type of spam currently being sent has subtlety altered in the last few months, according to Email Systems analysis. |
1,058 | Protect whistleblowers, TUC says
The government should change the law to give more protection to employees who raise health and safety concerns about their workplaces, the TUC has said.
It said data from employment tribunals suggested 1,500 "safety whistleblowers" had lost their jobs since 1999. Some firms found it cheaper to sack a worker than to improve buildings or change working conditions, it said. The Health and Safety Executive said it was trying to get workers more involved in helping to make workplaces safer. The TUC figures were drawn from unfair dismissal cases at tribunals were health and safety were the main issue.
Safety representatives were often ignored when raising concerns because there was no legal duty to respond, claimed the union organisation. General secretary Brendan Barber said: "It shouldn't be a firing offence to object to unsafe work. "Workers should not be placed in the situation where they are forced to choose between risking their job or risking their personal health and safety." Mr Barber, who said the "problem is far worse than official statistics show", called for a legal system that "protects safety whistleblowers". He added that workers who are not in a union, as well as casual and migrant workers, "stand little chance of redress."
Rory O' Neill, editor of union-backed Hazards magazine, which conducted the research, said: "Giving union safety reps more rights in more workplaces is the ultimate win-win. "Death and injuries at work increased last year, for the second time since the turn of the century. "It would be a fatal mistake not to take full advantage of the union safety effect." The TUC has called on the government to appoint "roving" safety reps and to increase spending on health and safety work inspections. The Health and Safety Executive had said that it had launched an initiative to make factories and offices safer, with more worker involvement.
| The Health and Safety Executive said it was trying to get workers more involved in helping to make workplaces safer.The TUC has called on the government to appoint "roving" safety reps and to increase spending on health and safety work inspections.The Health and Safety Executive had said that it had launched an initiative to make factories and offices safer, with more worker involvement.The government should change the law to give more protection to employees who raise health and safety concerns about their workplaces, the TUC has said.It said data from employment tribunals suggested 1,500 "safety whistleblowers" had lost their jobs since 1999.Mr Barber, who said the "problem is far worse than official statistics show", called for a legal system that "protects safety whistleblowers". |
260 | Asia shares defy post-quake gloom
Indonesian, Indian and Hong Kong stock markets reached record highs.
Investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas were so under-developed that the tragedy would have little impact on Asia's listed firms. "Obviously with a lot of loss of life, a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess, bury the people and find the missing," said ABN Amro's Eddie Wong. "[But] it's not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense."
India's Bombay Stock Exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on Wednesday. Expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the Indonesian stock exchange in Jakarta to a record high on Wednesday. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of South East Asia. In Sri Lanka, some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. Sri Lanka's stock market has fallen about 5% since the weekend, but it is still 40% higher than at the start of 2004.
Thailand may lose 30bn baht (£398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months, according to tourism minister Sontaya Kunplome.
In the affected provinces, he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. Thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work. "It will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in Phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level," said Naris Chaiyasoot, director general at the ministry's fiscal policy office. In the Maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth, according to a government spokesman. "Our nation is in peril here," said Ahmed Shaheed, the chief government spokesman. He estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. The Maldives has gross domestic product of $660m. "It won't be surprising if the cost exceeds our GDP," he said. "In the last few years, we made great progress in our standard of living - the United Nations recognised this. Now we see this can disappear in a few days, a few minutes." Shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. Between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged, and a similar number have suffered significant damage.
However, many experts, including the World Bank, have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact. In part, this is because of its scale, and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities. "Calculators will have to wait," said an IMF official in a briefing on Wednesday. "The financial and world community will be turning toward reconstruction efforts and at that point people will begin to have a sense of the financial impact."
| In the Maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth, according to a government spokesman."Our nation is in peril here," said Ahmed Shaheed, the chief government spokesman.Expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the Indonesian stock exchange in Jakarta to a record high on Wednesday.In Sri Lanka, some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost.Indonesian, Indian and Hong Kong stock markets reached record highs."It won't be surprising if the cost exceeds our GDP," he said.Shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m.He estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars.Thailand may lose 30bn baht (£398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months, according to tourism minister Sontaya Kunplome."Calculators will have to wait," said an IMF official in a briefing on Wednesday.However, many experts, including the World Bank, have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact. |
1,639 | Robinson answers critics
England captain Jason Robinson has rubbished suggestions that the world champions are a team in decline.
England were beaten 11-9 by Wales in their Six Nations opener in Cardiff last week and face current champions France at Twickenham on Sunday. Robinson said: "We are certainly not on the decline. You lose one game and it doesn't make you a bad team. "I have no doubt in the players we've got. We have still got the team to go out and beat anyone on our day." England find themselves striving to avoid a third successive championship defeat for the first time since 1987. But full-back Robinson believes the new-look England team can stop the rot against France.
"Last weekend we should have won the game," he said. "But if we can under-perform and lose by only two points then I am sure if we play well this week we will get the win we need. "We proved that in the autumn - when we put in some excellent performances - and we just need to build on that.
"It was a disappointing start against Wales and we might be down on that. "But we are certainly not out. We will come out fighting this week." Robinson also had words of comfort for 18-year-old Newcastle centre Mathew Tait, who made his international debut against Wales but has been demoted from the squad to face France.
"I have had a word with Mathew," said Robinson. "I still believe in him. He is an outstanding player but we have gone for Olly (Barkley) because of the kicking. "Mathew has just got to take it on the chin, keep working hard like he is doing and I'm sure he will feature in some of the games."
| Robinson said: "We are certainly not on the decline."I have had a word with Mathew," said Robinson.England captain Jason Robinson has rubbished suggestions that the world champions are a team in decline.But full-back Robinson believes the new-look England team can stop the rot against France.England were beaten 11-9 by Wales in their Six Nations opener in Cardiff last week and face current champions France at Twickenham on Sunday.Robinson also had words of comfort for 18-year-old Newcastle centre Mathew Tait, who made his international debut against Wales but has been demoted from the squad to face France.We have still got the team to go out and beat anyone on our day.""But if we can under-perform and lose by only two points then I am sure if we play well this week we will get the win we need. |
1,194 | 'Debate needed' on donations cap
A cap on donations to political parties should not be introduced yet, the elections watchdog has said.
Fears that big donors can buy political favours have sparked calls for a limit. In a new report, the Electoral Commission says it is worth debating a £10,000 cap for the future but now is not the right time to introduce it. It also says there should be more state funding for political parties and candidates should be able to spend more on election campaigning.
There were almost £68m in reported donations to political parties in 2001, 2002 and 2003, with nearly £12m of them from individual gifts worth more than £1m. The rules have already been changed so the public can see who gives how much to the parties but the report says there are still public suspicions. The commission says capping donations would mean taxpayers giving parties more cash - something which would first have to be acceptable to the public and shown to work. "While we are not in principle opposed to the introduction of a donation cap, we do not believe that such a major departure from the existing system now would be sensible," says its report. If there was to be a cap, it should be £10,000 - a small enough amount to make a difference but which would have banned £56m in donations between 2001 and 2003.
Even without changes the commission does urge political parties to seek out more small-scale donations and suggests there should be income tax relief for gifts under £200. It also suggests increasing state funding for parties to £3m so help can be extended to all parties with at least two members in the House of Commons, European Parliament, Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland Assembly. And it suggests new ways of boosting election campaigning, seen as a way of improving voter turnout. All local election candidates should be entitled to a free mailshot for campaign leaflets, says the watchdog. And there should be a shift in the amount of money allowed to be spent at elections from a national level to a local level to help politicians engage better with voters.
The report suggests doubling the money which can be spent by candidates, while cutting national spending limits from £20m to £15m. The commission also says the spending limits for general elections should cover the four months before the poll - as happens with other elections. Electoral Commission chairman Sam Younger said: "There is no doubt that political parties have a vital role to play in maintaining the health of our democracy and for this they need to be adequately resourced. "Our research has shown that people want to be more informed about party politics and that they want politicians to be more visible and accessible. "The public are reluctant for the state to fund parties but at the same time are unhappy with large private donations." He called for a wider public debate on party funding to find the consensus needed for radical changes to the current system.
| It also says there should be more state funding for political parties and candidates should be able to spend more on election campaigning.A cap on donations to political parties should not be introduced yet, the elections watchdog has said.The commission says capping donations would mean taxpayers giving parties more cash - something which would first have to be acceptable to the public and shown to work.Even without changes the commission does urge political parties to seek out more small-scale donations and suggests there should be income tax relief for gifts under £200.There were almost £68m in reported donations to political parties in 2001, 2002 and 2003, with nearly £12m of them from individual gifts worth more than £1m.The rules have already been changed so the public can see who gives how much to the parties but the report says there are still public suspicions.In a new report, the Electoral Commission says it is worth debating a £10,000 cap for the future but now is not the right time to introduce it.The commission also says the spending limits for general elections should cover the four months before the poll - as happens with other elections. |
104 | US seeks new $280bn smoker ruling
The US Justice Department is to try to overturn a court ruling that threw out its claim for $280bn (£149bn) in damages from tobacco firms.
Earlier this month, a three-judge appeal court panel rejected the claim - filed in 1999 by the administration of Bill Clinton - in a 2-1 decision. Government lawyers said they would ask the full US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to hear the case. The court room battle is seen as key in government attempts to fight smoking. "It's pretty clear that they've suffered a severe setback," said Anthony Sebok, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, adding that the appeal was what the government "would be expected to ask for".
Prosecutors had argued that tobacco firms lied about the dangers of smoking, ignored research that highlighted problems, looked to increase addiction by manipulating nicotine levels and targeted the young with their adverts. Among the firms accused were Altria Group, RJ Reynolds Tobacco, Lorillard Tobacco, Liggett Group and Brown and Williamson. Prosecutors went after the companies using legislation put in place to fight organised crime, and accused the firms of conspiring and running "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations". The tobacco companies denied the charges, saying that they never illegally conspired to promote smoking and fool the public. They also said that they have met many of the government's demands laid out in a landmark $206bn settlement hammered out in 1998 with 46 states. A three-judge panel agreed with the companies, finding that the case could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws.
Central to the government's case was a meeting in the Plaza Hotel, New York, on 15 December, 1953. Prosecutors contend that executives from the major tobacco firms met and agreed to present a unified strategy denying the harmful effects of smoking. Despite denying for decades that smoking could be linked to illness, the companies have modified their stances in recent years. Altria's Philip Morris now accepts that nicotine is harmful, and the company's main lawyer William Ohlemeyer told the BBC last year that earlier statements may have been wrong but they were not dishonest. Government lawyers have until 21 March to file their appeal.
| Government lawyers said they would ask the full US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to hear the case.Prosecutors contend that executives from the major tobacco firms met and agreed to present a unified strategy denying the harmful effects of smoking.The court room battle is seen as key in government attempts to fight smoking.Prosecutors had argued that tobacco firms lied about the dangers of smoking, ignored research that highlighted problems, looked to increase addiction by manipulating nicotine levels and targeted the young with their adverts.Government lawyers have until 21 March to file their appeal.The US Justice Department is to try to overturn a court ruling that threw out its claim for $280bn (£149bn) in damages from tobacco firms.The tobacco companies denied the charges, saying that they never illegally conspired to promote smoking and fool the public. |
1,516 | Mutu to hold talks with Juventus
Disgraced former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu is to begin talks with Juventus as he looks for a new club.
"Mutu will be in our club's main stand to watch the match between Juventus and Fiorentina," said a Juventus official, who declined to be named. "Then he will meet some important people of the club," he added. Mutu, 25, sacked by Chelsea and banned for seven months for taking cocaine, is now represented by Alessandro Moggi, son of Juve manager Luciano Moggi. Mutu, banned by the English FA, can resume playing next May. He is to undergo a drug education and rehabilitation programme. Mutu wants to train with Romanian side Dinamo Bucharest whilst serving his ban, say the Bucharest side.
| Disgraced former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu is to begin talks with Juventus as he looks for a new club.Mutu, banned by the English FA, can resume playing next May."Mutu will be in our club's main stand to watch the match between Juventus and Fiorentina," said a Juventus official, who declined to be named. |
97 | 'Strong dollar' call halts slide
The US dollar's slide against the euro and yen has halted after US Treasury Secretary John Snow said a strong dollar was "in America's interest".
But analysts said any gains are likely to be short-lived as problems with the US economy were still significant. They also pointed out that positive comments apart, President George W Bush's administration had done little to stop the dollar's slide. A weak dollar helps boost exports and narrow the current account deficit. The dollar was trading at $1.2944 against the euro at 2100GMT, still close to the $1.3006 record level set on 10 November. Against the Japanese yen, it was trading at 105.28 yen, after hitting a seven-month low of 105.17 earlier in the day.
Policy makers in Europe have called the dollar's slide "brutal" and have blamed the strength of the euro for dampening economic growth. However, it is unclear whether ministers would issue a declaration aimed at curbing the euro's rise at a monthly meeting of Eurozone ministers late on Monday. Higher growth in Europe is regarded by US officials as a way the huge US current account deficit - that has been weighing on the dollar - could be reduced. Mr Snow who is currently in Dublin at the start of a four-nation EU visit, has applauded Ireland's introduction of lower taxes and deregulation which have helped boost growth. "The eurozone is growing below its potential. When a major part of the global economy is below potential there are negative consequences... for the citizens of those economies... and for their trading partners," he said. Mr Snow's comments may have helped shore up the dollar on Monday, but he was careful to qualify his statement.
"Our basic policy, of course, is to let open, competitive markets set the values," he explained. "Markets are driven by fundamentals and towards fundamentals." US officials have also said that other economies need to grow, so the US is not the main global growth engine. Economists say that the fundamentals, or key indicators, of the US economy are looking far from rosy. Domestic consumer demand is cooling, and heavy spending by President Bush has pushed the budget deficit to a record $427bn (£230bn). The current account deficit, meanwhile, hit a record $166bn in the second quarter of 2004. For many analysts, a weaker dollar is here to stay. "No end is in sight," said Carsten Fritsch, a strategist at Commerzbank . "It is only a matter of time until the euro reaches $1.30." Some analysts maintain the US is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in Europe, thus boosting its economy.
| The US dollar's slide against the euro and yen has halted after US Treasury Secretary John Snow said a strong dollar was "in America's interest".Higher growth in Europe is regarded by US officials as a way the huge US current account deficit - that has been weighing on the dollar - could be reduced.US officials have also said that other economies need to grow, so the US is not the main global growth engine.The dollar was trading at $1.2944 against the euro at 2100GMT, still close to the $1.3006 record level set on 10 November.Some analysts maintain the US is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in Europe, thus boosting its economy.But analysts said any gains are likely to be short-lived as problems with the US economy were still significant.A weak dollar helps boost exports and narrow the current account deficit.When a major part of the global economy is below potential there are negative consequences... for the citizens of those economies... and for their trading partners," he said.Economists say that the fundamentals, or key indicators, of the US economy are looking far from rosy.Mr Snow's comments may have helped shore up the dollar on Monday, but he was careful to qualify his statement. |
1,576 | McLeish ready for criticism
Rangers manager Alex McLeish accepts he is going to be criticised after their disastrous Uefa Cup exit at the hands of Auxerre at Ibrox on Wednesday.
McLeish told BBC Radio Five Live: "We were in pole position to get through to the next stage but we blew it, we absolutely blew it. "There's no use burying your head in the sand, we know we are going to get a lot of criticism. "We have to take it as we have done in the past and we must now bounce back." McLeish admitted his team's defending was amateurish after watching them lose 2-0 to Guy Roux's French side.
"I'm very disappointed because we didn't give ourselves a chance, losing the first goal from our own corner. It was amateur," he added. "The early goal in the second half gave us a mountain to climb and we never created the same kind of chances as we did in the first half. "It's difficult to take positives from the game. We've let the fans down."
| McLeish admitted his team's defending was amateurish after watching them lose 2-0 to Guy Roux's French side.Rangers manager Alex McLeish accepts he is going to be criticised after their disastrous Uefa Cup exit at the hands of Auxerre at Ibrox on Wednesday.McLeish told BBC Radio Five Live: "We were in pole position to get through to the next stage but we blew it, we absolutely blew it."We have to take it as we have done in the past and we must now bounce back." |
1,584 | Henry tipped for Fifa award
Fifa president Sepp Blatter hopes Arsenal's Thierry Henry will be named World Player of the Year on Monday.
Henry is on the Fifa shortlist with Barcelona's Ronaldinho and newly-crowned European Footballer of the Year, AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko. Blatter said: "Henry, for me, is the personality on the field. He is the man who can run and organise the game." The winner of the accolade will be named at a glittering ceremony at Zurich's Opera house. The three shortlisted candidates for the women's award are Mia Hamm of the United States, Germany's Birgit Prinz and Brazilian youngster Marta.
Hamm, who recently retired - is looking to regain the women's award, which she lost last year to striker Prinz. Fifa has changed the panel of voters for this year's awards. Male and female captains of every national team will be able to vote, as well as their coaches and Fipro - the global organisation for professional players.
| Fifa president Sepp Blatter hopes Arsenal's Thierry Henry will be named World Player of the Year on Monday.Henry is on the Fifa shortlist with Barcelona's Ronaldinho and newly-crowned European Footballer of the Year, AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko.Hamm, who recently retired - is looking to regain the women's award, which she lost last year to striker Prinz.Blatter said: "Henry, for me, is the personality on the field. |
1,416 | Duff ruled out of Barcelona clash
Chelsea's Damien Duff has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
Duff sustained a knee injury in the FA Cup defeat at Newcastle and manager Jose Mourinho said: "He cannot run. His injury is very painful, so he is out." But Mourinho has revealed defender Willian Gallas and striker Didier Drogba will be in the starting line-up. The Blues boss took the unusual step of naming his side a day before the match, with Jole Cole named in midfield. Mourinho said: "We have one more session but I think Drogba will play, and Gallas will play. "Drogba trained on Monday with no problems and will do the same on Tuesday. Gallas feels he can play and wants to play. We are protecting him still but he will be okay to play." Drogba, Chelsea's £24m striker, has missed the last three weeks through injury.
Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Cole, Drogba, Gudjohnsen.
| Mourinho said: "We have one more session but I think Drogba will play, and Gallas will play.Drogba, Chelsea's £24m striker, has missed the last three weeks through injury.But Mourinho has revealed defender Willian Gallas and striker Didier Drogba will be in the starting line-up.Gallas feels he can play and wants to play.Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Gallas, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Cole, Drogba, Gudjohnsen. |
1,515 | Santini resigns as Spurs manager
Tottenham manager Jacques Santini has resigned for "personal reasons".
The former France manager moved to White Hart Lane this summer but now wants to return to France. Santini said: "My time at Tottenham has been memorable and it is with deep regret that I take my leave. I wish the club and the supporters all the best. "Private issues in my personal life have arisen which caused my decision. I very much hope that the wonderful fans will respect my decision." He added: "I should like to thank (sporting director) Frank Arnesen and (chairman) Daniel Levy for their understanding." Assistant coach Martin Jol has been put in temporary charge and will take care of team affairs for Saturday's Premiership match against Charlton.
Arnesen said the club were sad to see Santini go: "We are obviously disappointed that Jacques is leaving us. We fully respect his decision. "I can assure you that the club will act swiftly to minimise the impact of Jacques' departure. "Our priority is to ensure that this season's performance remains unaffected by this move. "I shall make a further statement on Monday, clarifying our position. We wish Jacques well."
| Tottenham manager Jacques Santini has resigned for "personal reasons".Arnesen said the club were sad to see Santini go: "We are obviously disappointed that Jacques is leaving us.We wish Jacques well."Santini said: "My time at Tottenham has been memorable and it is with deep regret that I take my leave.We fully respect his decision."I can assure you that the club will act swiftly to minimise the impact of Jacques' departure. |
1,822 | Melzer shocks Agassi in San Jose
Second seed Andre Agassi suffered a comprehensive defeat by Jurgen Melzer in the quarter-finals of the SAP Open.
Agassi was often bamboozled by the Austrian's drop shots in San Jose, losing 6-3 6-1. Defending champion and top seed Andy Roddick rallied to beat Sweden's Thomas Enqvist 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 7-5. But unseeded Cyril Saulnier beat the fourth seed Vincent Spadea 6-2 6-4 and Tommy Haas overcame eighth seed Max Mirnyi 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2. Melzer has now beaten Agassi in two of their three meetings.
"I had a good game plan and I executed it perfectly," he said. "It's always tough to come out to play Andre. "I didn't want him to play his game. He makes you run like a dog all over the court." And Agassi, who was more than matched for power by his opponent's two-handed backhand, said Melzer was an example of several players on the tour willing to take their chances against him. "A lot more guys are capable of it now," said the American. "He played much better than me. That's what he did both times. "I had opportunities to loosen myself up," Agassi added. "But I didn't convert on the big points."
| Second seed Andre Agassi suffered a comprehensive defeat by Jurgen Melzer in the quarter-finals of the SAP Open.And Agassi, who was more than matched for power by his opponent's two-handed backhand, said Melzer was an example of several players on the tour willing to take their chances against him."I didn't want him to play his game.Melzer has now beaten Agassi in two of their three meetings."I had opportunities to loosen myself up," Agassi added.Agassi was often bamboozled by the Austrian's drop shots in San Jose, losing 6-3 6-1. |
928 | Hunt demo at Labour meeting
Pro-hunt supporters are set to protest at Labour's spring conference.
The Countryside Alliance says it expects up to 4,000 supporters to demonstrate against the hunting ban. They have agreed to keep to a demonstration site on the other side of the River Tyne from the conference venue in Gateshead. A bid to overturn the law banning hunting with dogs in England and Wales has begun in the Court of Appeal. The ban comes into force on 18 February. The Court of Appeal is expected to rule early next week on whether the alliance's challenge has succeeded. Richard Dodd, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said he expected between 2,000 and 4,000 supporters in Tyneside to make their protest, with hunt horns and placards.
Campaigners have been asked not to bring any animals or alcohol.
Mr Dodd said he did not believe there would be any repeat of the trouble which marred the pro-hunt demonstration outside Parliament in September. "We are holding a static demonstration, just to remind Labour that we are not going away," he said. Northumbria Police said the pedestrian Millennium Bridge, by the demonstration site, will be shut if necessary. But Assistant Chief Constable David Warcup has liaised with several protest groups and said all negotiations had gone well. Fathers 4 Justice, pensioners' rights activists and Stop the War campaigners were also expected to demonstrate during the three-day conference which starts on Friday. Pro-hunt campaigners claims the 1949 Parliament Act - which extends the right of the House of Commons to overrule the House of Lords - was itself invalid because it was never passed by peers. The High Court last month ruled the act was valid and the proposed hunting ban was lawful. Pro-hunt supporters formally launched their second legal challenge to the ban in London's High Court on Thursday. The Countryside Alliance has lodged papers seeking a judicial review on human rights grounds. Animal welfare groups have welcomed the ban, many of whom have campaigned for a ban for decades saying hunting is cruel and unnecessary.
| The Countryside Alliance says it expects up to 4,000 supporters to demonstrate against the hunting ban.Pro-hunt supporters formally launched their second legal challenge to the ban in London's High Court on Thursday.Richard Dodd, regional director of the Countryside Alliance, said he expected between 2,000 and 4,000 supporters in Tyneside to make their protest, with hunt horns and placards.Animal welfare groups have welcomed the ban, many of whom have campaigned for a ban for decades saying hunting is cruel and unnecessary.The High Court last month ruled the act was valid and the proposed hunting ban was lawful.Pro-hunt supporters are set to protest at Labour's spring conference.Mr Dodd said he did not believe there would be any repeat of the trouble which marred the pro-hunt demonstration outside Parliament in September.A bid to overturn the law banning hunting with dogs in England and Wales has begun in the Court of Appeal. |
1,191 | Blair Labour's longest-serving PM
Tony Blair has become the Labour Party's longest-serving prime minister.
The 51-year-old premier has marked his 2,838th day in the post, overtaking the combined length of Harold Wilson's two terms during the 1960s and 1970s. If Mr Blair wins the next election and fulfils his promise to serve a full third term, he will surpass Margaret Thatcher's 11 years by the end of 2008. In 1997, Mr Blair became the youngest premier of the 20th century, when he came to power at the age of 43. The last prime minister to be installed at a younger age was Lord Liverpool, who was a year his junior in 1812.
Mr Blair's other political firsts include becoming the first Labour leader to win two successive full terms in power after the 2001 Labour landslide. And the birth of the Blairs' fourth child, Leo, on 20 May, 2000, was the first child born to a serving prime minister in more than 150 years. The last "Downing Street dad" was Lord John Russell in 1848. Labour won a huge majority of 167 over the Conservatives in 2001, but Mr Blair has since been criticised by many in his own party. The war in Iraq and reforms of the health service and education system have provoked dissent from backbenchers.
Gordon Brown, chancellor of the exchequer under Mr Blair, became Britain's longest-serving chancellor of modern times in 2004. Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said the chancellor would be best placed to take over from Mr Blair. When asked about the future leadership of the party, he told ITV Wales' Waterfront programme: "That contest is a long way away and it will occur only when the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, decides he's subscribed all he can and then wants to go. "I think that the main contender will be Gordon Brown, who is a man of virtually unmatched capability and now great experience." Both Mr Brown and Mr Blair rose to prominence when Lord Kinnock led Labour between 1983 and 1992.
| Both Mr Brown and Mr Blair rose to prominence when Lord Kinnock led Labour between 1983 and 1992.Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock said the chancellor would be best placed to take over from Mr Blair.Tony Blair has become the Labour Party's longest-serving prime minister.Labour won a huge majority of 167 over the Conservatives in 2001, but Mr Blair has since been criticised by many in his own party.Gordon Brown, chancellor of the exchequer under Mr Blair, became Britain's longest-serving chancellor of modern times in 2004.In 1997, Mr Blair became the youngest premier of the 20th century, when he came to power at the age of 43. |
1,420 | Dundee Utd 4-1 Aberdeen
Dundee United eased into the semi-final of the Scottish Cup with an emphatic win over Aberdeen.
Alan Archibald prodded United ahead in 19 minutes and James Grady made it two from close range 10 minutes later. Richie Byrne's header gave Aberdeen a way back into the game, but Stevie Crawford restored United's lead from 18 yards before half time. The scoring was completed by Grady just after the break - a superb shot on the turn making it 4-1. Tony Bullock in the United goal was called into action for the first time with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock. Noel Whelan laid the ball off to Jamie Winter on the edge of the box, but his first-time effort was gathered by the United keeper. Moments later though, the home side took the lead. Barry Robson whipped in a free kick from the right, which Stevie Crawford caught on the volley. Russell Anderson failed to deal with it and Whelan's clearance off the line landed kindly at the feet of Archibald, who poked the ball into the net. United doubled their lead after 29 minutes when Grady tapped the ball into an empty net after Robson had headed Mark Wilson's cross off the angle of post and bar. But only three minutes later Aberdeen clawed their way back into the match. A free kick from the left by Winter was met powerfully by the head of Byrne at the back post, leaving Bullock helpless.
United restored their two-goal lead four minutes before the end of a highly entertaining first half. Jason Scotland played a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of the onrushing Crawford and he coolly beat Ryan Esson from 18 yards. United ended the game as a contest just two minutes after the interval. Grady received a pass from Crawford with his back to goal on the edge of the box and after taking one touch, he spun to volley the ball past the despairing dive of Esson. The home side were in complete control and it required a good stop from Esson to keep out Robson's drive after 62 minutes. The keeper denied the same player again 10 minutes later, beating away his fierce shot from the left of the penalty area. Robson saw another long-range effort tipped round the post before a cute lob was headed off the line.
Bullock, Duff, Wilson, Ritchie, Archibald, Scotland (Samuel 63), Brebner, Kerr (Cameron 87), Robson, Crawford, Grady.
Colgan, Dodds, Kenneth.
Brebner.
Archibald 19, Grady 29, Crawford 41, Grady 47.
Esson, Hart, Anderson, Diamond, Byrne (Morrison 75), McNaughton, Heikkinen (Foster 27), Winter, Clark (Stewart 51), Mackie, Whelan.
Blanchard, McGuire.
: Anderson, Diamond.
Byrne 33.
8,661
K Clark
| Alan Archibald prodded United ahead in 19 minutes and James Grady made it two from close range 10 minutes later.United doubled their lead after 29 minutes when Grady tapped the ball into an empty net after Robson had headed Mark Wilson's cross off the angle of post and bar.Bullock, Duff, Wilson, Ritchie, Archibald, Scotland (Samuel 63), Brebner, Kerr (Cameron 87), Robson, Crawford, Grady.Archibald 19, Grady 29, Crawford 41, Grady 47.Esson, Hart, Anderson, Diamond, Byrne (Morrison 75), McNaughton, Heikkinen (Foster 27), Winter, Clark (Stewart 51), Mackie, Whelan.Grady received a pass from Crawford with his back to goal on the edge of the box and after taking one touch, he spun to volley the ball past the despairing dive of Esson.A free kick from the left by Winter was met powerfully by the head of Byrne at the back post, leaving Bullock helpless.Noel Whelan laid the ball off to Jamie Winter on the edge of the box, but his first-time effort was gathered by the United keeper.United restored their two-goal lead four minutes before the end of a highly entertaining first half.Richie Byrne's header gave Aberdeen a way back into the game, but Stevie Crawford restored United's lead from 18 yards before half time.But only three minutes later Aberdeen clawed their way back into the match.United ended the game as a contest just two minutes after the interval. |
1,640 | Sella wants Michalak recall
Former France centre Philippe Sella believes coach Bernard Laporte must recall Frederic Michalak to give his side any chance of beating Ireland.
Sella admitted he had been impressed by current fly-half Yann Delaigue in the RBS Six Nations to date. But he told BBC Sport: "Michalak is the answer both now and for the future. Delaigue deserved his chance but the time has come to bring back Michalak. "He does have weaknesses but has the all-round game to upset Ireland." The 22-year-old Michalak has spent much of the tournament on the bench after Delaigue impressed for Castres early in the season. With Michalak overlooked, the French stuttered to narrow wins over Scotland and then England before ironically playing their best rugby in the defeat to Wales. "The Wales game was amazing to watch but never did I think the French could lose that game at half-time," said Sella.
"Their only mistakes were that they didn't score enough points in the first half and were a little bit less focused in the second... but only a little bit." Sella, however, insisted the pressure had eased on the under-fire Laporte, despite the defeat at the Stade de France. "This season is very important for shaping a team for the 2007 World Cup," said Sella, "which Laporte is doing very well. The French get better every game. "It's difficult, though, when you change a team and you change your tactics as everything has to gel. "But he has the players and the talent to take them all the way to World Cup victory. "As a result, it is important that people give him time. It may not seem good now that we're not winning the Grand Slam but no one will care in two years time if we're world champions."
The majority of media criticism centred on the way in which France produced a performance devoid of running rugby in their opening two games. But while Sella admitted he liked the more flowing style employed against Wales, he said "the win was most important". "Winning is all that matters," he added. "Ok, the flair may not have been so good, but the discipline, organisation and defence was there, which are all important ahead of 2007." France play what Sella believes is their hardest game of the Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 12 March. The French go into the game as clear underdogs. But Sella added: "People forget that France can still win the Six Nations and they'll be focused on that. "But Ireland will be going for even more in front of their home crowd. It's going to be tough."
| France play what Sella believes is their hardest game of the Six Nations against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 12 March.But Sella added: "People forget that France can still win the Six Nations and they'll be focused on that."The Wales game was amazing to watch but never did I think the French could lose that game at half-time," said Sella."This season is very important for shaping a team for the 2007 World Cup," said Sella, "which Laporte is doing very well.Former France centre Philippe Sella believes coach Bernard Laporte must recall Frederic Michalak to give his side any chance of beating Ireland.But while Sella admitted he liked the more flowing style employed against Wales, he said "the win was most important"."He does have weaknesses but has the all-round game to upset Ireland."Delaigue deserved his chance but the time has come to bring back Michalak.Sella admitted he had been impressed by current fly-half Yann Delaigue in the RBS Six Nations to date.The 22-year-old Michalak has spent much of the tournament on the bench after Delaigue impressed for Castres early in the season. |
1,719 | Fuming Robinson blasts officials
England coach Andy Robinson said he was "livid" after his side were denied two tries in Sunday's 19-13 Six Nations loss to Ireland in Dublin.
Mark Cueto's first-half effort was ruled out for offside before the referee spurned TV replays when England crashed over in the dying minutes. "[I'm] absolutely spitting. I'm livid. There's two tries we've been cost," Robinson told BBC Sport. "We've got to go back to technology. I don't know why we didn't." South African referee Jonathan Kaplan ruled that Cueto was ahead of Charlie Hodgson when the fly-half hoisted his cross-field kick for the Sale wing to gather.
Kaplan then declined the chance to consult the fourth official when Josh Lewsey took the ball over the Irish line under a pile of bodies for what could have been the game-winning try. "I think Mark Cueto scored a perfectly legal try and I think he should have gone to the video referee on Josh Lewsey," said Robinson. "It is how we use the technology. It is there, and it should be used.
"I am still trying to work out the Cueto try. I have looked at both, and they both looked tries. "We are very disappointed, and this will hurt, there is no doubt about that. "We are upset now, but the referee is in charge and he has called it his way and we have got to be able to cope with that.
"We did everything we could have done to win the game. I am very proud of my players and, with a couple of decisions, this could have been a very famous victory. "I thought we dominated. Matt Stevens had an awesome game at tighthead prop, while the likes of Charlie Hodgson, Martin Corry and Lewis Moody all came through well. "Josh Lewsey was awesome, and every one of the forwards stood up out there. Given the pressure we were under, credit must go to all the players. "We have done everything but win a game of rugby, but Ireland are a good side. They defended magnificently and they've got every chance of winning this Six Nations." England have lost their first three matches in this year's Six Nations and four out of their six games since Robinson took over from Sir Clive Woodward in September.
| England coach Andy Robinson said he was "livid" after his side were denied two tries in Sunday's 19-13 Six Nations loss to Ireland in Dublin."I think Mark Cueto scored a perfectly legal try and I think he should have gone to the video referee on Josh Lewsey," said Robinson."We've got to go back to technology."We did everything we could have done to win the game.Kaplan then declined the chance to consult the fourth official when Josh Lewsey took the ball over the Irish line under a pile of bodies for what could have been the game-winning try.England have lost their first three matches in this year's Six Nations and four out of their six games since Robinson took over from Sir Clive Woodward in September."We have done everything but win a game of rugby, but Ireland are a good side.They defended magnificently and they've got every chance of winning this Six Nations."There's two tries we've been cost," Robinson told BBC Sport.South African referee Jonathan Kaplan ruled that Cueto was ahead of Charlie Hodgson when the fly-half hoisted his cross-field kick for the Sale wing to gather. |
1,987 | Doors open at biggest gadget fair
Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
The fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. About 50,000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. Microsoft chief Bill Gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on Wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation Xbox.
The thrust of this year's show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store, listen to, and watch what they want on devices any time, anywhere. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. Highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies. The show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard among others. "The story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them," Jeff Joseph, from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the BBC News website. "It is about personalisation - taking your MP3 player and creating your own playlist, taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters."
Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers, the CEA, on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. Shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. That trend is predicted to continue, according to CEA analysts, with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. The fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank DVD media, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, digital video recorders (DVRs), and portable music players. "This year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your PVR [personal video recorder] in your living room, you can move that content around the house. "Some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere," said Mr Joseph. He said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the "democratisation" of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music, video, and images. There will also be more focus on the design of technologies, following the lead that Apple's iPod made, with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern.
The CEA predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. Gaming would continue to thrive, especially on mobile devices, and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. Games consoles sales have been declining, but the launch of next generation consoles, such as Microsoft's Xbox and PlayStation, could buoy up sales. Although it has been widely predicted that Mr Gates would be showcasing the new Xbox, some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. Some have suggested the announcement may take place at the Games Developers Conference in the summer instead. With more than 52% of US homes expected to have home networks, the CEA suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images, video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home, will be more commonplace. Portable devices that combine mobile telephony, digital music and video players, will also be more popular in 2005. Their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films, TV, and audio wherever they are. This means more storage technologies will be in demand, such as external hard drives, and flash memory like SD cards. CES runs officially from 6 to 9 January.
| He said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the "democratisation" of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music, video, and images.The CEA predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year.The thrust of this year's show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store, listen to, and watch what they want on devices any time, anywhere.That trend is predicted to continue, according to CEA analysts, with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005.Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers, the CEA, on Tuesday.Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES)."The story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them," Jeff Joseph, from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the BBC News website.The fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year.The fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank DVD media, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, digital video recorders (DVRs), and portable music players.The show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard among others.Portable devices that combine mobile telephony, digital music and video players, will also be more popular in 2005.Although it has been widely predicted that Mr Gates would be showcasing the new Xbox, some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. |
1,310 | Blair 'up for it' ahead of poll
Tony Blair says his personal standing in the eyes of voters will be "an issue" in the general election.
The prime minister said he was "up for it" as the country waits to go to the polls, possibly in a matter of weeks. He told The Observer government life was a "constant barrage of attack" but said he would not stay in charge if he felt unable to contribute. Mr Blair also spoke of meeting many people across the country with concerns about the compensation culture.
He said Britain was in danger of needless panic over public safety issues.
Speaking amid a flurry of pre-election campaigning, the prime minister said: "I am an issue, I always will be. Whoever is the prime minister will be." He added: "If you are afraid to take criticism, you should go and do another job." Asked if he would quit as leader if he felt like a liability to Labour, he said: "It's important always not to do the job unless you feel you have something to contribute." Whether he still had something to offer, he said, was a judgement for people to make. Mr Blair's assessment is likely to be seen as a signal that replacing him would not bring an upsurge in fortunes for the Labour administration.
His comments come as the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, Liam Fox, on Saturday called him "a disappointment of historic proportions" as a prime minister. Mr Blair said he had learned from a series of at times tough encounters with members of the public, during question and answer sessions across the country in recent weeks. He pledged to clamp down on Britain's growing compensation culture, which has brought concerns that doctors, teachers and other professionals are being hampered in their work by the fear of frivolous lawsuits.
"I was quite shocked to be told by people who were running a nursery that they were worried about letting the kids out into the playground when it was wet in case one of them slipped and fell and they ended up having a legal case [against them]," he said.
"We have got to look at a way of getting people protection on that." Mr Blair said the government was also looking at "how to make sure that legal aid is not abused with actions against doctors and others", as part of a review being carried out by the Lord Chancellor's Department. And there should be "real debate" about the risk posed by public safety threats, he said. "We are in danger of - depending on whatever is the media campaign of the day - ending up spending literally hundreds, sometimes millions of pounds meeting quite a small risk."
His comments come after the government announced it is to spend £200m on drugs to treat a possible outbreak of bird flu, and the Sudan 1 food scare. Meanwhile, Commons leader Peter Hain has warned that on the campaign trail he has seen "dangerous complacency" being displayed by Labour voters convinced of a general election victory. If Labour voters "stayed at home" in marginal seats they could see Tory leader Michael Howard "coming in the back door to Number 10 with the tradesman's key to Number 10, getting into power", he added.
| The prime minister said he was "up for it" as the country waits to go to the polls, possibly in a matter of weeks.Whether he still had something to offer, he said, was a judgement for people to make.Speaking amid a flurry of pre-election campaigning, the prime minister said: "I am an issue, I always will be.He said Britain was in danger of needless panic over public safety issues.Mr Blair said the government was also looking at "how to make sure that legal aid is not abused with actions against doctors and others", as part of a review being carried out by the Lord Chancellor's Department.Asked if he would quit as leader if he felt like a liability to Labour, he said: "It's important always not to do the job unless you feel you have something to contribute."He told The Observer government life was a "constant barrage of attack" but said he would not stay in charge if he felt unable to contribute.Mr Blair said he had learned from a series of at times tough encounters with members of the public, during question and answer sessions across the country in recent weeks.Mr Blair also spoke of meeting many people across the country with concerns about the compensation culture. |
881 | Arnold congratulated on Oscar win
Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold has been congratulated by the UK Film Council, the organisation which partly funded her project.
Arnold's film Wasp won the best live action short film award on Sunday. "The UK Film Council spends millions of pounds of lottery investment on short filmmaking in Britain every year," said chief executive officer John Woodward. "It certainly pays off when you see new film-makers winning such prestigious awards," he added.
Wasp, which was commissioned by the Film Council and Channel 4, beat films by fellow UK nominees Gary McKendry and Ashvin Kumar to the prize. It stars actress Nathalie Press, who appeared in the Bafta-winning drama My Summer Of Love, as a single mother who is forced to take drastic action when she is invited on a date and is unable to find a babysitter to look after her four daughters. The film has already won over 30 other international awards including the Sundance Short Film Prize. Arnold, from Dartford in Kent, described her victory as "truly overwhelming. I'm really not used to this kind of thing," she said, after receiving her Oscar from actor Jeremy Irons. "Thanks to everyone who worked on this - the beers are on me when we get home." The director was one of only two British winners on the night, the other being Sandy Powell, who won the costume design Oscar for her work on The Aviator.
| Arnold's film Wasp won the best live action short film award on Sunday.Wasp, which was commissioned by the Film Council and Channel 4, beat films by fellow UK nominees Gary McKendry and Ashvin Kumar to the prize.The film has already won over 30 other international awards including the Sundance Short Film Prize.Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold has been congratulated by the UK Film Council, the organisation which partly funded her project."The UK Film Council spends millions of pounds of lottery investment on short filmmaking in Britain every year," said chief executive officer John Woodward. |
1,135 | Row over 'police' power for CSOs
The Police Federation has said it strongly opposes giving Community Support Officers (CSOs) the power to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.
The powers - piloted in six areas - were extended to all police forces in England and Wales on Thursday. The federation said CSOs do not have the experience, training and safety equipment to deal with "potentially confrontational" situations. But the government said the move would help police "build safe communities". Police Federation chairman Jan Berry said civilian officers should act as "eyes and ears" for the police.
"They should not be placed in potentially confrontational situations - which detaining someone clearly is," she said. CSOs can now use reasonable force to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes while they wait for police officers to arrive. The powers will be granted by chief constables of local forces. Ms Berry said this "dramatically changes" their original purpose - to be a visible presence combating low-level crime and anti-social behaviour. She said more powers would mean more paperwork and less time on the street.
But Home Office minister Hazel Blears defended the move saying it would give the civilian officers "just that little bit of edge". She denied their role was changing and said the new powers would not take them away from the streets.
"The powers that we are bringing in are things that they need to do when they are out patrolling," she said. The Home Office has produced its own report on CSOs which it describes as "encouraging". Ms Blears said the study shows CSOs are "making a real difference" in the fight against crime. But the report also showed that the public is having difficulties distinguishing between a civilian officer and a proper officer.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said the research appeared to acknowledge that CSOs were having no discernible effect on crime figures.
"While the answer is a lot more real police, the government wants to recruit 25,000 people who can't arrest anyone," he said. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the research is inconclusive. There are about 3,500 CSOs in England and Wales but the government intends to have 25,000 on the streets by 2008 at a cost of £50m. They already have powers to hand out fines for a wide range of offences. The Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill proposes extra powers to search suspects, enforce licensing offences, direct traffic and deter begging.
| The Police Federation has said it strongly opposes giving Community Support Officers (CSOs) the power to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.Police Federation chairman Jan Berry said civilian officers should act as "eyes and ears" for the police.She said more powers would mean more paperwork and less time on the street.But the government said the move would help police "build safe communities"."The powers that we are bringing in are things that they need to do when they are out patrolling," she said.Ms Blears said the study shows CSOs are "making a real difference" in the fight against crime.She denied their role was changing and said the new powers would not take them away from the streets.Shadow home secretary David Davis said the research appeared to acknowledge that CSOs were having no discernible effect on crime figures.The federation said CSOs do not have the experience, training and safety equipment to deal with "potentially confrontational" situations. |
1,312 | Top Tories on Lib Dem 'hit list'
The Liberal Democrats are aiming to unseat a string of top Tories - including leader Michael Howard - at the next general election.
Mr Howard's seat is at the top of the Liberal Democrats' list. Others targeted include Oliver Letwin, David Davis and Theresa May, Lib Dem's elections chief Lord Rennard said. He said it was "nothing personal" but that "very many of the prominent Conservatives" had slender leads in seats where the Lib Dems were second.
In 2001, Michael Howard won the Folkestone & Hythe seat with 20,645 votes, compared to 14,738 for the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Carroll, giving the Tory leader a majority of 5,907. Asked if this amounted to the party's much vaunted "decapitation strategy" Lord Rennard said it was not a term he had ever used. But he urged Labour supporters to vote tactically to remove prominent Conservatives. "I just don't think Labour voters in these sort of seats could resist the temptation to use their votes effectively to remove a Conservative." He denied this strategy was opportunism, insisting the Lib Dem's policies on issues such as tuition fees, the council tax and free care for the elderly appealed "to all sides of the political spectrum". "We are in favour of tactical voting as long as the tactic is to vote Liberal Democrat," he added. A Conservative spokesperson said: "The Liberal Democrats can talk all they like about strategy. The problem the Liberal Democrats face is that a large number of Lib Dem voters do not agree with their policies. "We will be pointing out how they are soft on crime, how they support higher taxes, their opposition to controlled immigration and support for giving Europe more control over our lives".
| A Conservative spokesperson said: "The Liberal Democrats can talk all they like about strategy.Mr Howard's seat is at the top of the Liberal Democrats' list.He said it was "nothing personal" but that "very many of the prominent Conservatives" had slender leads in seats where the Lib Dems were second.In 2001, Michael Howard won the Folkestone & Hythe seat with 20,645 votes, compared to 14,738 for the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Carroll, giving the Tory leader a majority of 5,907.The problem the Liberal Democrats face is that a large number of Lib Dem voters do not agree with their policies.The Liberal Democrats are aiming to unseat a string of top Tories - including leader Michael Howard - at the next general election. |
1,202 | Campbell returns to election team
Ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell will return to the fold to strengthen Labour's general election campaign, the party has confirmed.
Mr Campbell has consistently made public his keenness to play a part in the poll, expected in May. Both Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott have welcomed his return. "He is a strong Labour Party member," Mr Prescott told BBC One's Breakfast With Frost programme.
Mr Campbell quit Number 10 in August 2003 after being Tony Blair's right-hand man at the 1997 and 2001 elections. Labour have refused to discuss his exact new position and have not said how it would affect his Downing Street replacement David Hill. "Of course Alastair's going to be part of the election campaign and I think that all of us who will also be part of the election campaign are very pleased about that," Ms Jowell told Sky News.
But she said his return would not put anybody else's "nose out of joint". "This is the daft thing about the way in which politics is written about," Ms Jowell added. "There's room for everybody. We serve the country better if we make room for all the talent." A Labour source told the Sunday Times Mr Campbell would "effectively front" the election media campaign but said he would be given no formal title.
Labour strategists told the paper he would be "set loose" on Conservative leader Michael Howard in attacking his party's economic record when it was in power. "They used pictures from the 1970s in the 1992 campaign to remind people of the winter of discontent - and now it's our turn," the source told the paper. "Making Michael Howard leader gives us an unmissable opportunity to remind people what it was like to pay mortgage rates of 15% even if it was more than a decade ago." Mr Campbell was at the centre of the government's row with BBC over Andrew Gilligan's story about the Iraq weapons dossier. The Hutton inquiry cleared him of "sexing up" the dossier in the run-up to the Iraq war. Since leaving Downing Street, he has toured the country with his one man show, An Audience With Alastair Campbell and presented a number of interview programmes for Channel 4.
| A Labour source told the Sunday Times Mr Campbell would "effectively front" the election media campaign but said he would be given no formal title.Ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell will return to the fold to strengthen Labour's general election campaign, the party has confirmed.Mr Campbell was at the centre of the government's row with BBC over Andrew Gilligan's story about the Iraq weapons dossier."Of course Alastair's going to be part of the election campaign and I think that all of us who will also be part of the election campaign are very pleased about that," Ms Jowell told Sky News."He is a strong Labour Party member," Mr Prescott told BBC One's Breakfast With Frost programme.Labour strategists told the paper he would be "set loose" on Conservative leader Michael Howard in attacking his party's economic record when it was in power.Since leaving Downing Street, he has toured the country with his one man show, An Audience With Alastair Campbell and presented a number of interview programmes for Channel 4.Mr Campbell has consistently made public his keenness to play a part in the poll, expected in May. |
306 | Retail sales show festive fervour
UK retail sales were better than expected in November as Christmas shoppers began their seasonal flock to the High Street, figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales rose 0.6% on the month and 6.1% on the year. But the figures, along with this week's inflation report, could trigger another interest rate rise in the New Year. However, recent data from the British Retail Consortium showed a 0.2% slip in High Street sales during November.
The ONS data confounded analyst expectations. Many had expected sales to fall slightly in November as shoppers put off buying Christmas presents until December. However, retailers' attempts to draw in the crowds may be behind November's unexpected rise in sales, they say. Aggressive tactics, such as one-day discount sales adopted by stores such as Marks & Spencer, appear to have paid off. "Price discounting has certainly accounted for much of this because the value of retail sales hasn't grown as much as volumes," said Investec economist David Page. The figures sparked a rally for sterling as the data supported the view that it is too early to assume that base rates have peaked.
| However, recent data from the British Retail Consortium showed a 0.2% slip in High Street sales during November.UK retail sales were better than expected in November as Christmas shoppers began their seasonal flock to the High Street, figures show.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales rose 0.6% on the month and 6.1% on the year.Many had expected sales to fall slightly in November as shoppers put off buying Christmas presents until December. |
2,134 | Latest Opera browser gets vocal
Net browser Opera 8.0, due for official release at the end of next month, will be "the most accessible browser on the market", according to its authors.
The latest version of the net browser can be controlled by voice command and will read pages aloud. The voice features, based on IBM technology, are currently only available in the Windows version. Opera can also magnify text by up to 10 times and users can create "style sheets", its developers say. This will enable them to view pages with colours and fonts that they prefer. But the browser does not yet work well with screen reader software often used by blind people, so its accessibility features are more likely to appeal to those with some residual vision. "Our mission was always to provide the best internet experience for everyone," said Opera spokeswoman, Berit Hanson. "So we would obviously not want to exclude disabled computer users."
Another feature likely to appeal to people with low vision is the ability to make pages fit to the screen width, which eliminates the need for horizontal scrolling.
The company points out that this will also appeal to anyone using Opera with a handheld device. The company says that features like voice activation are not solely aimed at visually impaired people. "Our idea was to take a first step in making human-computer interaction more natural," said Ms Hanson. "People are not always in a situation where they can access a keyboard, so this makes the web a more hands-free experience." Unlike commercially available voice recognition software, Opera does not have to be "trained" to recognise an individual voice. Around 50 voice commands are available and users will have to wear a headset which incorporates a microphone. The voice recognition function is currently only available in English. Opera is free to download but a paid-for version comes without an ad banner in the top right hand corner and with extra support. Opera began life as a research project - a spin-off from Norwegian telecoms company Telenor. Its browser is used by an estimated 10 million people on a variety of operating systems and a number of different platforms.
| Unlike commercially available voice recognition software, Opera does not have to be "trained" to recognise an individual voice.The latest version of the net browser can be controlled by voice command and will read pages aloud.The company says that features like voice activation are not solely aimed at visually impaired people.The voice recognition function is currently only available in English.But the browser does not yet work well with screen reader software often used by blind people, so its accessibility features are more likely to appeal to those with some residual vision.The voice features, based on IBM technology, are currently only available in the Windows version."Our mission was always to provide the best internet experience for everyone," said Opera spokeswoman, Berit Hanson.Around 50 voice commands are available and users will have to wear a headset which incorporates a microphone. |
1,959 | GTA sequel is criminally good
The Grand Theft Auto series of games have set themselves the very highest of standards in recent years, but the newest addition is more than able to live up to an increasingly grand tradition.
The 18 certificate GTA: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2 could have got away with merely revisiting a best-selling formula with a more-of-the-same approach. Instead, it builds and expands almost immeasurably upon the last two games and stomps, carefree, over all the Driv3r and True Crime-shaped opposition. Even in the year that will see sequels to Halo and Half-Life, it is hard to envisage anything topping this barnstorming instant classic.
The basic gameplay remains familiar. You control a character, on this occasion a youth named CJ, who sets out on a series of self-contained missions within a massive 3D environment. CJ can commandeer any vehicle he stumbles across from a push-bike to a city bus to a plane. All come in handy as he seeks to establish his presence in a tough urban environment and avenge the dreadful deeds waged upon his family. To make things worse, he is framed for murder the moment he arrives in town, and blackmailed by crooked cops played by Samuel L Jackson and Chris Penn. The setting for all this rampant criminality is the fictional US state of San Andreas, comprising three major cities: Los Santos, which is a thinly-disguised Los Angeles, San Fierro, aka San Francisco and Las Venturas, a carbon copy of Las Vegas. San Andreas sucks you in with its sprawling range, cast of characters and incredibly sharp writing.
Its ability to capture the ambience of the real-world versions of these cities is something to behold, assisted no end by the monumental graphical advances since Vice City. The streets, and vast swathes of countryside, are by turns gloriously menacing, grungy and preppy. Flaunting awesome levels of graphical detail, the game's overall look, particularly during the many unusual weather conditions and dramatic sunsets, is stupendous. The outstanding bread-and-butter gameplay mechanics provide a solid grounding for the elaborate plot to hang on. Cars handle more convincingly than ever, a superb motion blur kicks in when you hit high speeds, and there's more traffic to navigate than before. Park your vehicle across the lanes of a freeway, and within seconds there will be a huge pile-up. Pedestrians are also out in force, and are a loquacious bunch. CJ can interact with them using a simple system on the control pad. They will pass comments on his appearance and credibility, aspects that the player now has control over. Clothes, tattoos and haircuts can all be purchased, and funding these habits can be achieved by criminal means or by indulging in mini-games like betting on horses and challenging bar patrons to games of pool. The character will put on or lose weight according to how long he spends on foot or in the gym. He will have to pause regularly in restaurants to keep energy levels up, but will swell up as a result of over-eating. And at last, this is a GTA hero who can swim.
At a time when games are once again under fire for their supposed potential to corrupt the young, San Andreas' violence, or specifically the freedom it gives the player to commit violence, are sure to inflame the pro-censorship brigade. Developers Rockstar have not shied away from brutality, and in some respects ramp it up from past outings.
When hijacking a car, for example, CJ will gratuitously shove the driver's head into the steering wheel rather than just fleeing with the vehicle. Indeed, the tone is darker than the jokey Vice City. The grim subject matter here hardly lends itself to gags in quite the same way as the cheesy 80s setting of the last game. This title, incidentally, is set in 1992, but that is really neither here nor there apart from the influence it has on the radio playlists. The wit is still present, just more restrained than in previous outings. A further reason for this is that the incredible range of in-vehicle radio stations available means you will spend less time happening upon the hilarious talk radio options, where GTA games' trademark humour is anchored. The quality of voice acting and motion capture is simply off-the-chart. The game's rather odious gangland lowlifes swagger and mouth off in a way that rings very true indeed. It is a testament to San Andreas' magnificence that it has a number of prominent flaws, but plus-points are so numerous that the niggles don't detract. The on-screen map, for instance, is needlessly fiddly, an unwelcome change from past editions. There is also a very jarring slowdown at action-packed moments. And the game suffers from the age-old problem that can be relied upon to blight all games of this genre, setting you back a vast distance when you fail right at the very end of a long mission. But the gameplay experience in its entirety is overwhelmingly positive. You simply will not be bothered by these minor failings. San Andreas is among the few unmissable games of 2004.
| San Andreas is among the few unmissable games of 2004.And the game suffers from the age-old problem that can be relied upon to blight all games of this genre, setting you back a vast distance when you fail right at the very end of a long mission.You control a character, on this occasion a youth named CJ, who sets out on a series of self-contained missions within a massive 3D environment.San Andreas sucks you in with its sprawling range, cast of characters and incredibly sharp writing.The 18 certificate GTA: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2 could have got away with merely revisiting a best-selling formula with a more-of-the-same approach.CJ can commandeer any vehicle he stumbles across from a push-bike to a city bus to a plane.At a time when games are once again under fire for their supposed potential to corrupt the young, San Andreas' violence, or specifically the freedom it gives the player to commit violence, are sure to inflame the pro-censorship brigade.Instead, it builds and expands almost immeasurably upon the last two games and stomps, carefree, over all the Driv3r and True Crime-shaped opposition.It is a testament to San Andreas' magnificence that it has a number of prominent flaws, but plus-points are so numerous that the niggles don't detract.The setting for all this rampant criminality is the fictional US state of San Andreas, comprising three major cities: Los Santos, which is a thinly-disguised Los Angeles, San Fierro, aka San Francisco and Las Venturas, a carbon copy of Las Vegas.The grim subject matter here hardly lends itself to gags in quite the same way as the cheesy 80s setting of the last game.Its ability to capture the ambience of the real-world versions of these cities is something to behold, assisted no end by the monumental graphical advances since Vice City.The quality of voice acting and motion capture is simply off-the-chart.A further reason for this is that the incredible range of in-vehicle radio stations available means you will spend less time happening upon the hilarious talk radio options, where GTA games' trademark humour is anchored.The basic gameplay remains familiar.Developers Rockstar have not shied away from brutality, and in some respects ramp it up from past outings.But the gameplay experience in its entirety is overwhelmingly positive. |
1,453 | Chelsea ridiculed over complaint
Barcelona assistant coach Henk Ten Cate has branded Chelsea's expected complaint to Uefa as "pathetic".
The Blues are poised to complain about an alleged half-time incident during Wednesday's 2-1 loss at the Nou Camp. The source of Chelsea's anger was an alleged talk between Barca boss Frank Rijkaard and referee Anders Frisk, who later dismissed Didier Drogba. "To react the way Chelsea have is pathetic. Mourinho lied with the line-ups, and now this," Ten Cate said. Uefa has said its own tunnel representative witnessed nothing unusual out of the ordinary during the half-time break. Spokesman William Gaillard said: "Frisk says Rijkaard greeted him and apologised he had not had the opportunity to say hello before the game. "We had two Uefa officials there and neither witnessed it. The referee's dressing room was locked and he and his assistants were the only people allowed in." Indeed, it is the Londoners who could be on the receiving end of any punishment after failing to turn up for the compulsory press conference after the defeat.
Uefa delegate Thomas Giordano added: "The only unusual thing that happened as far as we are concerned is that Chelsea failed to present themselves in the press conference." The referee is not expected to include any of the alleged incidents in his report to Uefa - weakening Chelsea's case. Rijkaard was critical of Mourinho's decision not to speak to the media after the match. "There was a lot of talking before the game and now surprisingly there is a lot of talking after the game. It is not good behaviour after a match," he said. "Maybe they want to start something and make it worse than than it is. I really don't understand it. I am very calm about it."
Barca midfielder Deco, formerly managed by Mourinho at Porto, agreed that it was not typical of his fellow Portuguese to lodge a protest. "It's not normal behaviour on his part. It was not logical he did not give a news conference," he said. Rijkaard added: "Chelsea is the team which has conceded fewest goals in the English league and they defend very well so I am very pleased with the win. "My men deserved victory and I am pleased to have won this match. I congratulate my players."
| It was not logical he did not give a news conference," he said.It is not good behaviour after a match," he said.Uefa has said its own tunnel representative witnessed nothing unusual out of the ordinary during the half-time break.Barcelona assistant coach Henk Ten Cate has branded Chelsea's expected complaint to Uefa as "pathetic".Rijkaard was critical of Mourinho's decision not to speak to the media after the match.The source of Chelsea's anger was an alleged talk between Barca boss Frank Rijkaard and referee Anders Frisk, who later dismissed Didier Drogba.The referee is not expected to include any of the alleged incidents in his report to Uefa - weakening Chelsea's case.Uefa delegate Thomas Giordano added: "The only unusual thing that happened as far as we are concerned is that Chelsea failed to present themselves in the press conference."Mourinho lied with the line-ups, and now this," Ten Cate said.Spokesman William Gaillard said: "Frisk says Rijkaard greeted him and apologised he had not had the opportunity to say hello before the game. |
1,922 | Mobiles rack up 20 years of use
Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend.
Britain's first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise. In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset. Mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline.
The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. The first call was made from St Katherine's dock to Vodafone's head office in Newbury which at the time was over a curry house. For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK. Then on 10 January Cellnet (now O2) launched its service. Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes.
"Despite that they were hugely popular in the mid-80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk." This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. He said it took Vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million. "It's very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people," he said. "Cellnet was forecasting half that." Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched. Orange had its UK launch in 1994. Both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. The analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. Called Global System for Mobiles (GSM) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. Mr Caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things, such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular.
| Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched.For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK.Britain's first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise.The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched.Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend.This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on.The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked.Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes.In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset.Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. |
374 | Dollar hovers around record lows
The US dollar hovered close to record lows against the euro on Friday as concern grows about the size of the US budget deficit.
Analysts predict that the dollar will remain weak in 2005 as investors worry about the state of the US economy. The Bush administration's apparent unwillingness to intervene to support the dollar has caused further concern. However, trading has been volatile over the past week because of technical and automated trading and light demand. This has amplified reactions to news, analysts said, adding that they expect markets to become less jumpy in January.
The dollar was trading at $1.3652 versus the euro on Friday morning after hitting a fresh record low of $1.3667 on Thursday. One dollar bought 102.55 yen.
Disappointing business figures from Chicago triggered the US currency's weakness on Thursday. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its manufacturing index dropped to 61.2, a bigger fall than expected. "There are no dollar buyers now, especially after the Chicago data yesterday," said ABN Amro's Paul Mackel. At the same time, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. Mr Berlusconi said the euro's strength was "absolutely worrying" for Italian exports. Mr Schroeder said in a newspaper article that stability in foreign exchange markets required a correction of global economic imbalances. Investors will now look towards February's meeting of finance ministers from the G7 industrialised nations in London for clues as to whether central banks will combine forces to stem the dollar's decline.
| The US dollar hovered close to record lows against the euro on Friday as concern grows about the size of the US budget deficit.The dollar was trading at $1.3652 versus the euro on Friday morning after hitting a fresh record low of $1.3667 on Thursday."There are no dollar buyers now, especially after the Chicago data yesterday," said ABN Amro's Paul Mackel.Mr Berlusconi said the euro's strength was "absolutely worrying" for Italian exports.The Bush administration's apparent unwillingness to intervene to support the dollar has caused further concern.At the same time, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. |
471 | Tsunami slows Sri Lanka's growth
Sri Lanka's president has launched a reconstruction drive worth $3.5bn (£1.8bn) by appealing for peace and national unity.
President Kumaratunga said it was now important to find a peaceful solution to years of internal conflict. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said damage from the tsunami would cut one percentage point from Sri Lanka's economic growth this year. It estimated the wave left physical damage equal to 6.5% of the economy.
Separately, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that at least one million people have lost their livelihoods in Sri Lanka and Indonesia alone. It called for action to create jobs. President Kumaratunga attended a ceremony in the southern town of Hambantota. She was joined by government and opposition politicians, together with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian clergy.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse laid the foundation stone on a new housing project intended to provide 6,000 homes for survivors of the tsunami. Mrs Kumaratunga called for the tragedy to be "the start of a new beginning to rebuild our nation". "We are a country blessed with so many natural resources and we have not made use of them fully. Instead we have been squabbling, fighting," she added. Norway's peace negotiator Erik Solheim is due to arrive on Wednesday to try to revive peace talks in the decades-long conflict between government forces and the Tamil Tigers, who want a separate state in the north east of the country. Reconstruction efforts in eastern Sri Lanka have been hampered by tensions between the two sides.
The IMF said that the Sri Lankan authorities' initial estimates have put the physical damage at $1.3 to $1.5bn, but added that the implications for the economy were much wider than this. "The broader macroeconomic impact will clearly be substantial but the details are difficult to assess at this early stage," the IMF said. Growth, inflation, the balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves are all expected to show the effects of lost businesses and reconstruction costs. "The fishing industry has been devastated, agricultural production may be affected and tourism will suffer, especially in the short term," the report said. The ILO estimated that 400,000 Sri Lankans have lost their jobs, mostly in these three industries. Earnings from tourism this year are expected to be 15% lower than last year. Economic growth this year is expected to be 4%, which is about 1% less than previously forecast. Inflation could climb to 14% compared to a previous estimate of 12%. Although major exports have not suffered, the IMF expects the reconstruction effort will require higher imports which could damage the balance of payments. Foreign exchange reserves may become strained as "Sri Lanka will be hard pressed to keep international reserves at the pre-tsunami level" which totalled more than two months worth of imports. Last week, the IMF approved Sri Lanka's request for a freeze on loan repayments.
| Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said damage from the tsunami would cut one percentage point from Sri Lanka's economic growth this year.The IMF said that the Sri Lankan authorities' initial estimates have put the physical damage at $1.3 to $1.5bn, but added that the implications for the economy were much wider than this.President Kumaratunga said it was now important to find a peaceful solution to years of internal conflict.Sri Lanka's president has launched a reconstruction drive worth $3.5bn (£1.8bn) by appealing for peace and national unity.Separately, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that at least one million people have lost their livelihoods in Sri Lanka and Indonesia alone.The ILO estimated that 400,000 Sri Lankans have lost their jobs, mostly in these three industries.Reconstruction efforts in eastern Sri Lanka have been hampered by tensions between the two sides.Last week, the IMF approved Sri Lanka's request for a freeze on loan repayments.Growth, inflation, the balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves are all expected to show the effects of lost businesses and reconstruction costs.Earnings from tourism this year are expected to be 15% lower than last year. |
737 | George Michael to perform for BBC
George Michael is to perform live at London's Abbey Road studios as part of a BBC Radio 2 special next month.
The session, which will broadcast on 18 December, will also see him talk about how his biggest hits came about. Michael's appearance is part of the station's Sold on Song initiative, which explores the art of songwriting. The station also confirmed that Chris Tarrant will be hosting a one-off New Year's Eve programme. He left London's Capital FM this year after 17 years. The former breakfast show host - who attracted some of the highest ratings in Britain, despite only broadcasting to London - will offer his own individual take on the year in the two-hour show. "This should be great fun," Tarrant said. "I've had a fantastic year and I know that lots of other people have as well. I'm definitely looking forward to being on Radio 2." Other Christmas specials from Radio 2 include singer Jamelia hosting a Christmas Day concert from the London Community Gospel Choir, while actor Christopher Lee will read Fireside Tales from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, E Nesbit and Ambrose Bierce. Comedian Harry Hill will host a spoof nostalgia show on Christmas Day, while singer Jamie Cullum will perform a live concert for the station.
| Comedian Harry Hill will host a spoof nostalgia show on Christmas Day, while singer Jamie Cullum will perform a live concert for the station.The station also confirmed that Chris Tarrant will be hosting a one-off New Year's Eve programme.George Michael is to perform live at London's Abbey Road studios as part of a BBC Radio 2 special next month.Other Christmas specials from Radio 2 include singer Jamelia hosting a Christmas Day concert from the London Community Gospel Choir, while actor Christopher Lee will read Fireside Tales from the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, E Nesbit and Ambrose Bierce.He left London's Capital FM this year after 17 years. |
1,365 | Holmes starts 2005 with GB events
Kelly Holmes will start 2005 with a series of races in Britain.
Holmes will make her first track appearance on home soil since winning double Olympic gold in January's Norwich Union International in Glasgow. She will also run in the Grand Prix in Birmingham in February and may defend her indoor AAA 800m title in Sheffield earlier that month. "I am still competitive and still want to win," she said. "I'm an athlete and I can't wait to get back on the track." She added: "These events are also a great opportunity to thank the British public for the enormous levels of support they have given me from the moment I stepped off that plane from Greece." The Glasgow meeting will see Holmes compete over 1500m in a five-way match against Sweden, France, Russia and Italy.
| Holmes will make her first track appearance on home soil since winning double Olympic gold in January's Norwich Union International in Glasgow.The Glasgow meeting will see Holmes compete over 1500m in a five-way match against Sweden, France, Russia and Italy.She will also run in the Grand Prix in Birmingham in February and may defend her indoor AAA 800m title in Sheffield earlier that month. |
120 | Nigeria to boost cocoa production
The government of Nigeria is hoping to triple cocoa production over the next three years with the launch of an ambitious development programme.
Agriculture Minister Adamu Bello said the scheme aimed to boost production from an expected 180,000 tonnes this year to 600,000 tonnes by 2008. The government will pump 154m naira ($1.1m; £591,000) into subsidies for farming chemicals and seedlings. Nigeria is currently the world's fourth-largest cocoa producer.
Cocoa was the main export product in Nigeria during the 1960s. But with the coming of oil, the government began to pay less attention to the cocoa sector and production began to fall from a peak of about 400,000 tonnes a year in 1970. At the launch of the programme in the south-western city of Ibadan, Mr Bello explained that an additional aim of the project is to encourage the processing of cocoa in the country and lift local consumption. He also announced that 91m naira of the funding available had been earmarked for establishing cocoa plant nurseries. The country could be looking to emulate rival Ghana, which produced a bumper crop last year. However, some farmers are sceptical about the proposals. "People who are not farming will hijack the subsidy," said Joshua Osagie, a cocoa farmer from Edo state told Reuters. "The farmers in the village never see any assistance," he added.
At the same time as Nigeria announced its new initiative, Ghana - the world's second largest cocoa exporter - announced revenues from the industry had broken new records. The country saw more than $1.2bn-worth of the beans exported during 2003-04. Analysts said high tech-production techniques and crop spraying introduced by the government led to the huge crop, pushing production closer to levels seen in the 1960s when the country was the world's leading cocoa grower.
| The government of Nigeria is hoping to triple cocoa production over the next three years with the launch of an ambitious development programme.Analysts said high tech-production techniques and crop spraying introduced by the government led to the huge crop, pushing production closer to levels seen in the 1960s when the country was the world's leading cocoa grower."People who are not farming will hijack the subsidy," said Joshua Osagie, a cocoa farmer from Edo state told Reuters.Nigeria is currently the world's fourth-largest cocoa producer.Cocoa was the main export product in Nigeria during the 1960s.But with the coming of oil, the government began to pay less attention to the cocoa sector and production began to fall from a peak of about 400,000 tonnes a year in 1970. |
183 | Business fears over sluggish EU economy
As European leaders gather in Rome on Friday to sign the new EU constitution, many companies will be focusing on matters much closer to home - namely how to stay in business.
Lille is a popular tourist destination for Britons who want a taste of France at the weekend. But how many tourists look at the impressively grand Victorian Chambre de Commerce, which stands beside the Opera House, and consider that it was built - like the town halls in many northern English towns - on the wealth created by coal, steel and textiles? Like northern England and industrial Scotland, those industries have been in long term decline - the last coal pit closed in 1990. Beck-Crespel is a specialist steel firm in Armentieres, about 20 miles from Lille. The company has not laid off a worker since 1945. It specialises in making bolts and fixings for power stations and the oil industry, but not many of those are being built in Europe these days.
Director Hugues Charbonnier says he is under pressure because factories in the Far East are able to make some of his output more cheaply, while his key markets are now in China and India. "In our business the market is absolutely global, you can not imagine living with our size (of business) even within an enlarged European Union, (if we did that) we would need not 350 people but perhaps just 150 or 200," he says. It isn't just globalisation that is hurting; the law in France means workers are paid for a 39 hour week even though they work just 35 hours. But at least there is still a steel industry. Coal has now totally vanished and textiles are struggling. New business has been attracted, but not enough to make up the difference.
That is one reason why people here are not great fans of the EU, says Frederic Sawicki, a politics lecturer at the University of Lille.
"In the region today the unemployment rate is 12%, in some areas it is 15%. They don't see what Europe is doing for them, so there is a kind of euro scepticism, especially in the working classes," he says. Which is strange because Lille is at the crossroads of Europe - if anywhere should be benefiting from the euro it is here. The euro was designed to increase trade within the eurozone, but the biggest increase in trade has been with the rest of the world. Much of that trade passes through the world's largest port, Rotterdam, in Holland, home to specialist crane maker Huisman Itrec. Its cranes help build oil rigs and lifted the sunken Russian submarine Kursk from the sea bed, but Huisman Itrec is now setting up a factory in China, where costs are cheaper and its main customers are closer.
Boss Henk Addink blames the low growth rate in Europe for the lack of orders closer to home. "In the US growth is something like 6%, in China they are estimating 15%, and in the EU it is more or less 1%," he says. Mr Addink blames the euro for stifling demand. He much preferred the old currencies of Europe, which moved in relation to each country's economic performance. In Germany, industry is exporting more these days, but the economy as a whole is once again mired in slow growth and high unemployment. Growth is likely to peak this year at just under 2%. In Britain that would be a bad year; in Germany it is one of the best in recent years. With Germany making up a third of the eurozone's economy, this is a major problem. If Germany doesn't once again become the powerhouse of Europe, growth across the bloc is never going to be as strong as it could be. However, at one factory near the Dutch border things are changing.
The Siemens plant at Boscholt makes cordless phones and employs 2,000 staff. Staff have started working an extra four hours a week for no extra pay, after Siemens threatened to take the factory and their jobs to Hungary. Factory manager Herbert Stueker says that he now hopes to increase productivity "by nearly 30%". But Germany needs much more reform if all its industry is to compete with places such Hungary or China. The Government is reforming the labour market and cutting the generous unemployment system, but the real solution is to cut the wages of low skilled workers, says Helmut Schneider, director of the Institute for the Study of Labour at Bonn University. "Labour is too costly in Germany, especially for the low skilled labour and this is the main problem. If we could solve that problem we could cut unemployment by half," he says. The EU set itself the target of being the most efficient economy in the world by 2010. Four years into that process, and the target seems further away than ever.
| In Germany, industry is exporting more these days, but the economy as a whole is once again mired in slow growth and high unemployment.But Germany needs much more reform if all its industry is to compete with places such Hungary or China.Boss Henk Addink blames the low growth rate in Europe for the lack of orders closer to home.If Germany doesn't once again become the powerhouse of Europe, growth across the bloc is never going to be as strong as it could be."In the US growth is something like 6%, in China they are estimating 15%, and in the EU it is more or less 1%," he says.Which is strange because Lille is at the crossroads of Europe - if anywhere should be benefiting from the euro it is here.It specialises in making bolts and fixings for power stations and the oil industry, but not many of those are being built in Europe these days.As European leaders gather in Rome on Friday to sign the new EU constitution, many companies will be focusing on matters much closer to home - namely how to stay in business.They don't see what Europe is doing for them, so there is a kind of euro scepticism, especially in the working classes," he says."Labour is too costly in Germany, especially for the low skilled labour and this is the main problem.That is one reason why people here are not great fans of the EU, says Frederic Sawicki, a politics lecturer at the University of Lille.The euro was designed to increase trade within the eurozone, but the biggest increase in trade has been with the rest of the world.With Germany making up a third of the eurozone's economy, this is a major problem.Director Hugues Charbonnier says he is under pressure because factories in the Far East are able to make some of his output more cheaply, while his key markets are now in China and India.New business has been attracted, but not enough to make up the difference.In Britain that would be a bad year; in Germany it is one of the best in recent years. |
1,708 | Paris promise raises Welsh hopes
Has there been a better Six Nations match than Saturday's epic in Paris?
And can the Welsh revival continue all the way to a first Grand Slam since 1978? Those are the two questions occupying not just Wales supporters but rugby fans as a whole after a scintillating display in Paris. Welsh legend Mervyn Davies, a member of two of three Grand Slam-winning sides of the 1970s, hailed it as "one of the great performances of the past three decades". Martyn Williams, Wales' two-try scorer on the day, called it "one of the most surreal games I have ever played in". A crestfallen France coach, Bernard Laporte, simply observed: "There was a French half and there was a Welsh half". And what a half it was for the Red Dragonhood, transforming a 15-6 half-time deficit into an 18-15 lead within five mesmerising minutes of the second period. But while that passage of play showed the swelling self-belief of a side prepared to back its own spirit of adventure, the final quarter told us a whole lot more about this Welsh side. That they recovered from a battering in the first half-hour to first stem the tide before half-time, then reverse it on the resumption, was remarkable enough. But in resisting a seemingly unstoppable wave of French pressure in a nail-biting final five minutes, Wales showed not only their physical attributes but their mental resolve.
In international rugby, any of the top seven sides can beat each other on a given day, but the great sides are those that win the close contests on a consistent basis. England suffered some infamous Six Nations disappointments en route to World Cup glory, the pain of defeat forging bonds that ultimately led to victory when it really mattered. Wales have some way to go before they can be remotely considered in a similar light. But the signs are that players previously on the receiving end are learning how to emerge on the right side of the scoreline. Ten of the 22 on duty on Saturday were also involved when Wales were trounced 33-5 in Paris two years ago. But since they threw off the shackles against New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup, Wales have rediscovered much of what made them a great rugby nation in the first place.
"The confidence in the squad has been building and building since the World Cup and we now have young players who are becoming world class," noted coach Mike Ruddock. The likes of Michael Owen, Gethin Jenkins, Dwayne Peel and Gavin Henson are certainly building strong cases for inclusion on this summer's Lions tour to New Zealand. And players like Stephen Jones, Martyn Williams, Shane Williams and Gareth Thomas are proving it is not only the youngsters that are on an upward curve. Jones, after his superb man-of-the-match display, observed that "we are a very happy camp now". Ruddock and Thomas can take much of the credit for that, ensuring the tribal and regional divisions that have often scarred Welsh rugby do not extend to the national squad. The
joie de vivre
so evident in that magical second-half spell in Paris also stems from a style of play that first wooed supporters the world over in the 1970s.
If England had half the innate attacking exuberance Wales have produced in this championship, they would not be contemplating the debris of three consecutive defeats. Similarly, Wales have learnt that style alone does not win matches, and that forward power, mental toughness and good decision-making under pressure are equally important. So on to Murrayfield, where Wales have not won on their last three visits. While the hype in the Principality will go into overdrive, the players will set about the task of beating Scotland. Only then - with the visit of Ireland to finish - can they start thinking about emulating the hallowed players of the 1970s, and writing their own names into Welsh legend.
| But since they threw off the shackles against New Zealand in the 2003 World Cup, Wales have rediscovered much of what made them a great rugby nation in the first place.Those are the two questions occupying not just Wales supporters but rugby fans as a whole after a scintillating display in Paris.Welsh legend Mervyn Davies, a member of two of three Grand Slam-winning sides of the 1970s, hailed it as "one of the great performances of the past three decades".So on to Murrayfield, where Wales have not won on their last three visits.Ten of the 22 on duty on Saturday were also involved when Wales were trounced 33-5 in Paris two years ago.And can the Welsh revival continue all the way to a first Grand Slam since 1978?"The confidence in the squad has been building and building since the World Cup and we now have young players who are becoming world class," noted coach Mike Ruddock.If England had half the innate attacking exuberance Wales have produced in this championship, they would not be contemplating the debris of three consecutive defeats.Wales have some way to go before they can be remotely considered in a similar light.A crestfallen France coach, Bernard Laporte, simply observed: "There was a French half and there was a Welsh half".The joie de vivre so evident in that magical second-half spell in Paris also stems from a style of play that first wooed supporters the world over in the 1970s. |
1,477 | Ajax refuse to rule out Jol move
Ajax have refused to reveal whether Tottenham's boss Martin Jol is on the Dutch champions' shortlist to become the Amsterdam club's new coach.
Jol, who has coached in his native Holland, has guided Spurs to the Premiership's top eight. An Ajax spokesman told BBC Sport: "The coach must fit our profile - a coach who understands the Dutch league and offensive and distinctive football. "We need to find a solution soon, so someone is in place for next season." Ronald Koeman quit as Ajax boss last week after their exit from the Uefa Cup. Jol has been linked with the vacant post at Ajax, with reports saying he has fallen out with Spurs' sporting director Frank Arnesen. But in a statement on Spurs' website, Jol said: "I'm happy here, I'm not in discussion with anyone else, I don't want to go elsewhere." Ajax have enlisted the help of Dutch legend Johann Cruyff, currently a consultant at Barcelona, to help find a new head coach. Cruyff has admitted he has been impressed by the way former RFC Waalwijk coach Jol has turned round Spurs' fortunes since taking over from Jacques Santini. Tonny Bruins Slot and Ruud Krol are currently in charge of Ajax, who are third in the Dutch league.
| Jol has been linked with the vacant post at Ajax, with reports saying he has fallen out with Spurs' sporting director Frank Arnesen.Ajax have refused to reveal whether Tottenham's boss Martin Jol is on the Dutch champions' shortlist to become the Amsterdam club's new coach.Cruyff has admitted he has been impressed by the way former RFC Waalwijk coach Jol has turned round Spurs' fortunes since taking over from Jacques Santini.Ajax have enlisted the help of Dutch legend Johann Cruyff, currently a consultant at Barcelona, to help find a new head coach. |
1,873 | Domain system scam fear
A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned.
The Internationalised Domain Names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the Internet Electronic Task Force. But the UK Internet Forum (UKIF) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily. The problem lies in the computer codes used to represent language.
Registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers, says Stephen Dyer, director of UKIF. Domain names are the "real language" addresses of websites, rather than their internet protocol address, which is a series of numbers. They are used so people can more easily navigate the web. So-called ASCII codes are used to represent European languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called Unicode is used. So, for example, website PayPal could now be coded using a mixture of the Latin alphabet and the Russian alphabet. The resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a Russian 'a' look just like an English 'a'. But the computer code would be different, and the site it would lead users to could be a fake. This is more than just a theory. A fake Paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant Verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) system, said Mr Dyer. As the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to Paypal but it sets a worrying precedent, Mr Dyer said. "Although the IDN problem is well known in technical circles, the commercial world is totally unaware how easily their websites can be faked," said Mr Dyer.
"It is important to alert users that there is a new and invisible and almost undetectable way of diverting them to what looks like a perfectly genuine site," he added. There are solutions. For instance, browsers could spot domains that use mixed characters and display them in different colours as a warning to users. Mr Dyer acknowledged that it would be a huge undertaking to update all the world's browsers. Another solution, to introduce IDN-disabled browsers could be a case of "throwing out the baby with the bath water," he said. CENTR, the Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries, agrees. "A rush to introduce IDN-disabled browsers into the marketplace is an overly-zealous step that will harm public confidence in IDNs - a technology that is desperately needed in the non-English speaking world," the organisation said in a statement.
| A fake Paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant Verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) system, said Mr Dyer.But the computer code would be different, and the site it would lead users to could be a fake.As the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to Paypal but it sets a worrying precedent, Mr Dyer said.The resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a Russian 'a' look just like an English 'a'.A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned.Registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers, says Stephen Dyer, director of UKIF.So-called ASCII codes are used to represent European languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called Unicode is used.But the UK Internet Forum (UKIF) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily.The Internationalised Domain Names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the Internet Electronic Task Force. |
264 | French suitor holds LSE meeting
European stock market Euronext has met with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) amid speculation that it may be ready to launch a cash bid.
Euronext chief Jean-Francois Theodore held talks with LSE boss Clara Furse the day after rival Deutsche Boerse put forward its own bid case. The German exchange said it had held "constructive, professional and friendly" talks with the LSE. But Euronext declined to comment after the talks ended on Friday. Speculation is mounting that the Germans may raise their bid to £1.5bn. Deutsche Boerse previously offered £1.3bn, which was rejected by the LSE, while Euronext is rumoured to have facilities in place to fund a £1.4bn cash bid. So far, however, neither have tabled a formal bid. But a deal with either bidder would create the biggest stock market operator in Europe and the second biggest in the world after the New York Stock Exchange.
There was speculation Euronext would use Friday's meeting as an opportunity to take advantage of growing disquiet over Deutsche Boerse's own plans for dominance over the London market. Unions for Deutsche Boerse staff in Frankfurt has reportedly expressed fears that up to 300 jobs would be moved to London if the takeover is successful. "The works council has expressed concerns that the equities and derivatives trade could be managed from London in the future," Reuters news agency reports a union source as saying. German politicians are also said to be angry over the market operator's promise to move its headquarters to London if a bid were successful.
Meanwhile, LSE shareholders fear that Deutsche Boerse's control over its Clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions - would create a monopoly situation. This would weaken the position of shareholders when negotiating lower transaction fees for share dealings. LSE and Euronext do not have control over their clearing and settlement operations, a situation which critics say is more transparent and competitive. The German group's ownership of Clearstream has been seen as the main stumbling block to a London-Frankfurt merger. Commentators believe Deutsche Boerse, which has now formally asked German authorities to approve its plan to buy the LSE, may offer to sell Clearstream to gain shareholder approval. Euronext, so far, has given little away as to what sweeteners it will offer the LSE - Europe's biggest equity market - into a deal.
| European stock market Euronext has met with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) amid speculation that it may be ready to launch a cash bid.Euronext, so far, has given little away as to what sweeteners it will offer the LSE - Europe's biggest equity market - into a deal.Deutsche Boerse previously offered £1.3bn, which was rejected by the LSE, while Euronext is rumoured to have facilities in place to fund a £1.4bn cash bid.Euronext chief Jean-Francois Theodore held talks with LSE boss Clara Furse the day after rival Deutsche Boerse put forward its own bid case.Commentators believe Deutsche Boerse, which has now formally asked German authorities to approve its plan to buy the LSE, may offer to sell Clearstream to gain shareholder approval.There was speculation Euronext would use Friday's meeting as an opportunity to take advantage of growing disquiet over Deutsche Boerse's own plans for dominance over the London market.Meanwhile, LSE shareholders fear that Deutsche Boerse's control over its Clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions - would create a monopoly situation.Unions for Deutsche Boerse staff in Frankfurt has reportedly expressed fears that up to 300 jobs would be moved to London if the takeover is successful. |
1,009 | MP's shock at long lost daughter
Labour MP Stephen Pound has told of his shock and his joy on learning he fathered a daughter when he was "out of control" during the "wild" 1960s.
Lucy, 36, tracked down Mr Pound after her birth mother told her he was known as "Precious" at school. Despite being told he was a "nutter who died at sea" she found a reference to Mr Pound on Friends Reunited. Lucy's mother kept her pregnancy secret and had her adopted at four weeks. Mr Pound found out about it last year. That happened when Lucy wrote to his Parliamentary office saying she believed he was her father.
Mr Pound, who is now married with two other teenage children, said: "I was a nutter and I was a sailor but I wasn't dead." He said his first reaction was to wonder if he was victim of a "set-up" but he then realised all the dates fitted. "It was a pretty horrible thing with a pretty happy ending. I felt guilt in the marrow of my bones," said the Ealing North MP. "I don't blame Lucy's mother. I was pretty much out of control. I was 18 when she was conceived. It was a different time - it was pretty wild."
Mr Pound says he rang Lucy as soon as he got her letter, they met up and have been in contact ever since. Describing that first meeting at London's King Cross station, he said: "The earth went from under my feet ... We were walking across the Euston Road and I took her arm to take her across and there was an immediate connection. "We were finishing each other sentences." Lucy, who was adopted by a family from Essex, wants to remain anonymous for the sake of her adoptive father and her children. Mr Pound said his wife Maggie had been fully supportive and their two children Emily, 16, and Pelham, 14 were pleased to have an older sister.
| Mr Pound, who is now married with two other teenage children, said: "I was a nutter and I was a sailor but I wasn't dead."I was 18 when she was conceived.It was a different time - it was pretty wild."Lucy, 36, tracked down Mr Pound after her birth mother told her he was known as "Precious" at school.He said his first reaction was to wonder if he was victim of a "set-up" but he then realised all the dates fitted.I was pretty much out of control.Despite being told he was a "nutter who died at sea" she found a reference to Mr Pound on Friends Reunited.Labour MP Stephen Pound has told of his shock and his joy on learning he fathered a daughter when he was "out of control" during the "wild" 1960s. |
753 | Blue beat U2 to top France honour
Irish band U2 have been honoured at France's biggest music awards, but were beaten to a prize by boy band Blue.
U2 received a special achievement prize at the NRJ Music Awards, but Blue beat them to the international group award. US band Maroon 5 was named best new international artist, and took the best international song title for This Love. More than five million radio listeners voted in the awards. The international male and female prizes went to Usher and Avril Lavigne respectively. Collecting his band's award from model Naomi Campbell at the Cannes ceremony, U2 frontman Bono said in French: "I'm not from this country but I'll make a little confession to you - it's at the Cote d'Azur I feel at home."
Hosted by radio group NRJ, the ceremony featured performances from Usher and Jennifer Lopez, who was accompanied by dancers clad in schoolgirl outfits. US pop act Black Eyed Peas picked up the best international album gong for Elephunk. Singer Jenifer also took home two awards, for best French female singer and best French album. French-Canadian pop star Roch Voisine was named best Francophone male artist.
| US band Maroon 5 was named best new international artist, and took the best international song title for This Love.U2 received a special achievement prize at the NRJ Music Awards, but Blue beat them to the international group award.Singer Jenifer also took home two awards, for best French female singer and best French album.US pop act Black Eyed Peas picked up the best international album gong for Elephunk. |
1,052 | Visa row mandarin made Sir John
The top civil servant at the centre of the David Blunkett visa affair has been knighted in the New Year Honours.
Sir John Gieve was Home Office permanent secretary during the saga which ended with Mr Blunkett quitting. He and other civil servants were criticised for failing to recall how the visa for Mr Blunkett's ex-lover's nanny came to be fast-tracked. The outgoing head of the troubled Child Support Agency Doug Smith also earns an honour in the New Year's list. Mr Smith, 57, whose retirement was announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Smith in November, is made a Commander of the Order of Bath.
Both men were giving evidence to a Commons committee on the computer difficulties facing the agency, which left thousands of single parents without any maintenance payments, when the announcement was made. The knighting of Sir John, 54, will be received with astonishment by opposition politicians.
The Liberal Democrats said it "beggared belief" he and fellow officials could not remember how Leoncia Casalme's application for indefinite leave to remain went from Mr Blunkett's office to the head of the Immigration and Nationality Department. Meanwhile, the Conservatives accused officials of a "collective failure" of memory. But Sir Alan Budd, who led an inquiry into the affair, said he had no reason to believe anyone involved had deliberately withheld information.
Downing Street defended the decision to honour both men, with a spokesperson saying: "You have to look at their whole career." Sir John was made permanent secretary in April 2001 following a Civil Service career which dates back to 1974. He has also worked in the Treasury and the Department of Employment. A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said of Mr Smith's honour: "The award reflects all that he has achieved in a Civil Service career, principally in the Inland Revenue, spanning over 40 years - not just his role as chief executive of the Child Support Agency.
"In his career he has personally led a number of successful major change programmes." Mr Smith is set to stay on at the CSA until March. Less controversial will be the knighthoods for Derek Wanless and Mike Tomlinson, who undertook major government reviews on health and education respectively. Former NatWest chief executive Mr Wanless, 57, has delivered not one but two major reports on the NHS. Ex-chief inspector of schools Mr Tomlinson, 62, has recommended replacing A-Levels and GCSEs with a new diploma system in a shake-up of the exams system.
| A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said of Mr Smith's honour: "The award reflects all that he has achieved in a Civil Service career, principally in the Inland Revenue, spanning over 40 years - not just his role as chief executive of the Child Support Agency.Sir John Gieve was Home Office permanent secretary during the saga which ended with Mr Blunkett quitting.Sir John was made permanent secretary in April 2001 following a Civil Service career which dates back to 1974.Mr Smith, 57, whose retirement was announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Smith in November, is made a Commander of the Order of Bath.Former NatWest chief executive Mr Wanless, 57, has delivered not one but two major reports on the NHS.The top civil servant at the centre of the David Blunkett visa affair has been knighted in the New Year Honours."In his career he has personally led a number of successful major change programmes."The Liberal Democrats said it "beggared belief" he and fellow officials could not remember how Leoncia Casalme's application for indefinite leave to remain went from Mr Blunkett's office to the head of the Immigration and Nationality Department. |
938 | Strike threat over pension plans
Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders.
The Cabinet Office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system, prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten united action. They believe the plans include raising the mandatory retirement age for public service workers from 60 to 65. The government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made.
It is thought the proposed overhaul, due on Thursday, could mean pensions could be based on a "career average" salary. For each year served, staff currently get one eightieth of their highest salary in the final three years. Ministers will be anxious to avoid mass strike action in the lead-up to the next general election, which is widely expected next May. In a statement on Sunday, the Cabinet Office said it was reviewing the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and hoped to announce proposals soon. "Unions will of course be consulted about any proposed changes. "Public sector pension schemes need to remain affordable and sustainable. People are living longer and pensions are getting more expensive. "To maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme, the government announced in its Green Paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65." On Monday, Tony Blair's official spokesman declined to say whether the prime minister backed the plans. He said: "What's important is that there's a process going on, it's out for consultation at the moment, let's wait for that process to complete itself."
There is already widespread anger over the chancellor's plans to get rid of more than 100,000 civil servants. Now public service unions are united against the plans and the Trades Union Congress is discussing the issue next Monday. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said changes to pension provisions for workers in the public sector would mean they had to pay in more but would still face a raw deal. "Members working in the NHS or for local government have never had high pay or city bonuses, but they could look forward to a decent pension - now all that is being taken away," he said. "What really riles me is the breathtaking hypocrisy of MPs who recently voted themselves the best pension scheme in Europe, but say they can't afford it for anyone else. "This is a position that Unison cannot accept and will oppose. It will lead to conflict between Unison and the government, if not this year then next."
Mr Prentis said workers did not want to go on strike and called for talks between unions and the highest level of government. Mark Serwotka, from the Public and Commercial Services union said there should be a co-ordinated one day strike unless there was a government rethink. The Fire Brigades Union said the government was planning to cut ill health retirement benefits for firefighters and other measures to chip away at pensions. Pensions officer Paul Woolstenholmes said: "The pensions of millions of public sector workers are under threat - apart from MPs and judges who have the most generous pensions arrangements in the country."
| Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders."To maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme, the government announced in its Green Paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65."Pensions officer Paul Woolstenholmes said: "The pensions of millions of public sector workers are under threat - apart from MPs and judges who have the most generous pensions arrangements in the country."Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said changes to pension provisions for workers in the public sector would mean they had to pay in more but would still face a raw deal.Mark Serwotka, from the Public and Commercial Services union said there should be a co-ordinated one day strike unless there was a government rethink.Mr Prentis said workers did not want to go on strike and called for talks between unions and the highest level of government.Now public service unions are united against the plans and the Trades Union Congress is discussing the issue next Monday.In a statement on Sunday, the Cabinet Office said it was reviewing the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and hoped to announce proposals soon.The government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made."Public sector pension schemes need to remain affordable and sustainable. |
965 | Talks aim to avert pension strike
Talks aimed at averting a series of national strikes over pensions reforms will take place this weekend.
Five public sector unions will hold private talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at Labour's spring conference in Gateshead. They want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65. Up to 1.4m workers could take part in a strike already earmarked for 23 March. However, all sides are anxious to avoid a major confrontation in the run up to the general election, said BBC labour affairs correspondent Stephen Cape. In four days, Britain's biggest union Unison will start balloting 800,000 local government workers on strikes. Other public sector unions have pledged to follow. It is just weeks before new regulations are introduced to raise the pension age of local government workers.
The five unions meeting Mr Prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations. This would allow months of tough negotiations to follow, said our correspondent. But a spokesman for Mr Prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in April. Privately ministers believe this will be the "less painful" option, our correspondent added. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. PCS leader Mark Serwotka warned last week that there could be further walkouts unless there was a government rethink. "For a government that lectures everyone on choice - choice on public service, choice on this and choice on that - isn't it ironic that they're saying to public sector workers there is no choice," he said. "If you want the pension you were promised when you started you must work for an extra five years - that is working until people drop. "In the 20th century, it's completely unacceptable."
Unison's 800,000 workers, the Transport and General Workers' Union's 70,000 and Amicus' 20,000 are among those being balloted about a 23 March walkout. Mr Prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week. It is understood no deal was offered in that meeting but there was room for further negotiations.
| The five unions meeting Mr Prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations.They want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65.It is just weeks before new regulations are introduced to raise the pension age of local government workers.But a spokesman for Mr Prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in April.Other public sector unions have pledged to follow.Mr Prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week.Five public sector unions will hold private talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at Labour's spring conference in Gateshead.The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. |
2,147 | 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. |
1,376 | Holmes urged to compete at Worlds
Jolanda Ceplak has urged Britain's Kelly Holmes to continue competing at the major championships.
Double Olympic gold medallist Holmes has strongly hinted she will not run in this year's Worlds and is undecided about next month's European Indoors. But World Indoor 800m record holder Ceplak said: "There is never an easy race when she is in the field. There is only excitement at what might happen. "It is good for the sport. She always fetches the best out of everyone." Ceplak has been a great rival of Holmes' during the Briton's career and the pair fell out when Holmes questioned the manner of the Slovenian's runaway 800m victory at the 2002 European Championships. But the controversy has since been forgotten, with Ceplak acting as pacemaker for Holmes' failed attempt on the British Indoor 1500m record at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham in 2003.
Ceplak added: "I like running against her - you know the race is always going to be fast. "That is the sort of competition that I like. She is special to me. She was like my idol from the beginning of my career." Meanwhile, Ceplak will be looking to follow up last Saturday's win in Boston with a fast time and victory in Friday's Night of Athletics in Erfurt, Germany. Britain's Jason Gardener had been expected to defend his 60m title in Erfurt but instead he will save himself for a competition in Leipzig on Sunday. Gardener's decision means Scotland's 400m man Ian Mackie will carry British hopes in what looks sure to be a tough preparation for next weekend's Norwich Union European trials in Sheffield.
| Ceplak added: "I like running against her - you know the race is always going to be fast.Ceplak has been a great rival of Holmes' during the Briton's career and the pair fell out when Holmes questioned the manner of the Slovenian's runaway 800m victory at the 2002 European Championships.But the controversy has since been forgotten, with Ceplak acting as pacemaker for Holmes' failed attempt on the British Indoor 1500m record at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham in 2003.Jolanda Ceplak has urged Britain's Kelly Holmes to continue competing at the major championships."That is the sort of competition that I like.But World Indoor 800m record holder Ceplak said: "There is never an easy race when she is in the field. |
1,658 | Wilkinson return 'unlikely'
Jonny Wilkinson looks set to miss the whole of the 2005 RBS Six Nations.
England's World Cup-winning fly-half said last week he was hoping to recover from his latest injury in time to play some role in the championship. But Rob Andrew, coach of Wilkinson's club side Newcastle, said that with only two games left to play Wilkinson was unlikely to be fit in time. "It would be irresponsible to put him straight into a Test match," Andrew told the Times. Wilkinson is recovering from a knee injury which followed long-term neck and arm injuries. He has not played for England since the World Cup final in November 2003, since when the stuttering world champions have lost nine of their 14 matches. Wilkinson is aiming to make his third start to the season in the Zurich Premiership match against Harlequins on 13 March.
That game is the day after England play Italy in the Six Nations and six days before their final match of the championship against Scotland. "We are hoping Jonny will be ready in a fortnight, but it is touch and go," said Andrew. "His recovery is going very well and the key now is how he is reintroduced to playing and with it goal-kicking. "He will probably have to come off the bench to start and it would be ridiculous and irresponsible to put him straight back into a Test match. "We can't afford to get it wrong with a knee injury. We are in touch with England and they are relaxed about it." Despite not playing for England, Wilkinson is still hoping to make the Lions tour to New Zealand this summer. Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward has not set a deadline for when Wilkinson has to start playing again in order to be considered for selection.
| Despite not playing for England, Wilkinson is still hoping to make the Lions tour to New Zealand this summer.Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward has not set a deadline for when Wilkinson has to start playing again in order to be considered for selection.But Rob Andrew, coach of Wilkinson's club side Newcastle, said that with only two games left to play Wilkinson was unlikely to be fit in time.That game is the day after England play Italy in the Six Nations and six days before their final match of the championship against Scotland.England's World Cup-winning fly-half said last week he was hoping to recover from his latest injury in time to play some role in the championship.Wilkinson is aiming to make his third start to the season in the Zurich Premiership match against Harlequins on 13 March. |
1,007 | Kilroy launches 'Veritas' party
Ex-BBC chat show host and East Midlands MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk has said he wants to "change the face of British politics" as he launched his new party.
Mr Kilroy-Silk, who recently quit the UK Independence Party,said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration. He told a London news conference that Veritas - Latin for "truth" - would avoid the old parties' "lies and spin". UKIP leader Roger Knapman says he was glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk.
Mr Kilroy-Silk promised a "firm but fair" policy on immigration and said they hoped to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election. He said Veritas would also announce detailed policies on crime, tax, pensions, health and defence over the next few weeks. And he announced the party would be holding a leadership election. On Thursday he is due to announce which constituency he will run in at the next general election - that will come amid speculation he has his sights set on Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's Ashfield seat. He was joined in the new venture by one of UKIP's two London Assembly members, Damien Hockney who is now Veritas' deputy leader. UKIP's chairman Petrina Holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left.
Mr Kilroy-Silk announced his decision to quit UKIP at a public meeting in Hinckley, Leicestershire last week. It came after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. He said he was ashamed to be a member of a UKIP whose leadership had "gone AWOL" after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last June's European elections. "While UKIP has turned its back on the British people, I shall not," he said. "I will be standing at the next general election. I shall be leading a vigorous campaign for the causes I believe in. "And, unlike the old parties, we shall be honest, open and straight."
Mr Hockney also left UKIP saying Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a Eurosceptic party. A spokesman for UKIP called on Mr Hockney to quit the London Assembly. The party asserts that Mr Hockney "has a moral obligation, if not a legal one" to stand down. Its leader, Roger Knapman, has said he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk. "He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the [European] election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now 'goodbye'," he said. UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy-Silk has not been "straightforward" in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.
This is just what the Europhiles pray for. As the main Eurosceptic party, UKIP should try to resolve its differences with Kilroy to show a united front and give the UK public a serious political voice against Europe. Having multiple parties with the same view point just splits the vote further.
Thank goodness that Kilroy-Silk has gone - now UKIP at least has a chance in the election!
It is very sad to see the cause of Britain regaining its proper relationship with Europe damaged by this split within UKIP. Robert Kilroy-Silk could have a lot to offer. Instead we have a split party and a damaged cause. Under the present electoral system, people must work together, and small parties have no hope of representation. Last summer, UKIP achieved a major advance, partly and only partly due to Kilroy-Silk. It is a great shame this has been dissipated in in-fighting.
UKIP has a wide platform of policies, not just withdrawal from the EU. This Kilroy-Silk conveniently ignores in the comments surrounding the launch of his own party. Neither the English Democrats nor the New Party were interested in letting him join them and take over their leadership speaks volumes. Veritas is the beginning of the end for Kilroy-Silk.
If he believes in truth and democracy then he and the two assembly members should resign and force a by-elections to stand on their own platform rather than this backdoor approach to politics of being elected for one party then defecting to another.
So UKIP was good enough for him to lead, not good enough for him to follow!
Interesting that a party committed to plain speaking should have a Latin name!
Every opinion poll points to an overwhelming anti-Europe feeling in this country. Kilroy-Silk could be on the verge of something huge if he can broaden his appeal beyond this one issue. He is an extremely able communicator with years of political experience. We wants quality schools, top hospitals, clean and efficient public transport, punishments that fit the crime, limited asylum, a purge on bureaucracy and less taxes. It needs courage and honesty, two qualities sadly lacking in our politicians. Kilroy-Silk may just have those very qualities. Recruit the right colleagues, Robert, and your time may have come!
Well if you cannot get enough limelight being an ordinary MP then go out and start up your own Party. It's all flash and no real policy here
Let's hope this is the start of both UKIP and Kilroy-Silk slipping into obscurity.
Veritas? The name will doom it. But perhaps I am wrong for surely all modern schoolchildren will understand it since they do still learn Latin in the classroom do they not? The whole essence of what RKS represents is Euroscepticism, so explain to me how the too-twee label of Veritas symbolises that?
| UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy-Silk has not been "straightforward" in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.Mr Hockney also left UKIP saying Mr Kilroy-Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a Eurosceptic party."He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the [European] election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy-Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now 'goodbye'," he said.Its leader, Roger Knapman, has said he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk.UKIP leader Roger Knapman says he was glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy-Silk.Thank goodness that Kilroy-Silk has gone - now UKIP at least has a chance in the election!Ex-BBC chat show host and East Midlands MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk has said he wants to "change the face of British politics" as he launched his new party."While UKIP has turned its back on the British people, I shall not," he said.Mr Kilroy-Silk announced his decision to quit UKIP at a public meeting in Hinckley, Leicestershire last week.This Kilroy-Silk conveniently ignores in the comments surrounding the launch of his own party.Veritas is the beginning of the end for Kilroy-Silk.And he announced the party would be holding a leadership election.Mr Kilroy-Silk promised a "firm but fair" policy on immigration and said they hoped to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election.Instead we have a split party and a damaged cause.The party asserts that Mr Hockney "has a moral obligation, if not a legal one" to stand down.UKIP's chairman Petrina Holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left.Interesting that a party committed to plain speaking should have a Latin name!As the main Eurosceptic party, UKIP should try to resolve its differences with Kilroy to show a united front and give the UK public a serious political voice against Europe.It's all flash and no real policy here Let's hope this is the start of both UKIP and Kilroy-Silk slipping into obscurity.Mr Kilroy-Silk, who recently quit the UK Independence Party,said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration.A spokesman for UKIP called on Mr Hockney to quit the London Assembly.Kilroy-Silk may just have those very qualities. |
1,808 | Federer joins all-time greats
The last year has seen one player dominate men's tennis, and one country dominate the women's game.
Roger Federer became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slams in one season. And after Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at the French Open, two more followed at Wimbledon and the US Open. Meanwhile, Briton Tim Henman enjoyed his best year, while Greg Rusedski fought back superbly from adversity. Federer began the year as world number one and holder of the Wimbledon and Masters Cup titles, and set about conquering new ground. The Swiss sounded warning of the dominance to come at the Australian Open.
He ripped through the draw before beating Marat Safin in the final. Andy Roddick was the only player to put up any real resistance at Wimbledon, and Federer's performance against Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open final was breathtaking. Federer again got the better of Hewitt in the season-ending Masters Cup. His victory in Houston proved to be his 13th successive win in a final, an Open era record. The only major let-down was a third-round loss to Gustavo Kuerten at the French Open, and Roland Garros will be his main target in 2005.
There was also a surprise loss to the unheralded Tomas Berdych at the Olympic Games, which saw Chile dominate as Nicoals Massu took the singles and then paired up with Fernando Gonzaelz to win doubles gold. Another major trophy that looks beyond Federer is the Davis Cup, which was won by Spain in a 3-2 home success over the USA in Seville. Roddick struggled on the clay, losing to Rafael Nadal on the opening day before going down to Carlos Moya in the all-important fourth rubber.
Henman broke new ground by reaching the semis on clay at the French Open - a stunning effort - and also at the US Open. A quarter-final defeat to Mario Ancic at Wimbledon was disappointing for the limp manner of the Briton's defeat, but he remains optimistic of going further next year.
British number two Rusedski endured a rollercoaster year, returning to the circuit after being cleared of a doping offence in March. With his ranking down at 168, many feared the 31-year-old's career was over, but he battled back in the second half of the season to re-enter the top 50. The Russian women finally delivered on their long-recognised promise in 2004, with Myskina, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova winning Grand Slams, before taking the season-ending Fed Cup. But while the young Russians were on the way up, it was a different story for the Belgians and the Williams sisters. Only veteran Lindsay Davenport held the new wave at bay, a stunning run of form after Wimbledon taking her to number one ahead of Amelie Mauresmo, whose Grand Slam drought goes on. The year started in regulation fashion as Justine Henin-Hardenne beat compatriot Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open.
A virus ruined the rest of Henin-Hardenne's year, although she was fit enough to win Olympic gold, but Clijsters had an even more miserable 2004. She suffered a serious wrist injury and then announced the end of her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt, and will be happy to see the year end. In their absence, Myskina thrashed Elena Dementieva in a historic, but woeful, all-Russian final at the French Open. Wimbledon was a more refreshing affair as Sharapova captivated SW19, showing nerves of steel as she battled past Davenport and Serena Williams to take the title.
Davenport was a strong favourite for the US Open but, hampered by injury, lost to the powerful and unflappable Kuznetsova in the semis. Kuznetsova went on to give Dementieva another Grand Slam final thrashing, with the latter's wayward serve becoming one of the talking points of the year. With the Russians still improving, the likes of Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters, Davenport, Mauresmo, Venus and Serena will need to be fully fit and motivated in 2005. And it may take their compatriot Safin to challenge Federer on the men's side.
| Andy Roddick was the only player to put up any real resistance at Wimbledon, and Federer's performance against Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open final was breathtaking.And after Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at the French Open, two more followed at Wimbledon and the US Open.Federer began the year as world number one and holder of the Wimbledon and Masters Cup titles, and set about conquering new ground.Henman broke new ground by reaching the semis on clay at the French Open - a stunning effort - and also at the US Open.Davenport was a strong favourite for the US Open but, hampered by injury, lost to the powerful and unflappable Kuznetsova in the semis.The year started in regulation fashion as Justine Henin-Hardenne beat compatriot Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open.A virus ruined the rest of Henin-Hardenne's year, although she was fit enough to win Olympic gold, but Clijsters had an even more miserable 2004.The only major let-down was a third-round loss to Gustavo Kuerten at the French Open, and Roland Garros will be his main target in 2005.Kuznetsova went on to give Dementieva another Grand Slam final thrashing, with the latter's wayward serve becoming one of the talking points of the year.In their absence, Myskina thrashed Elena Dementieva in a historic, but woeful, all-Russian final at the French Open.A quarter-final defeat to Mario Ancic at Wimbledon was disappointing for the limp manner of the Briton's defeat, but he remains optimistic of going further next year.His victory in Houston proved to be his 13th successive win in a final, an Open era record. |
136 | Ukraine revisits state sell-offs
Ukraine is preparing what could be a wholesale review of the privatisation of thousands of businesses by the previous administration.
The new President, Viktor Yushchenko, has said a "limited" list of companies is being drawn up. But on Wednesday Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the government was planning to renationalise 3,000 firms. The government says many privatised firms were sold to allies of the last administration at rock-bottom prices. More than 90,000 businesses in all, from massive corporations to tiny shopfronts, have been sold off since 1992, as the command economy built up when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union was dismantled.
Ms Tymoshenko said prosecutors had drawn up a list of more than 3,000 businesses which were to be reviewed. "We will return to the state that which was illegally put into private hands."
A day earlier, Mr Yushchenko - keen to reassure potential investors - had said only 30 to 40 top firms would be targeted. The list "will be limited and final, and will not be extended after its completion", he said. An open-ended list could further damage outside investors' fragile faith in Ukraine, said Stuart Hensel of the Economist Intelligence Unit. But the government seemed keen not to make the review look like the kind of wholesale renationalisation which many fear in Russia, Mr Hensel said. As a result, it was planning to resell rather than keep firms in state hands. "They're aware of the need not to scare investors, and to be careful of internal divides within Ukraine," he said. "They don't want to be seen to be transferring assets from one set of oligarchs to a new set." Foreign investment in Ukraine, at about $40 a head in 2004, is one of the lowest among ex-Soviet states.
Mr Yushchenko became president after two elections in December, the first of which was annulled amid allegations of voting irregularities and massive street protests.
His opponent, Viktor Yanukovich, still has huge support in the country's eastern industrial heartland. Mr Yushchenko's administration has accused its predecessor, led by ex-President Leonid Kuchma, of corruption. The privatisation review's number one target is a steel mill sold to a consortium which included Viktor Pinchuk, Mr Kuchma's son-in-law, for $800m (£424m) despite higher bids from several foreign groups. The mill, Krivorizhstal, is one of the world's most profitable. "We say Krivorizhstal was stolen, and at any cost we will return it to the state," Mr Yushchenko told an investors' conference in Kiev.
One of the jilted bidders, Netherlands-based group LNM, said it welcomed the possibility that the mill might be back on the market.
"If the original privatisation is annulled and a new tender issued, then we would look at it with great interest," a spokesman told BBC News. A resale of Krivorizhstal could potentially triple the price, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Mr Hensel. But he warned that the government could decide to take the easy route of revaluing the company and charging the existing owners the revised price rather than undertaking a fresh sale. "That way, Mr Yushchenko can go to the public and say he has forced the oligarchs to play by the rules," he told BBC News.
| The new President, Viktor Yushchenko, has said a "limited" list of companies is being drawn up."We say Krivorizhstal was stolen, and at any cost we will return it to the state," Mr Yushchenko told an investors' conference in Kiev.An open-ended list could further damage outside investors' fragile faith in Ukraine, said Stuart Hensel of the Economist Intelligence Unit.But the government seemed keen not to make the review look like the kind of wholesale renationalisation which many fear in Russia, Mr Hensel said.A day earlier, Mr Yushchenko - keen to reassure potential investors - had said only 30 to 40 top firms would be targeted.But on Wednesday Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the government was planning to renationalise 3,000 firms."That way, Mr Yushchenko can go to the public and say he has forced the oligarchs to play by the rules," he told BBC News.Ms Tymoshenko said prosecutors had drawn up a list of more than 3,000 businesses which were to be reviewed.The list "will be limited and final, and will not be extended after its completion", he said.The privatisation review's number one target is a steel mill sold to a consortium which included Viktor Pinchuk, Mr Kuchma's son-in-law, for $800m (£424m) despite higher bids from several foreign groups.A resale of Krivorizhstal could potentially triple the price, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Mr Hensel. |
341 | Jarvis sells Tube stake to Spain
Shares in engineering group Jarvis have soared more than 16% on news that it is offloading its stake in London underground consortium Tube Lines.
The sale of the 33% stake to Spain's Ferrovial for £146m ($281m) is a lifeline to Jarvis, which was weighed down by debts of more than £230m. The company recently warned it could go under if it did not secure a refinancing deal by mid-January 2005. But now its banks have agreed to extend its credit facilities until March 2006.
The company also said it had agreed terms over the completion of 14 of its biggest construction projects under the government's Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
Jarvis wants to scale back the division, which has proved too costly and has been blamed for many of its problems. Instead, it plans to focus on UK rail renewal, roads and plant hire work. Madrid-based Ferrovial already holds a 33% stake in Tube Lines, which maintains the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. The Spanish group has been keen to snap up more UK infrastructure assets, having bought Amey in 2003. Jarvis said the sale, which raked in more than the £100m analysts had expected, would "substantially" enhance its financial position. "I am now confident that we can now move forward in 2005 towards rebuilding Jarvis and return it to growth as a profitable business," said chief executive Alan Lovell. Shares in Jarvis were up more than 16% to 18 pence by the close of trade on Friday.
| Shares in engineering group Jarvis have soared more than 16% on news that it is offloading its stake in London underground consortium Tube Lines.The sale of the 33% stake to Spain's Ferrovial for £146m ($281m) is a lifeline to Jarvis, which was weighed down by debts of more than £230m.Jarvis said the sale, which raked in more than the £100m analysts had expected, would "substantially" enhance its financial position.Shares in Jarvis were up more than 16% to 18 pence by the close of trade on Friday.Jarvis wants to scale back the division, which has proved too costly and has been blamed for many of its problems. |
850 | De Niro completes box office coup
Robert De Niro has completed a transatlantic box office double by topping the UK and US film charts with two different films at the same time.
Comedy sequel Meet the Fockers, in which he stars with Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, shot to the top of the UK chart at the weekend. It took £7.2m in three days - eight times more than the number two, Closer. Assault on Precinct 13 was in third. At the same time, US audiences were won over by his new thriller Hide and Seek. In Meet the Fockers, he picks up the role of an uptight father and ex-CIA agent from 2000 hit comedy, Meet the Parents.
It is a big leap to his role in Hide and Seek, a supernatural horror in which he plays a widower whose daughter's imaginary friend turns nasty. In the UK box office chart, Meet the Fockers pushed Closer off the top spot while police action movie Assault On Precinct 13, starring rapper Ja Rule, made £750,000 in its first weekend. London Underground thriller Creep was another new entry at six while quirky comedy Sideways, which got five Oscar nominations last week, entered in eighth place. The Oscar nominations do not seem to have had an impact on fans' choices at cinemas. Leading contenders The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Ray all suffered substantial drops in takings compared with the previous weekend.
| In the UK box office chart, Meet the Fockers pushed Closer off the top spot while police action movie Assault On Precinct 13, starring rapper Ja Rule, made £750,000 in its first weekend.Comedy sequel Meet the Fockers, in which he stars with Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand, shot to the top of the UK chart at the weekend.At the same time, US audiences were won over by his new thriller Hide and Seek.London Underground thriller Creep was another new entry at six while quirky comedy Sideways, which got five Oscar nominations last week, entered in eighth place.Robert De Niro has completed a transatlantic box office double by topping the UK and US film charts with two different films at the same time. |
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